Author

Steve Vockrodt is an investigative journalist who has reported in Kansas City since 2005. Areas of reporting interest include business, politics, justice issues and breaking news investigations. As investigative editor for the Midwest Newsroom, he provides direction and guidance for reports around the region and continues to produce his own stories.
Missouri knew of contamination in Springfield’s groundwater decades before anyone told residents
By: Eric Schmid and Steve Vockrodt - October 20, 2022
Early in 2019, Ed Galbraith faced a crowd of some 200 unhappy Springfield, Missouri residents. He wanted to make amends. Galbraith, then director of Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ environmental quality division, acknowledged that the state agency in charge of protecting the environment should have announced sooner that contaminated water had spread from an old […]
Eight Missouri ministers accused of sex abuse in Southern Baptist Convention report
By: Steve Vockrodt - May 28, 2022
The Southern Baptist Convention on Thursday released a once-secret and lengthy list of accused sex abusers — several of whom are in the Midwest — within the denomination. The 205-page list is a compilation of ministers and other church workers who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. The list is described as a “fluid, […]
Contract for Deed: A promise of homeownership that can leave Midwest buyers out in the cold
By: Steve Vockrodt and Laura Ziegler - March 7, 2022
Most Americans who want to own a house – and can afford it – follow a fairly straightforward path to their dreams. They start with a loan from a bank or mortgage company, institutions that are subject to state and federal regulations. When buyers close on the home they want, the agreement is registered with […]
Reversing state’s decision, Missouri panel awards marijuana license to jilted applicant
By: Jason Hancock and Steve Vockrodt - January 26, 2022
In a rare move, a Missouri commission granted a medical marijuana license to an applicant after discovering irregularities with how state regulators evaluated applications. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) decided to forgo appealing the ruling, announcing Tuesday that it had reached a settlement with the jilted applicant to end the litigation. […]
Marijuana, utility contracts: Records shows continued FBI interest in Independence deals
By: Steve Vockrodt and Jason Hancock - January 18, 2022
Federal law enforcement was still seeking information as recently as last summer about medical marijuana licensing in Missouri and utility contracts in Independence that have attracted FBI scrutiny for years. That’s according to sworn deposition testimony from a Kansas City-area businessman that surfaced publicly last week. The deposition of Joseph Campbell, owner of the real […]