DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union said Friday it will not expand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-negotiations-progress-gm-stellantis-ford-4dc51e9f463022bc3794e9615d8a705b">its strikes</a>&nbsp;against Detroit's three automakers after General Motors made a breakthrough concession on unionizing electric vehicle battery plants.

Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a video appearance that additional plants could be added to the strikes later.

The announcement of the pause in expanding the strikes came shortly after GM agreed to bring electric vehicle battery plants into the UAW's national contract, essentially assuring that they will be unionized.

Fain said GM's move will change the future of the union and the auto industry.

He said GM made the change after the union threatened to strike at a plant in Arlington, Texas, that makes highly profitable large SUVs.

“Today, under the threat of a major financial hit, they leapfrogged the pack in terms of a just transition” from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-electric-cars-uaw-strike-d73f259bf5e9242340e912ad1e9b4aa9">combustion engines to electric vehicles</a>, he said. “Our strike is working, but we’re not there yet.”

In addition to large general pay raises, cost of living pay, restoration of pensions for new hires and other items, the union wanted to represent 10 battery factories proposed by the companies.

The companies have said the plants, mostly joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, had to be bargained separately.

Friday's change means the the four U.S. GM battery plants would now be covered under the union's master agreement and GM would bargain with the union' “which I think is a monumental development,” said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.

He said the details of GM's offer, made in writing, will have to be scrutinized.

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union said Friday it will not expand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-negotiations-progress-gm-stellantis-ford-4dc51e9f463022bc3794e9615d8a705b">its strikes</a>&nbsp;against Detroit's three automakers after General Motors made a breakthrough concession on unionizing electric vehicle battery plants.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/GM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GM</a> has agreed in writing to place their electric battery manufacturing under the UAW&#39;s National Master Agreement. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandUpUAW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandUpUAW</a> <a href="https://t.co/FZcR6TV0wp">pic.twitter.com/FZcR6TV0wp</a>&mdash; AFL-CIO ✊ (@AFLCIO) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFLCIO/status/1710359460521062858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a video appearance that additional plants could be added to the strikes later.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fuaw.union%2Fposts%2Fpfbid021vJoPoyF3x6ScSAQhxKLbscwJJP5cC1j6rCzLMrzm19WQ2maWyfoo24rEMsjqhb9l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="298" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The announcement of the pause in expanding the strikes came shortly after GM agreed to bring electric vehicle battery plants into the UAW's national contract, essentially assuring that they will be unionized.Fain said GM's move will change the future of the union and the auto industry.He said GM made the change after the union threatened to strike at a plant in Arlington, Texas, that makes highly profitable large SUVs.“Today, under the threat of a major financial hit, they leapfrogged the pack in terms of a just transition” from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-electric-cars-uaw-strike-d73f259bf5e9242340e912ad1e9b4aa9">combustion engines to electric vehicles</a>, he said. “Our strike is working, but we’re not there yet.”In addition to large general pay raises, cost of living pay, restoration of pensions for new hires and other items, the union wanted to represent 10 battery factories proposed by the companies.The companies have said the plants, mostly joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, had to be bargained separately.Friday's change means the the four U.S. GM battery plants would now be covered under the union's master agreement and GM would bargain with the union' “which I think is a monumental development,” said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.He said the details of GM's offer, made in writing, will have to be scrutinized.

🎥 Auto workers stop expanding strikes; GM makes battery plant concession

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal crash involving a bicyclist and a sport utility vehicle in Johnson County have identified the man who died as 28-year-old Eduardo Loredo-Martinez of Olathe, Kansas, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

Just after 6a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the crash scene in the area of South Lone Elm Road and West 159th Street, according to Olathe Police. 

First responders found the bicyclist&nbsp;Loredo-Martinez .He was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the SUV, a 64-year-old woman, remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696515388372.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal crash involving a bicyclist and a sport utility vehicle in Johnson County have identified the man who died as 28-year-old Eduardo Loredo-Martinez of Olathe, Kansas, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.Just after 6a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the crash scene in the area of South Lone Elm Road and West 159th Street, according to Olathe Police. First responders found the bicyclist&nbsp;Loredo-Martinez .He was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the SUV, a 64-year-old woman, remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

Police ID Kansas bicyclist killed after struck by SUV

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz is willing to listen to race promotion proposals from outside entities, but he made one thing clear, those folks will have to take on the burden.

"To become a race promoter, that's not something that we are interested in doing," Schulz said Friday. "From a staffing point, we just don't have enough staff. We are mandated by the Kansas Legislature how many people we can have. When you start looking at running these major events, you're going to have to have quite a few more people on staff and we just don't have those allocations."

There are no written proposals thus far, with a deadline for those by the end of the month.

"We've had one person that has shown some interest, but we haven't seen anything in writing," Schulz said. "That's what we need is we need a full on proposal from whoever is interested in doing it, before the end of this month, postmarked or delivered by the 31st. That will give our board at least two weeks to be looking it over. Then, on the 14th of November, the board will get together, they will review the proposals and then there will be a small public input session. Location and time are all still pending, we'll be meeting this Tuesday coming up, to make all those decisions."

When Schulz was in North Dakota at the Red River Valley Fair, the track up there was nearly closed.

"We had the fastest half mile track in the Upper Midwest," Schulz said. "That was from the World of Outlaws. That, too, was an area where, we were a non-profit. It ran most Fridays, but we were running it as our staff. People weren't attending. Our car counts were down. After my first year there, the board said to do an analysis of it. We did. We were still losing a lot of money. We decided to close it down or try finding a promoter. The Schatz family, if you follow World of Outlaws, the Schatz family is very big. They took it over, ran it for three years. They said, there's no money to be made here. They backed out. They invested over $1.5 million into it. They backed out. We put it back out for people to run it, promote it. It sat empty for two years. We had a promoter that came in and started running it. I think they are still there today, but the numbers are still touch and go."

According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fargomoorhead.org/what-to-do/red-river-valley-speedway/">fargomoorhead.org</a>, even when the Schatz family put the money in, the track was reconfigured. "RRVS was reconfigured from the original 1/2 mile to a smaller 3/8 of a mile track in the spring of 2010," according to the site. "Also during that time the track switched from Friday nights to Wednesday nights. In 2012, RRVS ran it's final race on August 25th until it was re-opened again in 2016. Racing once again returned to Friday nights."

It remains to be seen what proposals from the potential promoters look like and how much money they would be willing to contribute to save the track.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632137556905.jpeg" alt="KSF Grandstand Racetrack-Photo by Nick Gosnell" />
 <figcaption>KSF Grandstand Racetrack-Photo by Nick Gosnell</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL&nbsp;Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz is willing to listen to race promotion proposals from outside entities, but he made one thing clear, those folks will have to take on the burden."To become a race promoter, that's not something that we are interested in doing," Schulz said Friday. "From a staffing point, we just don't have enough staff. We are mandated by the Kansas Legislature how many people we can have. When you start looking at running these major events, you're going to have to have quite a few more people on staff and we just don't have those allocations."There are no written proposals thus far, with a deadline for those by the end of the month."We've had one person that has shown some interest, but we haven't seen anything in writing," Schulz said. "That's what we need is we need a full on proposal from whoever is interested in doing it, before the end of this month, postmarked or delivered by the 31st. That will give our board at least two weeks to be looking it over. Then, on the 14th of November, the board will get together, they will review the proposals and then there will be a small public input session. Location and time are all still pending, we'll be meeting this Tuesday coming up, to make all those decisions."When Schulz was in North Dakota at the Red River Valley Fair, the track up there was nearly closed."We had the fastest half mile track in the Upper Midwest," Schulz said. "That was from the World of Outlaws. That, too, was an area where, we were a non-profit. It ran most Fridays, but we were running it as our staff. People weren't attending. Our car counts were down. After my first year there, the board said to do an analysis of it. We did. We were still losing a lot of money. We decided to close it down or try finding a promoter. The Schatz family, if you follow World of Outlaws, the Schatz family is very big. They took it over, ran it for three years. They said, there's no money to be made here. They backed out. They invested over $1.5 million into it. They backed out. We put it back out for people to run it, promote it. It sat empty for two years. We had a promoter that came in and started running it. I think they are still there today, but the numbers are still touch and go."According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fargomoorhead.org/what-to-do/red-river-valley-speedway/">fargomoorhead.org</a>, even when the Schatz family put the money in, the track was reconfigured. "RRVS was reconfigured from the original 1/2 mile to a smaller 3/8 of a mile track in the spring of 2010," according to the site. "Also during that time the track switched from Friday nights to Wednesday nights. In 2012, RRVS ran it's final race on August 25th until it was re-opened again in 2016. Racing once again returned to Friday nights."It remains to be seen what proposals from the potential promoters look like and how much money they would be willing to contribute to save the track.

Will anyone save the dirt track at Kansas State Fairgrounds?

BOURBON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident involving a school bus taking students home from an after school program just before 5:30p.m. Thursday in Bourbon County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by Andrew S. Callahan, 23, Fort Scott, was westbound on Maple Road at 145th Street one mile south of U.S. 54.

The car struck the side of a southbound USD 235 Uniontown school bus driven by 77-year-old Johnny K. Speer of Redfield as the bus entered the intersection.&nbsp;&nbsp;

EMS treated Callahan at the scene for minor injuries.&nbsp; Speer and multiple students who participate in the school district's after school program were on their way home, according to the district office. They were not injured.

BOURBON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident involving a school bus taking students home from an after school program just before 5:30p.m. Thursday in Bourbon County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by Andrew S. Callahan, 23, Fort Scott, was westbound on Maple Road at 145th Street one mile south of U.S. 54.The car struck the side of a southbound USD 235 Uniontown school bus driven by 77-year-old Johnny K. Speer of Redfield as the bus entered the intersection.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS treated Callahan at the scene for minor injuries.&nbsp; Speer and multiple students who participate in the school district's after school program were on their way home, according to the district office. They were not injured.

Students in after school program involved in Kan. bus crash

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 25-year-old homeless man was charged Thursday in the rape and killing of a 5-year-old Kansas girl who died despite firefighters' efforts to save her life in a gas station parking lot.

Mickel Cherry faces one count of capital murder — which would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty — and one count each of first-degree murder and rape in the death of Zoey Felix on Monday. He was jailed in Topeka on a $2 million bond, and his next court appearance has not yet been determined.

Shawnee County District Attorney Michael Kagay told reporters that a decision about seeking a death sentence won't be made until after a preliminary hearing to determine whether Cherry stands trial. That is standard in capital cases.

Mark Manna, of the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit, said his office would represent Cherry, but that he had no further comment. Cherry’s family didn’t respond to messages.

Authorities have released no details about the cause of Zoey’s death, but former neighbors of the girl and her family believe she, her father and Cherry had lived the past few weeks in a grove of trees on a wooded lot near the gas station, just blocks from the home where her mother lived. They believed she was carried from the wooded lot to the gas station, but police have not confirmed any of those details.

Kagay said in a news release that Topeka police rushed to a gas station where fire crews were attempting to save Zoey’s life. She was later pronounced dead. A medical examination at the hospital revealed injuries consistent with sexual assault.

“I think the investigation into the murder and rape of this 5-year-old girl is fairly complete,” Kagay told reporters during a brief news conference.

Asked about potentially charging other people, Kagay said, “I’m willing to consider any actionable investigations brought to me,” but when he was asked whether he is aware of any other investigations, he said, “I’m not.”

Timothy Phelps, deputy director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, confirmed that Cherry used to live at the same address as Zoey, but at the time of his arrest, Cherry was homeless.

Cherry has no criminal record in Kansas, but he does have a misdemeanor criminal trespass conviction in Amarillo, Texas.

Neighbors said they had raised concerns that Zoey's family home had no electricity and that they called the police and child welfare.

“She just had a good spirit to her. Honestly, very outgoing, smart. She was curious about everything. She’d ask you a 1,001 questions, and she demanded answers for those too,” said Shaniqua Bradley, a neighbor.

Topeka police confirmed Thursday that they made three visits to the home in September: one on Sept. 5 for a welfare check following a report that the home had no electricity; and two domestic disturbance calls in the afternoon and evening of Sept. 19, a little more than an hour apart. Police did not provide details about those two calls.

City spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said in an email that during the first call officers confirmed there was no electricity and that they were told the child wasn't staying there. Police met with the child, saw she was in “good spirits” but still made a report to child welfare and property officials, Spiker said.

The city moved to condemn the house but backed off when the utilities were turned back on. Neighbors said that everyone but the mother had moved out by then.

One tent and a tarp were set up in the woods a few blocks away from the home, in an area about a football field away from the pumps at a Dillons grocery store where fire crews tried to resuscitate Zoey.

Her dad worked at the gas station; a coworker said Wednesday that he was taking time off and the company hasn't responded to an email from The Associated Press.

A makeshift memorial of flowers, balloons and toys sat nearby.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696600819324.png" alt="Zoey Felix <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/zoey-felix-funeral-expenses">photo GoFundMe</a>" />
 <figcaption>Zoey Felix <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/zoey-felix-funeral-expenses">photo GoFundMe</a></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 25-year-old homeless man was charged Thursday in the rape and killing of a 5-year-old Kansas girl who died despite firefighters' efforts to save her life in a gas station parking lot.Mickel Cherry faces one count of capital murder — which would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty — and one count each of first-degree murder and rape in the death of Zoey Felix on Monday. He was jailed in Topeka on a $2 million bond, and his next court appearance has not yet been determined.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696342029742.png" alt="Cherryp-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Cherryp-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Shawnee County District Attorney Michael Kagay told reporters that a decision about seeking a death sentence won't be made until after a preliminary hearing to determine whether Cherry stands trial. That is standard in capital cases.Mark Manna, of the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit, said his office would represent Cherry, but that he had no further comment. Cherry’s family didn’t respond to messages.Authorities have released no details about the cause of Zoey’s death, but former neighbors of the girl and her family believe she, her father and Cherry had lived the past few weeks in a grove of trees on a wooded lot near the gas station, just blocks from the home where her mother lived. They believed she was carried from the wooded lot to the gas station, but police have not confirmed any of those details.Kagay said in a news release that Topeka police rushed to a gas station where fire crews were attempting to save Zoey’s life. She was later pronounced dead. A medical examination at the hospital revealed injuries consistent with sexual assault.“I think the investigation into the murder and rape of this 5-year-old girl is fairly complete,” Kagay told reporters during a brief news conference.Asked about potentially charging other people, Kagay said, “I’m willing to consider any actionable investigations brought to me,” but when he was asked whether he is aware of any other investigations, he said, “I’m not.”Timothy Phelps, deputy director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, confirmed that Cherry used to live at the same address as Zoey, but at the time of his arrest, Cherry was homeless.Cherry has no criminal record in Kansas, but he does have a misdemeanor criminal trespass conviction in Amarillo, Texas.Neighbors said they had raised concerns that Zoey's family home had no electricity and that they called the police and child welfare.“She just had a good spirit to her. Honestly, very outgoing, smart. She was curious about everything. She’d ask you a 1,001 questions, and she demanded answers for those too,” said Shaniqua Bradley, a neighbor.Topeka police confirmed Thursday that they made three visits to the home in September: one on Sept. 5 for a welfare check following a report that the home had no electricity; and two domestic disturbance calls in the afternoon and evening of Sept. 19, a little more than an hour apart. Police did not provide details about those two calls.City spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said in an email that during the first call officers confirmed there was no electricity and that they were told the child wasn't staying there. Police met with the child, saw she was in “good spirits” but still made a report to child welfare and property officials, Spiker said.The city moved to condemn the house but backed off when the utilities were turned back on. Neighbors said that everyone but the mother had moved out by then.One tent and a tarp were set up in the woods a few blocks away from the home, in an area about a football field away from the pumps at a Dillons grocery store where fire crews tried to resuscitate Zoey.Her dad worked at the gas station; a coworker said Wednesday that he was taking time off and the company hasn't responded to an email from The Associated Press.A makeshift memorial of flowers, balloons and toys sat nearby.

Man could face death penalty for murder of 5-year-old Kan. girl

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Biden administration will resume deporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tps-border-asylum-venezuela-temporary-status-2fa052ceacb020b861bb82332912bc92">Venezuelan migrants</a>, the largest single group encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border last month, back to their economically troubled country as their arrivals continue to grow.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, speaking in Mexico City Thursday, cited the new measure as one of the “strict consequences” the Biden administration is pairing with the expansion of legal pathways for asylum seekers.

“Our two countries are being challenged by an unprecedented level of migration throughout our hemisphere,” Mayorkas said, referring to Mexico.

The repatriation flights are expected to begin shortly, said two U.S. officials, though they did not provide specific details on when the flights would begin taking off. The officials were not authorized to disclose details of the government’s plan and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-border-migrant-venezuela-b914be14aaeef14eb01bd10ee23067f4">The resumption of deportation flights comes not long after the administration increased protected status</a>&nbsp;for thousands of Venezuelans who had previously arrived to the U.S., they must have entered the country before July 31 of this year to be eligible for temporary protected status.

In making the recent expansion of protections official, President Joe Biden's administration said just this week that it had determined that “extraordinary and temporary conditions continue to prevent Venezuelan nationals from returning in safety.”

Mayorkas on Thursday addressed the contrast with the announcement just days later of more deportations, saying “we have made a determination it is safe to return Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the United States subsequent to July 31 and do not have a legal basis to remain here.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who led a U.S. delegation to Mexico, added that “we have an ironclad commitment to provide protection for those who qualify. That remains paramount in everything we’re doing.”

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service criticized the move to resume deportations noting the apparent contradiction with the expansion of temporary protected status.

“Returning thousands of Venezuelans to the same unimaginably dangerous conditions they just fled is a profoundly problematic policy for the world’s humanitarian leader to adopt,” the organization’s CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said in a statement.

Administration officials would not discuss details about how frequently deportation flights would be going to Venezuela or describe how Venezuela agreed to accept back their citizens except to say that, like other countries around the world, the U.S. has long encouraged Venezuela to accept back its nationals. Cuba, another U.S. adversary, announced earlier this year that it would begin accepting Cuban deportees but there has only been one flight a month.

The U.S. had been returning some Venezuelans via commercial flights, but in relatively small numbers and through third countries.

In Venezuela, the government said it had reached an agreement with U.S. officials for a safe and orderly repatriation.

“Venezuelan migration in recent years is a direct result of the application of unilateral coercive measures and a blockade of our economy,” Venezuela's foreign ministry said via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It said the government would support repatriated Venezuelans.

The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.

The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/antony-blinken">Blinken</a>&nbsp;and other top Biden administration officials met with their counterparts in Mexico City on security issues.

Blinken discussed migration flows with Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena, as well as foreign ministers from Panama and Colombia, Wednesday. Talks continued Thursday, including meetings by Blinken and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland with López Obrador.

Bárcena said Thursday that some 10,000 migrant encounters were registered at the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday.

“We are going to continue taking forceful actions, including continuing some efforts we already have in relation to assisted returns, coordinating the dismantling of trafficking networks and human trafficking,” Bárcena said.

Blinken said the U.S. government is working to support those efforts.

“We're taking steps to aid the most vulnerable, those most vulnerable to organized crime, training nearly 200 Mexican immigration officials to better screen, identify and assist potential human trafficking victims,” Blinken said.

“The scale of this challenge demands that we redouble our efforts, that we do more to increase legal migration ... more to address root causes and more to deter irregular migration humanely,” Blinken said.

López Obrador said Thursday during his daily news briefing that Mexico has reiterated in talks its position that there should be investment to spur development in the countries that migrants leave.

“The people don't abandon their towns because they want to, but rather out of necessity,” the president said. He also criticized the Biden administration's announcement Wednesday that it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction. López Obrador had previously praised Biden for not building more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">border wall</a>&nbsp;during his presidency.

In August, the U.S. Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, up 37% from July but little changed from August 2022 and well below the more than 220,000 in December, according to figures released in September.

The U.S. has tried to get Mexico and countries farther south to do more. In April, the U.S., Panama and Colombia announced a campaign to slow migration through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/darien-gap-panama-colombia-us-migrants-cf0cd1e9de2119208c9af186e53e09b7">treacherous Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama</a>. But migration through the jungle has only accelerated and is expected to approach some 500,000 people this year - the vast majority from Venezuela.

Venezuelans were stopped 25,777 times the first 17 days of September, up 63% from the same period a month earlier, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures released by López Obrador. Those included some people admitted for scheduled asylum appointments, but the vast majority were illegal entries.

Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain.

The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years.

Deportation flights had been paused in part because the U.S. has few diplomatic relations with the nation.

U.S. and Mexican officials also discussed efforts aimed at combating the trafficking of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Mexican officials continued to explain with some difficulty López Obrador’s blanket assertion — false according to available evidence and the U.S. government — that Mexico does not produce fentanyl.

Bárcena, the foreign relations secretary, said “there is no contradiction, chemical precursors are not produced in Mexico.” It was tacit admission that Mexican cartels import precursors, mainly from China, and process them chemically into fentanyl. But since the entire chemical process is not carried out in Mexico the government maintains that fentanyl is not produced here.

U.S. officials highlighted the recent extradition of Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges as a sign of cooperation between the two governments.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317742720.png" alt="The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.- Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.- Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Biden administration will resume deporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tps-border-asylum-venezuela-temporary-status-2fa052ceacb020b861bb82332912bc92">Venezuelan migrants</a>, the largest single group encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border last month, back to their economically troubled country as their arrivals continue to grow.U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, speaking in Mexico City Thursday, cited the new measure as one of the “strict consequences” the Biden administration is pairing with the expansion of legal pathways for asylum seekers.“Our two countries are being challenged by an unprecedented level of migration throughout our hemisphere,” Mayorkas said, referring to Mexico.The repatriation flights are expected to begin shortly, said two U.S. officials, though they did not provide specific details on when the flights would begin taking off. The officials were not authorized to disclose details of the government’s plan and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-border-migrant-venezuela-b914be14aaeef14eb01bd10ee23067f4">The resumption of deportation flights comes not long after the administration increased protected status</a>&nbsp;for thousands of Venezuelans who had previously arrived to the U.S., they must have entered the country before July 31 of this year to be eligible for temporary protected status.In making the recent expansion of protections official, President Joe Biden's administration said just this week that it had determined that “extraordinary and temporary conditions continue to prevent Venezuelan nationals from returning in safety.”Mayorkas on Thursday addressed the contrast with the announcement just days later of more deportations, saying “we have made a determination it is safe to return Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the United States subsequent to July 31 and do not have a legal basis to remain here.”U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who led a U.S. delegation to Mexico, added that “we have an ironclad commitment to provide protection for those who qualify. That remains paramount in everything we’re doing.”The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service criticized the move to resume deportations noting the apparent contradiction with the expansion of temporary protected status.“Returning thousands of Venezuelans to the same unimaginably dangerous conditions they just fled is a profoundly problematic policy for the world’s humanitarian leader to adopt,” the organization’s CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said in a statement.Administration officials would not discuss details about how frequently deportation flights would be going to Venezuela or describe how Venezuela agreed to accept back their citizens except to say that, like other countries around the world, the U.S. has long encouraged Venezuela to accept back its nationals. Cuba, another U.S. adversary, announced earlier this year that it would begin accepting Cuban deportees but there has only been one flight a month.The U.S. had been returning some Venezuelans via commercial flights, but in relatively small numbers and through third countries.In Venezuela, the government said it had reached an agreement with U.S. officials for a safe and orderly repatriation.“Venezuelan migration in recent years is a direct result of the application of unilateral coercive measures and a blockade of our economy,” Venezuela's foreign ministry said via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It said the government would support repatriated Venezuelans.The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/antony-blinken">Blinken</a>&nbsp;and other top Biden administration officials met with their counterparts in Mexico City on security issues.Blinken discussed migration flows with Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena, as well as foreign ministers from Panama and Colombia, Wednesday. Talks continued Thursday, including meetings by Blinken and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland with López Obrador.Bárcena said Thursday that some 10,000 migrant encounters were registered at the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday.“We are going to continue taking forceful actions, including continuing some efforts we already have in relation to assisted returns, coordinating the dismantling of trafficking networks and human trafficking,” Bárcena said.Blinken said the U.S. government is working to support those efforts.“We're taking steps to aid the most vulnerable, those most vulnerable to organized crime, training nearly 200 Mexican immigration officials to better screen, identify and assist potential human trafficking victims,” Blinken said.“The scale of this challenge demands that we redouble our efforts, that we do more to increase legal migration ... more to address root causes and more to deter irregular migration humanely,” Blinken said.López Obrador said Thursday during his daily news briefing that Mexico has reiterated in talks its position that there should be investment to spur development in the countries that migrants leave.“The people don't abandon their towns because they want to, but rather out of necessity,” the president said. He also criticized the Biden administration's announcement Wednesday that it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction. López Obrador had previously praised Biden for not building more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">border wall</a>&nbsp;during his presidency.In August, the U.S. Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, up 37% from July but little changed from August 2022 and well below the more than 220,000 in December, according to figures released in September.The U.S. has tried to get Mexico and countries farther south to do more. In April, the U.S., Panama and Colombia announced a campaign to slow migration through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/darien-gap-panama-colombia-us-migrants-cf0cd1e9de2119208c9af186e53e09b7">treacherous Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama</a>. But migration through the jungle has only accelerated and is expected to approach some 500,000 people this year - the vast majority from Venezuela.Venezuelans were stopped 25,777 times the first 17 days of September, up 63% from the same period a month earlier, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures released by López Obrador. Those included some people admitted for scheduled asylum appointments, but the vast majority were illegal entries.Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain.The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years.Deportation flights had been paused in part because the U.S. has few diplomatic relations with the nation.U.S. and Mexican officials also discussed efforts aimed at combating the trafficking of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.Mexican officials continued to explain with some difficulty López Obrador’s blanket assertion — false according to available evidence and the U.S. government — that Mexico does not produce fentanyl.Bárcena, the foreign relations secretary, said “there is no contradiction, chemical precursors are not produced in Mexico.” It was tacit admission that Mexican cartels import precursors, mainly from China, and process them chemically into fentanyl. But since the entire chemical process is not carried out in Mexico the government maintains that fentanyl is not produced here.U.S. officials highlighted the recent extradition of Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges as a sign of cooperation between the two governments.__

Biden administration will resume deportation flights 

FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in Franklin County.

Just after 4p.m. Oct. 3, police officers were dispatched to the 800 Block of North Mulberry Street after a 911 call was made to the Franklin County Emergency Communications Center.  The caller provided little information and then disconnected from the dispatcher, according to a media release from Ottawa Police.

 When officers arrived at the address, a 65-year-old Ottawa man was located who was in distress. After an investigation, police arrested 59-year-old Lynette Russell of Ottawa on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery.&nbsp; She is being held in the Franklin County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696514050594.png" alt="Russell photo Franklin County" />
 <figcaption>Russell photo Franklin County</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in Franklin County.Just after 4p.m. Oct. 3, police officers were dispatched to the 800 Block of North Mulberry Street after a 911 call was made to the Franklin County Emergency Communications Center. The caller provided little information and then disconnected from the dispatcher, according to a media release from Ottawa Police. When officers arrived at the address, a 65-year-old Ottawa man was located who was in distress. After an investigation, police arrested 59-year-old Lynette Russell of Ottawa on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery.&nbsp; She is being held in the Franklin County Jail.&nbsp;

Kan. woman accused of kidnapping after police found man in distress

FINNEY COUNTY —The victims who died in the southwest Kansas house fire have been identified as 53-year-old&nbsp;Cresenciano Aguirre-Ortega and 24-year-old&nbsp; Viridiana Aguirre-Abarca, according to Garden City Fire Marshal Gene Robertson.

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental due to unattended cooking.

Just after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, fire crews were dispatched to the report of a house fire with possible trapped individuals at 613 N. 9th Street, Garden City, according to a media release.

First arriving crews found a multi-story residence with heavy fire and visible smoke. Firefighters made contact with three victims in the front yard who alerted them of additional victims inside.

Personnel entered the house to begin fire attack and search and rescue, and were met with heavy fire and intense heat. During the search, personnel located&nbsp;Aguirre-Ortega and Aguirre-Abarca. After retrieving them from the home, fire personnel were joined by EMS to begin life-saving measures.

The victims were loaded into ambulances and care was transferred to EMS. Just before 3a.m., the City of Holcomb Fire Department was requested to provide mutual aid. Personnel reentered the residence to complete the primary search and fire attack.

Additional fire was located in the attic and extinguished. The fire was called under control at 3:22 a.m. and turned over to Garden City Fire Investigators.

In addition to the deaths, three victims were treated for smoke inhalation, and one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696551997925.png" alt="Cresenciano&nbsp; Aguirre-Ortega photo courtesy Robson Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Cresenciano&nbsp; Aguirre-Ortega photo courtesy Robson Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —The victims who died in the southwest Kansas house fire have been identified as 53-year-old&nbsp;Cresenciano Aguirre-Ortega and 24-year-old&nbsp; Viridiana Aguirre-Abarca, according to Garden City Fire Marshal Gene Robertson.The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental due to unattended cooking.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696552076275.png" alt="Viridiana Aguirre-Abarca-photo Robson Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Viridiana Aguirre-Abarca-photo Robson Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, fire crews were dispatched to the report of a house fire with possible trapped individuals at 613 N. 9th Street, Garden City, according to a media release.First arriving crews found a multi-story residence with heavy fire and visible smoke. Firefighters made contact with three victims in the front yard who alerted them of additional victims inside.Personnel entered the house to begin fire attack and search and rescue, and were met with heavy fire and intense heat. During the search, personnel located&nbsp;Aguirre-Ortega and Aguirre-Abarca. After retrieving them from the home, fire personnel were joined by EMS to begin life-saving measures.The victims were loaded into ambulances and care was transferred to EMS. Just before 3a.m., the City of Holcomb Fire Department was requested to provide mutual aid. Personnel reentered the residence to complete the primary search and fire attack.Additional fire was located in the attic and extinguished. The fire was called under control at 3:22 a.m. and turned over to Garden City Fire Investigators.In addition to the deaths, three victims were treated for smoke inhalation, and one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation.

Fire Marshal IDs Kan. victims in fire blamed on unattended cooking 

NEWTON COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 5p.m. Thursday in Newton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 GMC pickup driven by Harold G. Slatton, 67, Neosho, was northbound on Route Y six miles west of Neosho.

The pickup crossed the centerline and struck a 2014 Toyota Prius driven by Ronald L. Swem, 58, Seneca.

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. Slatton was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

NEWTON COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 5p.m. Thursday in Newton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 GMC pickup driven by Harold G. Slatton, 67, Neosho, was northbound on Route Y six miles west of Neosho.The pickup crossed the centerline and struck a 2014 Toyota Prius driven by Ronald L. Swem, 58, Seneca.Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. Slatton was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.=

2 Missouri men dead after 2-vehicle crash

By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>

An American F-16 fighter aircraft shot down a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle that had been observed conducting airstrikes in a U.S.-restricted operating zone about a kilometer from U.S. forces in Syria Thursday.

During a phone call between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, the two leaders discussed the incident and agreed that while it is regrettable, the focus must remain on the important mission to defeat ISIS in Syria, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday.

"The secretary reaffirmed that the United States remains in Syria exclusively in support of the campaign to defeat ISIS," Ryder said. "The secretary also acknowledged Turkey's legitimate security concerns and underscored the importance of close coordination between the United States and Turkey to prevent any risk to U.S. forces or the global coalition’s defeat-ISIS mission."&nbsp;

At around 7:30 a.m. local time, U.S. forces observed UAVs conducting airstrikes in the vicinity of Hasakah, Syria, Ryder said. Some of the strikes were inside a declared U.S.-restricted operating zone.

"At approximately 11:30 local time, a Turkish UAV reentered the ROZ on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located," Ryder said. "U.S. commanders assessed that the UAV, which was now less than a half a kilometer from U.S. forces, to be a potential threat, and U.S. F-16 fighters subsequently shot down the UAV in self-defense at approximately 11:40 local time."&nbsp;

No U.S. forces were injured, Ryder said, also adding there is no indication that Turkey had intentionally been targeting U.S. forces.&nbsp;

"It's a regrettable incident, but U.S. commanders on the ground did assess that there was a potential threat and so they took prudent action in this scenario," Ryder said. "But again, the secretary has talked to his counterpart. They had the opportunity to have a fruitful conversation and ... commit to one another that the U.S. and Turkey will continue to closely communicate and coordinate. And as I mentioned, Turkey does remain a very important and valuable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nato.int/" target="_blank">NATO</a>&nbsp;ally and partner to the United States."&nbsp;

In addition to the phone call between Austin and Guler, newly sworn-in chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., also discussed the incident with his counterpart, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Gen. Metin Gurak. Those two leaders discussed the U.S. and Turkey's shared objective of defeating ISIS and the importance of following common deconfliction protocols.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696554283148.png" alt="Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday. courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday. courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>An American F-16 fighter aircraft shot down a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle that had been observed conducting airstrikes in a U.S.-restricted operating zone about a kilometer from U.S. forces in Syria Thursday.During a phone call between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, the two leaders discussed the incident and agreed that while it is regrettable, the focus must remain on the important mission to defeat ISIS in Syria, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I called Turkish Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler (<a href="https://twitter.com/tcsavunma?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tcsavunma</a>) today to discuss national security and defense-related matters of mutual interest. I reiterated U.S. commitment to continue working together to defeat ISIS and ensure security and stability in the region.…&mdash; Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1710028976465252425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"The secretary reaffirmed that the United States remains in Syria exclusively in support of the campaign to defeat ISIS," Ryder said. "The secretary also acknowledged Turkey's legitimate security concerns and underscored the importance of close coordination between the United States and Turkey to prevent any risk to U.S. forces or the global coalition’s defeat-ISIS mission."&nbsp;At around 7:30 a.m. local time, U.S. forces observed UAVs conducting airstrikes in the vicinity of Hasakah, Syria, Ryder said. Some of the strikes were inside a declared U.S.-restricted operating zone."At approximately 11:30 local time, a Turkish UAV reentered the ROZ on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located," Ryder said. "U.S. commanders assessed that the UAV, which was now less than a half a kilometer from U.S. forces, to be a potential threat, and U.S. F-16 fighters subsequently shot down the UAV in self-defense at approximately 11:40 local time."&nbsp;No U.S. forces were injured, Ryder said, also adding there is no indication that Turkey had intentionally been targeting U.S. forces.&nbsp;"It's a regrettable incident, but U.S. commanders on the ground did assess that there was a potential threat and so they took prudent action in this scenario," Ryder said. "But again, the secretary has talked to his counterpart. They had the opportunity to have a fruitful conversation and ... commit to one another that the U.S. and Turkey will continue to closely communicate and coordinate. And as I mentioned, Turkey does remain a very important and valuable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nato.int/" target="_blank">NATO</a>&nbsp;ally and partner to the United States."&nbsp;In addition to the phone call between Austin and Guler, newly sworn-in chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., also discussed the incident with his counterpart, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Gen. Metin Gurak. Those two leaders discussed the U.S. and Turkey's shared objective of defeating ISIS and the importance of following common deconfliction protocols.

Focus remains on defeat of ISIS after U.S. shoots down drone over Syria

LANSING, KAN. – Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) resident Michael Aineta died Wednesday after being transported to the KU Medical Center where hospital staff pronounced him dead, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Aineta, 40, was serving a 190-month sentence for one count of rape and one count of criminal sodomy convictions involving a victim under the age of 14 in Seward County.

He had been listed as a registered sex offender since December of 2022.&nbsp; He was originally assigned to the El Dorado Correctional Facility in December and transferred to Lansing in February, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696512334107.png" alt="Aineta photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Aineta photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>LANSING, KAN. – Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) resident Michael Aineta died Wednesday after being transported to the KU Medical Center where hospital staff pronounced him dead, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Aineta, 40, was serving a 190-month sentence for one count of rape and one count of criminal sodomy convictions involving a victim under the age of 14 in Seward County.He had been listed as a registered sex offender since December of 2022.&nbsp; He was originally assigned to the El Dorado Correctional Facility in December and transferred to Lansing in February, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;

Kansas child sex offender dies after 10 months in prison 

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Army officials have identified two soldiers killed when their large transport vehicle crashed while heading to a training area in interior Alaska.

There were among 17 soldiers on board the vehicle that flipped when the driver lost control on a dirt road leading to the Yukon Training Area near the community of Salcha, or about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Fairbanks, officials said earlier. Twelve other soldiers were injured.

The two soldiers killed were Spcs. Jeremy Daniel Evans and Brian Joshua Snowden, the Army said in a statement late Wednesday.

Both were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Combat Team with the 11th Airborne Division.

Evans, 23, arrived in Alaska in January 2021 after completing training at Fort Moore in Georgia. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native joined the Army in July 2020.

Snowden, 22, also joined the Army in July 2020 and trained at Fort Moore. Snowden, a Lonedell, Missouri, native arrived for duty in Alaska in March 2021.

“This is an incredible loss for all of us across the division,” Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the statement.

“While we’re always challenged by the environment, we’re Arctic Angels, we overcome these challenges and accomplish our mission by being a team, and teams take care of one another, especially in times like these,” Eifler said.

Among the 12 other soldiers injured, eight were treated and released the same day from Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, the Army said. Two injured soldiers remain in stable condition in Fairbanks.

Two other soldiers who were taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage were also in stable condition, officials said.

The accident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696538573987.png" alt="Spc. Brian Joshua Snowden -photo U.S. Army&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Spc. Brian Joshua Snowden -photo U.S. Army&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Army officials have identified two soldiers killed when their large transport vehicle crashed while heading to a training area in interior Alaska.There were among 17 soldiers on board the vehicle that flipped when the driver lost control on a dirt road leading to the Yukon Training Area near the community of Salcha, or about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Fairbanks, officials said earlier. Twelve other soldiers were injured.The two soldiers killed were Spcs. Jeremy Daniel Evans and Brian Joshua Snowden, the Army said in a statement late Wednesday.Both were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Combat Team with the 11th Airborne Division.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696538650360.png" alt="Spc. Jeremy Daniel Evans-photo U.S. Army" />
 <figcaption>Spc. Jeremy Daniel Evans-photo U.S. Army</figcaption>
 </figure>Evans, 23, arrived in Alaska in January 2021 after completing training at Fort Moore in Georgia. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native joined the Army in July 2020.Snowden, 22, also joined the Army in July 2020 and trained at Fort Moore. Snowden, a Lonedell, Missouri, native arrived for duty in Alaska in March 2021.“This is an incredible loss for all of us across the division,” Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the statement.“While we’re always challenged by the environment, we’re Arctic Angels, we overcome these challenges and accomplish our mission by being a team, and teams take care of one another, especially in times like these,” Eifler said.Among the 12 other soldiers injured, eight were treated and released the same day from Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, the Army said. Two injured soldiers remain in stable condition in Fairbanks.Two other soldiers who were taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage were also in stable condition, officials said.The accident remains under investigation.

Army IDs Missouri soldier as 1 of 2 who died in training accident

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

Missouri volunteer prison labor tends gardens that yield about 100 tons of fresh produce a year.

For the most part, that food goes to local charities.

The prisoners who grow it complain they get little fresh food. Instead, they get a lot of bologna.

They say they’re served portions they consider too small and unappetizing. In some places, they say they don’t get so much as salt and pepper to season it.

Many skip what the prison dishes up and spend what little money they can earn at prison jobs or cajole from their families on things like honey buns and bags of cooked chicken purchased in a commissary.

Gripes about prison food are as old as prisons. Lawsuits and broken contracts with correctional food service providers around the country cite&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2018/jun/8/trinity-services-group-faces-complaints-due-inadequate-prison-and-jail-food/">maggots</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2020/01/alameda-santa-rita-jail-aramark-unpaid-wages-lawsuit/#:~:text=Now%2C%20Davis%20and%20seven%20other,plaintiffs%20claim%20that%20their%20unpaid">unpaid labor</a>&nbsp;and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/more-than-100-food-workers-banned-from-state-prisons/AfqJbsGjzqOfQsjMny35NI/">&nbsp;inappropriate staff</a>&nbsp;relationships.

In January, Gov. Mike Parson signed the state to a five-year, $45.7 million contract with nationwide food and concessions provider Aramark. Its subsidiary Aramark Correctional Services serves&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aramark.com/content/dam/aramark/en/about/newsroom/AramarkCapabilities.pdf">450</a>&nbsp;correctional facilities nationwide.

Aramark also serves the statewide corrections system in Nevada. After complaints about small portions, a lack of nutrition and expired food, the Nevada Department of Corrections&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/hangry-food-at-nevada-prisons-leading-to-complaints-changes/">said in a meeting in late August</a>&nbsp;that it is revamping its food program while Aramark conducts a comprehensive review of its operations.

At first,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2023/07/28/missouri-prison-air-conditioning-2023-heat-wave/">people held in Missouri prisons</a>&nbsp;welcomed the change of the outside contractor. They got better food and more meal choices.

“It was really good. Like, this is awesome,” C.R., a prisoner at Missouri Eastern Correctional Center, told The Beacon. He asked to be identified by his initials out of fear of retaliation. “We thought, ‘We’re not gonna do a commissary as much, not gonna have to bother our people (for money) as much.”

But interviews with several prisoners and the relatives of others suggest it was a short-lived dining hall honeymoon. Once visits from corporate executives slowed, those people told The Beacon, the quality of the meals deteriorated.

“I don’t even eat in the kitchen because the food is bad, really,” said Gerald Johnson, who’s held at the Jefferson City Correctional Center. “There (have) been a couple of times where the food was good. But when Aramark (corporate leadership) leaves — I’m talking about a week and four days where every meal was bologna.”

Before hiring Aramark, the Department of Corrections was in charge of providing food, dining and staffing services in the state’s prisons.

The Aramark contract calls for three meals a day for about 23,500 people at an average of $1.77 per meal. State employees got the option to transfer their employment to the Philadelphia-based company.

Before beginning the Aramark contract, the state was spending $5.69 per prisoner per day for food and staffing. Under the Aramark contract, taxpayers spend $5.31 per prisoner per day for food and staffing.

“If you also take into consideration the considerable inflation-driven recent rise in the cost of food, the savings are significant,” DOC spokesperson Karen Pojmann said in an emailed statement.

It’s unclear where an average of $1.77 per meal stacks up nationwide, said Leslie Soble, who&nbsp;wrote a report, “Eating Behind Bars: Ending the Hidden Punishment of Food in Prison,” for prison reform group Impact Justice.

“It isn’t specifically about the price per meal,” Soble said, “it’s about what places are doing with that.”

Some prisons in other states may spend less per meal but focus on sourcing local ingredients for a lower rate, while others may be cutting costs in other ways.

“There are places that bake all of their own bread in the kitchen and produce a better quality product for less money than it costs to purchase an ultraprocessed bread product from a big distributor,” Soble said.

Nutrition guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommend that daily menus should reach an average of 2,800 calories and less than 3.5 grams of sodium per person. Aramark is on the hook for three meals a day, seven days a week, including religious or other specialized diets.

The company is also obligated to provide things like salt and pepper with meals, under the terms of its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://awardedsearch.oa.mo.gov/PublicAccess/api/Document/Aa6Azp7DNTQScA7QOwTNQAQ62fVIPoQMuMfm3EVzyBJRLAio4e20wsYq%C3%89ovy61V9bmNbl2iIVEco%C3%81ltn6tntj%C3%89A%3D/">Missouri contract.&nbsp;</a>But C.R., the incarcerated Missourian at the Pacific, Mo., prison, said that in a visit to the facility, one Aramark executive told prisoners the company isn’t contracted to provide those seasonings.

“I understand that you’re a business and have to make money, but they’ve taken salt and pepper away,” C.R. said. “If they put some salt and pepper on it, a lot of the meals would be amazing.”

Aramark is also responsible for supplying cleaning and sanitation supplies. But prisoners who spoke with The Beacon said they are scarce in their facilities. At the Jefferson City prison, the water and ice machine is broken with water running on the ground.

“Where the ice and water comes out, it’s moldy and it smells,” Johnson added. “It’s disgusting.”

Antwann Johnson, another prisoner in Jefferson City, questioned where the money was going after he heard that the kitchen had to get cleaning supplies from another division of the building.

“Where is the funding going?” Antwann Johnson said. “Sometimes we don’t even get adequate chemicals to clean these places and sanitize things properly.”

Complaints about privatized prison food services come up across the country.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.michiganradio.org/politics-government/2015-07-13/michigan-will-end-its-contract-with-aramark-for-prison-food-services">&nbsp;Michigan signed</a>&nbsp;a three-year $145 million contract with Aramark meant to expire in September 2016. But that state ended the deal a year early after problems including maggots in food and inappropriate relationships between Aramark kitchen staffers and prisoners. Understaffing and staff turnover were also issues. The two parties said that the decision to terminate the contract was mutual.

Once Michigan switched back to a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/05/23/michigan-prison-food-end-privatization/3765317002/">&nbsp;state-run food program</a>, problems with staff diminished, the Michigan Department of Corrections spokesperson told the Detroit Free Press.

In a comment provided to The Beacon, an Aramark spokesperson said the company follows federal and state requirements when it comes to food.

“Our team of registered dietitians worked with the Missouri DOC to develop a menu to meet nutritional guidelines and dietary needs. Our food safety processes and procedures are industry leading; if issues are raised, we work to fix them quickly,” a spokesperson said in an email.

Some meals have improved and people incarcerated seem to have more variety in the typical rotating menu, according to accounts shared with The Beacon.

But the same people report that some things have declined under Aramark. When the state was running food services, C.R. said, prisoners had access to powdered milk at mealtimes that they could use to help fill up when they had small portion sizes or a meal they didn’t want to eat. Now people are served milk cartons that are spoiled often enough that people have noticed a trend.

“It’s something to fill you up if the meal is kind of shorted,” C.R. said. “We used to get three or four cups of milk, like the small little cups. Now, they give us one eight-ounce carton of milk. Sometimes they’re fully spoiled. Once you take it from the window, they’re not gonna take it back.”

Compared to the general population, people in prison have poorer&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/imhprpji1112_sum.pdf">mental and physical health,</a>&nbsp;according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/incarceration">Studies have shown</a>&nbsp;that people who spend time in prison are more likely to have high blood pressure, asthma, cancer, arthritis and infectious diseases.

Despite some facilities operating the gardens, they don’t produce enough to rely on that food to feed the state’s incarcerated population, the DOC said.

“Not every facility has a garden. It’s impossible to predict how much food will be produced in any given growing season, and clear divisions are in place between food service and restorative justice,” Pojmann said, adding that some produce is available for purchase at a commissary.

Breakfast is generally the best meal of the day inside Missouri prisons. Residents are often served eggs, pancakes or oatmeal.&nbsp; Lunch and dinner draw the most complaints, said Christina Shannon, the fiancee of someone in diagnostic intake at Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in St. Joseph.

“He is not a picky eater,” Shannon said. “The portions are so small and at lunch and dinner they have bologna, almost every day they have it for lunch or dinner. At least five days out of the week he does not eat lunch or dinner, he’ll just eat the cake or cookies.”

Shannon’s fiance has access to the commissary every two weeks and access to things like Slim Jim-style meat sticks, but he’s limited in how many he can purchase.

Many prisoners use the commissary to make their own meals. Antwann Johnson said he hasn’t eaten from the kitchen for seven years. His family sends him money so he can shop the commissary to make his own meals. But he’s seen prices go up. For example, a small bag of precooked chicken breasts costs him nearly $7, Johnson said.

He spends on things like chicken, pasta, oatmeal and powdered milk.

“I have a strict diet,” Johnson said. “But not everyone has these resources.”

Prison meals are required to be nutritionally balanced, but that doesn’t always mean they’re appetizing. Prisoners who lean more heavily on the commissary run the risk of having too much sodium in their diets, or not enough of other nutrients.

One study of county jail and commissary diets&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9757498/">found levels</a>&nbsp;of vitamin D, magnesium and omega-3s that fall short of dietary guidelines. The commissary sells multivitamins.

One answer is offering healthier commissary items, which the National Commission on Correctional Health Care included in its 2023&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncchc.org/position-statements/nutritional-wellness-in-correctional-settings-2023/">position statement</a>&nbsp;on nutritional wellness in prisons. The group accredits facilities across the country, but it doesn’t share the credentials publicly. Barbara Wakeen, a registered dietitian nutritionist at NCCHC, said she most often gets complaints about healthier commissary items because they don’t sell.

Ricky Camplain, an epidemiologist at Indiana University, said commissary food is one of the few places that give a prisoner autonomy, even if the choices aren’t the healthiest. Most times, a registered dietitian designs a menu in prisons to ensure that it is nutritionally balanced, but the same thing doesn’t happen in commissary, she said.

“Almost all food is designed for high shelf life, because they’re selling it kind of like a convenience store,” Camplain said. “If you just eat commissary and avoid the kitchen for 10 years, your sodium levels are going to be extremely high.”

This&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2023/10/04/missouri-department-of-corrections-aramark-contract/">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/">The Beacon</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

BY:&nbsp;MEG CUNNINGHAM&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri volunteer prison labor tends gardens that yield about 100 tons of fresh produce a year.For the most part, that food goes to local charities.The prisoners who grow it complain they get little fresh food. Instead, they get a lot of bologna.They say they’re served portions they consider too small and unappetizing. In some places, they say they don’t get so much as salt and pepper to season it.Many skip what the prison dishes up and spend what little money they can earn at prison jobs or cajole from their families on things like honey buns and bags of cooked chicken purchased in a commissary.Gripes about prison food are as old as prisons. Lawsuits and broken contracts with correctional food service providers around the country cite&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2018/jun/8/trinity-services-group-faces-complaints-due-inadequate-prison-and-jail-food/">maggots</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2020/01/alameda-santa-rita-jail-aramark-unpaid-wages-lawsuit/#:~:text=Now%2C%20Davis%20and%20seven%20other,plaintiffs%20claim%20that%20their%20unpaid">unpaid labor</a>&nbsp;and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/more-than-100-food-workers-banned-from-state-prisons/AfqJbsGjzqOfQsjMny35NI/">&nbsp;inappropriate staff</a>&nbsp;relationships.In January, Gov. Mike Parson signed the state to a five-year, $45.7 million contract with nationwide food and concessions provider Aramark. Its subsidiary Aramark Correctional Services serves&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aramark.com/content/dam/aramark/en/about/newsroom/AramarkCapabilities.pdf">450</a>&nbsp;correctional facilities nationwide.Aramark also serves the statewide corrections system in Nevada. After complaints about small portions, a lack of nutrition and expired food, the Nevada Department of Corrections&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/hangry-food-at-nevada-prisons-leading-to-complaints-changes/">said in a meeting in late August</a>&nbsp;that it is revamping its food program while Aramark conducts a comprehensive review of its operations.At first,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2023/07/28/missouri-prison-air-conditioning-2023-heat-wave/">people held in Missouri prisons</a>&nbsp;welcomed the change of the outside contractor. They got better food and more meal choices.“It was really good. Like, this is awesome,” C.R., a prisoner at Missouri Eastern Correctional Center, told The Beacon. He asked to be identified by his initials out of fear of retaliation. “We thought, ‘We’re not gonna do a commissary as much, not gonna have to bother our people (for money) as much.”But interviews with several prisoners and the relatives of others suggest it was a short-lived dining hall honeymoon. Once visits from corporate executives slowed, those people told The Beacon, the quality of the meals deteriorated.“I don’t even eat in the kitchen because the food is bad, really,” said Gerald Johnson, who’s held at the Jefferson City Correctional Center. “There (have) been a couple of times where the food was good. But when Aramark (corporate leadership) leaves — I’m talking about a week and four days where every meal was bologna.”<h2>Missouri’s contract with Aramark</h2>Before hiring Aramark, the Department of Corrections was in charge of providing food, dining and staffing services in the state’s prisons.The Aramark contract calls for three meals a day for about 23,500 people at an average of $1.77 per meal. State employees got the option to transfer their employment to the Philadelphia-based company.Before beginning the Aramark contract, the state was spending $5.69 per prisoner per day for food and staffing. Under the Aramark contract, taxpayers spend $5.31 per prisoner per day for food and staffing.“If you also take into consideration the considerable inflation-driven recent rise in the cost of food, the savings are significant,” DOC spokesperson Karen Pojmann said in an emailed statement.It’s unclear where an average of $1.77 per meal stacks up nationwide, said Leslie Soble, who&nbsp;wrote a report, “Eating Behind Bars: Ending the Hidden Punishment of Food in Prison,” for prison reform group Impact Justice.“It isn’t specifically about the price per meal,” Soble said, “it’s about what places are doing with that.”Some prisons in other states may spend less per meal but focus on sourcing local ingredients for a lower rate, while others may be cutting costs in other ways.“There are places that bake all of their own bread in the kitchen and produce a better quality product for less money than it costs to purchase an ultraprocessed bread product from a big distributor,” Soble said.Nutrition guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommend that daily menus should reach an average of 2,800 calories and less than 3.5 grams of sodium per person. Aramark is on the hook for three meals a day, seven days a week, including religious or other specialized diets.The company is also obligated to provide things like salt and pepper with meals, under the terms of its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://awardedsearch.oa.mo.gov/PublicAccess/api/Document/Aa6Azp7DNTQScA7QOwTNQAQ62fVIPoQMuMfm3EVzyBJRLAio4e20wsYq%C3%89ovy61V9bmNbl2iIVEco%C3%81ltn6tntj%C3%89A%3D/">Missouri contract.&nbsp;</a>But C.R., the incarcerated Missourian at the Pacific, Mo., prison, said that in a visit to the facility, one Aramark executive told prisoners the company isn’t contracted to provide those seasonings.“I understand that you’re a business and have to make money, but they’ve taken salt and pepper away,” C.R. said. “If they put some salt and pepper on it, a lot of the meals would be amazing.”Aramark is also responsible for supplying cleaning and sanitation supplies. But prisoners who spoke with The Beacon said they are scarce in their facilities. At the Jefferson City prison, the water and ice machine is broken with water running on the ground.“Where the ice and water comes out, it’s moldy and it smells,” Johnson added. “It’s disgusting.”Antwann Johnson, another prisoner in Jefferson City, questioned where the money was going after he heard that the kitchen had to get cleaning supplies from another division of the building.“Where is the funding going?” Antwann Johnson said. “Sometimes we don’t even get adequate chemicals to clean these places and sanitize things properly.”Complaints about privatized prison food services come up across the country.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.michiganradio.org/politics-government/2015-07-13/michigan-will-end-its-contract-with-aramark-for-prison-food-services">&nbsp;Michigan signed</a>&nbsp;a three-year $145 million contract with Aramark meant to expire in September 2016. But that state ended the deal a year early after problems including maggots in food and inappropriate relationships between Aramark kitchen staffers and prisoners. Understaffing and staff turnover were also issues. The two parties said that the decision to terminate the contract was mutual.Once Michigan switched back to a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/05/23/michigan-prison-food-end-privatization/3765317002/">&nbsp;state-run food program</a>, problems with staff diminished, the Michigan Department of Corrections spokesperson told the Detroit Free Press.In a comment provided to The Beacon, an Aramark spokesperson said the company follows federal and state requirements when it comes to food.“Our team of registered dietitians worked with the Missouri DOC to develop a menu to meet nutritional guidelines and dietary needs. Our food safety processes and procedures are industry leading; if issues are raised, we work to fix them quickly,” a spokesperson said in an email.<h2>The realities of prison food in Missouri</h2>Some meals have improved and people incarcerated seem to have more variety in the typical rotating menu, according to accounts shared with The Beacon.But the same people report that some things have declined under Aramark. When the state was running food services, C.R. said, prisoners had access to powdered milk at mealtimes that they could use to help fill up when they had small portion sizes or a meal they didn’t want to eat. Now people are served milk cartons that are spoiled often enough that people have noticed a trend.“It’s something to fill you up if the meal is kind of shorted,” C.R. said. “We used to get three or four cups of milk, like the small little cups. Now, they give us one eight-ounce carton of milk. Sometimes they’re fully spoiled. Once you take it from the window, they’re not gonna take it back.”Compared to the general population, people in prison have poorer&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/imhprpji1112_sum.pdf">mental and physical health,</a>&nbsp;according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/incarceration">Studies have shown</a>&nbsp;that people who spend time in prison are more likely to have high blood pressure, asthma, cancer, arthritis and infectious diseases.Despite some facilities operating the gardens, they don’t produce enough to rely on that food to feed the state’s incarcerated population, the DOC said.“Not every facility has a garden. It’s impossible to predict how much food will be produced in any given growing season, and clear divisions are in place between food service and restorative justice,” Pojmann said, adding that some produce is available for purchase at a commissary.Breakfast is generally the best meal of the day inside Missouri prisons. Residents are often served eggs, pancakes or oatmeal.&nbsp; Lunch and dinner draw the most complaints, said Christina Shannon, the fiancee of someone in diagnostic intake at Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in St. Joseph.“He is not a picky eater,” Shannon said. “The portions are so small and at lunch and dinner they have bologna, almost every day they have it for lunch or dinner. At least five days out of the week he does not eat lunch or dinner, he’ll just eat the cake or cookies.”Shannon’s fiance has access to the commissary every two weeks and access to things like Slim Jim-style meat sticks, but he’s limited in how many he can purchase.Many prisoners use the commissary to make their own meals. Antwann Johnson said he hasn’t eaten from the kitchen for seven years. His family sends him money so he can shop the commissary to make his own meals. But he’s seen prices go up. For example, a small bag of precooked chicken breasts costs him nearly $7, Johnson said.He spends on things like chicken, pasta, oatmeal and powdered milk.“I have a strict diet,” Johnson said. “But not everyone has these resources.”Prison meals are required to be nutritionally balanced, but that doesn’t always mean they’re appetizing. Prisoners who lean more heavily on the commissary run the risk of having too much sodium in their diets, or not enough of other nutrients.One study of county jail and commissary diets&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9757498/">found levels</a>&nbsp;of vitamin D, magnesium and omega-3s that fall short of dietary guidelines. The commissary sells multivitamins.One answer is offering healthier commissary items, which the National Commission on Correctional Health Care included in its 2023&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncchc.org/position-statements/nutritional-wellness-in-correctional-settings-2023/">position statement</a>&nbsp;on nutritional wellness in prisons. The group accredits facilities across the country, but it doesn’t share the credentials publicly. Barbara Wakeen, a registered dietitian nutritionist at NCCHC, said she most often gets complaints about healthier commissary items because they don’t sell.Ricky Camplain, an epidemiologist at Indiana University, said commissary food is one of the few places that give a prisoner autonomy, even if the choices aren’t the healthiest. Most times, a registered dietitian designs a menu in prisons to ensure that it is nutritionally balanced, but the same thing doesn’t happen in commissary, she said.“Almost all food is designed for high shelf life, because they’re selling it kind of like a convenience store,” Camplain said. “If you just eat commissary and avoid the kitchen for 10 years, your sodium levels are going to be extremely high.”This&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2023/10/04/missouri-department-of-corrections-aramark-contract/">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kcbeacon.org/">The Beacon</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<figure>
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Missouri prisoners say food went from bad to worse when contractor took over

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce continue to dominate the headlines in the football and entertainment world. The birding community has been chasing its own star. Last week, an American flamingo was spotted at Chase County State Fishing Lake near Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Kansas Wetlands Education Center Director Curtis Wolf said it's only the third time a flamingo has been spotted in Kansas, and the first time in 50 years.

"One of those first sightings is actually at Quivira," he said. "They had, I think it was multiple birds that were there in the 1920s. Strangely enough, one of those was actually shot and mounted. There's a mount down at Quivira of this flamingo that was taken there at Quivira."

Hurricane Idalia moved through the Florida region at the end of August, and it is believed that storm displaced many bird species. Flamingos have been spotted as far north as Wisconsin, Missouri, and now Kansas.

"I think at one time they were a lot more common down in the Everglades area of Florida," said Wolf. "In the United States, that's the only place you can see them. I don't think they're real common there anymore."

  Bird enthusiasts have flocked to the lake in Chase County to take photos of the flamingo and cross it off their birding list. Wolf said the bird will not survive a Kansas winter, so the hope is its time in Kansas is just a brief layover.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696337625379.jpeg" alt="An American flamingo was spotted in Chase County last week, the first of its kind in Kansas in 50 years. (photo by Jarrett Thurman)" />
 <figcaption>An American flamingo was spotted in Chase County last week, the first of its kind in Kansas in 50 years. (photo by Jarrett Thurman)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce continue to dominate the headlines in the football and entertainment world. The birding community has been chasing its own star. Last week, an American flamingo was spotted at Chase County State Fishing Lake near Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Kansas Wetlands Education Center Director Curtis Wolf said it's only the third time a flamingo has been spotted in Kansas, and the first time in 50 years."One of those first sightings is actually at Quivira," he said. "They had, I think it was multiple birds that were there in the 1920s. Strangely enough, one of those was actually shot and mounted. There's a mount down at Quivira of this flamingo that was taken there at Quivira."Hurricane Idalia moved through the Florida region at the end of August, and it is believed that storm displaced many bird species. Flamingos have been spotted as far north as Wisconsin, Missouri, and now Kansas."I think at one time they were a lot more common down in the Everglades area of Florida," said Wolf. "In the United States, that's the only place you can see them. I don't think they're real common there anymore." Bird enthusiasts have flocked to the lake in Chase County to take photos of the flamingo and cross it off their birding list. Wolf said the bird will not survive a Kansas winter, so the hope is its time in Kansas is just a brief layover.