WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7p.m. Wednesday in Wyandotte County.

Lansing law enforcement is reporting a major accident at the intersection of K-7 (Main St.) and 4H Rd. Please avoid the area so first responders can do their job.

Police in Lansing reported a coach bus was southbound on Kansas 7/ Main Street at 4H Road.&nbsp; A sedan attempted to make a left turn at the intersection and collided with the bus, according to a media release. The driver of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other injuries reported.

Police have not released the name of the driver who died. The crash remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731017739533.png" alt="First responders at the scene&nbsp; photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene&nbsp; photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7p.m. Wednesday in Wyandotte County.Lansing law enforcement is reporting a major accident at the intersection of K-7 (Main St.) and 4H Rd. Please avoid the area so first responders can do their job.Police in Lansing reported a coach bus was southbound on Kansas 7/ Main Street at 4H Road.&nbsp; A sedan attempted to make a left turn at the intersection and collided with the bus, according to a media release. The driver of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other injuries reported.Police have not released the name of the driver who died. The crash remains under investigation.

Driver dies after car, bus crash on Kansas highway

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

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday reassured the nation that democracy won despite his party’s resounding election losses, and promised his accomplishments will live on, in brief remarks from the White House.

“I know for some people, it’s a time for victory, to state the obvious. For others, it’s a time of loss. Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made,” Biden said in just over six minutes of remarks to his staff and administration officials gathered in the Rose Garden just after 11 a.m. Eastern.

Former Republican President Donald Trump, now president-elect,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024#00000193-0229-dcda-ab93-b2e9ada10000" target="_blank">handily won</a>&nbsp;the 2024 presidential contest Tuesday against Vice President Kamala Harris, earning victories in closely watched swing states, including Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Trump as of early Thursday afternoon had 295 Electoral College votes, to 226 for Harris, with 270 needed for victory. He also led in the popular vote.

The Republicans also secured a Senate majority, gaining at least 52 seats while Democrats have 45. Control of the U.S. House&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/it-was-hell-good-day-us-senate-gop-takes-election-victory-lap">remained unclear</a>, though a trend toward GOP victory was emerging as ballots were still being counted.

Biden ran against Trump for the majority of the 2024 presidential race but dropped his reelection bid weeks after a disastrous presidential debate performance sparked a pressure campaign for him to step aside.

Biden phoned Trump Wednesday to congratulate him and arranged an in-person meeting to discuss the White House transition — a step that Trump did not take following his loss to Biden in 2020.

“I assured him I’d direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. That’s what the American people deserve,” Biden said.

Biden also talked about his phone call Wednesday with Democratic nominee Harris, whom he described as a “partner and public servant.”

“She ran an inspiring campaign, and everyone got to see something that I learned early on to respect so much: her character. She has a backbone like a ramrod,” Biden said.

The president said he told his team that “together, we’ve changed America for the better.”

“Much of the work we’ve done is already being felt by the American people, with the vast majority of it will not be felt, will be felt over the next 10 years,” Biden said, specifically citing the bipartisan infrastructure legislation he signed into&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684" target="_blank">law</a>&nbsp;in November 2021.

Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/vp-harris-concedes-presidential-race-phone-call-donald-trump">conceded</a>&nbsp;the race Wednesday in a phone call to Trump.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539843-1/vice-president-kamala-harris-concession-speech" target="_blank">speech</a>&nbsp;to somber supporters at her alma mater Howard University in Washington, D.C., the same day, Harris told the crowd “I get it” when it comes to feeling a range of emotions following the outcome.

“But we must accept the results of this election. … A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election we accept the results,” Harris said.

Following the 2020 presidential election, Trump and his allies challenged the results in dozens of ultimately unsuccessful lawsuits. Following his losses in court, Trump and a team of private lawyers continued to deny the election outcome and pressure state officials to manipulate slates of electors.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday reassured the nation that democracy won despite his party’s resounding election losses, and promised his accomplishments will live on, in brief remarks from the White House.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;Yesterday I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I assured him that I&#39;ve directed my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. That&#39;s what the American people deserve.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/rPWIBkUJY4">pic.twitter.com/rPWIBkUJY4</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854562595476263180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I know for some people, it’s a time for victory, to state the obvious. For others, it’s a time of loss. Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made,” Biden said in just over six minutes of remarks to his staff and administration officials gathered in the Rose Garden just after 11 a.m. Eastern.Former Republican President Donald Trump, now president-elect,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024#00000193-0229-dcda-ab93-b2e9ada10000" target="_blank">handily won</a>&nbsp;the 2024 presidential contest Tuesday against Vice President Kamala Harris, earning victories in closely watched swing states, including Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Trump as of early Thursday afternoon had 295 Electoral College votes, to 226 for Harris, with 270 needed for victory. He also led in the popular vote.The Republicans also secured a Senate majority, gaining at least 52 seats while Democrats have 45. Control of the U.S. House&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/it-was-hell-good-day-us-senate-gop-takes-election-victory-lap">remained unclear</a>, though a trend toward GOP victory was emerging as ballots were still being counted.Biden ran against Trump for the majority of the 2024 presidential race but dropped his reelection bid weeks after a disastrous presidential debate performance sparked a pressure campaign for him to step aside.Biden phoned Trump Wednesday to congratulate him and arranged an in-person meeting to discuss the White House transition — a step that Trump did not take following his loss to Biden in 2020.“I assured him I’d direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. That’s what the American people deserve,” Biden said.Biden also talked about his phone call Wednesday with Democratic nominee Harris, whom he described as a “partner and public servant.”“She ran an inspiring campaign, and everyone got to see something that I learned early on to respect so much: her character. She has a backbone like a ramrod,” Biden said.The president said he told his team that “together, we’ve changed America for the better.”“Much of the work we’ve done is already being felt by the American people, with the vast majority of it will not be felt, will be felt over the next 10 years,” Biden said, specifically citing the bipartisan infrastructure legislation he signed into&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684" target="_blank">law</a>&nbsp;in November 2021.Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/vp-harris-concedes-presidential-race-phone-call-donald-trump">conceded</a>&nbsp;the race Wednesday in a phone call to Trump.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539843-1/vice-president-kamala-harris-concession-speech" target="_blank">speech</a>&nbsp;to somber supporters at her alma mater Howard University in Washington, D.C., the same day, Harris told the crowd “I get it” when it comes to feeling a range of emotions following the outcome.“But we must accept the results of this election. … A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election we accept the results,” Harris said.Following the 2020 presidential election, Trump and his allies challenged the results in dozens of ultimately unsuccessful lawsuits. Following his losses in court, Trump and a team of private lawyers continued to deny the election outcome and pressure state officials to manipulate slates of electors.

Biden promises a ‘peaceful and orderly transition’ to new Trump administration

TOPEKA —It’s Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, according to National Sleep Foundation. So far this week, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported two accidents where the driver fell asleep.

Just after 3:30a.m. Wednesday in Rawlins County,&nbsp;a 2007 Saturn Vue driven by&nbsp;Lawrence Stephen&nbsp;Longwolf, 25, Vacaville, California, was northbound on Kansas 25 approximately eight miles south of U.S. 36

The driver fell asleep and woke up as the SUV was leaving the roadway to the east. The driver overcorrected and the vehicle crossed the southbound lane, entered the west ditch sideways and rolled.

EMS transported a passenger Kylie R.&nbsp; Cisco, 23, Anadarko, Oklahoma, to the Rawlins County Hospital.&nbsp; Longwolf and a 1-year-old passenger were not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Just before 3p.m. Tuesday, a 2006 Honda Accord driven by&nbsp; Jimi Wayne&nbsp; Hill, 26, Timken, was southbound on U.S. 183 at South County Line Road.

The driver fell asleep. The car traveled off the road to the west and the driver overcorrected. The Honda then crossed U.S. 183 to the east and struck a utility pole.

EMS transported Hill to Hays Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

The Kansas Turnpike Safety Assist, sponsored by Geico reminds motorists to be fully awake when behind the wheel. "Ensure a better night’s sleep by a relaxing wind-down and putting your devices away an hour before bed."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730996217585.png" alt="Driving Drowsy Prevention Week November 3–9, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Driving Drowsy Prevention Week November 3–9, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —It’s Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, according to National Sleep Foundation. So far this week, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported two accidents where the driver fell asleep.Just after 3:30a.m. Wednesday in Rawlins County,&nbsp;a 2007 Saturn Vue driven by&nbsp;Lawrence Stephen&nbsp;Longwolf, 25, Vacaville, California, was northbound on Kansas 25 approximately eight miles south of U.S. 36The driver fell asleep and woke up as the SUV was leaving the roadway to the east. The driver overcorrected and the vehicle crossed the southbound lane, entered the west ditch sideways and rolled.EMS transported a passenger Kylie R.&nbsp; Cisco, 23, Anadarko, Oklahoma, to the Rawlins County Hospital.&nbsp; Longwolf and a 1-year-old passenger were not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.Just before 3p.m. Tuesday, a 2006 Honda Accord driven by&nbsp; Jimi Wayne&nbsp; Hill, 26, Timken, was southbound on U.S. 183 at South County Line Road.The driver fell asleep. The car traveled off the road to the west and the driver overcorrected. The Honda then crossed U.S. 183 to the east and struck a utility pole.EMS transported Hill to Hays Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It’s Drowsy Driving Prevention Week and our Kansas Turnpike Safety Assist, sponsored by <a href="https://twitter.com/GEICO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GEICO</a>, reminds motorists to be fully awake when behind the wheel. Ensure a better night’s sleep by a relaxing wind-down and putting your devices away an hour before bed. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GEICOSafetyPatrol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GEICOSafetyPatrol</a> <a href="https://t.co/Nt4y0x8B8y">pic.twitter.com/Nt4y0x8B8y</a>&mdash; Kansas Turnpike (@KansasTurnpike) <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasTurnpike/status/1854258453218492640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Kansas Turnpike Safety Assist, sponsored by Geico reminds motorists to be fully awake when behind the wheel. "Ensure a better night’s sleep by a relaxing wind-down and putting your devices away an hour before bed."

Two sleeping drivers in Kan. during Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

TOPEKA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced Wednesday that she granted clemency to seven individuals by commuting the sentences of two incarcerated individuals and granting pardons to five individuals, all of whom show strong signs of rehabilitation, according to a statement from the governor's office.

The decision to grant the commutations and pardons was made following independent reviews by the Prison Review Board, the Kansas Department of Administration, and the Governor’s legal team.

“Granting commutations and pardons is not something I take lightly,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “By vetting numerous applications through a careful and thorough process, it was determined that these individuals have demonstrated their commitment to making amends and positively contributing to society. In cases where a disproportionally harsh sentence is imposed or a miscarriage of justice exists, commutation can be a tool to ensure reasonable action and a fairer sentence. In extraordinary cases where the criminal justice system failed to account for mitigating factors surrounding an individual’s alleged crime throughout the legal process, including sentencing, commutations can give a second chance to individuals experiencing incomprehensible circumstances at the time of their offense.”

Governor Kelly took into consideration numerous factors to determine if the commutations and pardons were warranted, including but not limited to: the nature of the offense, harsh sentences, impact of the crime on victims or survivors, demonstration of rehabilitation, criminal history, absence of disciplinary issues in prison, positive achievements and growth while incarcerated, and the ability to contribute to society following release.

Article 1, Section 7 of the Kansas Constitution and K.S.A. § 22-3701 grants the Governor’s authority to grant clemency. Below, please find the list of individuals receiving commutations and pardons:

Review of clemency applications by the Governor is ongoing, and there is no set timeline for review. By law, clemency applications in Kansas must be submitted to the Prisoner Review Board and notice of an individual’s application for clemency must be published in the county newspaper where the crime was committed. The Board reviews all applications before forwarding them for further review. Additional information about the process can be found at the Board’s website:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fgcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%2F%3Furl=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.doc.ks.gov%252Fprb%26data=05%257C02%257CAna.Nixon%2540ks.gov%257C54a18c945bc94c7cef9908dcccec3705%257Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%257C0%257C0%257C638610562106760595%257CUnknown%257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%253D%257C0%257C%257C%257C%26sdata=TVFfLmVj0zBjEC2hlG41qZasLpFnoRvUlC0EsfsqVKM%253D%26reserved=0/1/01010193039881ea-45df8950-42c0-4dec-b909-0a69dd90e820-000000/EQD3pxK56IRd9nkMPcKCzxcRt8HakRbBbdI_y-W9EXs=378">https://www.doc.ks.gov/prb</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730986375858.png" alt="Holle was serving time after convictions for Murder in the 2nd Degree, Aggravated abandonment of a child and abuse of a child, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Holle was serving time after convictions for Murder in the 2nd Degree, Aggravated abandonment of a child and abuse of a child, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced Wednesday that she granted clemency to seven individuals by commuting the sentences of two incarcerated individuals and granting pardons to five individuals, all of whom show strong signs of rehabilitation, according to a statement from the governor's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730986943406.png" alt="Durham was serving time for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Durham was serving time for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>The decision to grant the commutations and pardons was made following independent reviews by the Prison Review Board, the Kansas Department of Administration, and the Governor’s legal team.“Granting commutations and pardons is not something I take lightly,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “By vetting numerous applications through a careful and thorough process, it was determined that these individuals have demonstrated their commitment to making amends and positively contributing to society. In cases where a disproportionally harsh sentence is imposed or a miscarriage of justice exists, commutation can be a tool to ensure reasonable action and a fairer sentence. In extraordinary cases where the criminal justice system failed to account for mitigating factors surrounding an individual’s alleged crime throughout the legal process, including sentencing, commutations can give a second chance to individuals experiencing incomprehensible circumstances at the time of their offense.”Governor Kelly took into consideration numerous factors to determine if the commutations and pardons were warranted, including but not limited to: the nature of the offense, harsh sentences, impact of the crime on victims or survivors, demonstration of rehabilitation, criminal history, absence of disciplinary issues in prison, positive achievements and growth while incarcerated, and the ability to contribute to society following release.Article 1, Section 7 of the Kansas Constitution and K.S.A. § 22-3701 grants the Governor’s authority to grant clemency. Below, please find the list of individuals receiving commutations and pardons:Jose Arellano,&nbsp;pardonDeshaun Durham,&nbsp;commutationStephen Gontz,&nbsp;pardonJeffrey Gronewaller,&nbsp;pardonLauren Holle, commutation &nbsp;James Valentine,&nbsp;pardonScottie Way, pardonReview of clemency applications by the Governor is ongoing, and there is no set timeline for review. By law, clemency applications in Kansas must be submitted to the Prisoner Review Board and notice of an individual’s application for clemency must be published in the county newspaper where the crime was committed. The Board reviews all applications before forwarding them for further review. Additional information about the process can be found at the Board’s website:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fgcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%2F%3Furl=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.doc.ks.gov%252Fprb%26data=05%257C02%257CAna.Nixon%2540ks.gov%257C54a18c945bc94c7cef9908dcccec3705%257Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%257C0%257C0%257C638610562106760595%257CUnknown%257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%253D%257C0%257C%257C%257C%26sdata=TVFfLmVj0zBjEC2hlG41qZasLpFnoRvUlC0EsfsqVKM%253D%26reserved=0/1/01010193039881ea-45df8950-42c0-4dec-b909-0a69dd90e820-000000/EQD3pxK56IRd9nkMPcKCzxcRt8HakRbBbdI_y-W9EXs=378">https://www.doc.ks.gov/prb</a>

Gov. commutes sentence of Kan. woman in prison for murder

The abortion-rights groups behind the amendment are challenging Missouri’s TRAP laws in the hopes of opening up more access than Missourians have seen in decades

Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to strike down the state’s current abortion restrictions, less than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">an amendment enshrining reproductive rights in the constitution was approved by voters.&nbsp;</a>

The news was announced Wednesday afternoon by coalition members of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the organization behind Amendment 3.&nbsp;

Leaders with both Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers said if the court grants their injunction, they plan to start providing abortions the day the amendment goes into effect on Dec. 5 at the health centers in Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City.

A series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions “were parts of a&nbsp;web of impenetrable, onerous, and medically unnecessary restrictions targeted at abortion providers,” that limited access for Missourians for years prior to the state’s abortion ban, the lawsuit reads.

“The restrictions we’re challenging today do not actually help patients. They hurt them,” Richard Muniz, interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said during a press conference Wednesday. “The ripple effects of these overreaching policies can be felt throughout the state. Missouri continues to have high STI rates and poor pregnancy outcomes, and providers do not want to train or practice in Missouri, creating even further scarcity and gaps in coverage for thousands of women and pregnant people throughout Missouri.”

The constitutional amendment, which won with<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.7% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast Tuesday, goes into effect in 30 days and prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.

But both proponents of and those opposed to Amendment 3 have warned that abortion access would not be immediate, as a bevy of challenges to current law must first make their way through the courts.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Jackson County, challenges a number of current state laws, including the state’s current abortion ban, a trigger law enacted in June 2022 that only allows abortions exceptions in cases of medical emergencies.&nbsp;

Among the TRAP laws targeted by the new lawsuit include:&nbsp;

The lawsuit also addresses access to medication abortion, asking that a judge lift the current restrictions that would make it difficult to prescribe, including a telemedicine ban that requires the physician who prescribes the medication to also be in the room when the patient takes the first dose of the medication.&nbsp;

It also seeks to end criminal penalties for abortion providers, who currently face loss of their license and up to 15 years in prison if they perform an abortion that doesn’t fall under the current exception for medical emergencies.&nbsp;

The lawsuit does not challenge Missouri’s current law requiring parental or guardian consent for minors seeking abortions. Muniz did not specifically say whether this will be challenged in the future, but rather noted this is only the first lawsuit.

Court challenges can take months, if not years. In Ohio, where citizens voted to protect abortion rights one year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-ban-ruling-e83ad0f1af11ded06d73d900bb240a04" target="_blank">a county judge just struck down that state’s “heartbeat” law.</a>

Freda Levenson, legal director for the ACLU of Ohio, said while the payoff is worthwhile, the road can be long to reach widespread access.&nbsp;

“They shouldn’t engage in magical thinking or fiction that these restrictions will fall away on their own,” she advised Missourians who voted in support of Amendment 3. “This is going to take hard work.”

Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, said while she hopes the legislature will respect the will of the people, those who supported Amendment 3 stand ready to hold them accountable.

Missouri lawmakers including state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley have said<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-abortion-amendment-march-life/">&nbsp;they intend to give Missourians the opportunity to vote on abortion again.&nbsp;</a>

When asked in September what GOP lawmakers might do if Amendment 3 passed, Coleman pointed to a 2018 citizen-led amendment that would have required legislative districts be drawn to ensure partisan fairness. This amendment, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/11/04/voters-repeal-clean-missouri-redistricting-plan-they-enacted-in-2018/">“Clean Missouri,” was repealed two years later</a>&nbsp;through a legislature-proposed amendment.

On Wednesday morning, Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney with the Thomas More Society who previously argued against the amendment before the Missouri Supreme Court, promised to defend Missouri against Amendment 3.&nbsp;

“They’re not going to stand back and give up,” Levenson said. “They’ll fight around the edges to keep any restrictions in that they can.”&nbsp;

Former President Donald Trump’s victory means Missouri abortion-rights organizations may have more than just state anti-abortion forces working against them. It could soon also be the federal government.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One example is federal enforcement of the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.

Hawley, who was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, was among a number of senators who signed a letter in 2023 asking the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the Comstock Act&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24834197-20230123-letter-on-comstock-to-doj" target="_blank">and make illegal the mailing of abortion medication</a>, which has increasingly become popular and accessible across the United States over the last two years.

“We are being thoughtful about what a change in the federal administration could mean,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “I think more than anything, it will be the time for Missourians and individuals in other states who may have crossed political lines to hold accountable national leaders who have said they think this should be an issue decided by the states.”

Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio, which led that state’s successful abortion-rights ballot measure last year,&nbsp;noted that it also takes time to rebuild health care infrastructure that had been limited or eliminated with abortion restrictions.&nbsp;

While abortion wasn’t outlawed in Missouri until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion two years ago, Missourians have long lacked access to the procedure as TRAP laws whittled away at abortion clinics’ abilities to stay open.&nbsp;

For clinics near the Kansas and Illinois borders, providers began sending Missourians across state lines where laws were less restrictive.&nbsp;

A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to the health department. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.

Between June 24, 2022 and July 31, 2024, 74 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Despite facing additional hurdles to care, including the time and financial costs of travel, time off work and childcare, many Missourians have continued accessing abortion in the post-Roe era.

In 2023 alone, approximately 2,860 Missourians traveled to Kansas last year for abortions, and 8,710 traveled to Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://guttmacherinstitute.github.io/provision-dashboard/" target="_blank">according to the Guttmacher Institute,</a>&nbsp;a reproductive rights research group that closely tracks abortion data.&nbsp;

Abortion access in Missouri will likely have ripple effects across the Midwest and south, opening up another access point for those in states with bans like Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Copeland said Missouri’s first step toward legal action is nothing short of “momentous.”

“That the Missouri team did it this year of all years in this political climate is astounding,” she said. “It shows what an incredible campaign they waged, but also how deeply people feel about abortion access and reproductive freedom regardless of the party they identify with.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728400594576.png" alt=" The Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> The Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The abortion-rights groups behind the amendment are challenging Missouri’s TRAP laws in the hopes of opening up more access than Missourians have seen in decades</h2>Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to strike down the state’s current abortion restrictions, less than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">an amendment enshrining reproductive rights in the constitution was approved by voters.&nbsp;</a>The news was announced Wednesday afternoon by coalition members of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the organization behind Amendment 3.&nbsp;Leaders with both Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers said if the court grants their injunction, they plan to start providing abortions the day the amendment goes into effect on Dec. 5 at the health centers in Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City.A series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions “were parts of a&nbsp;web of impenetrable, onerous, and medically unnecessary restrictions targeted at abortion providers,” that limited access for Missourians for years prior to the state’s abortion ban, the lawsuit reads.“The restrictions we’re challenging today do not actually help patients. They hurt them,” Richard Muniz, interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said during a press conference Wednesday. “The ripple effects of these overreaching policies can be felt throughout the state. Missouri continues to have high STI rates and poor pregnancy outcomes, and providers do not want to train or practice in Missouri, creating even further scarcity and gaps in coverage for thousands of women and pregnant people throughout Missouri.”The constitutional amendment, which won with<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.7% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast Tuesday, goes into effect in 30 days and prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.But both proponents of and those opposed to Amendment 3 have warned that abortion access would not be immediate, as a bevy of challenges to current law must first make their way through the courts.The lawsuit, which was filed in Jackson County, challenges a number of current state laws, including the state’s current abortion ban, a trigger law enacted in June 2022 that only allows abortions exceptions in cases of medical emergencies.&nbsp;Among the TRAP laws targeted by the new lawsuit include:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Requirements that abortion clinics be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers.&nbsp;</li><li>A 72-hour waiting period between a patient’s initial visit with a doctor and their abortion procedure.</li><li>Mandates that abortion clinics be located within 30 miles of a hospital where they have admitting privileges.&nbsp;</li><li>The required submission of all tissue removed during an abortion be submitted to a pathologist.&nbsp;</li><li>Rules requiring abortion providers report all abortions and abortion complications to the state.&nbsp;</li><li>Requirements that the same physician who initially sees a patient must also be the physician who performs the abortion procedure.</li><li>Current law requiring only physicians can perform abortions, excluding physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The lawsuit also addresses access to medication abortion, asking that a judge lift the current restrictions that would make it difficult to prescribe, including a telemedicine ban that requires the physician who prescribes the medication to also be in the room when the patient takes the first dose of the medication.&nbsp;It also seeks to end criminal penalties for abortion providers, who currently face loss of their license and up to 15 years in prison if they perform an abortion that doesn’t fall under the current exception for medical emergencies.&nbsp;The lawsuit does not challenge Missouri’s current law requiring parental or guardian consent for minors seeking abortions. Muniz did not specifically say whether this will be challenged in the future, but rather noted this is only the first lawsuit.Court challenges can take months, if not years. In Ohio, where citizens voted to protect abortion rights one year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-ban-ruling-e83ad0f1af11ded06d73d900bb240a04" target="_blank">a county judge just struck down that state’s “heartbeat” law.</a>Freda Levenson, legal director for the ACLU of Ohio, said while the payoff is worthwhile, the road can be long to reach widespread access.&nbsp;“They shouldn’t engage in magical thinking or fiction that these restrictions will fall away on their own,” she advised Missourians who voted in support of Amendment 3. “This is going to take hard work.”Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, said while she hopes the legislature will respect the will of the people, those who supported Amendment 3 stand ready to hold them accountable.Missouri lawmakers including state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley have said<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-abortion-amendment-march-life/">&nbsp;they intend to give Missourians the opportunity to vote on abortion again.&nbsp;</a>When asked in September what GOP lawmakers might do if Amendment 3 passed, Coleman pointed to a 2018 citizen-led amendment that would have required legislative districts be drawn to ensure partisan fairness. This amendment, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/11/04/voters-repeal-clean-missouri-redistricting-plan-they-enacted-in-2018/">“Clean Missouri,” was repealed two years later</a>&nbsp;through a legislature-proposed amendment.On Wednesday morning, Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney with the Thomas More Society who previously argued against the amendment before the Missouri Supreme Court, promised to defend Missouri against Amendment 3.&nbsp;“They’re not going to stand back and give up,” Levenson said. “They’ll fight around the edges to keep any restrictions in that they can.”&nbsp;Former President Donald Trump’s victory means Missouri abortion-rights organizations may have more than just state anti-abortion forces working against them. It could soon also be the federal government.&nbsp;&nbsp;One example is federal enforcement of the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.Hawley, who was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, was among a number of senators who signed a letter in 2023 asking the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the Comstock Act&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24834197-20230123-letter-on-comstock-to-doj" target="_blank">and make illegal the mailing of abortion medication</a>, which has increasingly become popular and accessible across the United States over the last two years.“We are being thoughtful about what a change in the federal administration could mean,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “I think more than anything, it will be the time for Missourians and individuals in other states who may have crossed political lines to hold accountable national leaders who have said they think this should be an issue decided by the states.”Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio, which led that state’s successful abortion-rights ballot measure last year,&nbsp;noted that it also takes time to rebuild health care infrastructure that had been limited or eliminated with abortion restrictions.&nbsp;While abortion wasn’t outlawed in Missouri until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion two years ago, Missourians have long lacked access to the procedure as TRAP laws whittled away at abortion clinics’ abilities to stay open.&nbsp;For clinics near the Kansas and Illinois borders, providers began sending Missourians across state lines where laws were less restrictive.&nbsp;A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to the health department. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.Between June 24, 2022 and July 31, 2024, 74 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.Despite facing additional hurdles to care, including the time and financial costs of travel, time off work and childcare, many Missourians have continued accessing abortion in the post-Roe era.In 2023 alone, approximately 2,860 Missourians traveled to Kansas last year for abortions, and 8,710 traveled to Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://guttmacherinstitute.github.io/provision-dashboard/" target="_blank">according to the Guttmacher Institute,</a>&nbsp;a reproductive rights research group that closely tracks abortion data.&nbsp;Abortion access in Missouri will likely have ripple effects across the Midwest and south, opening up another access point for those in states with bans like Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.Copeland said Missouri’s first step toward legal action is nothing short of “momentous.”“That the Missouri team did it this year of all years in this political climate is astounding,” she said. “It shows what an incredible campaign they waged, but also how deeply people feel about abortion access and reproductive freedom regardless of the party they identify with.”

Lawsuit challenges Missouri’s abortion restrictions hours after voters approve Amendment 3

JOHNSON COUNTY —A man from Arkansas who admitted his role in a violent knife attack in Kansas is going to prison.

This week Johnson County Judge Thomas M. Sutherland sentenced&nbsp;35-year-old&nbsp;Amanjit Singh to nearly 24-years in prison for attempted first degree murder, according to Johnson County District Attorney's office.

In September Singh pleaded no contest to attempted First Degree Murder. In June of 2023, police responded to Stonebridge Liquors at W. 67th Street and Nieman Road in the city of Shawnee.&nbsp;&nbsp;The victim told investigators a man walked into the liquor store as she worked and attacked her with a knife.

Court documents say Singh stabbed the victim multiple times.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726179537432.png" alt="Singh-photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Singh-photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A man from Arkansas who admitted his role in a violent knife attack in Kansas is going to prison.This week Johnson County Judge Thomas M. Sutherland sentenced&nbsp;35-year-old&nbsp;Amanjit Singh to nearly 24-years in prison for attempted first degree murder, according to Johnson County District Attorney's office.In September Singh pleaded no contest to attempted First Degree Murder. In June of 2023, police responded to Stonebridge Liquors at W. 67th Street and Nieman Road in the city of Shawnee.&nbsp;&nbsp;The victim told investigators a man walked into the liquor store as she worked and attacked her with a knife.Court documents say Singh stabbed the victim multiple times.

Prison for violent knife attack on Kan. liquor store employee

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating

(JASO) – Sheriff Tim Morse reports that on November 2, 2024,

Shortly after 4a.m. November 4, Sheriff's Deputies and police responded to a report of domestic violence at 619 ½ Vermont Ave. in Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

During the course of the investigation the Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for the residence. William Daniel Collins, 39, of Holton, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and domestic battery. 

 Samantha Leighanne Gresham, 33, of Morrill, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730900695414.png" alt="Collins photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Collins photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating(JASO) – Sheriff Tim Morse reports that on November 2, 2024,Shortly after 4a.m. November 4, Sheriff's Deputies and police responded to a report of domestic violence at 619 ½ Vermont Ave. in Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730900662437.png" alt="Gresham photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Gresham photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>During the course of the investigation the Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for the residence. William Daniel Collins, 39, of Holton, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and domestic battery. Samantha Leighanne Gresham, 33, of Morrill, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Drug bust after violent incident at Kansas home

GEARY COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating a death that occurred at the Northeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City, according to a media release from the agency.

The KBI was contacted on Tuesday to investigate the death of a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City. The teen had been at the detention facility since early August as a result of a child in need of care case. KBI agents responded to the facility to investigate.

By statute, the KBI investigates the deaths of prisoners in the custody of Kansas jails and prisons, and juveniles in state, county, or city custody, unless the person who dies is being regularly attended by a physician, or the death is ruled natural by autopsy.

The investigation indicates that personnel found the 17-year-old unresponsive around 6:50 a.m., and began life-saving measures. Geary County EMS responded and continued resuscitation efforts during transport to a local hospital. He was pronounced deceased by medical personnel around 7:40 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled. The investigation is ongoing.

GEARY COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating a death that occurred at the Northeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City, according to a media release from the agency.The KBI was contacted on Tuesday to investigate the death of a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City. The teen had been at the detention facility since early August as a result of a child in need of care case. KBI agents responded to the facility to investigate.By statute, the KBI investigates the deaths of prisoners in the custody of Kansas jails and prisons, and juveniles in state, county, or city custody, unless the person who dies is being regularly attended by a physician, or the death is ruled natural by autopsy.The investigation indicates that personnel found the 17-year-old unresponsive around 6:50 a.m., and began life-saving measures. Geary County EMS responded and continued resuscitation efforts during transport to a local hospital. He was pronounced deceased by medical personnel around 7:40 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled. The investigation is ongoing.

KBI: Teen in custody of Regional Juvenile Detention Center dies

WASHINGTON—&nbsp;Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a concession speech on Wednesday afternoon from Howard University, her alma mater.

WASHINGTON—&nbsp;Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a concession speech on Wednesday afternoon from Howard University, her alma mater.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Vice President Kamala Harris: &quot;The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what voted for but hear me when I say the light of America&#39;s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/xaNnJyUbMb">pic.twitter.com/xaNnJyUbMb</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854275435762200642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VP Harris: &quot;We must accept the results of this election. Earlier today I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pg8dYSzeGX">pic.twitter.com/pg8dYSzeGX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854276772084297975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Harris: I'm so proud of the race we ran

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

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris Wednesday afternoon called Donald Trump to concede the 2024 presidential race, according to a senior Harris aide.

During the call, the Democratic presidential nominee “discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans,” the senior aide said.

Harris will deliver a concession speech at 4 p.m. Eastern to her supporters at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

The college was also the site of her election watch party on Tuesday night, which quickly turned somber after her path to the White House narrowed when the southern battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia swung to Trump.&nbsp;

Harris, who was originally expected to attend her own election night party, never arrived on campus, disappointing supporters and Howard alums.

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/ap-former-president-donald-trump-wins-second-term">Trump was declared the presidential winner</a>&nbsp;early Wednesday, according to projections by The Associated Press. Harris is expected to deliver her speech on the Yard, a field within Howard University.

The presidential race isn’t the only loss for Democrats. They lost control of&nbsp; the U.S. Senate and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/it-was-hell-good-day-us-senate-gop-takes-election-victory-lap">Republicans are favored to take the House</a>, potentially giving the GOP a trifecta in Washington.

The election saw a deep gender divide,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/25/harris-trump-poll-gender-gap/75697863007/" target="_blank">with exit poll surveys</a>&nbsp;showing women tended to favor Harris over Trump.

It’s the second time a woman has led as the presidential candidate for a major party and it’s the second time a woman has lost to Trump. He defeaed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

The election came two years after the constitutional right to an abortion was stripped away by the U.S. Supreme Court. The incoming 47th president cemented its conservative majority by hand-picking three justices.

Harris, whose bid only began in July after President Joe Biden suspended his reelection campaign, had a little over 100 days to pick a running mate, release policy plans to appeal to voters and hit the seven battleground states.

Additionally, there was deep dissatisfaction within her party for the current administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Michigan, which has a high Arab American population and is a state that Biden won in 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/06/trump-turns-michigan-red-once-again/" target="_blank">voted for Trump</a>, according to projections by The Associated Press.

It was Harris’ second time running for the White House, after her first run quickly fizzled in 2019 before Biden picked her as his running mate.

With Biden out of the race following a disastrous June debate that rattled his party’s belief he could win a rematch against Trump, the coronation of Harris as the party heir breathed new hope into Democrats along with a flood of cash. They raised more than $1 billion, according to the campaign.

Despite the funding and new enthusiasm among Democrats, the swing states of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ultimately went to Trump, giving him a clear path to the White House with 292 Electoral College votes out of 270 needed to win the White House, to her 224 votes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024" target="_blank">according to The Associated Press.&nbsp;</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730919280862.png" alt="Vice President elect JD Vance and President elect Donald Trump at their victory celebration Tuesday night-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Vice President elect JD Vance and President elect Donald Trump at their victory celebration Tuesday night-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a> WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris Wednesday afternoon called Donald Trump to concede the 2024 presidential race, according to a senior Harris aide.During the call, the Democratic presidential nominee “discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans,” the senior aide said.Harris will deliver a concession speech at 4 p.m. Eastern to her supporters at Howard University in Washington, D.C.The college was also the site of her election watch party on Tuesday night, which quickly turned somber after her path to the White House narrowed when the southern battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia swung to Trump.&nbsp;Harris, who was originally expected to attend her own election night party, never arrived on campus, disappointing supporters and Howard alums.<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/ap-former-president-donald-trump-wins-second-term">Trump was declared the presidential winner</a>&nbsp;early Wednesday, according to projections by The Associated Press. Harris is expected to deliver her speech on the Yard, a field within Howard University.The presidential race isn’t the only loss for Democrats. They lost control of&nbsp; the U.S. Senate and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/it-was-hell-good-day-us-senate-gop-takes-election-victory-lap">Republicans are favored to take the House</a>, potentially giving the GOP a trifecta in Washington.<h2>Gender divide</h2>The election saw a deep gender divide,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/25/harris-trump-poll-gender-gap/75697863007/" target="_blank">with exit poll surveys</a>&nbsp;showing women tended to favor Harris over Trump.It’s the second time a woman has led as the presidential candidate for a major party and it’s the second time a woman has lost to Trump. He defeaed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.The election came two years after the constitutional right to an abortion was stripped away by the U.S. Supreme Court. The incoming 47th president cemented its conservative majority by hand-picking three justices.Harris, whose bid only began in July after President Joe Biden suspended his reelection campaign, had a little over 100 days to pick a running mate, release policy plans to appeal to voters and hit the seven battleground states.Additionally, there was deep dissatisfaction within her party for the current administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.Michigan, which has a high Arab American population and is a state that Biden won in 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/06/trump-turns-michigan-red-once-again/" target="_blank">voted for Trump</a>, according to projections by The Associated Press.It was Harris’ second time running for the White House, after her first run quickly fizzled in 2019 before Biden picked her as his running mate.With Biden out of the race following a disastrous June debate that rattled his party’s belief he could win a rematch against Trump, the coronation of Harris as the party heir breathed new hope into Democrats along with a flood of cash. They raised more than $1 billion, according to the campaign.Despite the funding and new enthusiasm among Democrats, the swing states of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ultimately went to Trump, giving him a clear path to the White House with 292 Electoral College votes out of 270 needed to win the White House, to her 224 votes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024" target="_blank">according to The Associated Press.&nbsp;</a>

VP Harris concedes presidential race in phone call to Donald Trump

RILEY COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating deadly stabbing in Manhattan and have made an arrest.

Just after 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of a stabbing in the 3000 block of Arbor Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

Officers located Tabatha Deer, 24, of Mountain Home, Arkansas, who had sustained multiple stab wounds. EMS transported Deer to Ascension Via Christi Hospital for treatment. She was later airlifted to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka, where she succumbed to her injuries.

The suspect, Hunter Smith, 24, of Manhattan, was apprehended at the scene yesterday and taken into custody before being transported to Stormont Vail Hospital for treatment of his injuries. On Wednesday, Smith was formally arrested on requested charges of first-degree murder, with bond set at $1 million.

RILEY COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating deadly stabbing in Manhattan and have made an arrest.Just after 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of a stabbing in the 3000 block of Arbor Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.Officers located Tabatha Deer, 24, of Mountain Home, Arkansas, who had sustained multiple stab wounds. EMS transported Deer to Ascension Via Christi Hospital for treatment. She was later airlifted to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka, where she succumbed to her injuries.The suspect, Hunter Smith, 24, of Manhattan, was apprehended at the scene yesterday and taken into custody before being transported to Stormont Vail Hospital for treatment of his injuries. On Wednesday, Smith was formally arrested on requested charges of first-degree murder, with bond set at $1 million.

Police: Woman injured after Kansas knife attack has died

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

Each party flipped a seat held by the other in each chamber but Democrats made no gains for the first time in five elections

The Missouri General Assembly will have new faces next year, but the partisan alignment will likely remain unchanged as Republicans appear to have retained their two-thirds supermajority in both chambers.

The question of which party would have the majority in the General Assembly was never in doubt in this election. The goal for Democrats was to gain seats in both chambers — something they have not done since 2006 — and to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/01/handful-of-missouri-legislative-races-will-determine-fate-of-gop-super-majorities-2/">break the two-thirds supermajority</a>&nbsp;the GOP has enjoyed since the 2012 election.

With the only incomplete results in close races in Greene County, it appears Democrats have fallen far short of that goal.

Shortly before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, unofficial results showed that each party had gained a seat held by the other in each chamber, but no other changes. If that result holds, Republicans will retain 111 seats in the Missouri House and 23 seats in the Missouri Senate.

The only incumbent Democrat to lose a House seat was state Rep. Jamie Johnson of Kansas City, who represents the 12th District in Platte County. Johnson, the first Black lawmaker to represent the district, was elected in 2022 and was defeated Tuesday by Republican Mike Jones, a veteran and small business owner.

Another freshman lawmaker, state Rep. Chris Lonsdale of Liberty, was the only incumbent Republican to lose a House seat. Lonsdale was defeated by Democrat Marty Jacobs, a retired educator.

In the state Senate, Republicans and Democrats traded open seats.&nbsp;

Democrats picked up the 19th District in central Missouri, where former state Rep. Stephen Webber of Columbia will replace outgoing Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden. Webber defeated James Coyne, who took on the race after the withdrawal of former state Rep. Chuck Basye.

In the Independence area, Republican Joe Nicola won his first race after several tries, including a run for Congress. Nicola will take the seat previously held by Democrat John Rizzo, who was term-limited and is now executive director of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

Nicola defeated Democratic state Rep. Robert Sauls.

The status-quo election result is the worst showing for Democrats in the Missouri House in five elections. Democrats won 52 seats in the House in 2022, a gain of three in the fourth consecutive election where the party flipped more seats than it lost.

At publication time, there were a handful of races yet to be decided that could change the result. In the 100th District in St. Louis County, incumbent Republican state Rep. Philip Oehlerking held a 119-vote lead over Democrat Colin Lovett in a rematch of their 2022 race.

And in Greene County, results were incomplete but the incumbent party held the edge in three races where about half the vote was yet to be tallied.

Democrats had 10 seats in the state Senate after the 2022 election and have not gained a seat in the upper chamber since 2018. And they had several candidates who raised more than most of the party’s statewide contenders.&nbsp;

Retired businessman Joe Pereles spent almost $900,000 on television ads in the 15th District of St. Louis County, and a PAC supporting him spent $155,000 more in an effort to take the Republican district. He was defeated by former state Rep. David Gregory, who depleted his campaign account winning the primary but was backed by about $425,000 in television spending by the GOP’s Senate PAC, the Missouri Senate Campaign Committee.

Sauls was defeated despite a $325,000 television campaign in the Kansas City area.&nbsp;

Both Pereles and Sauls were defeated&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/10/missouri-chamber-backs-democrats-in-two-swing-state-senate-districts/">despite endorsements</a>&nbsp;from the usually Republican-leaning Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and outspending their opponents.

This year’s election is the second using maps drawn after the 2020 census. That year, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/11/04/voters-repeal-clean-missouri-redistricting-plan-they-enacted-in-2018/">approved changes</a>&nbsp;to the process that means most legislative districts no longer cross county lines except to have enough population for a full district.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730902725720.jpeg" alt=" The Missouri House chamber (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption> The Missouri House chamber (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Each party flipped a seat held by the other in each chamber but Democrats made no gains for the first time in five elections</h2>The Missouri General Assembly will have new faces next year, but the partisan alignment will likely remain unchanged as Republicans appear to have retained their two-thirds supermajority in both chambers.The question of which party would have the majority in the General Assembly was never in doubt in this election. The goal for Democrats was to gain seats in both chambers — something they have not done since 2006 — and to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/01/handful-of-missouri-legislative-races-will-determine-fate-of-gop-super-majorities-2/">break the two-thirds supermajority</a>&nbsp;the GOP has enjoyed since the 2012 election.With the only incomplete results in close races in Greene County, it appears Democrats have fallen far short of that goal.Shortly before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, unofficial results showed that each party had gained a seat held by the other in each chamber, but no other changes. If that result holds, Republicans will retain 111 seats in the Missouri House and 23 seats in the Missouri Senate.The only incumbent Democrat to lose a House seat was state Rep. Jamie Johnson of Kansas City, who represents the 12th District in Platte County. Johnson, the first Black lawmaker to represent the district, was elected in 2022 and was defeated Tuesday by Republican Mike Jones, a veteran and small business owner.Another freshman lawmaker, state Rep. Chris Lonsdale of Liberty, was the only incumbent Republican to lose a House seat. Lonsdale was defeated by Democrat Marty Jacobs, a retired educator.In the state Senate, Republicans and Democrats traded open seats.&nbsp;Democrats picked up the 19th District in central Missouri, where former state Rep. Stephen Webber of Columbia will replace outgoing Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden. Webber defeated James Coyne, who took on the race after the withdrawal of former state Rep. Chuck Basye.In the Independence area, Republican Joe Nicola won his first race after several tries, including a run for Congress. Nicola will take the seat previously held by Democrat John Rizzo, who was term-limited and is now executive director of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.Nicola defeated Democratic state Rep. Robert Sauls.The status-quo election result is the worst showing for Democrats in the Missouri House in five elections. Democrats won 52 seats in the House in 2022, a gain of three in the fourth consecutive election where the party flipped more seats than it lost.At publication time, there were a handful of races yet to be decided that could change the result. In the 100th District in St. Louis County, incumbent Republican state Rep. Philip Oehlerking held a 119-vote lead over Democrat Colin Lovett in a rematch of their 2022 race.And in Greene County, results were incomplete but the incumbent party held the edge in three races where about half the vote was yet to be tallied.Democrats had 10 seats in the state Senate after the 2022 election and have not gained a seat in the upper chamber since 2018. And they had several candidates who raised more than most of the party’s statewide contenders.&nbsp;Retired businessman Joe Pereles spent almost $900,000 on television ads in the 15th District of St. Louis County, and a PAC supporting him spent $155,000 more in an effort to take the Republican district. He was defeated by former state Rep. David Gregory, who depleted his campaign account winning the primary but was backed by about $425,000 in television spending by the GOP’s Senate PAC, the Missouri Senate Campaign Committee.Sauls was defeated despite a $325,000 television campaign in the Kansas City area.&nbsp;Both Pereles and Sauls were defeated&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/10/missouri-chamber-backs-democrats-in-two-swing-state-senate-districts/">despite endorsements</a>&nbsp;from the usually Republican-leaning Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and outspending their opponents.This year’s election is the second using maps drawn after the 2020 census. That year, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/11/04/voters-repeal-clean-missouri-redistricting-plan-they-enacted-in-2018/">approved changes</a>&nbsp;to the process that means most legislative districts no longer cross county lines except to have enough population for a full district.

Status quo election leaves Missouri Republicans with legislative supermajorities

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 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump: &quot;Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason and that reason was to save out country and to restore America to greatness and now we are going to fulfill that mission together.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2wTYk219vL">pic.twitter.com/2wTYk219vL</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854072522091745743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. JD Vance: &quot;I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/07l3cIiklu">pic.twitter.com/07l3cIiklu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854067034289574277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump: &quot;We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible. It is now clear that we&#39;ve achieved the most incredible political -- Hey! Look what happened! Is this crazy?!?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/M3AZkFe3vh">pic.twitter.com/M3AZkFe3vh</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854065386922119560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Donald Trump is elected the 47th president of the U.S.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

OZARK — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley won a second term on Tuesday, cruising to victory over a well-financed rival&nbsp;in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2018.&nbsp;

Hawley led Marine veteran Lucas Kunce 52% to 45% when the Associated Press called the race at 9:30 p.m.

“They said they were going to turn Missouri blue,” Hawley told supporters Tuesday night. “They said they would invest whatever it took to beat us. They said they were going to make an example of the State of Missouri. Well, tonight we made an example of them.”

A former U.S. Supreme Court clerk and law professor at the University of Missouri, Hawley briefly served as the state’s attorney general before jumping into the 2018 U.S. Senate race against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill.&nbsp;He survived a national Democratic wave that year and defeated McCaskill by six percentage points.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since joining the Senate, Hawley has struck a more populist tone, abandoning previous opposition to anti-union “right-to-work” laws and minimum wage hikes. He also championed an unsuccessful push to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to cover individuals exposed to nuclear material left over from atomic bomb development in St. Louis.&nbsp;

It was his support for the RECA expansion that impressed Debbie Hedgepeth, who is retired and lives in Rolla. She said she supports Hawley because of “what he does for Missouri” and all he believes in.

“He is a man of faith,” she said, “and he’s done a lot for St. Louis, as far as the bill to clean the (nuclear) waste.”

Sam Coryell, who lives in Springfield, works in commercial real estate and say she attends the same church as the Hawleys when they are in Missouri, said Hawley “does a great job in the Senate of holding our leaders, both Republican and Democrat, accountable.”

Hawley was criticized in 2021 for expressing support for Jan. 6 rioters shortly before they stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump. He was later captured on video running through the Capitol to escape the mob.

He has defended his decision to object to the certification of the 2020 presidential election, despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing that would have impacted the outcome of that race.&nbsp;

In his campaign for re-election, Hawley worked to paint Kunce as an extremist, highlighting the Democrat’s support for transgender rights and slamming his call for the country to transition off of fossil fuels.&nbsp;

Hawley also openly mocked Kunce after a reporter was injured by a bullet fragment at one of his shooting-range campaign events, releasing a television ad saying Kunce “can’t shoot straight” and calling him a “reckless liberal.”

In turn, Kunce hammered Hawley as an out-of-touch plutocrat, pointing out that Hawley’s campaign spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private plane flights across the state after attacking McCaskill for the same thing in 2018.&nbsp;

Hawley also caught flak for reports that he only rarely visited Missouri during his six years in the Senate.&nbsp;

In the end, despite being outraised by Kunce, Hawley emerged victorious.&nbsp;

“What Missouri has said is loud and clear,” Hawley said in his victory speech. “Missouri has said we believe in this country, that God is not done with America yet and we are here to fight for America’s future.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730865582651.png" alt="Hawley family after voting on Tuesday-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Hawley family after voting on Tuesday-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a> OZARK — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley won a second term on Tuesday, cruising to victory over a well-financed rival&nbsp;in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2018.&nbsp;Hawley led Marine veteran Lucas Kunce 52% to 45% when the Associated Press called the race at 9:30 p.m.“They said they were going to turn Missouri blue,” Hawley told supporters Tuesday night. “They said they would invest whatever it took to beat us. They said they were going to make an example of the State of Missouri. Well, tonight we made an example of them.”A former U.S. Supreme Court clerk and law professor at the University of Missouri, Hawley briefly served as the state’s attorney general before jumping into the 2018 U.S. Senate race against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill.&nbsp;He survived a national Democratic wave that year and defeated McCaskill by six percentage points.&nbsp;&nbsp;Since joining the Senate, Hawley has struck a more populist tone, abandoning previous opposition to anti-union “right-to-work” laws and minimum wage hikes. He also championed an unsuccessful push to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to cover individuals exposed to nuclear material left over from atomic bomb development in St. Louis.&nbsp;It was his support for the RECA expansion that impressed Debbie Hedgepeth, who is retired and lives in Rolla. She said she supports Hawley because of “what he does for Missouri” and all he believes in.“He is a man of faith,” she said, “and he’s done a lot for St. Louis, as far as the bill to clean the (nuclear) waste.”Sam Coryell, who lives in Springfield, works in commercial real estate and say she attends the same church as the Hawleys when they are in Missouri, said Hawley “does a great job in the Senate of holding our leaders, both Republican and Democrat, accountable.”Hawley was criticized in 2021 for expressing support for Jan. 6 rioters shortly before they stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump. He was later captured on video running through the Capitol to escape the mob.He has defended his decision to object to the certification of the 2020 presidential election, despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing that would have impacted the outcome of that race.&nbsp;In his campaign for re-election, Hawley worked to paint Kunce as an extremist, highlighting the Democrat’s support for transgender rights and slamming his call for the country to transition off of fossil fuels.&nbsp;Hawley also openly mocked Kunce after a reporter was injured by a bullet fragment at one of his shooting-range campaign events, releasing a television ad saying Kunce “can’t shoot straight” and calling him a “reckless liberal.”In turn, Kunce hammered Hawley as an out-of-touch plutocrat, pointing out that Hawley’s campaign spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private plane flights across the state after attacking McCaskill for the same thing in 2018.&nbsp;Hawley also caught flak for reports that he only rarely visited Missouri during his six years in the Senate.&nbsp;In the end, despite being outraised by Kunce, Hawley emerged victorious.&nbsp;“What Missouri has said is loud and clear,” Hawley said in his victory speech. “Missouri has said we believe in this country, that God is not done with America yet and we are here to fight for America’s future.”

Josh Hawley defeats Lucas Kunce in Missouri U.S. Senate race

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

Missouri’s next governor will be Mike Kehoe, a Republican who cruised to victory Tuesday night over Democrat Crystal Quade.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:30 p.m. with 22% of precincts reporting and Kehoe leading Quade 52% to 46%.

“Our victory tonight, it’s a win for our cops, our firefighters, our farmers, and our job creators,” Kehoe told supporters Tuesday night. “It’s a win for students who deserve good schools and a brighter future. It’s a win for families who want safe streets and lower taxes. So, to all Missourians, this is your victory. Enjoy tonight because tomorrow morning, we get to work together for an even safer, stronger, and more prosperous Missouri.”

Kehoe has served six years as lieutenant governor after being appointed to the job by Gov. Mike Parson in 2018.&nbsp;

Kehoe’s biggest hurdle to becoming&nbsp; governor came during a contentious primary in August, when he beat out two fellow Republicans who boasted being more conservative on issues.&nbsp;

Leading up to the primary, Kehoe trailed Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in most polls until the summer, when the $16 million campaign war chest he amassed enabled him to fill the airwaves, overwhelming opponents and surviving a late onslaught of outside spending.

He won the primary with just under 40% of the vote.

Kehoe’s message was that he was a more interested in governing than politics.&nbsp;

“Missourians are a little bit sick of hate politics,” Kehoe said in a July interview with The Independent.&nbsp;

However, Quade, who has served as Democratic leader in the Missouri House, cautioned voters not to view Kehoe as less “extreme” than his primary rivals.&nbsp;

“While folks may say that one (Republican candidate) is more moderate than the other, the reality is Lt. Gov. Kehoe would sign the same pieces of legislation that the extremists in Jefferson City would send him regardless,” Quade told reporters, following the annual governor’s ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in August.

Kehoe is the youngest of six children raised by a single mother in St. Louis. His mom worked three jobs to support the family, he said, and when he was old enough he got a job washing cars at a local auto dealership.&nbsp;

When he had enough money, he bought a struggling company that built ambulances, doubling it in size over the next five years to what is now one of the largest ambulance manufacturers in the world.

At the age of 30, he bought a Ford dealership in Jefferson City, putting down roots in the community and building the business over the next two decades. He sold the dealership in 2011.

He was elected to the state Senate in 2012 and was the chamber’s majority leader when Parson appointed him lieutenant governor in 2018. Kehoe won a full term as lieutenant governor in 2020.&nbsp;

As governor, Kehoe has vowed to eliminate the state income tax and develop a crime plan that can be rolled out when the legislature reconvenes in January.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730863694885.png" alt=" Mike Kehoe, the Republican candidate for Missouri governor, thanks supporters as he steps onstage for his victory speech the night of the primary election in August (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Mike Kehoe, the Republican candidate for Missouri governor, thanks supporters as he steps onstage for his victory speech the night of the primary election in August (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By REBECCA RIVAS &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s next governor will be Mike Kehoe, a Republican who cruised to victory Tuesday night over Democrat Crystal Quade.The Associated Press called the race at 8:30 p.m. with 22% of precincts reporting and Kehoe leading Quade 52% to 46%.“Our victory tonight, it’s a win for our cops, our firefighters, our farmers, and our job creators,” Kehoe told supporters Tuesday night. “It’s a win for students who deserve good schools and a brighter future. It’s a win for families who want safe streets and lower taxes. So, to all Missourians, this is your victory. Enjoy tonight because tomorrow morning, we get to work together for an even safer, stronger, and more prosperous Missouri.”Kehoe has served six years as lieutenant governor after being appointed to the job by Gov. Mike Parson in 2018.&nbsp;Kehoe’s biggest hurdle to becoming&nbsp; governor came during a contentious primary in August, when he beat out two fellow Republicans who boasted being more conservative on issues.&nbsp;Leading up to the primary, Kehoe trailed Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in most polls until the summer, when the $16 million campaign war chest he amassed enabled him to fill the airwaves, overwhelming opponents and surviving a late onslaught of outside spending.He won the primary with just under 40% of the vote.Kehoe’s message was that he was a more interested in governing than politics.&nbsp;“Missourians are a little bit sick of hate politics,” Kehoe said in a July interview with The Independent.&nbsp;However, Quade, who has served as Democratic leader in the Missouri House, cautioned voters not to view Kehoe as less “extreme” than his primary rivals.&nbsp;“While folks may say that one (Republican candidate) is more moderate than the other, the reality is Lt. Gov. Kehoe would sign the same pieces of legislation that the extremists in Jefferson City would send him regardless,” Quade told reporters, following the annual governor’s ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in August.Kehoe is the youngest of six children raised by a single mother in St. Louis. His mom worked three jobs to support the family, he said, and when he was old enough he got a job washing cars at a local auto dealership.&nbsp;When he had enough money, he bought a struggling company that built ambulances, doubling it in size over the next five years to what is now one of the largest ambulance manufacturers in the world.At the age of 30, he bought a Ford dealership in Jefferson City, putting down roots in the community and building the business over the next two decades. He sold the dealership in 2011.He was elected to the state Senate in 2012 and was the chamber’s majority leader when Parson appointed him lieutenant governor in 2018. Kehoe won a full term as lieutenant governor in 2020.&nbsp;As governor, Kehoe has vowed to eliminate the state income tax and develop a crime plan that can be rolled out when the legislature reconvenes in January.&nbsp;

Republican Mike Kehoe wins Missouri governor’s race over Democrat Crystal Quade

WRIGHT COUNTY —Troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol recovered two drowning victims in Beaver Creek flooding on Tuesday.

Just after 4:30a.m., the MSHP received reports of three vehicles that had been carried off the road by floodwaters from Beaver Creek. Emergency response teams including marine officers from the MSHP and agents from the Missouri Department of Conservation, initiated rescue operations.

Three individuals from two of the vehicles were able to escape the floodwaters by swimming to shore. Just before 9a.m., two residents, a 70-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman both from the Mane, Missouri area in the third vehicle were found deceased.

WRIGHT COUNTY —Troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol recovered two drowning victims in Beaver Creek flooding on Tuesday.Just after 4:30a.m., the MSHP received reports of three vehicles that had been carried off the road by floodwaters from Beaver Creek. Emergency response teams including marine officers from the MSHP and agents from the Missouri Department of Conservation, initiated rescue operations.Three individuals from two of the vehicles were able to escape the floodwaters by swimming to shore. Just before 9a.m., two residents, a 70-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman both from the Mane, Missouri area in the third vehicle were found deceased.

MSHP recovers two drowning victims from flooding

Balloting settles races for Kansas Legislature, Congress and municipal government

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/max-mccoy/">MAX MCCOY</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LECOMPTON — Paola resident Cameron Mott, a registered Republican for more than half a century, paid special attention to the 2024 election cycle.

His attentiveness wasn’t anchored in city council, county commission, state legislative or congressional contests dotting the Tuesday ballot. He was primarily invested in outcome of the presidential showdown between Republican Donald Trump, who prevailed in 2016 and lost in 2020, and Democrat Kamala Harris, the vice president who stepped into the void created when President Joe Biden withdrew under pressure.

“I voted for Harris, and I’m a registered Republican since 1972,” he said. “It’s just Trump. He was a total disaster. He wasn’t qualified and never should have been president. I never saw any behavior that was presidential.”

Mott voted by advance ballot and was relaxing on Election Day at a Lecompton playground with Spring Hill’s Martha Heavilin and her 2-year-old son, Rubin. Voters flowed in an out of the nearby polling station in Lecompton, just a stone’s throw from Constitution Hall that played a role in the Bleeding Kansas crisis over slavery.

Heavilin, a registered Democrat since 18 years of age, said she was dedicated to exercising her right to vote. That sentiment acknowledged every vote mattered regardless of outcome, she said. In this election, Heavilin said, she thought it was important to cast a vote for U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the Democrat who serves the 3rd District covering Johnson, Anderson, Franklin and Miami counties and half of Wyandotte County in the Kansas City area.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730846524398.png" alt="Cameron Mott and Martha Heavilin, with Rubin between them, said during a playground visit to Lecompton that both felt a strong commitment to participating in voting Tuesday. Mott, a Republican, voted for Democrat Kamala Harris for president. Heavilin, a Democrat, said it was important to stand up for abortion rights. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Cameron Mott and Martha Heavilin, with Rubin between them, said during a playground visit to Lecompton that both felt a strong commitment to participating in voting Tuesday. Mott, a Republican, voted for Democrat Kamala Harris for president. Heavilin, a Democrat, said it was important to stand up for abortion rights. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Balloting settles races for Kansas Legislature, Congress and municipal government</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/max-mccoy/">MAX MCCOY</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>LECOMPTON — Paola resident Cameron Mott, a registered Republican for more than half a century, paid special attention to the 2024 election cycle.His attentiveness wasn’t anchored in city council, county commission, state legislative or congressional contests dotting the Tuesday ballot. He was primarily invested in outcome of the presidential showdown between Republican Donald Trump, who prevailed in 2016 and lost in 2020, and Democrat Kamala Harris, the vice president who stepped into the void created when President Joe Biden withdrew under pressure.“I voted for Harris, and I’m a registered Republican since 1972,” he said. “It’s just Trump. He was a total disaster. He wasn’t qualified and never should have been president. I never saw any behavior that was presidential.”Mott voted by advance ballot and was relaxing on Election Day at a Lecompton playground with Spring Hill’s Martha Heavilin and her 2-year-old son, Rubin. Voters flowed in an out of the nearby polling station in Lecompton, just a stone’s throw from Constitution Hall that played a role in the Bleeding Kansas crisis over slavery.Heavilin, a registered Democrat since 18 years of age, said she was dedicated to exercising her right to vote. That sentiment acknowledged every vote mattered regardless of outcome, she said. In this election, Heavilin said, she thought it was important to cast a vote for U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the Democrat who serves the 3rd District covering Johnson, Anderson, Franklin and Miami counties and half of Wyandotte County in the Kansas City area.“I was keen to keep Sharice Davids in office,” Heavilin said. “I find her incredibly responsive to people. I tend to vote blue, but I have two children. The last pregnancy got a little scary at the end. For any woman to be pregnant and want to end that pregnancy for valid reasons and not be able to is scary.”Abortion took center stage in the reelection campaign of Davids, an advocate for abortion rights. She was challenged by Republican Prasanth Reddy, a physician endorsed by the Kansans for Life PAC.In the 2024 election cycle in Kansas, voters will determine the 125 members of the Kansas House and 40 members of the Kansas Senate. The state will elect four members to the U.S. House, including at least one newcomer because U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner decided not to seek reelection in the 2nd District. In addition, Kansans were asked to make decisions on local ballot issues, city and county commission races and judicial retention decisions.Brent Smith of Lenexa said he split his ticket by voting for Harris for president, but Republicans for Congress and the Legislature. Smith said he’s a fiscally conservative independent voter and has never cast a ballot for Trump. Smith said Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are a “better fit.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730846475974.png" alt=" Brittany Nicholson and her son, Darrius Comeaux, cast their ballots for Kamala Harris for president Tuesday at the Roeland Park Community Center. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Brittany Nicholson and her son, Darrius Comeaux, cast their ballots for Kamala Harris for president Tuesday at the Roeland Park Community Center. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Project 2025 and Trump</h2>In Johnson County, the presidential election also loomed large as issues from abortion to border security and democracy itself were on voters’ minds.Brittany Nicholson, 38, joined her son Darrius Comeaux, 20, as he voted for the first time. Nicholson cajoled Comeaux into posing for a photo as they left the Roeland Park Community Center, both having voted for Harris for president.“Democracy,” Nicholson said. “That was really the most pressing issue for me.”Nicholson said she also was concerned about Project 2025, a wide-ranging policy document published by a conservative think tank. While Trump has denied involvement in producing the document, many former Trump staffers contributed to it. Nicholson said she likes that Harris has proposed helping first-time homebuyers with up to $25,000 toward a down payment.Calley Saye, 47, said she voted a straight Democratic ticket. She said she “can’t stand Donald Trump.”“I think he is the worst thing that’s ever happened to our country,” Saye said, “and I would really like to see someone decent in office. And I’m excited about having a female president.”Saye said while the presidential race was her biggest concern, she was excited to cast her vote for down-ballot Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Davids. Saye said she felt strongly that women should have the right to seek an abortion.“It’s kind of sad that we’re going back in time,” Saye said.In August 2022, Kansas voters unexpectedly rejected by a wide margin a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have nullified a Kansas Supreme Court decision that identified a fundamental right in the state’s Bill of Rights granting women the right to end a pregnancy. This constitutional right remained in Kansas after repeal by the U.S. Supreme Court of the landmark precedent of Roe v. Wade that granted abortion rights nationally.In Lawrence, Adela Solis took a break from work to outline reasons it was important for Kansans to express themselves at the ballot box. She took the opportunity to vote on local ballot questions about reforming the size and management structure of the city commissioner. She voted on a measure that would dedicate tax dollars to housing issues.But it was the diminishing of abortion rights across the United States that served as a decisive motivator.“The fact that women are moving backwards,” Solis said. “And that there are some men out there who think that’s okay. It’s so egregiously awful. I thought Puritanism ended.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730846434621.png" alt="Tiffany and Noah Strain cast their ballots for Donald Trump for president Tuesday at the Roeland Park Community Center. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Tiffany and Noah Strain cast their ballots for Donald Trump for president Tuesday at the Roeland Park Community Center. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Skepticism about Harris</h2>Abortion was similarly top-of-mind for voters who selected Trump for president.Hannah Lackamp, 22, voted for Trump in Lenexa with abortion on her list of concerns. She voted for him four years ago in the first presidential election after she turned 18.“I don’t want to kill babies,” Lackamp said. “That’s kind of like my biggest thing.”Tiffany and Noah Strain, both 30, walked to the polls in Roeland Park with their four children and cast ballots for Trump and down-ballot Republicans, driven primarily by their opposition to abortion.“We value life,” Noah Strain said. “… If you don’t value that sort of life at that level, then everything else just doesn’t really matter.”Beyond that, they said, the former president was better for the economy. Tiffany Strain said it’s difficult to know what Harris’ policies are other than opposing Trump.“Some things that really bother me about (Harris),” she said, “are that she’s really into the pathos arguments. It’s all about feelings. It’s all about how she sounds rather than the actual things she’s talking about.”The couple said they voted for Evan McMullin in 2016, who waged a write-in campaign, because they were skeptical of Trump. But Trump’s four years in office persuaded them to vote for him in his first reelection bid in 2020.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730846390542.png" alt="Keith and Sandy Carnes on Tuesday morning outside the White Auditorium in Emporia, where they had just cast their votes. Both said they were primarily interested in the presidential election rather than state or local races. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Keith and Sandy Carnes on Tuesday morning outside the White Auditorium in Emporia, where they had just cast their votes. Both said they were primarily interested in the presidential election rather than state or local races. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>In Emporia, after Sandy and Keith Carnes cast their votes at White Auditorium, Keith Carnes said he voted “Republican all the way.”“I did it because I don’t want another four years like this,” Carnes said. “We need a change.”Sandy Carnes said there was no disagreement in their household over politics and that she also turned out to vote for Trump. But, she said, she would accept the choice voters make, no matter who wins.“Whatever the results, I will support them as best I can,” she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730846352287.png" alt=" Rezty Felty, a 58-year-old Tonganoxie resident, shows off Kamala Harris-themed nails after voting. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rezty Felty, a 58-year-old Tonganoxie resident, shows off Kamala Harris-themed nails after voting. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Leavenworth County vibe</h2>In Tonganoxie, voters left polling cubicles inside the Sacred Heart Catholic Church proud of doing their civic duty. There were expressions of anxiety and optimism about outcomes on Election Day.Rezty Felty, 58, said this election felt particularly important. A regular voter and almost 30-year resident of Tonganoxie, Felty had a set of Kamala Harris-themed fingernails for the occasion.“Because we had one side that seemed to be pulling for the whole country and another side that seemed to be dragging us into fascism,” Felty said.Sue Hicks, 60, expects to retire soon and about worries about economic slippage. She said she voted for Trump “because I’m not better off than I was four years ago.” She said high property taxes and an income that doesn’t stretch as far as it used to were factors in her presidential decision, but would welcome a feeling of hope in American politics.Nicole Martin, 51, felt similarly. She said the rising cost of living and illegal immigration informed her votes.“I need my stocks to go up,” she said. “I need my food to go down. I need my gas to go down.”Loren Harrell, 28, said reproductive rights and rights for fellow LGBTQ+ community members were top of mind when voting for president.“Those were the kind of big things for me, but I know in this area I’m a bit of an outlier,” Harrell said.Some of the voters in the Leavenworth County community of about 6,000 people said they voted to represent their conservative values while others voted to keep certain candidates out of office.Sarah Dunkle, 21, is a first-time voter. She came to the polls with her mother, 63-year-old Robin Thompson, and she said she was proud to be able to represent a younger generation.Thompson was most interested in the presidential race, but Dunkle said she made sure to pay attention to local races too.“It’s important to me who’s going to be running the country,” Thompson said.