Northwest Missourian

GROWING GREEN

Cannabis cultivation company talks change from medical to recreational marijuana

SIDNEY LOWRY Managing Editor | @sidney_lowry

Nearly 11 weeks ago, dispensaries across Missouri were approved to start sales of recreational marijuana.

Sunrise Dispensary in Maryville is one of the fve locations in Missouri from AgriGenesis, a marijuana cultivation and production company.

Richard Gunnels, a fifth-generation farmer in Missouri, founded Agri-Genesis after seeing the impact that medical marijuana had on the people around him. With nearly three decades of farming experience and an interest in modern agriculture, he added on to his family’s traditional row crop farming with the new market for cannabis.

Sean Carriger, president of Agri-Genesis, has been an owner and operator in the cannabis industry for around a decade. Coming from a career in oil and drilling rigs and running his own safety technology company, he decided to enter the cannabis market.

“I ended up being a liaison for this company I invested in with the regulators and the Marijuana Enforcement Division in Colorado,” Carriger said. “As I was playing consultant, trying to help our company build this facility, I fgured out like I’m one of the most knowledgeable people in the room just because of my oil and gas experience on this specifc topic.”

He then took a senior role in the company, helping them get of the ground while continuing his work in oil and gas. Taking a leap of faith, he became the CEO of the

help with their transitions.

Starting in medical marijuana production, Carriger said the hardest part of the change to recreational use in Missouri was the higher volume of customers.

“In the medical market, there was a 1-to-1 ratio of patients to paid patient consultants or workers,” Carriger said “... They changed that to a 3-to-1 ratio which really helps us have, you know, three times as many customers on the foor at any given time.”

Despite this being a big transition in Missouri, Carriger and other team members had gone through this change before in other states that legalized recreational use, so they had been preparing for months in advance to the ofcial approval by the state to sell for recreational use.

“We were ready with line stanchions and how to organize the trafc and digital cues on customers coming in and online orders, and we have drive-thru in our retail locations, so we were really prepared for the increase in activity,” Carriger said.

He said though they were prepared, it was up in the air when the official announcement would be made that they could start selling recreationally. Several days before anticipated, the sale of recreational marijuana was approved.

“It was like ripping the Band-Aid of just to tell our staf,” he said. “You know, it’s seven in the morning and said ‘we’re going live for (recreational) right now, and here’s your checklist that you gotta get through.’”

The Maryville location is one of the

SEE GREEN | A4

PHOTOS BY: MAKAYLA POLAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Up to

300 pounds of fower is harvested every Monday.

15 acres of land is dedicated to the 56,000 square-foot facility in Macon, Missouri.

What to know about the terrorist threat

SIDNEY LOWRY Managing Editor | @sidney_lowry

There is an open investigation for a terrorist threat on the B.D. Owens Library, Colden Hall, Wells Hall and Valk Center April 9, according to the University Police Crime Log.

Interim University Police Chief Amanda Cullin said she is not able to talk about the case or what the University Police Department responded to the threat with because it is still being investigated.

“I can’t discuss the case,” Cullin said. “Actually, chances are, it’s going to go federal, and so (The Missourian) probably won’t have access to (the investigative report) for quite a while. Because once we forward it, it’ll be their case.”

Maryville Police Chief Ron Christian said the city dispatch center received a call April 9, and dispatchers were suspicious

very quickly because the person on the end of the phone wasn’t able to answer basic questions or give any specific information.

He said the report was then transferred to the University Police Department. Maryville police had officers on campus but didn’t know if they were in buildings. Ultimately, Christian said he doesn’t think anything has come out of the threat.

“I mean you don’t want to ever make too many assumptions, but it just didn’t go anywhere, fortunately,” Christian said. “And then right now, we just don’t really have anywhere else to go.”

Northwest’s 2022-2023 Student Handbook covers “Timely Warning Notifications,” which states in the event of a reported crime, either on campus or off that is received within 72 hours of the incidence occurrence, the chief

of UPD will make a judgment in which a “timely warning” will be provided to the community.

Bearcat Alert, Northwest’s emergency text message service, allows the University to communicate with students during times of crisis. There was no Bearcat Alert sent out because of this issue. When asked why, Cullin said she could not discuss that matter.

“I think we’re on the same page because obviously, safety and security is kind of what we do to you, and I know there’s going to be a lot of questions, but we would not ever compromise the case,” Cullin said.

The University of Oklahoma had a similar situation happen April 7 when there were reports of an active shooter on campus. The university executed a shelter-in-place, which was later called

off after the campus police concluded its search.

“... The police response in Oklahoma, it was like, the end of the world, you know, it looked like what you would normally expect, cops everywhere, guns everywhere, which doesn’t make people feel better,” Christian said.

Christian said calls like these have been made all across the Midwest, some recently in Iowa. He said there are two phone numbers, but with today’s technology, someone’s ability to hide their phone number makes it harder to identify who the person actually is.

As for the investigation into who called the threat in, UPD is still investigating. The Missourian will continue to update as more information becomes available. MaKayla Polak contributed to this report.

Radio to host virtual 5K fundraiser

KXCV-KRNW Northwest National Public Radio affiliate is hosting its fourth annual virtual “5KXCV-KRNW Run for Radio.” This is a virtual 5K where people can run or walk 3.1 miles. It started April 15 and will go until April 23, and participants have the chance to win prizes at the end.

A virtual 5K means participants can run, jog or walk on the road, on the trail, on the treadmill, at the gym or on a track. They are asked for this event to submit a photo of themselves and their times to Helen Konstantopoulos, the membership development and events coordinator, or to the KXCV-KRNW Facebook.

Participants can re-enter improved times, and people interested can still enter throughout the time period. “Run for Radio” used to be a live in-person event until the beginning of COVID in 2019, then it was decided it would be a better idea to go virtual. This event is also a fundraiser — all the proceeds will go toward supporting the programming on KXCV-KRNW.

“We want to promote healthy living, getting out in the springtime,” Konstantopoulos said. “Just to give people extra motivation to get out and start walking and running.”

She said “Run for Radio” is a great way to interact with the community. Konstantopoulos said she loves receiving pictures of people with their pets and families. Underwriting Sales As-

sociate Matt Tritten is the co-coordinator for this event. Tritten said it’s a great way to connect people with the radio itself. He hopes people will give KXCVKRNW a listen and see what the

Martindale Hall third floor unveiled, more renovations to come

what today’s needs are in our community, in our schools, in our society,” Long said.

The cutting of a ribbon signified the reopening of the third floor of Martindale Hall April 13 following less than 11 months of construction.

Last renovated in the 1970s, the new space includes a $25,000 School Counseling Lab, a $25,000 Psychology Lab, $200,000 for two new classrooms, a $50,000 Student Lounge, faculty offices and a space for the Tunell Family Nursing Program.

At the ribbon cutting, Director of the school of Health Science and Wellness Terry Long spoke about the benefits of the renovation.

“This area specifically addresses the needs for our school counseling program, human services program and our nursing program and think about

Long said these renovations will allow for faculty from four different buildings to move into the area to centralize them to their classrooms and labs.

Health Science and Wellness

Assistant Professor Amy Underwood Barton is one of the professors moving from Colden Hall to the new space in Martindale Hall as a part of the Psychology Lab.

She said the new lab has equipment where students will be able to have a space to run professional subjects and studies.

“It’s a great professional development opportunity for them because this is what they would expect in graduate school or in their careers that they pursue research to have their own lab and know

radio can offer.

Both Tritten and Konstantopoulos agree they would love to see more students participate in “Run for Radio.” Students are getting to the point

of the semester where finals are coming up, and Konstantopoulos said it’s a great way to just go outside and take a break from their studies. Tritten said this would be a great way to get back out outside and connect with friends.

“We have some great trails and parks here,” Konstantopoulos said. “Mozingo Lake is amazing. Grab your friends, go out there and take a walk.”

“Run for Radio” is sponsored by 21 different companies such as Downtown Maryville, Kool Kats and Planet Sub.

Konstantopoulos said in the past it has had participants from all over like Arizona, North Dakota, Nebraska and many other places. “Run for Radio” had 102 racers signed up before the event started.

Participation fees for Northwest students is $15 and for non-students it’s $25. Contenders will receive a T-shirt, running bibs and gift bags, including goodies from some of the sponsors. All participants are entered in a raffle for a chance to win prizes from the sponsors.

There will also be medals given out to the top-three finishers for both categories of women and men. First place will also receive a $50 gift certificate for Hy-Vee, second place will receive $50 for A&G Restaurant and third place will receive $50 for Brown’s Shoe Fit Co.

“It feels like it continues to grow from the runners and walkers to the businesses that support and everybody around has really been tremendous for us,” Tritten said.

what that feels like,” Barton said.

Long said these spaces not only benefit the students, but will serve the community through partnerships.

“We can bring them in to help them address their needs but also train our students through those professional based opportunities,” Long said.

Dawson Parks, a senior applied health major with an emphasis in chiropractic, spoke at the reveal of the third floor. He said when he heard about the project, one of the first things that came to his head was opportunity.

“The importance of this as allowing these Bearcats to be prepared for their future ahead of them after Northwest as well as getting that professional experience before even getting that degree,” Parks said. Interim President Clarence Green opened the event by recognizing how much this renovation is going to ben-

efit the students and by thanking the community for its efforts in making this possible. Student Senate President Elizabeth Motazedi talked about the Senate’s $25,000 donation to the building to establish a student lounge.

“The additions to Martindale Hall are a symbol to commitment of providing students a place to learn, grow and thrive,” Motazedi said.

Corey Strider, 1996 Northwest alumni and vice president of the Goppert Foundation, spoke to thank donors for their commitment to this project and how there is still more to be done.

Though the third floor was the original idea for renovations, the vision of a newly reconstructed space doesn’t stop there. Long said that when looking at a 5-10 year plan, the plan is to renovate all floors of the building. At the ribbon cutting, there were signs that showed the

vision for the other two floors.

The second floor of Martindale Hall is looking to add a $2 million Motor Learning Center, $200,000 for two foods and nutrition classrooms and a $500,000 Foods and Nutrition Lab. The first floor of the building is looking to add a $500,000 Recreation and Abilities Lab, a $500,000 Sport Science Lab, a $500,000 Well-Being Lab, a $500,000 commons area, $300,000 for three classrooms and a $50,000 E-Learning Studio. For the rest of the building, the Missouri General Assembly approved $8.5 million toward the project, requiring Northwest to come up with $8.5 million for a match. Long said Northwest has until December 2024 to raise that money to complete the $17 million project. Some of that has already been generated, but Northwest is still working toward that full amount.

SIDNEY LOWRY Managing Editor | @sidney_lowry

Speakers at the Martindale Hall ribbon cutting Terry Long, Corey Strider, Elizabeth Motazedi, Dawson Parks and Clarence Green hold the ribbon before the unveiling of the newly renovated third floor April 13.

GRACE ROTHWEILER MISSOURIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

ALYNA THIBAULT News Reporter | @alynamorgan_

Membership development and events coordinator Helen Konstantopoulos hands out T-shirts to “Run for Radio” participants April 14 outside the J.W. Jones Student Union. “Run for Radio” began April 15-23.

GRACE ROTHWEILER MISSOURIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

Northwest art students have been preparing for the annual art show and sale April 21- 22, which will feature a diverse selection of their work. Clay Club will also be hosting the Empty Cups fundraiser where members sell ceramic cups and half the proceeds go to local organizations.

The art students choose their artwork to be in the sale. The art is not just ceramics pieces — they may have print art, jewelry and other work as well. These are pieces they have created from the beginning to the end of their semester to showcase and sell.

Veronica Watkins is an assistant professor of ceramics and the adviser for Clay Club. She joined Northwest in 2002 after graduating in 1996, and has been teaching ceramics since 2018. She said the club has been doing the Empty Cups fundraiser for seven to eight years and the art show and sale has

Local business to be featured on TV contest

Maryville’s local business

Kool Kats has made its way onto the screen. Kool Kats will be on “Food Stars,” it will feature May 24 on FOX.

The show stars Gordon Ramsay and food and drink businesses from all around the United States competing for a $250,000 investment.

Kool Kats first came to business in 1995. Owner David Ackman and co-owner Aaron Valentine decided to send Valentine to represent Kool Kats on the show. Valentine specialized in product development, creating drinks, creating a fun atmosphere and building culture within the company.

“I was like ‘It would be so cool to be on the show and just get to learn,’” Valentine said. “... I looked at it as an opportunity, not only to expand my knowledge, but to build a network of other food and drink entrepreneurs to learn from them and be able to apply what they’ve taught me and put it into my business.”

The process required a lot of work from Valentine, sending in several promotional videos to meet the requirements.

Valentine said Kool Kats was contacted by a casting producer. He was convinced it was fake for about a week.

“The casting process went from January all the way up until April, and I literally didn’t find out I was flying out for the show casting until like three days before,” Valentine said. “In that whole time, I spent those four months really prepping the business for my

absence and ultimately throwing together hundreds of hours into these videos.”

Valentine said this was a unique opportunity for Kool Kats that he could never miss. He got the chance to meet Ramsay and said it was an amazing experience. The prize money offered will help invest in the business that wins. Ackman said the best case scenario for if Kool Kats receives the investment is to become a franchise.

“We were hoping Gordon Ramsay would be on board about helping take our business and turning it into a national franchise,” Ackman said.

Ackman said Valentine is smart and hardworking and wants to see this help him with his future.

“I’m hoping that Aaron can have great success himself,” Ackman said. “He’s young, and he’s crazy intelligent. He’s a kid that could easily be an Elon Musk down the road. I hope that he has great success.”

Both said they hope this puts Kool Kats on the map. They said the point of Kool Kats was to make somewhere in the community for people to feel included and welcomed. Kool Kats doesn’t only serve snow cones, but ice cream, and the business has introduced other food items as well, like sandwiches.

“I just see Kool Kats continuing to be iconic for Maryville, just like we always have been,” Ackman said.

As of now, it isn’t known which business won the money. Ackman said he would like to hold a viewing party on the day of the premiere to celebrate.

been around for decades. Watkins said she participated when she was here for school.

“It's really a professionbased learning opportunity for the art students,” Watkins said. “We are teaching them about becoming a practicing artist. A part of that is selling their work. It gives them the opportunity to stage the work, market it, advertise it and start to learn about pricing.”

The Department of Fine and Performing Arts art show and sale is 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 21 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22 at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building. The Empty Cups fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 20 and 21 in the J.W. Jones Student Union. A portion of the profits from the Empty Cups fundraiser will be donated to the Maryville Ministry Center and Northwest Bearcat Food Pantry.

Clay Club President Emily Signaigo is a senior double ma-

joring in education for art, kindergarten through 12th grade and a studio degree in studio ceramics. The group meets up to twice a month on Wednesdays. Members come together and have work days, bounce around ideas, share show opportunities like calling for shows for portfolio building.

Signaigo shared the thought process of pricing artwork: How long did it take to create this? How long did they spend forming the piece and how hard did they think about the glazing technique?

Watkins and Signaigo both said these events are a great way to interact with the community.

“It's nice to see all your hard work paid off and also to see everybody come in and actually like your work,” Signaigo said. “... When that person buys the first piece of your work — someone that I don't know but you're gonna have a piece of my work in your house, such a great feeling.”

Kool Kats is staring on FOX “Food Stars” featuring Gordon Ramsey May 24. Kool Kats is located

snow cones, refreshers, shakes, freezes and coffee.

MALLORY SCHEELK MISSOURIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

HANNAH CLAYWELL Asst. News Editor | @Hannah_9504

Northwest holds annual art show, fundraiser to donate to local groups

Northwest sports management junior Caden Stevenson throws a pot for introduction of ceramics. The Department of Fine and Performing Arts will be hosting an art show and sale 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 21 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22.

ALYNA THIBAULT NEWS REPORTER

State public libraries at risk to lose funds, up to 3% local loss

State funding has a chance at being pulled from public libraries in Missouri. Missouri House Budget Chair Cody Smith made a draft budget that dropped annual supplementary funding for public libraries.

The start of this was when Missouri legislators passed Senate Bill 775, a bill on sex trafficking, assault and explicit imagery in schools. After this was passed, the Missouri Library Association, a nonprofit lobbying group, joined a lawsuit against Missouri. A lot of librarians are due paying members of the association. Since the original budget was made, the funding was reinstated in the draft that the Missouri Senate is reviewing.

Maryville Public Library Director Stephanie Patterson said the public libraries are still getting new information, and nothing is set in stone.

“We’re learning new details every few days, but right now it looks like if the Senate does not follow through in restoring library funding, it could result in a loss of revenue of up to $9,000 for the Maryville Public Library in the coming year, or roughly 1-3% of our annu-

CRIME LOG

for the week of April 20

Northwest Missouri State University Police Department

April 15

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Bearcat Stadium. There is a closed investigation for a peace disturbance and an alcohol violation in Dieterich Hall.

There is a closed investigation for an alcohol violation in Franken Hall.

April 14

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in South Complex.

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Tower Suites West.

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in the Robert and Virginia Foster Fitness Center.

April 12

There is a closed investigation for property damage in Parking Lot 42.

April 11

There is a closed investigation for a fire alarm in Perrin Hall.

There was an accident between Evan Pigg, 24, and Ben McCollum, 41, in Parking Lot 64.

Maryville Police Department

April 12

A summons was issued to Thomas J. Dean, 30, for a code violation of maintaining a nuisance on the 1100 block of East Thompson Street.

April 11

A summons was issued to Joni J. Sheridan, 59, for a dog at large on the 600 block of South Fillmore Street.

April 10

There was an accident between James S. Travalent 84, and Tanner W. Walker 43, on the 100 block of South Depot Street.

There is an ongoing investigation for assault on the 2000 block of South Main Street.

April 9

There is an ongoing investigation for a hit and run on the 1200 block of South Main Street.

April 8

Sherry A. Ashford, 60, was involved in an accident on the 1600 block of South Main Street.

A summons was issued to Leah E. Powers, 40, for not having a driver’s license and an equipment violation on the 300 block of North Market Street.

A summons was issued to Desiree P. Willis, 31, for larceny on the 1600 block of South Main Street.

al operating budget,” Patterson said in an email to The Missorian.

This cut will affect the Maryville Public Library by making funds that go toward things, such as free events and free library cards, less accessible. Though it is not a large percent of the funding, it still will have an impact on the opportunities the library provides to the community.

The cut will be around $4.5 million in public library funding, according to the Associated Press. There are around 400 public libraries in Missouri that are going to lose funding if the funding is not reinstated by the Missouri Senate.

Most of Maryville’s Public Library funding is from local property tax dollars, so it is not losing a lot. Even if a library is not losing a lot of money, if the budget is approved, it would cause many libraries to need to restructure their own budgets if the funding is lost.

“There are over 100 public library districts in Missouri that would need to trim back spending unless the Senate restores that support,” Patterson said in an email to The Missourian.

The budget for the Maryville Public Library would have to be adjusted to match the funding it will be getting without the normal state funds.

If Senate Bill 775 is violated, it results in a $2,000 fine or a year in jail for the violator. The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri helped the Missouri Library Association during the lawsuit. Smith has said he does not support any state funding going toward those going against the bill, according to Public Broadcasting Service News Hour. State funds are not going towards the lawsuits.

“Smith said the drop in funding was directly influenced by the lawsuit,” Patterson said in an email to The Missourian.

Most libraries do receive a lot of funding from local taxes, but the state funding can also help cover expenses, like new books. The association will also be against this and will try to ensure the Missouri Senate keeps funding for public libraries in the state budget.

Many senators have been expressing their views on the proposal and the lawsuits surrounding everything happening, such as Sen. Rusty Black.

“As a supporter of this bill, I was proud to be a part of the overwhelming bipartisan majority that helped make it a reality and the recent lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is disappointing,” Black said in an email to The Missourian. “With that being said, I was surprised to learn of the removal of state funding for public libraries and I plan to learn more during further Senate Appropriations Committee hearings. As someone who has long supported library funding in the past, I expect to continue to advocate for its importance and funding in the future.”

The proposal is still waiting for approval and any recommendations can be made within other steps of the pro-

GRAPHIC BY JULIANNA LAWRENCE DESIGNER

cess. The loss of public library funding is not set and still has to go through the Missouri Senate and committees before it can be officially passed and go into effect. The budget will go into effect in July.

GREEN CONTINUED FROM A1

With more traffic coming through locations, Sunrise has been trying to push more online ordering, going through drive-thrus and educating people on what the process of going in store is like.

Despite the change in state law, Carriger said there is still a lot of gray area because everything to do with marijuana is still federally illegal.

“That shows up in all kinds of different ways,” he said. “Whether it be what type of bank you can use, can you have a credit card? Can you transfer money from this company to that company? Can you transfer money out of state? Can you have investors from out of state? Can you get a loan?”

Since this is such a new industry, there is a gap in training for professionals. AgriGenesis is partnering with Truman State University to work on a cannabis curriculum and an internship program to allow students to work with growing and production at the facility.

“What we’re trying to establish with Truman is a degree path for people who want to be on the cultivation side, a path for people who want to be on the extraction side, a path for people who want to be on the retail or entrepreneurial side,” Carriger said. “They’re even having a path for holistic medicines, where it’s not just cannabis.”

Over 170 miles away from Maryville sits the Agri-Genesis cultivation facility in Macon, Missouri. Gunnels, a lifelong resident of Macon, Missouri, built the Agri-Genesis cultivation facility in the town he grew up in. The facility has a footprint of 56,000 square feet that sits on 15 acres of land. The company has three cultivation licenses and a manufacturing license all under the same roof.

Growing Stages

For Agri-Genesis, there are three distinct stages of the growing cycle: clone, vegetative and flower/bloom.

All of their cultivation at the facility starts from clones from female plants. Clippings are taken from a larger plant that is in the vegetative state. Then, clippings are taken from the mother plant.

Carriger said they typically take anywhere

between 2,000-3,000 clones a week and there are only four or five people that work in the cloning and propagation stage.

After the clones are taken, they are labeled based on the different strain of the plant, and stay in the room for two weeks until they are ready to move on to the next stage. During that time, the room is kept at a 70-75% humidity range to help the roots form on the base of the plant, preparing it for the vegetative stage.

“So it’s all artificially controlled, lighting, all the HVAC, temperature, humidity, (carbon dioxide) supplementation, etc,” Carriger said. “Growing indoors gives us the most control, which also gives us generally the best outcome.”

The entire facility is run on environmental control software that controls the temperature and moisture in each room tailored to that stage of the growing cycle.

In the vegetative stage, the plants are transferred into cocoa pods and kept for four weeks. The vegetative rooms are structures with the smallest plants at the top, moving down as they get bigger and ready to move on to the next stage.

With the limited space in each room, Carriger said the stacking of plants is for labor efficiency. The rows of plants in each vegetative room are able to move to allow the dozen staff members to move in and out of the space easily while still having as many rows as possible.

“It is agriculture, but it just happens inside,” Carriger said. “So we go to great lengths to try to keep everything super, super clean. But what we do is inherently very dirty.”

The bloom room, or flower room, is the longest part of the cycle for cannabis, allowing for the final stage of growing for nine to 10 weeks. Every Monday a full room gets harvested and torn down before being taken to different areas to make cannabis products.

“So we’re on a routine schedule of having a fresh harvest every week,” Carriger said. “For some perspective, these rooms will typically yield around 250 to 300 pounds of flower or bud on a weekly basis.”

In each room, there are anywhere between six and 10 different variants of cannabis strains. Agri-Genesis works with breeders to create new genetics from the plants they grow to offer more variety to customers.

“We had definitely the highest testing

and most potent cannabis in the state with a dozen varieties that are testing over 30% THC consistently,” Carriger said. “We had one that’s tested over 40%, (it’s) really kind of unheard of.”

When it comes to the genetics of medical marijuana and recreational marijuana, there is no difference. There are products that are catered to medical marijuana users, but the cannabis used for medical use is the same used for recreational products.

“In Missouri, it’s really a tax difference at the register,” Carriger said. “All products are actually the same that you had to opt in and fill out the paperwork in order to sell products within the recreational market.”

The facility grows for Willie’s Reserve, Willie Nelson’s cannabis brand, and grows for two internal brands, Notorious and Farmer G. Farmer G is named after Gunnels.

After being taken from the bloom room, the product is hang dried for two weeks before it can go to the harvest room. While harvesting the bud, there is a byproduct called trim that is used to make oils for concentrates and vapes.

The facility is also home to the manufacturing side of operations. Staff work to package the bud, and extraction is also done at the facility. There is a Class 1 Division 1 explosion-proof room that is used when extracting medical grade products for concentrates, shatter and other oil products.

The packaging is done by hand, having visual inspection and quality control before being shipped to stores.

Agri-Genesis has five dispensaries that are fulfilled from this cultivation site that take about 50% of what is grown, and the rest of the cannabis product it produces is wholesaled out to different buyers and made available to other dispensaries.

Carriger said the higher volume of customers has helped them empty rooms of product, but there are plans in the works to continue to grow over the next couple of years.

“We do already have plans to expand this indoor facility for an additional 103,000 square feet,” he said. “So basically, you know, two and a half times the size of this building.”

Carriger said alongside the expansion and the partnership with Truman, working with more retailers is something upcoming.

HANNAH CLAYWELL Asst. News Editor | @Hannah_9504

Sean Carriger, president of Agri-Genesis, talks through the process of what employees do while harvesting cannabis flower. Every week, the cultivation facility yields up to 300 pounds of flower, using every part of the plant for many different products.

MAKAYLA POLAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Notes from the Editors: The community needs to be informed, Bearcat Alerts are there for a reason

MAKAYLA POLAK Editor-in-Chief @kaypolak

SIDNEY LOWRY Managing Editor @sidney_lowry

Our mission at the Northwest Missourian, the independent learning environment for student journalists, is to provide the best source of information for the community it serves by merging campus and community. We dedicate our time each week to make sure our readers are up to date on all things happening in Maryville.

Last Sunday, April 9, Maryville Police Department received a call indicating a possible shooter threat on campus. After handing the information off to the University Police Department, all local law enforcement worked together to dismiss the immediate threat. Maryville Police ruled out the possibility at its dispatch center during the phone call after realizing the caller was unable to answer basic questions like location.

UPD did not initially release a Bearcat Alert, Northwest’s emergency text message service, before making sure all buildings were clear. The reason behind this decision is unknown, as are many other questions, because UPD won’t discuss the case.

Calls like these have been happening to institutions across the country, and people are on edge, according to an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education. This article said there needs to be an alert notification that takes place, but if it is determined to not be a credible call, people need to be informed of that as well.

The Clery Act was made over 30 years ago to protect people on campus and be transparent when it comes to campus crime. This threat should have been released on Bearcat Alert the minute the call came in whether or not it was considered to be an actual threat.

When students picked up the April 13 edition of the paper and saw there was a terrorist threat four days earlier, questions arose. People asked why no one knew about this, why there was no Bearcat Alert and want to know the basic information. The only information we have is from the

Crime Log and talking to MPD about the initial call.

There have been 164 mass shootings since the beginning of this year. Any time someone hears about a threat made on campus, or anywhere within their proximity, they want to know about it.

This time there may not have been a problem, but, like many others, we wonder what happens when you dismiss it again and it is a real call. There was no communication to The Missourian on how this was handled by UPD, other than Maryville Police telling us officers checked buildings on campus.

Our priority is to our readers, and we are still working to get the most information out to the public as it comes to us. We apologize for not having the information regarding the threat in our April 13 paper when the threat was released in the Crime Log.

Although Northwest does have a “Hostile Intruder Procedure,” in which it states how to respond when there is activity that is immediately causing death or serious injury, it does not have a published procedure for an active shooter threat. A well-informed community allows

for the best response when a situation like this happens. We need to know when there is a possible threat to our lives, whether it is believed to be credible or not.

If this were to have been a threat of someone being on campus ready to cause harm and it was already dismissed before any sort of notification had been released, there would have been serious repercussions.

We understand not wanting to send out an alert, causing a mass panic about the threat, but people needed to know there was a possibility of being injured, especially when this is a part of a very real issue people are worried about.

UPD should be putting student safety first. Police officers shouldn’t dismiss a shooter threat until they are completely positive it is not. Though we understand this process takes time, the Bearcat Alert is set in place to inform the public until the threat is totally dismissed.

The information provided in this paper, April 20, is the most information The Missourian has received thus far. We are dedicated to providing our readers follow-up stories as the information on the threat is released.

OUR VIEW:

Wear jeans in support of survivors

“Well, what were you wearing?”

This is the dreaded response many victims of sexual assault hear after confiding to someone that their body was violated. By now, we should understand the impact of these words and how much it can belittle a person who just went through a traumatic event.

In Missouri alone, almost 15,000 victims of sexual assault sought services from the government related to sexual assault. This number only includes reported assaults and is a fraction of the estimated 734,630 total assaults in the United States.

This issue runs much deeper than clothes, despite that being one of the first things people ask when someone is assaulted.

In 1992, an 18-year-old girl was raped in Italy by a driving instructor. The man was then convicted, but the Italian Supreme Court overturned the ruling years later because he said she was wearing tight jeans and needed help removing them.

After this, women in the Italian Parliament protested by wearing jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court in solidarity. This inspired a worldwide event over the last 20 years where people wear jeans in support of survivors.

“Denim Day” is one of the longest-running sexual violence and prevention campaigns, and

all it takes is wearing a pair of jeans. People recognized the jeans the survivor was wearing wasn’t the cause of the assault.

Sexual assault doesn’t happen because of what someone was wearing, it happens because of an individual believing they are entitled to another person’s body. No matter the reason a person gives as to why they violated and assaulted another person, it doesn’t matter. There is no excuse.

This worldwide effort shows that even the smallest display of support can be instrumental to bringing awareness and showing that people stand alongside survivors.

Taking a piece of clothing out of your closet to wear every day is second nature, but April 26 people need to do it with a purpose. Wear denim, show that you are a part of the solution, show that you stand with people who have been violated.

Conversations about sexual assault are difficult to have whether you have been personally impacted. In this case, you don’t have to use words to be a part of the conversation. Wear jeans.

Events like these don’t only happen globally. People locally are recognizing the need to support those who have been impacted by sexual assault.

Northwest hosts “What Were You Wearing,” an art installment to display the powerful re-

sponses to the question and share the stories of students. Exhibits like this put into perspective how it’s not about clothing. Some victims may have been in a short dress, but most were in a baggy sweatshirt and leggings, shorts and a Tshirt, or pajama pants and a hoodie. Some of the items include children’s clothes.

It’s important to talk about this pressing issue. Northwest also holds the Clothesline Project, “Take Back the Night” and “Denim Day” to give survivors an outlet to speak out.

Projects such as these make people uncomfortable — and they should, that’s the point. If you’re not horrified walking through the shirts hung up between the trees or hearing someone speak about what they went through, you need to listen harder.

Survivors have been taken advantage of, stripped of their free will and blamed for their situation. We need to be having conversations or else it will continue to be a silent problem.

Uncomfortability surrounding topics of sexual assault is one of the main proponents as to why nothing is changing. Talk about what is happening, the impact it has on people and how to prevent it.

The Editorial Board will be wearing denim April 26, and so should you.

HAILEY JOHNSON-NEESER CARTOONIST

Maryville girls soccer youth leads squad in successful season start

CRAIG MCMULLEN Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports

Maryville girls soccer reached the halfway point of the regular season in a 3-1 win over St. Joseph-Benton April 17. The match also started a four-game road trip for the Spoofhounds.

Before the Spoofhounds’ next road matches, sophomore forward Jalea Price scored four goals to put her at 12 goals on the season. The show by Price helped give the ’Hounds an 8-0 win over the Cardinals. Assistant coach Courtney Kennedy said Price has made an improvement in her second season.

“Jalea is usually a striker, but we’ve been trying to put players at different positions,” Kennedy said. “Anywhere we put her she is dominating.”

Price carried her performance against the Hornets into the match at Benton High School. The Spoofhounds began the contest with a goal by Price 11 minutes into the match. When the whistle blew for halftime, the score was 1-0 in favor of Maryville. Kennedy said the team had a slow day dealing with some illnesses going throughout the team.

“This game caught us off guard,” Kennedy said. “We’ve had a couple injuries around the team so we weren’t on our

TOURNAMENTS

CONTINUED FROM A8

“I don’t think we should be overconfident because every match is different,” Delebois said. “Against Ouachita it was a close match, we won 4-3, but it could’ve gone either way. We have to be careful and give our 100%.”

The women’s MIAA Tournament will take place April 2123 in Edmond, but the No. 10 Bearcat women will have a firstround bye. They will match up with either fourth-seeded Northeastern State or fifth-seeded Central Oklahoma in the tournament semifinals 10 a.m. April 22.

The RiverHawks and Bronchos will compete for a chance to punch their ticket to the semifinals in the quarterfinals 4 p.m. April 21.

Two weeks ago, the Bearcats defeated the RiverHawks April 7. The next day they defeated the

‘A’

game. We’ve all seen better games and better days.”

Coming out of the halftime break, Price scored again within two minutes to increase the Spoofhounds’ lead to 2-0. Nearly five minutes later, Cardinals freshman Eliana Arambula scored the team’s lone goal and only the second goal the Spoofhounds have allowed in seven matches outside of the Smithville Round Robin April 3-6.

With 20 minutes to go in the second half, Price scored again to claim her 15th goal and fourth hat trick of the season. With the win, the Spoofhounds remain behind St. Pius X in the Class 2 District 8 standings.

Senior goalkeeper Abby

Bronchos 5-2. With that win, the ’Cats clinched the MIAA regular season title against Central April 8. In the final regular season match against No. 23 Augustana April 14, junior No. 3 singles player Tessa Kwakernaak won her match, claiming twostraight sets against Vikings’ senior No. 3 singles player Aleksandra Kistanova after Kistanova triumphed in the first set.

“It always helps when, you know, you’ve already defeated them once, so you know you can do it,” Kwakernaak said about the possibility of playing Northeastern or Central. “If we had lost, we would be a little bit more nervous because we would’ve already lost to them once, and we know the players.

I’d be playing a girl I’ve already beat, so I know how to play to beat her.”

With both teams getting a first round bye, they will play a

P BODY SHOP

Swink said she has enjoyed being around Price this season and likes what she brings to the team.

“Jalea always has a good attitude whenever she plays,” Swink said. “You can tell she is there to win. She has a great vision of the field, and that has helped us get lots of goals and wins this season.”

The Spoofhounds continue the road trip with three matches against teams with winning records. The next match for Maryville will be against Pleasant Hill 6:30 p.m. April 20 in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. The Spoofhounds have lost four straight to the Chicks.

Swink said she thinks there is one thing to work on going forward to make it a special second

UP NEXT

MHS vs. Pleasant Hill

6:30 p.m. April 20 Pleasant Hill, Missouri

MHS vs. St. Pius X

5 p.m. April 25 Kansas City, Missouri

half of the season.

“I just want to see more communication from our team and develop that on the field,” Swink said. “If we can do that, then we have a chance to go far this season.”

After the Thursday evening match against Pleasant Hill, Maryville will play Pius at 5 p.m. April 25 in Kansas City, Missouri.

ing to be very hard because it is so much different than what the team is used to.

“Playing two matches in a row, day after day, is going to require a lot of physical strength and even mental strength,” Delebois said. “We have to stay focused on our matches.”

day later than their competition. The bye can provide an advantage when playing in a different environment than the players are used to, especially since it gives the athletes extra time to get used to the environment.

“It’s going to be real hot down in Oklahoma — I’m hearing upper 80s — which we’re not used to,” Rosewell said. “I think, you know, just one less

CHAMPIONS

CONTINUED FROM A8

day of having to play tennis could be the difference in a real close, 4-3 match.”

A tournament can bring a lot of different variables to the table, including weather, new playing environments and playing multiple matches in the same day or in back-toback days.

Delebois said playing in the conference tournament is go-

Freshman Lauren Kohl had her best tournament of her young career as a Bearcat, with a 79 in the first round and a 77 in the second. The tworound scores from both days in the Wildcat Classic were Kohl’s career-bests. Hoffman said she could not be more proud of her team.

“Everyone was really happy about it,” Hoffman said. “It was fun to do it with everyone there and everyone traveling, so we could all celebrate it together. Even though we only had five playing in the lineup, everyone was a part of that score, through practice and supporting each other.”

As this was the Bearcats’ final regular season meet of the season, they will turn their sights to the

Both teams have their sights set on the NCAA Tournament and winning the conference tournament is the next step to that goal. Conference tournament champions receive an automatic bid into the NCAA postseason.

In Rosewell’s tenure as coach, Northwest tennis has made the NCAA Tournament 41 times (men 22, women 19).

“Well, we want to host regionals, and to host you have to be either the one or two seed,” Rosewell said. “The kids all know that, and we want to bring this thing to Maryville — like we’ve done many years before.”

MIAA Championships. Northwest competed at Eagle Creek Golf Club April 10-11 and finished in 15th place out of 17 programs. The Bearcats will take five golfers to Joplin, and the top-four will be scored. Peterson and Hoffman said this meet is what they have been waiting on all year, and they are prepared.

“We were on that course last week and didn’t play overly great,” Peterson said. “I think we’ve got a little bit of a chip on our shoulder. It’s all on the line now. There’s a little bit more pressure with a conference championship opportunity.”

“This team’s meant the world to me,” Hoffman said. “It’s been the best group of girls to be around. Regardless of what happens at conference, I know we all just love each other as people and just have fun together as a group. At the end of the day, that’s really what matters.”

CONFERENCE

CONTINUED FROM A8

“Where we are right now, playing to the best of our ability is our focus going into each match,” McGinness said. “Putting forth effort into every point in every match is how you generate better results and also better quality tennis matches in singles and doubles.”

After being on the road for seven competitions, a home crowd will await the Spoofhounds (8-1) in three of their final four matches of the regular season.

Mendez said he looks forward to seeing the home crowd and playing against MEC rivals Chillicothe April 20, Savannah April 25 and Bishop LeBlond May 1.

“We have big conference opponents coming up in individual matches and tournament play, and it will give us all opportunities to show out before postseason play,” Mendez said.

Practice or drilling creates the necessary repetition to form a solid foundation for a consistent tennis match, according to TennisCT. Doing every single drill over and over again, inside and out, can transcend tennis athletes from the high school level to the professional level.

McGinness said the team hasn’t had as many practices lately due to a busy schedule, but when the Spoofhounds do practice, she has them focus on the little details.

“The focus has been the basics and just doing the same over and over again to really refine aspects of their playing style and how they play a match,” McGinness said.

Maryville girls soccer freshman forward Payton Kurz runs to get ahead of Chillicothe freshman defender Hayden Hansen toward the south goal at Bearcat Pitch. Kurz scored two goals during the 8-0 win against the Hornets April 13.

KAYLA ALLISON MISSOURIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

Maryville boys tennis junior Thomas Wilmes hits the ball back over the net during practice at the High-Rise Courts April 11.

DAKOTA WEAVER PHOTO EDITOR

“

Well, we want to host regionals, and to host you have to be either the one or two seed. The kids all know that, and we want to bring this thing to Maryville — like we’ve done many years before.”

-MARK ROSEWELL TENNIS COACH

Maryville baseball awaits conference home games

WESLEY MILLER Sports Editor | @wesleymiller360

Maryville baseball entered the Pony Express Tournament with a four-game win streak, capitalized by an 8-4 win over Lafayette-St. Joseph in the team’s first night game of the season.

However, within the first two games of the tournament, the Spoofhounds lost back-to-back contests — to Smithville April 17 and St. Joseph-Benton April 18 — for the first time this season. Coach Hans Plackemeier said while he doesn’t like to lose, sometimes it’s what the team needs.

“These are great lesson games because we did not play close to our best baseball, and we were in both games — they were both class games,” Plackemeier said. “We didn’t play close to our best baseball, and we’re still right there, hanging around.”

Smithville (11-7) scored three runs between the fifth and sixth innings to defeat Maryville (11-4) 3-0. Sophomore infielder Canon Creason knocked in the Spoofhounds’ lone hit of the game. Senior infielder Blake Katen and sophomore outfielder Peyton McCollum fulfilled the pitching duties for Maryville. They combined for five strikeouts and allowed six hits altogether.

The Spoofhounds were tied 2-2 with Benton (8-7) at the top of the fifth inning until the Cardinals scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth en route to the 4-2 loss for Maryville. Senior infielder Cooper Loe was on the mound for the Spoofhounds, totaling three strikeouts and allowing seven hits through five innings.

“I just think that if we’re going to want to go as far as we want to, then that’s just something that we’re going to have to get past and move on from,” Loe said about the losses. “I think that

we’re a lot better team than we’ve played the last few games, and I just think if we want to keep improving, we’re gonna just have to forget those, keep working on the little things and move on.”

As the season progresses, athletes have time to create connections with their teammates and develop trust within the team. In losses, sometimes trust can especially be broken.

Loe, in his final season with the Spoofhounds, said the team can’t lose trust with eight competitions until the Class 4 District 16 Tournament May 13-18. Plackemeier has guided the program since summer 2020 and said camaraderie is important to being successful.

“I just think that trust comes over time — just kind of with your buddies — I mean, on and off the field, just kind of having each other’s backs and kind of creating those relationships and being around each other every day,” Loe said.

Maryville finishes the Pony Express Tournament against Guadalupe Centers Charter (2-8) April 19. The Aztecs lost their first game of the tournament 20-3 to Chillicothe (67) April 17, and they lost their second contest 15-0 to Lincoln College Prep (7-6-1).

After the tournament, the Spoofhounds host two of only three opponents to defeat them this season — Benton at 4:30 p.m. April 24 and Savannah (117) at 6 p.m. April 26.

The loss to the Cardinals in the tournament was Maryville’s second loss of the season to its St. Joseph foe, as Benton also won 7-1 March 27. The Spoofhounds evened the season series with the Savages after a 7-3 win April 11. In the first meeting, Savannah triumphed 11-1 April 4.

As the season nears its end, so does the academic year for school. With the tournaments

UP NEXT

Pony Express Tournament April 17-22

St. Joseph, Missouri

MHS vs. St. Joseph-Benton 4:30 p.m. April 24

Maryville High School

MHS vs. Savannah 6 p.m. April 26

Maryville High School

and games in back-to-back days, Plackemeier and Loe said it can be a challenge to stay fresh.

“I mean, these days are definitely long,” Loe said. “It’s great for getting more experience playing the game and being out there on the field with some of your buddies, but I just think that rest is going to be important for everyone and especially after this next game.”

on the season and will face off against St. Joseph-Benton at 4:30 p.m. April 24 and Savannah at 6 p.m. April 26 at Maryville High School.

MAKAYLA POLAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

*Through 13 games, as of April 14

‘OH, IT’S SPECIAL’

Tournaments set for

NW tennis, looks to claim conference titles

RIVER BOYD Sports Reporter | @RiverBoyd5

The regular season has come and gone for both Northwest tennis teams, and now postseason is here. Both teams secured the No. 1 seed for their respective conference tournaments, and both Bearcat squads will look to add onto their conference regular season titles with a tournament championship.

Coach Mark Rosewell is in his 38th year of coaching Northwest tennis, where he has won 10 MIAA Tournament Championships — nine men’s titles and one women’s title. Rosewell said it is nice to be the No. 1 seed, but the Bearcats can’t focus on that.

“Oh, it’s special, but it’s one thing to be the No. 1 seed, it’s another to actually win the championship,” Rosewell said. “It puts us in a good position to try to achieve that.”

The MIAA/Great American Conference Tournament is set for April 19-21 in Edmond, Oklahoma, but courtesy of snagging the top seed, the No. 13 Bearcat men won’t take the court until 10 a.m. the second day of the tournament April 20. Northwest’s match could either be against third-seeded Newman or second-seeded Ouachita Baptist. Both foes will play in the quarterfnals 10 a.m. April 19.

The ’Cats defeated the Jets 7-0 April 1 in Maryville, and the Tigers 4-3 April 2 in Maryville. Senior No. 1 singles player Michael Delebois, who is also ranked No. 45 nationally, said the Bearcats are confdent heading into the MIAA/ GAC Tournament.

SEE TOURNAMENTS | A6

UP NEXT

MIAA/Great American Men’s Conference Tournament

April 19-21 Edmond, Oklahoma

UP NEXT

MIAA Women’s Tournament

April 20-23 Edmond, Oklahoma

Boys tennis readies for six competitions within eight days, season end

CARSON BREMER Sports Reporter | @CBMissourian

Maryville boys tennis came out with its sixth win on the road April 17, defeating Trenton 5-4 in Trenton, Missouri. The triumph marked the Spoofhounds’ seventh-straight against the Bulldogs.

The Cameron Tournament April 19 will start a busy schedule for the Spoofhounds, with six competitions in eight days, including the Midland Empire Conference Tournament April 26.

Leading the way for Maryville against Trenton was sophomore Kristian Mendez, who went 1-1 in the match. He lost his doubles match 5-8 and won his singles 8-1. Mendez said his performance was a good showing, but it was a very competitive win for him and the team.

“We were down 4-2 in team score after our doubles matches, but then we came back with consecutive wins in singles to pull away with the win,” Mendez said.

Sophomore George Groumoutis and junior Landon Baker were the only doubles team to win against the Bulldogs, winning the match 8-4. From singles play, junior Kason Teale took his match 8-4 over Trenton

UP NEXT

MHS vs. Chillicothe

4 p.m. April 20

Frank Grube Courts

Lafayette Tournament

April 21

St. Joseph, Missouri

MHS vs. Southwest Valley (Iowa)

4 p.m. April 24

Corning, Iowa

MHS vs. Savannah

4 p.m. April 25

Frank Grube Courts

MEC Tournament

April 26

Golf competes in fnal contest before MIAA championships

Northwest golf broke the program record in a 36-hole tournament with a score of 621 at the Wildcat Classic April 17-18 in Wayne, Nebraska. The Bearcats’ score earned them ffth place out of 10 teams at the contest.

After the ’Cats collected a 15th place fnish in their last outing in the Virginia Laas Invitational April 1011 in Joplin, Missouri, Northwest was able to bounce back in the team’s fnal competition before the postseason. Coach Andy Peterson said the record-breaking fnish means big things are coming for the team in the MIAA Championships April 24-26.

junior Bradyn Sager, sophomore George Groumoutis won 8-2 over Bulldogs’ junior Maverick Sole and junior Jaxson Staples triumphed over Trenton senior Tucker Otto by a score of 8-6.

After seeing a comeback win from the team, coach Nicole McGinness said she wants to see the same efort every single match from her athletes until the season is over.

St. Joseph, Missouri SEE CONFERENCE | A6

“The girls played really stinking well,” Peterson said. “Obviously, that’s kind of what you want this time of the year, leading into the conference championship next weekend.”

Sophomore Paige Hoffman led the way for Northwest, fnishing tied for second — the best overall fnish in her career with the Bearcats — with a score of three over par (75) in the first round and an even score of 72 in the second. Hofman’s score of 147 is the fourth-best fnish in program history for a 36-hole meet.

“I don’t ever check where I am on the leaderboard after the frst day, so I didn’t really know,” Hofman said. “It just felt like a good day. I don’t ever worry about the placement too much and just

UP NEXT

MIAA Championships

April 24-26

Joplin, Missouri

kind of see how it shakes out at the end, and I was pleasantly surprised with the result.”

Junior Elly Speece concluded the tournament with an eighth-place fnish, as she scored a 77 in the frst round and carded her career-best round of 74 in the second.

Northwest tennis sophomore Tyffaine Pais prepares to serve the ball during her match against Missouri Western April 12. The Bearcats defeated the Griffons 4-3 to bump their win streak up to 12.

RIVER BOYD SPORTS REPORTER

TREY HOUCHIN Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports

Northwest golf graduate assistant Lathan Croy coaches senior Lauren Wood hitting in the rough at the Mozingo Lake Recreation Park Watson 9 March 23.

DAKOTA WEAVER PHOTO EDITOR