WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — With a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-d3937ca2c3e089fe7505720e619d5682">rebuilt statue of Jackie Robinson in bronze</a>&nbsp;back in Kansas, some of the late baseball icon's biggest fans are breathing a sigh of relief.

The original sculpture depicting Robinson resting a bat on his shoulder was cut off at its ankles in January, leaving only Robinson’s cleats behind at McAdams Park in Wichita, home of urban youth baseball League 42.

The statue is not only a piece of art or even just a tribute to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jackie-robinson">first Black player in Major League Baseball,</a>&nbsp;said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

“That statue had become a symbol: a symbol of hope, a symbol of inspiration, of the core values that were part of Jackie’s legacy. Those were fixtures here in the ballpark,” Kendrick said.

He said that made it difficult to explain the statue's theft to the 600 children who play in League 42, which was named after Robinson's uniform with the Brooklyn Dodgers, where Robinson broke Major League Baseball's racial barrier in 1947. Kendrick and others worried the children might lose faith in humanity.

That is until people from across the country stepped up to help replace it six months after thieves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">destroyed the original.</a>

“It reminds us that there has always been more good people in this world than bad people,” Kendrick said. “The minute that you’re ready to give up on people, what happens? The good people in this case literally stepped up to the plate. And it renews your faith in people.”

Little League players and former Major League Baseball players, including All-Stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cc-sabathia-honored-in-final-season-at-all-star-game-4ea19a107e184950b05465ce92ae738a">CC Sabathia</a>&nbsp;and Dellin Betances, were set to gather for a ceremony Monday evening to unveil an identical statue now standing in the park where League 42 plays.

The league was met with an outpouring of support and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations after news of the stolen statue shocked the community and spread across the country. The donations helped fund the replacement statue, as well as improvements to the plaza where it stands, the nonprofit league’s facilities and its programming, said Bob Lutz, its executive director.

The rebuilt statue is identical to the original because the mold was still viable. Dedicated in 2021, it was created by artist John Parsons, a friend of Lutz's who died in 2022.

Firefighters found burned remnants of the original statue five days&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-45c08bbbd29322c05e6136a67f687459">after</a>&nbsp;it disappeared. One man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-arrest-f70fcf6fbc51c275bf6d0e1ac3a75815">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;and will spend about 15 years in prison, although most of that time is related to a burglary that happened a few days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">statue heist.</a>

Ricky Alderete was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-stolen-wichita-league-42-12a991dd637e54c8ee474ff1aa7bc914">sentenced Friday</a>&nbsp;to 18 months and ordered to pay $41,500 restitution for stealing the statue, an act he said stemmed from his addiction to fentanyl.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-cleats-brooklyn-dodgers-df1a8c2350877eb7fc3dbf55087d1688">lonely cleats</a>&nbsp;of the original found a new home at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Robinson played for the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. His impact was felt beyond sports; he galvanized the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-entertainment-sports-los-angeles-baseball-d73b75a6965310bfd087c165e93dc0c6">civil rights movement</a>. He died in 1972.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722891041343.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — With a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-d3937ca2c3e089fe7505720e619d5682">rebuilt statue of Jackie Robinson in bronze</a>&nbsp;back in Kansas, some of the late baseball icon's biggest fans are breathing a sigh of relief.The original sculpture depicting Robinson resting a bat on his shoulder was cut off at its ankles in January, leaving only Robinson’s cleats behind at McAdams Park in Wichita, home of urban youth baseball League 42.The statue is not only a piece of art or even just a tribute to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jackie-robinson">first Black player in Major League Baseball,</a>&nbsp;said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.“That statue had become a symbol: a symbol of hope, a symbol of inspiration, of the core values that were part of Jackie’s legacy. Those were fixtures here in the ballpark,” Kendrick said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722891019727.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>He said that made it difficult to explain the statue's theft to the 600 children who play in League 42, which was named after Robinson's uniform with the Brooklyn Dodgers, where Robinson broke Major League Baseball's racial barrier in 1947. Kendrick and others worried the children might lose faith in humanity.That is until people from across the country stepped up to help replace it six months after thieves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">destroyed the original.</a>“It reminds us that there has always been more good people in this world than bad people,” Kendrick said. “The minute that you’re ready to give up on people, what happens? The good people in this case literally stepped up to the plate. And it renews your faith in people.”Little League players and former Major League Baseball players, including All-Stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cc-sabathia-honored-in-final-season-at-all-star-game-4ea19a107e184950b05465ce92ae738a">CC Sabathia</a>&nbsp;and Dellin Betances, were set to gather for a ceremony Monday evening to unveil an identical statue now standing in the park where League 42 plays.The league was met with an outpouring of support and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations after news of the stolen statue shocked the community and spread across the country. The donations helped fund the replacement statue, as well as improvements to the plaza where it stands, the nonprofit league’s facilities and its programming, said Bob Lutz, its executive director.The rebuilt statue is identical to the original because the mold was still viable. Dedicated in 2021, it was created by artist John Parsons, a friend of Lutz's who died in 2022.Firefighters found burned remnants of the original statue five days&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-45c08bbbd29322c05e6136a67f687459">after</a>&nbsp;it disappeared. One man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-arrest-f70fcf6fbc51c275bf6d0e1ac3a75815">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;and will spend about 15 years in prison, although most of that time is related to a burglary that happened a few days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">statue heist.</a>Ricky Alderete was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-stolen-wichita-league-42-12a991dd637e54c8ee474ff1aa7bc914">sentenced Friday</a>&nbsp;to 18 months and ordered to pay $41,500 restitution for stealing the statue, an act he said stemmed from his addiction to fentanyl.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706214143377.png" alt="City of Wichita" />
 <figcaption>City of Wichita</figcaption>
 </figure>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-cleats-brooklyn-dodgers-df1a8c2350877eb7fc3dbf55087d1688">lonely cleats</a>&nbsp;of the original found a new home at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.Robinson played for the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. His impact was felt beyond sports; he galvanized the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-entertainment-sports-los-angeles-baseball-d73b75a6965310bfd087c165e93dc0c6">civil rights movement</a>. He died in 1972.----------

Rebuilt Jackie Robinson statue returns to Kansas after original was stolen

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting at a homeless camp in Kansas City.

Just after 6a.m. Monday, police responded to a shooting behind a business in the 9800 block of E. US 40 Highway, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchins.

First responders were led into the wooded area behind the business to what appears to be a homeless campsite.There they located an a man unresponsive outside a tent that appeared to have been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Based on information provided by numerous people on scene when officers arrived they took man into custody for more investigation. 

That person remains in custody at this time.

Preliminary investigation indicates the suspect and victim had an interaction at that location that escalated to an altercation which eventually led to shots being fired and the victim being struck.

Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators processed the scene for evidence and talking to the people that were at the location when police arrived. Detectives are not searching for any additional suspects at this time.

Police have not released the name of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722885644938.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting at a homeless camp in Kansas City.Just after 6a.m. Monday, police responded to a shooting behind a business in the 9800 block of E. US 40 Highway, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchins.First responders were led into the wooded area behind the business to what appears to be a homeless campsite.There they located an a man unresponsive outside a tent that appeared to have been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Based on information provided by numerous people on scene when officers arrived they took man into custody for more investigation. That person remains in custody at this time.Preliminary investigation indicates the suspect and victim had an interaction at that location that escalated to an altercation which eventually led to shots being fired and the victim being struck.Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators processed the scene for evidence and talking to the people that were at the location when police arrived. Detectives are not searching for any additional suspects at this time.Police have not released the name of the victim.

KCPD: Suspect in custody for homeless camp killing

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>

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s efforts to delay sentencing in former President Donald Trump’s hush money case in New York were rejected Monday by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The decision comes a day before Bailey will face off in the Aug. 6 primary election against Will Scharf, a member of Trump’s legal team.

In a one-page order, the&nbsp;court refused to intervene in the case, meaning a gag order against Trump will remain in place and sentencing on his 34 felony convictions will move forward as scheduled next month.

Bailey argued the New York prosecution was politically motivated and urged the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene because it has jurisdiction in cases involving one state suing another. He sought to delay sentencing until after the election and lift the gag order placed on Trump that prevents him from speaking out against prosecutors, court staff and their families.

The court rejected Bailey’s argument without comment.

“It’s disappointing that the Supreme Court refused to exercise its constitutional responsibility to resolve state v. state disputes,” Bailey&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/agandrewbailey/status/1820540116546302307?s=46&amp;t=bBxwnXlD-cNUTZT3_Podxg" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>, adding that his office would continue to challenge the “illicit prosecutions against President Trump.”

Trump is slated to be sentenced just weeks before the November election after being convicted on 34 counts for falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Bailey’s loss on Monday earned a sharp rebuke from Will Scharf, who is running against the attorney general in Tuesday’s GOP primary. Scharf is part of Trump’s legal team that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article289657268.html" target="_blank">successfully argued to the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year</a>&nbsp;that presidents enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts taken in office.

“I win the cases I file,” Scharf said. “My team and I have won case after case for President Trump, including at the Supreme Court.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722892527434.png" alt=" Andrew Bailey is hoping to win his first full term as Missouri’s attorney general after being appointed to the position in November 2022 by Gov. Mike Parson (Photo provided by Andrew Bailey’s campaign)." />
 <figcaption> Andrew Bailey is hoping to win his first full term as Missouri’s attorney general after being appointed to the position in November 2022 by Gov. Mike Parson (Photo provided by Andrew Bailey’s campaign).</figcaption>
 </figure>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>Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s efforts to delay sentencing in former President Donald Trump’s hush money case in New York were rejected Monday by the U.S. Supreme Court.The decision comes a day before Bailey will face off in the Aug. 6 primary election against Will Scharf, a member of Trump’s legal team.In a one-page order, the&nbsp;court refused to intervene in the case, meaning a gag order against Trump will remain in place and sentencing on his 34 felony convictions will move forward as scheduled next month.Bailey argued the New York prosecution was politically motivated and urged the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene because it has jurisdiction in cases involving one state suing another. He sought to delay sentencing until after the election and lift the gag order placed on Trump that prevents him from speaking out against prosecutors, court staff and their families.The court rejected Bailey’s argument without comment.“It’s disappointing that the Supreme Court refused to exercise its constitutional responsibility to resolve state v. state disputes,” Bailey&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/agandrewbailey/status/1820540116546302307?s=46&amp;t=bBxwnXlD-cNUTZT3_Podxg" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>, adding that his office would continue to challenge the “illicit prosecutions against President Trump.”Trump is slated to be sentenced just weeks before the November election after being convicted on 34 counts for falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.Bailey’s loss on Monday earned a sharp rebuke from Will Scharf, who is running against the attorney general in Tuesday’s GOP primary. Scharf is part of Trump’s legal team that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article289657268.html" target="_blank">successfully argued to the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year</a>&nbsp;that presidents enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts taken in office.“I win the cases I file,” Scharf said. “My team and I have won case after case for President Trump, including at the Supreme Court.”

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Missouri AG push to delay Trump sentencing in hush money case 

CLAY COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol on Monday identified the man who died in an accident that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Clay County.

According to the patrol, a 2023 Chevy Tahoe driven by Hannah Marie&nbsp;Fahey, 25, Clay Center, was northbound on Kansas 15&nbsp;attempting to turn westbound on Kansas Highway 9.&nbsp; The driver&nbsp;turned in front of a southbound 2002 Harley Davidson Electra Glide driven by Daniel Eugene Barnhilld, 56, Washington, Kansas.&nbsp; The motorcycle struck the SUV.

Barnhilld was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home. Fahey was not injured and had one juvenile in the Tahoe.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barnhilld was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

CLAY COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Clay County.

A vehicle was southbound on Kansas 15 one mile north of 30th road. The vehicle struck a northbound vehicle that turned in front of the southbound vehicle while making a westbound turn on Kansas 9 Highway.

Both vehicles came to rest on Kansas 15. The KHP released no additional details early Sunday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

CLAY COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol on Monday identified the man who died in an accident that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Clay County.According to the patrol, a 2023 Chevy Tahoe driven by Hannah Marie&nbsp;Fahey, 25, Clay Center, was northbound on Kansas 15&nbsp;attempting to turn westbound on Kansas Highway 9.&nbsp; The driver&nbsp;turned in front of a southbound 2002 Harley Davidson Electra Glide driven by Daniel Eugene Barnhilld, 56, Washington, Kansas.&nbsp; The motorcycle struck the SUV.Barnhilld was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home. Fahey was not injured and had one juvenile in the Tahoe.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barnhilld was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.-------------CLAY COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Clay County.A vehicle was southbound on Kansas 15 one mile north of 30th road. The vehicle struck a northbound vehicle that turned in front of the southbound vehicle while making a westbound turn on Kansas 9 Highway.Both vehicles came to rest on Kansas 15. The KHP released no additional details early Sunday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

KHP IDs Kansas man who died in SUV, motorcycle crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A funeral for Firefighter Ty Voth will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 9 at Hartman Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Drive in Park City, according to a statement from the city of Wichita.

Before the funeral, there will be a public viewing at 9 a.m. at Hartman Arena. Information on a memorial and other details are pending.

Voth, 27,&nbsp; a 5-year- veteran of the Wichita Fire Department died from&nbsp; injuries while fighting a fire at a home in the 9800 block of South Laura near Haysville August 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722607741656.png" alt="Ty Voth courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Ty Voth courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A funeral for Firefighter Ty Voth will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 9 at Hartman Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Drive in Park City, according to a statement from the city of Wichita.Before the funeral, there will be a public viewing at 9 a.m. at Hartman Arena. Information on a memorial and other details are pending.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722598520202.png" alt="Image from the dignified transported from the hospital on Friday-Wichita Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Image from the dignified transported from the hospital on Friday-Wichita Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>Voth, 27,&nbsp; a 5-year- veteran of the Wichita Fire Department died from&nbsp; injuries while fighting a fire at a home in the 9800 block of South Laura near Haysville August 1.

Funeral services announced for fallen Kansas firefighter

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly mass shooting in Kansas City.

Just after 2a.m. Monday, police on patrol near&nbsp; 70th St. and Gregory Boulevard in Kansas City heard gunshots, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

A gunshot victim&nbsp; contacted the officers and was rushed to a nearby hospital.&nbsp; First responders found another shooting victim a short distance away who was pronounced deceased, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Investigators determined a large gathering turned violent following an argument between people in attendance. Several people engaged in gunfire, leaving behind dozens of bullet casings lying in the street.

Police do not know as of 8:15 a.m. how many people in total were there at the gathering, how many people had guns, and how many people fired shots.

EMS and private vehicles transported six to area hospitals, according to Gonzalez. She did not have details on the extent or type of injuries.

Police did not have anyone in custody and have not reported suspect information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722853365490.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly mass shooting in Kansas City.Just after 2a.m. Monday, police on patrol near&nbsp; 70th St. and Gregory Boulevard in Kansas City heard gunshots, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.A gunshot victim&nbsp; contacted the officers and was rushed to a nearby hospital.&nbsp; First responders found another shooting victim a short distance away who was pronounced deceased, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722853345249.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators determined a large gathering turned violent following an argument between people in attendance. Several people engaged in gunfire, leaving behind dozens of bullet casings lying in the street.Police do not know as of 8:15 a.m. how many people in total were there at the gathering, how many people had guns, and how many people fired shots.No kids were present and involved.EMS and private vehicles transported six to area hospitals, according to Gonzalez. She did not have details on the extent or type of injuries.Police did not have anyone in custody and have not reported suspect information.

1 dead after mass shooting at gathering in Kansas City

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Former Attorney General Derek Schmidt continued to consolidate support in the Republican primary for the open 2nd District congressional seat by adding the endorsement of former GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer.

The support of Colyer was significant given that former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, who preceded Colyer as governor in Kansas, endorsed Republican candidate Jeff Kahrs in May. Kahrs served in the Brownback administration, and both Brownback and Kahrs were appointees in the administration of President Donald Trump.

Colyer, chairman of the Trump presidential campaign in Kansas, was elected lieutenant governor twice on the same ticket with Brownback. Colyer’s announcement less than one week before the Aug. 6 primary followed Trump’s endorsement of Schmidt.

“Derek Schmidt and I have been in the trenches together for years fighting for our conservative values and Kansas common sense,” Colyer said. “Republicans are coming together around Derek in this race.”

Colyer was sworn into office as governor in 2018 after Brownback resigned to become ambassador of religious freedom in the Trump administration. Colyer ran for a full term, but lost a close race for the GOP nomination to Kris Kobach. In that campaign, Trump endorsed Kobach. And, Kobach went on to lose the general election to Democrat Laura Kelly. She replaced Colyer in January 2019.

“Governor Colyer knows what it takes to be a conservative leader who gets things done, and I’m grateful to have his endorsement,” Schmidt said. “Kansas needs a conservative fighter in Congress who can help make a difference for America’s future.”

The eastern Kansas congressional seat is open because U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Republican from Topeka, decided not to seek reelection in 2024.

In addition to Schmidt and Kahrs, Republicans taking part in the primary can choose from among candidates Michael Ogle of Topeka, Sean Tiffany of&nbsp; and Chad Young of Lawrence. The Democratic Party primary is a race between Matt Kleinmann of Kansas City, Kansas, and Nancy Boyda of Baldwin City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722612803472.png" alt=" Former Kansas GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer, sitting with two-term Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, endorsed former Attorney General Derek Schmidt in the 2nd District primary election. Colyer's predecessor, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, endorsed GOP congressional candidate Jeff Kahrs in the Aug. 6 primary election. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Former Kansas GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer, sitting with two-term Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, endorsed former Attorney General Derek Schmidt in the 2nd District primary election. Colyer's predecessor, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, endorsed GOP congressional candidate Jeff Kahrs in the Aug. 6 primary election. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Former Attorney General Derek Schmidt continued to consolidate support in the Republican primary for the open 2nd District congressional seat by adding the endorsement of former GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer.The support of Colyer was significant given that former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, who preceded Colyer as governor in Kansas, endorsed Republican candidate Jeff Kahrs in May. Kahrs served in the Brownback administration, and both Brownback and Kahrs were appointees in the administration of President Donald Trump.Colyer, chairman of the Trump presidential campaign in Kansas, was elected lieutenant governor twice on the same ticket with Brownback. Colyer’s announcement less than one week before the Aug. 6 primary followed Trump’s endorsement of Schmidt.“Derek Schmidt and I have been in the trenches together for years fighting for our conservative values and Kansas common sense,” Colyer said. “Republicans are coming together around Derek in this race.”Colyer was sworn into office as governor in 2018 after Brownback resigned to become ambassador of religious freedom in the Trump administration. Colyer ran for a full term, but lost a close race for the GOP nomination to Kris Kobach. In that campaign, Trump endorsed Kobach. And, Kobach went on to lose the general election to Democrat Laura Kelly. She replaced Colyer in January 2019.“Governor Colyer knows what it takes to be a conservative leader who gets things done, and I’m grateful to have his endorsement,” Schmidt said. “Kansas needs a conservative fighter in Congress who can help make a difference for America’s future.”The eastern Kansas congressional seat is open because U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Republican from Topeka, decided not to seek reelection in 2024.In addition to Schmidt and Kahrs, Republicans taking part in the primary can choose from among candidates Michael Ogle of Topeka, Sean Tiffany of&nbsp; and Chad Young of Lawrence. The Democratic Party primary is a race between Matt Kleinmann of Kansas City, Kansas, and Nancy Boyda of Baldwin City.

Former Kansas GOP governors split in 2nd District: Colyer for Schmidt, Brownback for Kahrs

SUMNER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 6p.m. Sunday in Sumner County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Toyota Crown driven by Cap Cung, 45, Clive, Iowa, was northbound in the southbound lanes of the Kansas Turnpike as the traveled from Bell Plaine service area.

The Toyota struck a 2013 Ford Explorer driven by&nbsp;Colby Choate, 36, Marshall, Oklahoma. After impact, a 2022 Honda Civic driven by&nbsp;Thomas Richter, 67, Edmond, Oklahoma and a 2025 Western Star semi driven by Jason Jones, 38,&nbsp;West Bay Springs, Mississippi, struck the Ford.

Colby was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported Cung to Wesley Medical Center. The other drivers were not injured. All four were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722855104429.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 6p.m. Sunday in Sumner County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Toyota Crown driven by Cap Cung, 45, Clive, Iowa, was northbound in the southbound lanes of the Kansas Turnpike as the traveled from Bell Plaine service area.The Toyota struck a 2013 Ford Explorer driven by&nbsp;Colby Choate, 36, Marshall, Oklahoma. After impact, a 2022 Honda Civic driven by&nbsp;Thomas Richter, 67, Edmond, Oklahoma and a 2025 Western Star semi driven by Jason Jones, 38,&nbsp;West Bay Springs, Mississippi, struck the Ford.Colby was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported Cung to Wesley Medical Center. The other drivers were not injured. All four were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

1 dead after 4-vehicle wrong-way Kansas crash

KANSAS CITY —An Illinois man has been charged with a felony after he threatened on social media to shoot two individuals at the Morgan Wallen concert Friday night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Aaron Brown, 23, of Winchester, Ill,&nbsp; faces a Class E felony of Making a Terroristic Threat in the 2nd Degree.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2409/ABrown_Redacted"> Click here to read the </a>complete charging documents.

According to court records, Kansas City police detectives and intelligence analysts in the Kansas City Fusion Center working at GEHA field at Arrowhead on Friday were monitoring threats at a planned concert when they observed on X (Twitter) threat against two individuals, who were members of the Kansas City Chiefs and were present at the event. 

Brown confirmed to police where he was located at Arrowhead. The concert was delayed for 40 minutes while Brown was located.

Brown was charged Saturday and a $15,000 bond was set.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722732498834.png" alt="Brown photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —An Illinois man has been charged with a felony after he threatened on social media to shoot two individuals at the Morgan Wallen concert Friday night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Aaron Brown, 23, of Winchester, Ill,&nbsp; faces a Class E felony of Making a Terroristic Threat in the 2nd Degree.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2409/ABrown_Redacted"> Click here to read the </a>complete charging documents.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722772141253.png" alt="A portion of the charging documents from the Jackson Co. Attorney's office" />
 <figcaption>A portion of the charging documents from the Jackson Co. Attorney's office</figcaption>
 </figure>According to court records, Kansas City police detectives and intelligence analysts in the Kansas City Fusion Center working at GEHA field at Arrowhead on Friday were monitoring threats at a planned concert when they observed on X (Twitter) threat against two individuals, who were members of the Kansas City Chiefs and were present at the event. Brown confirmed to police where he was located at Arrowhead. The concert was delayed for 40 minutes while Brown was located.Brown was charged Saturday and a $15,000 bond was set.

Read charging docs: Man threatened to shoot 2 KC Chiefs players at concert

ELLSWORTH COUNTY — The Kansas Highway Patrol reported an out of this world vehicle traveling down Interstate 70 Saturday.

According to a social media report from Trooper Ben Gardner, "While patrolling in Ellsworth County, our very own Lieutenant Brown made a rather unusual observation. During a routine traffic stop, he noticed an unidentified object passing by his stopped patrol car on I-70 eastbound. Intrigued, he rewound his in-car camera footage and discovered what appeared to be a UFO flying saucer."

"What’s even more noteworthy is that this “UFO” slowed down and moved over, adhering to Kansas law by giving space to our law enforcement officers on the side of the highway."

"Apparently, the move over law is not just here on planet Earth, but in other solar systems far away as well."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722773107360.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLSWORTH COUNTY — The Kansas Highway Patrol reported an out of this world vehicle traveling down Interstate 70 Saturday.According to a social media report from Trooper Ben Gardner, "While patrolling in Ellsworth County, our very own Lieutenant Brown made a rather unusual observation. During a routine traffic stop, he noticed an unidentified object passing by his stopped patrol car on I-70 eastbound. Intrigued, he rewound his in-car camera footage and discovered what appeared to be a UFO flying saucer.""What’s even more noteworthy is that this “UFO” slowed down and moved over, adhering to Kansas law by giving space to our law enforcement officers on the side of the highway.""Apparently, the move over law is not just here on planet Earth, but in other solar systems far away as well."

KHP reports 'UFO' on Interstate 70

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Kansas felon is going back to prison for child sex crimes.

This week, George Joseph Burgess Jr., 45, was sentenced to serve 618 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for one count of rape followed by 25 years for a second rape conviction, according to&nbsp;Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.

&nbsp;In January a jury convicted Burgess of two counts of rape and six counts of indecent liberties with a child.

Charges stemmed from incidents that occurred between January 1, 2017 and February 7, 2019 when the child was between 6 and 8 years old.&nbsp;

“The young survivor showed exceptional grace and courage while testifying against her perpetrator particularly during intense questioning by the defense,” District Attorney Valdez said. “We are committed to seeking justice for victims of sexual violence and ensuring the safety of all children in our community.”&nbsp; Burgess has a previous conviction for burglary, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718462614249.png" alt="Burgess photo Douglas Co." />
 <figcaption>Burgess photo Douglas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Kansas felon is going back to prison for child sex crimes.This week, George Joseph Burgess Jr., 45, was sentenced to serve 618 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for one count of rape followed by 25 years for a second rape conviction, according to&nbsp;Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.&nbsp;In January a jury convicted Burgess of two counts of rape and six counts of indecent liberties with a child.Charges stemmed from incidents that occurred between January 1, 2017 and February 7, 2019 when the child was between 6 and 8 years old.&nbsp;“The young survivor showed exceptional grace and courage while testifying against her perpetrator particularly during intense questioning by the defense,” District Attorney Valdez said. “We are committed to seeking justice for victims of sexual violence and ensuring the safety of all children in our community.”&nbsp; Burgess has a previous conviction for burglary, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

DA: Young survivor showed courage testifying against her perpetrator 

HARPER COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Harper, Kansas, man.

&nbsp;David L. Reese, 73,&nbsp;&nbsp;is believed to be driving a white Chevy Silverado bearing Kansas tag 885NEW.

Reese was last seen on Thursday evening, Aug. 1, but investigators believe he was driving southbound on U.S. Highway 281 near Medicine Lodge, on Friday morning around 7:40 a.m. 

 Reese is a white male who is 5-feet-11 inches tall and weighs around 250 pounds. He has brown eyes, a white beard, and is balding. 

He may be traveling with a chocolate Labrador retriever, and is likely wearing a baseball cap. Reese has diabetes, anxiety, and a condition impairing cognition and memory. 

If you see David Reese or his vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Harper Police Department at (620) 842-3830.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722706150273.png" alt="David Reese courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>David Reese courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>HARPER COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Harper, Kansas, man.&nbsp;David L. Reese, 73,&nbsp;&nbsp;is believed to be driving a white Chevy Silverado bearing Kansas tag 885NEW.Reese was last seen on Thursday evening, Aug. 1, but investigators believe he was driving southbound on U.S. Highway 281 near Medicine Lodge, on Friday morning around 7:40 a.m. Reese is a white male who is 5-feet-11 inches tall and weighs around 250 pounds. He has brown eyes, a white beard, and is balding. He may be traveling with a chocolate Labrador retriever, and is likely wearing a baseball cap. Reese has diabetes, anxiety, and a condition impairing cognition and memory. If you see David Reese or his vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Harper Police Department at (620) 842-3830.

KBI: Silver Alert continues for missing Kansas man

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —A Kansas man remains jailed for altercation that led to a man's death.

On July 26, police issued a warrant for the arrest of 41-year-old Ryan J. McCullough of Neodesha in connection with the death of 63-year-old David L. Wintjen of Coffeyville, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

On May 5, McCullough was involved in an altercation with Wintjen who died a few days later, according to the sheriff's office. After a thorough investigation by Coffeyville police, authorities made an arrest.

McCullough remains jailed on charges of Murder in the 2nd degree.Unintentional but reckless, Aggravated battery and Knowingly cause great bodily harm or disfigurement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722425559031.png" alt="McCullough-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>McCullough-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY —A Kansas man remains jailed for altercation that led to a man's death.On July 26, police issued a warrant for the arrest of 41-year-old Ryan J. McCullough of Neodesha in connection with the death of 63-year-old David L. Wintjen of Coffeyville, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.On May 5, McCullough was involved in an altercation with Wintjen who died a few days later, according to the sheriff's office. After a thorough investigation by Coffeyville police, authorities made an arrest.McCullough remains jailed on charges of Murder in the 2nd degree.Unintentional but reckless, Aggravated battery and Knowingly cause great bodily harm or disfigurement.

Kansas man accused of altercation that led to man's death

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

The ACLU of Kansas will provide a statewide voter assistance hotline for the 2024 primary and general elections, staffed by lawyers and on-site poll monitors to help voters with any issues or concerns.&nbsp;

The hotline offers assistance in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu and Tagalog. Voters who call 1-866-OUR-VOTE will be connected with an attorney, thanks to a partnership with Kansas City law firm Stinson Leonard Street.&nbsp;

“Most of the issues we anticipate could be as simple as someone at the wrong polling location because they moved and didn’t update their information,” said staff attorney Kunyu Ching in a news release. “Historically, we’ve resolved the vast majority of calls quickly. In those cases, voters benefitted from just talking to one of our trained hotline attorneys about the next step they could take to make sure their votes counted.”

This is the ACLU’s sixth year providing the service. Calls are logged, tracked for trends and flagged for follow-up.&nbsp;

In August 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/02/kansas-voters-defeat-abortion-amendment-in-unexpected-landslide-1/">when the Kansasabortion amendment was on the ballot</a>, the hotline reported that multiple voters were turned away from a polling location in Maize. They were in line before 7 p.m., meaning they were legally allowed to vote. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/maize-recreation-center-polling-location-makes-wrong-decision-in-telling-voters-to-leave/" target="_blank">Dawn Johanson for KSNT</a>, a line of voters was wrapped around the building. Johanson said an election worker told the voters in line that computers were down and they needed to go to a different polling location.&nbsp;

The Mazie voters contacted the election protection hotline, which resulted in the county releasing a statement that night saying election workers “did not have the authority to make this decision.” Those&nbsp; who were turned away voted provisionally at a different polling location.

Ching, leads the hotline, said the ACLU is prepared to address serious issues. The primary Aug. 6 will come just days after a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/01/judge-clears-way-for-civic-groups-to-resume-voter-registration-drives/">judge cleared the way</a>&nbsp;for civic groups to resume voter registration.&nbsp;

Earlier this year, Micah Kubic, executive director for the Kansas ACLU, told&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/12/kansans-arent-having-it-aclu-loud-light-talk-state-elections-restrictions/">Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;about multiple bills from theKansas legislative session that could prevent people from voting. He referenced former president Donald Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen from him as a reason.&nbsp;

“Amidst heightened attacks from the Legislature on our right to vote as well as a barrage of politicized rhetoric aimed at undermining faith in our election, the ACLU of Kansas remains determined to ensure that every vote counts and that voters have the assistance they need – because citizens actually participating makes our democracy stronger,” Kubic said in the news release.&nbsp;

Hotline calls will be answered live on the primary and general election days, and during weeks leading up to the elections during business hours.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722612986208.png" alt="Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, talks democratic needs. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, talks democratic needs. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> The ACLU of Kansas will provide a statewide voter assistance hotline for the 2024 primary and general elections, staffed by lawyers and on-site poll monitors to help voters with any issues or concerns.&nbsp;The hotline offers assistance in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu and Tagalog. Voters who call 1-866-OUR-VOTE will be connected with an attorney, thanks to a partnership with Kansas City law firm Stinson Leonard Street.&nbsp;“Most of the issues we anticipate could be as simple as someone at the wrong polling location because they moved and didn’t update their information,” said staff attorney Kunyu Ching in a news release. “Historically, we’ve resolved the vast majority of calls quickly. In those cases, voters benefitted from just talking to one of our trained hotline attorneys about the next step they could take to make sure their votes counted.”This is the ACLU’s sixth year providing the service. Calls are logged, tracked for trends and flagged for follow-up.&nbsp;In August 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/02/kansas-voters-defeat-abortion-amendment-in-unexpected-landslide-1/">when the Kansasabortion amendment was on the ballot</a>, the hotline reported that multiple voters were turned away from a polling location in Maize. They were in line before 7 p.m., meaning they were legally allowed to vote. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/maize-recreation-center-polling-location-makes-wrong-decision-in-telling-voters-to-leave/" target="_blank">Dawn Johanson for KSNT</a>, a line of voters was wrapped around the building. Johanson said an election worker told the voters in line that computers were down and they needed to go to a different polling location.&nbsp;The Mazie voters contacted the election protection hotline, which resulted in the county releasing a statement that night saying election workers “did not have the authority to make this decision.” Those&nbsp; who were turned away voted provisionally at a different polling location.Ching, leads the hotline, said the ACLU is prepared to address serious issues. The primary Aug. 6 will come just days after a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/01/judge-clears-way-for-civic-groups-to-resume-voter-registration-drives/">judge cleared the way</a>&nbsp;for civic groups to resume voter registration.&nbsp;Earlier this year, Micah Kubic, executive director for the Kansas ACLU, told&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/12/kansans-arent-having-it-aclu-loud-light-talk-state-elections-restrictions/">Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;about multiple bills from theKansas legislative session that could prevent people from voting. He referenced former president Donald Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen from him as a reason.&nbsp;“Amidst heightened attacks from the Legislature on our right to vote as well as a barrage of politicized rhetoric aimed at undermining faith in our election, the ACLU of Kansas remains determined to ensure that every vote counts and that voters have the assistance they need – because citizens actually participating makes our democracy stronger,” Kubic said in the news release.&nbsp;Hotline calls will be answered live on the primary and general election days, and during weeks leading up to the elections during business hours.

Kansas ACLU offers voter assistance hotline for primary and general elections

HAMILTON COUNTY—Law enforcement across Kansas continue to&nbsp; see more drivers traveling well above the posted speed limit. Despite a statewide campaign to crack down on excessive speeding. 

Last week, the Hamilton County Kansas Sheriff’s Office reported a traffic stop on Kansas 27 Highway where the driver was traveling 136 mph in a 65 mph zone.

As of July 22, 2024, KHP troopers have issued 1,501 citations for speeds greater than 100 mph, according to a social media report. Over the past four years the Kansas Highway Patrol&nbsp;issued over 12,000 tickets for drivers going over 100 miles per hour.

The Hamilton County Sheriff asked drivers to&nbsp;"Please slow down even if you’re late to work."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722480066970.png" alt="Photo Hamilton Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Hamilton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>HAMILTON COUNTY—Law enforcement across Kansas continue to&nbsp; see more drivers traveling well above the posted speed limit. Despite a statewide campaign to crack down on excessive speeding. Last week, the Hamilton County Kansas Sheriff’s Office reported a traffic stop on Kansas 27 Highway where the driver was traveling 136 mph in a 65 mph zone.As of July 22, 2024, KHP troopers have issued 1,501 citations for speeds greater than 100 mph, according to a social media report. Over the past four years the Kansas Highway Patrol&nbsp;issued over 12,000 tickets for drivers going over 100 miles per hour.The Hamilton County Sheriff asked drivers to&nbsp;"Please slow down even if you’re late to work."

Sheriff: Driver was traveling 71 mph over speed limit in Kansas

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

On April 19, police responded to a disturbance at 32nd and Brighton in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found a man suffering from trauma. He was transported to the hospital where he remained until he died.&nbsp; On Friday, police ruled the death was a homicide, according to Forte'.

Police have released suspect details or reported an arrest.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.On April 19, police responded to a disturbance at 32nd and Brighton in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found a man suffering from trauma. He was transported to the hospital where he remained until he died.&nbsp; On Friday, police ruled the death was a homicide, according to Forte'.Police have released suspect details or reported an arrest.

KCPD: Man's death in April now ruled a homicide

CAMDEN COUNTY—A Missouri man drowned just before 5:30p.m. Saturday at Lake of the Ozarks.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 77-year-old Robert A. Crider of Climax Springs was located face down in the water by the docks at 1268 Sunset Shores in Climax Springs.

 He was recovered by his wife and transported to Lake Regional Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; The patrol reported no additional details.

CAMDEN COUNTY—A Missouri man drowned just before 5:30p.m. Saturday at Lake of the Ozarks.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 77-year-old Robert A. Crider of Climax Springs was located face down in the water by the docks at 1268 Sunset Shores in Climax Springs. He was recovered by his wife and transported to Lake Regional Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; The patrol reported no additional details.

Missouri man drowns at Lake of the Ozarks

Kansas may spend billions of dollars to lure pro sports teams from Missouri, just a few miles away

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/kevinhardy/">KEVIN HARDY</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

For decades, academic research has been clear: Taxpayers almost never get their money back on subsidized sports stadiums.

And yet, over and over again, U.S. cities and states find themselves locked in lopsided negotiations with beloved football, baseball and basketball teams, hoping to keep them from jumping to a new market.

In the newest bidding war, Kansas aims to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to lure the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs or MLB’s Royals from their side-by-side stadiums in Missouri just a few miles away. It could be one of the most expensive stadium deals yet, according to Victor Matheson, a researcher who studies stadium subsidies.

“This is wildly destructive,” he said. “This is in some ways significantly worse than intercity competition, because you’re just spending billions of dollars to just move economic activity from one point in the metro area to another.”

Matheson, an economics professor at College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, watched closely in June as lawmakers in Topeka, Kansas, approved an expansion of an often-criticized tax incentive program with the aim of subsidizing a new stadium for one or both teams.

The bidding war for the teams is being viewed as particularly irresponsible by those who hailed a 2019 compact between Kansas and Missouri that some had hoped would set a new model for states across the country to curb corporate tax incentives.

Five years ago, the Democratic governor of Kansas and the Republican governor of Missouri celebrated an end to the so-called economic Border War, a long-standing practice in which governments would offer lucrative subsidies to lure companies back and forth across state lines in the Kansas City area. People saw the practice as wasteful, since it paid companies to relocate without spurring new growth for the regional economy.

The truce was momentous for Kansas and Missouri, two states whose rivalry traces back to bloody Civil War days. But it also garnered national acclaim from both liberals and conservatives who saw the move as a blow to corporate welfare and the cynical practice of companies pitting governments against each other.

But more powerful than the bipartisan cross-border cease-fire, apparently, is the allure of a new professional sports venue.

“Literally every piece of public policy that people said was bad before is being seen here,” said Kansas City, Missouri, Democratic Mayor Quinton Lucas.

Across the country, professional sports teams are playing various local and state governments against each other — a trend that will likely accelerate as a wave of existing stadium leases begin to expire across the country.

It’s a page from the pro sports playbook: Teams often threaten to move to other markets — one without an NFL or NBA franchise, for example. But when those efforts don’t work, team owners often seek to spark competition among local jurisdictions, Matheson said.

New Jersey officials are currently in talks with the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers to get that NBA franchise to hop over to Camden, New Jersey. And the NFL’s Washington Commanders, whose current stadium is in Maryland, are in talks with officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia as they look to build a new facility.

“If there’s not a credible threat to relocate,” Matheson said, “the only way to really get the money out of people’s hands is to play localities against one another.”

Lucas said the bidding war between Kansas and Missouri — and local governments in each — gives more leverage to the Chiefs and Royals in negotiations. But it’s up to elected officials to keep from being outmatched.

“I do think some support is important,” Lucas said. “Giving away the farm is not.”

In Topeka, the GOP-controlled legislature expanded Kansas’ Sales Tax and Revenue Bond program, known as STAR, which would redirect sales tax generated at the stadiums and surrounding areas to pay off construction debt. If the teams were to hop the state line, they could benefit from an unprecedented level of taxpayer support: as much as 70% of the costs of two stadiums, which could amount to billions.

The law allows the state to strike stadium deals with little to no public involvement, doubles down on a state incentive program with a spotty track record of success and potentially puts the state’s finances at risk — all for the prospect of luring a sports team a few miles away.

“I do not like this. It feels gross,” Kansas state Rep. Jason Probst said during a caucus meeting of House Democrats in June. “This whole show that’s going on feels disgusting to me. And it’s still the right thing to do.”

In an interview, Probst, who is from Hutchinson in central Kansas, said the reality of professional sports requires governments “to play the game” and offer public assistance, lest they risk losing teams altogether.

“You can stand on your principles. … But if another state isn’t playing by the same set of rules you are, then they’re going to make that investment and they’re going to take that away,” he said.

On a hot summer day in 2019, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate an end to Missouri’s and Kansas’ practice of offering tax incentives to move companies and jobs from one state to the other.

<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article233725152.html" target="_blank">By one estimate</a>, the practice cost taxpayers more than $300 million over a decade and created almost no new jobs for the Kansas City metro area, which straddles both states.

“Sometimes common sense does prevail,” Missouri’s Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article233725152.html" target="_blank">Gov. Mike Parson said at the time.&nbsp;</a>“Because you don’t have to be a scientist to figure out this was a bad deal for both states.”

Parson’s office did not respond to requests for comment for this story. But in July, the governor said he was confident the NFL team would stay put at Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri.

“I’m not too worried about Kansas at this point,” Parson said.

This spring,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2024-04-02/royals-chiefs-stadium-sales-tax-question-1-results-jackson-county-kansas-city-election" target="_blank">voters’ rejection of a 40-year sales tax</a>&nbsp;to help finance a new Royals stadium — and upgrades for Arrowhead — sparked a fear that the teams might leave if they don’t get new facilities. Claiming voters in the Chiefs’ and Royals’ home county had “dropped the ball,” Republican leaders in Kansas pushed to offer the teams a deal, worried they could leave the region altogether.

That fear was enough to reignite the dormant competition between officials in the two states.

“And then they said, ‘Oh, but this is sports, that doesn’t count,’” Matheson said. “Bad economics with sports teams seems to have few boundaries.”

While some&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/20/missouri-lawmakers-criticize-kansas-attempt-to-poach-royals-chiefs/" target="_blank">Missouri officials have criticized Kansas’ overtures</a>&nbsp;to the teams, Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said in June she made no promises about leaving the teams alone when she signed the Border War truce.

This week, Kelly’s office declined to comment on the legislation, referring questions to the Kansas Department of Commerce, which would oversee any stadium deals. That agency did not answer questions but provided a statement saying such projects “require discretion and confidentiality.”

“The department will not disclose any details regarding the activity surrounding negotiations or future agreements,” department spokesperson Patrick Lowry wrote in an email.

Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Republican from Lee’s Summit in suburban Kansas City, likewise said the truce wasn’t meant to cover sports teams — and he wants his state to keep the teams. He expects the state to respond with an offer of its own.

“The sports teams are sort of in a special category of their own. I don’t think that’s what that legislation really was meant for,” Patterson said of the truce.

Kansas’ offer to the Chiefs and Royals enhances an often-criticized program meant to bring major tourist attractions to the state.

But in most cases, the STAR bond program, according to a state audit, failed at its goal of increasing tourism. There may have been some cases, the audit said, where certain projects kept Kansans spending money in Kansas rather than going to Missouri.

“But we think it’s more often that local visitors simply move existing economic activity from one part of Kansas to another,” the audit said.

Prairiefire, a sprawling development in the Kansas suburb of Overland Park,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/development/article283839588.html" target="_blank">defaulted on its STAR construction bonds</a>&nbsp;earlier this year because sales tax revenues from its restaurants, movie theater and museum came in far below projections.

The proposal for the stadiums would allow the Chiefs or Royals to pay off construction loans using the increased sales and liquor tax collections at the stadium. In pushing for the legislation, lawmakers noted that the money for the stadium would come from spending in and around the stadiums, not general taxpayers.

And they claimed that bond investors would be on the hook — not the state — if sales tax collections come up short.

But Geoffrey Propheter, an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver, said it’s unclear how interested investors will be in loaning huge sums for stadium projects, which typically do not create enough revenue to cover costs.

And if those state-issued bonds were ever at risk of failure, he said, lawmakers would feel implicit pressure to bail out the stadium.

“In the real world, there’s a huge risk to Kansas state taxpayers,” he said. “They’re going to have to decide to either bail out the project or do nothing. And if they do nothing, their credit, the state’s credit worthiness, will take a hit. And that will make all future borrowing more expensive.”

Experts viewed the Kansas-Missouri truce as a model that other states and cities could emulate.

“We were very interested in the Kansas and Missouri situation, because it gives a test as to whether this will work,” said Marc Joffe, a state policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute think tank. “And there have been some encouraging results since 2019 … but I think sports teams are just too big of a war, and they weren’t able to avoid the temptation.”

The institute&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/how-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-restarted-subsidies-war" target="_blank">is studying</a>&nbsp;the Kansas-Missouri truce, in its larger effort to end bidding wars for factories and other major employers.

Joffe criticized such competition as wasteful, and said bidding for stadiums was no exception.

“It is at best a zero-sum game,” Joffe said, “and because of all the waste involved, it’s a really negative-sum game.”

Joffe pointed to the Coalition to Phase Out Corporate Tax Giveaways, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers that sponsored bills in more than a dozen legislatures between 2019 and 2021.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Christopher Rabb, a Democrat, has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2021&amp;sind=0&amp;body=H&amp;type=B&amp;bn=873" target="_blank">twice introduced legislation in Harrisburg</a>&nbsp;to end corporate subsidies. He said he was motivated by Amazon’s 2018 announcement that it was seeking a new corporate headquarters, a move that set off a national bidding war among cities.

He broadly believes corporate incentives are wasteful, especially for professional sports teams. Rabb views the Philadelphia 76ers talks of moving across the Delaware River to New Jersey as a ploy for public subsidies.

He noted most average people can’t afford to attend pro games and likened chasing the purported economic benefits of stadiums and arenas to hunting for “fool’s gold.”

“How does this really change the collective quality of opportunity for regular Philadelphians? It doesn’t,” he said. “Let’s be honest: This is the sandbox of billionaires.”

Rabb said elected leaders should be focused on policies that help marginalized people, not the “excessively wealthy,” such as team owners.

After talks stalled over a new arena for the 76ers in Philadelphia, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said&nbsp;<a href="https://6abc.com/post/new-jersey-officials-vying-philadelphia-76ers-open-new/15083409/" target="_blank">he proposed the team relocate</a>&nbsp;just a few miles to Camden.

Murphy’s office declined to comment, but the Democratic governor&nbsp;<a href="https://newjersey.news12.com/gov-murphy-answers-viewers-questions-on-ask-gov-murphy-program-july-25-2024" target="_blank">told a local television station&nbsp;</a>last week that the team’s interest was “legitimate.”

“We think we got an angle here. We’re taking it seriously. Where it lands? I can’t promise you,” he said. “I think they are taking it seriously as well — we shall see. I say this as a Boston Celtics fan — don’t get mad at me.”

But this sort of jockeying between states only benefits team owners, said Neil deMause, a journalist who has written a book about stadium subsidies. Taxpayers and fans, he said, stand to gain little, especially if game tickets become more expensive at new facilities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669408667473.png" alt="A red-clad crowd packs Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play (Eric Thomas/Kansas Reflector)." />
 <figcaption>A red-clad crowd packs Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play (Eric Thomas/Kansas Reflector).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kansas may spend billions of dollars to lure pro sports teams from Missouri, just a few miles away</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/kevinhardy/">KEVIN HARDY</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>For decades, academic research has been clear: Taxpayers almost never get their money back on subsidized sports stadiums.And yet, over and over again, U.S. cities and states find themselves locked in lopsided negotiations with beloved football, baseball and basketball teams, hoping to keep them from jumping to a new market.In the newest bidding war, Kansas aims to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to lure the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs or MLB’s Royals from their side-by-side stadiums in Missouri just a few miles away. It could be one of the most expensive stadium deals yet, according to Victor Matheson, a researcher who studies stadium subsidies.“This is wildly destructive,” he said. “This is in some ways significantly worse than intercity competition, because you’re just spending billions of dollars to just move economic activity from one point in the metro area to another.”Matheson, an economics professor at College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, watched closely in June as lawmakers in Topeka, Kansas, approved an expansion of an often-criticized tax incentive program with the aim of subsidizing a new stadium for one or both teams.The bidding war for the teams is being viewed as particularly irresponsible by those who hailed a 2019 compact between Kansas and Missouri that some had hoped would set a new model for states across the country to curb corporate tax incentives.Five years ago, the Democratic governor of Kansas and the Republican governor of Missouri celebrated an end to the so-called economic Border War, a long-standing practice in which governments would offer lucrative subsidies to lure companies back and forth across state lines in the Kansas City area. People saw the practice as wasteful, since it paid companies to relocate without spurring new growth for the regional economy.The truce was momentous for Kansas and Missouri, two states whose rivalry traces back to bloody Civil War days. But it also garnered national acclaim from both liberals and conservatives who saw the move as a blow to corporate welfare and the cynical practice of companies pitting governments against each other.But more powerful than the bipartisan cross-border cease-fire, apparently, is the allure of a new professional sports venue.“Literally every piece of public policy that people said was bad before is being seen here,” said Kansas City, Missouri, Democratic Mayor Quinton Lucas.Across the country, professional sports teams are playing various local and state governments against each other — a trend that will likely accelerate as a wave of existing stadium leases begin to expire across the country.It’s a page from the pro sports playbook: Teams often threaten to move to other markets — one without an NFL or NBA franchise, for example. But when those efforts don’t work, team owners often seek to spark competition among local jurisdictions, Matheson said.New Jersey officials are currently in talks with the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers to get that NBA franchise to hop over to Camden, New Jersey. And the NFL’s Washington Commanders, whose current stadium is in Maryland, are in talks with officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia as they look to build a new facility.“If there’s not a credible threat to relocate,” Matheson said, “the only way to really get the money out of people’s hands is to play localities against one another.”Lucas said the bidding war between Kansas and Missouri — and local governments in each — gives more leverage to the Chiefs and Royals in negotiations. But it’s up to elected officials to keep from being outmatched.“I do think some support is important,” Lucas said. “Giving away the farm is not.”In Topeka, the GOP-controlled legislature expanded Kansas’ Sales Tax and Revenue Bond program, known as STAR, which would redirect sales tax generated at the stadiums and surrounding areas to pay off construction debt. If the teams were to hop the state line, they could benefit from an unprecedented level of taxpayer support: as much as 70% of the costs of two stadiums, which could amount to billions.The law allows the state to strike stadium deals with little to no public involvement, doubles down on a state incentive program with a spotty track record of success and potentially puts the state’s finances at risk — all for the prospect of luring a sports team a few miles away.“I do not like this. It feels gross,” Kansas state Rep. Jason Probst said during a caucus meeting of House Democrats in June. “This whole show that’s going on feels disgusting to me. And it’s still the right thing to do.”In an interview, Probst, who is from Hutchinson in central Kansas, said the reality of professional sports requires governments “to play the game” and offer public assistance, lest they risk losing teams altogether.“You can stand on your principles. … But if another state isn’t playing by the same set of rules you are, then they’re going to make that investment and they’re going to take that away,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722689139327.png" alt=" Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson at a 2019 event in Kansas City. (Missouri Governor’s Office)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson at a 2019 event in Kansas City. (Missouri Governor’s Office)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Reigniting the Border War</h2>On a hot summer day in 2019, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate an end to Missouri’s and Kansas’ practice of offering tax incentives to move companies and jobs from one state to the other.<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article233725152.html" target="_blank">By one estimate</a>, the practice cost taxpayers more than $300 million over a decade and created almost no new jobs for the Kansas City metro area, which straddles both states.“Sometimes common sense does prevail,” Missouri’s Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article233725152.html" target="_blank">Gov. Mike Parson said at the time.&nbsp;</a>“Because you don’t have to be a scientist to figure out this was a bad deal for both states.”Parson’s office did not respond to requests for comment for this story. But in July, the governor said he was confident the NFL team would stay put at Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri.“I’m not too worried about Kansas at this point,” Parson said.This spring,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2024-04-02/royals-chiefs-stadium-sales-tax-question-1-results-jackson-county-kansas-city-election" target="_blank">voters’ rejection of a 40-year sales tax</a>&nbsp;to help finance a new Royals stadium — and upgrades for Arrowhead — sparked a fear that the teams might leave if they don’t get new facilities. Claiming voters in the Chiefs’ and Royals’ home county had “dropped the ball,” Republican leaders in Kansas pushed to offer the teams a deal, worried they could leave the region altogether.That fear was enough to reignite the dormant competition between officials in the two states.“And then they said, ‘Oh, but this is sports, that doesn’t count,’” Matheson said. “Bad economics with sports teams seems to have few boundaries.”While some&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/20/missouri-lawmakers-criticize-kansas-attempt-to-poach-royals-chiefs/" target="_blank">Missouri officials have criticized Kansas’ overtures</a>&nbsp;to the teams, Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said in June she made no promises about leaving the teams alone when she signed the Border War truce.This week, Kelly’s office declined to comment on the legislation, referring questions to the Kansas Department of Commerce, which would oversee any stadium deals. That agency did not answer questions but provided a statement saying such projects “require discretion and confidentiality.”“The department will not disclose any details regarding the activity surrounding negotiations or future agreements,” department spokesperson Patrick Lowry wrote in an email.Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Republican from Lee’s Summit in suburban Kansas City, likewise said the truce wasn’t meant to cover sports teams — and he wants his state to keep the teams. He expects the state to respond with an offer of its own.“The sports teams are sort of in a special category of their own. I don’t think that’s what that legislation really was meant for,” Patterson said of the truce.Kansas’ offer to the Chiefs and Royals enhances an often-criticized program meant to bring major tourist attractions to the state.But in most cases, the STAR bond program, according to a state audit, failed at its goal of increasing tourism. There may have been some cases, the audit said, where certain projects kept Kansans spending money in Kansas rather than going to Missouri.“But we think it’s more often that local visitors simply move existing economic activity from one part of Kansas to another,” the audit said.Prairiefire, a sprawling development in the Kansas suburb of Overland Park,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/development/article283839588.html" target="_blank">defaulted on its STAR construction bonds</a>&nbsp;earlier this year because sales tax revenues from its restaurants, movie theater and museum came in far below projections.The proposal for the stadiums would allow the Chiefs or Royals to pay off construction loans using the increased sales and liquor tax collections at the stadium. In pushing for the legislation, lawmakers noted that the money for the stadium would come from spending in and around the stadiums, not general taxpayers.And they claimed that bond investors would be on the hook — not the state — if sales tax collections come up short.But Geoffrey Propheter, an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver, said it’s unclear how interested investors will be in loaning huge sums for stadium projects, which typically do not create enough revenue to cover costs.And if those state-issued bonds were ever at risk of failure, he said, lawmakers would feel implicit pressure to bail out the stadium.“In the real world, there’s a huge risk to Kansas state taxpayers,” he said. “They’re going to have to decide to either bail out the project or do nothing. And if they do nothing, their credit, the state’s credit worthiness, will take a hit. And that will make all future borrowing more expensive.”<h2>‘Zero-sum’ game between states</h2>Experts viewed the Kansas-Missouri truce as a model that other states and cities could emulate.“We were very interested in the Kansas and Missouri situation, because it gives a test as to whether this will work,” said Marc Joffe, a state policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute think tank. “And there have been some encouraging results since 2019 … but I think sports teams are just too big of a war, and they weren’t able to avoid the temptation.”The institute&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/how-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-restarted-subsidies-war" target="_blank">is studying</a>&nbsp;the Kansas-Missouri truce, in its larger effort to end bidding wars for factories and other major employers.Joffe criticized such competition as wasteful, and said bidding for stadiums was no exception.“It is at best a zero-sum game,” Joffe said, “and because of all the waste involved, it’s a really negative-sum game.”Joffe pointed to the Coalition to Phase Out Corporate Tax Giveaways, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers that sponsored bills in more than a dozen legislatures between 2019 and 2021.Pennsylvania state Rep. Christopher Rabb, a Democrat, has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2021&amp;sind=0&amp;body=H&amp;type=B&amp;bn=873" target="_blank">twice introduced legislation in Harrisburg</a>&nbsp;to end corporate subsidies. He said he was motivated by Amazon’s 2018 announcement that it was seeking a new corporate headquarters, a move that set off a national bidding war among cities.He broadly believes corporate incentives are wasteful, especially for professional sports teams. Rabb views the Philadelphia 76ers talks of moving across the Delaware River to New Jersey as a ploy for public subsidies.He noted most average people can’t afford to attend pro games and likened chasing the purported economic benefits of stadiums and arenas to hunting for “fool’s gold.”“How does this really change the collective quality of opportunity for regular Philadelphians? It doesn’t,” he said. “Let’s be honest: This is the sandbox of billionaires.”Rabb said elected leaders should be focused on policies that help marginalized people, not the “excessively wealthy,” such as team owners.After talks stalled over a new arena for the 76ers in Philadelphia, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said&nbsp;<a href="https://6abc.com/post/new-jersey-officials-vying-philadelphia-76ers-open-new/15083409/" target="_blank">he proposed the team relocate</a>&nbsp;just a few miles to Camden.Murphy’s office declined to comment, but the Democratic governor&nbsp;<a href="https://newjersey.news12.com/gov-murphy-answers-viewers-questions-on-ask-gov-murphy-program-july-25-2024" target="_blank">told a local television station&nbsp;</a>last week that the team’s interest was “legitimate.”“We think we got an angle here. We’re taking it seriously. Where it lands? I can’t promise you,” he said. “I think they are taking it seriously as well — we shall see. I say this as a Boston Celtics fan — don’t get mad at me.”But this sort of jockeying between states only benefits team owners, said Neil deMause, a journalist who has written a book about stadium subsidies. Taxpayers and fans, he said, stand to gain little, especially if game tickets become more expensive at new facilities.“All the economists I know say the best thing you could do is reject it for your state and have the stadiums get built in the other state,” deMause said. “You still get to go drive across the border and see the games the same way as you would otherwise … but you don’t have to pay for building the thing.”