HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Gabriel Marcum is used to surprising people.

“A lot of the time, people are shocked that I’m a sophomore,” Marcum said. “I honestly take that as a compliment.”

The Hutchinson High School sophomore was recently named the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Hutchinson Youth of the Year, an honor he said has not fully sunk in yet but has already given him a platform to share what the Club has meant in his life.

Marcum said he has been a member of the Boys &amp; Girls Club for about five or six years and described it as one of the most transformational experiences he has had.

“Boys and Girls Club is just kind of that pillar of hope in our society today,” he said. “It’s one of those places that kids can go and just feel safe no matter their circumstances.”

Marcum said the Club offers far more than an after-school place to spend time, pointing to academic support, career exploration and hands-on learning opportunities.

“Boys and Girls Club isn’t just an after-school program, it’s a home,” Marcum said. “As soon as you walk through those bright blue doors, you feel at home.”

Among his leadership experiences, Marcum said he helped start the Club’s coffee shop, The Cozy Bean, while he was still in middle school. He said he created applications, interviewed members and trained students who worked there. The Shadduck Park teen site serves students from sixth grade and up, while younger members attend the Avenue A location.

Marcum said the Club’s programs allow members to explore a wide range of interests, from homework help and cooking classes to esports and woodworking.

“Those bright blue doors have so many programs tailored to make sure kids can find something they’re passionate about,” he said.

Outside the Club, Marcum is a youth leader with RiseUp Reno Prevention Network, where he is involved in substance misuse prevention and mental health advocacy. He said those efforts align closely with his role as Youth of the Year.

“One thing I am extremely passionate about is having access to NARCAN in our community,” Marcum said. “Having that platform where I can talk about it and people will listen is extremely important.”

Marcum said he has traveled to Topeka multiple times to speak with lawmakers and attended a national youth leadership forum in Washington, D.C., experiences he said helped clarify why the work matters to him.

As Youth of the Year, Marcum said he sees his role as sharing what happens “behind those bright blue doors” and encouraging others to support the organization.

“I feel like I have this platform where I can talk freely about my experience,” he said. “Boys and Girls Club has shaped me into the person that I am today.”

Marcum said he plans to continue advocating for youth and community well-being while pursuing his long-term goal of becoming an elementary education teacher.

“Helping people is just one of those things that I want to do with my life,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hutchinson High sophomore uses Youth of the Year platform to lift others

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Tracey Mann says border security, tax relief and long-term investments in rural health care highlighted a busy legislative year for Kansas’ “Big First” Congressional District.

Speaking on the BW Morning Show, Mann reflected on what he called key accomplishments in Washington during 2025, pointing first to immigration policy following last year’s election.

“The biggest issue in the election was the wide-open southern border,” Mann said. “The Trump administration came in, closed the border, and Congress followed up by passing laws to help finish the border wall and enforce the laws already on the books.”

Mann said illegal crossings are down more than 95 percent, a figure he described as “very significant,” adding that border security was a central concern for Kansans across the district, which includes portions of 63 counties in central and western Kansas and is the seventh-largest congressional district in the nation that does not encompass an entire state.

Mann also emphasized passage of a sweeping tax package often referred to by Republicans as the “big, beautiful bill,” which he said prevents a major tax increase for Kansas families.

“If that bill doesn’t pass, the average Kansan in the Big First sees about a $2,200 tax increase,” Mann said. “We stopped that from happening.”

According to Mann, the legislation includes tax relief for working families, eliminates taxes on overtime pay, limits taxes on tips, and removes taxes on car loan interest for certain American-made vehicles. He said the bill also provides additional relief for seniors by lowering taxes on Social Security income.

Many provisions of the law take effect Jan. 1, meaning much of the economic impact has yet to be felt, Mann said.

The congressman highlighted several agriculture-related measures he said were especially important to western Kansas, including strengthened crop insurance, higher reference prices, and expanded funding to open overseas markets.

“Things are tough on the family farm right now,” Mann said. “Input costs are high, commodity prices are low, and this bill really helps strengthen the farm safety net.”

Mann said the legislation also benefits Kansas’ aviation industry and provides bonus depreciation for farmers purchasing new or used equipment.

Rural health care was another focus of the discussion. Mann pointed to the creation of a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund aimed at stabilizing rural hospitals and reducing long-term costs.

“This is not just a Band-Aid,” Mann said. “It’s about making structural changes and helping rural hospitals make the investments they need to care for people.”

Mann said the Big First District includes roughly 55 hospitals across about 60 counties, making rural health care a critical issue for communities large and small, including Hutchinson, Salina and other regional hubs. He said details on how the funding will be allocated by state are expected later this year.

Looking ahead to 2026, Mann said lawmakers are working to address rising health insurance premiums by increasing competition, transparency and cost controls within the health care system. He also criticized the Affordable Care Act, saying its promises were not fulfilled and that rising costs continue to burden families.

On agriculture, Mann pointed to a $12 billion bridge aid program funded through tariff revenues to help farmers manage high input costs, particularly for commodities important to Kansas such as wheat, corn, soybeans and sorghum.

“Even with good yields, a lot of farmers lost money this year because of how high input costs have become,” Mann said. “This bridge payment helps farmers get through a very difficult period.”

Mann said he expects agriculture, rural health care and continued economic relief for families to remain top priorities as Congress heads into the new year.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Rep. Mann touts border security, tax relief and rural health care gains in year-end review

By <a href="mailto:sean.boston@eaglemedia.com">SEAN BOSTON</a> Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Dan “Coach Nac” Naccarato, a longtime business and leadership instructor known for his energy in the classroom and his deep connection to students, has retired after 22 years at Hutchinson Community College.

Naccarato joined HutchCC in 2004, the same year the college launched its entrepreneurship program, bringing with him decades of experience in business, coaching and mentoring. Over more than two decades, he became one of the campus’ most recognizable and popular instructors, earning multiple Blue Dragon Educator of the Year honors.

“It’s just that time when it’s right to spend some more time with the family and the grandkids,” Naccarato said. “I’ll still be around calling Blue Dragon home basketball games (on KHUT and KWBW), so Hutchinson will always feel like home.”

Before arriving at HutchCC, Naccarato spent 25 years working for Dillon’s and Kroger, including 13 years as a director of human resources. He said that background shaped his teaching philosophy, which focused on developing people and helping them reach their goals.

“A big part of my job was helping people develop,” he said. “Instead of doing it one-on-one, I got to move to the classroom and do it in groups. The Blue Dragon students and staff have always been tremendous.”

Naccarato’s path to teaching began earlier. While still in college, he was asked to step in and teach classes for his father, a professor at Emporia State University, after his father suffered a stroke. The experience sparked a long-held desire to teach and coach.

“That’s when I realized how much I enjoyed teaching,” Naccarato said. “I always wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps.”

At HutchCC, Naccarato became known for building community beyond the classroom. His semi-annual Management and Entrepreneur’s Forum brought local business leaders and Fortune 500 executives to campus, exposing students to real-world perspectives and professional opportunities.

He was also widely recognized across the community by his nickname, “Coach Nac,” a title that followed him from years of coaching youth sports, high school football, basketball and American Legion baseball.

“It just kind of stuck,” he said. “And it’s a little easier to say than Naccarato.”

Asked about the impact he had on students, Naccarato deflected the praise.

“I really feel like I learned more from the students than they learned from me,” he said. “The best way to learn something is to coach it or teach it, and the longer I taught, the more I got to learn.”

Since announcing his retirement, Naccarato said he has been overwhelmed by messages from former students and colleagues.

“That really caught me by surprise,” he said. “It certainly choked me up a little bit.”

Looking ahead, Naccarato said he is still adjusting to life without an alarm clock but expects to remain active in the community.

“I’m going to miss helping people be successful,” he said. “I’ll probably miss that forever, but hopefully I can still help people along the way in an unofficial capacity.”

HutchCC recognized Naccarato for his passion, leadership and lasting impact, thanking him for “22 years of enthusiasm and unwavering belief in students,” and for making every day, as he often said, “a great day to study business.”

“Every day felt like a holiday”: Coach Nac retires from HutchCC

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As Hutchinson closes out a year marked by major construction projects and long-term planning efforts, Mayor Stacy Goss described 2025 as a year focused on execution rather than expansion.

“It was interesting,” Goss said. “This year was really about staying on task and accomplishing what we had already taken on.”

Among the city’s largest undertakings was the Woodie Seat Freeway project, which Goss described as a capstone effort. Phase one is nearing completion, with Avenue A expected to reopen to east-west traffic in mid-January. Bridge work is scheduled to continue through June or July.

Goss also highlighted changes to city intersections, including the removal of several traffic signals deemed no longer warranted. She said outdated designs can disrupt traffic flow and create confusion for drivers.

“They just don’t engineer intersections like that any longer,” Goss said. “If a light isn’t warranted, it throws off the flow of traffic and what drivers should expect.”

The city is also moving forward with plans for Memorial Hall, which is currently out for requests for proposals covering management, design and construction. Goss said the project includes $2.5 million in state STAR bond funding.

“The goal is to turn it into a year-round usable space,” Goss said. “We want to keep the small-town appeal but also bring in concerts, events and economic activity.”

Housing initiatives were another focus, with more than 200 homes under development and a new partnership with Interfaith Housing launching in 2026. The program will address residential blight by connecting occupants to resources while holding property owners accountable for repairs.

“We know people are living in homes that are not of a livable standard,” Goss said. “Every property should be held to the same standard.”

Mayor reflects on major projects, housing initiatives and Memorial Hall plans

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As Christmas approaches later this week, the Salvation Army in Hutchinson is wrapping up its holiday distribution efforts while making a final push toward its Red Kettle fundraising goal, according to Major Paul James.

James said the organization distributed food and toys to families last week and planned to help additional families Monday morning who missed scheduled appointments.

“We had over 900 families with food and whatnot, and roughly close to 1,000 kids,” James said. “We will have a brief time this morning where we will help out those who missed their appointments for whatever reason and help a few more.”

With three days remaining in the Salvation Army’s 12 Days of Ringing campaign, James said the local Red Kettle goal of $85,000 was about $23,000 short. The Red Kettle effort is part of a larger annual fundraising goal of $300,000 to support year-round programs.

“Eighty-five thousand is our Red Kettle goal, but our overall goal is $300,000,” James said. “We are still about $150,000 down from that, roughly, though we have made some progress recently.”

James said community support has included an increase in individual bell ringers, which helps reduce staffing costs and allows more funds to go directly to programs.

“We had more individuals who volunteered,” James said. “Some people rang more hours this year than ever before. It definitely helps the bottom line.”

As part of this year’s campaign, the Salvation Army partnered with Westphal Jewelers to promote the Red Kettle effort through a Ring for Bling drawing that awarded a $1,500 diamond ring to an eligible bell ringer. The winner, drawn live on the BW Morning Show, was longtime volunteer Roger Sellers.

Sellers, who also won Chiefs tickets in a previous year, has increased his ringing hours over time and was recognized for his continued commitment to the campaign.

“That promotion definitely sparked interest,” James said. “People were calling and asking how they could sign up to ring.”

James said giving often increases in the final days before Christmas, when shoppers finish purchases and look for ways to give back. He added that economic uncertainty and rising costs have made this season more challenging for many families.

“The need has increased each year,” James said. “Inflation is a big part of that. Dollars just do not go as far as they used to.”

Beyond holiday assistance, James highlighted ongoing programs, including a shower and hygiene service that has provided more than 1,000 showers this year, as well as emergency help with rent and utilities.

“A lot of individuals we serve are working and need a place to get clean and be fresh for work,” James said. “It is an honor to be able to help people in that way.”

James also noted that donations are accepted beyond Christmas, with the Salvation Army’s year-end campaign continuing through Jan. 31.

“Just because Christmas has passed does not mean the need has gone away,” James said. “We hope people will continue to think about the Salvation Army and their neighbors.”

Salvation Army aids hundreds of families during Christmas distribution

Hutchinson Community College is marking the end of an era as longtime instructor Dan “Coach Nac” Naccarato retires after 22 years of service to the college and its students.

Naccarato concludes his career as a Business and Leadership Instructor at Hutchinson Community College, leaving behind a legacy defined by enthusiasm, mentorship, and a deep commitment to student success.

Before joining HutchCC, Naccarato spent years coaching and mentoring student-athletes in the Hutchinson area, experiences that shaped his approach in the classroom. That background aligned seamlessly in 2004, when the college launched its Entrepreneurship Program and Naccarato stepped into a role that blended education, leadership, and real-world business insight.

Over more than two decades, Naccarato became known for courses that consistently filled to capacity, driven by his engaging teaching style, infectious energy, and personal investment in students. Colleagues and students alike often described him as more than an instructor — he was a motivator who built relationships and fostered confidence.

Beyond the classroom, Naccarato helped connect students with the broader business community through his semi-annual Management &amp; Entrepreneur’s Forum. The event brought together local business leaders alongside Fortune 500 executives, giving students direct exposure to professional perspectives and encouraging them to think ambitiously about their futures.

His impact was recognized multiple times through honors as a Blue Dragon Educator of the Year, reflecting both his instructional excellence and his lasting influence on campus culture.

As HutchCC closes another year in Blue Dragon history, college leaders and students are celebrating Naccarato’s contributions and wishing him well in retirement.

“Thank you, Dan, for 22 years of leadership, enthusiasm, and unwavering belief in your students,” the college said in a statement. “Congratulations on your well-earned retirement and thank you for making every day a great day to study business at HutchCC.”

HutchCC business instructor Dan “Coach Nac” Naccarato retires after 22 years

Wichita State University men’s basketball head coach Paul Mills is sharing a deeply personal story after surviving a life-threatening cardiac emergency earlier this month—an experience he says could have ended very differently had even a few circumstances changed.

Mills explained that two weeks ago, following a road game at Northern Iowa, he began experiencing severe chest pain and difficulty breathing immediately after the final buzzer.

“I realized something wasn’t right,” Mills said. “It felt like my chest had a skeletal fracture, and it was extremely hard to breathe.”

Despite the pain, Mills completed postgame responsibilities before sitting down in the locker room, exhausted and struggling to move. With a winter storm impacting travel plans, the team ultimately boarded a late-night flight rather than returning by bus. Mills said that decision may have saved his life.

After landing shortly after 1 a.m., Mills told his wife he needed to go to the hospital. Doctors immediately performed an EKG and identified abnormalities, admitting him overnight while a cardiac team was called in. Mills said the next thing he remembers is waking up after undergoing emergency cardiac surgery.

Doctors later told Mills his right coronary artery was 100 percent blocked and had gone without blood flow for approximately six hours. Multiple stents were inserted to restore circulation.

According to his cardiologist, survival rates for that type of cardiac event drop to about 50 percent if treatment is not received within the first hour.

“There were so many moments where this could have gone the other way,” Mills said. “If we had gotten on a bus, if I had gone to a hotel, if I had gone to the wrong hospital, or if I had ignored the pain and gone to sleep—I likely wouldn’t be here.”

Mills credited what he described as a series of providential circumstances for his survival, noting that he does not drink or smoke and runs regularly.

“I thought I was doing everything right,” he said. “What I didn’t realize was that about 80 percent of my cholesterol issue was hereditary.”

Despite being released from the intensive care unit on a Wednesday, Mills returned to the bench just days later for Wichita State’s game against DePaul, under strict medical supervision and while wearing heart-monitoring equipment.

“I wouldn’t recommend getting out of the ICU on a Wednesday and coaching on a Saturday,” Mills said. “But I wanted to show up for our players.”

Mills said doctors initially warned his wife they were uncertain about his long-term quality of life, and a chaplain was brought in following surgery. Today, however, Mills says he feels better than he has in years.

“It’s like living your whole life with low water pressure and suddenly everything is wide open,” he said. “I had no idea how restricted my blood flow was.”

Mills said the experience has changed his perspective on life and work, and he urged others—especially young people—not to ignore warning signs or skip routine medical checkups.

“There are two conditions,” Mills said. “There’s death, and there’s life. And I have life. For that, I’m grateful.”

He closed his remarks by reflecting on the meaning of the holiday season.

“Christmas is both sacred and solemn,” Mills said. “Some families have empty chairs at the table. We almost had that. Don’t take a single day for granted.”

Mills ended with a message he said now carries deeper meaning than ever before:

Wichita State's Paul Mills shares story of cardiac emergency

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Three-day Outlook

TODD THOMPSON Leavenworth County Attorney

Busted? A Prosecutor Reopens the Case for Santa

“Busted!” my young son announced as he climbed into the back seat of our car for the drive home from school.

“You know how I know Santa isn’t real?” he shouted. “We don’t have a chimney!”

As a prosecutor, I respected his solid reasoning, but I was not prepared for his argument. I sat stunned. Because of my silence, my son exclaimed, “See! I knew I was right—busted!”

“He’s real! But, Dad, how does he get in?”

Needing an explanation, I replied, “He’s magic.”

My son then decided to cross-examine me further.

“Let me see the security cameras from last year. I know we have cameras—show them to me from Christmas.” His questions were as sharp as those I’ve heard from seasoned defense attorneys.

“In my job, I have to prove things beyond a reasonable doubt,” I replied. “I must present evidence to a jury. So let’s look at the evidence: when you go to bed, your stockings are bare, but when you wake up, they are full.”

“That’s because you fill them when we are asleep,” he rebutted.

My daughter chimed in. “I have an idea! What if we put cookies out, and if they are eaten, then that will show Santa was there?”

My son shut that idea down. “You know Dad would just eat the cookies—probably before Santa!”

My son then delivered his closing argument. “Dad, I know Santa Claus is also called Saint Nick, or Saint Nicholas, and he lived a very long time ago. There’s no way he could still be alive today.” Then, with pride, he yelled again, “Busted!”

Admittedly, I smelled defeat from this very skilled adversary. Another childhood treasure seemed on the verge of being lost. Worse, I could see the jury of his peers—his sister—leaning his way.

That’s when I decided to call my star witness, my daughter. “How does Santa decide who gets gifts?”

“If you have been good,” she said. “He even keeps a list!”

I asked my son if he knew how Saint Nicholas became a saint.

He explained that Saint Nicholas came from a wealthy family and, instead of keeping his wealth, gave gifts to the less fortunate—without telling anyone.

“Exactly,” I said. “That’s called altruism.”

My daughter asked, “Dad, on my Christmas list, I want to give a friend a Labubu because she doesn’t have one. Is that altruism?”

“Yes,” I said. “And that’s very sweet.”

Feeling my momentum, I delivered my final argument.

“In the law, we have a concept called transferred intent. Basically, if you intend to affect one person, but your actions end up affecting others, the responsibility still carries.”

“You both agree that people all over the world receive gifts on Christmas from what is reported to be Santa, right?”

“Saint Nick wanted others to do good. One way he helped people who did good things was by giving without recognition. That still happens on Christmas, doesn’t it?

“That means Santa’s intent from long ago still exists today. His good intentions have been passed on to others, who continue acts of kindness—that is the magic of Santa. That’s how Santa is real. That’s how he comes to our house on Christmas, even if we don’t believe.”

My daughter asked, “Dad, am I Santa?”

“You already have his spirit,” I said. “It shows in you wanting to give that gift to your friend.”

Then my son said, “I want to be Santa, but not yet.”

I told him, “That’s okay. You have plenty of time to share in his spirit and keep his magic alive.”

At that point, I knew my case wasn’t busted. Santa is less a man in a sleigh and more a commitment to generosity we choose to carry forward, a shared intent that survives the belief itself.

Todd Thompson is the County Attorney for Leavenworth County, Kansas.&nbsp;

Busted? A prosecutor reopens the case for Santa

Missouri wasn’t able to put its best foot forward, House Speaker Jon Patterson said, because ‘leadership was very fragmented’

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jonathanshorman/">Jonathan Shorman</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Nearly a decade after Missouri lost its NFL franchise in St. Louis to Los Angeles, the state learned Monday that the Kansas City Chiefs are moving across the state line to Kansas.

The news, rumored for days, was greeted with shock and despair in Missouri, where hopes were high that a $1.5 billion incentives package approved by state lawmakers would be enough to keep the team in Arrowhead Stadium.

In the end, a much more lucrative package from Kansas won out.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“This is a painful day for everyone in Missouri who loves our Chiefs,” said state Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat.&nbsp;

“A lot of us in Missouri, we feel like we’ve been incredibly loyal to the Chiefs despite all of the frustrations over decades,” Nurrenbern added. “We stuck with the Chiefs every step of the way. So this is so disappointing. I can imagine that Lamar Hunt today is rolling in his grave.”

House Speaker Jon Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, echoed the disappointment, saying Missouri entered into stadium negotiations at a disadvantage.&nbsp;

“I think money was part of it, but I think it’s also the opportunities available in Kansas,” Patterson said. “You know, Arrowhead can’t do a Super Bowl. Arrowhead can’t do a Final Four. If you have a dome stadium, those things are all possibilities, and I think that’s probably what ultimately led to the decision to move.”

Missouri wasn’t able to put its best foot forward, Patterson said, because “leadership was very fragmented.”

“Kansas leadership was very united and professional, and they just took advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said, adding: “It would be deliciously satisfying to start pointing fingers, but I hope we can avoid that right now and just look forward.”

State Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat, was not ready to be so magnanimous.&nbsp;

He said years of bad decisions led to Monday’s news. Specifically, he pointed to former Jackson County Executive Frank White, who was recently removed from office after a recall vote.

White, Sharp said in a social media post, “presided over a deeply dysfunctional and adversarial approach to our professional sports teams.”&nbsp;

Sharp also cast blame on former Gov. Mike Parson for not responding to Kansas’ efforts to poach the Chiefs before leaving office and Kehoe for waiting until nearly the end of this year’s legislative session before presenting a stadium plan.&nbsp;

“This crisis did not happen by accident,” he said. “It was the result of a series of preventable leadership failures.”

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, called it “legislative malpractice” that Kehoe waited until the final days of the legislative session in May to offer a counterproposal to Kansas.&nbsp;

Kehoe said he remained hopeful throughout the process, and that negotiations with the Chiefs’ management continued into last week. His administration has been in constant communication with both the Chiefs and the Royals, and it wasn’t until Monday morning that he was informed by the Chiefs that the team was leaving.

“Harry Truman once said ‘The Buck Stops Here,'” Kehoe told reporters at a press conference. “It’s not fun to be at the top when something like this happens, but you certainly want to try to figure out what the lessons learned here are, and moving forward, we will obviously be doing a post mortem analysis.”

This is certainly a setback, Kehoe said, “but we’ll work together to recover.”

The Chief’s ownership, Kehoe said, “decided to abandon Lamar Hunt’s legacy at the iconic Arrowhead Stadium, a place that Chiefs fans have rallied around since 1972. At Arrowhead, every game feels like a Super Bowl. No new stadium will replicate that.”

Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca said he expects elected officials in the county, where the team is currently located, to take a closer look at how taxpayer money is spent during the remaining years of the Chiefs’ and Royals’ contracts to play at the Truman Sports Complex. Jackson County currently charges a ⅜-cent sales tax for stadium upkeep, generating millions a year.

“Honestly, at this point they’re like a bad ex-girlfriend. They won’t go away,” Abarca said of the Chiefs. “And so the reality that they want to try and go play second fiddle in Kansas and try and lure a deal that’s not written down on paper, good luck to them, best of luck. At this point, our taxpayers in Jackson County deserve a whole lot better commitment than what we’re getting.”

The Chiefs’ decision is “incredibly disappointing, said state Sen. Patty Lewis, a Kansas City Democrat. But it’s also a symptom of a larger problem.&nbsp;

“There are no winners in a border war, just losses on both sides,” she said. “Companies moving back and forth across the state line to reap massive tax breaks while creating no real net job growth is bad for families, bad for the region and bad for both states.”

State Sen. Nick Schroer, a Republican from Defiance, was among the lawmakers who openly opposed the incentives package for the Chiefs and Royals when it passed the legislature this summer.

“Don’t want to say ‘I told you so,’ but I warned the legislature this would happen just as it did with the Rams,” he said.

Schroer said he will be filing legislation this week “to get rid of the asinine classification of the Chiefs as Missouri’s official NFL team as it was passed just a few sessions ago. Similarly I will be getting rid of the asinine ‘handshake’ border-war resolution which says we will play nice with our neighbors next door.”

The Chiefs lease on its Kansas City stadium, which has been the team’s home since 1972, will expire after the 2030 season.&nbsp;

Missouri lawmakers reconvened during a special legislative session this summer to approve a spending package that would have allocated state taxes collected from economic activity at Arrowhead and Kauffman to bond payments for renovations at Arrowhead and a new stadium for the Royals in Jackson or Clay counties.

Estimated at just under $1.5 billion over 30 years, the funding would pay for half the costs — compared to 70% in Kansas — and included a requirement for additional local government financing.&nbsp;

The Royals first announced an intention to leave Kauffman Stadium in November 2022. The move was pitched as a way for the Chiefs to remain in Arrowhead, demolish Kauffman and build a covered entertainment center.

Officials in Jackson County and Kansas City began scrambling to figure out how to keep the Royals from leaving Missouri. By the spring of 2023, Clay County leaders announced interest in building a stadium in North Kansas City that could become the Royals new home.&nbsp;

The Royals solicited proposals for a downtown Kansas City and North Kansas City site a few months later, and released renderings of possible stadiums at both locations in August 2023.&nbsp;

Soon after, a poll was leaked to the media showing 70% of Clay County voters opposed a new sales tax to fund a stadium in North Kansas City. Despite weeks of media speculation, no one claimed credit for the poll, which was widely seen as an attempt to shake the confidence of Royals ownership in the viability of a Clay County proposal.&nbsp;

Critics, who called the survey a “push poll” meant to deceive the public, decried the move at the time, arguing that sabotaging any potential Missouri site would increase the chances one or both teams end up in Kansas.

It wasn’t until more than a year later that documents provided to The Independent revealed it was a political action committee formed to support Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas that paid for the Clay County polling. A staffer using a Lucas campaign email address requested the poll be commissioned, and his top aide obfuscated the spending by requesting it be referred to in disclosures as “research” instead of “polling.”

Jackson County voters were eventually presented with a proposed sales tax increase to fund a Royals stadium in Kansas City. Lucas threw his support behind the measure, but it was resoundingly rejected by voters.&nbsp;

The failed push to pay for a new Royals stadium in Missouri left the door open for Kansas lawmakers, who quickly put their own package of incentives together to lure the teams across the state line.&nbsp;

Lucas said negotiations with the team ran up until last week, and that the offer Missouri put forward was “very fair, but very responsible.” He worked closely with the governor and other local and state officials, and that work will continue as Missouri strives to keep the Kansas City Royals from leaving as well.

“While the Chiefs aren’t going far away, and aren’t gone yet, today is a setback for a Kansas Citian, a former Chiefs season ticket holder and a lifelong Chiefs fan,” he said.

As Missouri mourns the loss of the Chiefs, the fate of the Royals remains in flux.

The team is rumored to be eyeing a new stadium in Overland Park, Kansas. Lucas said Monday his hope is for a downtown baseball stadium, while other Missouri officials continue pushing for a North Kansas City site.

Nurrenbern and Patterson both said that, as far as they were aware, negotiations with the Royals are still ongoing.

News of the Chiefs decision to leave Missouri comes almost exactly 10 years after the state lost the St. Louis Rams.&nbsp;

Then-Gov. Jay Nixon was pushing for a $1 billion plan to build a new St. Louis stadium for the Rams, much to the chagrin of the legislative leadership.&nbsp;

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