Missouri

Northwest Missouri State University sees growth in cannabis courses after legalization

Published

8 months ago

September 14, 2023

Northwest Missouri State University sees growth in cannabis courses after legalization

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Northwest Missouri State University is seeing increased enrollment in online courses focused on the cannabis industry.

That follows growth Missouri has seen in the industry after recreational legalization in 2022.

“As an educator and as an education institution we really want to be on the front of a lot of things that are coming into the state of Missouri,” said Dr. Jay Johnson, Northwest Missouri State University’s associate provost.

“We’re in the business of providing some training for people looking to get into that career since really nobody has done that in the state of Missouri before — officially,” Johnson said. “Because it gives the whole thing legitimacy to see an old standby like higher education coming in and being supportive of a new and growing industry and providing education to help the workforce in that industry.”

He says until a few years ago, when the school began offering courses, there wasn’t much people could learn from institutional sources.

Until even more recently, there was nothing legally to do with that knowledge in Missouri, but that’s changed after legalization.

“To be able to provide something like this for our region and the state is very exciting,” Johnson said.

Gabrielle Sparks became interested in the cannabis industry years ago when she learned how much medical marijuana helped someone she knew.

After legalization, she decided she would make a career in the industry and enrolled in NW Missouri State’s courses.

“I chose the horticulture and agriculture lesson. I was thinking about getting into more (of) the science/medicine-type thing like that so I can get more into the pharmaceutical industry,” she said.

Green Flower is the company the university brought on to create the curriculum.

Green Flower’s CEO Max Simon says making the workforce more knowledgeable and legitimate is good for both businesses and buyers.

“There’s been a real surge of interest because people see this (as) an industry that is being born essentially overnight,” Simon said.

The horticulture, business, policy and health care courses are all online, which means the hundreds of students who have taken them don’t just hail from the metro, but also from multiple surrounding states.

”The industry is a lot more legitimate than people believe,” Simon said. “And the opportunities are a lot more abundant than people believe.”

Sparks says she’s been inspired not just by the industry’s success in the state, but by how much she says it has helped people.

“Really inspiring seeing how far that this industry really can get you,” she said. “And you see them booming in the industry. You see them helping millions of people, and they love that they’re helping millions of people now that they can actually do it in a legal way.”

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Missouri

MVC Baseball Tournament bracket: Full TV schedule, standings before 2024 championship

Published

2 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Press Room

MVC Baseball Tournament bracket: Full TV schedule, standings before 2024 championship

Missouri State will hope to recapture the magic it caught in 2022 when it made a run from the first day of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament before winning it all and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

After an 18-11 loss to Southern Illinois to wrap up the regular season on Saturday, the Bears locked up the eight-seed in the MVC Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Evansville, Indiana.

The Bears will play fifth-seeded Illinois Chicago at 2:30 p.m. for a chance to play regular-season champion and nationally-ranked Indiana State the following day. The double-elimination tournament will see the Bears play at least one game on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It will be Missouri State’s final chance at extending Keith Guttin’s career as he’s set to retire once it ends. The 42-year head coach has led the Bears to 21 regular-season or conference tournament championships since 1983.

More: Missouri State celebrates Keith Guttin and the baseball family he created

When is the 2024 MVC Baseball Tournament?

Dates: Tuesday, May 21 through Saturday, May 25
Location: German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville, Indiana

2024 Missouri Valley Conference final regular-season standings

Indiana State (39-11, 22-5)
Murray State (37-18, 17-10)
Evansville (31-23, 17-10)
Illinois State (28-25, 16-11)
Illinois Chicago (33-18, 16-11)
Southern Illinois (31-25, 12-15)
Belmont (25-30, 12-15)
Missouri State (23-32, 11-16)
Valparaiso (14-38, 6-21)
Bradley (13-37-1, 6-21)

The top eight teams in the Missouri Valley Conference qualify for its postseason tournament.

2024 MVC Baseball Tournament schedule

All times central

First round: Tuesday, May 21

Game 1: No. 5 UIC vs. No. 8 Missouri State, 2:30 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 Southern Illinois vs. No. 7 Belmont, 6 p.m.

Second round: Wednesday, May 22

Game 3: No. 3 Evansville vs. No. 4 Illinois State, 9 AM
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:30 PM
Game 5: No. 1 Indiana State vs. TBD, 4 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Murray State vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m.

More: What Keith Guttin means to Missouri State baseball and the many lives he’s touched

Third round: Thursday, May 23

Game 7: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 9 a.m.
Game 8: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, 12:30 p.m.
Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7, 4 p.m.
Game 10: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 6, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals: Friday, May 24

Game 11: TBD, 11 a.m.
Game 12: TBD, 2:30 p.m.
Game 13: TBD, 6 p.m.

Championship: Saturday, May 25

Game 14: MVC Championship, 2:30 p.m.
Game 15: MVC Championship (If Necessary), 6 p.m.

More: Keith Guttin: A timeline of the Missouri State baseball coach’s career

2024 MVC Tournament format

This year’s format gives the top four seeds based on regular-season finish a bye into Day 2 of the tournament, while seeds five through eight will play on Tuesday, May 21. The tournament is a double-elimination format.

How to watch MVC Baseball Tournament live:

2024 Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament bracket

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Missouri

Child marriage will remain legal in Missouri – for now – Missourinet

Published

9 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Press Room

Child marriage will remain legal in Missouri – for now – Missourinet

Close, but no cigar. A bill that was close to passing this legislative session would have raised the legal age to marry in Missouri. The bipartisan effort from Sens. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Scott City, and Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City, would have banned marriages for anyone under 18 without exceptions.

Currently, in Missouri, you can get married at age 16 with a parent’s consent.

Rehder lamented the fact that House Republicans took such a hardline stance on the issue.

“When you look at the statistics that show for a girl that gets married as a teenager before she’s an adult, the divorce rate is almost 80%,” she told Missourinet. “Why would we do that? Why would a parent knowing that, why would the legislators in this building not want to ban child marriage?”

House Republicans like Rep. Mitch Boggs, R-LaRussell, were concerned that the bill gives the government an excuse to “intrude” in family marriage.

Arthur expressed embarrassment over this stalling in the House of Representatives.

“My friends who are apolitical or live in different parts of the country send me messages and say, ‘What is happening in Missouri?’ It makes Missouri look bad, but more importantly, we are not doing enough to protect young girls who are forced into marriages and whose lives are worse in every way as a result,” she said.

The legislation would not have affected any marriages that have already taken place.

Rehder explained that the issue will be reintroduced next year due to a national push from women’s groups.

“Women want to, number one, help solve the problems that we have with sex trafficking,” she said. “Women, today, in 2024, realize that we have so much more opportunity, our girls have so much more opportunity. We want them to be able to make lifetime commitment decisions when their brains are fully developed.”

Rehder’s reasoning for wanting the bill’s passage is due to the divorce rate being “incredibly high” among couples who got married when they were children.

“It’s shameful, in my opinion, and I think it represents the very ugliest parts of politics and I am hopeful that this is not the last attempt that they make to do right and raise the age to 18,” Arthur added.

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Missouri

Mavericks lose in pitcher’s duel 1-0 to No. 7 Missouri, missing a trip to a Super Regional

Published

16 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Mavericks lose in pitcher’s duel 1-0 to No. 7 Missouri, missing a trip to a Super Regional

COLUMBIA, Missouri. (WOWT) – Omaha softball’s historic NCAA tournament run came to an end Sunday after two losses to regional hosts Missouri. The Mavericks entered the first regional final undefeated on the weekend, having defeated Mizzou on Friday and Washington on Saturday.

UNO all-time leader in strikeouts Kamryn Meyer started in the circle for Omaha for her third game in three days. The Mavericks took the lead in the bottom of the sixth after an overthrow to third by Missouri sent Marra Cramer home for the first run of the game.

With their season on the line, the Tigers surged back in the top of the seventh. Shortstop Jenna Laird grounded out but sent the tying run home. Missouri immediately followed up with a two-run home run off the bat of Alex Honnold. Missouri plated two more in the frame and went on to win the game, 5-1, forcing a winner-take-all game two.

Elkhorn native Sydney Nuismer stepped into the circle for Omaha with the program’s first-ever trip to a super regional on the line. The senior tossed eight scoreless innings with the Mavs’ dominant defense backing her up. Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, the game still scoreless, Missouri’s Madison Walker made contact and sent Honnold home from third to walk it off, 1-0.

UNO finished the program’s most successful season of the Division I era with an overall record of 43-15. The Mavs’ two NCAA Tournament wins in Columbia were also a program best.

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