JOHNSON COUNTY — An Emporia State University placed&nbsp; on administrative leave following an arrest for alleged child sex crimes is due back in court Wednesday.

Last week, 72-year-old Howard Pitler was booked into the Johnson County jail on requested charges of&nbsp; electronic solicitation of a child under 14 years old, according to online jail records. He met the requirements of a $25,000 bond and is no longer in&nbsp; custody.

According to Emporia State, "Upon being made aware of the arrest of Howard Pitler, the university responded immediately and placed Pitler on administrative leave. With our rich tradition as a premier Teachers College, the care and safety of students of all ages is of the utmost importance. Pitler taught fully online master’s level courses as an associate professor of School Leadership, Middle &amp; Secondary Teacher Education in The Teachers College. He has been at ESU since 2018. Emporia State will cooperate fully with authorities. We cannot comment further on an ongoing investigation."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729898976418.png" alt="Pitler-photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Pitler-photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY — An Emporia State University placed&nbsp; on administrative leave following an arrest for alleged child sex crimes is due back in court Wednesday.Last week, 72-year-old Howard Pitler was booked into the Johnson County jail on requested charges of&nbsp; electronic solicitation of a child under 14 years old, according to online jail records. He met the requirements of a $25,000 bond and is no longer in&nbsp; custody.According to Emporia State, "Upon being made aware of the arrest of Howard Pitler, the university responded immediately and placed Pitler on administrative leave. With our rich tradition as a premier Teachers College, the care and safety of students of all ages is of the utmost importance. Pitler taught fully online master’s level courses as an associate professor of School Leadership, Middle &amp; Secondary Teacher Education in The Teachers College. He has been at ESU since 2018. Emporia State will cooperate fully with authorities. We cannot comment further on an ongoing investigation."

Emporia State professor due in court for alleged child sex crime

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Topeka.

Just after 9a.m. Wednesday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department&nbsp; responded to a medical call in the 500 block of NE Gordon Street in Topeka, according to Police spokesperson Rosie Nichols. 

Medical personnel found a man who was later pronounced deceased. Due to the nature of the incident, firefighters requested police investigators to respond.

The incident is currently being investigated as a homicide. Additional updates will be provided as the investigation allows. This is the 16th homicide investigation of 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730324449445.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Topeka.Just after 9a.m. Wednesday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department&nbsp; responded to a medical call in the 500 block of NE Gordon Street in Topeka, according to Police spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Medical personnel found a man who was later pronounced deceased. Due to the nature of the incident, firefighters requested police investigators to respond.The incident is currently being investigated as a homicide. Additional updates will be provided as the investigation allows. This is the 16th homicide investigation of 2024.

Homicide: Fire department medical call at Kansas home

DAMASCUS —U.S. forces conducted a series of air strikes against several known ISIS camps in Syria in the early evening of Oct. 28, resulting in up to 35 ISIS operatives killed, the U.S. Central Command reported Wednesday.

The strikes targeted multiple ISIS locations in the Syrian desert, targeting multiple ISIS senior leaders. There are no indications of civilian casualties, according to the Central Command.

The strikes will disrupt the ability of ISUS to plan, organize and conduct attacks against civilians as well as U.S. allies and partners throughout the region and beyond.

"Central Command forces alongside allies and partners in the region will continue to aggressively degrade ISUS operation capabilities to ensure its enduring defeat."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730298603773.png" alt="A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II operates over the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility." />
 <figcaption>A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II operates over the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.</figcaption>
 </figure>DAMASCUS —U.S. forces conducted a series of air strikes against several known ISIS camps in Syria in the early evening of Oct. 28, resulting in up to 35 ISIS operatives killed, the U.S. Central Command reported Wednesday.The strikes targeted multiple ISIS locations in the Syrian desert, targeting multiple ISIS senior leaders. There are no indications of civilian casualties, according to the Central Command.The strikes will disrupt the ability of ISUS to plan, organize and conduct attacks against civilians as well as U.S. allies and partners throughout the region and beyond."Central Command forces alongside allies and partners in the region will continue to aggressively degrade ISUS operation capabilities to ensure its enduring defeat."

U.S. forces conduct airstrikes against terrorist camps in Syria

JOHNSON COUNTY—A man is going to prison for the sex abuse of a nursing home patient in Olathe.

Last week, Samuel Maniu Wambugu was sentenced to a total of 208 months in prison for rape and mistreatment of dependent adult, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;Wambugu is also required to register as a sex offender.

The case involves a rape of an 85-year-old nursing home patient in January of 2021.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729886349958.png" alt="Wambugu photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Wambugu photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—A man is going to prison for the sex abuse of a nursing home patient in Olathe.Last week, Samuel Maniu Wambugu was sentenced to a total of 208 months in prison for rape and mistreatment of dependent adult, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;Wambugu is also required to register as a sex offender.The case involves a rape of an 85-year-old nursing home patient in January of 2021.

Man going to prison for sex assault of Kan. nursing home patient

TOPEKA —On Wednesday, Kansas Governor Laura cast her advance ballot in the 2024 general election. 

This November, we can elect commonsense leaders at the local, state, and federal levels. 

"Kansans: make your voice heard and get out to vote now!"

8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET. Kansas covers two time zones, so most of the state will start reporting results while some voters in western counties are casting ballots until 7 p.m. MT (9 p.m. ET).

President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (independent).

U.S. House, state Senate, state House and state Board of Education.

2020: Trump (R) 56%, Biden (D) 42%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 9:59 p.m. ET.

Registered voters: 1,994,621 (as of Sep. 2024). About 26% Democrats, about 45% Republicans, about 28% unaffiliated.

Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 71% of registered voters.

Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 61% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 40% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/2024-early-voting-tracker/">Advance Vote tracker</a>.

First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 8:07 p.m. ET.

By midnight ET: about 87% of total votes cast were reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730317369534.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —On Wednesday, Kansas Governor Laura cast her advance ballot in the 2024 general election. This November, we can elect commonsense leaders at the local, state, and federal levels. "Kansans: make your voice heard and get out to vote now!"<h2>Election Day</h2>Nov. 5.<h2>Poll closing time</h2>8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET. Kansas covers two time zones, so most of the state will start reporting results while some voters in western counties are casting ballots until 7 p.m. MT (9 p.m. ET).<h2>Presidential electoral votes</h2>6 awarded to statewide winner.<h2>Key races and candidates</h2>President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (independent).<h2>Other races of interest</h2>U.S. House, state Senate, state House and state Board of Education.<h2>Past presidential results</h2>2020: Trump (R) 56%, Biden (D) 42%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 9:59 p.m. ET.<h2>Voter registration and turnout</h2>Registered voters: 1,994,621 (as of Sep. 2024). About 26% Democrats, about 45% Republicans, about 28% unaffiliated.Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 71% of registered voters.<h2>Pre-Election Day voting</h2>Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 61% of the total vote.Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 40% of the total vote.Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/2024-early-voting-tracker/">Advance Vote tracker</a>.<h2>How long does vote-counting take?</h2>First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 8:07 p.m. ET.By midnight ET: about 87% of total votes cast were reported.

Kansas Governor casts her advance ballot in 2024 election

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative majority on Wednesday left in place Virginia's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-voter-rolls-lawsuit-purge-immigrant-488e9b52ae81f03b7cd1ea28bc384b69">purge voter registrations</a>&nbsp;that the state says is aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-voter-registration-noncitizens-purge-appeal-b1d174ea90a7ac6e6fb1b9c623b7402e">stopping people who are not U.S. citizens from voting</a>.

One Virginian, whose registration was canceled despite living in the state her entire life, called the purge “a very bad October surprise.”

The high court, over the dissents of the three liberal justices, granted an emergency appeal from Virginia's Republican administration led by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The court provided no rationale for its action, which is typical in emergency appeals.

The justices acted on Virginia's appeal after a federal judge found that the state illegally purged more than 1,600 voter registrations in the past two months. A federal appeals court had previously allowed the judge's order to remain in effect.

The specter of immigrants voting illegally has been a main part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-immigrants-noncitizen-trump-republicans-2024-1c65429c152c2a10514b5156eacf9ca7">political messaging</a>&nbsp;this year from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans, even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70">such voting is rare in American elections</a>.

Trump had criticized the earlier ruling, calling it “a totally unacceptable travesty” on social media. “Only U.S. Citizens should be allowed to vote,” Trump wrote.

Youngkin said voters who believe they were improperly removed from the rolls can still vote in the election because Virginia has same-day registration.

“And so there is the ultimate, ultimate safeguard in Virginia, no one is being precluded from voting, and therefore, I encourage every single citizen go vote,” Youngkin told reporters.

That option was noted also by the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the White House.

“Every eligible voter has a right to cast their ballot and have their vote counted, and this ruling does not change that," campaign spokesman Charles Lutvak said in a statement. “Our campaign is going to make sure every eligible voter is able to vote. Voting by noncitizens remains illegal under federal law.”

Rina Shaw, 22, of Chesterfield, Virginia, said she was born in Virginia, has lived in the state her whole life and has never left the U.S.

Shaw thinks she may have forgotten to check a citizenship box on a form when she was updating her voter registration at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles while getting her learner’s permit.

“My first reaction was that that was just ridiculous and it shouldn’t have been allowed in October, of all months. It should have been something that happened six months before the election rather than right on the eve of it,” Shaw said.

She planned to cast her ballot during early voting on Wednesday and said she still found the error troubling. Shaw said her voter registration has now been restored.

The Justice Department and a coalition of private groups sued the state earlier in October, arguing that Virginia election officials, acting on an executive order issued in August by Youngkin, were striking names from voter rolls in violation of federal election law.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/national-voter-registration-act-1993-nvra">The National Voter Registration Act</a>&nbsp;requires a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/about-national-voter-registration-act">90-day “quiet period” ahead of elections</a>&nbsp;for the maintenance of voter rolls so that legitimate voters are not removed from the rolls by bureaucratic errors or last-minute mistakes that cannot be quickly corrected.

Youngkin issued his order on Aug. 7, the 90th day before the Nov. 5 election. It required daily checks of data from the state Department of Motor Vehicles against voter rolls to identify people who are not U.S. citizens.

Protect Democracy, one of the groups that brought the lawsuit, cited media interviews with other voters as showing that the Youngkin administration’s purge has removed U.S. citizens from the voter rolls.

One example is Nadra Wilson, who lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, and told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/10/29/nx-s1-5169204/virginia-noncitizen-voter-purge">NPR</a>&nbsp;she got swept up in the purge. “I was born in Brooklyn, New York. I’m a citizen,” Wilson said, before showing her American passport as proof of her citizenship.

Project Democracy said in a statement that “this program removes eligible voters. Virginia has not presented any evidence of noncitizens participating in elections. Because there is none. And it’s actually eligible VA voters that have been caught in the middle of this election-subversion scheme.”

U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles said elections officials still could remove names on an individualized basis, but not through a systematic purge.

Giles had ordered the state to notify affected voters and local registrars by Wednesday that the registrations have been restored.

Virginia’s deadline to register to vote was Oct. 15, but since 2022, the state has allowed same-day registration, which allows people to register to vote in-person and immediately submit a provisional ballot after the deadline to register has passed. The state Department of Elections does not remove names from the voting rolls after the Oct. 15 deadline unless they they are names of deceased people.

Nearly 6 million Virginians are registered to vote.

In a similar lawsuit in Alabama, a federal judge this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-voter-purge-allen-secretary-state-judge-6cec74a5bc2afef14beae6827d4cf971">ordered the state</a>&nbsp;to restore eligibility for more than 3,200 voters who had been deemed ineligible noncitizens. Testimony from state officials in that case showed that roughly 2,000 of the 3,251 voters who were made inactive were actually legally registered citizens.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative majority on Wednesday left in place Virginia's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-voter-rolls-lawsuit-purge-immigrant-488e9b52ae81f03b7cd1ea28bc384b69">purge voter registrations</a>&nbsp;that the state says is aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-voter-registration-noncitizens-purge-appeal-b1d174ea90a7ac6e6fb1b9c623b7402e">stopping people who are not U.S. citizens from voting</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Great news out of Virginia today for election integrity! Only U.S. citizens should be voting in U.S. elections. <a href="https://t.co/vZ6ufCFxpI">https://t.co/vZ6ufCFxpI</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1851700155822547202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>One Virginian, whose registration was canceled despite living in the state her entire life, called the purge “a very bad October surprise.”The high court, over the dissents of the three liberal justices, granted an emergency appeal from Virginia's Republican administration led by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The court provided no rationale for its action, which is typical in emergency appeals.The justices acted on Virginia's appeal after a federal judge found that the state illegally purged more than 1,600 voter registrations in the past two months. A federal appeals court had previously allowed the judge's order to remain in effect.The specter of immigrants voting illegally has been a main part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-immigrants-noncitizen-trump-republicans-2024-1c65429c152c2a10514b5156eacf9ca7">political messaging</a>&nbsp;this year from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans, even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70">such voting is rare in American elections</a>.Trump had criticized the earlier ruling, calling it “a totally unacceptable travesty” on social media. “Only U.S. Citizens should be allowed to vote,” Trump wrote.Youngkin said voters who believe they were improperly removed from the rolls can still vote in the election because Virginia has same-day registration.“And so there is the ultimate, ultimate safeguard in Virginia, no one is being precluded from voting, and therefore, I encourage every single citizen go vote,” Youngkin told reporters.That option was noted also by the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the White House.“Every eligible voter has a right to cast their ballot and have their vote counted, and this ruling does not change that," campaign spokesman Charles Lutvak said in a statement. “Our campaign is going to make sure every eligible voter is able to vote. Voting by noncitizens remains illegal under federal law.”Rina Shaw, 22, of Chesterfield, Virginia, said she was born in Virginia, has lived in the state her whole life and has never left the U.S.Shaw thinks she may have forgotten to check a citizenship box on a form when she was updating her voter registration at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles while getting her learner’s permit.“My first reaction was that that was just ridiculous and it shouldn’t have been allowed in October, of all months. It should have been something that happened six months before the election rather than right on the eve of it,” Shaw said.She planned to cast her ballot during early voting on Wednesday and said she still found the error troubling. Shaw said her voter registration has now been restored.The Justice Department and a coalition of private groups sued the state earlier in October, arguing that Virginia election officials, acting on an executive order issued in August by Youngkin, were striking names from voter rolls in violation of federal election law.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/national-voter-registration-act-1993-nvra">The National Voter Registration Act</a>&nbsp;requires a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/about-national-voter-registration-act">90-day “quiet period” ahead of elections</a>&nbsp;for the maintenance of voter rolls so that legitimate voters are not removed from the rolls by bureaucratic errors or last-minute mistakes that cannot be quickly corrected.Youngkin issued his order on Aug. 7, the 90th day before the Nov. 5 election. It required daily checks of data from the state Department of Motor Vehicles against voter rolls to identify people who are not U.S. citizens.Protect Democracy, one of the groups that brought the lawsuit, cited media interviews with other voters as showing that the Youngkin administration’s purge has removed U.S. citizens from the voter rolls.One example is Nadra Wilson, who lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, and told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/10/29/nx-s1-5169204/virginia-noncitizen-voter-purge">NPR</a>&nbsp;she got swept up in the purge. “I was born in Brooklyn, New York. I’m a citizen,” Wilson said, before showing her American passport as proof of her citizenship.Project Democracy said in a statement that “this program removes eligible voters. Virginia has not presented any evidence of noncitizens participating in elections. Because there is none. And it’s actually eligible VA voters that have been caught in the middle of this election-subversion scheme.”U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles said elections officials still could remove names on an individualized basis, but not through a systematic purge.Giles had ordered the state to notify affected voters and local registrars by Wednesday that the registrations have been restored.Virginia’s deadline to register to vote was Oct. 15, but since 2022, the state has allowed same-day registration, which allows people to register to vote in-person and immediately submit a provisional ballot after the deadline to register has passed. The state Department of Elections does not remove names from the voting rolls after the Oct. 15 deadline unless they they are names of deceased people.Nearly 6 million Virginians are registered to vote.In a similar lawsuit in Alabama, a federal judge this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-voter-purge-allen-secretary-state-judge-6cec74a5bc2afef14beae6827d4cf971">ordered the state</a>&nbsp;to restore eligibility for more than 3,200 voters who had been deemed ineligible noncitizens. Testimony from state officials in that case showed that roughly 2,000 of the 3,251 voters who were made inactive were actually legally registered citizens.

Kan. U.S. Senator praised Supreme Court ruling on election integrity

RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating an alleged attempted murder in Manhattan.

Just before 11p.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; police responded to a report of a stabbing in the 400 block of Walters Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release.

&nbsp;It was reported a 53-year-old man identified as Marcus Washington of Manhattan stabbed a 39-year-old victim with a knife. The victim is being treated for his injuries and is reported to be in stable condition.

Police arrested Washington on requested charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery. He is being held on a bond of $250,000.

Police also arrested 41-year-old Alvin Love of and 26-year-old Nichole Cochrun both Manhattan on requested charges of interference with law enforcement and obstructing apprehension of prosecution in connection with the stabbing, according to the RCPD. Both are being held on separate $10,000 bonds.

Just before 11p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for attempted first degree murder and aggravated battery in the 400 block of Walters Dr in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

Police have not reported an arrest and released no additional details early Wednesday.

RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating an alleged attempted murder in Manhattan.Just before 11p.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; police responded to a report of a stabbing in the 400 block of Walters Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release.&nbsp;It was reported a 53-year-old man identified as Marcus Washington of Manhattan stabbed a 39-year-old victim with a knife. The victim is being treated for his injuries and is reported to be in stable condition.Police arrested Washington on requested charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery. He is being held on a bond of $250,000.Police also arrested 41-year-old Alvin Love of and 26-year-old Nichole Cochrun both Manhattan on requested charges of interference with law enforcement and obstructing apprehension of prosecution in connection with the stabbing, according to the RCPD. Both are being held on separate $10,000 bonds.---------------RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating an alleged attempted murder in Manhattan.Just before 11p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for attempted first degree murder and aggravated battery in the 400 block of Walters Dr in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.Police have not reported an arrest and released no additional details early Wednesday.

Police: 3 in custody after violent knife attack in Manhattan

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — An adviser for Republican congressional candidate Derek Schmidt says the “fake newspaper” Democratic rival Nancy Boyda mailed to 160,000 households is “illegal” and “dishonest.”

Schmidt, a three-term Kansas attorney general and former state Senate majority leader, is challenging Boyda for the 2nd District seat that Boyda held from 2007 to 2009.

Boyda has repeatedly produced campaign materials this year without including the mandatory disclosure that they were paid for by her campaign. That includes two eight-page publications, which she labeled “The Kansas Voter Guide.” The latest arrived in mailboxes last week.

The publications provide Boyda-friendly mock news stories, a side-by-side comparison of the candidates on various issues, letters of endorsement for Boyda, and cartoons making fun of Schmidt.

In a statement for this story, Boyda says she mistakenly swapped a page that included the “paid for” designation with the printer at the last minute. She apologized to the voters of the 2nd District and thanked the Kansas Republican Party for calling attention to the situation in its weekly email newsletter.

“Believe me, the last thing we needed was negative press about what we believe is an excellent way to communicate directly with the voters,” Boyda said. “Again, I apologize we did not follow the letter of the law. It was never our intent.”

On Friday, the GOP newsletter complained that Boyda was “breaking federal campaign finance law” by not clearly labeling her publication as paid for by her campaign.

“Politicians who can’t adhere to even the most basic laws do not deserve your approval — or your vote,” the GOP newsletter said.

Kansas GOP chairman Mike Brown in September&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/09/20/kansas-gop-chairman-complains-about-democratic-congressional-candidates-lack-of-disclosures/">filed a complaint</a>&nbsp;with the Federal Election Commission alleging Boyda failed to include “paid for by” disclosures on billboards, videos, yard signs, campaign communications and her campaign website.

Eric Pahls, a Schmidt adviser, said Boyda was being “intentionally dishonest” by not disclosing her publication was “a paid hit piece.”

“Nancy Boyda’s fake newspaper is just the latest in her series of illegal and deceitful campaign activities that are currently under investigation,” Pahls said in a statement for this story. “She’s either incompetent or dishonest — Kansans will reject her either way.”

Boyda said she originally planned to produce three newspapers, but the printer informed the campaign that it only had the capacity to print two. She said the page that included the “paid for by” designation was “inadvertently left off” when she reworked the second and third mailers into a single publication.

She also noted that the return address on the mailing label reads “Boyda for Congress.”

“I want to be clear, that was our mistake, not the printer’s,” Boyda said. “This is an incredibly busy time for everyone and they were good partners to work with. It was our duty to get it right, not theirs.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727015582485.png" alt=" Democrat Nancy Boyda&nbsp; -photo by Grace Hills / Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption> Democrat Nancy Boyda&nbsp; -photo by Grace Hills / Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — An adviser for Republican congressional candidate Derek Schmidt says the “fake newspaper” Democratic rival Nancy Boyda mailed to 160,000 households is “illegal” and “dishonest.”Schmidt, a three-term Kansas attorney general and former state Senate majority leader, is challenging Boyda for the 2nd District seat that Boyda held from 2007 to 2009.Boyda has repeatedly produced campaign materials this year without including the mandatory disclosure that they were paid for by her campaign. That includes two eight-page publications, which she labeled “The Kansas Voter Guide.” The latest arrived in mailboxes last week.The publications provide Boyda-friendly mock news stories, a side-by-side comparison of the candidates on various issues, letters of endorsement for Boyda, and cartoons making fun of Schmidt.In a statement for this story, Boyda says she mistakenly swapped a page that included the “paid for” designation with the printer at the last minute. She apologized to the voters of the 2nd District and thanked the Kansas Republican Party for calling attention to the situation in its weekly email newsletter.“Believe me, the last thing we needed was negative press about what we believe is an excellent way to communicate directly with the voters,” Boyda said. “Again, I apologize we did not follow the letter of the law. It was never our intent.”On Friday, the GOP newsletter complained that Boyda was “breaking federal campaign finance law” by not clearly labeling her publication as paid for by her campaign.“Politicians who can’t adhere to even the most basic laws do not deserve your approval — or your vote,” the GOP newsletter said.Kansas GOP chairman Mike Brown in September&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/09/20/kansas-gop-chairman-complains-about-democratic-congressional-candidates-lack-of-disclosures/">filed a complaint</a>&nbsp;with the Federal Election Commission alleging Boyda failed to include “paid for by” disclosures on billboards, videos, yard signs, campaign communications and her campaign website.Eric Pahls, a Schmidt adviser, said Boyda was being “intentionally dishonest” by not disclosing her publication was “a paid hit piece.”“Nancy Boyda’s fake newspaper is just the latest in her series of illegal and deceitful campaign activities that are currently under investigation,” Pahls said in a statement for this story. “She’s either incompetent or dishonest — Kansans will reject her either way.”Boyda said she originally planned to produce three newspapers, but the printer informed the campaign that it only had the capacity to print two. She said the page that included the “paid for by” designation was “inadvertently left off” when she reworked the second and third mailers into a single publication.She also noted that the return address on the mailing label reads “Boyda for Congress.”“I want to be clear, that was our mistake, not the printer’s,” Boyda said. “This is an incredibly busy time for everyone and they were good partners to work with. It was our duty to get it right, not theirs.”

Kansas Republicans blast Democrat for mailing ‘voter guide’ without campaign disclosure

LABETTE COUNTY —A horse injured when an SUV rear-ended a horse and buggy on a Kansas Highway October 24, is recovering, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Two people were also seriously injured in the crash in Labette County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Ford Escape driven by Landin Rayne Knickerbocker, 27,&nbsp;Neodesha, was eastbound on U.S. 400 two miles East of the U.S. 169 Junction.

The SUV rear-ended the Horse and Buggy that was halfway in the outside lane and shoulder.&nbsp;

&nbsp;EMS transported the driver of the buggy 35-year-old Elizabeth&nbsp; Schwartz and her passenger 16-year-old Priscilla Schwartz both of Cherryvale to Labette County Health in&nbsp; Parsons for treatment of serious injuries. 

First responders called a vet to the scene to treat the horse who suffered a gash to a hindquarter, according to KHP Lt. Himes. The horse was carefully loaded onto a trailer, transported to another vet for treatment and is recovering at home.

Knickerbocker was not injured and properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

LABETTE COUNTY —A horse injured when an SUV rear-ended a horse and buggy on a Kansas Highway October 24, is recovering, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Two people were also seriously injured in the crash in Labette County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Ford Escape driven by Landin Rayne Knickerbocker, 27,&nbsp;Neodesha, was eastbound on U.S. 400 two miles East of the U.S. 169 Junction.The SUV rear-ended the Horse and Buggy that was halfway in the outside lane and shoulder.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS transported the driver of the buggy 35-year-old Elizabeth&nbsp; Schwartz and her passenger 16-year-old Priscilla Schwartz both of Cherryvale to Labette County Health in&nbsp; Parsons for treatment of serious injuries. First responders called a vet to the scene to treat the horse who suffered a gash to a hindquarter, according to KHP Lt. Himes. The horse was carefully loaded onto a trailer, transported to another vet for treatment and is recovering at home.Knickerbocker was not injured and properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Horse injured in SUV, buggy crash on Kan. highway is recovering

The metal targets were only ‘10 paces, approximately 10 yards’ from where Kunce was shooting an AR-15 rifle, according to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

A law enforcement investigation of the circumstances surrounding&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/tv-reporter-injured-by-bullet-fragment-at-lucas-kunce-campaign-event/">a television reporter being hit by a bullet fragment&nbsp;</a>at a campaign photo op for Democrat Lucas Kunce earlier this month has determined there was “no malice, nor ill intent” by anyone involved.&nbsp;

The case was also reviewed by the local prosecutor, who decided no charges would be filed, according to the incident report filed by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office.

Kunce, a Marine veteran hoping to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, was holding an event at a shooting range near Kansas City with former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican. While shooting AR-15 rifles, a bullet fragment ricocheted off a metal target and struck KSHB-TV reporter Ryan Gamboa in the arm.&nbsp;

According to the incident report, after receiving first aid from Kunce, Gamboa sought treatment at a local hospital and was told he had a small piece of metal under his skin. Gamboa told the sheriff’s office he was advised by hospital staff to leave it there.

It’s unclear, according to the incident report, who fired the bullet that ultimately hit Gamboa. But Kinzinger told the sheriff’s office that after shooting “various weapons, from handguns to AR-15 rifles,” he stopped while Kunce “was shooting the last few rounds of the magazine.”

That’s when Kinzinger said he became aware that Gamboa was bleeding from his arm. Kinzinger believes it was “a fragment from a .233 round,” the incident report says.&nbsp;

The event carried on after first aid was administered to Gamboa, the report states, with participants continuing to shoot at the targets. After Kunce left he notified the sheriff’s office of the incident.&nbsp;

A spokesperson for Kunce’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

As the race for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat enters its final days, Hawley has hammered Kunce over the shooting range incident, mocking him on social media and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/HawleyMO/status/1851307325459476719" target="_blank">releasing a television ad</a>&nbsp;saying he “can’t shoot straight” and calling him a “reckless liberal.”&nbsp;

Adding fuel to that criticism are complaints by gun experts who say the set up for the photo op was unsafe because&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article294439354.html#storylink=cpy" target="_blank">the metal targets were too close to safely fire AR-15 rifles</a>.&nbsp;The sheriff’s deputy who looked into the incident inspected the scene and determined the targets were only “10 paces, approximately 10 yards” from where Kunce and Kinzinger were shooting.

Hawley and Kunce are set to square off on Thursday in their&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/josh-hawley-lucas-kunce-agree-to-missouri-senate-debate-just-days-before-election/">only televised debate</a>, airing on Missouri Nexstar stations across the state.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729709021542.png" alt=" Lucas Kunce applies first aid to KSHB reporter Ryan Gamboa after a bullet fragment ricocheted off a target and struck him in the arm while former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger looks on (photo: Lucas Kunce for Missouri)." />
 <figcaption> Lucas Kunce applies first aid to KSHB reporter Ryan Gamboa after a bullet fragment ricocheted off a target and struck him in the arm while former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger looks on (photo: Lucas Kunce for Missouri).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The metal targets were only ‘10 paces, approximately 10 yards’ from where Kunce was shooting an AR-15 rifle, according to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>A law enforcement investigation of the circumstances surrounding&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/tv-reporter-injured-by-bullet-fragment-at-lucas-kunce-campaign-event/">a television reporter being hit by a bullet fragment&nbsp;</a>at a campaign photo op for Democrat Lucas Kunce earlier this month has determined there was “no malice, nor ill intent” by anyone involved.&nbsp;The case was also reviewed by the local prosecutor, who decided no charges would be filed, according to the incident report filed by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office.Kunce, a Marine veteran hoping to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, was holding an event at a shooting range near Kansas City with former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican. While shooting AR-15 rifles, a bullet fragment ricocheted off a metal target and struck KSHB-TV reporter Ryan Gamboa in the arm.&nbsp;According to the incident report, after receiving first aid from Kunce, Gamboa sought treatment at a local hospital and was told he had a small piece of metal under his skin. Gamboa told the sheriff’s office he was advised by hospital staff to leave it there.It’s unclear, according to the incident report, who fired the bullet that ultimately hit Gamboa. But Kinzinger told the sheriff’s office that after shooting “various weapons, from handguns to AR-15 rifles,” he stopped while Kunce “was shooting the last few rounds of the magazine.”That’s when Kinzinger said he became aware that Gamboa was bleeding from his arm. Kinzinger believes it was “a fragment from a .233 round,” the incident report says.&nbsp;The event carried on after first aid was administered to Gamboa, the report states, with participants continuing to shoot at the targets. After Kunce left he notified the sheriff’s office of the incident.&nbsp;A spokesperson for Kunce’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;As the race for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat enters its final days, Hawley has hammered Kunce over the shooting range incident, mocking him on social media and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/HawleyMO/status/1851307325459476719" target="_blank">releasing a television ad</a>&nbsp;saying he “can’t shoot straight” and calling him a “reckless liberal.”&nbsp;Adding fuel to that criticism are complaints by gun experts who say the set up for the photo op was unsafe because&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article294439354.html#storylink=cpy" target="_blank">the metal targets were too close to safely fire AR-15 rifles</a>.&nbsp;The sheriff’s deputy who looked into the incident inspected the scene and determined the targets were only “10 paces, approximately 10 yards” from where Kunce and Kinzinger were shooting.Hawley and Kunce are set to square off on Thursday in their&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/josh-hawley-lucas-kunce-agree-to-missouri-senate-debate-just-days-before-election/">only televised debate</a>, airing on Missouri Nexstar stations across the state.

Sheriff concludes shooting-range injury of TV reporter at Lucas Kunce event was an accident

KANSAS CITY —Sheriff's deputies rescued twin toddlers who were being held as hostages following a stand-off in a rural Kansas City area on Monday night.

Just before 6:30p.m. Pleasant Valley Police received a call about a domestic disturbance in the 7100 block of Fulton Road, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.

Pleasant Valley Police asked for assistance from Claycomo Police officers. At the scene, officers spoke with a woman who said her partner had assaulted her and was inside the home with a gun. She had brought some of her children outside the home with her. She was not seriously injured.

When the man refused to come out, officers asked for the assistance of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Upon deputies’ arrival, the man still refused to exit, and deputies learned twin 1-year-olds remained inside. The man refused to let the toddlers out.

The Special Tactics and Response (STAR) Team and CCSO negotiators activated to deploy additional resources to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. They evacuated the nearby townhomes.

After many hours of negotiations, deputies entered the home shortly after midnight. They encountered the suspect identified as 27-year-old Tyson S. Campbell, armed with a handgun. They were able to wrestle the gun away from him and take him safely into custody. Deputies also got the toddlers to safety with their mother, the original assault victim. Two deputies suffered minor injuries during their encounter with the suspect.

Campbell has been charged with felony domestic assault and more charges could be possible.

The Platte County Sheriff’s Office provided equipment, deputies and negotiators that also helped bring the event to a safe conclusion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730230666697.png" alt="Campbell photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Campbell photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Sheriff's deputies rescued twin toddlers who were being held as hostages following a stand-off in a rural Kansas City area on Monday night.Just before 6:30p.m. Pleasant Valley Police received a call about a domestic disturbance in the 7100 block of Fulton Road, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.Pleasant Valley Police asked for assistance from Claycomo Police officers. At the scene, officers spoke with a woman who said her partner had assaulted her and was inside the home with a gun. She had brought some of her children outside the home with her. She was not seriously injured.When the man refused to come out, officers asked for the assistance of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Upon deputies’ arrival, the man still refused to exit, and deputies learned twin 1-year-olds remained inside. The man refused to let the toddlers out.The Special Tactics and Response (STAR) Team and CCSO negotiators activated to deploy additional resources to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. They evacuated the nearby townhomes.After many hours of negotiations, deputies entered the home shortly after midnight. They encountered the suspect identified as 27-year-old Tyson S. Campbell, armed with a handgun. They were able to wrestle the gun away from him and take him safely into custody. Deputies also got the toddlers to safety with their mother, the original assault victim. Two deputies suffered minor injuries during their encounter with the suspect.Campbell has been charged with felony domestic assault and more charges could be possible.The Platte County Sheriff’s Office provided equipment, deputies and negotiators that also helped bring the event to a safe conclusion.

Deputies rescue twin toddlers after stand-off at Mo. home

CASS COUNTY&nbsp; — Law enforcement and school officials are investigating an accident that sent a student the hospital.

On Tuesday afternoon, emergency crews were called to the elementary school in Pleasant Hill,&nbsp;2097 Oak Park Boulevard after report of an accidental injury, according to a statement from police.

Several students were struck by a falling tree. One student was transported to the hospital, several others were evaluated by EMS and school nursing staff. The school notified parents. The incident is under control and is being investigated.

"Please keep the students and staff in your thoughts and prayers."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730283611454.png" alt="Photo by Chandler Watkins courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Chandler Watkins courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>CASS COUNTY&nbsp; — Law enforcement and school officials are investigating an accident that sent a student the hospital.On Tuesday afternoon, emergency crews were called to the elementary school in Pleasant Hill,&nbsp;2097 Oak Park Boulevard after report of an accidental injury, according to a statement from police.Several students were struck by a falling tree. One student was transported to the hospital, several others were evaluated by EMS and school nursing staff. The school notified parents. The incident is under control and is being investigated."Please keep the students and staff in your thoughts and prayers."

Student hospitalized after tree falls at elementary school

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, with the White House as her backdrop, gave what she called her closing argument Tuesday evening, pressing voters to support her bid over that of “unstable” Republican candidate Donald Trump.

The 30-minute speech on the Ellipse was the same location where Trump, then president, held a rally nearly four years ago before his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. Harris highlighted Democrats’ core argument that another term for the former president would present a threat to the country’s future.

“This election is more than just a choice between two parties and two different candidates,” Harris said. “It is a choice about whether we have a country rooted in freedom for every American, or ruled by chaos and division.”

Harris evoked the conception of the United States, how it was “born when we wrested freedom from a petty tyrant.” She said since then, Americans across generations have fought to protect those freedoms and expand them, from those who marched in the civil rights movement to the troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy.

“They didn’t do that only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant,” she said. “We are not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators.”

Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, said in a statement that Trump’s “closing argument to the American people is simple: Kamala broke it; he will fix it.”

In the crowd of tens of thousands of rallygoers was LaShaun Martin, 52, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, who said she is voting for Harris because the vice president is “incredibly positive.”

“She has been for all people, Republicans and Democrats,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what walk of life you come from. She really wants to represent you, and whatever it is you need to be able to be a prosperous person.”

Harris’ speech took place just one week before voting ends on Nov. 5, following a history-making campaign that began when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/president-joe-biden-bows-out-reelection-campaign-harris-vows-win-nomination-8" target="_blank">President Joe Biden withdrew from the race</a>&nbsp;following a disastrous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-reel-terrible-biden-debate-performance-he-defends-candidacy%C2%A0" target="_blank">debate this summer.&nbsp;</a>

Biden’s endorsement of Harris and widespread support from Democrats throughout the country forced the GOP to overhaul its approach to the campaign, as Democrats shifted their focus from the policies that Biden wanted to champion to those important to Harris.

In her remarks, Harris rebuked Trump and his supporters for their disparaging comments about immigrants living in the country illegally, a main element of his campaign.

“Politicians have got to stop treating immigration as an issue to scare up votes in an election,” Harris said. “And instead treat it as the serious challenge that it is, that we must finally come together to solve.”

Harris pledged to work with Congress on immigration policy as well as a pathway to citizenship for farmworkers and for the more than 500,000 children brought into the country without authorization. They are known as Dreamers, enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Harris touched on several of her top policy issues, including housing affordability, abortion access nationwide, a ban on price gouging at grocery stores and expansion of the child tax credit.

Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/harris-urge-voters-move-trump-era-tuesday-night-speech-ellipse" target="_blank">previewed the speech earlier Tuesday</a>, telling reporters the vice president would speak directly to undecided voters’ “sense of frustration, their sense of exhaustion with the way that our politics have played out under the Trump era — and offer them directly a vision that something is different, that something different is possible.”

Trump on Sunday appeared at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/speakers-six-hour-trump-rally-nyc-insult-puerto-ricans-mock-harris-race" target="_blank">a six-hour campaign event at Madison Square Garden</a>&nbsp;in New York City that brought bipartisan condemnation for a comedian who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.”

Ahead of Harris’ Tuesday speech, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-nyc-rally-where-puerto-rico-was-labeled-island-garbage-was-lovefest-1" target="_blank">gave remarks at Mar-a-Lago</a>&nbsp;in Palm Beach, Florida, accusing her of trying to divide the country and seeking to distance himself from the racist and vulgar remarks made by the comedian and other speakers during the rally.

Trump did not take questions, but told ABC News earlier in the day he did not hear the comedian’s remarks.

“I don’t know him,” Trump said. “Someone put him up there.”

With the presidential race essentially tied, Harris and Trump have both focused their final campaign push on the crucial swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Harris promised the crowd during her speech that if elected she will protect institutions and the democratic ideals that are the bedrock of American law. She also slammed Trump’s comments referring to Democrats as the “enemy from within.’”

“The fact that someone disagrees with us does not make them the enemy within,” Harris said. “They are family, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, they are fellow Americans, and as Americans, we rise and fall together.”

Harris said the country must move beyond the ever-widening polarization that she described as a distinct feature of Trump’s grip on American politics.

“Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other,” Harris said. “That’s who he is.”

In her pitch to undecided voters, Harris offered an opportunity to leave the Trump era behind.

“It is time to turn the page on the drama and the conflict, the fear and division,” she said. “It is time for a new generation of leadership in America and I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States.”

That leadership, she said, would seek to build on bipartisan work.

“I pledge to seek common ground and common sense solutions to make your life better. I am not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress,” she said. “I pledge to listen to experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make and to people who disagree with me. Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy.”

During her speech, protesters advocated for an arms embargo on U.S. military weapons sent to Israel amid the war with Hamas.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-and-colleagues-move-to-block-arms-sales-to-israel/" target="_blank">Several senators have</a>&nbsp;also called for an arms embargo.

“Stop arming Israel. Arms embargo now,” one protester said before being escorted out.

The death toll of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker" target="_blank">more than 43,000 Palestinians</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip, according to health authorities there, has fractured Muslims, Arab Americans and anti-war Democrats within the party. It&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/frustrated-uncommitted-delegates-push-palestinian-american-speaker-dnc-nears-end" target="_blank">spurred the Uncommitted National Movement</a>&nbsp;that sent 30 delegates to the Democratic National Convention this summer.

After Harris’ speech, nearly 100 pro-Palestinian protesters surrounded an exit of the campaign rally.

The campaign’s finale in Washington, D.C., was expected to draw more than 50,000 supporters,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/harris-rally-expected-to-draw-in-over-50000-attendees-on-tuesday-in-dc/3752938/" target="_blank">according to the local NBC affiliate</a>. The Harris campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KamalaHQ/status/1851410330359844952" target="_blank">estimated</a>&nbsp;75,000 spectators showed up.

It featured speeches from supporters such as a mother who was able to access affordable insulin for her son because of the Affordable Care Act;&nbsp;<a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/10/17/harris-courts-disaffected-republicans-in-pennsylvania/" target="_blank">a farming couple</a>&nbsp;from Pennsylvania who were previously Trump voters; and Craig Sicknick, the brother of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/01/08/multiple-investigations-opened-into-the-death-of-u-s-capitol-police-officer-in-pro-trump-riots/" target="_blank">who died following the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

“(Trump) incited the crowd to riot while my brother and his fellow officers put their lives at risk,” Craig Sicknick said. “Now, Mr. Trump is promising to pardon the convicted criminals who attacked our Capitol, killing my brother and injuring over 140 other officers. This is simply wrong.”

The Justice Department has charged&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/44-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank">more than 1,500 defendants</a>&nbsp;in the Jan. 6 attack.

Craig Sicknick endorsed Harris, who he called a “real leader.”

The family farmers, Bob and Kristina Lange from Malvern, Pennsylvania, said they are lifelong Republicans, but will be voting for Harris this election.

“It’s very clear that Donald Trump doesn’t care about helping hard-working people like us,” Bob Lange said. “He’s too focused on seeking revenge and retribution to care about what we need. We deserve better.”

The couple have been featured in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iwvu-CNU7Q" target="_blank">multiple digital ads</a>&nbsp;targeting rural voters in Pennsylvania.

Attendees from as far as Illinois to local residents made the trek to the Ellipse for the speech.

Tiffany Norwood, 56, of Washington, D.C., said she attended the rally with her 87-year-old mother, Mary Ann Norwood, for “the history of it, the excitement.”

“I feel we need something different in the United States, and she is it,” said Tiffany Norwood, who identified herself as an entrepreneur. “Her plan for the economy, for the future, for women, for everyone. I love the fact that it’s a big umbrella that includes the melting pot of the United States.”

Some attendees weren’t old enough to vote, such as 13-year-old Grace Ledford of Champaign, Illinois.

The teenager said her first political rally felt “like a big party.”

“Kamala would be a great president because she is, for one, a woman, and she is African American,” she said. “A lot of men presidents don’t know how hard it is to be a woman, especially Trump.”

Daniel Nyquist, 79, of Rockville, Maryland, stood in the crowd wearing a hat with the words “Make America Less Hateful.”

“It’s the alternative of Trump’s theme,” Nyquist said, pointing to his hat. “He’s a big promoter of hate, and this is to counter that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730254014478.png" alt="Image courtesy Harris campaign" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Harris campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, with the White House as her backdrop, gave what she called her closing argument Tuesday evening, pressing voters to support her bid over that of “unstable” Republican candidate Donald Trump.The 30-minute speech on the Ellipse was the same location where Trump, then president, held a rally nearly four years ago before his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. Harris highlighted Democrats’ core argument that another term for the former president would present a threat to the country’s future.“This election is more than just a choice between two parties and two different candidates,” Harris said. “It is a choice about whether we have a country rooted in freedom for every American, or ruled by chaos and division.”Harris evoked the conception of the United States, how it was “born when we wrested freedom from a petty tyrant.” She said since then, Americans across generations have fought to protect those freedoms and expand them, from those who marched in the civil rights movement to the troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy.“They didn’t do that only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant,” she said. “We are not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators.”Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, said in a statement that Trump’s “closing argument to the American people is simple: Kamala broke it; he will fix it.”In the crowd of tens of thousands of rallygoers was LaShaun Martin, 52, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, who said she is voting for Harris because the vice president is “incredibly positive.”“She has been for all people, Republicans and Democrats,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what walk of life you come from. She really wants to represent you, and whatever it is you need to be able to be a prosperous person.”<h2>One week until Election Day</h2>Harris’ speech took place just one week before voting ends on Nov. 5, following a history-making campaign that began when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/president-joe-biden-bows-out-reelection-campaign-harris-vows-win-nomination-8" target="_blank">President Joe Biden withdrew from the race</a>&nbsp;following a disastrous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-reel-terrible-biden-debate-performance-he-defends-candidacy%C2%A0" target="_blank">debate this summer.&nbsp;</a>Biden’s endorsement of Harris and widespread support from Democrats throughout the country forced the GOP to overhaul its approach to the campaign, as Democrats shifted their focus from the policies that Biden wanted to champion to those important to Harris.In her remarks, Harris rebuked Trump and his supporters for their disparaging comments about immigrants living in the country illegally, a main element of his campaign.“Politicians have got to stop treating immigration as an issue to scare up votes in an election,” Harris said. “And instead treat it as the serious challenge that it is, that we must finally come together to solve.”Harris pledged to work with Congress on immigration policy as well as a pathway to citizenship for farmworkers and for the more than 500,000 children brought into the country without authorization. They are known as Dreamers, enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.Harris touched on several of her top policy issues, including housing affordability, abortion access nationwide, a ban on price gouging at grocery stores and expansion of the child tax credit.<h2>Reaching out to the undecided</h2>Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/harris-urge-voters-move-trump-era-tuesday-night-speech-ellipse" target="_blank">previewed the speech earlier Tuesday</a>, telling reporters the vice president would speak directly to undecided voters’ “sense of frustration, their sense of exhaustion with the way that our politics have played out under the Trump era — and offer them directly a vision that something is different, that something different is possible.”Trump on Sunday appeared at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/speakers-six-hour-trump-rally-nyc-insult-puerto-ricans-mock-harris-race" target="_blank">a six-hour campaign event at Madison Square Garden</a>&nbsp;in New York City that brought bipartisan condemnation for a comedian who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.”Ahead of Harris’ Tuesday speech, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-nyc-rally-where-puerto-rico-was-labeled-island-garbage-was-lovefest-1" target="_blank">gave remarks at Mar-a-Lago</a>&nbsp;in Palm Beach, Florida, accusing her of trying to divide the country and seeking to distance himself from the racist and vulgar remarks made by the comedian and other speakers during the rally.Trump did not take questions, but told ABC News earlier in the day he did not hear the comedian’s remarks.“I don’t know him,” Trump said. “Someone put him up there.”With the presidential race essentially tied, Harris and Trump have both focused their final campaign push on the crucial swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Harris promised the crowd during her speech that if elected she will protect institutions and the democratic ideals that are the bedrock of American law. She also slammed Trump’s comments referring to Democrats as the “enemy from within.’”“The fact that someone disagrees with us does not make them the enemy within,” Harris said. “They are family, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, they are fellow Americans, and as Americans, we rise and fall together.”<h2>Time to ‘turn the page’</h2>Harris said the country must move beyond the ever-widening polarization that she described as a distinct feature of Trump’s grip on American politics.“Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other,” Harris said. “That’s who he is.”In her pitch to undecided voters, Harris offered an opportunity to leave the Trump era behind.“It is time to turn the page on the drama and the conflict, the fear and division,” she said. “It is time for a new generation of leadership in America and I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States.”That leadership, she said, would seek to build on bipartisan work.“I pledge to seek common ground and common sense solutions to make your life better. I am not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress,” she said. “I pledge to listen to experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make and to people who disagree with me. Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy.”During her speech, protesters advocated for an arms embargo on U.S. military weapons sent to Israel amid the war with Hamas.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-and-colleagues-move-to-block-arms-sales-to-israel/" target="_blank">Several senators have</a>&nbsp;also called for an arms embargo.“Stop arming Israel. Arms embargo now,” one protester said before being escorted out.The death toll of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker" target="_blank">more than 43,000 Palestinians</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip, according to health authorities there, has fractured Muslims, Arab Americans and anti-war Democrats within the party. It&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/frustrated-uncommitted-delegates-push-palestinian-american-speaker-dnc-nears-end" target="_blank">spurred the Uncommitted National Movement</a>&nbsp;that sent 30 delegates to the Democratic National Convention this summer.After Harris’ speech, nearly 100 pro-Palestinian protesters surrounded an exit of the campaign rally.<h2>Harris supporters gather</h2>The campaign’s finale in Washington, D.C., was expected to draw more than 50,000 supporters,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/harris-rally-expected-to-draw-in-over-50000-attendees-on-tuesday-in-dc/3752938/" target="_blank">according to the local NBC affiliate</a>. The Harris campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KamalaHQ/status/1851410330359844952" target="_blank">estimated</a>&nbsp;75,000 spectators showed up.It featured speeches from supporters such as a mother who was able to access affordable insulin for her son because of the Affordable Care Act;&nbsp;<a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/10/17/harris-courts-disaffected-republicans-in-pennsylvania/" target="_blank">a farming couple</a>&nbsp;from Pennsylvania who were previously Trump voters; and Craig Sicknick, the brother of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/01/08/multiple-investigations-opened-into-the-death-of-u-s-capitol-police-officer-in-pro-trump-riots/" target="_blank">who died following the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>“(Trump) incited the crowd to riot while my brother and his fellow officers put their lives at risk,” Craig Sicknick said. “Now, Mr. Trump is promising to pardon the convicted criminals who attacked our Capitol, killing my brother and injuring over 140 other officers. This is simply wrong.”The Justice Department has charged&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/44-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank">more than 1,500 defendants</a>&nbsp;in the Jan. 6 attack.Craig Sicknick endorsed Harris, who he called a “real leader.”The family farmers, Bob and Kristina Lange from Malvern, Pennsylvania, said they are lifelong Republicans, but will be voting for Harris this election.“It’s very clear that Donald Trump doesn’t care about helping hard-working people like us,” Bob Lange said. “He’s too focused on seeking revenge and retribution to care about what we need. We deserve better.”The couple have been featured in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iwvu-CNU7Q" target="_blank">multiple digital ads</a>&nbsp;targeting rural voters in Pennsylvania.<h2>History and excitement</h2>Attendees from as far as Illinois to local residents made the trek to the Ellipse for the speech.Tiffany Norwood, 56, of Washington, D.C., said she attended the rally with her 87-year-old mother, Mary Ann Norwood, for “the history of it, the excitement.”“I feel we need something different in the United States, and she is it,” said Tiffany Norwood, who identified herself as an entrepreneur. “Her plan for the economy, for the future, for women, for everyone. I love the fact that it’s a big umbrella that includes the melting pot of the United States.”Some attendees weren’t old enough to vote, such as 13-year-old Grace Ledford of Champaign, Illinois.The teenager said her first political rally felt “like a big party.”“Kamala would be a great president because she is, for one, a woman, and she is African American,” she said. “A lot of men presidents don’t know how hard it is to be a woman, especially Trump.”Daniel Nyquist, 79, of Rockville, Maryland, stood in the crowd wearing a hat with the words “Make America Less Hateful.”“It’s the alternative of Trump’s theme,” Nyquist said, pointing to his hat. “He’s a big promoter of hate, and this is to counter that.”

Rallying on the Ellipse, Harris calls on voters to reject Trump’s ‘chaos and division’

PAWNEE COUNTY– Gary Leslie Furthmyer, 73, appeared in custody Monday morning in the Pawnee County District Court for a change of plea hearing, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

A Jury Trial on the matter had been scheduled to begin on Tuesday on a two count felony complaint. The defendant was charged with Violation of the Kansas Offender Registration Act and&nbsp; Aggravated Escape from Custody.

In exchange for the defendant’s plea to the Escape charge, the State agreed to dismiss the Offender Registration charge.&nbsp;

The charges stem from Furthmyer walking away from the Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP) located on the campus of Larned State Hospital (LSH) the night of June 23, 2024.

In support of the plea, Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett advised the Court that at the time of the escape Furthmyer was in the transition phase of program wherein the residents are allowed additional privileges. 

Upon returning from a supervised trip at the casino in Dodge City, Furthmeyer threw his cellular telephone into the trash and walked away as the group unloaded in the facility parking lot. 

The Kansas Highway Patrol located him two and half hours later hiding in a grove of trees northwest of the Larned State Hospital campus. They were assisted in the search by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department, Edwards County Sheriff’s Department, and multiple K-9 units from surrounding jurisdictions.

The Offender Registration charge stems from the defendant failing to register his cellular telephone with the sheriff’s department. Once residents enter the transition phase of SPTP they are required to maintain employment and have a cellular telephone for location check purposes.

Furthmyer has previous convictions for indecent liberties with a child, aggravated failure to appear and aggravated escape from custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, the Furthmeyer faces a presumptive prison sentence between 7 months and 23 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730151731213.png" alt="Furthmyer has been listed as a sexually violent predator since a conviction in 2017, according to the KBI Offender Registry-photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Furthmyer has been listed as a sexually violent predator since a conviction in 2017, according to the KBI Offender Registry-photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY– Gary Leslie Furthmyer, 73, appeared in custody Monday morning in the Pawnee County District Court for a change of plea hearing, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.A Jury Trial on the matter had been scheduled to begin on Tuesday on a two count felony complaint. The defendant was charged with Violation of the Kansas Offender Registration Act and&nbsp; Aggravated Escape from Custody.In exchange for the defendant’s plea to the Escape charge, the State agreed to dismiss the Offender Registration charge.&nbsp;The charges stem from Furthmyer walking away from the Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP) located on the campus of Larned State Hospital (LSH) the night of June 23, 2024.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730168047307.png" alt="Furthmyer photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Furthmyer photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>In support of the plea, Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett advised the Court that at the time of the escape Furthmyer was in the transition phase of program wherein the residents are allowed additional privileges. Upon returning from a supervised trip at the casino in Dodge City, Furthmeyer threw his cellular telephone into the trash and walked away as the group unloaded in the facility parking lot. The Kansas Highway Patrol located him two and half hours later hiding in a grove of trees northwest of the Larned State Hospital campus. They were assisted in the search by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department, Edwards County Sheriff’s Department, and multiple K-9 units from surrounding jurisdictions.The Offender Registration charge stems from the defendant failing to register his cellular telephone with the sheriff’s department. Once residents enter the transition phase of SPTP they are required to maintain employment and have a cellular telephone for location check purposes.Furthmyer has previous convictions for indecent liberties with a child, aggravated failure to appear and aggravated escape from custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, the Furthmeyer faces a presumptive prison sentence between 7 months and 23 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16.

Plea deal for escape from Kan. sex offender treatment program

Proponents of Amendment 3 have spent over $10 million on TV ads, more than 20 times what the opposition has invested

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

An effort to legalize abortion in Missouri has raised nearly 10 times more than the political action committees seeking to stop it.&nbsp;

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the campaign behind&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 3</a>, which would legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability, has raised more than $30.9 million since launching its campaign in 2023, according to fundraising reports filed Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

That includes roughly $9 million since Oct. 1, most of which came from out-of-state groups that&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/13/missouri-abortion-rights-campaign-doubles-fundraising-fairness-project/">aren’t required to disclose their donors.&nbsp;</a>

A half dozen PACs urging Missourians to vote against Amendment 3 collectively raised around $3.2 million.

This follows a trend seen in other states where abortion has been on the ballot: efforts to legalize or protect the procedure often outspend efforts to defeat it, including in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/ohios-2023-abortion-fight-cost-campaigns-70-million/" target="_blank">Ohio</a>, where a similar measure&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-ohio-issue-1-abortion-rights.html" target="_blank">won with more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp;</a>

But Missouri is a particularly stark example of abortion-rights groups vastly outspending opposition.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712225243467.png" alt=" Volunteers with Missourians for Constitutional Freedom collect signatures in support of putting forward a ballot measure that would legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability in Missouri. More than 500 people signed up for a campaign event on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Volunteers with Missourians for Constitutional Freedom collect signatures in support of putting forward a ballot measure that would legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability in Missouri. More than 500 people signed up for a campaign event on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Proponents of Amendment 3 have spent over $10 million on TV ads, more than 20 times what the opposition has invested</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>An effort to legalize abortion in Missouri has raised nearly 10 times more than the political action committees seeking to stop it.&nbsp;Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the campaign behind&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 3</a>, which would legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability, has raised more than $30.9 million since launching its campaign in 2023, according to fundraising reports filed Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.That includes roughly $9 million since Oct. 1, most of which came from out-of-state groups that&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/13/missouri-abortion-rights-campaign-doubles-fundraising-fairness-project/">aren’t required to disclose their donors.&nbsp;</a>A half dozen PACs urging Missourians to vote against Amendment 3 collectively raised around $3.2 million.This follows a trend seen in other states where abortion has been on the ballot: efforts to legalize or protect the procedure often outspend efforts to defeat it, including in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/ohios-2023-abortion-fight-cost-campaigns-70-million/" target="_blank">Ohio</a>, where a similar measure&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-ohio-issue-1-abortion-rights.html" target="_blank">won with more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp;</a>But Missouri is a particularly stark example of abortion-rights groups vastly outspending opposition.&nbsp;One reason may be that less money is coming from the Catholic Church than in previous campaigns. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5144660#:~:text=An%20NPR%20and%20Religion%20News,%2D%20zero%2C%20Arizona%20%2D%20zero." target="_blank">analysis by NPR and Religion News Service</a>&nbsp;found U.S. bishops have donated significantly less this year to fight abortion measures than in 2022 and 2023.&nbsp;While Catholic churches in Kansas spent nearly $4 million to fight an abortion referendum in Kansas in 2022, the Missouri dioceses have only invested about $30,000 in Missouri’s fight, the news outlets found.In an effort to bridge this gap, some congregants are going door-to-door in opposition of the amendment.“We pray for your assistance in this fight against Amendment 3,” Eric Holder, a&nbsp;volunteer with the local Knights of Columbus, prayed aloud in early October before canvassing in Independence.&nbsp;“We are like David facing Goliath. We pray that you be with us.”&nbsp;He bowed his head alongside half a dozen other knights outside St. Mary’s Catholic Church before heading out to hang “vote no” fliers on about 1,000 doors.Holder said he became passionate about ending abortion after he converted to Catholicism about 30 years ago and joined in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. He was motivated in part by a relative with an unplanned pregnancy who contemplated abortion before walking into a pregnancy resource center in Kansas City where she was encouraged to keep her baby.&nbsp;“Missouri could suddenly become one of the worst states in the union in terms of abortion,” Holder said, fearing “the degradation of the family” and a shift to a “pro-death” culture.&nbsp;In the interview, Holder lamented the dearth of TV ads aired from a “vote no” perspective. Fighting the amendment, he said, felt like “throwing a pebble into a raging ocean.”But that changed in the coming weeks, as the first ads went up on TV and radio opposing the amendment.&nbsp;A virtual rally held last week brought out several big names against the amendment, many of whom urged viewers to donate to support the purchase of TV ads.&nbsp;Hosts of the rally, which included guest appearances by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly, appealed to viewers to donate to fund for ads to run in the 11 days before the election.&nbsp;“We need to invest in this fight to get the messages in front of people,” said David Bereit, Founder of 40 Days for Life.&nbsp;A number of people heeded Bereit’s advice.As of Monday, groups opposing Amendment 3 have spent about $545,000 on radio and TV ads.&nbsp;Nearly $442,000 of that total was purchased since Thursday, the day of the rally.&nbsp;More than half of that spending was in TV ads purchased by the Vitae Foundation, an anti-abortion research organization based in Missouri. The group’s president was among those who spoke at Thursday’s rally, asking for contributions for TV ads. The Vitae Foundation is not registered as Missouri PAC, and therefore hasn’t reported donors or spending as is required of PACS.&nbsp;The foundation’s ads do not specifically name Amendment 3, but rather focus on abortion broadly, encouraging viewers to “think about it.”But spending on anti-abortion ads remains miles behind spending on digital and TV ads encouraging Missourians to “vote yes.”As of Monday, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom spent nearly $10.4 million on TV ads, and about $22,000 on radio ads, more than twenty times what the opposition has invested.The campaign has seen widespread support since its inception. More than&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/03/missourians-signatures-abortion-amendment-viability/">380,000 Missourians signed an initiative petition</a>&nbsp;to put the amendment on the ballot, and most Democratic nominees have campaigned on their support for Amendment 3.&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fG46LwM4JRGAf-ZJSMEqKnJY_7kBABGI/view" target="_blank">More than 500 physicians and more than 300 other medical professionals</a>&nbsp;also signed a letter in support of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/13/missouri-abortion-rights-campaign-doubles-fundraising-fairness-project/">Amendment 3.</a>&nbsp;No excuse absentee voting in Missouri began Oct. 22. Election officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article294677984.html" target="_blank">Kansas City&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.firstalert4.com/2024/10/25/early-voting-turnout-missouri-running-high/" target="_blank">St. Louis</a>&nbsp;are already reporting significant early voter turnouts ahead of the Nov. 5 General Election.&nbsp;<a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/september-2024-missouri-poll-republican-candidates-lead-in-president-governor-senate-races/" target="_blank">A recent Emerson College poll</a>&nbsp;found 58% of those surveyed support Amendment 3, with 30% opposed. The most recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.slu.edu/research/research-institute/big-ideas/slu-poll/index.php" target="_blank">SLU/YouGov Poll</a>&nbsp;found that 52% supported the amendment and 34% opposed.The Independent’s Rudi Keller contributed reporting.