WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The victim in an aggravated battery that occurred on September 23rd has died from his injuries, and the suspect has been arrested and charged in his death, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas Police.

At approximately 10:30p.m. Sept. 23, police&nbsp; were dispatched to the 2300 block of Ridge Avenue regarding a physical altercation between two ment. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered 78-year-old Leroy Alexander lying outside his residence, unconscious and with apparent head trauma. He was transported to an area hospital where he died from his injuries on September 30. 

Police arrested Perry Allen Tilghman, Jr., 31, Kansas City, Kansas,&nbsp; and he has been charged with second- degree murder in Alexander’s death. He is currently being held in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760658583335.png" alt="Tilghman photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Tilghman photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The victim in an aggravated battery that occurred on September 23rd has died from his injuries, and the suspect has been arrested and charged in his death, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas Police.At approximately 10:30p.m. Sept. 23, police&nbsp; were dispatched to the 2300 block of Ridge Avenue regarding a physical altercation between two ment. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered 78-year-old Leroy Alexander lying outside his residence, unconscious and with apparent head trauma. He was transported to an area hospital where he died from his injuries on September 30. Police arrested Perry Allen Tilghman, Jr., 31, Kansas City, Kansas,&nbsp; and he has been charged with second- degree murder in Alexander’s death. He is currently being held in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

Police: 74-year-old Kan. man died a week after violent altercation

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/3oRyqbFY0X">pic.twitter.com/3oRyqbFY0X</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1979621169629155743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Trump releases video of US drone strike on ‘drug-carrying submarine’

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry&nbsp;Moran – a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense – spoke on the Senate floor this week to reaffirm the importance of continued U.S. support for Ukraine and maintained pressure on Moscow in order to end Russia’s unjust war. 

Sen.&nbsp;Moran’s remarks were delivered following President Trump’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and ahead President Trump’s meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Shortly before Sen.&nbsp;Moran’s remarks, the U.S. Senate voted on the FY2026 Appropriations bill to fund the U.S. military. Despite receiving bipartisan support in the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the bill did not receive the necessary votes to advance, failing 50-44.

“Last week, we witnessed the long-awaited peace agreement between Israel and Hamas come to fruition,”&nbsp;said Sen.&nbsp;Moran.&nbsp;“Thanks to the efforts of President Trump and his administration, a ceasefire is holding. Iran has been dealt a crippling blow that has weakened its hold on the region, and Hamas has released all living hostages who had been held captive for more than two years.”“Through strength, the U.S. brokered a peace deal that serves the security of Israel and the humanitarian needs of Gazans alike,”&nbsp;continued Sen.&nbsp;Moran.&nbsp;

“Now, as the conflict in Ukraine has surpassed the three-year mark, Putin remains undeterred in his mission to carry out his unjust war on the Ukrainian people. Each day this war continues, lives are lost, and the safety, economic stability and global leadership of the United States are threatened. This war must end.”

“To bring an end to this war, the United States and our allies must maintain pressure on Moscow, as was just seen we maintained pressure on Hamas. One recent and important development in this effort is the potential transfer of U.S. Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. This weaponry will strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend its territory, deter further Russian aggression and help level the battlefield as negotiations hopefully move forward. By providing advanced, precision-strike systems, America demonstrates that our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty is backed not only by words, but by legitimate support that can alter the course of this war."

“Our adversaries, Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, are always looking for an opportunity to disrupt our alliances, weaken our resolve and disturb the free world,”&nbsp;concluded Sen.&nbsp;Moran.&nbsp;“It is imperative that the United States stands firm in its support for Ukraine and, in doing so, places significant pressure on Putin to show our adversaries that democracy will not go undefended.”

Sen.&nbsp;Moran’s full remarks as delivered:“As President Trump today spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and tomorrow, he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, I want to highlight how important it is, how critical it is, to securing a resolution to Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine.“I had intended to give remarks today on this topic, and I opened the Wall Street Journal this morning. And I was reading it, its top editorial on the editorial page deals with this topic, and I would recommend it to my colleagues. It expresses the views as I wish I could express them so clearly. I’m going to do so today right now.“Last week, we witnessed the long-awaited peace agreement between Israel and Hamas come to fruition. Thanks to the efforts of President Trump and his administration, a ceasefire is holding. Iran has been dealt a crippling blow that has weakened its hold on the region, and Hamas has released all living hostages who had been held captive for more than two years. While we recognize there are significant challenges that remain in the Middle East, this marks a critical step toward a just and lasting peace in the region.“This agreement would not have been possible without the strength of the United States military, our steadfast alliance with Israel and making it unequivocally clear to Hamas that the United States is willing and able to assist our ally in war. Through strength, the U.S. brokered a peace deal that serves the security of Israel and the humanitarian needs of Gazans alike.“Now, as the conflict in Ukraine has surpassed the three-year mark, Putin remains undeterred in his mission to carry out his unjust war on the Ukrainian people. Each day this war continues, lives are lost, and the safety, economic stability and global leadership of the United States are threatened. This war must end.“To bring an end to this war, the United States and our allies must maintain pressure on Moscow, as was just seen we maintained pressure on Hamas. One recent and important development in this effort is the potential transfer of U.S. Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. This weaponry will strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend its territory, deter further Russian aggression and help level the battlefield as negotiations hopefully move forward. By providing advanced, precision-strike systems, America demonstrates that our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty is backed not only by words, but by legitimate support that can alter the course of this war.“I commend the administration for its efforts to facilitate this transfer and for leading discussions between Ukraine and Russia that hopefully will secure a durable and just peace.“The United States cannot act alone. Our NATO allies must also shoulder the burden. President Trump recently secured an agreement with our NATO allies to increase defense spending from two percent to five percent by 2035. This commitment is critical to maintaining the continued defense of Europe. Russia’s economy is already under strain, but their capacity to fund conflict will continue without enforcement of steady and severe global sanctions.“Before Congress, there’s legislation that has widespread support of more than 80 senators from both sides of the aisle. This legislation would deliver a severe blow to Russia’s economy and trade. By cutting off the resources that allow Putin to fund this war, we can hasten the path to success in finding peace.“Last week, we advanced the National Defense Authorization Act, but today, we failed to advance the appropriations bill to fund our military. We always should recognize that the world is watching. They’re watching us. Our adversaries pay attention, and our allies pay attention. We have to every day make clear the case that it is true: the United States is a stable and friendly supporter of our allies and a full-fledged adversary to those who wish to cause us harm.“Our adversaries, Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, are always looking for an opportunity to disrupt our alliances, weaken our resolve and disturb the free world. It is imperative that the United States stands firm in its support for Ukraine and, in doing so, places significant pressure on Putin to show our adversaries that democracy will not go undefended.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760736061957.png" alt="President Trump welcomes President Zelensky to the White House on Friday- image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Trump welcomes President Zelensky to the White House on Friday- image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry&nbsp;Moran – a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense – spoke on the Senate floor this week to reaffirm the importance of continued U.S. support for Ukraine and maintained pressure on Moscow in order to end Russia’s unjust war. <div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K_1lPe8PmC8?si=xkm9zORY3XzAYl95" 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>Sen.&nbsp;Moran’s remarks were delivered following President Trump’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and ahead President Trump’s meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.Shortly before Sen.&nbsp;Moran’s remarks, the U.S. Senate voted on the FY2026 Appropriations bill to fund the U.S. military. Despite receiving bipartisan support in the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the bill did not receive the necessary votes to advance, failing 50-44.“Last week, we witnessed the long-awaited peace agreement between Israel and Hamas come to fruition,”&nbsp;said Sen.&nbsp;Moran.&nbsp;“Thanks to the efforts of President Trump and his administration, a ceasefire is holding. Iran has been dealt a crippling blow that has weakened its hold on the region, and Hamas has released all living hostages who had been held captive for more than two years.”“Through strength, the U.S. brokered a peace deal that serves the security of Israel and the humanitarian needs of Gazans alike,”&nbsp;continued Sen.&nbsp;Moran.&nbsp;“Now, as the conflict in Ukraine has surpassed the three-year mark, Putin remains undeterred in his mission to carry out his unjust war on the Ukrainian people. Each day this war continues, lives are lost, and the safety, economic stability and global leadership of the United States are threatened. This war must end.”“To bring an end to this war, the United States and our allies must maintain pressure on Moscow, as was just seen we maintained pressure on Hamas. One recent and important development in this effort is the potential transfer of U.S. Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. This weaponry will strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend its territory, deter further Russian aggression and help level the battlefield as negotiations hopefully move forward. By providing advanced, precision-strike systems, America demonstrates that our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty is backed not only by words, but by legitimate support that can alter the course of this war."“Our adversaries, Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, are always looking for an opportunity to disrupt our alliances, weaken our resolve and disturb the free world,”&nbsp;concluded Sen.&nbsp;Moran.&nbsp;“It is imperative that the United States stands firm in its support for Ukraine and, in doing so, places significant pressure on Putin to show our adversaries that democracy will not go undefended.”-----------Sen.&nbsp;Moran’s full remarks as delivered:“As President Trump today spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and tomorrow, he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, I want to highlight how important it is, how critical it is, to securing a resolution to Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine.“I had intended to give remarks today on this topic, and I opened the Wall Street Journal this morning. And I was reading it, its top editorial on the editorial page deals with this topic, and I would recommend it to my colleagues. It expresses the views as I wish I could express them so clearly. I’m going to do so today right now.“Last week, we witnessed the long-awaited peace agreement between Israel and Hamas come to fruition. Thanks to the efforts of President Trump and his administration, a ceasefire is holding. Iran has been dealt a crippling blow that has weakened its hold on the region, and Hamas has released all living hostages who had been held captive for more than two years. While we recognize there are significant challenges that remain in the Middle East, this marks a critical step toward a just and lasting peace in the region.“This agreement would not have been possible without the strength of the United States military, our steadfast alliance with Israel and making it unequivocally clear to Hamas that the United States is willing and able to assist our ally in war. Through strength, the U.S. brokered a peace deal that serves the security of Israel and the humanitarian needs of Gazans alike.“Now, as the conflict in Ukraine has surpassed the three-year mark, Putin remains undeterred in his mission to carry out his unjust war on the Ukrainian people. Each day this war continues, lives are lost, and the safety, economic stability and global leadership of the United States are threatened. This war must end.“To bring an end to this war, the United States and our allies must maintain pressure on Moscow, as was just seen we maintained pressure on Hamas. One recent and important development in this effort is the potential transfer of U.S. Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. This weaponry will strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend its territory, deter further Russian aggression and help level the battlefield as negotiations hopefully move forward. By providing advanced, precision-strike systems, America demonstrates that our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty is backed not only by words, but by legitimate support that can alter the course of this war.“I commend the administration for its efforts to facilitate this transfer and for leading discussions between Ukraine and Russia that hopefully will secure a durable and just peace.“The United States cannot act alone. Our NATO allies must also shoulder the burden. President Trump recently secured an agreement with our NATO allies to increase defense spending from two percent to five percent by 2035. This commitment is critical to maintaining the continued defense of Europe. Russia’s economy is already under strain, but their capacity to fund conflict will continue without enforcement of steady and severe global sanctions.“Before Congress, there’s legislation that has widespread support of more than 80 senators from both sides of the aisle. This legislation would deliver a severe blow to Russia’s economy and trade. By cutting off the resources that allow Putin to fund this war, we can hasten the path to success in finding peace.“Last week, we advanced the National Defense Authorization Act, but today, we failed to advance the appropriations bill to fund our military. We always should recognize that the world is watching. They’re watching us. Our adversaries pay attention, and our allies pay attention. We have to every day make clear the case that it is true: the United States is a stable and friendly supporter of our allies and a full-fledged adversary to those who wish to cause us harm.“Our adversaries, Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, are always looking for an opportunity to disrupt our alliances, weaken our resolve and disturb the free world. It is imperative that the United States stands firm in its support for Ukraine and, in doing so, places significant pressure on Putin to show our adversaries that democracy will not go undefended.”

🎥Kan. U.S Senator: U.S. must send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/katiemoore/">Katie Moore</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/">Missouri Independent</a>

Six of the last 10 people executed in Missouri left behind children, but there are few resources for those families to help them deal with the trauma of their loss

For Father’s Day, Summer Shockley drove 60 or so miles from her home in Rolla through central Missouri to see her dad at Potosi Correctional Center.&nbsp;

Lance Shockley, 48, was convicted by a jury for the 2005 murder of Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/06/26/missouri-death-penalty-judges" target="_blank">judge sentenced him to death</a>&nbsp;in 2009.

That day in June, Summer and several other family members were invited inside the prison for a restoration visit, where families were given unusual access to the facility.&nbsp;

They ate lunch and played pickleball. Later, the family clasped hands and prayed in a circle.

“It was just a really, really neat day,” said Summer, 27.&nbsp;

Deep down, though, she felt uneasy the entire time. Less than 30 minutes into her drive home, her dad called. Officials had set his execution for Oct. 14.

The experiences of children with parents on death row are often forgotten when it comes to capital punishment. There are few services for them, as they are not generally seen as victims. No organization tracks information on this particular group. Of the past 10 people who have faced execution in Missouri, at least six had children.&nbsp;

Survivors who shared their stories described depression and grief they say could have been avoided, along with complicated feelings about the meaning of justice.

“When we talk about the collateral consequences of using the death penalty, they should be included in that count,” said Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.&nbsp;

The impact Maher describes isn’t theoretical. Summer Shockley said she has lived it.

Summer said it was difficult as a child when kids heard about the killing and asked her about it. She credits her mom, who had split with Lance Shockley years before, for encouraging her and her younger sister to see him. They regularly went to Potosi.

“He just always told us how much he loved us and cared about us and how thankful he was that we could visit him and talk to him,” she said.&nbsp;

They bonded over their faith in God. Over the past seven years, that faith has grown even stronger as Shockley became a leader in a prison ministry program. His awakening has transformed both sides of her family, she said, allowing them to be brought to Jesus and overcome generational challenges like alcohol and divorce.&nbsp;

Now married and the head softball coach at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Summer has had time to think about the likely outcome of their relationship, especially as her father’s appeals waned.&nbsp;

Confronted with the actual date, Summer said she’d been “living in grief prior to something tragic happening.” She made space to sit and let her emotions out.&nbsp;

For months, she held onto hope that the execution would be called off. Her father maintained his innocence til the end, and even requested DNA testing on items found at the crime scene. Because this is the first execution under Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, anti-death penalty advocates also hoped the governor’s Catholic faith would influence his clemency decision. On Monday, Kehoe’s office announced he would not grant clemency.

Summer and her sister attended the execution at Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre — where the state’s executions take place — despite their dad’s initial reluctance.

In the months after Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams Sr. was executed in 2024, the younger Williams said he sank into a deep depression.&nbsp;

The elder Williams was convicted in the 1998 murder of journalist Felicia Gayle in her University City home. He was sentenced to death in 2001.

The younger Williams said he often replayed the moment his father’s arm fell onto the gurney inside the chamber at Eastern Reception. The man who had once been his guide — the voice that talked him through matters of the heart and brain — was gone.

The execution was complicated by uncertainty. Officials with the prosecutor’s office who sent Williams Sr. to death row later tried to stop the execution because of questions about his guilt and a lack of DNA on the murder weapon. The victim’s family opposed the death penalty. The state moved forward, anyway.&nbsp;

Williams Jr. said afterward, grief followed him everywhere. He often came across places in St. Louis that evoked memories of his dad, like the basketball courts at Walnut Park. He was negative and sometimes mean, he said. He didn’t seek professional help because of the cost, although he suspects he needed therapy even before the execution.&nbsp;

The After Violence Project, which addresses the impact of mass incarceration and the death penalty on families, trains therapists through its Access to Treatment Initiative. Susannah Sheffer, the initiative’s director, said family members often experience “disenfranchised grief,” a kind of mourning that isn’t recognized or publicly supported.

The Rev. Jeff Hood, a spiritual adviser for men on death row, said children who are left behind face complicated emotions. Many families experience a disconnect until an execution date is set, prompting a rush to form a relationship.

In May, Williams Jr. was at a park with his 4-year-old son and found himself out of breath lifting the child onto a slide. After that, he began working out again. He knew he had to “shift out of it” for his son.

On New Year’s Day 2022, Khorry Ramey learned she was pregnant. Her father, Kevin Johnson, also called, warning that his life could soon end. She said she didn’t know how to process it.

That August, her aunt called to tell her an execution date had been set for Nov. 29.

“It was a reality check for me,” Ramey said. “Honestly, it was like, ‘This stuff still happens?’”

Johnson was sentenced to death in 2007 for the 2005 killing of Kirkwood Police Sgt. William McEntee.

Ramey had already known loss from a young age. Her father was arrested when she was 2, and her mother was murdered when she was 4.

She was only 19, but she wanted to attend the execution. State law required witnesses to be 21.

“I was like, if he was in a hospital bed, I’d be there by his side,” she said. “So it’s no different for me. It’s moreso like comforting my dad [in] his time of [need].

“And this is almost a closure for me as well.”

Johnson got to see his grandson several times, and even got to hold him once. Ramey’s last visit was the day of his execution. She had never seen him cry before then.

“He was just telling me how much he failed me as a father. The last memory I have of him is not what I want it to be.”

She tried therapy, but it wasn’t for her. Few understand what she’s been through, she said.

Although she learned at a young age what it was like to lose a parent, her dad’s death was harder. She grew up visiting him often, playing Connect 4 and Scrabble in the visitation room at Potosi. He got her report cards from school. They talked about everything.

When she’s in a dark place, Ramey said she focuses on her son.&nbsp;

She is also steadfast in her belief that the death penalty is not “the Christian way to go about things.” Since her father’s execution, she’s attended other execution watches.

The latest one was on Tuesday, for Summer Shockley’s father.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760792824362.png" alt=" Summer Shockley with her father, Lance Shockley during a visit at Potosi Correctional Center, in 2024. Lance Shockley was sentenced to death for the 2005 murder of a Missouri highway patrolman (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption> Summer Shockley with her father, Lance Shockley during a visit at Potosi Correctional Center, in 2024. Lance Shockley was sentenced to death for the 2005 murder of a Missouri highway patrolman (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/katiemoore/">Katie Moore</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Six of the last 10 people executed in Missouri left behind children, but there are few resources for those families to help them deal with the trauma of their loss</h2>For Father’s Day, Summer Shockley drove 60 or so miles from her home in Rolla through central Missouri to see her dad at Potosi Correctional Center.&nbsp;Lance Shockley, 48, was convicted by a jury for the 2005 murder of Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/06/26/missouri-death-penalty-judges" target="_blank">judge sentenced him to death</a>&nbsp;in 2009.That day in June, Summer and several other family members were invited inside the prison for a restoration visit, where families were given unusual access to the facility.&nbsp;They ate lunch and played pickleball. Later, the family clasped hands and prayed in a circle.“It was just a really, really neat day,” said Summer, 27.&nbsp;Deep down, though, she felt uneasy the entire time. Less than 30 minutes into her drive home, her dad called. Officials had set his execution for Oct. 14.The experiences of children with parents on death row are often forgotten when it comes to capital punishment. There are few services for them, as they are not generally seen as victims. No organization tracks information on this particular group. Of the past 10 people who have faced execution in Missouri, at least six had children.&nbsp;Survivors who shared their stories described depression and grief they say could have been avoided, along with complicated feelings about the meaning of justice.“When we talk about the collateral consequences of using the death penalty, they should be included in that count,” said Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.&nbsp;The impact Maher describes isn’t theoretical. Summer Shockley said she has lived it.Summer said it was difficult as a child when kids heard about the killing and asked her about it. She credits her mom, who had split with Lance Shockley years before, for encouraging her and her younger sister to see him. They regularly went to Potosi.“He just always told us how much he loved us and cared about us and how thankful he was that we could visit him and talk to him,” she said.&nbsp;They bonded over their faith in God. Over the past seven years, that faith has grown even stronger as Shockley became a leader in a prison ministry program. His awakening has transformed both sides of her family, she said, allowing them to be brought to Jesus and overcome generational challenges like alcohol and divorce.&nbsp;Now married and the head softball coach at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Summer has had time to think about the likely outcome of their relationship, especially as her father’s appeals waned.&nbsp;Confronted with the actual date, Summer said she’d been “living in grief prior to something tragic happening.” She made space to sit and let her emotions out.&nbsp;For months, she held onto hope that the execution would be called off. Her father maintained his innocence til the end, and even requested DNA testing on items found at the crime scene. Because this is the first execution under Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, anti-death penalty advocates also hoped the governor’s Catholic faith would influence his clemency decision. On Monday, Kehoe’s office announced he would not grant clemency.Summer and her sister attended the execution at Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre — where the state’s executions take place — despite their dad’s initial reluctance.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760792878593.png" alt="Marcellus Williams, photographed in prison (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>Marcellus Williams, photographed in prison (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>In the months after Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams Sr. was executed in 2024, the younger Williams said he sank into a deep depression.&nbsp;The elder Williams was convicted in the 1998 murder of journalist Felicia Gayle in her University City home. He was sentenced to death in 2001.The younger Williams said he often replayed the moment his father’s arm fell onto the gurney inside the chamber at Eastern Reception. The man who had once been his guide — the voice that talked him through matters of the heart and brain — was gone.The execution was complicated by uncertainty. Officials with the prosecutor’s office who sent Williams Sr. to death row later tried to stop the execution because of questions about his guilt and a lack of DNA on the murder weapon. The victim’s family opposed the death penalty. The state moved forward, anyway.&nbsp;Williams Jr. said afterward, grief followed him everywhere. He often came across places in St. Louis that evoked memories of his dad, like the basketball courts at Walnut Park. He was negative and sometimes mean, he said. He didn’t seek professional help because of the cost, although he suspects he needed therapy even before the execution.&nbsp;The After Violence Project, which addresses the impact of mass incarceration and the death penalty on families, trains therapists through its Access to Treatment Initiative. Susannah Sheffer, the initiative’s director, said family members often experience “disenfranchised grief,” a kind of mourning that isn’t recognized or publicly supported.The Rev. Jeff Hood, a spiritual adviser for men on death row, said children who are left behind face complicated emotions. Many families experience a disconnect until an execution date is set, prompting a rush to form a relationship.Then, the parent dies.In May, Williams Jr. was at a park with his 4-year-old son and found himself out of breath lifting the child onto a slide. After that, he began working out again. He knew he had to “shift out of it” for his son.On New Year’s Day 2022, Khorry Ramey learned she was pregnant. Her father, Kevin Johnson, also called, warning that his life could soon end. She said she didn’t know how to process it.That August, her aunt called to tell her an execution date had been set for Nov. 29.“It was a reality check for me,” Ramey said. “Honestly, it was like, ‘This stuff still happens?’”Johnson was sentenced to death in 2007 for the 2005 killing of Kirkwood Police Sgt. William McEntee.Ramey had already known loss from a young age. Her father was arrested when she was 2, and her mother was murdered when she was 4.She was only 19, but she wanted to attend the execution. State law required witnesses to be 21.“I was like, if he was in a hospital bed, I’d be there by his side,” she said. “So it’s no different for me. It’s moreso like comforting my dad [in] his time of [need].“And this is almost a closure for me as well.”Johnson got to see his grandson several times, and even got to hold him once. Ramey’s last visit was the day of his execution. She had never seen him cry before then.“He was just telling me how much he failed me as a father. The last memory I have of him is not what I want it to be.”She tried therapy, but it wasn’t for her. Few understand what she’s been through, she said.Although she learned at a young age what it was like to lose a parent, her dad’s death was harder. She grew up visiting him often, playing Connect 4 and Scrabble in the visitation room at Potosi. He got her report cards from school. They talked about everything.When she’s in a dark place, Ramey said she focuses on her son.&nbsp;She is also steadfast in her belief that the death penalty is not “the Christian way to go about things.” Since her father’s execution, she’s attended other execution watches.The latest one was on Tuesday, for Summer Shockley’s father.

Children of men on Missouri death row are often forgotten in death penalty debate

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — More than 2,600 nonviolent demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s administration are slated Saturday as part of No Kings day.

The includes in Missouri, where rallies are expected to take place in communities all across the state and at the Capitol in Jefferson City.

The second No Kings day, following another in June, is in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nokings.org/host-toolkit" target="_blank">what a broad coalition</a>&nbsp;of liberal advocacy and labor organizations say is “the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration, which they have doubled down on since June.”

Organizers expect millions of Americans to join in peaceful events in Washington, D.C., across the country and internationally. Locations are pinpointed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nokings.org/#map" target="_blank">a map</a>&nbsp;on the organization’s website.

“No Kings is back,” said Eunic Epstein-Ortiz, a national spokesperson, at a press conference Thursday. “And over the past few months, thousands of people have organized once again in their communities, on the ground locally, volunteering to bring their neighbors, families and friends together to say, unequivocally, we have no kings. Together, they’re the ones making this Saturday’s mobilization the largest single-day protest in modern history.”

Shutdown, Trump crackdown since June protests

The demonstrations build off the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/army-parade-trump-birthday-take-over-dc-no-kings-protests-erupt-across-nation" target="_blank">No Kings protests in June</a>, which coincided with Trump’s massive military parade on his 79th birthday.

Four months later, the federal government is mired in an ongoing shutdown that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-government-shutdown-begins-no-easy-exit-sight" target="_blank">began Oct. 1</a>&nbsp;with no clear end in sight. The administration has also cracked down on U.S. cities, deploying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-governors-state-ags-weigh-trumps-deployment-national-guard-troops" target="_blank">National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;and partaking in sweeping immigration raids.

Leading voices from labor and advocacy groups that are part of the broad No Kings coalition amplified their message ahead of the planned protests during the Thursday press conference, underscoring a peaceful day of action on Saturday.

“We’re going to vigorously exercise our democratic rights peacefully and nonviolently, and against this tyrannical threat of Donald Trump and his administration, we are going to protect American democracy,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen.

House speaker criticizes No Kings day&nbsp;

National leaders from the coalition also pushed back against U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s depiction of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/10/no-kings-protest-mike-johnson-00602705" target="_blank">the demonstrations</a>&nbsp;as the “hate America rally.”

The Louisiana Republican claimed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srnZYkzSFXM" target="_blank">Fox News Oct. 10 that</a>&nbsp;“it’s all the pro-Hamas wing and the antifa people — they’re all coming out,” adding: “Some of the House Democrats are selling T-shirts for the event, and it’s being told to us that they won’t be able to reopen the government until after that rally because they can’t face their rabid base.”

Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, said “there is nothing more American than saying that we don’t have kings and exercising our right to peaceful protest,” adding: “America doesn’t have kings. That’s our entire point.”

Greenberg said: “I also want to be clear: it is ridiculous, it’s also sinister, because it is part of a broader effort to create a permission structure to crack down on organized opposition and peaceful dissent in this country.

“They are sending the National Guard into American cities, they are terrorizing our immigrant friends and neighbors with their secret police, they are prosecuting political opponents, and now they are trying to smear millions of Americans who are coming out to protest so that they can justify a crackdown on peaceful dissent.”

Katie Bethell, executive director of MoveOn, said “let’s be crystal clear about who is peacefully taking the streets on Saturday — it’s teachers, federal workers, nurses, families, our neighbors and our friends.

“All of our leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike, should listen to what these patriotic Americans have to say,” Bethell said.

“The millions of people protesting are centered around a fierce love of our country, a country that we believe is worth fighting for,” she said. “This is the reality across cities and towns, large and small, rural and suburban, in red areas, blue areas — millions of us are peacefully coming together on Saturday to send a clear and unmistakable message: The power belongs to the people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760736482929.jpeg" alt="Participants joined the No Kings rally in Fargo, North Dakota, on June 14 (Erin Hemme Froslie/North Dakota Monitor)." />
 <figcaption>Participants joined the No Kings rally in Fargo, North Dakota, on June 14 (Erin Hemme Froslie/North Dakota Monitor).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — More than 2,600 nonviolent demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s administration are slated Saturday as part of No Kings day.The includes in Missouri, where rallies are expected to take place in communities all across the state and at the Capitol in Jefferson City.The second No Kings day, following another in June, is in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nokings.org/host-toolkit" target="_blank">what a broad coalition</a>&nbsp;of liberal advocacy and labor organizations say is “the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration, which they have doubled down on since June.”Organizers expect millions of Americans to join in peaceful events in Washington, D.C., across the country and internationally. Locations are pinpointed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nokings.org/#map" target="_blank">a map</a>&nbsp;on the organization’s website.“No Kings is back,” said Eunic Epstein-Ortiz, a national spokesperson, at a press conference Thursday. “And over the past few months, thousands of people have organized once again in their communities, on the ground locally, volunteering to bring their neighbors, families and friends together to say, unequivocally, we have no kings. Together, they’re the ones making this Saturday’s mobilization the largest single-day protest in modern history.”<h2>Shutdown, Trump crackdown since June protests</h2>The demonstrations build off the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/army-parade-trump-birthday-take-over-dc-no-kings-protests-erupt-across-nation" target="_blank">No Kings protests in June</a>, which coincided with Trump’s massive military parade on his 79th birthday.Four months later, the federal government is mired in an ongoing shutdown that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-government-shutdown-begins-no-easy-exit-sight" target="_blank">began Oct. 1</a>&nbsp;with no clear end in sight. The administration has also cracked down on U.S. cities, deploying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-governors-state-ags-weigh-trumps-deployment-national-guard-troops" target="_blank">National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;and partaking in sweeping immigration raids.Leading voices from labor and advocacy groups that are part of the broad No Kings coalition amplified their message ahead of the planned protests during the Thursday press conference, underscoring a peaceful day of action on Saturday.“We’re going to vigorously exercise our democratic rights peacefully and nonviolently, and against this tyrannical threat of Donald Trump and his administration, we are going to protect American democracy,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen.<h2>House speaker criticizes No Kings day&nbsp;</h2>National leaders from the coalition also pushed back against U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s depiction of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/10/no-kings-protest-mike-johnson-00602705" target="_blank">the demonstrations</a>&nbsp;as the “hate America rally.”The Louisiana Republican claimed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srnZYkzSFXM" target="_blank">Fox News Oct. 10 that</a>&nbsp;“it’s all the pro-Hamas wing and the antifa people — they’re all coming out,” adding: “Some of the House Democrats are selling T-shirts for the event, and it’s being told to us that they won’t be able to reopen the government until after that rally because they can’t face their rabid base.”Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, said “there is nothing more American than saying that we don’t have kings and exercising our right to peaceful protest,” adding: “America doesn’t have kings. That’s our entire point.”Greenberg said: “I also want to be clear: it is ridiculous, it’s also sinister, because it is part of a broader effort to create a permission structure to crack down on organized opposition and peaceful dissent in this country.“They are sending the National Guard into American cities, they are terrorizing our immigrant friends and neighbors with their secret police, they are prosecuting political opponents, and now they are trying to smear millions of Americans who are coming out to protest so that they can justify a crackdown on peaceful dissent.”Katie Bethell, executive director of MoveOn, said “let’s be crystal clear about who is peacefully taking the streets on Saturday — it’s teachers, federal workers, nurses, families, our neighbors and our friends.“All of our leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike, should listen to what these patriotic Americans have to say,” Bethell said.“The millions of people protesting are centered around a fierce love of our country, a country that we believe is worth fighting for,” she said. “This is the reality across cities and towns, large and small, rural and suburban, in red areas, blue areas — millions of us are peacefully coming together on Saturday to send a clear and unmistakable message: The power belongs to the people.”

No Kings day expected to draw millions for anti-Trump mass protests

HUTCHINSON — A tragic case that shocked the community earlier this year reached a major turning point Friday when 37-year-old Wendell Payton pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges in connection with the February deaths of his wife and young daughter.

According to the Hutchinson Police Department, officers were dispatched to 1014 East 3rd Avenue in the early morning hours of February 1, 2025, after neighbors reported hearing screams and seeing smoke coming from the home. When officers arrived, they found a young girl outside the residence and observed an active fire. Firefighters from the Hutchinson Fire Department quickly responded and extinguished the blaze.

Once the fire was under control, investigators discovered three people inside the home. Two of them—a four-year-old girl and an adult female identified as Kalsey Payton—were pronounced dead at the scene. Autopsies determined that the child died from blunt force trauma, while Kalsey Payton died from sharp force injuries. Both deaths were ruled homicides.

The third person in the home, Wendell Payton, was found alive with self-inflicted wounds from which he later recovered. Following an extensive investigation involving the Hutchinson Police Department, Hutchinson Fire Department, Reno County EMS, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office, and Sedgwick County Fire Department, the Reno County District Attorney’s Office filed multiple charges against him in case number 25 CR 89.

On October 17, 2025, Payton pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional, premeditated first-degree murder, aggravated arson, aggravated endangering of a child, two counts of interference with law enforcement officers, and domestic battery against Kalsey Payton. Judge Daniel Gilligan accepted the pleas and found Payton guilty as charged.

Sentencing is set for December 15, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in Reno County District Court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760746534271.png" alt="Wendell Payton - Reno County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Wendell Payton - Reno County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON — A tragic case that shocked the community earlier this year reached a major turning point Friday when 37-year-old Wendell Payton pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges in connection with the February deaths of his wife and young daughter.According to the Hutchinson Police Department, officers were dispatched to 1014 East 3rd Avenue in the early morning hours of February 1, 2025, after neighbors reported hearing screams and seeing smoke coming from the home. When officers arrived, they found a young girl outside the residence and observed an active fire. Firefighters from the Hutchinson Fire Department quickly responded and extinguished the blaze.Once the fire was under control, investigators discovered three people inside the home. Two of them—a four-year-old girl and an adult female identified as Kalsey Payton—were pronounced dead at the scene. Autopsies determined that the child died from blunt force trauma, while Kalsey Payton died from sharp force injuries. Both deaths were ruled homicides.The third person in the home, Wendell Payton, was found alive with self-inflicted wounds from which he later recovered. Following an extensive investigation involving the Hutchinson Police Department, Hutchinson Fire Department, Reno County EMS, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office, and Sedgwick County Fire Department, the Reno County District Attorney’s Office filed multiple charges against him in case number 25 CR 89.On October 17, 2025, Payton pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional, premeditated first-degree murder, aggravated arson, aggravated endangering of a child, two counts of interference with law enforcement officers, and domestic battery against Kalsey Payton. Judge Daniel Gilligan accepted the pleas and found Payton guilty as charged.Sentencing is set for December 15, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in Reno County District Court.

Kan. man enters plea in murder of wife and daughter

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673636785376.png" alt="File photo Former Rep. George Santos" />
 <figcaption>File photo Former Rep. George Santos</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/RsKT1qVuOr">pic.twitter.com/RsKT1qVuOr</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1979307772563820927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Trump commutes former Rep. George Santos' 7-year fraud sentence

It is not a year with presidential candidates, but the Alfred E. Smith&nbsp; Memorial Foundation dinner at the&nbsp;at Waldorf Astoria in New York City still raised a lot of fun and funds Thursday night.

Former Secretaries of State Mike Pompeo and&nbsp;Antony Blinken delivered lighthearted remarks.&nbsp;They shared their experiences working under different administrations and discussed many topics, including diplomacy, foreign policy, and the 2025 New York City Mayoral race. Pomopeo also discussed his weight loss.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/former-secretaries-of-state-blinken-pompeo-at-alfred-e-smith-dinner/667251">Click here to watch a replay</a> of the fun at the dinner.

The white-tie dinner raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and has traditionally offered candidates from both parties the chance to trade lighthearted barbs, poke fun at themselves and pretend to get along.

Pompeo was the nation’s top diplomat from 2018 to 2021 in the administration of President Donald Trump. He was the GOP congressman from Wichita from 2011 to 2017.

It is not a year with presidential candidates, but the Alfred E. Smith&nbsp; Memorial Foundation dinner at the&nbsp;at Waldorf Astoria in New York City still raised a lot of fun and funds Thursday night.Former Secretaries of State Mike Pompeo and&nbsp;Antony Blinken delivered lighthearted remarks.&nbsp;They shared their experiences working under different administrations and discussed many topics, including diplomacy, foreign policy, and the 2025 New York City Mayoral race. Pomopeo also discussed his weight loss.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">&quot;I&#39;ve lost over 90 pounds since leaving office.&quot; -- Mike Pompeo ... Al Smith dinner <a href="https://t.co/e10kfcNYNu">pic.twitter.com/e10kfcNYNu</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1979207793082036425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/former-secretaries-of-state-blinken-pompeo-at-alfred-e-smith-dinner/667251">Click here to watch a replay</a> of the fun at the dinner.The white-tie dinner raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and has traditionally offered candidates from both parties the chance to trade lighthearted barbs, poke fun at themselves and pretend to get along.Pompeo was the nation’s top diplomat from 2018 to 2021 in the administration of President Donald Trump. He was the GOP congressman from Wichita from 2011 to 2017.

🎥Former Kan. Congressman a keynote roaster at Alfred E. Smith dinner

KANSAS CITY—Police investigating a fatality accident that occurred just before 7:30a.m. Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri have released the name of the girl who died as 9-year-old Hazen Workman-Duffy, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-hazen-workmanduffy">Click here to visit </a>the online fundraiser for the family.

KCPD investigators determined a white Ford Transit van was northbound on Food Lane Drive and was turning westbound onto Longview Road at the intersection, according KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina. At the same time, the girl was riding her bicycle within the marked crosswalk and had a green signal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 The van struck the bicycle causing her to fall to the roadway.. EMS transported the girl to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760488799105.png" alt="Intersection where the fatal crash occurred -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Intersection where the fatal crash occurred -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Police investigating a fatality accident that occurred just before 7:30a.m. Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri have released the name of the girl who died as 9-year-old Hazen Workman-Duffy, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-hazen-workmanduffy">Click here to visit </a>the online fundraiser for the family.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760708857997.png" alt="Hazen Workman-Duffy-photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Hazen Workman-Duffy-photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>KCPD investigators determined a white Ford Transit van was northbound on Food Lane Drive and was turning westbound onto Longview Road at the intersection, according KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina. At the same time, the girl was riding her bicycle within the marked crosswalk and had a green signal.&nbsp;&nbsp; The van struck the bicycle causing her to fall to the roadway.. EMS transported the girl to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.&nbsp;

Police ID girl killed after van struck her bicycle in KC crosswalk

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenKatieBritt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenKatieBritt</a>: &quot;President Trump very clearly said where he was on this, and he said &#39;I&#39;m going to make sure that [IVF] is more accessible and more affordable for families coast to coast&#39; ... President Trump wants to actually make things happen, that’s exactly what he did here.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8WA3zdR3EN">pic.twitter.com/8WA3zdR3EN</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1978925718516949428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump on expanding IVF Access: &quot;Today I&#39;m pleased to announce that after extensive negotiations, EMD Serono the largest fertility drug manufacturer in the world, has agreed to provide massive discounts to all fertility drugs they sell in the United States.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8QHzjOtxN8">pic.twitter.com/8QHzjOtxN8</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1978914304381387193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Trump deal will  lower the cost of a common IVF drug

KANSAS CITY—One person was injured in a fire Thursday in Kansas City.

Just after 1p.m., crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 9300 block of Bales Drive, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

 Crews reported smoke and fire showing from the exterior of a three-story occupied apartment building. Companies initiated an offensive fire attack on arrival using one handline. Searches of the structure were conducted and came back "all clear".&nbsp; The fire was brought under control just after 1:28 p.m. EMS transported&nbsp; one resident for evaluation and treatment of smoke&nbsp;inhalation.&nbsp;The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760644847003.png" alt="Photo sKCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photo sKCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—One person was injured in a fire Thursday in Kansas City.Just after 1p.m., crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 9300 block of Bales Drive, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760644817487.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> Crews reported smoke and fire showing from the exterior of a three-story occupied apartment building. Companies initiated an offensive fire attack on arrival using one handline. Searches of the structure were conducted and came back "all clear".&nbsp; The fire was brought under control just after 1:28 p.m. EMS transported&nbsp; one resident for evaluation and treatment of smoke&nbsp;inhalation.&nbsp;The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD.&nbsp;

One hospitalized after fire in 3-story KC apartment building

SALINE COUNTY—Police arrested a Salina FedEx employee for allegedly making a threat to 'shoot up the business.'&nbsp;

Just after 2p.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; police were dispatched to FedEx, 3450 Centennial Road in Salina about an employee who made allegedly made threat a coworker, according to a media release from Salina Police.

Prior to the report, the suspect identified as 19-year -old Trenton Fears made a threat on Monday, October 13 to a coworker when they were on the jobsite. Allegedly the coworker said something to Fears, which prompted him to make the threat.

That same day, Fears went to another coworker and told them to 'not show up to work the following day.'&nbsp;

The next day, October 14, Fears told the coworker he threatened, that he would 'shoot the facility up.'

Management then called Salina Police on Wednesday regarding the threat. Fears was not at FedEx initially, but showed up at a later time and officers immediately arrived to the scene.&nbsp;

Fears was then arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail for the requested charge of Criminal Threat.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760658717901.png" alt="Fears photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Fears photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Police arrested a Salina FedEx employee for allegedly making a threat to 'shoot up the business.'&nbsp;Just after 2p.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; police were dispatched to FedEx, 3450 Centennial Road in Salina about an employee who made allegedly made threat a coworker, according to a media release from Salina Police.Prior to the report, the suspect identified as 19-year -old Trenton Fears made a threat on Monday, October 13 to a coworker when they were on the jobsite. Allegedly the coworker said something to Fears, which prompted him to make the threat.That same day, Fears went to another coworker and told them to 'not show up to work the following day.'&nbsp;The next day, October 14, Fears told the coworker he threatened, that he would 'shoot the facility up.'Management then called Salina Police on Wednesday regarding the threat. Fears was not at FedEx initially, but showed up at a later time and officers immediately arrived to the scene.&nbsp;Fears was then arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail for the requested charge of Criminal Threat.

Kansas man accused of threat of violence to work place

CLAY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6a.m. Thursday in Clay County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Ford Fusion driven by a 47-year-old Maysville man was southbound at the intersection of U.S. 69 and Grove. The passenger side of the car struck a northbound 2023 Aprilia motorcycle driven by a 35-year-old Blue Springs man. 

The motorcyclist was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CLAY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6a.m. Thursday in Clay County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Ford Fusion driven by a 47-year-old Maysville man was southbound at the intersection of U.S. 69 and Grove. The passenger side of the car struck a northbound 2023 Aprilia motorcycle driven by a 35-year-old Blue Springs man. The motorcyclist was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man killed in car, motorcycle crash

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert likely suffered a stroke, doctors determined after she was involved in a minor traffic accident.

Luckert, 70, was elevated to chief justice in 2019 and has been on the state’s highest court since appointed by Republican Gov. Bill Graves and sworn into office in 2003.

In a statement, Luckert said the accident occurred Oct. 9 while driving home from work.

“Fortunately, I did not hit any other vehicle or hurt anyone,” she said. “Doctors believe I had a stroke, which caused the accident.”

Luckert was hospitalized for several days and is recuperating at home while on medical leave from the Supreme Court.

“It does not appear that I will need speech or physical therapy, but I have been ordered to rest for at least the next few weeks,” her statement said. “I’m resting comfortably at home.”

Luckert expressed gratitude for prayers, expressions of concern and warm thoughts about her situation. She said she would release public updates in the future.

Luckert was born in Goodland and earned a law degree at Washburn University in Topeka. She worked in private practice for more than a decade. Democratic Gov. Joan Finney appointed her to the Shawnee County District Court in 1992. She was made chief judge of that district court in 2000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760643811752.png" alt="Marla Luckert, chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court, says she was in a one-car accident on Oct. 9 after likely suffering a stroke. She plans to take several weeks to recuperate. In this Jan. 15, 2025, photo, Luckert talks to reporters after addressing lawmakers at the Statehouse. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Marla Luckert, chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court, says she was in a one-car accident on Oct. 9 after likely suffering a stroke. She plans to take several weeks to recuperate. In this Jan. 15, 2025, photo, Luckert talks to reporters after addressing lawmakers at the Statehouse. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert likely suffered a stroke, doctors determined after she was involved in a minor traffic accident.Luckert, 70, was elevated to chief justice in 2019 and has been on the state’s highest court since appointed by Republican Gov. Bill Graves and sworn into office in 2003.In a statement, Luckert said the accident occurred Oct. 9 while driving home from work.“Fortunately, I did not hit any other vehicle or hurt anyone,” she said. “Doctors believe I had a stroke, which caused the accident.”Luckert was hospitalized for several days and is recuperating at home while on medical leave from the Supreme Court.“It does not appear that I will need speech or physical therapy, but I have been ordered to rest for at least the next few weeks,” her statement said. “I’m resting comfortably at home.”Luckert expressed gratitude for prayers, expressions of concern and warm thoughts about her situation. She said she would release public updates in the future.Luckert was born in Goodland and earned a law degree at Washburn University in Topeka. She worked in private practice for more than a decade. Democratic Gov. Joan Finney appointed her to the Shawnee County District Court in 1992. She was made chief judge of that district court in 2000.

Physicians link Kansas Supreme Court chief justice’s vehicle accident to likely stroke

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Buc-ee's broke ground on the first Kansas location on Thursday. The location in western Wyandotte County is at The Legends near the Kansas Speedway at Interstate 70 and Village West Parkway, according to a statement from the company.

&nbsp;The 74,000-square-foot travel center will feature 120 gas pumps and 12 EV charging stations and creat at least 225 full-time jobs.

The center is expected to open in the summer of 2027 or possibly sooner.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760642700668.png" alt="Image courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Buc-ee's broke ground on the first Kansas location on Thursday. The location in western Wyandotte County is at The Legends near the Kansas Speedway at Interstate 70 and Village West Parkway, according to a statement from the company.&nbsp;The 74,000-square-foot travel center will feature 120 gas pumps and 12 EV charging stations and creat at least 225 full-time jobs.The center is expected to open in the summer of 2027 or possibly sooner.

Buc-ee's breaks ground on first location in Kansas

TOPEKA—On Monday, the GOP Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council approved $460,000 to fund a four-day special legislative session focused on redistricting the state of Kansas, without holding any public forum, according to a media release from Kansas House Democrats.

Missouri and Texas have already approved new maps.

On Wednesday, Kansas Democrat Congresswoman responded to the effort to redraw the maps.

Republicans already hold three of the state’s four congressional districts. A revised map would target the suburban Kansas City district held by&nbsp; Davids.

TOPEKA—On Monday, the GOP Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council approved $460,000 to fund a four-day special legislative session focused on redistricting the state of Kansas, without holding any public forum, according to a media release from Kansas House Democrats.Missouri and Texas have already approved new maps.On Wednesday, Kansas Democrat Congresswoman responded to the effort to redraw the maps.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m outside the White House, where Kansas Republicans are scheming to redraw maps and silence your voice. Kansans deserve fairness. Call your legislators and tell them NO to this power grab. <a href="https://t.co/Q7hEQowrvo">pic.twitter.com/Q7hEQowrvo</a>&mdash; Sharice Davids (@sharicedavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharicedavids/status/1978488536866202080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Republicans already hold three of the state’s four congressional districts. A revised map would target the suburban Kansas City district held by&nbsp; Davids.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kansas GOP leaders are at the White House today taking direct orders from Donald Trump only a day after approving $460,000 tax payer dollars for a politically motivated redistricting special session here in Kansas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/0uHL6arzdr">https://t.co/0uHL6arzdr</a>&mdash; Kansas House Democrats (@KSHouseDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSHouseDems/status/1978541287163797884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Extreme D.C. politicians who’ve never set foot in Kansas shouldn’t get to decide who represents you. <a href="https://t.co/jhe4cRyLzg">pic.twitter.com/jhe4cRyLzg</a>&mdash; Sharice Davids (@sharicedavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharicedavids/status/1978612604378443901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Kan. Rep. responds to effort to re-draw state congressional map

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>

WASHINGTON — A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Wednesday, blocking the Trump administration from moving forward with the thousands of layoffs it initiated after the government shutdown began Oct. 1, as well as any others that officials might want to carry out.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California took place at the same time White House budget director Russ Vought appeared on the conservative Charlie Kirk podcast to preview his next steps.

Vought warned the initial Reductions in Force, the technical term for a layoff notice, were just “a snapshot” and that as many as 10,000 federal workers would lose their jobs if the shutdown drags on.

“We’re going to keep those RIFs rolling throughout this shutdown because we think it’s important to stay on offense for the American taxpayer and the American people,” Vought said. “We want to be very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy, not just the funding, but the bureaucracy.”

Judge Susan Illston said during the hearing that she granted the temporary restraining order because Trump administration officials had “taken advantage of the lapse in government spending, government functioning to assume that all bets are off, that the laws don’t apply to them anymore and that they can impose the structures that they like on the government situation that they don’t like.”&nbsp;

Illston said laws and regulations still apply during a shutdown and that, by all appearances, the Trump administration’s actions in the case are politically motivated.&nbsp;

“Things are being done before they’re thought through — very much ready, fire, aim,” Illston said.

The ruling will put the approximately 4,000 layoffs noticed during the shutdown on hold as the court case proceeds.&nbsp;

DOJ unprepared to speak on merits of case

Elizabeth Hedges, a Justice Department attorney arguing the case on behalf of the Trump administration, said several times during the brief hearing she wasn’t prepared to speak about the merits of the case — a position that confounded the judge, who gave Hedges several chances to reverse course.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We may be able to address the merits at the next stage,” Hedges said, after telling Illston she would need to check with others before making any statements about why the administration believes its actions are legal.&nbsp;

Danielle Leonard, an attorney representing the labor unions that brought the lawsuit, urged the judge to grant a temporary restraining order for all the departments and agencies that make up the executive branch, not just those that have announced RIFs.

Leonard said she believes Trump administration officials have decided how many additional federal employees to lay off during the shutdown, but have opted not to share that information with the court.

“The decision has been made, it’s just a question of implementation and timing,” Leonard said, around the same time Vought was giving his podcast interview.&nbsp;

Illston, who was nominated by former President Bill Clinton, said at the end of the hearing she expected the attorneys to find a day in the coming weeks when they can attend a hearing on the next stage, which would be a preliminary injunction.

On the other side of the country, Republicans and Democrats continued to spar on Capitol Hill over the reasons for the shutdown, as the Senate failed for a ninth time to advance a short-term government spending bill.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00572.htm" target="_blank">51-44 vote</a>&nbsp;was nearly identical to the others that have taken place since mid-September, and neither side appeared inclined to make concessions or even try to negotiate.&nbsp;

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, both Democrats, and Maine independent Sen. Angus King voted with Republicans to advance the bill. Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul voted no.

Democrats maintain there must be a bipartisan deal to extend the enhanced tax credits that are set to expire at the end of this year for people who get their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.&nbsp;

GOP leaders said they are willing to begin negotiations on that issue, but only after Democrats vote to advance the stopgap bill that would fund government through Nov. 21.&nbsp;

The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/chance-government-shutdown-rises-us-senate-fails-advance-spending-bill" target="_blank">voted mostly along party</a>&nbsp;lines to approve the legislation in mid-September, but it has remained stalled in the Senate ever since, unable to garner the 60 votes needed to advance toward final passage. Republicans control the chamber with 53 seats.

Congress needs to approve the stopgap bill since it, once again, failed to approve all 12 of the full-year government funding bills by the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.

The only other way to end the funding lapse would be for both chambers to reach a broadly bipartisan consensus on all of those appropriations bills.&nbsp;

The layoffs initiated by the Trump administration during the shutdown were detailed further on Tuesday in court filings from the labor unions’ attorneys as well as Trump administration officials.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stephen Billy, senior adviser at the Office of Management and Budget, wrote the number of layoff notices had changed since Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/substantial-layoffs-federal-workers-launched-trump-administration-amid-shutdown" target="_blank">when he outlined</a>&nbsp;the Reductions in Force to the court.

The numbers have fluctuated significantly for some departments, but not for all.&nbsp;

Federal workers at those departments have 60 days between when the notice was sent and when they will no longer have jobs, though a different standard is in place at the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency.&nbsp;

Energy officials, the document says, “issued a general RIF notice informing 179 employees that they may receive a specific notice in the future if it is determined they will be part of any RIF. If so, that notice would provide the relevant notice period.”

But a spokesperson for the Energy Department emailed States Newsroom on Tuesday evening to confirm officials had issued RIF notices to workers in the Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Clean Energy Demonstrations, State and Community Energy Programs and Minority Economic Impact.

“All these offices played a major role in the Biden administration’s war on American Energy,” the spokesperson wrote. “They oversaw billions of dollars in wasteful spending and massive regulatory overreach, resulting in more expensive and less reliable energy. These offices are being realigned to reflect the Trump administration’s commitment to advancing affordable, reliable, and secure energy for the American people and a more responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

Further confusing the situation at the Energy Department, a footnote in the court document filed by Billy said that particular agency isn’t actually experiencing a lapse in funding.&nbsp;

The Billy court document said EPA officials sent 28 employees “intent to RIF” notices and will send formal RIF notices “to any affected employees at least 60 days prior to the effective date.”&nbsp;

A separate document, filed by Thomas J. Nagy Jr., deputy assistant secretary for Human Resources at HHS, said “data discrepancies and processing errors” led to 1,760 employees receiving layoff notices instead of the intended 982.

“Employees have been working since October 10, 2025, to rescind the notices that had been issued in error,” Nagy wrote.&nbsp;

Yolanda Jacobs, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2883, wrote in a brief to the court that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “issued RIF notices to approximately 1,300 employees, eliminating entire offices at the agency. Then, within 24 hours, the CDC rescinded approximately 700 of those RIF notices.”&nbsp;

Jacobs wrote the 600 CDC workers who received RIFs will officially lose their jobs on Dec. 8, even though they have already lost access to work email and computers.&nbsp;

“Many Union members have told me that they are experiencing serious mental health problems and have found it very difficult to get their work done, given all of the turmoil that they have experienced this year,” Jacobs wrote, referencing previous RIF notices and reinstatements. “Members have told me that they worry on a day-to-day basis about whether they will have a job the next day. They said that they have felt like the Trump Administration has been using them as bargaining chips this year.”

Jacobs wrote that the Trump administration has decided to lay off many human resources workers, which had blocked other workers who received RIFs from being able to get information about how to roll over their health insurance coverage.&nbsp;

During past RIFs, she wrote, workers had “access to the employment records, including paystubs and performance records, that they need for processing their separations,” but cannot since they are locked out of computer systems.&nbsp;

Rachel Gittleman, president of AFGE Local 252, which represents nearly 3,000 Education Department workers, wrote in a separate filing the layoffs will impact numerous programs, including civil rights, communications and outreach, elementary and secondary education, post secondary education, and special education and rehabilitative services.

“Receiving RIF notices has caused many employees enormous stress. A father of two young boys contacted me—he just moved into a new home and relies on his job to support his family,” Gittleman wrote. “He told me (he) doesn’t know what he will do next.”

Workers on maternity or disability leave also received layoff notices, “forcing them to job-hunt and face financial insecurity while managing newborns or health conditions,” she wrote.&nbsp;

Following past RIF notices, the department provided “career transitioning and counseling, benefits and retirement training, and access to other human resources and employee assistance programs.” But Gittleman wrote that isn’t happening this time.&nbsp;

Ashaki Robinson, regional vice president for AFGE Council 222, which represents nearly 5,000 HUD workers, said the layoff notices for that department will impact employees in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Texas and Washington, D.C., who manage a variety of programs.&nbsp;

“They are devastated that the RIF is happening and are very concerned about losing their incomes, health insurance coverage for themselves and dependents, and other employment benefits in 60 days, when they will be separated from employment,” Robinson wrote.&nbsp;

The hundreds of HUD workers who have received RIF notices, she wrote, were “targeted for termination not because of anything they did themselves, but because of decisions made by elected officials that may have been driven by politics.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315687610.png" alt="Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>WASHINGTON — A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Wednesday, blocking the Trump administration from moving forward with the thousands of layoffs it initiated after the government shutdown began Oct. 1, as well as any others that officials might want to carry out.&nbsp;&nbsp;The hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California took place at the same time White House budget director Russ Vought appeared on the conservative Charlie Kirk podcast to preview his next steps.Vought warned the initial Reductions in Force, the technical term for a layoff notice, were just “a snapshot” and that as many as 10,000 federal workers would lose their jobs if the shutdown drags on.“We’re going to keep those RIFs rolling throughout this shutdown because we think it’s important to stay on offense for the American taxpayer and the American people,” Vought said. “We want to be very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy, not just the funding, but the bureaucracy.”Judge Susan Illston said during the hearing that she granted the temporary restraining order because Trump administration officials had “taken advantage of the lapse in government spending, government functioning to assume that all bets are off, that the laws don’t apply to them anymore and that they can impose the structures that they like on the government situation that they don’t like.”&nbsp;Illston said laws and regulations still apply during a shutdown and that, by all appearances, the Trump administration’s actions in the case are politically motivated.&nbsp;“Things are being done before they’re thought through — very much ready, fire, aim,” Illston said.The ruling will put the approximately 4,000 layoffs noticed during the shutdown on hold as the court case proceeds.&nbsp;<h2>DOJ unprepared to speak on merits of case</h2>Elizabeth Hedges, a Justice Department attorney arguing the case on behalf of the Trump administration, said several times during the brief hearing she wasn’t prepared to speak about the merits of the case — a position that confounded the judge, who gave Hedges several chances to reverse course.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We may be able to address the merits at the next stage,” Hedges said, after telling Illston she would need to check with others before making any statements about why the administration believes its actions are legal.&nbsp;Danielle Leonard, an attorney representing the labor unions that brought the lawsuit, urged the judge to grant a temporary restraining order for all the departments and agencies that make up the executive branch, not just those that have announced RIFs.Leonard said she believes Trump administration officials have decided how many additional federal employees to lay off during the shutdown, but have opted not to share that information with the court.“The decision has been made, it’s just a question of implementation and timing,” Leonard said, around the same time Vought was giving his podcast interview.&nbsp;Illston, who was nominated by former President Bill Clinton, said at the end of the hearing she expected the attorneys to find a day in the coming weeks when they can attend a hearing on the next stage, which would be a preliminary injunction.<h2>Senate deadlocks for ninth time</h2>On the other side of the country, Republicans and Democrats continued to spar on Capitol Hill over the reasons for the shutdown, as the Senate failed for a ninth time to advance a short-term government spending bill.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00572.htm" target="_blank">51-44 vote</a>&nbsp;was nearly identical to the others that have taken place since mid-September, and neither side appeared inclined to make concessions or even try to negotiate.&nbsp;Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, both Democrats, and Maine independent Sen. Angus King voted with Republicans to advance the bill. Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul voted no.Democrats maintain there must be a bipartisan deal to extend the enhanced tax credits that are set to expire at the end of this year for people who get their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.&nbsp;GOP leaders said they are willing to begin negotiations on that issue, but only after Democrats vote to advance the stopgap bill that would fund government through Nov. 21.&nbsp;The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/chance-government-shutdown-rises-us-senate-fails-advance-spending-bill" target="_blank">voted mostly along party</a>&nbsp;lines to approve the legislation in mid-September, but it has remained stalled in the Senate ever since, unable to garner the 60 votes needed to advance toward final passage. Republicans control the chamber with 53 seats.Congress needs to approve the stopgap bill since it, once again, failed to approve all 12 of the full-year government funding bills by the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.The only other way to end the funding lapse would be for both chambers to reach a broadly bipartisan consensus on all of those appropriations bills.&nbsp;<h2>Layoffs across agencies</h2>The layoffs initiated by the Trump administration during the shutdown were detailed further on Tuesday in court filings from the labor unions’ attorneys as well as Trump administration officials.&nbsp;&nbsp;Stephen Billy, senior adviser at the Office of Management and Budget, wrote the number of layoff notices had changed since Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/substantial-layoffs-federal-workers-launched-trump-administration-amid-shutdown" target="_blank">when he outlined</a>&nbsp;the Reductions in Force to the court.The numbers have fluctuated significantly for some departments, but not for all.&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Commerce: Approximately 600 employees, up from 315</li><li>Education: Remained at 466 employees</li><li>Health and Human Services: 982 employees, down from a range of 1,100 to 1,200</li><li>Housing and Urban Development: Stayed at 442 employees</li><li>Homeland Security: Decreased to 54 from 176 employees</li><li>Treasury: Reduced somewhat to 1,377 employees, from 1,446&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><h2>Energy, EPA layoffs</h2>Federal workers at those departments have 60 days between when the notice was sent and when they will no longer have jobs, though a different standard is in place at the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency.&nbsp;Energy officials, the document says, “issued a general RIF notice informing 179 employees that they may receive a specific notice in the future if it is determined they will be part of any RIF. If so, that notice would provide the relevant notice period.”But a spokesperson for the Energy Department emailed States Newsroom on Tuesday evening to confirm officials had issued RIF notices to workers in the Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Clean Energy Demonstrations, State and Community Energy Programs and Minority Economic Impact.“All these offices played a major role in the Biden administration’s war on American Energy,” the spokesperson wrote. “They oversaw billions of dollars in wasteful spending and massive regulatory overreach, resulting in more expensive and less reliable energy. These offices are being realigned to reflect the Trump administration’s commitment to advancing affordable, reliable, and secure energy for the American people and a more responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”Further confusing the situation at the Energy Department, a footnote in the court document filed by Billy said that particular agency isn’t actually experiencing a lapse in funding.&nbsp;The Billy court document said EPA officials sent 28 employees “intent to RIF” notices and will send formal RIF notices “to any affected employees at least 60 days prior to the effective date.”&nbsp;A separate document, filed by Thomas J. Nagy Jr., deputy assistant secretary for Human Resources at HHS, said “data discrepancies and processing errors” led to 1,760 employees receiving layoff notices instead of the intended 982.“Employees have been working since October 10, 2025, to rescind the notices that had been issued in error,” Nagy wrote.&nbsp;<h2>At CDC, ‘eliminating entire offices’</h2>Yolanda Jacobs, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2883, wrote in a brief to the court that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “issued RIF notices to approximately 1,300 employees, eliminating entire offices at the agency. Then, within 24 hours, the CDC rescinded approximately 700 of those RIF notices.”&nbsp;Jacobs wrote the 600 CDC workers who received RIFs will officially lose their jobs on Dec. 8, even though they have already lost access to work email and computers.&nbsp;“Many Union members have told me that they are experiencing serious mental health problems and have found it very difficult to get their work done, given all of the turmoil that they have experienced this year,” Jacobs wrote, referencing previous RIF notices and reinstatements. “Members have told me that they worry on a day-to-day basis about whether they will have a job the next day. They said that they have felt like the Trump Administration has been using them as bargaining chips this year.”Jacobs wrote that the Trump administration has decided to lay off many human resources workers, which had blocked other workers who received RIFs from being able to get information about how to roll over their health insurance coverage.&nbsp;During past RIFs, she wrote, workers had “access to the employment records, including paystubs and performance records, that they need for processing their separations,” but cannot since they are locked out of computer systems.&nbsp;<h2>Layoffs hit Department of Education</h2>Rachel Gittleman, president of AFGE Local 252, which represents nearly 3,000 Education Department workers, wrote in a separate filing the layoffs will impact numerous programs, including civil rights, communications and outreach, elementary and secondary education, post secondary education, and special education and rehabilitative services.“Receiving RIF notices has caused many employees enormous stress. A father of two young boys contacted me—he just moved into a new home and relies on his job to support his family,” Gittleman wrote. “He told me (he) doesn’t know what he will do next.”Workers on maternity or disability leave also received layoff notices, “forcing them to job-hunt and face financial insecurity while managing newborns or health conditions,” she wrote.&nbsp;Following past RIF notices, the department provided “career transitioning and counseling, benefits and retirement training, and access to other human resources and employee assistance programs.” But Gittleman wrote that isn’t happening this time.&nbsp;<h2>‘Devastated’ HUD employees</h2>Ashaki Robinson, regional vice president for AFGE Council 222, which represents nearly 5,000 HUD workers, said the layoff notices for that department will impact employees in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Texas and Washington, D.C., who manage a variety of programs.&nbsp;“They are devastated that the RIF is happening and are very concerned about losing their incomes, health insurance coverage for themselves and dependents, and other employment benefits in 60 days, when they will be separated from employment,” Robinson wrote.&nbsp;The hundreds of HUD workers who have received RIF notices, she wrote, were “targeted for termination not because of anything they did themselves, but because of decisions made by elected officials that may have been driven by politics.”

Federal judge blocks Trump from carrying out thousands of layoffs during shutdown

BARBER COUNTY—On Tuesday, the&nbsp;Barber County Sheriff Office was dispatched to found skeletal human remains, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

 Upon arrival the sheriffs office contacted KBI, County Coroner and the Kansas Unmarked Burial Site Preservation Board. 

&nbsp;Barber County Sheriff Office worked with the Kansas Unmarked Burial Site Preservation Board. They voted to rebury the remains and leave them in place and to avoid further work in the area.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The sheriff's office did not release details on where the remains were found or additional information.

BARBER COUNTY—On Tuesday, the&nbsp;Barber County Sheriff Office was dispatched to found skeletal human remains, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. Upon arrival the sheriffs office contacted KBI, County Coroner and the Kansas Unmarked Burial Site Preservation Board. &nbsp;Barber County Sheriff Office worked with the Kansas Unmarked Burial Site Preservation Board. They voted to rebury the remains and leave them in place and to avoid further work in the area.&nbsp;&nbsp;The sheriff's office did not release details on where the remains were found or additional information.