CLAY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Freightliner drump truck driven by a 33-year-old Kansas City, Missouri man was southbound on U.S. 69 at Cameron Road. The driver failed to yield at the intersection and struck a 2013 Ford Transit van driven by a 74-year-old Liberty, Missouri, woman.&nbsp; After impact the van traveled off the road and overturned.

The van driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical. The dump truck driver was not injured. The van driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754438172374.png" alt="Image from the accident scene&nbsp; courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Image from the accident scene&nbsp; courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>CLAY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Freightliner drump truck driven by a 33-year-old Kansas City, Missouri man was southbound on U.S. 69 at Cameron Road. The driver failed to yield at the intersection and struck a 2013 Ford Transit van driven by a 74-year-old Liberty, Missouri, woman.&nbsp; After impact the van traveled off the road and overturned.The van driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical. The dump truck driver was not injured. The van driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman dies after crash with a dump truck

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

A Hays man was sentenced Monday to more than six years in prison on drug-dealing and sex charges after an emotional morning in court where his victim discussed her turmoil and supporters testified the defendant was a changed man after pursuing recovery for drug addiction.

Jordan Bradley Burgess, 32, was sentenced to 78 months in prison on a charge of distribution of cocaine and 40 months in prison on a charge of possession of cocaine, with both sentences to run concurrently.

He also pleaded to three counts misdemeanor sexual battery through an Alford plea, as well as a DUI charge with those sentences to also run concurrently with his prison sentence on the cocaine charges.

He will also be required to register for life as a sex offender.

Burgess has a criminal record, including sex and drug charges going back to 2018. He had 19 convictions, which put his criminal records score for sentencing at an A, which is the highest level on the sentencing grid.

Based on the Burgess' criminal record and charges, state sentencing guidelines would require a prison sentence.&nbsp;Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham requested 118 months in prison under the plea agreement.

However, Burgess' attorney, Kurt Kerns, filed a motion for a dispositional departure based on Burgess' participation in an intense drug recovery program.&nbsp;

Cunningham repeatedly referred to Burgess as a sexual predator as he cross-examined the six witnesses who were called to testify on Burgess' behalf.

However, before those witnesses took the stand, a victim of Burgess' alleged sexual abuse gave a statement.

She said she was haunted by Burgess' acts against her on May 29, 2021. She said the incident left her a "damaged shell of her former self," and said she was plagued by anxiety attacks and nightmares.

"That one night will last my lifetime," she told the judge, and urged him to do what was just, right and true.

Burgess was originally charged with rape, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated sexual battery, all felonies. Those charges were amended to misdemeanor sexual battery charges per the plea agreement.

In an Alford plea, a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence to convict them.

In his address to the court before sentencing, Burgess did not discuss the sex charges or address the victim of his sexual crimes.

Those supporting Burgess testified to a dramatic transformation during the last year after he entered rehab in June 2024, which has included passionately trying to help others who are suffering from addiction and seeking a faith-driven life.

John Trembley, former Community Corrections director, testified he had never seen a more significant transformation than he has seen in Burgess.

Trembley said he regarded Burgess like a son.&nbsp;

"It's rare for someone to walk out of rehab and not use again," he said.

However, he said he believed Burgess was committed to his recovery and was not a threat to the community.

He said he was not attempting to excuse Burgess' behavior. Still, he thought he could be a contributing member of the community, and community corrections was the better alternative for Burgess.

"If we are here for 100% punishment for his past behavior, then there's nothing I can say," Trembley said.

He added, "I know the impact he has had on everybody. I know he is a changed man."

Cunningham asked&nbsp;Trembley if treatment for sex offenders was different from the treatment of substance abuse. Trembley said yes.

Cunningham also asked Trembley if he thought Burgess should have consequences for his crimes.

Trembley said, "Community corrections is not meant to be a cake walk. He is going to have a lot of consequences in his life.

"I have a daughter and granddaughter, and if I thought he was a risk, I wouldn't be here," he said.

Justin MacDonald, who leads a Bible study at the Family Worship Center, testified about Burgess' conversion and baptism.

"I think our city would be better if we had more men like Jordan," he said.

MacDonald said he had only known Burgess for 16 months and was not fully aware of his previous criminal history.

Several witnesses, who had participated in recovery programs with Burgess, also testified on his behalf.

Cade Gerhard said he had been struggling with alcoholism. He called Burgess out of desperation, and Burgess drove him to treatment.

Even after Gerhard relapsed, Burgess continued to call and encourage him in his road to recovery, he said.

Gerhard credited Burgess with saving his life.

"I think sending him to prison would be a disservice to the community," he said.

In his allocution to the court before sentencing, Burgess said he was a changed man. He said he wanted to be a father to his 11-year-old daughter.

He said he wanted to help people and to live as a "Godly man in service moving forward."

In his final statements to the court, Cunningham said Burgess had been given many chances on community corrections and had gone from using alcohol to marijuana to being a cocaine dealer.

"The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior," he said.

He said a prison sentence was not only warranted as punishment and a public deterrent, but also a matter of public safety and again referred to Burgess as a serial sex offender.

In 14 years, probation has not been helpful,&nbsp;Cunningham said.

Despite Burgess' plea to the sex charges, Burgess' attorney Kerns said the charges were based on false accusations.

Kerns said he had never had a client in more than 30 years who had attended recovery meetings every day for more than a year.

He asked the judge to give Burgess "a single opportunity to prove who he is."

Judge Curtis Brown said he was impressed by Burgess' dedication to his recovery and faith. He said deciding on Burgess' sentence was not easy.

However, he denied the defense's motion for a dispositional departure and probation.

"I think this is just, fair and true in regards to this matter," Brown said.

Brown encouraged Burgess to continue his mission to help others during his time incarcerated with the Department of Corrections.

Burgess spent two days in jail, for which he will be given credit toward his sentence, but he had been out on bond for the majority of the time since his arrest.&nbsp;

Burgess was remanded to begin his sentence with the Kansas Department of Corrections immediately.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754420697316.png" alt="Burgess -photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Burgess -photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostA Hays man was sentenced Monday to more than six years in prison on drug-dealing and sex charges after an emotional morning in court where his victim discussed her turmoil and supporters testified the defendant was a changed man after pursuing recovery for drug addiction.Jordan Bradley Burgess, 32, was sentenced to 78 months in prison on a charge of distribution of cocaine and 40 months in prison on a charge of possession of cocaine, with both sentences to run concurrently.He also pleaded to three counts misdemeanor sexual battery through an Alford plea, as well as a DUI charge with those sentences to also run concurrently with his prison sentence on the cocaine charges.He will also be required to register for life as a sex offender.Burgess has a criminal record, including sex and drug charges going back to 2018. He had 19 convictions, which put his criminal records score for sentencing at an A, which is the highest level on the sentencing grid.Based on the Burgess' criminal record and charges, state sentencing guidelines would require a prison sentence.&nbsp;Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham requested 118 months in prison under the plea agreement.However, Burgess' attorney, Kurt Kerns, filed a motion for a dispositional departure based on Burgess' participation in an intense drug recovery program.&nbsp;Cunningham repeatedly referred to Burgess as a sexual predator as he cross-examined the six witnesses who were called to testify on Burgess' behalf.However, before those witnesses took the stand, a victim of Burgess' alleged sexual abuse gave a statement.She said she was haunted by Burgess' acts against her on May 29, 2021. She said the incident left her a "damaged shell of her former self," and said she was plagued by anxiety attacks and nightmares."That one night will last my lifetime," she told the judge, and urged him to do what was just, right and true.Burgess was originally charged with rape, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated sexual battery, all felonies. Those charges were amended to misdemeanor sexual battery charges per the plea agreement.In an Alford plea, a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence to convict them.In his address to the court before sentencing, Burgess did not discuss the sex charges or address the victim of his sexual crimes.Those supporting Burgess testified to a dramatic transformation during the last year after he entered rehab in June 2024, which has included passionately trying to help others who are suffering from addiction and seeking a faith-driven life.John Trembley, former Community Corrections director, testified he had never seen a more significant transformation than he has seen in Burgess.Trembley said he regarded Burgess like a son.&nbsp;"It's rare for someone to walk out of rehab and not use again," he said.However, he said he believed Burgess was committed to his recovery and was not a threat to the community.He said he was not attempting to excuse Burgess' behavior. Still, he thought he could be a contributing member of the community, and community corrections was the better alternative for Burgess."If we are here for 100% punishment for his past behavior, then there's nothing I can say," Trembley said.He added, "I know the impact he has had on everybody. I know he is a changed man."Cunningham asked&nbsp;Trembley if treatment for sex offenders was different from the treatment of substance abuse. Trembley said yes.Cunningham also asked Trembley if he thought Burgess should have consequences for his crimes.Trembley said, "Community corrections is not meant to be a cake walk. He is going to have a lot of consequences in his life."I have a daughter and granddaughter, and if I thought he was a risk, I wouldn't be here," he said.Justin MacDonald, who leads a Bible study at the Family Worship Center, testified about Burgess' conversion and baptism."I think our city would be better if we had more men like Jordan," he said.MacDonald said he had only known Burgess for 16 months and was not fully aware of his previous criminal history.Several witnesses, who had participated in recovery programs with Burgess, also testified on his behalf.Cade Gerhard said he had been struggling with alcoholism. He called Burgess out of desperation, and Burgess drove him to treatment.Even after Gerhard relapsed, Burgess continued to call and encourage him in his road to recovery, he said.Gerhard credited Burgess with saving his life."I think sending him to prison would be a disservice to the community," he said.In his allocution to the court before sentencing, Burgess said he was a changed man. He said he wanted to be a father to his 11-year-old daughter.He said he wanted to help people and to live as a "Godly man in service moving forward."In his final statements to the court, Cunningham said Burgess had been given many chances on community corrections and had gone from using alcohol to marijuana to being a cocaine dealer."The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior," he said.He said a prison sentence was not only warranted as punishment and a public deterrent, but also a matter of public safety and again referred to Burgess as a serial sex offender.In 14 years, probation has not been helpful,&nbsp;Cunningham said.Despite Burgess' plea to the sex charges, Burgess' attorney Kerns said the charges were based on false accusations.Kerns said he had never had a client in more than 30 years who had attended recovery meetings every day for more than a year.He asked the judge to give Burgess "a single opportunity to prove who he is."Judge Curtis Brown said he was impressed by Burgess' dedication to his recovery and faith. He said deciding on Burgess' sentence was not easy.However, he denied the defense's motion for a dispositional departure and probation."I think this is just, fair and true in regards to this matter," Brown said.Brown encouraged Burgess to continue his mission to help others during his time incarcerated with the Department of Corrections.Burgess spent two days in jail, for which he will be given credit toward his sentence, but he had been out on bond for the majority of the time since his arrest.&nbsp;Burgess was remanded to begin his sentence with the Kansas Department of Corrections immediately.

Plea deal sends NW Kansas sex offender back to prison

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>&nbsp;-

WASHINGTON — The House Committee on Oversight issued subpoenas Tuesday for testimony from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among other ex-government officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations, regarding knowledge of Florida sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Committee Chair James Comer of Kentucky also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26040557-20250805-subpoena-and-schedule-to-doj/" target="_blank">subpoenaed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Justice for records of Epstein’s federal sex trafficking investigation. Comer gave the department until Aug. 19 to turn over the files.

Comer issued the subpoenas following bipartisan committee support in late July to compel the release of records after President Donald Trump backtracked on his promise to open the files.

Epstein, who pleaded guilty to sex crimes in Florida in 2008, died in a New York City jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of a wealthy media mogul, is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison for her role in the sex trafficking scheme.

The former financier had surrounded himself with wealthy and powerful figures, including Trump and the Clintons, among many other influential people.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26040555-20250805-subpoena-cover-letters/" target="_blank">letters</a>&nbsp;to several former government officials, Comer wrote that congressional oversight of the government’s investigation of Epstein is “imperative.”

“The Committee may use the results of this investigation to inform legislative solutions to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations. Given your past relationships with Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell, the Committee believes that you have information regarding their activities that is relevant to the Committee’s investigation,” according to the letters.

In addition to the Clintons, Comer also subpoenaed testimony from:

Comer outlined a span of deadlines for the depositions into early October.

Comer previously subpoenaed Maxwell for an Aug. 11 deposition. The Kentucky lawmaker denied Maxwell’s request for immunity but agreed to delay her testimony to the committee, according to multiple media&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/08/01/congress/maxwell-hearing-postponed-00489019" target="_blank">reports</a>.

Attention on the federal case against Epstein swelled after the Justice Department, under current Attorney General Pam Bondi, declined to publicly release case files, as Trump had promised on the campaign trail.

According to an unsigned July 7 Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline" target="_blank">memo</a>, “a systemic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” and department and FBI officials concluded that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”

The declaration sparked an uproar among lawmakers and Trump’s voter base, including some in his own administration. The president’s supporters, and Trump himself, have long been fixated on what they describe as the “Epstein files,” with some perpetuating conspiracy theories.

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana sent lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-gop-scatter-early-august-break-amid-pressure-epstein-files" target="_blank">home early</a>&nbsp;for August break to avoid votes compelling the release of material.&nbsp;

Details of the president’s past relationship with Epstein also surfaced, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=Searchresults_pos1&amp;page=1" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the Wall Street Journal that Trump gave the financier a 50th birthday note featuring a cryptic message and the outline of a naked woman with Trump’s signature mimicking pubic hair. The president denied making the note and swiftly sued the Journal.

The outlet also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/justice-department-told-trump-name-in-epstein-files-727a8038?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that Bondi briefed Trump in May that his name appeared in the Epstein materials. The context in which Trump appeared in the files is unknown.

Trump has since called for the release of grand jury testimony in the case, which a Florida judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/07/23/nx-s1-5477567/jeffrey-epstein-transcripts-florida" target="_blank">denied</a>.

Trump also dispatched Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former criminal defense lawyer, to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/tumult-over-epstein-files-dogs-trump-both-dc-and-florida" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;Maxwell in Florida where she was being held.

The administration has since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czd049y2qymo" target="_blank">moved</a>&nbsp;Maxwell to a Texas facility.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704330351229.png" alt="Jeffrey Epstein photo NY Sex Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey Epstein photo NY Sex Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>&nbsp;-WASHINGTON — The House Committee on Oversight issued subpoenas Tuesday for testimony from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among other ex-government officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations, regarding knowledge of Florida sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754412751686.png" alt="File image Hillary Clinton from the Aug. 2024 funeral for Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee-courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File image Hillary Clinton from the Aug. 2024 funeral for Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee-courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Committee Chair James Comer of Kentucky also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26040557-20250805-subpoena-and-schedule-to-doj/" target="_blank">subpoenaed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Justice for records of Epstein’s federal sex trafficking investigation. Comer gave the department until Aug. 19 to turn over the files.Comer issued the subpoenas following bipartisan committee support in late July to compel the release of records after President Donald Trump backtracked on his promise to open the files.Epstein, who pleaded guilty to sex crimes in Florida in 2008, died in a New York City jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of a wealthy media mogul, is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison for her role in the sex trafficking scheme.The former financier had surrounded himself with wealthy and powerful figures, including Trump and the Clintons, among many other influential people.<h2>Subpoena list</h2>In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26040555-20250805-subpoena-cover-letters/" target="_blank">letters</a>&nbsp;to several former government officials, Comer wrote that congressional oversight of the government’s investigation of Epstein is “imperative.”“The Committee may use the results of this investigation to inform legislative solutions to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations. Given your past relationships with Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell, the Committee believes that you have information regarding their activities that is relevant to the Committee’s investigation,” according to the letters.In addition to the Clintons, Comer also subpoenaed testimony from:<ul>
 <li>Former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland</li><li>Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr</li><li>Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions</li><li>Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch</li><li>Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder</li><li>Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales</li><li>Former FBI Director James Comey</li><li>Former FBI Director Robert Mueller</li>
 </ul>Comer outlined a span of deadlines for the depositions into early October.Comer previously subpoenaed Maxwell for an Aug. 11 deposition. The Kentucky lawmaker denied Maxwell’s request for immunity but agreed to delay her testimony to the committee, according to multiple media&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/08/01/congress/maxwell-hearing-postponed-00489019" target="_blank">reports</a>.<h2>Bondi won’t release Epstein files</h2>Attention on the federal case against Epstein swelled after the Justice Department, under current Attorney General Pam Bondi, declined to publicly release case files, as Trump had promised on the campaign trail.According to an unsigned July 7 Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline" target="_blank">memo</a>, “a systemic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” and department and FBI officials concluded that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”The declaration sparked an uproar among lawmakers and Trump’s voter base, including some in his own administration. The president’s supporters, and Trump himself, have long been fixated on what they describe as the “Epstein files,” with some perpetuating conspiracy theories.House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana sent lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-gop-scatter-early-august-break-amid-pressure-epstein-files" target="_blank">home early</a>&nbsp;for August break to avoid votes compelling the release of material.&nbsp;Details of the president’s past relationship with Epstein also surfaced, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=Searchresults_pos1&amp;page=1" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the Wall Street Journal that Trump gave the financier a 50th birthday note featuring a cryptic message and the outline of a naked woman with Trump’s signature mimicking pubic hair. The president denied making the note and swiftly sued the Journal.The outlet also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/justice-department-told-trump-name-in-epstein-files-727a8038?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that Bondi briefed Trump in May that his name appeared in the Epstein materials. The context in which Trump appeared in the files is unknown.Trump has since called for the release of grand jury testimony in the case, which a Florida judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/07/23/nx-s1-5477567/jeffrey-epstein-transcripts-florida" target="_blank">denied</a>.Trump also dispatched Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former criminal defense lawyer, to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/tumult-over-epstein-files-dogs-trump-both-dc-and-florida" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;Maxwell in Florida where she was being held.The administration has since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czd049y2qymo" target="_blank">moved</a>&nbsp;Maxwell to a Texas facility.

US House panel subpoenas DOJ’s Epstein files, Bill and Hillary Clinton

HARVEY COUNTY – Samara Maple, 25, of Hutchinson, Kansas, pled guilty in Harvey County District Court on Tuesday to one count of Leaving the Scene of a Fatality Accident, according to the Harvey County Attorney's office.

The charge stems from a collision that occurred on April 8, 2024, when Laurie Oswald Robinson, of Newton, Kansas, was found deceased on the embankment beneath the SE 24th Street bridge over Interstate 135. 

Subsequent investigation determined that Ms. Robinson had been struck by a vehicle while walking across the bridge, and that the driver had left the scene without notifying authorities.

Following a thorough investigation by law enforcement, Maple was identified and charged in connection with the fatal hit-and-run.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2025, before District Judge Jason Lane in Harvey County District Court.

The Harvey County Attorney’s Office extends its appreciation to the Harvey County Sheriff’s Office and the Newton Police Department for their diligent work in bringing this case to resolution.

NEWTON, Kan. — Newton Police arrested a Hutchinson woman Monday evening in the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a Newton woman Monday morning.

Samara Maple, 23, was booked into Harvey County Jail on preliminary charges of failure to stop at an accident resulting in death, which is a felony. She is being held without bond.

Laurie Robinson, 64, of Newton, died Monday morning after she was struck by a car while walking on Southeast 24th Street just east of I-135 in Newton. Police began searching for a white Honda or Acura with passenger-side damage. Maple’s white Honda was taken by police after her arrest.

NEWTON, Kan. —Police have located the vehicle and driver involved in fatal hit-and-run that occurred Monday morning in Newton, according to a social media report from Newton Police.

The City of Newton identified the victim as 64-year-old Laurie Robinson of Newton.&nbsp; She was killed in the hit-and-run on Southeast 24th Street just east of I-135 in Newton.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712698752314.png" alt="Maple photo Harvey County" />
 <figcaption>Maple photo Harvey County</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY – Samara Maple, 25, of Hutchinson, Kansas, pled guilty in Harvey County District Court on Tuesday to one count of Leaving the Scene of a Fatality Accident, according to the Harvey County Attorney's office.The charge stems from a collision that occurred on April 8, 2024, when Laurie Oswald Robinson, of Newton, Kansas, was found deceased on the embankment beneath the SE 24th Street bridge over Interstate 135. Subsequent investigation determined that Ms. Robinson had been struck by a vehicle while walking across the bridge, and that the driver had left the scene without notifying authorities.Following a thorough investigation by law enforcement, Maple was identified and charged in connection with the fatal hit-and-run.Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2025, before District Judge Jason Lane in Harvey County District Court.The Harvey County Attorney’s Office extends its appreciation to the Harvey County Sheriff’s Office and the Newton Police Department for their diligent work in bringing this case to resolution.-----------------NEWTON, Kan. — Newton Police arrested a Hutchinson woman Monday evening in the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a Newton woman Monday morning.Samara Maple, 23, was booked into Harvey County Jail on preliminary charges of failure to stop at an accident resulting in death, which is a felony. She is being held without bond.Laurie Robinson, 64, of Newton, died Monday morning after she was struck by a car while walking on Southeast 24th Street just east of I-135 in Newton. Police began searching for a white Honda or Acura with passenger-side damage. Maple’s white Honda was taken by police after her arrest.------------NEWTON, Kan. —Police have located the vehicle and driver involved in fatal hit-and-run that occurred Monday morning in Newton, according to a social media report from Newton Police.The City of Newton identified the victim as 64-year-old Laurie Robinson of Newton.&nbsp; She was killed in the hit-and-run on Southeast 24th Street just east of I-135 in Newton.

Driver enters plea for hit-and-run that killed Kansas woman

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

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is bringing back a physical fitness test to public schools after over a decade, but details of the new test, including timing and implementation, remain to be seen.

Trump signed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/presidents-council-on-sports-fitness-and-nutrition-and-the-reesetablishment-of-the-presidential-fitness-test/" target="_blank">an executive order</a>&nbsp;July 31 that reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test — a source of both fear and achievement among youth — and committed to revitalizing the “President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition,” which would develop the test.

“Rates of obesity, chronic disease, inactivity, and poor nutrition are at crisis levels, particularly among our children,” the executive order notes. “These trends weaken our economy, military readiness, academic performance, and national morale.”

The president designated Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to administer the test.

The council is tasked with creating “school-based programs that reward excellence in physical education and develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award,” according to a White House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-presidents-council-on-sports-fitness-and-nutrition-and-the-reestablishment-of-the-presidential-fitness-test/" target="_blank">fact sheet</a>.

The order did not provide any details on what the test will look like or how or when it will roll out.

Laura Richardson, a clinical associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Michigan, said she hoped to see an updated version of the test that focused more on level of activity than on a student’s performance.

“I’m hopeful that maybe it will be reevaluated and revised and really have some tools that don’t just look at how fast you are or how strong you are, but more holistic in the tools we need to get our children to be active in childhood that should then continue through the trajectory into adulthood,” Richardson told States Newsroom.

Richardson added that testing alone would not be sufficient to see improvement in kids’ physical fitness, and called for increasing resources to schools to help students be more active.

“Sedentary behavior is really widespread — we’re seeing increasing obesity among all ages,” Richardson told States Newsroom. “We can test … but if we’re not giving the tools to the teachers and the students and the parents, we may continue to see the same data.”

Rep. Jeff Van Drew&nbsp;<a href="https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1887" target="_blank">announced last week</a>&nbsp;that he will introduce a bill to codify Trump’s executive order.

In a statement, the New Jersey Republican said he coordinated with the administration, including Kennedy, when writing the bill.

“Every parent wants their kid to grow up strong and healthy,” he added. “This bill is about making sure they are given the tools to do just that.”

The Presidential Fitness Test dates back to President Dwight Eisenhower, who set up the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-10673-fitness-american-youth" target="_blank">President’s Council on Youth Fitness</a>&nbsp;in 1956 following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/4/24/8489501/presidential-fitness-test" target="_blank">alarming findings</a>&nbsp;on the state of youth fitness in the United States compared to youth in European nations.

The test initially included sit-ups, a mile run, a shuttle run, pull-ups or push-ups and a sit-and-reach, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/taking-the-presidential-physical-fitness-test" target="_blank">Harvard Health</a>.

Since then, the test has seen several versions. The most recent major revamp was in 2012, when President Barack Obama’s administration replaced the Presidential Fitness Test with the&nbsp;<a href="https://fitness.foundation/presidential-youth-fitness-program-2" target="_blank">Presidential Youth Fitness Program</a>, which aimed for a more individualized and health-focused approach.

The program, which came after criticism of the Presidential Fitness Test and concerns about its psychological effects on youth, aimed to minimize “comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health,” according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://odphp.health.gov/pcsfn/programs-awards/presidential-youth-fitness-program" target="_blank">Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion</a>&nbsp;within the Department of Health and Human Services.&nbsp;

President John F. Kennedy, an uncle of the current HHS secretary, expanded on Eisenhower’s efforts. In a&nbsp;<a href="https://archive.org/stream/the-soft-american-kennedy/The%20Soft%20American%20-%20Kennedy_djvu.txt" target="_blank">1960 essay</a>, “The Soft American,” the president-elect at the time described physical fitness as a “vital prerequisite to America’s realization of its full potential as a nation.”

According to HHS’&nbsp;<a href="https://odphp.health.gov/pcsfn/history-council" target="_blank">Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion</a>, President Kennedy also promoted “taking the 50 mile hikes previously required of U.S. Marine officers” in a national public service advertising campaign.

President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Presidential Physical Fitness Award Program in 1966 for “exceptional achievement by 10- to 17-year-old boys and girls,” per HHS.&nbsp;

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is bringing back a physical fitness test to public schools after over a decade, but details of the new test, including timing and implementation, remain to be seen.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a> on the Presidential Fitness Test: &quot;We need to re-instill that spirit of competition and that commitment to nutrition and physical fitness — and I&#39;m so grateful to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> for your leadership in bringing this back for our country.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/f0KOxlwsdJ">pic.twitter.com/f0KOxlwsdJ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1951020726292545607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump signed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/presidents-council-on-sports-fitness-and-nutrition-and-the-reesetablishment-of-the-presidential-fitness-test/" target="_blank">an executive order</a>&nbsp;July 31 that reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test — a source of both fear and achievement among youth — and committed to revitalizing the “President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition,” which would develop the test.“Rates of obesity, chronic disease, inactivity, and poor nutrition are at crisis levels, particularly among our children,” the executive order notes. “These trends weaken our economy, military readiness, academic performance, and national morale.”The president designated Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to administer the test.The council is tasked with creating “school-based programs that reward excellence in physical education and develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award,” according to a White House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-presidents-council-on-sports-fitness-and-nutrition-and-the-reestablishment-of-the-presidential-fitness-test/" target="_blank">fact sheet</a>.<h2>Expert hopes for ‘holistic’ revamp</h2>The order did not provide any details on what the test will look like or how or when it will roll out.Laura Richardson, a clinical associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Michigan, said she hoped to see an updated version of the test that focused more on level of activity than on a student’s performance.“I’m hopeful that maybe it will be reevaluated and revised and really have some tools that don’t just look at how fast you are or how strong you are, but more holistic in the tools we need to get our children to be active in childhood that should then continue through the trajectory into adulthood,” Richardson told States Newsroom.Richardson added that testing alone would not be sufficient to see improvement in kids’ physical fitness, and called for increasing resources to schools to help students be more active.“Sedentary behavior is really widespread — we’re seeing increasing obesity among all ages,” Richardson told States Newsroom. “We can test … but if we’re not giving the tools to the teachers and the students and the parents, we may continue to see the same data.”<h2>Bill would codify test</h2>Rep. Jeff Van Drew&nbsp;<a href="https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1887" target="_blank">announced last week</a>&nbsp;that he will introduce a bill to codify Trump’s executive order.In a statement, the New Jersey Republican said he coordinated with the administration, including Kennedy, when writing the bill.“Every parent wants their kid to grow up strong and healthy,” he added. “This bill is about making sure they are given the tools to do just that.”<h2>Latest version of test</h2>The Presidential Fitness Test dates back to President Dwight Eisenhower, who set up the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-10673-fitness-american-youth" target="_blank">President’s Council on Youth Fitness</a>&nbsp;in 1956 following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/4/24/8489501/presidential-fitness-test" target="_blank">alarming findings</a>&nbsp;on the state of youth fitness in the United States compared to youth in European nations.The test initially included sit-ups, a mile run, a shuttle run, pull-ups or push-ups and a sit-and-reach, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/taking-the-presidential-physical-fitness-test" target="_blank">Harvard Health</a>.Since then, the test has seen several versions. The most recent major revamp was in 2012, when President Barack Obama’s administration replaced the Presidential Fitness Test with the&nbsp;<a href="https://fitness.foundation/presidential-youth-fitness-program-2" target="_blank">Presidential Youth Fitness Program</a>, which aimed for a more individualized and health-focused approach.The program, which came after criticism of the Presidential Fitness Test and concerns about its psychological effects on youth, aimed to minimize “comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health,” according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://odphp.health.gov/pcsfn/programs-awards/presidential-youth-fitness-program" target="_blank">Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion</a>&nbsp;within the Department of Health and Human Services.&nbsp;President John F. Kennedy, an uncle of the current HHS secretary, expanded on Eisenhower’s efforts. In a&nbsp;<a href="https://archive.org/stream/the-soft-american-kennedy/The%20Soft%20American%20-%20Kennedy_djvu.txt" target="_blank">1960 essay</a>, “The Soft American,” the president-elect at the time described physical fitness as a “vital prerequisite to America’s realization of its full potential as a nation.”According to HHS’&nbsp;<a href="https://odphp.health.gov/pcsfn/history-council" target="_blank">Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion</a>, President Kennedy also promoted “taking the 50 mile hikes previously required of U.S. Marine officers” in a national public service advertising campaign.President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Presidential Physical Fitness Award Program in 1966 for “exceptional achievement by 10- to 17-year-old boys and girls,” per HHS.&nbsp;

President Trump pledges overhaul of school fitness tests

PAWNEE COUNTY —On Aug. 1, the Kansas Court of Appeals issued a 33 page memorandum opinion upholding the felony convictions and sentence of Justin W. Hammond, 41 of Larned, according to a statement from Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

In March of 2023, a Pawnee County Jury found Hammond Guilty of four counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberty with a Child, to wit: sexual intercourse with a child 14 or 15 years of age, and one count of Indecent Liberties with a Child, to wit: lewd fondling of child 14 or 15 years of age, following a five-day trial.

The crimes were alleged to have occurred in Pawnee County between July 8, 2018, and December 15, 2018. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation following a referral by the Pawnee County Sheriff.

At the sentencing held June 30, 2023, Judge Bruce Gatterman denied a defense request for probation and sentenced Hammond on the primary offense to the standard sentence of 59 months with an additional 37 month consecutive sentence on the additional counts for a total sentence of 96 months in the department of corrections. Hammond is also subject to lifetime post-release supervision and lifetime offender registration as a sex offender.

Hammond is currently incarcerated at the Lansing Correctional Facility.

On May 20, 2025, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals heard appellate oral arguments. On appeal, the defendant argued the District Court errored when it failed to grant a mistrial when an alternate juror was released on the fourth day of the jury trial due to a family emergency. The defendant also argued that the District Court errored when it failed to grant probation and by sentencing him to lifetime post-release supervision.

Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett presented the State’s case at trial. The Kansas Solicitor General’s Office represented the State on Appeal. Hammond was represented by Jonathon McConnell of Wichita, Kansas at trial and Jonathan Laurans of Kansas City on Appeal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688158843330.png" alt="Hammond from his arrest in Pawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Hammond from his arrest in Pawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY —On Aug. 1, the Kansas Court of Appeals issued a 33 page memorandum opinion upholding the felony convictions and sentence of Justin W. Hammond, 41 of Larned, according to a statement from Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.In March of 2023, a Pawnee County Jury found Hammond Guilty of four counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberty with a Child, to wit: sexual intercourse with a child 14 or 15 years of age, and one count of Indecent Liberties with a Child, to wit: lewd fondling of child 14 or 15 years of age, following a five-day trial.The crimes were alleged to have occurred in Pawnee County between July 8, 2018, and December 15, 2018. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation following a referral by the Pawnee County Sheriff.At the sentencing held June 30, 2023, Judge Bruce Gatterman denied a defense request for probation and sentenced Hammond on the primary offense to the standard sentence of 59 months with an additional 37 month consecutive sentence on the additional counts for a total sentence of 96 months in the department of corrections. Hammond is also subject to lifetime post-release supervision and lifetime offender registration as a sex offender.Hammond is currently incarcerated at the Lansing Correctional Facility.On May 20, 2025, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals heard appellate oral arguments. On appeal, the defendant argued the District Court errored when it failed to grant a mistrial when an alternate juror was released on the fourth day of the jury trial due to a family emergency. The defendant also argued that the District Court errored when it failed to grant probation and by sentencing him to lifetime post-release supervision.Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett presented the State’s case at trial. The Kansas Solicitor General’s Office represented the State on Appeal. Hammond was represented by Jonathon McConnell of Wichita, Kansas at trial and Jonathan Laurans of Kansas City on Appeal.

Court upholds conviction and sentence of Kan. child sex offender

SALINE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a home and barn in rural Saline County.

On Monday, Rural Fire District 5 responded to report of the fire at 3008 N. Gypsum Valley, according to the Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan. A neighbor called to report the house and barn were on fire.

The barn was owned by 67-year old Billy Jeffrey. He was not present when the fire happened.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported. Authorities did not release a damage estimate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754406887419.jpeg" alt="Barn completely consumed after fire on 3008 N Gypsum Valley; photo&nbsp; Saline County Sheriff's Office." />
 <figcaption>Barn completely consumed after fire on 3008 N Gypsum Valley; photo&nbsp; Saline County Sheriff's Office.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a home and barn in rural Saline County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754408117778.png" alt="Photo Saline Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Saline Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, Rural Fire District 5 responded to report of the fire at 3008 N. Gypsum Valley, according to the Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan. A neighbor called to report the house and barn were on fire.The barn was owned by 67-year old Billy Jeffrey. He was not present when the fire happened.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported. Authorities did not release a damage estimate.

Home, barn destroyed in rural Kansas fire

HORRY COUNTY, So. Carolina—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run incident have identified the victim as 26-year-old Dezhon Overton of Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Horry County South Carolina Coroner's office.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call for service related to a leaving the scene of a traffic collision with injuries at 21st Avenue South and Kings Highway, according to a statement from Myrtle Beach Police. 

First responders determined that two pedestrians were struck by the vehicle and the suspect vehicle had fled. The victims including Overton&nbsp; were immediately transported to Grand Strand Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. Overton was pronounced deceased a short time later. He was on vacation at the time of the incident, according to police.

The Myrtle Beach Police Real Time Crime Unit along with assisting units had already started investigating which led them to the location of the suspect vehicle. The driver of the vehicle has been arrested.&nbsp;

HORRY COUNTY, So. Carolina—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run incident have identified the victim as 26-year-old Dezhon Overton of Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Horry County South Carolina Coroner's office.Just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call for service related to a leaving the scene of a traffic collision with injuries at 21st Avenue South and Kings Highway, according to a statement from Myrtle Beach Police. First responders determined that two pedestrians were struck by the vehicle and the suspect vehicle had fled. The victims including Overton&nbsp; were immediately transported to Grand Strand Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. Overton was pronounced deceased a short time later. He was on vacation at the time of the incident, according to police.The Myrtle Beach Police Real Time Crime Unit along with assisting units had already started investigating which led them to the location of the suspect vehicle. The driver of the vehicle has been arrested.&nbsp;

Police: Kansas man on vacation dies after hit-and-run incident

Leader of UnidosUS decries the humanitarian and economic damage of Trump administration’s immigration raids. ‘This is about our civil rights being destroyed’

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>&nbsp;

The economic power of the Latino population in the United States is as massive as it is misunderstood.

Latinos contribute more than&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/us-latino-gdp-skyrockets-to-record-37-trillion-dollars" target="_blank">$3.7 trillion</a>&nbsp;annually to the economy, more than the gross domestic product of all but four countries in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/gdp-by-country/" target="_blank">the world</a>.

Latinos are the nation’s largest minority group with 64 million people.

The vast majority, eight out of 10, are U.S. citizens.

By 2030, one out of every three people entering the workforce will be Latino.

But acknowledgement of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">those facts</a>&nbsp;is lacking,&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/publications/analyzing-inclusion-of-latino-contributions-in-us-history-curricula-for-high-school/" target="_blank">studies show</a>, especially among policymakers and politicians.

The vacuum leaves space for false narratives to flourish.

One example for the leader of the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization is the Trump administration’s inaccurate labeling of Latinos as criminals and outsiders who don’t contribute to the nation.

“If we’re going to have an economy that really moves the country forward and sustains all of us, it has to include the Latino community from a demographics perspective,” said Janet Murguía.

Murguía, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, is president and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">UnidosUS,</a>&nbsp;which is holding its annual conference in Kansas City Aug. 4-7.

The conference opens days after nearly a dozen people were taken from their jobs at two Kansas El Toro Loco Mexican Bar and Grill locations in morning raids by Homeland Security Investigations, a unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The detentions of the employees were filmed and witnessed by community members and sparked a protest later in the day.

Videos show the employees as they were being taken from the restaurants in handcuffs and with chains around their waists. Food was left cooking at the Lenexa location and a handwritten note “Closed” was taped to the front door, which was left unlocked.

Murguía is critical of some tactics that Homeland Security is using in its efforts to meet the administration’s goal of removing 3,000 undocumented immigrants daily.

Increasingly, she said, what’s happening is unlawful and unconstitutional.

“This is not about immigration,” Murguía said. “It’s about civil rights.”

Negative narratives about Latinos that are unsubstantiated by data are being used to justify the actions, including some actions that shred due process, she said.

UnidosUS is the umbrella organization for more than 300 affiliates spread across virtually every state. Three are in the Greater Kansas City area:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/" target="_blank">El Centro</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://guadalupecenters.org/" target="_blank">Guadalupe Centers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mattierhodes.org/" target="_blank">Mattie Rhodes Center</a>.

The nearly 60-year-old organization’s current strategy is three-pronged — to protect, defend and advance the Latino community.

Murguía served in former President Bill Clinton’s administration and also once served as an executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas.

She said abuse of power and government overreach in immigration enforcement must be challenged.

“We intend to do everything we can to provide the advocacy to push back against this and demand accountability in the courts and through the administration and in Congress,” Murguia said.

Partnerships with&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/press-releases/national-latino-and-civil-rights-groups-denounce-federal-overreach-in-los-angeles-raids/" target="_blank">other civil rights organizations</a>&nbsp;will be key, she said, noting deep connections with the leadership of the National Urban League, the National Action Network and the Legal Defense Fund.

“This is about our civil rights being destroyed,” she said. “Partners and allies can be really critically important in communicating that to the broader public and understanding that we’re all threatened in this country when actions happen.”

‘There is no American agenda without a Latino agenda’&nbsp;

UnidosUS is linking with some of the leading researchers in the nation.

Documenting the social and economic impact of mass deportation will be crucial.

<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/03/kansas-man-deported-after-visiting-grandfathers-grave-in-mexico/" target="_blank">Some immigrant families are of mixed status</a>, with at least one family member who might be undocumented and others who are not.

Approximately&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/233150241700500101" target="_blank">6.6 million American citizens</a>, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fwd.us/news/mixed-status-families-1/" target="_blank">5.5 million U.S. children</a>&nbsp;— over 8% of all children in the U.S. — live in a household with at least one undocumented family member.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/233150241700500101" target="_blank">2017 study</a>&nbsp;predicted that removing one family member from every mixed-status household through deportation would drop the median income of those households by nearly 50%.

The report was written with data compiled by the Center for Migration Studies of New York and published by the Journal on Migration and Human Security.

“Removing undocumented residents from mixed-status households would reduce median household income from $41,300 to $22,000, a drop of $19,300, or 47%, which would plunge millions of US families into poverty,” the report noted.

The ramifications on homeownership, businesses and taxes paid could be dramatic.

If the U.S. removed all of its undocumented residents, “gross domestic product (GDP) would be reduced by 1.4% in the first year, and cumulative GDP would be reduced by $4.7 trillion over 10 years,” the report said.

Updated data will be key to track not only the outcomes of current immigration policy but also the Trump administration’s recently approved budget bill. UnidosUS called it&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/press-releases/unidosus-statement-on-us-house-passage-of-harmful-federal-budget-bill/" target="_blank">“a stunning betrayal to working families, vulnerable communities and the American electorate who entrusted them with their votes”</a>&nbsp;due to its cuts to health programs and food assistance.

Studies can also inform&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/events/understanding-systemic-racism-and-resulting-inequity-in-latino-communities/" target="_blank">a wide range of initiatives</a>&nbsp;that have long been the focus of UnidosUS: homeownership, educational attainment, health, voting rights and political empowerment.

Data to support policy, based on understanding Latino history

UnidosUS has partnered with the&nbsp;<a href="https://latino.ucla.edu/about/" target="_blank">Latino Politics &amp; Policy Institute</a>) at the University of California Los Angeles.

The institute’s motto is “there is no American agenda without a Latino agenda,” a statement that underscores the relevance of Latinos historically, by population, economic output and future projections as a young demographic.

Latinos are contributing nearly $4 trillion annually to the economy, said Rodrigo Domínguez-Villegas, director of research at the UCLA institute.

Yet Latinos hold only 12% of the nation’s household wealth while comprising nearly 20% of the population, he said.

“There’s a disconnect that reveals a system where Latino labor and entrepreneurship are fueling economic growth in the country, but the wealth that’s generated through Latino labor and entrepreneurship is held elsewhere,” he said.

Domínguez-Villegas is leading a project to find out why.

In a partnership with UnidosUS, the institute is completing an analysis of how public policy has shaped Latino wealth.

The economic mobility study will be released in October.

“We are telling the story of Latino communities across the country and what Latinos contribute, and also how Latinos struggle because of systemic and historical disadvantages,” he said.

Mattie Rhodes, one of the Kansas City-based UnidosUS affiliates, will release the Hispanic/Latino Equity Index for the Kansas City area’s Latino population during the convention on Aug. 4.

The report was developed with the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Center for Economic Information and the Urban League of Greater Kansas City.

It will highlight disparities in economic opportunity, health, education, social justice and civic engagement.

Similar local reports can be aided by another initiative at the UCLA institute, the&nbsp;<a href="https://latinodatahub.org/" target="_blank">Latino Data Hub.</a>

It’s an interactive platform to analyze conditions affecting Latinos nationwide, drawing from the 2023 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census.

An updated hub was released in mid-July. And tutorials on how to use the hub are ongoing.

“We have tried to build it in a way that is as intuitive as possible,” said Domínguez-Villegas, who will be attending the UnidosUs conference. “Our target audiences are, of course, policymakers, but also community-based organizations and the media.”

Information can be broken down nationally, by state or county and soon, by congressional districts.

Built into the platform are 130 indicators, with filters for people to search for detailed information such as homeownership, health care access and educational attainment. The information can be searched in English or Spanish.

The Latino Data Hub grew out of the COVID pandemic, when Latino communities were disproportionately impacted in terms of hospitalizations and deaths.

Policymakers were surprised and slow to react, said Domínguez-Villegas, because they hadn’t understood Latino health disparities and access to health care that predated the pandemic.

“Policymakers were like, ‘Oh, we didn’t have this data, so we didn’t understand really, how to incorporate that into the response,’” said Domínguez-Villegas.

Researchers, he said, vowed “never again.”

Strong data can help tell the stories of Latinos and build understanding of past struggles that have led to current inequities, while also addressing the demographic’s contributions. The goal is a more nuanced telling of the nation’s extremely diverse Latino communities.

Previous work between UnidosUS and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy found deep gaps in the inclusion of Latinos in U.S. history curriculum.

The lack of accurate information undercuts awareness.

The buying power of the Hispanic market can be shown in telling stories of entrepreneurship and those who find prosperity by catering to the demographic, in all of its vast diversity.

A prime local example is the success of the El Mercado Fresco supermarkets, which began catering primarily to the Latino immigrant communities in northeast Kansas City about a decade ago.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754330127440.png" alt="Kansas state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Democrat, addressed a crowd that gathered outside the Lenexa El Toro Loco Mexican Bar and Grill on July 30 after some of the employees were arrested earlier in the day by agents with Homeland Security (Mary Sanchez/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption>Kansas state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Democrat, addressed a crowd that gathered outside the Lenexa El Toro Loco Mexican Bar and Grill on July 30 after some of the employees were arrested earlier in the day by agents with Homeland Security (Mary Sanchez/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Leader of UnidosUS decries the humanitarian and economic damage of Trump administration’s immigration raids. ‘This is about our civil rights being destroyed’</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>&nbsp;The economic power of the Latino population in the United States is as massive as it is misunderstood.Latinos contribute more than&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/us-latino-gdp-skyrockets-to-record-37-trillion-dollars" target="_blank">$3.7 trillion</a>&nbsp;annually to the economy, more than the gross domestic product of all but four countries in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/gdp-by-country/" target="_blank">the world</a>.Latinos are the nation’s largest minority group with 64 million people.The vast majority, eight out of 10, are U.S. citizens.By 2030, one out of every three people entering the workforce will be Latino.But acknowledgement of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">those facts</a>&nbsp;is lacking,&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/publications/analyzing-inclusion-of-latino-contributions-in-us-history-curricula-for-high-school/" target="_blank">studies show</a>, especially among policymakers and politicians.The vacuum leaves space for false narratives to flourish.One example for the leader of the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization is the Trump administration’s inaccurate labeling of Latinos as criminals and outsiders who don’t contribute to the nation.“If we’re going to have an economy that really moves the country forward and sustains all of us, it has to include the Latino community from a demographics perspective,” said Janet Murguía.Murguía, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, is president and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">UnidosUS,</a>&nbsp;which is holding its annual conference in Kansas City Aug. 4-7.The conference opens days after nearly a dozen people were taken from their jobs at two Kansas El Toro Loco Mexican Bar and Grill locations in morning raids by Homeland Security Investigations, a unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.The detentions of the employees were filmed and witnessed by community members and sparked a protest later in the day.Videos show the employees as they were being taken from the restaurants in handcuffs and with chains around their waists. Food was left cooking at the Lenexa location and a handwritten note “Closed” was taped to the front door, which was left unlocked.Murguía is critical of some tactics that Homeland Security is using in its efforts to meet the administration’s goal of removing 3,000 undocumented immigrants daily.Increasingly, she said, what’s happening is unlawful and unconstitutional.“This is not about immigration,” Murguía said. “It’s about civil rights.”Negative narratives about Latinos that are unsubstantiated by data are being used to justify the actions, including some actions that shred due process, she said.UnidosUS is the umbrella organization for more than 300 affiliates spread across virtually every state. Three are in the Greater Kansas City area:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/" target="_blank">El Centro</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://guadalupecenters.org/" target="_blank">Guadalupe Centers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mattierhodes.org/" target="_blank">Mattie Rhodes Center</a>.The nearly 60-year-old organization’s current strategy is three-pronged — to protect, defend and advance the Latino community.Murguía served in former President Bill Clinton’s administration and also once served as an executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas.She said abuse of power and government overreach in immigration enforcement must be challenged.“We intend to do everything we can to provide the advocacy to push back against this and demand accountability in the courts and through the administration and in Congress,” Murguia said.Partnerships with&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/press-releases/national-latino-and-civil-rights-groups-denounce-federal-overreach-in-los-angeles-raids/" target="_blank">other civil rights organizations</a>&nbsp;will be key, she said, noting deep connections with the leadership of the National Urban League, the National Action Network and the Legal Defense Fund.“This is about our civil rights being destroyed,” she said. “Partners and allies can be really critically important in communicating that to the broader public and understanding that we’re all threatened in this country when actions happen.”<h2>‘There is no American agenda without a Latino agenda’&nbsp;</h2>UnidosUS is linking with some of the leading researchers in the nation.Documenting the social and economic impact of mass deportation will be crucial.<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/03/kansas-man-deported-after-visiting-grandfathers-grave-in-mexico/" target="_blank">Some immigrant families are of mixed status</a>, with at least one family member who might be undocumented and others who are not.Approximately&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/233150241700500101" target="_blank">6.6 million American citizens</a>, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fwd.us/news/mixed-status-families-1/" target="_blank">5.5 million U.S. children</a>&nbsp;— over 8% of all children in the U.S. — live in a household with at least one undocumented family member.A&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/233150241700500101" target="_blank">2017 study</a>&nbsp;predicted that removing one family member from every mixed-status household through deportation would drop the median income of those households by nearly 50%.The report was written with data compiled by the Center for Migration Studies of New York and published by the Journal on Migration and Human Security.“Removing undocumented residents from mixed-status households would reduce median household income from $41,300 to $22,000, a drop of $19,300, or 47%, which would plunge millions of US families into poverty,” the report noted.The ramifications on homeownership, businesses and taxes paid could be dramatic.If the U.S. removed all of its undocumented residents, “gross domestic product (GDP) would be reduced by 1.4% in the first year, and cumulative GDP would be reduced by $4.7 trillion over 10 years,” the report said.Updated data will be key to track not only the outcomes of current immigration policy but also the Trump administration’s recently approved budget bill. UnidosUS called it&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/press-releases/unidosus-statement-on-us-house-passage-of-harmful-federal-budget-bill/" target="_blank">“a stunning betrayal to working families, vulnerable communities and the American electorate who entrusted them with their votes”</a>&nbsp;due to its cuts to health programs and food assistance.Studies can also inform&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/events/understanding-systemic-racism-and-resulting-inequity-in-latino-communities/" target="_blank">a wide range of initiatives</a>&nbsp;that have long been the focus of UnidosUS: homeownership, educational attainment, health, voting rights and political empowerment.<h2>Data to support policy, based on understanding Latino history</h2>UnidosUS has partnered with the&nbsp;<a href="https://latino.ucla.edu/about/" target="_blank">Latino Politics &amp; Policy Institute</a>) at the University of California Los Angeles.The institute’s motto is “there is no American agenda without a Latino agenda,” a statement that underscores the relevance of Latinos historically, by population, economic output and future projections as a young demographic.Latinos are contributing nearly $4 trillion annually to the economy, said Rodrigo Domínguez-Villegas, director of research at the UCLA institute.Yet Latinos hold only 12% of the nation’s household wealth while comprising nearly 20% of the population, he said.“There’s a disconnect that reveals a system where Latino labor and entrepreneurship are fueling economic growth in the country, but the wealth that’s generated through Latino labor and entrepreneurship is held elsewhere,” he said.Domínguez-Villegas is leading a project to find out why.In a partnership with UnidosUS, the institute is completing an analysis of how public policy has shaped Latino wealth.The economic mobility study will be released in October.“We are telling the story of Latino communities across the country and what Latinos contribute, and also how Latinos struggle because of systemic and historical disadvantages,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754330083724.png" alt="A map of 304 UnidosUS affiliates in the United States. (Courtesy/UnidosUS)" />
 <figcaption>A map of 304 UnidosUS affiliates in the United States. (Courtesy/UnidosUS)</figcaption>
 </figure>Mattie Rhodes, one of the Kansas City-based UnidosUS affiliates, will release the Hispanic/Latino Equity Index for the Kansas City area’s Latino population during the convention on Aug. 4.The report was developed with the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Center for Economic Information and the Urban League of Greater Kansas City.It will highlight disparities in economic opportunity, health, education, social justice and civic engagement.Similar local reports can be aided by another initiative at the UCLA institute, the&nbsp;<a href="https://latinodatahub.org/" target="_blank">Latino Data Hub.</a>It’s an interactive platform to analyze conditions affecting Latinos nationwide, drawing from the 2023 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census.An updated hub was released in mid-July. And tutorials on how to use the hub are ongoing.“We have tried to build it in a way that is as intuitive as possible,” said Domínguez-Villegas, who will be attending the UnidosUs conference. “Our target audiences are, of course, policymakers, but also community-based organizations and the media.”Information can be broken down nationally, by state or county and soon, by congressional districts.Built into the platform are 130 indicators, with filters for people to search for detailed information such as homeownership, health care access and educational attainment. The information can be searched in English or Spanish.The Latino Data Hub grew out of the COVID pandemic, when Latino communities were disproportionately impacted in terms of hospitalizations and deaths.Policymakers were surprised and slow to react, said Domínguez-Villegas, because they hadn’t understood Latino health disparities and access to health care that predated the pandemic.“Policymakers were like, ‘Oh, we didn’t have this data, so we didn’t understand really, how to incorporate that into the response,’” said Domínguez-Villegas.Researchers, he said, vowed “never again.”Strong data can help tell the stories of Latinos and build understanding of past struggles that have led to current inequities, while also addressing the demographic’s contributions. The goal is a more nuanced telling of the nation’s extremely diverse Latino communities.<h2>Sharing the American Dream</h2>Previous work between UnidosUS and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy found deep gaps in the inclusion of Latinos in U.S. history curriculum.The lack of accurate information undercuts awareness.The buying power of the Hispanic market can be shown in telling stories of entrepreneurship and those who find prosperity by catering to the demographic, in all of its vast diversity.A prime local example is the success of the El Mercado Fresco supermarkets, which began catering primarily to the Latino immigrant communities in northeast Kansas City about a decade ago.The company’s ninth store opened July 17 in a former Big Lots at 7533 State Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas.Hundreds of people, many of them Latino, gathered in the parking lot for the ribbon cutting and then formed a long line, patiently waiting to file into the store to shop as a mariachi band serenaded.Carlos Gomez, president/CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, helped with the honors.Gomez said the El Mercado groceries are successful, in part, because of the owner’s respectful relationship with the Latino community, giving back philanthropically and through hiring.The owner, Eddie Musallet, said he sources products through a wide range of vendors to cater to the culinary preferences of many ethnicities, including Asian and African people.Musallet said he’s conscientious of people’s budgets and tries to use local farmers for some products.Packages of 30 eggs, locally sourced, were marked $6.99 at the State Avenue opening.Soon, a group of leaders gathered outside the store, chatting as friends found one another&nbsp; in the crowd.David Carranza, economic development director for the city of Grandview, Missouri, said that Latinos know how to “make something from nothing,” guided by entrepreneurial efforts and often working not only one, but two jobs.“We’re survivors,” Carranza said.Murguia echoed the sentiments of local leadership in her resolve to advocate and organize through current political and policy challenges.Latinos, she said, are known for optimism and resilience, holding a deep belief in the promise of the nation and its ability to allow people to carve out their American Dream.“If you fundamentally believe that about this country, you’re not going to give up, even in the most daunting times,” Murguia said. “We’re leaning into every bit of resilience and optimism in this moment.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/04/mass-deportation-latino-civil-rights-kansas-city-unidosus/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.