SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating after a suspicious package was reported.

Just after 5a.m. Friday, crews responded to the Landon State Office Building, 900 Southwest Jackson Street in downtown Topeka, according to a media release.

The Topeka Fire Department's Hazardous Materials team investigated the package.&nbsp;Before 6a.m., investigators determined the package was not dangerous

In addition to the Topeka Fire Department and Topeka Police Department, the Capitol Police, a division of the Kansas Highway Patrol also assisted at the scene.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported. Authorities released no additional details.&nbsp;&nbsp;

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating after a suspicious package was reported.Just after 5a.m. Friday, crews responded to the Landon State Office Building, 900 Southwest Jackson Street in downtown Topeka, according to a media release.The Topeka Fire Department's Hazardous Materials team investigated the package.&nbsp;Before 6a.m., investigators determined the package was not dangerousIn addition to the Topeka Fire Department and Topeka Police Department, the Capitol Police, a division of the Kansas Highway Patrol also assisted at the scene.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported. Authorities released no additional details.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Suspicious package investigated at State Office Building in Topeka

SALINE COUNTY —The Salina Police Department arrested 34-year-old Trevor Witt after an anonymous caller reported him for being involved with a minor.&nbsp;

At 3 p.m. on Thursday, police responded to the 100 block of North Santa Fe in Salina after receiving an anonymous report of a very young girl seen interacting with a large group of older individuals, predominantly men, according to Saline Police Captain James Feldman.

"Officers&nbsp; made contact with the girl and the concern was she was smoking and had some marks on her neck," Feldman said. "The girl initially tried to say she was 17 and gave a name which was not accurate."

Officers were able to determine that she was 13 years old and she was a runaway from a foster care facility in Salina, according to Feldman.

Police took the 13-year-old girl into custody and learned that she had sexual contact with Witt.&nbsp;

"He had supplied her alcohol, tobacco, possibly some drugs," Feldman said. He was taken into custody on requested charges that include rape, aggravated indecent liberties with the child, aggravated criminal sodomy, contributing to a child's misconduct, distribution of a stimulant and providing tobacco products.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728673728712.jpeg" alt="Trevor Witt photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Trevor Witt photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —The Salina Police Department arrested 34-year-old Trevor Witt after an anonymous caller reported him for being involved with a minor.&nbsp;At 3 p.m. on Thursday, police responded to the 100 block of North Santa Fe in Salina after receiving an anonymous report of a very young girl seen interacting with a large group of older individuals, predominantly men, according to Saline Police Captain James Feldman."Officers&nbsp; made contact with the girl and the concern was she was smoking and had some marks on her neck," Feldman said. "The girl initially tried to say she was 17 and gave a name which was not accurate."Officers were able to determine that she was 13 years old and she was a runaway from a foster care facility in Salina, according to Feldman.Police took the 13-year-old girl into custody and learned that she had sexual contact with Witt.&nbsp;"He had supplied her alcohol, tobacco, possibly some drugs," Feldman said. He was taken into custody on requested charges that include rape, aggravated indecent liberties with the child, aggravated criminal sodomy, contributing to a child's misconduct, distribution of a stimulant and providing tobacco products.

Kan. man jailed after alleged sex crimes with 13-year-old runaway

JACKSON COUNTY – Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 10:30 p.m. Sept. 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2014 Ford Escape at 142nd Road on U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

A probable cause search was conducted and illegal contraband was found.

The driver, Robert Duane Uitts, 48, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of felony interference, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended, and operating a vehicle without insurance. He has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728396729568.png" alt="Uitts has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.- photo Jackson Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Uitts has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.- photo Jackson Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY – Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 10:30 p.m. Sept. 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2014 Ford Escape at 142nd Road on U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.A probable cause search was conducted and illegal contraband was found.The driver, Robert Duane Uitts, 48, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of felony interference, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended, and operating a vehicle without insurance. He has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Sheriff: Kansas felon caught transporting drugs

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal house fire on Sunday in Topeka have determined the cause of this fire was intentionally set,&nbsp;according to Topeka Fire Department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.&nbsp; The incident is being investigated as a homicide.&nbsp; Law enforcement are still working to contact the family of the victim, according to Nichols.

 Just after 6p.m. Sunday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department&nbsp; responded to a reported house fire at 1640 SW Buchanan Street.

Firs responders found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story residence. Firefighters performed a search and found an individual on the second floor of the residence who was later pronounced deceased. 

Crews extinguished the fire. Investigators have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728296520340.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal house fire on Sunday in Topeka have determined the cause of this fire was intentionally set,&nbsp;according to Topeka Fire Department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.&nbsp; The incident is being investigated as a homicide.&nbsp; Law enforcement are still working to contact the family of the victim, according to Nichols. Just after 6p.m. Sunday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department&nbsp; responded to a reported house fire at 1640 SW Buchanan Street.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728296248154.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Firs responders found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story residence. Firefighters performed a search and found an individual on the second floor of the residence who was later pronounced deceased. Crews extinguished the fire. Investigators have not reported an arrest.

Police working to notify next of kin after deadly Kan. arson fire

HESSTON, Kan. — This week, AGCO announced layoffs at its Hesston, Kansas plant after the company&nbsp;downsized its workforce by 6 percent in June, citing a weakened demand in the agriculture industry.&nbsp;

According to a statement released on Friday.

"Following three years of strong demand, AGCO, like the rest of the agriculture industry, is experiencing a decrease in customer demand in 2024. 

"The company is taking steps to reduce costs, create efficiencies and remain competitive while also ensuring our farmers receive the products, parts and support they need.&nbsp; These actions include an indefinite layoff recently announced at AGCO’s Hesston manufacturing facility."

"Aligning our workforce and production schedules to meet current demand can be difficult for our team, and we will continue to take steps to minimize employee impact while meeting farmer needs.&nbsp; &nbsp;AGCO is proud to be part of the Hesston community, where our employees build the world-class equipment that help farmers feed the world.  The actions impact less than 70 people.”

HESSTON, Kan. — This week, AGCO announced layoffs at its Hesston, Kansas plant after the company&nbsp;downsized its workforce by 6 percent in June, citing a weakened demand in the agriculture industry.&nbsp;According to a statement released on Friday."Following three years of strong demand, AGCO, like the rest of the agriculture industry, is experiencing a decrease in customer demand in 2024. "The company is taking steps to reduce costs, create efficiencies and remain competitive while also ensuring our farmers receive the products, parts and support they need.&nbsp; These actions include an indefinite layoff recently announced at AGCO’s Hesston manufacturing facility.""Aligning our workforce and production schedules to meet current demand can be difficult for our team, and we will continue to take steps to minimize employee impact while meeting farmer needs.&nbsp; &nbsp;AGCO is proud to be part of the Hesston community, where our employees build the world-class equipment that help farmers feed the world.  The actions impact less than 70 people.”

Kan. farm equipment manufacturer announces more layoffs

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas lecturer who suggested men who refuse to vote for a woman president solely because she is a woman should be shot resigned Friday after&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/09/kansas-lecturer-on-leave-after-inappropriate-reference-to-violence-during-class/">a video of his comments went viral</a>, inciting widespread backlash.

Barbara Bichelmeyer, KU provost and executive vice chancellor, announced Friday in a statement that the lecturer, Phillip Lowcock, “left the university.” The announcement came two days after a conservative pundit posted&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nedryun/status/1843991931530993667" target="_blank">a video</a>&nbsp;to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that showed Lowcock addressing a classroom of students and making what the university dubbed an “inappropriate reference to violence.”

“There are going to be some males in our society that will refuse to vote for a potential female president because they don’t think females are smart enough to be president,” Lowcock said in the video. “We could line all those guys up and shoot ‘em. They clearly don’t understand the way the world works.”

He continued: “Did I say that? Scratch that from the recording. I don’t want the deans hearing that I said that.”

The university met with Lowcock upon learning about the video and immediately placed him on administrative leave, Bichelmeyer said. She said Lowcock apologized to her and other university leaders, saying his intention was “to emphasize his advocacy for women’s rights and equality.” Bichelmeyer said the university is attempting to find another instructor to cover his classes. He was on staff in KU’s department of health, sport and exercise sciences.

The video on X has more than 3.5 million views. It was first posted Wednesday morning by Ned Ryun, the son of former Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun of Kansas. A slate of politicians, media personalities and X users condemned Lowcock’s comments and called for his resignation.&nbsp;

A national free speech organization, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, defended Lowcock’s comments, saying his speech was hyperbole and protected under the First Amendment.

Bichelmeyer condemned violent rhetoric, but she acknowledged the tangled nature of academic freedom and free expression.

“It’s no secret that higher education and, more broadly, our society continue to grapple with issues of free speech, care and respect for others, and civic engagement,” she said. “The world is what we make of it. Please use this unfortunate event as an opportunity to reflect on these topics and the role each of us plays in our academic community.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728508235506.png" alt=" Strong Hall at the University of Kansas on August 22, 2020. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Strong Hall at the University of Kansas on August 22, 2020. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas lecturer who suggested men who refuse to vote for a woman president solely because she is a woman should be shot resigned Friday after&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/09/kansas-lecturer-on-leave-after-inappropriate-reference-to-violence-during-class/">a video of his comments went viral</a>, inciting widespread backlash.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Seriously ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/UnivOfKansas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnivOfKansas</a>⁩? You’re letting this be said in your classrooms? That men who won’t vote for Kamala Harris for President should be lined up and shot?? ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RogerMarshallMD</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JerryMoran</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/7hHihxScEg">pic.twitter.com/7hHihxScEg</a>&mdash; Ned Ryun (@nedryun) <a href="https://twitter.com/nedryun/status/1843991931530993667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Barbara Bichelmeyer, KU provost and executive vice chancellor, announced Friday in a statement that the lecturer, Phillip Lowcock, “left the university.” The announcement came two days after a conservative pundit posted&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nedryun/status/1843991931530993667" target="_blank">a video</a>&nbsp;to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that showed Lowcock addressing a classroom of students and making what the university dubbed an “inappropriate reference to violence.”“There are going to be some males in our society that will refuse to vote for a potential female president because they don’t think females are smart enough to be president,” Lowcock said in the video. “We could line all those guys up and shoot ‘em. They clearly don’t understand the way the world works.”He continued: “Did I say that? Scratch that from the recording. I don’t want the deans hearing that I said that.”The university met with Lowcock upon learning about the video and immediately placed him on administrative leave, Bichelmeyer said. She said Lowcock apologized to her and other university leaders, saying his intention was “to emphasize his advocacy for women’s rights and equality.” Bichelmeyer said the university is attempting to find another instructor to cover his classes. He was on staff in KU’s department of health, sport and exercise sciences.The video on X has more than 3.5 million views. It was first posted Wednesday morning by Ned Ryun, the son of former Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun of Kansas. A slate of politicians, media personalities and X users condemned Lowcock’s comments and called for his resignation.&nbsp;A national free speech organization, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, defended Lowcock’s comments, saying his speech was hyperbole and protected under the First Amendment.Bichelmeyer condemned violent rhetoric, but she acknowledged the tangled nature of academic freedom and free expression.“It’s no secret that higher education and, more broadly, our society continue to grapple with issues of free speech, care and respect for others, and civic engagement,” she said. “The world is what we make of it. Please use this unfortunate event as an opportunity to reflect on these topics and the role each of us plays in our academic community.”

University of Kan. lecturer resigns after ‘inappropriate reference to violence’ in class

Lamar Hunt Jr., the son of the late founder of the Kansas City Chiefs, has long been vocal about his opposition to abortion

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

The family business that owns the Kansas City Chiefs is one of the biggest funders of a political action committee opposing a proposed amendment to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban.&nbsp;

<a href="https://huntsouthwest.com/steve-caple/" target="_blank">Unity Hunt</a>, the business that controls the assets of the late Lamar Hunt, including the Chiefs, in late September donated $300,000 to the Leadership for America PAC. It is currently running ads on several conservative&nbsp;radio stations across the state opposing the abortion-rights amendment,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">which will appear on the November ballot as Amendment 3.&nbsp;</a>

Leadership for America is an independent spending PAC created in January. Prior to receiving the donation from Unity Hunt, the PAC had $31,159 on hand.

Along with paying directly for radio ads, Leadership for America has donated $100,000 to Vote “No” on 3, the main opposition group in the Amendment 3 campaign. And on Oct. 3, the PAC donated $100,000 to a PAC called Missouri Leadership Fund, which gave $100,000 to Vote “No” on 3 six days later.

Neither Unity Hunt nor the Kansas City Chiefs responded to requests for comment.

No one from Leadership for America could be reached for comment. The telephone number given to the Missouri Ethics Commission for treasurer John Royal has been disconnected.

The ads, which began airing across the state on Monday, call Amendment 3 “cleverly-worded to convince you that it only allows abortions until fetal viability.”&nbsp;

“But it has loopholes that allow for abortions through all nine months of pregnancy,” the ad continues. “Abortion proponents used to say ‘safe, legal and rare.’ But now they want abortion as common as the morning after pill.”

Supporters of the amendment say claims of abortions in the third trimester are misleading, since the legal freedoms around abortion would only apply until fetal viability, which is generally considered to be around 24 weeks, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The amendment text would<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;allow the Missouri legislature to regulate abortion after fetal viability</a>&nbsp;with exceptions only to “protect the life, or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”

Abortion is illegal from the moment of conception in Missouri, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies. There are no exceptions for victims of rape or incest.&nbsp;

Leadership for America has spent a little more than $32,000 on the radio ads, which are set to run through Nov. 4. There are no other broadcast ads opposing the amendment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Organized efforts against Amendment 3 have been hugely outspent by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the committee backing the amendment. The campaign reported spending $7.3 million through June 30 and has purchased more than $8.7 million in television ads since the start of September.

Vote “No” on 3 has not filed a full disclosure report but has amassed $870,000 in donations greater than $5,000 since Aug. 30.

While the content of the Leadership for America ad aligns with most other opposition talking points, the original source of the money behind the ad drew some attention.&nbsp;

“It is incredibly disappointing to see Unity Hunt spend resources on this campaign to spread lies and continue the fear-mongering surrounding Amendment 3,” said state Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Democrat from Kansas City.&nbsp;

Nurrenbern, who is running for the 17th Senate District in Clay County, said she was particularly alarmed by the size of the donation from a family she said “has done so much good for Kansas City and the Kansas City area.”&nbsp;

State Rep. Ashley Aune, also a Democrat from Kansas City, said she wasn’t surprised to see the Hunt family backing an effort to stop abortion.

“But also, it’s disappointing because when you have such a big platform,” Aune said. “Using that platform to sow misinformation is a really irresponsible way to use it.”

In 2020, Lamar Hunt Jr. served as the master of ceremonies at the&nbsp;<a href="https://nrlc.org/nrlnewstoday/2020/02/tim-tebow-and-kansas-city-chief-owner-lamar-hunt-jr-team-up-at-kansans-for-life-banquet/" target="_blank">Kansans for Life annual Valentine’s Day banquet.&nbsp;</a>

Hunt, an owner of the Chiefs, told the crowd: “I do not think it is a cliché to say we are in a life and death battle for the truth and authentic dignity of the human person.”&nbsp;

Hunt six years earlier published<a href="https://lamarhuntjr.com/shift-momentum-battle-abortion/" target="_blank">&nbsp;a blog post to his website&nbsp;</a>contemplating what he observed as cultural shifts away from the “pro-choice” movement, comparing the momentum in the “pro-life” community to the San Francisco 49ers comeback and near-win in the final seconds of the 2013 Super Bowl.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728651006539.png" alt=" A handful of people opposed to Amendment 3 protested outside the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, following a ruling to keep the abortion amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> A handful of people opposed to Amendment 3 protested outside the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, following a ruling to keep the abortion amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Lamar Hunt Jr., the son of the late founder of the Kansas City Chiefs, has long been vocal about his opposition to abortion</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>The family business that owns the Kansas City Chiefs is one of the biggest funders of a political action committee opposing a proposed amendment to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban.&nbsp;<a href="https://huntsouthwest.com/steve-caple/" target="_blank">Unity Hunt</a>, the business that controls the assets of the late Lamar Hunt, including the Chiefs, in late September donated $300,000 to the Leadership for America PAC. It is currently running ads on several conservative&nbsp;radio stations across the state opposing the abortion-rights amendment,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">which will appear on the November ballot as Amendment 3.&nbsp;</a>Leadership for America is an independent spending PAC created in January. Prior to receiving the donation from Unity Hunt, the PAC had $31,159 on hand.Along with paying directly for radio ads, Leadership for America has donated $100,000 to Vote “No” on 3, the main opposition group in the Amendment 3 campaign. And on Oct. 3, the PAC donated $100,000 to a PAC called Missouri Leadership Fund, which gave $100,000 to Vote “No” on 3 six days later.Neither Unity Hunt nor the Kansas City Chiefs responded to requests for comment.No one from Leadership for America could be reached for comment. The telephone number given to the Missouri Ethics Commission for treasurer John Royal has been disconnected.The ads, which began airing across the state on Monday, call Amendment 3 “cleverly-worded to convince you that it only allows abortions until fetal viability.”&nbsp;“But it has loopholes that allow for abortions through all nine months of pregnancy,” the ad continues. “Abortion proponents used to say ‘safe, legal and rare.’ But now they want abortion as common as the morning after pill.”Supporters of the amendment say claims of abortions in the third trimester are misleading, since the legal freedoms around abortion would only apply until fetal viability, which is generally considered to be around 24 weeks, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.The amendment text would<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;allow the Missouri legislature to regulate abortion after fetal viability</a>&nbsp;with exceptions only to “protect the life, or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”Abortion is illegal from the moment of conception in Missouri, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies. There are no exceptions for victims of rape or incest.&nbsp;Leadership for America has spent a little more than $32,000 on the radio ads, which are set to run through Nov. 4. There are no other broadcast ads opposing the amendment.&nbsp;&nbsp;Organized efforts against Amendment 3 have been hugely outspent by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the committee backing the amendment. The campaign reported spending $7.3 million through June 30 and has purchased more than $8.7 million in television ads since the start of September.Vote “No” on 3 has not filed a full disclosure report but has amassed $870,000 in donations greater than $5,000 since Aug. 30.While the content of the Leadership for America ad aligns with most other opposition talking points, the original source of the money behind the ad drew some attention.&nbsp;“It is incredibly disappointing to see Unity Hunt spend resources on this campaign to spread lies and continue the fear-mongering surrounding Amendment 3,” said state Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Democrat from Kansas City.&nbsp;Nurrenbern, who is running for the 17th Senate District in Clay County, said she was particularly alarmed by the size of the donation from a family she said “has done so much good for Kansas City and the Kansas City area.”&nbsp;State Rep. Ashley Aune, also a Democrat from Kansas City, said she wasn’t surprised to see the Hunt family backing an effort to stop abortion.“But also, it’s disappointing because when you have such a big platform,” Aune said. “Using that platform to sow misinformation is a really irresponsible way to use it.”In 2020, Lamar Hunt Jr. served as the master of ceremonies at the&nbsp;<a href="https://nrlc.org/nrlnewstoday/2020/02/tim-tebow-and-kansas-city-chief-owner-lamar-hunt-jr-team-up-at-kansans-for-life-banquet/" target="_blank">Kansans for Life annual Valentine’s Day banquet.&nbsp;</a>Hunt, an owner of the Chiefs, told the crowd: “I do not think it is a cliché to say we are in a life and death battle for the truth and authentic dignity of the human person.”&nbsp;Hunt six years earlier published<a href="https://lamarhuntjr.com/shift-momentum-battle-abortion/" target="_blank">&nbsp;a blog post to his website&nbsp;</a>contemplating what he observed as cultural shifts away from the “pro-choice” movement, comparing the momentum in the “pro-life” community to the San Francisco 49ers comeback and near-win in the final seconds of the 2013 Super Bowl.

KC Chiefs owners fund radio ad campaign opposing Missouri abortion amendment

A strong geomagnetic storm occurred Thursday night and brought views of the aurora as far south as northern Missouri and Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728614836497.png" alt="View of the northern lights from Kansas on Thursday" />
 <figcaption>View of the northern lights from Kansas on Thursday</figcaption>
 </figure>A strong geomagnetic storm occurred Thursday night and brought views of the aurora as far south as northern Missouri and Kansas.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The northern lights are on full display across the Tri-State area. If you haven&#39;t made it out this evening don&#39;t worry the clear skies are forecast to continue throughout the night. For more information on the Aurora please visit <a href="https://t.co/H6I1XThxql">https://t.co/H6I1XThxql</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/newx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#newx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cowx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cowx</a> <a href="https://t.co/nIeX5iTcqd">pic.twitter.com/nIeX5iTcqd</a>&mdash; NWS Goodland (@NWSGoodland) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSGoodland/status/1844571365774590345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Beautiful display: Northern lights show off across Missouri, Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY–One person was injured in a fire Thursday in Topeka.

Just after noon, crews responded to a fire at Shorey Villa Apartments, 2200 NW Polk Street, according to Fire Department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

Firefighters found smoke coming from one of the apartments and began attacking the fire.&nbsp; Fire crews searching the residence found a woman with&nbsp;serious injuries.

 The fire was extinguished and no additional injuries were reported.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental; related to flammable materials being too close to an open flame.&nbsp; The victim's injuries were non-life-threatening.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728588511633.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY–One person was injured in a fire Thursday in Topeka.Just after noon, crews responded to a fire at Shorey Villa Apartments, 2200 NW Polk Street, according to Fire Department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.Firefighters found smoke coming from one of the apartments and began attacking the fire.&nbsp; Fire crews searching the residence found a woman with&nbsp;serious injuries. The fire was extinguished and no additional injuries were reported.&nbsp;&nbsp;The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental; related to flammable materials being too close to an open flame.&nbsp; The victim's injuries were non-life-threatening.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

Woman seriously burned in Kansas apartment fire

PHELPS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Thursday in Phelps County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Honda driven by Gabriel K. Peak, Steelville, was southbound on U.S. 63 near County Road 6220.&nbsp;

The vehicle crossed the center line and struck a northbound 2020 Peterbilt semi driven by Rajan N. Taylor, 42, Potosi.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Peak was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hutson Funeral Home in Cuba. Taylor was properly restrained and not injured, according to the MSHP.

PHELPS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Thursday in Phelps County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Honda driven by Gabriel K. Peak, Steelville, was southbound on U.S. 63 near County Road 6220.&nbsp;The vehicle crossed the center line and struck a northbound 2020 Peterbilt semi driven by Rajan N. Taylor, 42, Potosi.&nbsp;&nbsp;Peak was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hutson Funeral Home in Cuba. Taylor was properly restrained and not injured, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man dies after crash with a semi

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a drug overdose death in Hutchinson that occurred in June have made an arrest, according to a media release.

&nbsp;On Wednesday, the Hutchinson Police Department Special Operations Unit arrested 37-year-old Shay L. Kane, 37,&nbsp; Eureka, Kansas, on requested charges for distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death, and unlawful use of a communication device (13 counts). She is being held on a $250,000 bond.

This arrest is associated with a fatal drug overdose that occurred in Hutchinson in June 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728595269592.png" alt="Kane photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Kane photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a drug overdose death in Hutchinson that occurred in June have made an arrest, according to a media release.&nbsp;On Wednesday, the Hutchinson Police Department Special Operations Unit arrested 37-year-old Shay L. Kane, 37,&nbsp; Eureka, Kansas, on requested charges for distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death, and unlawful use of a communication device (13 counts). She is being held on a $250,000 bond.This arrest is associated with a fatal drug overdose that occurred in Hutchinson in June 2024..

Kansas woman accused in drug overdose death

KANSAS CITY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a&nbsp; fire that destroyed a church south of Kansas City.

Just after 6a.m. Wednesday, the Bates County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call on a fire at the Methodist Church located at the intersection of Kentucky Street and Main Street in Adrian, Missouri,&nbsp;approximately 50 miles south of Kansas City and 45 minutes east of Paola, Kansas.

 When Adrian Police arrived on scene, they observed heavy smoke coming from the eaves of the building.   As firemen made entry into the church they observed the church to be fully involved in fire.

 Additional mutual aid was requested.&nbsp;  Fire Departments from Butler, Amsterdam, Drexel, Central Cass, Harrisonville and Dolan West Dolan responded to assist.   Bates County EMS, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Bates County Sheriff’s Office also responded to assist.&nbsp;

The Adrian Fire Department has requested assistance on the investigation from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the ATF.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728521685234.png" alt="Photos Bates County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Bates County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a&nbsp; fire that destroyed a church south of Kansas City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728521896181.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 6a.m. Wednesday, the Bates County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call on a fire at the Methodist Church located at the intersection of Kentucky Street and Main Street in Adrian, Missouri,&nbsp;approximately 50 miles south of Kansas City and 45 minutes east of Paola, Kansas. When Adrian Police arrived on scene, they observed heavy smoke coming from the eaves of the building. As firemen made entry into the church they observed the church to be fully involved in fire.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728521685234.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fumconmain%2Fposts%2Fpfbid034ZQgBjaDT2Navws9a8EGNTdFMVRfXDAw141VHR8eZACScvzj4Ho217AiCAtKjJR1l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="292" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div> Additional mutual aid was requested.&nbsp; Fire Departments from Butler, Amsterdam, Drexel, Central Cass, Harrisonville and Dolan West Dolan responded to assist. Bates County EMS, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Bates County Sheriff’s Office also responded to assist.&nbsp;The Adrian Fire Department has requested assistance on the investigation from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the ATF.

Cause of fire that destroyed church under investigation

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting on October 3, have released the name of the victim as 21-year-old Jai'Marion Miller of Kansas City, Kansas.

Just after 7a.m. October 3, police responded to report of a shooting in the 4900 Block of Dickinson Road in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.

First responders found Miller on the road with apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or released suspect information.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting on October 3, have released the name of the victim as 21-year-old Jai'Marion Miller of Kansas City, Kansas.Just after 7a.m. October 3, police responded to report of a shooting in the 4900 Block of Dickinson Road in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.First responders found Miller on the road with apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or released suspect information.

Homicide: Police ID Kan. man found with gunshot wound on the road

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/clarkkauffman/">CLARK KAUFFMAN</a>&nbsp;

The state of Iowa, where nursing homes have compiled one of the nation’s worst records for staffing-level violations, has joined 19 other states in suing the Biden administration to block the implementation of new staffing requirements.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, seeks to overturn the nursing home staffing requirements approved earlier this year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In their petition, the 20 states, including Kansas, and more than a dozen industry associations argue that the new staffing requirements pose “an existential threat to the nursing home industry as many nursing homes that are already struggling will have no choice but to go out of business. And the main victims will be the patients who will have nowhere else to go.”

The lawsuit is in response to CMS’ decision in April to finalize new minimum staffing standards that will require homes to conduct assessments of their residents’ needs and provide 3.48 hours of direct nursing care per resident, per day. The rule also requires the homes to have a registered nurse available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/04/16/iowa-nursing-homes-staffing-levels-are-among-the-nations-worst/" target="_blank">the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported</a>&nbsp;that Iowa nursing homes have the sixth-worst record in the nation for staffing-level violations. Data from CMS show that 14% of the state’s 422 nursing facilities were cited for insufficient staffing in fiscal year 2023. That was more than double the national average, which was 5.9%.

Only five other states — Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico and Oregon — had a worse record of compliance with the sufficient-staffing requirement.

Des Moines’ Fleur Heights care facility compiled Iowa’s worst record of compliance.&nbsp; Over a nine-month period between May 2023 and February 2024, Fleur Heights was cited, but never fined, five times for insufficient staff — more than any other facility in the state.

Lawsuit: CMS pulls an elephant out of a mousehole

Federal data suggest many care facilities already meet the new standards, but industry officials allege nursing homes will need to hire an additional 27,000 full-time registered nurses and 78,000 full-time certified nurse aides, at a cost of more than $7 billion, to meet the requirements.

<a href="https://nursinghome411.org/alert-staffing-q4-2023/" target="_blank">A report from the Long-Term Care Community Coalition</a>&nbsp;earlier this year showed that 6 in 10 of all U.S. nursing homes would have met the new nurse-staffing standard of 3.48 hours in the fourth quarter of 2023. Iowa homes fell below the national average, with 56.5% of them meeting the new standard.

The fact that a majority of facilities already meet the new minimum standard while still facing quality-of-care issues has been an issue with many advocates who say&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/05/03/new-report-details-low-staffing-high-turnover-in-iowa-nursing-homes/" target="_blank">the new standards don’t go far enough.</a>&nbsp;They point to a federal study that shows each resident needs at least 4.1 hours of nursing care each day – which is a standard met by only 26% of all nursing homes nationally.

The lawsuit alleges the new requirements, which apply only to homes that accept taxpayer money through Medicaid and Medicare funding for resident care, are “not even close to lawful.”

That claim appears to be based on the plaintiffs’ argument that CMS lacks the broad authority needed to enact a rule that would “result in at least $43 billion of compliance costs for nursing homes nationwide over the next ten years” without first obtaining congressional approval. The lawsuit likens CMS’ action to pulling an elephant out of a mousehole.

The lawsuit also notes that the previous standards included a “flexible staffing standard” that dates back to 1972 and which required only that a nursing home “provide 24-hour licensed nursing services which are sufficient to meet the nursing needs of its residents.”

For at least 40 years, that standard came under fire from advocates for seniors who alleged it allowed corporate nursing home owners to define for themselves what constituted a “sufficient” level of staffing, even as federal studies showed inadequate staffing to be the single largest contributor to poor quality care in nursing homes.

Congress, the lawsuit points out, chose not to take action on complaints regarding the rule on “sufficient” staff.

“For decades, Congress, CMS, and its predecessors have considered — and rejected — proposals to replace the flexible staffing standards with a one-size-fits-all requirement,” the lawsuit argues, adding that the new mandate “threatens the health, safety, and well-being of millions of nursing home patients across the country.”

Although the new staffing requirements are to be phased in over two to three years, and include a waiver for homes in rural areas with labor-pool shortages, “the reality of a tight labor market requires nursing homes to hire immediately because the available supply of nurses will dwindle as the implementation date approaches,” the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit characterizes the new staffing mandate of having a nurse available on a 24/7 basis as “a one-size-fits-all approach,” but acknowledges other elements of the mandate would be based on a care facility’s own assessment of residents’ needs.

Although the new rule includes a financial-hardship waiver for homes that can’t afford to meet the new staffing level requirements, the plaintiffs argue that in order to get such a waiver, a home must prove there’s a significant local shortage of health care workers, show evidence of staff recruitment efforts and competitive wages, and document their spending on staffing in relation to their overall revenue.

Even then, the plaintiffs argue, a “hardship exemption” can still be denied if a nursing home is designated a “special focus facility” due to major, recurring violations of resident-care standards.

Another point of contention referenced in the lawsuit is the new rule’s lack of recognition for the use of licensed practical nurses. The plaintiffs argue that the rule creates an incentive for facilities to fire LPNs and replace them with less skilled certified nurse aides. The rule “pressures long-term care facilities to replace experienced LPNs” with less-qualified new hires, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit seeks a declaration by the court that CMS lacks the authority to impose the new requirements as well as orders vacating and setting aside specific requirements such as the 24/7 requirement for a registered nurse.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the states of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, South Carolina, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Co-plaintiffs include the LeadingAge lobbying and professional associations in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Colorado, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Michigan.

The defendants, CMS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have yet to file a response to the lawsuit. In other, similar lawsuits, such as one filed in Texas by industry officials, the agencies have denied any wrongdoing.

Iowa Capital-Dispatch, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/10/09/iowa-19-other-states-sue-feds-to-block-staffing-mandates-for-nursing-homes/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608503689153.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/clarkkauffman/">CLARK KAUFFMAN</a>&nbsp;The state of Iowa, where nursing homes have compiled one of the nation’s worst records for staffing-level violations, has joined 19 other states in suing the Biden administration to block the implementation of new staffing requirements.The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, seeks to overturn the nursing home staffing requirements approved earlier this year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.In their petition, the 20 states, including Kansas, and more than a dozen industry associations argue that the new staffing requirements pose “an existential threat to the nursing home industry as many nursing homes that are already struggling will have no choice but to go out of business. And the main victims will be the patients who will have nowhere else to go.”The lawsuit is in response to CMS’ decision in April to finalize new minimum staffing standards that will require homes to conduct assessments of their residents’ needs and provide 3.48 hours of direct nursing care per resident, per day. The rule also requires the homes to have a registered nurse available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.Earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/04/16/iowa-nursing-homes-staffing-levels-are-among-the-nations-worst/" target="_blank">the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported</a>&nbsp;that Iowa nursing homes have the sixth-worst record in the nation for staffing-level violations. Data from CMS show that 14% of the state’s 422 nursing facilities were cited for insufficient staffing in fiscal year 2023. That was more than double the national average, which was 5.9%.Only five other states — Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico and Oregon — had a worse record of compliance with the sufficient-staffing requirement.Des Moines’ Fleur Heights care facility compiled Iowa’s worst record of compliance.&nbsp; Over a nine-month period between May 2023 and February 2024, Fleur Heights was cited, but never fined, five times for insufficient staff — more than any other facility in the state.<h2>Lawsuit: CMS pulls an elephant out of a mousehole</h2>Federal data suggest many care facilities already meet the new standards, but industry officials allege nursing homes will need to hire an additional 27,000 full-time registered nurses and 78,000 full-time certified nurse aides, at a cost of more than $7 billion, to meet the requirements.<a href="https://nursinghome411.org/alert-staffing-q4-2023/" target="_blank">A report from the Long-Term Care Community Coalition</a>&nbsp;earlier this year showed that 6 in 10 of all U.S. nursing homes would have met the new nurse-staffing standard of 3.48 hours in the fourth quarter of 2023. Iowa homes fell below the national average, with 56.5% of them meeting the new standard.The fact that a majority of facilities already meet the new minimum standard while still facing quality-of-care issues has been an issue with many advocates who say&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/05/03/new-report-details-low-staffing-high-turnover-in-iowa-nursing-homes/" target="_blank">the new standards don’t go far enough.</a>&nbsp;They point to a federal study that shows each resident needs at least 4.1 hours of nursing care each day – which is a standard met by only 26% of all nursing homes nationally.The lawsuit alleges the new requirements, which apply only to homes that accept taxpayer money through Medicaid and Medicare funding for resident care, are “not even close to lawful.”That claim appears to be based on the plaintiffs’ argument that CMS lacks the broad authority needed to enact a rule that would “result in at least $43 billion of compliance costs for nursing homes nationwide over the next ten years” without first obtaining congressional approval. The lawsuit likens CMS’ action to pulling an elephant out of a mousehole.The lawsuit also notes that the previous standards included a “flexible staffing standard” that dates back to 1972 and which required only that a nursing home “provide 24-hour licensed nursing services which are sufficient to meet the nursing needs of its residents.”For at least 40 years, that standard came under fire from advocates for seniors who alleged it allowed corporate nursing home owners to define for themselves what constituted a “sufficient” level of staffing, even as federal studies showed inadequate staffing to be the single largest contributor to poor quality care in nursing homes.Congress, the lawsuit points out, chose not to take action on complaints regarding the rule on “sufficient” staff.“For decades, Congress, CMS, and its predecessors have considered — and rejected — proposals to replace the flexible staffing standards with a one-size-fits-all requirement,” the lawsuit argues, adding that the new mandate “threatens the health, safety, and well-being of millions of nursing home patients across the country.”<h2>Hardship exemptions are questioned</h2>Although the new staffing requirements are to be phased in over two to three years, and include a waiver for homes in rural areas with labor-pool shortages, “the reality of a tight labor market requires nursing homes to hire immediately because the available supply of nurses will dwindle as the implementation date approaches,” the lawsuit claims.The lawsuit characterizes the new staffing mandate of having a nurse available on a 24/7 basis as “a one-size-fits-all approach,” but acknowledges other elements of the mandate would be based on a care facility’s own assessment of residents’ needs.Although the new rule includes a financial-hardship waiver for homes that can’t afford to meet the new staffing level requirements, the plaintiffs argue that in order to get such a waiver, a home must prove there’s a significant local shortage of health care workers, show evidence of staff recruitment efforts and competitive wages, and document their spending on staffing in relation to their overall revenue.Even then, the plaintiffs argue, a “hardship exemption” can still be denied if a nursing home is designated a “special focus facility” due to major, recurring violations of resident-care standards.Another point of contention referenced in the lawsuit is the new rule’s lack of recognition for the use of licensed practical nurses. The plaintiffs argue that the rule creates an incentive for facilities to fire LPNs and replace them with less skilled certified nurse aides. The rule “pressures long-term care facilities to replace experienced LPNs” with less-qualified new hires, the lawsuit alleges.The lawsuit seeks a declaration by the court that CMS lacks the authority to impose the new requirements as well as orders vacating and setting aside specific requirements such as the 24/7 requirement for a registered nurse.Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the states of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, South Carolina, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.Co-plaintiffs include the LeadingAge lobbying and professional associations in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Colorado, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Michigan.The defendants, CMS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have yet to file a response to the lawsuit. In other, similar lawsuits, such as one filed in Texas by industry officials, the agencies have denied any wrongdoing.Iowa Capital-Dispatch, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/10/09/iowa-19-other-states-sue-feds-to-block-staffing-mandates-for-nursing-homes/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

Missouri, Kansas sue feds to block staffing mandates for nursing homes

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement are investigating a shooting in Manhattan.

Just before 8p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a report of shots fired in the 900 block of Yuma Street, according to a media release.

Officers located a 23-year-old man from Manhattan who had been shot in the parking lot of the Douglass Activity Complex. The victim was transported by EMS to Ascension Via Christi Hospital, where he was air-lifted to Stormont Vail Hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

Preliminary information indicates the shooter, a 26-year-old man, acted in self-defense. There is believed to be little to no relationship between the individuals involved, and this appears to be an isolated incident with no threat to public safety.

This is an open and ongoing investigation. Additional details will be released as they become available.

RILEY COUNTY —Officers were on the scene of a shooting Wednesday evening in the 900 block of Yuma in Manhattan near the Douglas Recreation Center, according to the Riley County Police Department. 

One person has been shot and transported to Via Christi for treatment of their injuries.

Police asked drivers to find alternate routes&nbsp; to avoid the 900 blocks of Yuma and Fort Riley Boulevard so officers continue to work the scene.&nbsp;

if your child was participating in activities at the Douglas Center, please follow the cones on the 900 block of Fort Riley Boulevard for pick-up. Police believed the shooting was in isolated incident and there was no&nbsp; danger to the public.

Few details are available. Check the Post for more information as it is released from the RCPD.

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement are investigating a shooting in Manhattan.Just before 8p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a report of shots fired in the 900 block of Yuma Street, according to a media release.Officers located a 23-year-old man from Manhattan who had been shot in the parking lot of the Douglass Activity Complex. The victim was transported by EMS to Ascension Via Christi Hospital, where he was air-lifted to Stormont Vail Hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.Preliminary information indicates the shooter, a 26-year-old man, acted in self-defense. There is believed to be little to no relationship between the individuals involved, and this appears to be an isolated incident with no threat to public safety.This is an open and ongoing investigation. Additional details will be released as they become available.----------------RILEY COUNTY —Officers were on the scene of a shooting Wednesday evening in the 900 block of Yuma in Manhattan near the Douglas Recreation Center, according to the Riley County Police Department. One person has been shot and transported to Via Christi for treatment of their injuries.Police asked drivers to find alternate routes&nbsp; to avoid the 900 blocks of Yuma and Fort Riley Boulevard so officers continue to work the scene.&nbsp;if your child was participating in activities at the Douglas Center, please follow the cones on the 900 block of Fort Riley Boulevard for pick-up. Police believed the shooting was in isolated incident and there was no&nbsp; danger to the public.Few details are available. Check the Post for more information as it is released from the RCPD.

Police: Shooter in Manhattan parking lot acted in self defense

Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for more than 72.5 million Americans will increase 2.5 percent in 2025, the Social Security Administration announced today. On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $50 per month starting in January, according to a media release from the agency.

Over the last decade the COLA increase has averaged about 2.6 percent. The COLA was 3.2 percent in 2024.

Nearly 68 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) beginning in January 2025.  Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2024. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security benefits and SSI).

“Social Security benefits and SSI payments will increase in 2025, helping tens of millions of people keep up with expenses even as inflation has started to cool,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security.

Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages.  Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) is slated to increase to $176,100 from $168,600.

Social Security begins notifying people about their new benefit amount by mail starting in early December.

This year, for the first time, Social Security beneficiaries will receive a newly designed and improved COLA notice that makes it easier for customers to find the information they need most. The simplified COLA notice is now only one page, uses plain and personalized language, and provides exact dates and dollar amounts of a person’s new benefit amount and any deductions.

Individuals who have a personal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security</a>&nbsp;account can view their COLA notice online, which is secure, easy, and faster than receiving a letter in the mail. People can set up text or email alerts when there is a new message--such as their COLA notice--waiting for them in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security</a>.

People will need to have a personal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security</a>&nbsp;account by Nov. 20 to see their COLA notice online. To get started, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount">www.ssa.gov/myaccount</a>.

Information about Medicare changes for 2025 will be available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicare.gov/">www.medicare.gov</a>. For Social Security beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, the 2025 benefit amount will be available via&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security's</a>&nbsp;Message Center starting in late November. Those who have not opted to receive messages online will receive their COLA notice by mail in December.

The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697549458437.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for more than 72.5 million Americans will increase 2.5 percent in 2025, the Social Security Administration announced today. On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $50 per month starting in January, according to a media release from the agency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728570541677.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Over the last decade the COLA increase has averaged about 2.6 percent. The COLA was 3.2 percent in 2024.Nearly 68 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) beginning in January 2025.  Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2024. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security benefits and SSI).<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728570588387.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Social Security benefits and SSI payments will increase in 2025, helping tens of millions of people keep up with expenses even as inflation has started to cool,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security.Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages.  Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) is slated to increase to $176,100 from $168,600.Social Security begins notifying people about their new benefit amount by mail starting in early December.This year, for the first time, Social Security beneficiaries will receive a newly designed and improved COLA notice that makes it easier for customers to find the information they need most. The simplified COLA notice is now only one page, uses plain and personalized language, and provides exact dates and dollar amounts of a person’s new benefit amount and any deductions.Individuals who have a personal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security</a>&nbsp;account can view their COLA notice online, which is secure, easy, and faster than receiving a letter in the mail. People can set up text or email alerts when there is a new message--such as their COLA notice--waiting for them in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security</a>.People will need to have a personal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security</a>&nbsp;account by Nov. 20 to see their COLA notice online. To get started, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount">www.ssa.gov/myaccount</a>.Information about Medicare changes for 2025 will be available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicare.gov/">www.medicare.gov</a>. For Social Security beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, the 2025 benefit amount will be available via&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security's</a>&nbsp;Message Center starting in late November. Those who have not opted to receive messages online will receive their COLA notice by mail in December.The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Social Security confirms 2025 cost of living increase

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have failed the people of North Carolina and have proven incompetent. Also their labeling any information they don’t like as “misinformation” is disingenuous and only meant to silence dissent. I joined ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IngrahamAngle</a>⁩ to talk about it. <a href="https://t.co/JPaYHCv11E">pic.twitter.com/JPaYHCv11E</a>&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1844206697268572357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene...is now saying the federal government is literally controlling the weather. We&#39;re controlling the weather!?! It&#39;s beyond ridiculous. It&#39;s gotta stop.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3VSwSaKF5d">pic.twitter.com/3VSwSaKF5d</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1844058337014608071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Mo. U.S. Senator: Biden and Harris have failed the people of North Carolina 

Lawmakers question the contribution to campaign committee pushing Amendment 6, which would reinstate fees dedicated to pensions for sheriffs and prosecutors

By RUDI KELLER&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

he Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System last month made a $30,000 investment, hoping for a big return if voters approve a ballot measure&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/04/amendment-would-use-court-fees-to-fund-retirement-for-missouri-sheriffs-prosecutors/">imposing a $3 fee on court cases</a>&nbsp;to fund the system’s pensions.

The $30,000 contribution to the Committee to Ensure a Future for Sheriffs &amp; Prosecutors, the committee promoting Amendment 6 on the Nov. 5 ballot, was approved at the system’s Board of Directors meeting in September, executive director Melissa Lorts said Tuesday.

The donation is drawing concern from critics of the proposed amendment — and even lawmakers in support — who question whether the pension board is using taxpayer dollars to support a political campaign.

The fee on court cases could generate about $2 million annually,&nbsp;<a href="https://senate.mo.gov/FiscalNotes/2024-1/4005S.03T.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">according to a fiscal note</a>&nbsp;for the legislation putting the measure before voters.

Prosecutors, who would also benefit from Amendment 6, have contributed $50,000 from Missouri Prosecutors Association funds. Sheriffs are the biggest contributors, with $100,000 coming from the Missouri Sheriff’s Association in addition to the donation from the retirement fund.

Along with providing the third-largest single contribution to the campaign, the retirement system website is actively promoting passage of the proposal with a&nbsp;<a href="https://sherretmo.com/" target="_blank">box urging a “yes” vote</a>&nbsp;on Amendment 6 and a link to the campaign website.

Lorts is the treasurer of the campaign committee in addition to her duties, which she said are part-time, as fund executive director.

No law is being violated by making the donation, Lorts said.

“I have a legal opinion and these are not public dollars,” Lorts said. “I’m not a political subdivision and they’re not public dollars.”

The legal opinion was not provided in writing, Lorts said. She also said she called the Missouri Ethics Commission and was assured the contribution was legal.

That assurance was not formalized in writing, either, Lorts said.

“My attorney, and I’ve also called Missouri Ethics, says nowhere am I not allowed to do that,” Lorts said.&nbsp;

Stacy Heislen, acting executive director of the ethics commission, declined to comment on any specific conversations.

“Our practice is to provide an overview of what the statute allows,” Heislen said.

Leading members of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement weren’t as certain as Lorts that the contributions were unquestionably legal.

State Rep. Barry Hovis, a Cape Girardeau Republican and chairman of the committee, said he would have to know more about the precise source of funds. He said he would ask committee staff to research the question.

“If we think that it’s a Missouri ethics complaint, obviously that report should be made to Missouri ethics to see if they did spend money that’s not viable for a campaign or election,” Hovis said. “I don’t know, I’m just not good enough on the rules to say yes or no on those.”

Hovis, a retired police officer who sponsored the legislation in the Missouri House, said he thinks the fee is reasonable. Sheriffs are vital to the functioning of the courts by serving paperwork, providing security and operating jails, he said.

Another committee member, Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat, said he was also uncertain about the legality of the donation and wanted to know more.

“This doesn’t look good, and that’s where I’m at right now,” Beck said. “I would have to talk to some other folks that are a little bit more knowledgeable about this. I personally don’t like the way it looks.”

The fee in question was added to criminal cases in 1983 and expanded to include municipal court cases in 2013. In 2021, the Missouri Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=177738" target="_blank">ruled that it was an unconstitutiona</a>l bar to the courts, which are to be&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=I++++14&amp;bid=31714&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">open to all</a>&nbsp;and where “justice shall be administered without sale, denial or delay.”

Amendment 6 would overturn that decision&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/pdf-bill/tat/SJR71.pdf" target="_blank">by stating</a>&nbsp;that “costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for” sheriffs, former sheriffs, prosecutors and former prosecutors is part of ensuring “that all Missourians have access to the courts of justice…”

Before the Supreme Court decision, the fiscal note for the legislation states, the fee brought about $2 million annually to the pension fund.

The fund in 2023 paid $3.8 million in benefits to&nbsp;<a href="https://sherretmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2023-Sheriffs-Retirement-Annual-Report.pdf" target="_blank">147 retired former sheriffs, one disabled former sheriff, and 52 spouses</a>. The administrative costs of $244,454.

There are 17 retired sheriffs eligible for a pension but not receiving it and 115 currently in office.

“My board voted to contribute because it is important to the 200 members that are currently receiving a benefit that will lose their benefit if we do not receive our $3 fee back,” Lorts said.

During calendar year 2023, without the fees, the fund received $89,502 in contributions, had $38.4 million in assets and had lost $15 million in value over the previous two years. A large portion of the loss in value was due to refunding the unconstitutional fee and other costs from litigation.

To shore up its finances, lawmakers this year appropriated $5 million in general revenue to the fund, $2.5 million in the supplemental spending bill for the year ending June 30 and another $2.5 million in the current year.

Since Jan. 1, sheriffs have been contributing 5% of their salaries toward the pension fund.

By making the contribution after receiving state tax dollars, the fund could have violated rules governing the use of state appropriations, said Sharon Jones, an attorney from Jefferson City who was a member of the legal team that forced changes in the ballot language for Amendment 6.

“I’m not surprised by it even a little bit,” Jones said of the contribution.

The legal question is a murky one, she said.&nbsp;

“Our campaign finance laws are pretty Wild West,” she said. “Certainly, there have been attempts over the last couple of years specifically aimed at school boards and county people trying to pass levies to say you can’t campaign for it.”

A state law dating to 1988, and strengthened in 2021, prohibits political subdivisions&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=115.646&amp;bid=49862&amp;hl=" target="_blank">from using public funds</a>&nbsp;to support or oppose any ballot measure or candidate. No one interviewed for this story could point to a specific state law applying that prohibition to state departments or entities created by state statute.

Federal law does prohibit the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1661-protection-government-property-embezzlement-public-funds" target="_blank">conversion of public funds</a>&nbsp;to campaign purposes.

“If the sheriff’s pension goes under, the state of Missouri is on the hook for those dollars,” Jones said.

Regardless of the law, she said, it is an improper diversion of money away from its official purpose.

“It’s still public money, and it’s still money that is supposed to be used on the administration of the pension fund and to make sure that there is enough to pay out what’s owed when the time comes,” Jones said.

<h2>Lawmakers question the contribution to campaign committee pushing Amendment 6, which would reinstate fees dedicated to pensions for sheriffs and prosecutors</h2>By RUDI KELLER&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>he Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System last month made a $30,000 investment, hoping for a big return if voters approve a ballot measure&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/04/amendment-would-use-court-fees-to-fund-retirement-for-missouri-sheriffs-prosecutors/">imposing a $3 fee on court cases</a>&nbsp;to fund the system’s pensions.The $30,000 contribution to the Committee to Ensure a Future for Sheriffs &amp; Prosecutors, the committee promoting Amendment 6 on the Nov. 5 ballot, was approved at the system’s Board of Directors meeting in September, executive director Melissa Lorts said Tuesday.The donation is drawing concern from critics of the proposed amendment — and even lawmakers in support — who question whether the pension board is using taxpayer dollars to support a political campaign.The fee on court cases could generate about $2 million annually,&nbsp;<a href="https://senate.mo.gov/FiscalNotes/2024-1/4005S.03T.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">according to a fiscal note</a>&nbsp;for the legislation putting the measure before voters.Prosecutors, who would also benefit from Amendment 6, have contributed $50,000 from Missouri Prosecutors Association funds. Sheriffs are the biggest contributors, with $100,000 coming from the Missouri Sheriff’s Association in addition to the donation from the retirement fund.Along with providing the third-largest single contribution to the campaign, the retirement system website is actively promoting passage of the proposal with a&nbsp;<a href="https://sherretmo.com/" target="_blank">box urging a “yes” vote</a>&nbsp;on Amendment 6 and a link to the campaign website.Lorts is the treasurer of the campaign committee in addition to her duties, which she said are part-time, as fund executive director.No law is being violated by making the donation, Lorts said.“I have a legal opinion and these are not public dollars,” Lorts said. “I’m not a political subdivision and they’re not public dollars.”The legal opinion was not provided in writing, Lorts said. She also said she called the Missouri Ethics Commission and was assured the contribution was legal.That assurance was not formalized in writing, either, Lorts said.“My attorney, and I’ve also called Missouri Ethics, says nowhere am I not allowed to do that,” Lorts said.&nbsp;Stacy Heislen, acting executive director of the ethics commission, declined to comment on any specific conversations.“Our practice is to provide an overview of what the statute allows,” Heislen said.<h2>Questions from lawmakers</h2>Leading members of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement weren’t as certain as Lorts that the contributions were unquestionably legal.State Rep. Barry Hovis, a Cape Girardeau Republican and chairman of the committee, said he would have to know more about the precise source of funds. He said he would ask committee staff to research the question.“If we think that it’s a Missouri ethics complaint, obviously that report should be made to Missouri ethics to see if they did spend money that’s not viable for a campaign or election,” Hovis said. “I don’t know, I’m just not good enough on the rules to say yes or no on those.”Hovis, a retired police officer who sponsored the legislation in the Missouri House, said he thinks the fee is reasonable. Sheriffs are vital to the functioning of the courts by serving paperwork, providing security and operating jails, he said.Another committee member, Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat, said he was also uncertain about the legality of the donation and wanted to know more.“This doesn’t look good, and that’s where I’m at right now,” Beck said. “I would have to talk to some other folks that are a little bit more knowledgeable about this. I personally don’t like the way it looks.”The fee in question was added to criminal cases in 1983 and expanded to include municipal court cases in 2013. In 2021, the Missouri Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=177738" target="_blank">ruled that it was an unconstitutiona</a>l bar to the courts, which are to be&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=I++++14&amp;bid=31714&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">open to all</a>&nbsp;and where “justice shall be administered without sale, denial or delay.”Amendment 6 would overturn that decision&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/pdf-bill/tat/SJR71.pdf" target="_blank">by stating</a>&nbsp;that “costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for” sheriffs, former sheriffs, prosecutors and former prosecutors is part of ensuring “that all Missourians have access to the courts of justice…”Before the Supreme Court decision, the fiscal note for the legislation states, the fee brought about $2 million annually to the pension fund.The fund in 2023 paid $3.8 million in benefits to&nbsp;<a href="https://sherretmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2023-Sheriffs-Retirement-Annual-Report.pdf" target="_blank">147 retired former sheriffs, one disabled former sheriff, and 52 spouses</a>. The administrative costs of $244,454.There are 17 retired sheriffs eligible for a pension but not receiving it and 115 currently in office.“My board voted to contribute because it is important to the 200 members that are currently receiving a benefit that will lose their benefit if we do not receive our $3 fee back,” Lorts said.<h2>Public money to shore up pension fund</h2>During calendar year 2023, without the fees, the fund received $89,502 in contributions, had $38.4 million in assets and had lost $15 million in value over the previous two years. A large portion of the loss in value was due to refunding the unconstitutional fee and other costs from litigation.To shore up its finances, lawmakers this year appropriated $5 million in general revenue to the fund, $2.5 million in the supplemental spending bill for the year ending June 30 and another $2.5 million in the current year.Since Jan. 1, sheriffs have been contributing 5% of their salaries toward the pension fund.By making the contribution after receiving state tax dollars, the fund could have violated rules governing the use of state appropriations, said Sharon Jones, an attorney from Jefferson City who was a member of the legal team that forced changes in the ballot language for Amendment 6.“I’m not surprised by it even a little bit,” Jones said of the contribution.The legal question is a murky one, she said.&nbsp;“Our campaign finance laws are pretty Wild West,” she said. “Certainly, there have been attempts over the last couple of years specifically aimed at school boards and county people trying to pass levies to say you can’t campaign for it.”A state law dating to 1988, and strengthened in 2021, prohibits political subdivisions&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=115.646&amp;bid=49862&amp;hl=" target="_blank">from using public funds</a>&nbsp;to support or oppose any ballot measure or candidate. No one interviewed for this story could point to a specific state law applying that prohibition to state departments or entities created by state statute.Federal law does prohibit the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1661-protection-government-property-embezzlement-public-funds" target="_blank">conversion of public funds</a>&nbsp;to campaign purposes.“If the sheriff’s pension goes under, the state of Missouri is on the hook for those dollars,” Jones said.Regardless of the law, she said, it is an improper diversion of money away from its official purpose.“It’s still public money, and it’s still money that is supposed to be used on the administration of the pension fund and to make sure that there is enough to pay out what’s owed when the time comes,” Jones said.Frank Vatterott, an attorney, former municipal judge in St. Louis County and a critic of the fee, said the $3 fee has nothing to do with keeping the courts open.&nbsp;Vatterott&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/messenger-ruling-against-3-surcharge-sends-message-to-missouri-legislature-on-court-costs/article_381981a0-8ab5-5a60-a55b-8368c6ec4c5f.html" target="_blank">refused to collect the fee</a>&nbsp;while he was a judge. The roots of the constitutional prohibition on the fee, he said, date back to the Magna Carta, the 1215 document that put protections for individual rights into a legally binding document for the first time in England.“The administration of justice just means the cost to keep the court going, to pay the court clerk and pay the judge and do the paperwork,” Vatterott said. “This is not the administration of justice. These are retirement funds.”Vatterott said he has no doubt that the system’s money is public funds. And he’s not in doubt about the law.“You can’t use public money for advocacy, period,” he said. “I would imagine they’re not that dumb.”