On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with&nbsp;Ms. Wheelchair America&nbsp;Tamara Blackwell.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GBIy1dfbVY4?si=k3AZxslDQdFrhyJr" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with&nbsp;Ms. Wheelchair America&nbsp;Tamara Blackwell.

🎤Forward Ever: Ms. Wheelchair America Tamara Blackwell

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a 7-hour standoff at a Kansas home.

Just before 1:30p.m. Wednesday, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Team which consisted of five deputies and one sergeant responded to a residence in the 8100 block of South Bernice in Haysville attempting to serve an arrest warrant for a 43-year-old Robert Cook and began conducting surveillance on the home, according to statement from Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

Deputies conducted interviews and received information confirming that Cook was inside the home. At 2:55pm deputies requested the assistance of a K9 from the Haysville police department to assist with clearing the residence. 

After the K9 cleared the residence, a team of Deputies entered the residence and believed Cook was locked in a bedroom. A K9 from the Wichita Police Department responded and remained outside the residence for the duration of the incident.

A sergeant and two deputies exited the residence and prepared to deploy chemical munitions into the bedroom to end the barricade. At 3:48pm, a deputy broke out a bedroom window and Cook fired a gun at the deputies multiple times.

Two deputies returned fire. One deputy fired three rounds from a rifle and another fired five rounds from a handgun. Neither Cook nor the involved deputies were injured in the exchange of gunfire.

The combined Wichita Police and Sedgwick County SWAT team and Wichita Police negotiators were activated at 4:03pm.

At 4:41pm, police negotiators contacted Cook by phone. Throughout the ensuing seven-hour negotiation Cook made multiple statements that this was his “last stand” and that he would shoot at officers if they made entry into the home. 

At 9:01pm, after negotiations deteriorated and continued threats by Cook, chemical munitions were deployed into the residence and SWAT operators heard gunshots inside.

Following the deployment of chemical munitions, Cook resumed communication with negotiators, who remained focused on achieving a peaceful resolution. While operators were preparing to introduce a second round of chemical munitions, peacefully surrendered at 11:33pm.

Cook has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested chargers that include three counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. 

This investigation is ongoing as detectives are currently serving a search warrant at the incident location to gather additional information. Cook’s charges may be updated as more information is gathered.

The Wichita Police Department does not typically release the names of arrested individuals until formal charges are filed. In this case, the suspect was arrested on an approved arrest warrant stemming from a charged case in Sedgwick County District Court. The warrant was for Failure to Appear and Contempt of Court stemming from an incident where&nbsp; Cook threatened to shoot bail bondsmen when they made an arrest attempt.

The facts of the incident that occurred Wednesday will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration by investigators from the Wichita Police Department ALERT team members.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725569911182.png" alt="-During the standoff, a deputy broke out a bedroom window and Cook fired a gun at the deputies multiple times. Image from police body camera image provided by Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>-During the standoff, a deputy broke out a bedroom window and Cook fired a gun at the deputies multiple times. Image from police body camera image provided by Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a 7-hour standoff at a Kansas home.Just before 1:30p.m. Wednesday, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Team which consisted of five deputies and one sergeant responded to a residence in the 8100 block of South Bernice in Haysville attempting to serve an arrest warrant for a 43-year-old Robert Cook and began conducting surveillance on the home, according to statement from Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725586579656.png" alt="Cook photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Cook photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies conducted interviews and received information confirming that Cook was inside the home. At 2:55pm deputies requested the assistance of a K9 from the Haysville police department to assist with clearing the residence. After the K9 cleared the residence, a team of Deputies entered the residence and believed Cook was locked in a bedroom. A K9 from the Wichita Police Department responded and remained outside the residence for the duration of the incident.A sergeant and two deputies exited the residence and prepared to deploy chemical munitions into the bedroom to end the barricade. At 3:48pm, a deputy broke out a bedroom window and Cook fired a gun at the deputies multiple times.Two deputies returned fire. One deputy fired three rounds from a rifle and another fired five rounds from a handgun. Neither Cook nor the involved deputies were injured in the exchange of gunfire.The combined Wichita Police and Sedgwick County SWAT team and Wichita Police negotiators were activated at 4:03pm.At 4:41pm, police negotiators contacted Cook by phone. Throughout the ensuing seven-hour negotiation Cook made multiple statements that this was his “last stand” and that he would shoot at officers if they made entry into the home. At 9:01pm, after negotiations deteriorated and continued threats by Cook, chemical munitions were deployed into the residence and SWAT operators heard gunshots inside.Following the deployment of chemical munitions, Cook resumed communication with negotiators, who remained focused on achieving a peaceful resolution. While operators were preparing to introduce a second round of chemical munitions, peacefully surrendered at 11:33pm.Cook has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested chargers that include three counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. This investigation is ongoing as detectives are currently serving a search warrant at the incident location to gather additional information. Cook’s charges may be updated as more information is gathered.The Wichita Police Department does not typically release the names of arrested individuals until formal charges are filed. In this case, the suspect was arrested on an approved arrest warrant stemming from a charged case in Sedgwick County District Court. The warrant was for Failure to Appear and Contempt of Court stemming from an incident where&nbsp; Cook threatened to shoot bail bondsmen when they made an arrest attempt.The facts of the incident that occurred Wednesday will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration by investigators from the Wichita Police Department ALERT team members.

Gunfight with deputies during standoff at Kansas home

The state has banned transgender athletes from competing according to their gender identity, but student handbooks and board policies have yet to add the change

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

It has been a year since a&nbsp;<a href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/pdf-bill/tat/SB39.pdf" target="_blank">state law</a>&nbsp;required Missouri schools to have athletes compete according to their sex as assigned at birth, and few student manuals and school-board policies reflect the change.

Enforcement,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/21/enforcement-unclear-as-missouri-approaches-transgender-athlete-restrictions/">which was murky last year</a>, remains unprescribed with many districts stating that they will follow the law without describing how.

The law, which bars transgender athletes from competing according to their gender identity, penalizes noncompliant schools by revoking their state funding. It calls for state education officials to create any rules necessary for enforcement.

But the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education “is not involved in school athletics and activities,” its spokeswoman Mallory McGowin told The Independent.&nbsp;

The Missouri High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), which is not a state entity, oversees eligibility for extracurricular events.

The association has eligibility standards that schools statewide require their athletes to adhere to in order to compete in MSHSAA-sanctioned events. One such requirement is a semiannual physical, in which doctors clear athletes to compete.

The paperwork provided by MSHSAA for the sports physical asks the student’s sex as assigned at birth and gender identity for the medical history provided to the doctor. The form submitted to schools only includes sex as assigned at birth.

But MSHSAA is not the enforcer of the law, said Andrew Kauffman, the association’s spokesman. Individual schools are.

When asked if MSHSAA has provided guidance to schools, he said it “has advised its (member) schools to follow the law.”

According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans" target="_blank">Movement Advancement Project</a>, which maps policies affecting LGBTQ people in the U.S., 25 states ban transgender athletes from participating according to their gender identity.

When a Missouri Senate committee was hearing the bill in 2023, a swath of advocates warned lawmakers that the legislation would harm transgender youth.

“Bills, such as (this one), communicate not just to the LGBTQ community but to all people that our very existence can and should be rejected and devalued,”&nbsp;<a href="https://promomissouri.org/over-20-missourians-compromised-of-former-collegiate-athletes-educators-and-clergy-voice-opposition-to-senate-bill-42/" target="_blank">said Shira Berkowitz</a>, senior director of public policy and advocacy of PROMO, Missouri’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group.

School had brief answers to questions about their policies, with most unwilling to grant requests for an interview.

“We follow the state statute with regard to what gender is listed on a birth certificate and MSHSAA guidelines in terms of student participation in sports based on gender. We have worked effectively with families and student athletes to comply with the state law and we will continue to do so,” Rockwood School District’s spokesperson said.

In a review by The Independent of Missouri’s 10 largest school districts’ student manuals, Rockwood was one of two to cite state law in policies around athletic eligibility.

“The district complies with all relevant state law regarding participation in athletic competitions,” the policy says, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=163.048" target="_blank">the section that restricts participation based on sex at birth</a>.

Wentzville School District based its policy on the law, copying phrases out of state statute and noting a loss of funding if the district does not comply.

The other districts lacked mention of the statute, or gender identity, in their athletics eligibility policies.

The policy in North Kansas City High School says: “Participation… can be granted to those who meet the eligibility standards of the school and the state of Missouri.”

MSHSAA is widely pointed to in eligibility policies.

Fort Zumwalt School District, in O’Fallon, determines eligibility “in accordance with the MSHSAA regulations and school district policies and regulations.”

Prior to the state law, there were only five transgender athletes eligible to compete in MSHSAA events.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725571026542.png" alt=" A teenager speaks during a Senate hearing during the 2023 legislative session, donning a vest with a transgender flag (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> A teenager speaks during a Senate hearing during the 2023 legislative session, donning a vest with a transgender flag (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The state has banned transgender athletes from competing according to their gender identity, but student handbooks and board policies have yet to add the change</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>It has been a year since a&nbsp;<a href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/pdf-bill/tat/SB39.pdf" target="_blank">state law</a>&nbsp;required Missouri schools to have athletes compete according to their sex as assigned at birth, and few student manuals and school-board policies reflect the change.Enforcement,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/21/enforcement-unclear-as-missouri-approaches-transgender-athlete-restrictions/">which was murky last year</a>, remains unprescribed with many districts stating that they will follow the law without describing how.The law, which bars transgender athletes from competing according to their gender identity, penalizes noncompliant schools by revoking their state funding. It calls for state education officials to create any rules necessary for enforcement.But the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education “is not involved in school athletics and activities,” its spokeswoman Mallory McGowin told The Independent.&nbsp;The Missouri High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), which is not a state entity, oversees eligibility for extracurricular events.The association has eligibility standards that schools statewide require their athletes to adhere to in order to compete in MSHSAA-sanctioned events. One such requirement is a semiannual physical, in which doctors clear athletes to compete.The paperwork provided by MSHSAA for the sports physical asks the student’s sex as assigned at birth and gender identity for the medical history provided to the doctor. The form submitted to schools only includes sex as assigned at birth.But MSHSAA is not the enforcer of the law, said Andrew Kauffman, the association’s spokesman. Individual schools are.When asked if MSHSAA has provided guidance to schools, he said it “has advised its (member) schools to follow the law.”According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans" target="_blank">Movement Advancement Project</a>, which maps policies affecting LGBTQ people in the U.S., 25 states ban transgender athletes from participating according to their gender identity.When a Missouri Senate committee was hearing the bill in 2023, a swath of advocates warned lawmakers that the legislation would harm transgender youth.“Bills, such as (this one), communicate not just to the LGBTQ community but to all people that our very existence can and should be rejected and devalued,”&nbsp;<a href="https://promomissouri.org/over-20-missourians-compromised-of-former-collegiate-athletes-educators-and-clergy-voice-opposition-to-senate-bill-42/" target="_blank">said Shira Berkowitz</a>, senior director of public policy and advocacy of PROMO, Missouri’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group.School had brief answers to questions about their policies, with most unwilling to grant requests for an interview.“We follow the state statute with regard to what gender is listed on a birth certificate and MSHSAA guidelines in terms of student participation in sports based on gender. We have worked effectively with families and student athletes to comply with the state law and we will continue to do so,” Rockwood School District’s spokesperson said.In a review by The Independent of Missouri’s 10 largest school districts’ student manuals, Rockwood was one of two to cite state law in policies around athletic eligibility.“The district complies with all relevant state law regarding participation in athletic competitions,” the policy says, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=163.048" target="_blank">the section that restricts participation based on sex at birth</a>.Wentzville School District based its policy on the law, copying phrases out of state statute and noting a loss of funding if the district does not comply.The other districts lacked mention of the statute, or gender identity, in their athletics eligibility policies.The policy in North Kansas City High School says: “Participation… can be granted to those who meet the eligibility standards of the school and the state of Missouri.”MSHSAA is widely pointed to in eligibility policies.Fort Zumwalt School District, in O’Fallon, determines eligibility “in accordance with the MSHSAA regulations and school district policies and regulations.”Prior to the state law, there were only five transgender athletes eligible to compete in MSHSAA events.

Missouri schools lack public enforcement policies for transgender athlete restrictions

KANSAS CITY— Taylor Swift was in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium&nbsp; Thursday to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Baltimore Ravens.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725580468000.png" alt="Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs' season opener -photo by Micaela Dea courtesy KAKE&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs' season opener -photo by Micaela Dea courtesy KAKE&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— Taylor Swift was in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium&nbsp; Thursday to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Baltimore Ravens.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨| Taylor Swift stuns arriving at Arrowhead Stadium for today&#39;s Chiefs va Ravens game! <a href="https://t.co/v283TIqMd8">pic.twitter.com/v283TIqMd8</a>&mdash; The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) <a href="https://twitter.com/tswifterastour/status/1831829709992480819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨| Taylor Swift looks absolutely alluring at today&#39;s Chiefs vs Ravens game at Arrowhead Stadium! <a href="https://t.co/jza64xEXzv">pic.twitter.com/jza64xEXzv</a>&mdash; The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) <a href="https://twitter.com/tswifterastour/status/1831834703558799712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨| Taylor Swift and Ed Kelce at today&#39;s Chiefs vs Ravens game! <a href="https://t.co/eMezCRHZKT">pic.twitter.com/eMezCRHZKT</a>&mdash; The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) <a href="https://twitter.com/tswifterastour/status/1831851010366857294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨| Taylor Swift celebrating the first Chiefs touchdown of the season! <a href="https://t.co/9qUU9ZXyaK">pic.twitter.com/9qUU9ZXyaK</a>&mdash; The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) <a href="https://twitter.com/tswifterastour/status/1831861590486085674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨| Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving after today&#39;s Chiefs vs Ravens game! <a href="https://t.co/soAHLC6hAq">pic.twitter.com/soAHLC6hAq</a>&mdash; The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) <a href="https://twitter.com/tswifterastour/status/1831929172580823268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Taylor Swift attends Chiefs' season opener to watch her boyfriend

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

For the second time, a Missouri judge has accused Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft of crafting ‘inaccurate’ language around the reproductive rights amendment

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has been ordered to remove his characterization of an abortion rights amendment from his government website after a judge deemed it was unfair and violated state statute.

A Cole County judge on Thursday ruled that Ashcroft’s “fair ballot language” summary of the reproductive rights amendment, also known as Amendment 3, was “unfair, inaccurate, insufficient and misleading.”

“Intentionally of not, the secretary’s language sows voter confusion about the effects of the measure,” Circuit Judge Cotton Walker wrote in a Thursday afternoon decision.&nbsp;

The day Ashcroft&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">certified the abortion-rights amendment for the Nov. 5 ballot,</a>&nbsp;a “fair ballot language” summary for Amendment 3 was also published on his office’s government website. That summary will also appear at every polling place around the state next to sample ballots. By state law&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=116.025" target="_blank">this summary must be “true and impartial.”</a>

Ashcroft is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-abortion-amendment-march-life/&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiLjtf756yIAxVgFjQIHR6RPGwQFnoECBQQAQ&amp;usg=AOvVaw1D4JsqkdgQGe87Fc0ShvyX" target="_blank">vocal in his opposition to abortion.</a>

Amendment 3, if passed by a statewide majority vote, would establish the constitutional right to an abortion up to the point of fetal viability. Since the overturning of the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in&nbsp;June 2022, nearly all abortions became illegal in Missouri, with limited exceptions for the life and health of the mother.&nbsp;

It would also enshrine other reproductive rights in the constitution, including in-vitro fertilization and birth control, both of which remain legal in Missouri.&nbsp;

Ashcroft’s summary of the amendment read: “A ‘yes’ vote will enshrine the right to abortion at any time of pregnancy in the Missouri Constitution. Additionally, it will prohibit any regulation of abortion, including regulations designed to protect women undergoing abortions and prohibit any civil or criminal recourse against anyone who performs an abortion and hurts or kills the pregnant women.”&nbsp;

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/20/missouri-secretary-state-ashcroft-lawsuit-abortion/">Abortion-rights activists in a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed two weeks ago called Ashcroft’s summary of the amendment harmful and confusing to voters.

Walker agreed, ruling that Ashcroft’s assertion that the amendment would allow the right to an abortion at any point in pregnancy “gives voters the wrong idea of what the amendment will accomplish.”

The secretary of state’s office said in a statement that it is reviewing the judge’s decision.&nbsp;

“Secretary Ashcroft will always stand for life and for the people of Missouri to know the truth,” JoDonn Chaney, a spokesperson for Ashcroft, said Thursday afternoon.

Walker’s decision came a day after a bench trial in which both sides argued over what the amendment would mean for Missourians if approved by voters.&nbsp;

The brief trial was focused on language around provider immunity.

The amendment reads, in part, that no person “assisting a person in exercising their right to reproductive freedom with that person’s consent be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action for doing so.”

Andrew Crane, a lawyer representing Ashcroft on behalf of the attorney general’s office, argued Wednesday that the amendment would lead to “effectively neutering the government’s ability to enforce any effective regulations” on abortion.&nbsp;

Such a claim was “politically-charged” and unfounded, since it fails to take into account other language in the amendment protecting patients, said Tori Schafer, an attorney with the ACLU of Missouri, which is representing the plaintiff.

Walker wrote that Ashcroft’s argument runs “contrary to the language of the amendment and will give voters the mistaken impression that the amendment will allow physicians to perform abortions negligently or criminally.”&nbsp;

The judge said Ashcroft’s argument of provider immunity “ignores, with respect to health care providers, that the protection from prosecution (1) hinges on the patient’s consent and (2) is coextensive with the right to reproductive freedom and its regulation.”&nbsp;

Walker on Thursday provided new “fair ballot language” to be posted on the secretary of state’s website and at polling places. It reads:&nbsp;

“A ‘yes’ vote establishes a constitutional right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid; removes Missouri’s ban on abortion; allows regulation of reproductive health care to improve of maintain the health of the patient; requires the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and allows abortion to be restricted or banned after fetal viability except to protect the life or health of the woman.”

The Amendment 3 lawsuit was filed by retired physician Dr. Anna Fitz-James, who initially filed the abortion rights initiative petition in spring 2023 on behalf of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the campaign behind the amendment.&nbsp;

“Missourians deserve the chance to vote on Amendment 3 based on facts,” Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said in a statement following the decision. “And today’s decision brings us one step closer to making that a reality.”

Walker’s decision mirrored one made by Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem last year, after Ashcroft was also sued by the abortion-rights campaign over the initial ballot summary he drafted, which would have asked Missourians, in part, if they wanted to “allow for dangerous, unregulated, and unrestricted abortions, from conception to live birth.”&nbsp;

Beetem in his ruling a year ago said that Ashcroft’s language was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/judge-rejects-rewrites-summary-for-missouri-abortion-initiative-petition/">“problematic” and inaccurate.</a>&nbsp;

Ashcroft appealed, but the higher court sided with Beetem, writing it is “not a probable effect” that the amendment would allow unrestricted abortion in all nine months of pregnancy or that it would toss aside health and safety regulations, “including requirements that physicians perform abortions and that they maintain medical malpractice insurance.”

A second lawsuit regarding Amendment 3 will be challenged at a bench trial on Friday in Cole County after a number of anti-abortion activists and lawmakers asked a judge to block the amendment from the Nov. 5 ballot. Their lawsuit claims Amendment 3 violates the state constitution by including more than one subject and fails to specify which laws and constitutional provisions would be repealed if it was approved.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724262530682.png" alt="- Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft joined the Midwest March for Life on May 1 at the Missouri State Capitol (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>- Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft joined the Midwest March for Life on May 1 at the Missouri State Capitol (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>For the second time, a Missouri judge has accused Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft of crafting ‘inaccurate’ language around the reproductive rights amendment</h2>Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has been ordered to remove his characterization of an abortion rights amendment from his government website after a judge deemed it was unfair and violated state statute.A Cole County judge on Thursday ruled that Ashcroft’s “fair ballot language” summary of the reproductive rights amendment, also known as Amendment 3, was “unfair, inaccurate, insufficient and misleading.”“Intentionally of not, the secretary’s language sows voter confusion about the effects of the measure,” Circuit Judge Cotton Walker wrote in a Thursday afternoon decision.&nbsp;The day Ashcroft&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">certified the abortion-rights amendment for the Nov. 5 ballot,</a>&nbsp;a “fair ballot language” summary for Amendment 3 was also published on his office’s government website. That summary will also appear at every polling place around the state next to sample ballots. By state law&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=116.025" target="_blank">this summary must be “true and impartial.”</a>Ashcroft is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-abortion-amendment-march-life/&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiLjtf756yIAxVgFjQIHR6RPGwQFnoECBQQAQ&amp;usg=AOvVaw1D4JsqkdgQGe87Fc0ShvyX" target="_blank">vocal in his opposition to abortion.</a>Amendment 3, if passed by a statewide majority vote, would establish the constitutional right to an abortion up to the point of fetal viability. Since the overturning of the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in&nbsp;June 2022, nearly all abortions became illegal in Missouri, with limited exceptions for the life and health of the mother.&nbsp;It would also enshrine other reproductive rights in the constitution, including in-vitro fertilization and birth control, both of which remain legal in Missouri.&nbsp;Ashcroft’s summary of the amendment read: “A ‘yes’ vote will enshrine the right to abortion at any time of pregnancy in the Missouri Constitution. Additionally, it will prohibit any regulation of abortion, including regulations designed to protect women undergoing abortions and prohibit any civil or criminal recourse against anyone who performs an abortion and hurts or kills the pregnant women.”&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/20/missouri-secretary-state-ashcroft-lawsuit-abortion/">Abortion-rights activists in a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed two weeks ago called Ashcroft’s summary of the amendment harmful and confusing to voters.Walker agreed, ruling that Ashcroft’s assertion that the amendment would allow the right to an abortion at any point in pregnancy “gives voters the wrong idea of what the amendment will accomplish.”The secretary of state’s office said in a statement that it is reviewing the judge’s decision.&nbsp;“Secretary Ashcroft will always stand for life and for the people of Missouri to know the truth,” JoDonn Chaney, a spokesperson for Ashcroft, said Thursday afternoon.Walker’s decision came a day after a bench trial in which both sides argued over what the amendment would mean for Missourians if approved by voters.&nbsp;The brief trial was focused on language around provider immunity.The amendment reads, in part, that no person “assisting a person in exercising their right to reproductive freedom with that person’s consent be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action for doing so.”Andrew Crane, a lawyer representing Ashcroft on behalf of the attorney general’s office, argued Wednesday that the amendment would lead to “effectively neutering the government’s ability to enforce any effective regulations” on abortion.&nbsp;Such a claim was “politically-charged” and unfounded, since it fails to take into account other language in the amendment protecting patients, said Tori Schafer, an attorney with the ACLU of Missouri, which is representing the plaintiff.Walker wrote that Ashcroft’s argument runs “contrary to the language of the amendment and will give voters the mistaken impression that the amendment will allow physicians to perform abortions negligently or criminally.”&nbsp;The judge said Ashcroft’s argument of provider immunity “ignores, with respect to health care providers, that the protection from prosecution (1) hinges on the patient’s consent and (2) is coextensive with the right to reproductive freedom and its regulation.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725617026837.png" alt="Attendees cheer during a Missourians for Constitutional Freedom rally after the campaign turned in more than 380,000 signatures for its initiative petition to enshrine abortion rights in Missouri’s constitution Friday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Attendees cheer during a Missourians for Constitutional Freedom rally after the campaign turned in more than 380,000 signatures for its initiative petition to enshrine abortion rights in Missouri’s constitution Friday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Walker on Thursday provided new “fair ballot language” to be posted on the secretary of state’s website and at polling places. It reads:&nbsp;“A ‘yes’ vote establishes a constitutional right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid; removes Missouri’s ban on abortion; allows regulation of reproductive health care to improve of maintain the health of the patient; requires the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and allows abortion to be restricted or banned after fetal viability except to protect the life or health of the woman.”The Amendment 3 lawsuit was filed by retired physician Dr. Anna Fitz-James, who initially filed the abortion rights initiative petition in spring 2023 on behalf of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the campaign behind the amendment.&nbsp;“Missourians deserve the chance to vote on Amendment 3 based on facts,” Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said in a statement following the decision. “And today’s decision brings us one step closer to making that a reality.”Walker’s decision mirrored one made by Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem last year, after Ashcroft was also sued by the abortion-rights campaign over the initial ballot summary he drafted, which would have asked Missourians, in part, if they wanted to “allow for dangerous, unregulated, and unrestricted abortions, from conception to live birth.”&nbsp;Beetem in his ruling a year ago said that Ashcroft’s language was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/judge-rejects-rewrites-summary-for-missouri-abortion-initiative-petition/">“problematic” and inaccurate.</a>&nbsp;Ashcroft appealed, but the higher court sided with Beetem, writing it is “not a probable effect” that the amendment would allow unrestricted abortion in all nine months of pregnancy or that it would toss aside health and safety regulations, “including requirements that physicians perform abortions and that they maintain medical malpractice insurance.”A second lawsuit regarding Amendment 3 will be challenged at a bench trial on Friday in Cole County after a number of anti-abortion activists and lawmakers asked a judge to block the amendment from the Nov. 5 ballot. Their lawsuit claims Amendment 3 violates the state constitution by including more than one subject and fails to specify which laws and constitutional provisions would be repealed if it was approved.

Judge calls Ashcroft’s characterization of abortion amendment ‘unfair’ and ‘misleading’

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — Exactly two months out from the presidential election, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan plans to move ahead with the case accusing former President Donald Trump of subverting the 2020 presidential election results, telling Trump’s attorneys that she is “not concerned with the electoral schedule.”

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, did not appear in federal court for Thursday’s hearing in Washington, D.C., but his lawyers pleaded not guilty on his behalf to the four charges that remained unchanged in U.S. special counsel Jack Smith’s new indictment, filed last week.

The case had been in a holding pattern for eight months as Trump appealed his claim of presidential immunity all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Chutkan’s anticipated new timeline for the case — which she could release as early as Thursday — is still expected to assure Trump will not face trial before Election Day in November.

U.S. prosecutors say they are ready to restart the case in the coming weeks, while Trump’s team has argued for more time to review evidence and dismiss the superseding indictment.

The Supreme Court returned Trump’s case to the trial court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/presidential-immunity-covers-some-official-acts-supreme-court-rules-trump-case" target="_blank">after ruling</a>&nbsp;that former presidents are immune from criminal charges for official “core constitutional” acts while in office and hold at least presumptive immunity for “outer perimeter” activities, but not for personal actions.

This gave Chutkan, an Obama administration appointee, the major task of parsing Smith’s indictment, deciding which allegations against Trump fall under the umbrella of official acts and which relate to actions taken in a personal capacity.

Chutkan did not issue any decisions on immunity at the Thursday hearing but rather spent significant time grilling Trump’s attorney John Lauro on why he believes it is “unseemly” for Smith’s office to lay out its case this month in an opening brief. Thomas Windom, a federal prosecutor in Smith’s office, said the government would be ready to file the brief by the end of September.

Lauro argued that Smith wanting to file “at breakneck speed” is “incredibly unfair that they are able to put in the public record (evidence) at this sensitive time in our nation’s history.”

“I understand there’s an election impending,” Chutkan snapped back, reminding him that it “is not relevant here.”

“Three weeks is not exactly breakneck speed,” Chutkan added.

Lauro argues that Chutkan should examine parts of the indictment that accuse Trump of pressuring then-Vice President Mike Pence to accept false slates of electors leading up to Pence’s ceremonial role in certifying the election results on Jan. 6, 2021.

“The problem with that issue is if in fact the communications are immune, then the entire indictment fails,” Lauro argued.

“I’m not sure that’s my reading of the case,” Chutkan replied.

The government maintains that all actions and communications by Trump described in the new indictment were “private in nature,” Windom argued.

Chutkan also spent time during the roughly 75-minute hearing questioning Lauro on the Trump legal team’s numerous plans to request the case’s dismissal. One anticipated plan is to try its successful play in Florida, where a Trump-appointed federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-classified-documents-criminal-case" target="_blank">tossed</a>&nbsp;his classified documents case after Trump argued Smith was illegally appointed as special counsel.

Chutkan said she will allow the defense to file that motion but warned that attorneys must provide convincing arguments on why “binding precedent doesn’t hold” for the time-tested position of special prosecutor.

Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656595/226/united-states-v-trump/" target="_blank">charged</a>&nbsp;with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of, and attempt to obstruct, an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights for his alleged role in conspiring to create false electors from seven states and spreading knowingly false information that whipped his supporters into a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

A federal grand jury handed up a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/special-counsel-smith-files-new-indictment-trumps-jan-6-case" target="_blank">revised indictment</a>&nbsp;Aug. 27 in an effort to tailor the charges to the Supreme Court’s July 1 immunity&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf" target="_blank">ruling</a>. The fresh indictment omitted any references to Trump’s alleged pressure campaign on Justice Department officials to meddle in state election results.

But the document added emphasis on Trump’s personal use of social media outside of his actions as president, and said he and several co-conspirators schemed outside of his official duties. The new indictment also stressed Trump’s pressure on Pence to accept the fake electors in his role outside of the executive branch as president of the Senate.

If Trump wins the Oval Office in November, he would have the power to hinder or altogether shut down the Department of Justice’s election interference case against him.

If he loses to Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, the case is sure to be set back by further delays, as the Trump team plans numerous challenges and will almost certainly appeal — likely to the Supreme Court again — Chutkan’s decisions on which allegations against Trump are or are not subject to immunity.

According to Friday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.229.0_4.pdf" target="_blank">joint filing</a>&nbsp;in which each side laid out plans for the case going forward, Trump’s team also warned they will challenge that Trump’s tweets and communication about the 2020 presidential results should be considered all official acts.

Additionally, Trump plans to file a motion to dismiss the case based on the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-supreme-court-ruling-obstruction-law-helps-cases-jan-6-defendants" target="_blank">June ruling</a>&nbsp;that a Jan. 6 rioter could not be charged with obstructing an official proceeding — a charge that Trump also faces.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725589977937.png" alt="Former President Trump at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former President Trump at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — Exactly two months out from the presidential election, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan plans to move ahead with the case accusing former President Donald Trump of subverting the 2020 presidential election results, telling Trump’s attorneys that she is “not concerned with the electoral schedule.”Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, did not appear in federal court for Thursday’s hearing in Washington, D.C., but his lawyers pleaded not guilty on his behalf to the four charges that remained unchanged in U.S. special counsel Jack Smith’s new indictment, filed last week.The case had been in a holding pattern for eight months as Trump appealed his claim of presidential immunity all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Chutkan’s anticipated new timeline for the case — which she could release as early as Thursday — is still expected to assure Trump will not face trial before Election Day in November.U.S. prosecutors say they are ready to restart the case in the coming weeks, while Trump’s team has argued for more time to review evidence and dismiss the superseding indictment.The Supreme Court returned Trump’s case to the trial court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/presidential-immunity-covers-some-official-acts-supreme-court-rules-trump-case" target="_blank">after ruling</a>&nbsp;that former presidents are immune from criminal charges for official “core constitutional” acts while in office and hold at least presumptive immunity for “outer perimeter” activities, but not for personal actions.This gave Chutkan, an Obama administration appointee, the major task of parsing Smith’s indictment, deciding which allegations against Trump fall under the umbrella of official acts and which relate to actions taken in a personal capacity.<h2>Chutkan skeptical&nbsp;</h2>Chutkan did not issue any decisions on immunity at the Thursday hearing but rather spent significant time grilling Trump’s attorney John Lauro on why he believes it is “unseemly” for Smith’s office to lay out its case this month in an opening brief. Thomas Windom, a federal prosecutor in Smith’s office, said the government would be ready to file the brief by the end of September.Lauro argued that Smith wanting to file “at breakneck speed” is “incredibly unfair that they are able to put in the public record (evidence) at this sensitive time in our nation’s history.”“I understand there’s an election impending,” Chutkan snapped back, reminding him that it “is not relevant here.”“Three weeks is not exactly breakneck speed,” Chutkan added.Lauro argues that Chutkan should examine parts of the indictment that accuse Trump of pressuring then-Vice President Mike Pence to accept false slates of electors leading up to Pence’s ceremonial role in certifying the election results on Jan. 6, 2021.“The problem with that issue is if in fact the communications are immune, then the entire indictment fails,” Lauro argued.“I’m not sure that’s my reading of the case,” Chutkan replied.The government maintains that all actions and communications by Trump described in the new indictment were “private in nature,” Windom argued.Chutkan also spent time during the roughly 75-minute hearing questioning Lauro on the Trump legal team’s numerous plans to request the case’s dismissal. One anticipated plan is to try its successful play in Florida, where a Trump-appointed federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-classified-documents-criminal-case" target="_blank">tossed</a>&nbsp;his classified documents case after Trump argued Smith was illegally appointed as special counsel.Chutkan said she will allow the defense to file that motion but warned that attorneys must provide convincing arguments on why “binding precedent doesn’t hold” for the time-tested position of special prosecutor.<h2>New indictment, same charges</h2>Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656595/226/united-states-v-trump/" target="_blank">charged</a>&nbsp;with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of, and attempt to obstruct, an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights for his alleged role in conspiring to create false electors from seven states and spreading knowingly false information that whipped his supporters into a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.A federal grand jury handed up a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/special-counsel-smith-files-new-indictment-trumps-jan-6-case" target="_blank">revised indictment</a>&nbsp;Aug. 27 in an effort to tailor the charges to the Supreme Court’s July 1 immunity&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf" target="_blank">ruling</a>. The fresh indictment omitted any references to Trump’s alleged pressure campaign on Justice Department officials to meddle in state election results.But the document added emphasis on Trump’s personal use of social media outside of his actions as president, and said he and several co-conspirators schemed outside of his official duties. The new indictment also stressed Trump’s pressure on Pence to accept the fake electors in his role outside of the executive branch as president of the Senate.If Trump wins the Oval Office in November, he would have the power to hinder or altogether shut down the Department of Justice’s election interference case against him.If he loses to Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, the case is sure to be set back by further delays, as the Trump team plans numerous challenges and will almost certainly appeal — likely to the Supreme Court again — Chutkan’s decisions on which allegations against Trump are or are not subject to immunity.According to Friday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.229.0_4.pdf" target="_blank">joint filing</a>&nbsp;in which each side laid out plans for the case going forward, Trump’s team also warned they will challenge that Trump’s tweets and communication about the 2020 presidential results should be considered all official acts.Additionally, Trump plans to file a motion to dismiss the case based on the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-supreme-court-ruling-obstruction-law-helps-cases-jan-6-defendants" target="_blank">June ruling</a>&nbsp;that a Jan. 6 rioter could not be charged with obstructing an official proceeding — a charge that Trump also faces.

Judge: Trump’s Jan. 6 case won’t be delayed by upcoming election

‘ChiefsAholic’ Committed 11 Bank Robberies in Seven States, Laundered Proceeds Through Area Casinos

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A man popularly known as Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” was sentenced in federal court Thursday on charges related to a string of 11 robberies, or attempted robberies, in which he stole $847,725 from financial institutions in seven states, according to the United State's Attorney.

“While parading as a social media celebrity, the defendant secretly engaged in a violent crime spree of armed robberies and attempted robberies across seven states,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Babudar’s robbery spree bankrolled the expensive tickets and travel across the country to attend Kansas City Chiefs games while he cultivated a large fan base online. However, the bank and credit union employees whom he terrorized at gunpoint suffered the brunt of his true nature. He tried to flee from justice, but law enforcement caught up with him and now he will spend a significant portion of his life in prison.”

Xaviar Michael Babudar, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Babudar to pay $532,675 in restitution to the victim financial institutions. Some of the stolen money was recovered, but most of it was not.

The court ordered Babudar to forfeit to the government any property involved in his money laundering activity, including an autographed painting of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick L. Mahomes II that has been recovered by the FBI.

“The actions of Babudar were brazen and traumatic for the bank employees robbed in Bixby, Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson of the Northern District of Oklahoma. “A big thank you to the Bixby Police Department for their hard work in collaboration with the FBI Tulsa field office, who helped detain Babudar in Oklahoma.”

“The bank was not the only victim of these crimes,” stated Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “Babudar terrorized bank employees throughout his multi-state crime spree, while relishing his celebrity status. Today’s sentencing speaks to the severity of his actions and the significant law enforcement assistance and resources utilized across multiple states to hold him accountable for his violent and criminal behavior.”

On Feb. 28, 2024, Babudar pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines. Babudar also pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, which is contained in a separate case filed in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The court today sentenced Babudar to 17 years and six months in federal prison in the Western District of Missouri case and 17 years and six months in prison in the Northern District of Oklahoma case, to be served concurrently.

Babudar also admitted that he engaged in a string of nine bank and credit union robberies (or attempted robberies) in 2022 followed by two bank robberies committed while he was a fugitive from justice. Babudar laundered much of the stolen money through area casinos and online gambling.

Babudar, who lived a nomadic existence at various locations around the Kansas City metropolitan area, enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, attending most games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing.

Babudar pleaded guilty to stealing $70,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022. Babudar admitted that he entered the bank wearing a ski mask and handed the bank teller a note demanding money and indicating he had a firearm. As he fled on foot, Babudar left behind a black glove and approximately $1,420 in $20 bills in a wooded area near the bank. Investigators later recovered Babudar’s DNA from the black glove. Babudar then carried this money to Missouri, depositing it in two separate transactions into his personal savings account in an attempt to conceal the criminal nature of the proceeds.

Babudar also pleaded guilty to stealing $139,500 from Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union in Bixby, Okla., on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar admitted that he entered the credit union armed with what appeared to be a black handgun, jumped the teller counter, and ordered a bank employee at gunpoint to go to the credit union’s vault. Once at the vault, Babudar demanded that bank employees open the vault and put the money from the vault into a plastic bag. During this robbery, Babudar told credit union employees that if they did not comply he would shoot them.

When Babudar was arrested shortly after the robbery, he had a large bag in his possession that contained $139,500 in $100 bills plus $10,750 in $50 bills, totaling $150,250 in cash. When investigators searched his 2019 Mazda 3, they found numerous pairs of goggles and gloves, which Babudar wore during a series of bank robberies. Investigators also found a Barstool Sportsbook Betslip for $20,000, dated Nov. 19, 2022; a FanDuel Betslip for $4,000, dated Dec. 1, 2022; and letters from Community America Credit Union related to his deposits of $20,000 and $50,000 on May 2, 2022.

Babudar also admitted that he committed, or attempted to commit, nine robberies of banks and credit unions in addition to the two to which he pleaded guilty. Those crimes, including two bank robberies committed while Babudar was a fugitive from justice, were considered as relevant conduct for sentencing.

Babudar admitted that he stole $170,860 from the Omaha, Nebraska, branch of First National Bank of Omaha on April 28, 2022. Babudar entered the bank armed with what appeared to be a firearm and ordered bank employees to open their vault. Omaha police officers recovered $163,560 following the theft.

Babudar admitted that he stole $303,845 from the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of First Class Community Credit Union on July 13, 2022. Babudar brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees open the bank vault. After carrying the stolen money back to Missouri, Babudar began laundering this money through area casinos, depositing the cash he received from these casinos into his personal bank account.

Babudar admitted that he stole $125,900 from the Nashville, Tennessee, branch of The Tennessee Credit Union on Nov. 17, 2022. Babudar, armed with what appeared to be a black and silver firearm, climbed over the bank teller counter. He pressed the firearm against the teller’s body and demanded that credit union employees take him to the vault. Employees complied with Babudar’s demands, provided him with cash from the teller drawers, and took him to the vault. Babudar told credit union employees that if he was given a dye pack he would “come back and put a bullet in your head.” After Babudar fled on foot, a hat was recovered; investigators extracted DNA from the hat that matched the DNA extracted from Babudar’s glove in the March 2, 2022, robbery. A few days later, Babudar used some of the stolen money to purchase $20,000 in casino chips in multiple transactions from a local casino.

Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Wings Financial Credit Union in Savage, Minnesota, on Nov. 29, 2022. Babudar entered this credit union with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded that credit union employees open the vault. Babudar fled from the credit union, however, after seeing the vault only held small bills.

Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Royal Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minn., on Nov. 29, 2022. Babudar entered the credit union with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded that credit union employees open the vault. When he saw the vault only contained small bills, Babudar demanded $100 bills. Credit union employees told him they didn’t keep $100 bills in the vault, and Babudar fled on foot.

Babudar admitted that he stole $25,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of First Interstate Bank on Nov. 30, 2022. Following the two unsuccessful robberies the previous day, Babudar returned to the same facility he had robbed on March 2, 2022, which had since then become a branch of First Interstate Bank. Babudar entered the bank carrying what appeared to be a firearm and jumped over the teller counter. He ordered the bank employees, at gunpoint, to open the vault. He fled on foot after the bank employees gave him the cash in the vault. Babudar then carried the stolen money back to Missouri, where he deposited a portion of it into his personal bank account.

Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Pinnacle Bank in Papillon, Nebraska, on Dec. 15, 2022. At approximately 1:55 p.m., Babudar entered the vestibule area of Pinnacle Bank and pulled on the doors, but was unable to open them. He then left the area. The next day, he robbed the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union and was arrested.

Babudar, after being arrested in Oklahoma in December 2022, was released on bond in the state case in February 2023.

Months earlier, Babudar had placed two winning bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000 should that occur. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $55,000 should that occur. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed Babudar a $100,000 check in early March 2023.

Days later, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled from Oklahoma. According to court documents, Babudar used his gambling winnings to purchase a vehicle in Henderson, Nevada, and evade law enforcement until his arrest in Sacramento on July 7, 2023.

Babudar admitted that he robbed two additional banks while he was a fugitive from justice.

Babudar admitted that he stole $1,100 from Heritage Bank in Sparks, Nevada, on June 8, 2023. Babudar entered the bank wearing a beanie, a Covid-19 mask, a blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, and a fanny pack. Babudar showed a note to the Heritage Bank teller that was composed on his cell phone, which demanded money from the teller.

Babudar admitted that he stole $950 from U.S. Bank in El Dorado Hills, California, on July 3, 2023. Babudar entered the bank wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, a Covid-19 mask, and a yellow reflective vest. Babudar showed a note to the U.S. Bank teller that was composed on his cell phone, which demanded money from the teller.

Babudar has been detained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on July 7, 2023.

This case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick D. Daly and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw in the Western District of Missouri, and U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston in the Northern District of Oklahoma. It was investigated by the FBI and the Bixby, Okla., Police Department. The Bixby, Okla., Police Department arrested Babudar in December 2022, and the Placer County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department and the Lincoln, Calif., Police Department assisted the FBI in the July 2023 arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689010403536.png" alt="Babudar fron an earlier arrest in Tulsa County" />
 <figcaption>Babudar fron an earlier arrest in Tulsa County</figcaption>
 </figure>‘ChiefsAholic’ Committed 11 Bank Robberies in Seven States, Laundered Proceeds Through Area CasinosKANSAS CITY, Mo. – A man popularly known as Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” was sentenced in federal court Thursday on charges related to a string of 11 robberies, or attempted robberies, in which he stole $847,725 from financial institutions in seven states, according to the United State's Attorney.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ejVWEofiHBI?si=5dOjRY5klpUsbPr5" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“While parading as a social media celebrity, the defendant secretly engaged in a violent crime spree of armed robberies and attempted robberies across seven states,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Babudar’s robbery spree bankrolled the expensive tickets and travel across the country to attend Kansas City Chiefs games while he cultivated a large fan base online. However, the bank and credit union employees whom he terrorized at gunpoint suffered the brunt of his true nature. He tried to flee from justice, but law enforcement caught up with him and now he will spend a significant portion of his life in prison.”Xaviar Michael Babudar, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Babudar to pay $532,675 in restitution to the victim financial institutions. Some of the stolen money was recovered, but most of it was not.The court ordered Babudar to forfeit to the government any property involved in his money laundering activity, including an autographed painting of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick L. Mahomes II that has been recovered by the FBI.“The actions of Babudar were brazen and traumatic for the bank employees robbed in Bixby, Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson of the Northern District of Oklahoma. “A big thank you to the Bixby Police Department for their hard work in collaboration with the FBI Tulsa field office, who helped detain Babudar in Oklahoma.”“The bank was not the only victim of these crimes,” stated Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “Babudar terrorized bank employees throughout his multi-state crime spree, while relishing his celebrity status. Today’s sentencing speaks to the severity of his actions and the significant law enforcement assistance and resources utilized across multiple states to hold him accountable for his violent and criminal behavior.”On Feb. 28, 2024, Babudar pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines. Babudar also pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, which is contained in a separate case filed in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The court today sentenced Babudar to 17 years and six months in federal prison in the Western District of Missouri case and 17 years and six months in prison in the Northern District of Oklahoma case, to be served concurrently.Babudar also admitted that he engaged in a string of nine bank and credit union robberies (or attempted robberies) in 2022 followed by two bank robberies committed while he was a fugitive from justice. Babudar laundered much of the stolen money through area casinos and online gambling.Babudar, who lived a nomadic existence at various locations around the Kansas City metropolitan area, enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, attending most games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing.Babudar pleaded guilty to stealing $70,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022. Babudar admitted that he entered the bank wearing a ski mask and handed the bank teller a note demanding money and indicating he had a firearm. As he fled on foot, Babudar left behind a black glove and approximately $1,420 in $20 bills in a wooded area near the bank. Investigators later recovered Babudar’s DNA from the black glove. Babudar then carried this money to Missouri, depositing it in two separate transactions into his personal savings account in an attempt to conceal the criminal nature of the proceeds.Babudar also pleaded guilty to stealing $139,500 from Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union in Bixby, Okla., on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar admitted that he entered the credit union armed with what appeared to be a black handgun, jumped the teller counter, and ordered a bank employee at gunpoint to go to the credit union’s vault. Once at the vault, Babudar demanded that bank employees open the vault and put the money from the vault into a plastic bag. During this robbery, Babudar told credit union employees that if they did not comply he would shoot them.When Babudar was arrested shortly after the robbery, he had a large bag in his possession that contained $139,500 in $100 bills plus $10,750 in $50 bills, totaling $150,250 in cash. When investigators searched his 2019 Mazda 3, they found numerous pairs of goggles and gloves, which Babudar wore during a series of bank robberies. Investigators also found a Barstool Sportsbook Betslip for $20,000, dated Nov. 19, 2022; a FanDuel Betslip for $4,000, dated Dec. 1, 2022; and letters from Community America Credit Union related to his deposits of $20,000 and $50,000 on May 2, 2022.Babudar also admitted that he committed, or attempted to commit, nine robberies of banks and credit unions in addition to the two to which he pleaded guilty. Those crimes, including two bank robberies committed while Babudar was a fugitive from justice, were considered as relevant conduct for sentencing.Babudar admitted that he stole $170,860 from the Omaha, Nebraska, branch of First National Bank of Omaha on April 28, 2022. Babudar entered the bank armed with what appeared to be a firearm and ordered bank employees to open their vault. Omaha police officers recovered $163,560 following the theft.Babudar admitted that he stole $303,845 from the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of First Class Community Credit Union on July 13, 2022. Babudar brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees open the bank vault. After carrying the stolen money back to Missouri, Babudar began laundering this money through area casinos, depositing the cash he received from these casinos into his personal bank account.Babudar admitted that he stole $125,900 from the Nashville, Tennessee, branch of The Tennessee Credit Union on Nov. 17, 2022. Babudar, armed with what appeared to be a black and silver firearm, climbed over the bank teller counter. He pressed the firearm against the teller’s body and demanded that credit union employees take him to the vault. Employees complied with Babudar’s demands, provided him with cash from the teller drawers, and took him to the vault. Babudar told credit union employees that if he was given a dye pack he would “come back and put a bullet in your head.” After Babudar fled on foot, a hat was recovered; investigators extracted DNA from the hat that matched the DNA extracted from Babudar’s glove in the March 2, 2022, robbery. A few days later, Babudar used some of the stolen money to purchase $20,000 in casino chips in multiple transactions from a local casino.Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Wings Financial Credit Union in Savage, Minnesota, on Nov. 29, 2022. Babudar entered this credit union with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded that credit union employees open the vault. Babudar fled from the credit union, however, after seeing the vault only held small bills.Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Royal Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minn., on Nov. 29, 2022. Babudar entered the credit union with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded that credit union employees open the vault. When he saw the vault only contained small bills, Babudar demanded $100 bills. Credit union employees told him they didn’t keep $100 bills in the vault, and Babudar fled on foot.Babudar admitted that he stole $25,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of First Interstate Bank on Nov. 30, 2022. Following the two unsuccessful robberies the previous day, Babudar returned to the same facility he had robbed on March 2, 2022, which had since then become a branch of First Interstate Bank. Babudar entered the bank carrying what appeared to be a firearm and jumped over the teller counter. He ordered the bank employees, at gunpoint, to open the vault. He fled on foot after the bank employees gave him the cash in the vault. Babudar then carried the stolen money back to Missouri, where he deposited a portion of it into his personal bank account.Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Pinnacle Bank in Papillon, Nebraska, on Dec. 15, 2022. At approximately 1:55 p.m., Babudar entered the vestibule area of Pinnacle Bank and pulled on the doors, but was unable to open them. He then left the area. The next day, he robbed the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union and was arrested.Babudar, after being arrested in Oklahoma in December 2022, was released on bond in the state case in February 2023.Months earlier, Babudar had placed two winning bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000 should that occur. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $55,000 should that occur. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed Babudar a $100,000 check in early March 2023.Days later, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled from Oklahoma. According to court documents, Babudar used his gambling winnings to purchase a vehicle in Henderson, Nevada, and evade law enforcement until his arrest in Sacramento on July 7, 2023.Babudar admitted that he robbed two additional banks while he was a fugitive from justice.Babudar admitted that he stole $1,100 from Heritage Bank in Sparks, Nevada, on June 8, 2023. Babudar entered the bank wearing a beanie, a Covid-19 mask, a blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, and a fanny pack. Babudar showed a note to the Heritage Bank teller that was composed on his cell phone, which demanded money from the teller.Babudar admitted that he stole $950 from U.S. Bank in El Dorado Hills, California, on July 3, 2023. Babudar entered the bank wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, a Covid-19 mask, and a yellow reflective vest. Babudar showed a note to the U.S. Bank teller that was composed on his cell phone, which demanded money from the teller.Babudar has been detained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on July 7, 2023.This case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick D. Daly and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw in the Western District of Missouri, and U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston in the Northern District of Oklahoma. It was investigated by the FBI and the Bixby, Okla., Police Department. The Bixby, Okla., Police Department arrested Babudar in December 2022, and the Placer County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department and the Lincoln, Calif., Police Department assisted the FBI in the July 2023 arrest.

KC Chiefs 'Superfan' sentenced as team set to open 2024 season

(Radio Iowa) - The State of Iowa has recently distributed 770-million dollars in grants and tax credits for housing developments that will yield an estimated 10-thousand homes and apartment units in the state. 

Governor Kim Reynolds says there's never before been that many publicly-funded housing units under development in Iowa. State officials say the bulk of the investment is 632 million dollars worth of federal tax credits awarded for Iowa housing projects over a ten-year period. 

About 80 million in state tax credits have been awarded for new construction or rehabbed housing in communities where there's a shortage of homes and apartments for people who work in the community.

(Radio Iowa) - The State of Iowa has recently distributed 770-million dollars in grants and tax credits for housing developments that will yield an estimated 10-thousand homes and apartment units in the state. Governor Kim Reynolds says there's never before been that many publicly-funded housing units under development in Iowa. State officials say the bulk of the investment is 632 million dollars worth of federal tax credits awarded for Iowa housing projects over a ten-year period. About 80 million in state tax credits have been awarded for new construction or rehabbed housing in communities where there's a shortage of homes and apartments for people who work in the community.

Officials say 10,000 publicly-funded housing units under development in Iowa

(Radio Iowa) -&nbsp;Federal officials are offering a cash award for tips that lead to the arrest of a fugitive who may still be in Iowa. 

According to a news release from the U-S Marshals Service, 39-year-old Nathan Nickless was last known to be living in or around Humbolt and Webster Counties. Nickless failed to show up for his federal trail on drug and gun related charges two months ago. 

In July, a Pocahontas County deputy saw Nickless at a convenience story in Pocahontas. Authorities pursued Nickless into Rolfe. Local, state and federal authorities were unable to find Nickless after he ran into a corn field.

(Radio Iowa) -&nbsp;Federal officials are offering a cash award for tips that lead to the arrest of a fugitive who may still be in Iowa. According to a news release from the U-S Marshals Service, 39-year-old Nathan Nickless was last known to be living in or around Humbolt and Webster Counties. Nickless failed to show up for his federal trail on drug and gun related charges two months ago. In July, a Pocahontas County deputy saw Nickless at a convenience story in Pocahontas. Authorities pursued Nickless into Rolfe. Local, state and federal authorities were unable to find Nickless after he ran into a corn field.

Cash award for tips about fugitive who may be in Humboldt, Webster Counties

Minor League Baseball has announced that Omaha Storm Chasers, and St. Joseph's Noah Cameron, has been named the International League Pitcher of the Month for August. .

Cameron went 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA over five starts in August, allowing only six earned runs on 20 hits across 31.2 innings.  The left hander struck out 36 while holding batters to an average of .180. He ranked third in the league in strikeouts and was tied for first among qualified International League pitchers in WHIP and was third in ERA. 

All five starts for Cameron were quality starts, with one scoreless outing. 

Drafted by Kansas City in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Central Arkansas, Cameron joined Triple-A Omaha in late July and made his Storm Chasers debut July 31 at Rochester , a 10-strikeout performance. 

All six of Cameron’s Triple-A starts to date have been quality starts and the southpaw has worked a 1.64 ERA (7 ER in 38.1 IP) with 46 strikeouts to just 8 walks. 

Since his debut, Cameron is first among Triple-A pitchers in ERA and strikeouts, the only Minor League pitcher with 6 quality starts in that span.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725564576908.jpeg" alt="Noah Cameron was named the International League Pitcher of the Month in August/ Photo courtesy of the Omaha Storm Chasers on X" />
 <figcaption>Noah Cameron was named the International League Pitcher of the Month in August/ Photo courtesy of the Omaha Storm Chasers on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostMinor League Baseball has announced that Omaha Storm Chasers, and St. Joseph's Noah Cameron, has been named the International League Pitcher of the Month for August. .Cameron went 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA over five starts in August, allowing only six earned runs on 20 hits across 31.2 innings. The left hander struck out 36 while holding batters to an average of .180. He ranked third in the league in strikeouts and was tied for first among qualified International League pitchers in WHIP and was third in ERA. All five starts for Cameron were quality starts, with one scoreless outing. Drafted by Kansas City in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Central Arkansas, Cameron joined Triple-A Omaha in late July and made his Storm Chasers debut July 31 at Rochester , a 10-strikeout performance. All six of Cameron’s Triple-A starts to date have been quality starts and the southpaw has worked a 1.64 ERA (7 ER in 38.1 IP) with 46 strikeouts to just 8 walks. Since his debut, Cameron is first among Triple-A pitchers in ERA and strikeouts, the only Minor League pitcher with 6 quality starts in that span.

St. Joseph's Noah Cameron named International League Pitcher of the Month

Farmland values in states like Illinois remain sold. Central and Southern Illinois land values increased 7.49 percent on average from last year. That’s according to a 2024 study of 22 benchmark farms by the Farm Credit Illinois appraisal team. Eighteen of the 22 benchmark farms increased in value, and four remained unchanged. Results across all land classes showed considerable variation, reinforcing that agricultural real estate is a location-specific asset. 

When considering the individual benchmark values, the average year-over-year percentage changes across the four land classes ranged from 3.6 to 14.05 percent. “Farmland values remain strong despite higher interest rates and lower commodity prices,” says Kent Reid, Farm Credit Illinois Chief Appraiser. “Values remain consistent with the peaks set in 2023 due to constant demand for Illinois farmland coupled with limited supply of farms.” Interest rates, higher cash rents, and lower commodity prices could affect land values in the coming year.

Farmland values in states like Illinois remain sold. Central and Southern Illinois land values increased 7.49 percent on average from last year. That’s according to a 2024 study of 22 benchmark farms by the Farm Credit Illinois appraisal team. Eighteen of the 22 benchmark farms increased in value, and four remained unchanged. Results across all land classes showed considerable variation, reinforcing that agricultural real estate is a location-specific asset. When considering the individual benchmark values, the average year-over-year percentage changes across the four land classes ranged from 3.6 to 14.05 percent. “Farmland values remain strong despite higher interest rates and lower commodity prices,” says Kent Reid, Farm Credit Illinois Chief Appraiser. “Values remain consistent with the peaks set in 2023 due to constant demand for Illinois farmland coupled with limited supply of farms.” Interest rates, higher cash rents, and lower commodity prices could affect land values in the coming year.-NAFB

Farmland values remain strong

A group of volunteers has been helping make the dreams of chronically ill children come true since 1980 

The Dream Factory began in Kentucky in 1980 with one chapter and has since stemmed into the largest all volunteer children's wish granting organization in the country with 37 chapters.  

The Dream Factory is similar to Make-A Wish, but Northwest Missouri chapter volunteer Rita Hook says there is one key difference 

"We grant dreams to children between the ages of three and 18 with a chronic or critical illness, our children do not have to be terminal, critical and chronic,” Hook tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr.  

Hook says the organization grants all kinds of dreams for these children 

"The biggest one by far is Disney World, we do have shopping sprees occasionally, right now we have a 15-year-old girl that wants a she shed, so we’re working on that,” Hook explains. 

Hook says some of the more common requests also revolve around going to sporting events or meeting athletes.  

Hook says the organization has made several dreams possible, and the guidelines to provide that dream is around $6,500. 

Hook says there has been a struggle in raising funds for the group, but several fundraising efforts have helped raise money.  

"We had a volunteer in Trenton in last year that put on a concert of Rhonda Vincent, he had been with the Dream Factory over 30 years and he had come to know her personally, long story short he pretty much single handedly raised over $40,000 for our chapter, that was the money that was cleared after the concert, and that’s a huge thing for us,” Hook says. 

There will be fundraisers coming up next month with a Music Bingo at the Eagles on October 11th and a tenderloin dinner on October 18th. 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostA group of volunteers has been helping make the dreams of chronically ill children come true since 1980 The Dream Factory began in Kentucky in 1980 with one chapter and has since stemmed into the largest all volunteer children's wish granting organization in the country with 37 chapters. The Dream Factory is similar to Make-A Wish, but Northwest Missouri chapter volunteer Rita Hook says there is one key difference "We grant dreams to children between the ages of three and 18 with a chronic or critical illness, our children do not have to be terminal, critical and chronic,” Hook tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. Hook says the organization grants all kinds of dreams for these children "The biggest one by far is Disney World, we do have shopping sprees occasionally, right now we have a 15-year-old girl that wants a she shed, so we’re working on that,” Hook explains. Hook says some of the more common requests also revolve around going to sporting events or meeting athletes. Hook says the organization has made several dreams possible, and the guidelines to provide that dream is around $6,500. Hook says there has been a struggle in raising funds for the group, but several fundraising efforts have helped raise money. "We had a volunteer in Trenton in last year that put on a concert of Rhonda Vincent, he had been with the Dream Factory over 30 years and he had come to know her personally, long story short he pretty much single handedly raised over $40,000 for our chapter, that was the money that was cleared after the concert, and that’s a huge thing for us,” Hook says. There will be fundraisers coming up next month with a Music Bingo at the Eagles on October 11th and a tenderloin dinner on October 18th.

Dream Factory helping make dreams across northwest Missouri into reality

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa's United States Senators are asking the U-S Ambassador to Mexico for regular updates on an Iowa woman who went missing in Mexico nearly a month ago. 

The family of 51-year-old Chris Leguisano of Des Moines reported her missing on August 8th and they believe she was kidnapped in Reynosa, a city that's less than four miles from the border crossing at Hidalgo, Texas. Iowa Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley say the U-S cannot and will not tolerate the assault of its citizens while traveling abroad -- and they're asking federal officials for a briefing on her case. 

Leguisano's son told Channel 5 T-V in Des Moines that his mother was delivering a truck to her ex-brother-in-law when she was kidnapped and he's been getting threatening messages asking for money.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa's United States Senators are asking the U-S Ambassador to Mexico for regular updates on an Iowa woman who went missing in Mexico nearly a month ago. The family of 51-year-old Chris Leguisano of Des Moines reported her missing on August 8th and they believe she was kidnapped in Reynosa, a city that's less than four miles from the border crossing at Hidalgo, Texas. Iowa Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley say the U-S cannot and will not tolerate the assault of its citizens while traveling abroad -- and they're asking federal officials for a briefing on her case. Leguisano's son told Channel 5 T-V in Des Moines that his mother was delivering a truck to her ex-brother-in-law when she was kidnapped and he's been getting threatening messages asking for money.

Grassley, Ernst seek federal briefing on Iowa woman missing in Mexico

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a child's death and have made an arrest.

Just after 5:30p.m. September 3, police and Troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control responded to a residence in Montgomery City after a 2-year-old was found deceased in an apartment, according to a media release.

Police obtained a search warrant for the residence and investigators found drugs and paraphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Officers took 35-year-old Bryan E. Danter of Montgomery City on requested chartees of endangering the welfare of a child, trafficking drugs and possession of a controlled substance.

Danter is being held in the Montgomery County jail without bond. The cause of the child's death is pending an autopsy.&nbsp; Police released no additional details due to their ongoing investigation.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a child's death and have made an arrest.Just after 5:30p.m. September 3, police and Troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control responded to a residence in Montgomery City after a 2-year-old was found deceased in an apartment, according to a media release.Police obtained a search warrant for the residence and investigators found drugs and paraphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;Officers took 35-year-old Bryan E. Danter of Montgomery City on requested chartees of endangering the welfare of a child, trafficking drugs and possession of a controlled substance.Danter is being held in the Montgomery County jail without bond. The cause of the child's death is pending an autopsy.&nbsp; Police released no additional details due to their ongoing investigation.

Missouri man in custody after 2-year-old found dead in apartment

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an alleged violent fight at Milford Lake.

Just after noon Aug. 18, sheriff's deputies took a report of an alleged physical altercation that took place at Nudie Beach on Milford Lake August. 17, according to a media release.

During the investigation deputies learned Kurtis Geisler of Leonardville&nbsp; was at the beach with family and friends. A suspect identified as&nbsp;42-year-old Ryan Diedrich of Randolph made&nbsp; threats of harm toward Geisler and a physical altercation took place between the two men.

Witnesses told deputies Diedrich had attempted to drown Geisler by holding him underwater, before being pulled off by others. Geisler sustained minor injuries that were later medically treated.

On Wednesday afternoon, deputies arrested Ryan Levi Diedrich on requested charges of Attempted Murder (2nd Degree) and Criminal Threat. He is currently being held at the Geary County Detention Center without bond, pending his first court appearance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725531791535.png" alt="Diedrich photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Diedrich photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an alleged violent fight at Milford Lake.Just after noon Aug. 18, sheriff's deputies took a report of an alleged physical altercation that took place at Nudie Beach on Milford Lake August. 17, according to a media release.During the investigation deputies learned Kurtis Geisler of Leonardville&nbsp; was at the beach with family and friends. A suspect identified as&nbsp;42-year-old Ryan Diedrich of Randolph made&nbsp; threats of harm toward Geisler and a physical altercation took place between the two men.Witnesses told deputies Diedrich had attempted to drown Geisler by holding him underwater, before being pulled off by others. Geisler sustained minor injuries that were later medically treated.On Wednesday afternoon, deputies arrested Ryan Levi Diedrich on requested charges of Attempted Murder (2nd Degree) and Criminal Threat. He is currently being held at the Geary County Detention Center without bond, pending his first court appearance.

Suspect accused of attempting to drown man at Kansas lake

Wednesday’s bench trial focused on a provision in the abortion-rights amendment pertaining to provider immunity

A judge could decide as early as Thursday whether Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s “fair ballot language” summary for an abortion-rights amendment is truly fair.&nbsp;

Missouri voters will be asked on Nov. 5 whether they support Amendment 3, which would establish a constitutional right to an abortion up until fetal viability and protect other reproductive rights, including access to in-vitro fertilization and birth control. Abortion became illegal in Missouri in June 2022, with limited exceptions for the life and health of the mother.

Posted at every polling station around the state, next to sample ballots, is&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=116.025" target="_blank">“fair ballot language”</a>&nbsp;that summarizes the questions that voters will be asked to decide on. State law requires that this language, written by the secretary of state, be “true and impartial.”

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/20/missouri-secretary-state-ashcroft-lawsuit-abortion/">In a lawsuit filed two weeks ago,&nbsp;</a>organizers behind Amendment 3 claimed that Ashcroft’s summary was “intentionally argumentative” and could create confusion among voters.&nbsp;

The same day Ashcroft&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">certified the measure for the November ballot,&nbsp;</a>his office also published to its website a “fair ballot language” summary statement for the amendment which reads:&nbsp;

“A ‘yes’ vote will enshrine the right to abortion at any time of pregnancy in the Missouri Constitution. Additionally, it will prohibit any regulation of abortion, including regulations designed to protect women undergoing abortions and prohibit any civil or criminal recourse against anyone who performs an abortion and hurts or kills the pregnant women.”&nbsp;

The abortion rights campaign is asking the court to issue new “fair ballot language” and order that Ashcroft remove his current language from his government website.

A brief bench trial Wednesday afternoon in Cole County Circuit Court focused in particular on the last sentence of Ashcroft’s summary, and how a court could interpret subsection 5 of the amendment, which reads: “No person shall be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action based on their actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcomes, including but not limited to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. Nor shall any person assisting a person in exercising their right to reproductive freedom with that person’s consent be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action for doing so.”

Andrew Crane, representing Ashcroft on behalf of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, argued Wednesday that this subsection would result in “effectively neutering the government’s ability to enforce any effective regulations” on abortion.&nbsp;

Tori Schafer, an attorney with the ACLU of Missouri, which is representing the plaintiff, called this claim “politically-charged” and unfounded, as it fails to take into account other language in the amendment protecting patients.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725532637576.png" alt=" Cole County Circuit Court Judge Cotton Walker listens to arguments during a Sept. 8, 2022, hearing (pool photo courtesy of Emily Manley/Nexstar Media Group)." />
 <figcaption> Cole County Circuit Court Judge Cotton Walker listens to arguments during a Sept. 8, 2022, hearing (pool photo courtesy of Emily Manley/Nexstar Media Group).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Wednesday’s bench trial focused on a provision in the abortion-rights amendment pertaining to provider immunity</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>A judge could decide as early as Thursday whether Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s “fair ballot language” summary for an abortion-rights amendment is truly fair.&nbsp;Missouri voters will be asked on Nov. 5 whether they support Amendment 3, which would establish a constitutional right to an abortion up until fetal viability and protect other reproductive rights, including access to in-vitro fertilization and birth control. Abortion became illegal in Missouri in June 2022, with limited exceptions for the life and health of the mother.Posted at every polling station around the state, next to sample ballots, is&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=116.025" target="_blank">“fair ballot language”</a>&nbsp;that summarizes the questions that voters will be asked to decide on. State law requires that this language, written by the secretary of state, be “true and impartial.”<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/20/missouri-secretary-state-ashcroft-lawsuit-abortion/">In a lawsuit filed two weeks ago,&nbsp;</a>organizers behind Amendment 3 claimed that Ashcroft’s summary was “intentionally argumentative” and could create confusion among voters.&nbsp;The same day Ashcroft&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">certified the measure for the November ballot,&nbsp;</a>his office also published to its website a “fair ballot language” summary statement for the amendment which reads:&nbsp;“A ‘yes’ vote will enshrine the right to abortion at any time of pregnancy in the Missouri Constitution. Additionally, it will prohibit any regulation of abortion, including regulations designed to protect women undergoing abortions and prohibit any civil or criminal recourse against anyone who performs an abortion and hurts or kills the pregnant women.”&nbsp;The abortion rights campaign is asking the court to issue new “fair ballot language” and order that Ashcroft remove his current language from his government website.A brief bench trial Wednesday afternoon in Cole County Circuit Court focused in particular on the last sentence of Ashcroft’s summary, and how a court could interpret subsection 5 of the amendment, which reads: “No person shall be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action based on their actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcomes, including but not limited to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. Nor shall any person assisting a person in exercising their right to reproductive freedom with that person’s consent be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action for doing so.”Andrew Crane, representing Ashcroft on behalf of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, argued Wednesday that this subsection would result in “effectively neutering the government’s ability to enforce any effective regulations” on abortion.&nbsp;Tori Schafer, an attorney with the ACLU of Missouri, which is representing the plaintiff, called this claim “politically-charged” and unfounded, as it fails to take into account other language in the amendment protecting patients.“The amendment will provide greater independence from the government,” she told the court. “But it does not create the boundless, limitless, unregulated right the secretary continues to make it to be.”&nbsp;Schafer said Ashcroft in the latest language “resurrects his false claims” that have already been denounced by the Missouri Court of Appeals.Ashcroft was sued last year by the abortion-rights campaign over the initial ballot summary he drafted, which would have asked Missourians, in part, if they wanted to “allow for dangerous, unregulated, and unrestricted abortions, from conception to live birth.”&nbsp;Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem ruled a year ago that Ashcroft’s language was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/judge-rejects-rewrites-summary-for-missouri-abortion-initiative-petition/">“problematic” and inaccurate.</a>&nbsp;An appeals court agreed, ruling that it is “not a probable effect” that the amendment would allow unrestricted abortion in all nine months of pregnancy or that it would toss aside health and safety regulations, “including requirements that physicians perform abortions and that they maintain medical malpractice insurance.”However, Crane on Wednesday argued that the appeals court ruling didn’t specifically address the immunity provisions of subsection 5.Ashcroft, who recently lost a bid for the GOP candidate for governor, has been open about his opposition to abortion.&nbsp;During the Midwest March for Life outside in May, he told The Independent of the abortion initiative petition: “I just want to make sure that people know what this amendment will actually do. That it’s abortion from conception until the very last second that the last toenail leaves the birth canal.”Cole County Circuit Judge Cotton Walker, who is overseeing the current case, said he intends to rule on Thursday.&nbsp;Walker recently upheld the “fair ballot language” summary written by Ashcroft for a proposed constitutional&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-upholds-ballot-language-to-ban-noncitizen-voting-already-illegal-in-missouri/">amendment that would ban ranked-choice voting</a>&nbsp;after two voters sued over the language. The voters called the language imprecise, in part because it doesn’t state that it’s currently illegal for non-citizens to vote in Missouri.&nbsp;The Amendment 3 lawsuit was filed by retired physician Dr. Anna Fitz-James, who initially filed the abortion rights initiative petition in spring 2023 on behalf of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the campaign behind the amendment.&nbsp;The campaign has raised millions of dollars this election cycle, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.slu.edu/research/research-institute/big-ideas/slu-poll/index.php" target="_blank">recent polling by St. Louis University/YouGov&nbsp;</a>showed&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/29/poll-shows-missouri-voters-back-trump-hawley-abortion-rights-and-minimum-wage-hike/">52% of Missouri voters supported Amendment 3.&nbsp;</a>The poll surveyed 900 voters across nine days in August.Meanwhile, a second lawsuit regarding Amendment 3 is also pending in Cole County after a number of anti-abortion activists and lawmakers asked a judge to block the amendment from the Nov. 5 ballot. Their lawsuit claims Amendment 3 violates the state constitution by including more than one subject and&nbsp;fails to specify which laws and constitutional provisions would be repealed if it was approved.A bench trial in that lawsuit is scheduled for Friday.

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