MIAMI COUNTY, Kansas —One person died in an accident just before 3a.m. Sunday in Miami County.

A 2004 Ford Explorer driven by 18-year-old&nbsp;Breann Nicole Bowley of Pleasanton, Kansas, was eastbound on 311 Street just west of Spring Valley Road, according to the Miami County Sheriff's office reported Monday evening.

The SUV left the road on the right, returned to the road and rolled multiple times before coming to rest in the ditch. Deputies provided CPR to the driver until Miami County EMS arrived. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation, according to the sheriff's office.

MIAMI COUNTY, Kansas —One person died in an accident just before 3a.m. Sunday in Miami County.A 2004 Ford Explorer driven by 18-year-old&nbsp;Breann Nicole Bowley of Pleasanton, Kansas, was eastbound on 311 Street just west of Spring Valley Road, according to the Miami County Sheriff's office reported Monday evening.The SUV left the road on the right, returned to the road and rolled multiple times before coming to rest in the ditch. Deputies provided CPR to the driver until Miami County EMS arrived. She was pronounced dead at the scene.The accident remains under investigation, according to the sheriff's office.

Kansas teen dies in SUV rollover crash

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann said at the Kansas State Fair over the weekend, even though the federal fiscal year ends at the end of the month, the Farm Bill is not done.

"I'm frustrated with how slowly it's going," Mann said. "That said, I think we are making progress. I think the committee's done a good job listening to producers. We're working our tail off to make sure that this is a Farm Bill that works for our Kansas ag producers, which is the most important thing."

U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall used an analogy from his days in obstetric practice.

"This is my second farm bill," Marshall said. "I know a little bit more about obstetrics than I do a farm bill, as a matter of fact, I saw two kids I delivered over in the sheep showing program, as well. If the farm bill was a pregnant mom, I'd say, we're a week overdue and it's time to induce her."

Marshall would rather see the farm bill finished than just an extension, but an extension is what appears most likely at this point in the process.

"As agriculture goes, so goes Kansas," Marshall said. "What a farm bill does is give us a great amount of certainty. It allows our producers to make a five year plan, rather than a one year plan. When you're an ag lender, it helps you understand, are we going to be able to make this payment year three, year four, year five, as well. I think that's the struggle before us. I think the biggest impediment to getting a farm bill done is our $33 trillion national debt. This country is spending $700 billion on interest."

The other problem is that in an inflationary economy, more people in poverty need to use the food programs that are actually now the majority of the funds disbursed within a farm bill and the underlying food costs more.

"In 2018, we budgeted, we'd be spending $65 billion for food stamps, for the nutrition programs, $65 billion. The last two years, we're spending $180 billion a year, almost triple. We could dive down to why that's happening, but nevertheless, we've went from $65 billion to $180 billion and as we look at a budget for this farm bill, they are saying it's going to go down to $120 billion. It's hard for me, as a former business owner, to square all that."

It's likely that full language for the farm bill won't even be finalized to be hashed over until at least November.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694426842459.png" alt="Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann and Congressman Roger Marshall participated in an Ag Forum at the Kansas State Fair on September 9, 2023-photo courtesy Renew Kansas Biofuels Association" />
 <figcaption>Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann and Congressman Roger Marshall participated in an Ag Forum at the Kansas State Fair on September 9, 2023-photo courtesy Renew Kansas Biofuels Association</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann said at the Kansas State Fair over the weekend, even though the federal fiscal year ends at the end of the month, the Farm Bill is not done."I'm frustrated with how slowly it's going," Mann said. "That said, I think we are making progress. I think the committee's done a good job listening to producers. We're working our tail off to make sure that this is a Farm Bill that works for our Kansas ag producers, which is the most important thing."U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall used an analogy from his days in obstetric practice."This is my second farm bill," Marshall said. "I know a little bit more about obstetrics than I do a farm bill, as a matter of fact, I saw two kids I delivered over in the sheep showing program, as well. If the farm bill was a pregnant mom, I'd say, we're a week overdue and it's time to induce her."Marshall would rather see the farm bill finished than just an extension, but an extension is what appears most likely at this point in the process."As agriculture goes, so goes Kansas," Marshall said. "What a farm bill does is give us a great amount of certainty. It allows our producers to make a five year plan, rather than a one year plan. When you're an ag lender, it helps you understand, are we going to be able to make this payment year three, year four, year five, as well. I think that's the struggle before us. I think the biggest impediment to getting a farm bill done is our $33 trillion national debt. This country is spending $700 billion on interest."The other problem is that in an inflationary economy, more people in poverty need to use the food programs that are actually now the majority of the funds disbursed within a farm bill and the underlying food costs more."In 2018, we budgeted, we'd be spending $65 billion for food stamps, for the nutrition programs, $65 billion. The last two years, we're spending $180 billion a year, almost triple. We could dive down to why that's happening, but nevertheless, we've went from $65 billion to $180 billion and as we look at a budget for this farm bill, they are saying it's going to go down to $120 billion. It's hard for me, as a former business owner, to square all that."It's likely that full language for the farm bill won't even be finalized to be hashed over until at least November.

Kan. First District Congressman talks farm bill at the State Fair

NEW YORK (AP) —The U.S. government is taking aim at what has been an indomitable empire: Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has become the internet’s main gateway.

The legal attack will swing into full force Tuesday in a Washington D.C. federal courtroom that will serve as the battleground for the biggest U.S. antitrust trial since regulators went after Microsoft and its dominance of personal computer software a quarter century ago.

The 10-week trial before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is expected to include potentially revelatory testimony from top executives at Google and its corporate parent Alphabet, as well as other powerful technology companies. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who succeeded Google co-founder Larry Page in 2019, will be among the most prominent witnesses likely to testify. Court documents also indicate one of Apple's highest-ranking executives, Eddy Cue, might be called to the stand.

The case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-microsoft-doj-6a800b51cc9b6b1c4d1b23bad4510040">Google mirrors the one brought against Microsoft</a>&nbsp;in many ways, including the existential threat it poses to a renowned tech giant whose products are relied on by billions of people.

The trial is scheduled to continue into late November before its first phase wraps, after which another round of court filings and arguments are expected. Mehta isn’t expected to issue a ruling until early next year. If he decides Google has been breaking the law, it will trigger another trial to determine what measures should be taken to rein in the Mountain View, California, company.

Although Google products such as the Chrome web browser, Gmail, YouTube and online maps all are hugely popular, none have become as indispensable — or as valuable — as the internet search engine invented by Page and a fellow Stanford University graduate student, Sergey Brin, during the late 1990s.

The trial is beginning just a couple weeks after the 25th anniversary of the first investment in the company — a $100,000 check written by Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim that enabled Page and Brin to set up shop in a Silicon Valley garage.

Today, Google's corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., is worth $1.7 trillion and employs 182,000 people, with most of the money coming from $224 billion in annual ad sales flowing through a network of digital services anchored by a search engine that fields billions of queries a day.

Google could be hobbled if the antitrust trial culminates in concessions that undercut its power. One possibility is that the company could be forced to stop paying Apple and other companies to make Google the default search engine on smartphones and computers.

Or the legal battle could cause Google to lose focus. That's what happened to Microsoft after its antitrust showdown with the Justice Department: Distracted, the software giant struggled to adapt to the impact of internet search and smartphones. Google capitalized on that distraction to leap from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-lawsuit-doj-f8f82967dc0d53a42c240b31d1559ccf">its startup roots into an imposing powerhouse.</a>

Nearly three years&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-justice-department-antitrust-0510e8f9047956254455ec5d4db06044">after filing its antitrust lawsuit</a>&nbsp;during the Trump administration, lawyers from the U.S. Justice Department will try to prove Google has been abusing the power of its search engine to stifle competition in ways that discouraged innovation. Critics say the quality of search results has deteriorated, too, as Google used its engine to sell ads and promote its own products, like Google restaurant reviews instead of those offered by Yelp.

Dozens of state attorneys general, led by Colorado, have waded into the battle and will have a chance to prove Google turned into an illegal monopoly that's harming consumers.

The crux of the Justice Department's argument will boil down to its contention that Google's search engine has become like digital air almost everyone breathes, and that it needs to be cleaned up because the company's tactics have polluted the atmosphere.

Google's vast legal team is expected to counter that the company has never stopped improving its search engine, executing its original mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible to anyone with an internet connection. From Google's perspective, the perpetual improvements explain why most people almost reflexively gravitate to its search engine, a habit that long ago made “Googling” synonymous with looking things up.

Despite commanding about 90% of the internet search market, Google argues it faces a wide range of competition ranging from other search engines such as Microsoft's Bing and DuckDuckGo to websites such as Amazon and Yelp, where people research questions about what product to buy or where to eat.

The Justice Department contends Google's claim that it dominates the market by supplying the best search engine is a canard. They allege Google protects its franchise through a form of payola, shelling out billions of dollars annually to be the default search engine on the iPhone and web browser such as Apple's Safari and Mozilla's Firefox.

Regulators also allege Google has illegally rigged the market in its favor by requiring its search engine to be bundled with its Android software for smartphones if the device manufacturers want full access to the Android app store.

By locking in Google's search engine as the default choice in so many places, the Justice Department contends the company has made it more difficult for people to find the best results as quickly as possible.

Regulators allege the company's deals ensure Google's automatic access to billions of queries that provide data for its search engine, while boxing out Bing and DuckDuckGo from getting information that could help them improve their results.

The tactics have created a toxic situation allowing Google to cram more ads at the top of its search results, increasing its profits and Alphabet's stock price, according to the Justice Department. That practice requires consumers to dig ever deeper to answer their questions, something that regulators believe could be avoided if rival services were able to collect as much information as Google does through its lock-in agreements.

Google insists that consumers could easily switch their default settings to another search engine.

The company also argues that it does face competition from evolving technology: Microsoft, for example, is baking artificial intelligence from its business partner Open AI into its Bing search engine. That move in early February prodded Google to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-artificial-intelligence-search-engine-chatgpt-microsoft-fd0538018df958388991772ced6e693d">start equipping its search engine with AI-fueled results</a>&nbsp;too — a sign that the company says shows competition continues to thrive.

NEW YORK (AP) —The U.S. government is taking aim at what has been an indomitable empire: Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has become the internet’s main gateway.The legal attack will swing into full force Tuesday in a Washington D.C. federal courtroom that will serve as the battleground for the biggest U.S. antitrust trial since regulators went after Microsoft and its dominance of personal computer software a quarter century ago.The 10-week trial before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is expected to include potentially revelatory testimony from top executives at Google and its corporate parent Alphabet, as well as other powerful technology companies. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who succeeded Google co-founder Larry Page in 2019, will be among the most prominent witnesses likely to testify. Court documents also indicate one of Apple's highest-ranking executives, Eddy Cue, might be called to the stand.The case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-microsoft-doj-6a800b51cc9b6b1c4d1b23bad4510040">Google mirrors the one brought against Microsoft</a>&nbsp;in many ways, including the existential threat it poses to a renowned tech giant whose products are relied on by billions of people.The trial is scheduled to continue into late November before its first phase wraps, after which another round of court filings and arguments are expected. Mehta isn’t expected to issue a ruling until early next year. If he decides Google has been breaking the law, it will trigger another trial to determine what measures should be taken to rein in the Mountain View, California, company.Although Google products such as the Chrome web browser, Gmail, YouTube and online maps all are hugely popular, none have become as indispensable — or as valuable — as the internet search engine invented by Page and a fellow Stanford University graduate student, Sergey Brin, during the late 1990s.The trial is beginning just a couple weeks after the 25th anniversary of the first investment in the company — a $100,000 check written by Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim that enabled Page and Brin to set up shop in a Silicon Valley garage.Today, Google's corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., is worth $1.7 trillion and employs 182,000 people, with most of the money coming from $224 billion in annual ad sales flowing through a network of digital services anchored by a search engine that fields billions of queries a day.Google could be hobbled if the antitrust trial culminates in concessions that undercut its power. One possibility is that the company could be forced to stop paying Apple and other companies to make Google the default search engine on smartphones and computers.Or the legal battle could cause Google to lose focus. That's what happened to Microsoft after its antitrust showdown with the Justice Department: Distracted, the software giant struggled to adapt to the impact of internet search and smartphones. Google capitalized on that distraction to leap from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-lawsuit-doj-f8f82967dc0d53a42c240b31d1559ccf">its startup roots into an imposing powerhouse.</a>Nearly three years&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-justice-department-antitrust-0510e8f9047956254455ec5d4db06044">after filing its antitrust lawsuit</a>&nbsp;during the Trump administration, lawyers from the U.S. Justice Department will try to prove Google has been abusing the power of its search engine to stifle competition in ways that discouraged innovation. Critics say the quality of search results has deteriorated, too, as Google used its engine to sell ads and promote its own products, like Google restaurant reviews instead of those offered by Yelp.Dozens of state attorneys general, led by Colorado, have waded into the battle and will have a chance to prove Google turned into an illegal monopoly that's harming consumers.The crux of the Justice Department's argument will boil down to its contention that Google's search engine has become like digital air almost everyone breathes, and that it needs to be cleaned up because the company's tactics have polluted the atmosphere.Google's vast legal team is expected to counter that the company has never stopped improving its search engine, executing its original mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible to anyone with an internet connection. From Google's perspective, the perpetual improvements explain why most people almost reflexively gravitate to its search engine, a habit that long ago made “Googling” synonymous with looking things up.Despite commanding about 90% of the internet search market, Google argues it faces a wide range of competition ranging from other search engines such as Microsoft's Bing and DuckDuckGo to websites such as Amazon and Yelp, where people research questions about what product to buy or where to eat.The Justice Department contends Google's claim that it dominates the market by supplying the best search engine is a canard. They allege Google protects its franchise through a form of payola, shelling out billions of dollars annually to be the default search engine on the iPhone and web browser such as Apple's Safari and Mozilla's Firefox.Regulators also allege Google has illegally rigged the market in its favor by requiring its search engine to be bundled with its Android software for smartphones if the device manufacturers want full access to the Android app store.By locking in Google's search engine as the default choice in so many places, the Justice Department contends the company has made it more difficult for people to find the best results as quickly as possible.Regulators allege the company's deals ensure Google's automatic access to billions of queries that provide data for its search engine, while boxing out Bing and DuckDuckGo from getting information that could help them improve their results.The tactics have created a toxic situation allowing Google to cram more ads at the top of its search results, increasing its profits and Alphabet's stock price, according to the Justice Department. That practice requires consumers to dig ever deeper to answer their questions, something that regulators believe could be avoided if rival services were able to collect as much information as Google does through its lock-in agreements.Google insists that consumers could easily switch their default settings to another search engine.The company also argues that it does face competition from evolving technology: Microsoft, for example, is baking artificial intelligence from its business partner Open AI into its Bing search engine. That move in early February prodded Google to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-artificial-intelligence-search-engine-chatgpt-microsoft-fd0538018df958388991772ced6e693d">start equipping its search engine with AI-fueled results</a>&nbsp;too — a sign that the company says shows competition continues to thrive.

Google versus the U.S. in the biggest antitrust trial in decades

KANSAS CITY —A Missouri woman has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting outside an Kansas City-area motel in August, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Courtney Joe Wilcox, 40, faces Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court records filed Friday, police officers responded to 9800 E U.S. 40 Highway in Independence on a report of shots fired in the area. 

They found a victim on his back in the parking lot of a motel. An autopsy later showed he had been shot once in the back. Wilcox was taken into custody in St. Roberts, Missouri, as a person of interest. She told police she gave the victim $1000 to buy narcotics but later came to believe he had "ripped her."

 She alerted another person and he began to look for the victim. She later saw the victim shot in front of the motel. Wilcox remains in custody. A co-defendant already faces charges and is in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694272874528.png" alt="Wilcox-Photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Wilcox-Photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Missouri woman has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting outside an Kansas City-area motel in August, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Courtney Joe Wilcox, 40, faces Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court records filed Friday, police officers responded to 9800 E U.S. 40 Highway in Independence on a report of shots fired in the area. They found a victim on his back in the parking lot of a motel. An autopsy later showed he had been shot once in the back. Wilcox was taken into custody in St. Roberts, Missouri, as a person of interest. She told police she gave the victim $1000 to buy narcotics but later came to believe he had "ripped her." She alerted another person and he began to look for the victim. She later saw the victim shot in front of the motel. Wilcox remains in custody. A co-defendant already faces charges and is in custody.

Woman charged in fatal shooting outside KC-area motel

PAWNEE, Okla. (AP) — There isn't enough evidence to charge the BTK serial killer in the 1976 disappearance of a 16-year-old girl, an Oklahoma prosecutor said Monday despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/btk-serial-killer-investigation-161ee1a8d405a0a2d6ae87db85d643af">statements from law enforcement officials</a>&nbsp;calling Dennis Rader a prime suspect.

District Attorney Mike Fisher said at a news conference that he's not at a point where he could file charges against Rader in the disappearance of Cynthia Dawn Kinney, a cheerleader from the northern Oklahoma city of Pawhuska&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/btk-serial-killer-investigation-bf9b2d69bdd3e696d7567608c1964593">who was last seen at a laundromat.</a>

But Fisher asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to open a formal investigation into Kinney's disappearance because of the public interest in the revived cold case, and he will file charges if he learns of evidence that would warrant it, he said.

Osage County sheriff's officials, including Undersheriff Gary Upton, have recently called Rader a “prime suspect” in Kinney's disappearance and the death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/47002f904b246b385b7342d42cf8b1e4">22-year-old Shawna Beth Garber</a>, whose body was discovered in December 1990 in McDonald County, Missouri.

Rader, now 78, killed from 1974 to 1991,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5128807ebf924161b11fa833d1bdcf74">giving himself the nickname BTK</a>&nbsp;— for “bind, torture and kill.” He played a cat and mouse game with investigators and reporters for decades before he was caught in 2005. He ultimately confessed to 10 killings in the Wichita, Kansas, area, about 90 miles (144.84 kilometers) north of Pawhuska. He is imprisoned for 10 consecutive life terms.

Rob Ridenour, Rader’s attorney, said he had no comment Monday.

A bank was installing new alarms across the street from the laundromat where Kinney was last seen, Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden has said. Rader was a regional installer for security system company ADT at the time, but Virden wasn’t able to confirm that Rader installed the bank's systems.

Virden told KAKE-TV he decided to investigate when he learned that Rader had included the phrase “bad laundry day” in his writings.

Fisher said he sat in on interviews that Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma investigators conducted with Rader about 90 days ago, but the sheriff has not shared any physical evidence with the DA’s office.

He called the information he has received so far “rumors because they’ve not been substantiated yet.” And he said he hadn't seen anything "that at this point arises to the level of even reasonable suspicion.”

But Fisher said he had seen things that gave him “pause and concern" about the sheriff's department, including the way they handled a dig for evidence at Rader's former property in Park City, Kansas, last month. And he called his relationship with the sheriff “broken.”

“I’m not trying to create a conflict with the sheriff of Osage County,” he said. “But, there are certain ways to investigate a case, and I’m concerned that those proper investigative techniques have not been used. That’s why I asked the OSBI to assist.”

Virden defended his handling of the investigation in an&nbsp;<a href="https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-courts/sheriff-details-investigation-into-btk-killer-as-suspect-in-oklahoma-girls-disappearance/article_8f6331d6-4ce6-11ee-8c2c-9b79c2f40897.html">interview published Sunday in the Tulsa World.</a>&nbsp;He also said Rader denied when he spoke to him in prison in January that he had killed anyone but his 10 victims in Kansas, but volunteered that one of his favorite unfulfilled fantasies had been to kidnap a girl from a laundromat.

The prosecutor said he was also concerned for Kinney’s parents, with whom he met for about two hours on Friday. He said they are both in their 80s, and the renewed speculation has taken a physical toll on them.

“Cynthia went missing 47 years ago. They’ve got no answers,” Fisher said. “We have reason to believe that it may have been a homicide. We can’t say that with any absolute certainty, but we’ve seen nothing to suggest otherwise as there’s been no contact with Cynthia Dawn since 1976, since her disappearance.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692794360261.png" alt="Rader is being held in the Eldrado Correctional Facility-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Rader is being held in the Eldrado Correctional Facility-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE, Okla. (AP) — There isn't enough evidence to charge the BTK serial killer in the 1976 disappearance of a 16-year-old girl, an Oklahoma prosecutor said Monday despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/btk-serial-killer-investigation-161ee1a8d405a0a2d6ae87db85d643af">statements from law enforcement officials</a>&nbsp;calling Dennis Rader a prime suspect.District Attorney Mike Fisher said at a news conference that he's not at a point where he could file charges against Rader in the disappearance of Cynthia Dawn Kinney, a cheerleader from the northern Oklahoma city of Pawhuska&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/btk-serial-killer-investigation-bf9b2d69bdd3e696d7567608c1964593">who was last seen at a laundromat.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694464353867.png" alt="Photo Osage Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Osage Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>But Fisher asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to open a formal investigation into Kinney's disappearance because of the public interest in the revived cold case, and he will file charges if he learns of evidence that would warrant it, he said.Osage County sheriff's officials, including Undersheriff Gary Upton, have recently called Rader a “prime suspect” in Kinney's disappearance and the death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/47002f904b246b385b7342d42cf8b1e4">22-year-old Shawna Beth Garber</a>, whose body was discovered in December 1990 in McDonald County, Missouri.Rader, now 78, killed from 1974 to 1991,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5128807ebf924161b11fa833d1bdcf74">giving himself the nickname BTK</a>&nbsp;— for “bind, torture and kill.” He played a cat and mouse game with investigators and reporters for decades before he was caught in 2005. He ultimately confessed to 10 killings in the Wichita, Kansas, area, about 90 miles (144.84 kilometers) north of Pawhuska. He is imprisoned for 10 consecutive life terms.Rob Ridenour, Rader’s attorney, said he had no comment Monday.A bank was installing new alarms across the street from the laundromat where Kinney was last seen, Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden has said. Rader was a regional installer for security system company ADT at the time, but Virden wasn’t able to confirm that Rader installed the bank's systems.Virden told KAKE-TV he decided to investigate when he learned that Rader had included the phrase “bad laundry day” in his writings.Fisher said he sat in on interviews that Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma investigators conducted with Rader about 90 days ago, but the sheriff has not shared any physical evidence with the DA’s office.He called the information he has received so far “rumors because they’ve not been substantiated yet.” And he said he hadn't seen anything "that at this point arises to the level of even reasonable suspicion.”But Fisher said he had seen things that gave him “pause and concern" about the sheriff's department, including the way they handled a dig for evidence at Rader's former property in Park City, Kansas, last month. And he called his relationship with the sheriff “broken.”“I’m not trying to create a conflict with the sheriff of Osage County,” he said. “But, there are certain ways to investigate a case, and I’m concerned that those proper investigative techniques have not been used. That’s why I asked the OSBI to assist.”Virden defended his handling of the investigation in an&nbsp;<a href="https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-courts/sheriff-details-investigation-into-btk-killer-as-suspect-in-oklahoma-girls-disappearance/article_8f6331d6-4ce6-11ee-8c2c-9b79c2f40897.html">interview published Sunday in the Tulsa World.</a>&nbsp;He also said Rader denied when he spoke to him in prison in January that he had killed anyone but his 10 victims in Kansas, but volunteered that one of his favorite unfulfilled fantasies had been to kidnap a girl from a laundromat.The prosecutor said he was also concerned for Kinney’s parents, with whom he met for about two hours on Friday. He said they are both in their 80s, and the renewed speculation has taken a physical toll on them.“Cynthia went missing 47 years ago. They’ve got no answers,” Fisher said. “We have reason to believe that it may have been a homicide. We can’t say that with any absolute certainty, but we’ve seen nothing to suggest otherwise as there’s been no contact with Cynthia Dawn since 1976, since her disappearance.”

Prosecutor: Evidence insufficient to charge Kan. serial killer in cold case

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;closed a visit to Vietnam on Monday by spotlighting new business deals and partnerships between the two countries and paying respects at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-ap-top-news-vietnam-az-state-wire-politics-f3f264059e05471dbf5a0a332fcceaf1">memorial honoring his late friend and colleague Sen. John McCain,</a>&nbsp;who endured a lengthy imprisonment in Hanoi during the Vietnam War.

Biden met with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, who also accompanied Biden to a quick drop by at a meeting of business leaders. Biden also sat down with President Võ Văn Thưởng, who hosted the U.S. president for a formal state luncheon. The two sides are looking to strengthen their partnership amid shared concerns about China's assertiveness in the Pacific.

Both leaders spoke about strengthening Vietnam's semiconductor industry. Biden made clear his administration's commitment to an open Pacific.

“My message today is quite simple. Let’s keep it up," Biden told the CEOs. “We need to develop and drive our collaboration, We need to forge new partnerships.”

The prime minister also stressed the need to improve cooperation and said “the sky is the limit” for the expanding U.S.-Vietnam relationship.

“We truly wish to receive strong political commitment from the U.S. government including you, Mr. President, who has had great affection for Vietnam," the prime minister said.

Highlights of the major deals announced by the White House during Biden's first-ever visit to Vietnam include U.S.-based Boeing's $7.5 billion deal with Vietnam Airlines to buy about 50 aircraft and Arizona-based Amkor Technology's plans for a $1.6 billion factory in Bac Ninh Province.

The White House also said the administration would help “build Vietnamese capacity to fight regional and international transnational crime,” including targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. China has been locked in long-running territorial conflicts with Vietnam, along with the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, as Beijing claims waters in the other nations' exclusive economic zone.

Biden arrived in Vietnam on Sunday and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-vietnam-status-china-trade-ac8f9dd899f77910c42295769d3fedb6">met with Nguyễn Phú Trong,</a>&nbsp;general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Trong formally announced Vietnam had elevated the U.S. to its highest diplomatic status,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/10/fact-sheet-president-joseph-r-biden-and-general-secretary-nguyen-phu-trong-announce-the-u-s-vietnam-comprehensive-strategic-partnership/">comprehensive strategic partner</a>. Biden said the shift demonstrated how far bilateral relations had evolved from the “bitter past” of the Vietnam War.

At the same time, Biden insisted that his roughly 24-hour visit was not about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-vietnam-status-china-trade-ac8f9dd899f77910c42295769d3fedb6">trying to start a “cold war” with China</a>&nbsp;but was part of a broader effort to improve global stability by building relationships throughout Asia, including with Vietnam, at a time of tensions with Beijing.

Before departing, Biden visited the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-bills-0bd309f182de44d9bc320f334be94875">John Sidney McCain III</a>&nbsp;Memorial near the site where, as a 31-year-old Navy lieutenant commander, McCain's Skyhawk dive bomber was shot down by the North Vietnamese. Both sides exchanged documents Monday on unaccounted U.S. service members and Vietnamese soldiers. Biden left one of his commemorative coins at the memorial, the White House said.

McCain parachuted out of the plane and landed in a lake in Hanoi, North Vietnam. He broke both arms and a leg in the fall, was dragged from the water by an angry crowd, and was beaten and bayoneted.

The harrowing 1967 incident began a more than five-year ordeal that became the defining moment for the future Republican senator from Arizona and two-time presidential candidate.

After six weeks in the hospital, McCain, who had lost about one-third of his weight, was transferred to a prison cell. After a brief time with cellmates, McCain, the son and grandson of four-star admirals, began two years in solitary confinement in a 10-by-10 foot (3-by-3 meter) room.

At one point, McCain’s captors asked if he wanted to go home, but it was a trick question. The U.S. military’s code of conduct required prisoners to be released in the order they were detained. The North Vietnamese wanted to make a show of releasing McCain early as his father assumed command over the Pacific. McCain refused.

For four days after he refused release, McCain was beaten every two to three hours by 10 guards. Filled with thoughts of suicide, McCain broke and agreed to sign an anti-U.S. propaganda statement confessing to “black crimes.” He later wrote: “I had learned what we all learned over there: Every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine.”

It was the last time McCain would break. He refused to sign any other statements or meet with visiting American anti-war activists. Eventually, McCain was removed from solitary confinement and mingled with other U.S. prisoners of war. He was released on March 14, 1973.

McCain returned home, retired from the Navy in 1981, moved to Arizona and launched a political career. He was elected to the House in 1982 and, in 1986, to the Senate, where he and Biden were colleagues. Despite his experience in Vietnam, McCain was a strong advocate of restoring diplomatic relations with the country that had so badly mistreated him.

He was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, but lost to Democrat Barack Obama. He died of brain cancer in 2018. Biden delivered an emotional eulogy at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-us-news-ap-top-news-az-state-wire-north-america-ee653f2bdbce47b28bf26fe1c0617e65">McCain's funeral</a>&nbsp;in Arizona.

At the luncheon, Biden said he missed McCain. He praised McCain and John Kerry — another Vietnam War veteran and former Democratic senator, secretary of state in the Obama administration and Biden's climate envoy — for playing critical roles in the two nations’ “50 year arc of progress.”

“Where there was darkness you all found light,” Biden said.

On the way back to Washington, Biden was stopping at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, to address service members, first responders and their families on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sept-11-terror-attack-anniversary-ceremonies-47488758b18fd78f541674041e36d263">22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks</a>&nbsp;on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;closed a visit to Vietnam on Monday by spotlighting new business deals and partnerships between the two countries and paying respects at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-ap-top-news-vietnam-az-state-wire-politics-f3f264059e05471dbf5a0a332fcceaf1">memorial honoring his late friend and colleague Sen. John McCain,</a>&nbsp;who endured a lengthy imprisonment in Hanoi during the Vietnam War.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden and Secretary General Nguyễn Phú Trọng announced a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the U.S. and Vietnam – Vietnam&#39;s highest tier of international partnership. This weekend, <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> deepened the critical relationship between our two countries. <a href="https://t.co/r6hFoCYiPF">pic.twitter.com/r6hFoCYiPF</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1701024984833900666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden met with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, who also accompanied Biden to a quick drop by at a meeting of business leaders. Biden also sat down with President Võ Văn Thưởng, who hosted the U.S. president for a formal state luncheon. The two sides are looking to strengthen their partnership amid shared concerns about China's assertiveness in the Pacific.Both leaders spoke about strengthening Vietnam's semiconductor industry. Biden made clear his administration's commitment to an open Pacific.“My message today is quite simple. Let’s keep it up," Biden told the CEOs. “We need to develop and drive our collaboration, We need to forge new partnerships.”The prime minister also stressed the need to improve cooperation and said “the sky is the limit” for the expanding U.S.-Vietnam relationship.“We truly wish to receive strong political commitment from the U.S. government including you, Mr. President, who has had great affection for Vietnam," the prime minister said.Highlights of the major deals announced by the White House during Biden's first-ever visit to Vietnam include U.S.-based Boeing's $7.5 billion deal with Vietnam Airlines to buy about 50 aircraft and Arizona-based Amkor Technology's plans for a $1.6 billion factory in Bac Ninh Province.The White House also said the administration would help “build Vietnamese capacity to fight regional and international transnational crime,” including targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. China has been locked in long-running territorial conflicts with Vietnam, along with the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, as Beijing claims waters in the other nations' exclusive economic zone.Biden arrived in Vietnam on Sunday and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-vietnam-status-china-trade-ac8f9dd899f77910c42295769d3fedb6">met with Nguyễn Phú Trong,</a>&nbsp;general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Trong formally announced Vietnam had elevated the U.S. to its highest diplomatic status,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/10/fact-sheet-president-joseph-r-biden-and-general-secretary-nguyen-phu-trong-announce-the-u-s-vietnam-comprehensive-strategic-partnership/">comprehensive strategic partner</a>. Biden said the shift demonstrated how far bilateral relations had evolved from the “bitter past” of the Vietnam War.At the same time, Biden insisted that his roughly 24-hour visit was not about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-vietnam-status-china-trade-ac8f9dd899f77910c42295769d3fedb6">trying to start a “cold war” with China</a>&nbsp;but was part of a broader effort to improve global stability by building relationships throughout Asia, including with Vietnam, at a time of tensions with Beijing.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">TODAY: President Biden visited a memorial for the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in Vietnam. <a href="https://t.co/hdkofxdX9P">pic.twitter.com/hdkofxdX9P</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1701235392262054331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Before departing, Biden visited the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-bills-0bd309f182de44d9bc320f334be94875">John Sidney McCain III</a>&nbsp;Memorial near the site where, as a 31-year-old Navy lieutenant commander, McCain's Skyhawk dive bomber was shot down by the North Vietnamese. Both sides exchanged documents Monday on unaccounted U.S. service members and Vietnamese soldiers. Biden left one of his commemorative coins at the memorial, the White House said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It was here where a Navy lieutenant commander by the name of John McCain was shot down in his Skyhawk. I went to pay my respects. And to remember my friend. Even though John is not with us, he left us pretty clear instructions: “Believe always in the promise and greatness of… <a href="https://t.co/DRylYqZTae">pic.twitter.com/DRylYqZTae</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1701325761473335597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>McCain parachuted out of the plane and landed in a lake in Hanoi, North Vietnam. He broke both arms and a leg in the fall, was dragged from the water by an angry crowd, and was beaten and bayoneted.The harrowing 1967 incident began a more than five-year ordeal that became the defining moment for the future Republican senator from Arizona and two-time presidential candidate.After six weeks in the hospital, McCain, who had lost about one-third of his weight, was transferred to a prison cell. After a brief time with cellmates, McCain, the son and grandson of four-star admirals, began two years in solitary confinement in a 10-by-10 foot (3-by-3 meter) room.At one point, McCain’s captors asked if he wanted to go home, but it was a trick question. The U.S. military’s code of conduct required prisoners to be released in the order they were detained. The North Vietnamese wanted to make a show of releasing McCain early as his father assumed command over the Pacific. McCain refused.For four days after he refused release, McCain was beaten every two to three hours by 10 guards. Filled with thoughts of suicide, McCain broke and agreed to sign an anti-U.S. propaganda statement confessing to “black crimes.” He later wrote: “I had learned what we all learned over there: Every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine.”It was the last time McCain would break. He refused to sign any other statements or meet with visiting American anti-war activists. Eventually, McCain was removed from solitary confinement and mingled with other U.S. prisoners of war. He was released on March 14, 1973.McCain returned home, retired from the Navy in 1981, moved to Arizona and launched a political career. He was elected to the House in 1982 and, in 1986, to the Senate, where he and Biden were colleagues. Despite his experience in Vietnam, McCain was a strong advocate of restoring diplomatic relations with the country that had so badly mistreated him.He was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, but lost to Democrat Barack Obama. He died of brain cancer in 2018. Biden delivered an emotional eulogy at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-us-news-ap-top-news-az-state-wire-north-america-ee653f2bdbce47b28bf26fe1c0617e65">McCain's funeral</a>&nbsp;in Arizona.At the luncheon, Biden said he missed McCain. He praised McCain and John Kerry — another Vietnam War veteran and former Democratic senator, secretary of state in the Obama administration and Biden's climate envoy — for playing critical roles in the two nations’ “50 year arc of progress.”“Where there was darkness you all found light,” Biden said.On the way back to Washington, Biden was stopping at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, to address service members, first responders and their families on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sept-11-terror-attack-anniversary-ceremonies-47488758b18fd78f541674041e36d263">22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks</a>&nbsp;on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

🎥 US and Vietnam ink historic partnership during Biden visit

NEW YORK (AP) —One of the nation's largest grocery chains is the latest company to agree to settle lawsuits over the&nbsp;U.S. opioid crisis.

In a deal announced Friday, the Kroger Co. would pay up to $1.4 billion over 11 years. The amount includes up to $1.2 billion for state and local governments where it operates, $36 million to Native American tribes and about $177 million to cover lawyers' fees and costs.

Kroger currently has stores in 35 states — virtually everywhere save the Northeast, the northern plains and Hawaii. Thirty-three states would be eligible for money in the deal. The company previously announced settlements with New Mexico and West Virginia.

Over the past eight years, prescription drug manufacturers, wholesalers, consultants and pharmacies have proposed or finalized opioid settlements totaling more than $50 billion, including at least 12 others worth more than $1 billion. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments later this year on whether one of the larger settlements, involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-opioid-crisis-purdue-bankruptcy-bd417e036d9f6db4b2916fdfbdb56252" target="_blank">OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma,</a>&nbsp;is legal.

Most of the settlement money is to be used to address an overdose epidemic linked to more than 80,000 deaths a year in the U.S. in recent years, with most of the latest deaths connected to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fentanyl-penalties-state-legislatures-98a97e53a984e8f5a265ed229199ecb1" target="_blank">illicit synthetic drugs such as fentanyl</a>&nbsp;rather than prescription painkillers.

Still, Jayne Conroy, a lead lawyer for the governments suing the companies, told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that it makes sense for players in the prescription drug industry to have a major role in funding solutions to the crisis.

“It really isn’t a different problem,” she said. “The problem is the massive amount of addiction. That addiction stems from the massive amount of prescription drugs.”

The companies have also agreed to change their business practices regarding powerful prescription painkillers, consenting to restrictions on marketing and using data to catch overprescribing. Conroy said those noneconomic terms for Kroger have not been finalized, but they'll look like what other companies have agreed to.

Kroger said it intends to finalize its deal in time to make initial payments in December.

The company would not admit wrongdoing or liability as part of the deal, which is called in a statement a milestone in efforts to resolve opioid lawsuits. “Kroger has long served as a leader in combatting opioid abuse and remains committed to patient safety,” the company said.

While most of the biggest players have settled, the opioid litigation is continuing. Cases are being prepared for trial involving the supermarket chains Publix and Albertsons, the latter of which is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kroger-albertsons-merger-cs-wholesale-grocer-401520f2a25ea2ae5fd06be4973b7c48" target="_blank">attempting to merge</a>&nbsp;with Kroger. Pharmacy benefit managers such as Express Scripts and OptumRx also face opioid claims from governments.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694444368400.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —One of the nation's largest grocery chains is the latest company to agree to settle lawsuits over the&nbsp;U.S. opioid crisis.In a deal announced Friday, the Kroger Co. would pay up to $1.4 billion over 11 years. The amount includes up to $1.2 billion for state and local governments where it operates, $36 million to Native American tribes and about $177 million to cover lawyers' fees and costs.Kroger currently has stores in 35 states — virtually everywhere save the Northeast, the northern plains and Hawaii. Thirty-three states would be eligible for money in the deal. The company previously announced settlements with New Mexico and West Virginia.Over the past eight years, prescription drug manufacturers, wholesalers, consultants and pharmacies have proposed or finalized opioid settlements totaling more than $50 billion, including at least 12 others worth more than $1 billion. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments later this year on whether one of the larger settlements, involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-opioid-crisis-purdue-bankruptcy-bd417e036d9f6db4b2916fdfbdb56252" target="_blank">OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma,</a>&nbsp;is legal.Most of the settlement money is to be used to address an overdose epidemic linked to more than 80,000 deaths a year in the U.S. in recent years, with most of the latest deaths connected to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fentanyl-penalties-state-legislatures-98a97e53a984e8f5a265ed229199ecb1" target="_blank">illicit synthetic drugs such as fentanyl</a>&nbsp;rather than prescription painkillers.Still, Jayne Conroy, a lead lawyer for the governments suing the companies, told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that it makes sense for players in the prescription drug industry to have a major role in funding solutions to the crisis.“It really isn’t a different problem,” she said. “The problem is the massive amount of addiction. That addiction stems from the massive amount of prescription drugs.”The companies have also agreed to change their business practices regarding powerful prescription painkillers, consenting to restrictions on marketing and using data to catch overprescribing. Conroy said those noneconomic terms for Kroger have not been finalized, but they'll look like what other companies have agreed to.Kroger said it intends to finalize its deal in time to make initial payments in December.The company would not admit wrongdoing or liability as part of the deal, which is called in a statement a milestone in efforts to resolve opioid lawsuits. “Kroger has long served as a leader in combatting opioid abuse and remains committed to patient safety,” the company said.While most of the biggest players have settled, the opioid litigation is continuing. Cases are being prepared for trial involving the supermarket chains Publix and Albertsons, the latter of which is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kroger-albertsons-merger-cs-wholesale-grocer-401520f2a25ea2ae5fd06be4973b7c48" target="_blank">attempting to merge</a>&nbsp;with Kroger. Pharmacy benefit managers such as Express Scripts and OptumRx also face opioid claims from governments.

Kroger to pay up to $1.4 billion to settle opioid lawsuits

By RACHEL MIPRO,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Independent commission has begun to examine pay increases, fair compensation

TOPEKA —&nbsp; Increasing long-stagnant legislative pay could revolutionize state politics by encouraging Kansans from more diverse backgrounds to seek public office, but top Republican legislators also cautioned against dramatically escalating compensation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, said low pay has been a longstanding barrier for many Kansans. But Masterson also warned against raising pay to the point where Kansans have a marked financial incentive to serve in the Legislature.&nbsp;

“The truth is, for years now, it’s been a hurdle for large segments of our population to even attempt and represent their neighbors in this way,” Masterson said during a Thursday legislative meeting on compensation. “We’d like to see us make that hurdle go away. However, I also don’t believe it should be a career. There needs to be some level of service. Public service, at some level does have sacrifice to it, and I think that should exist but there needs to be balance.”

Low compensation and long hours have blocked many Kansans from entering the field, leaving retired Kansans or those with independent income or extremely flexible jobs facing less competition for seats. In past sessions, critics of the system have said the pay barrier allows affluent Kansans to have a much greater voice in state policy than those from other economic backgrounds.&nbsp;

State legislators are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/committees/ctte_ot_legislative_compensation_commission_1/documents/testimony/20230907_04.pdf">currently paid</a>&nbsp;a base salary of $88.66 for every day during the session, a salary that hasn’t changed since 2009. Starting in October, lawmakers will receive a per diem allowance of $166 per day to offset food and lodging costs during the session. In an average 92-day session, the pay works out to about $23,429 per year, with additional compensation for leadership positions.&nbsp;

The state ranked in the bottom third for legislative compensation in a 2019 legislative study of 14 other states. The study found Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado paid their lawmakers about $48,000 per year. The lowest state compensation was between $12,000 and $13,000 per year, in Maine, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, shared Masterson’s sentiments.&nbsp;

He estimated lawmakers spend about 10-15 hours per week outside of the 92-day session on constituent needs or community engagement, with another 15 hours of work for anyone who heads a committee.&nbsp;

“We don’t have a normal job as legislators,” Hawkins said. “I wouldn’t call our job normal at all in any stretch of the imagination. We are working all the time. … Truly, it is a huge level of service but we love the people we serve, and that’s what we’re really trying to do is just serve and do the best job we can.”&nbsp;

While Hawkins said compensation rates needed to be adjusted, he also warned against raising pay too high.&nbsp;

“There has to be a level of service,” Hawkins said. “We’re a citizen legislature so we don’t want people just to consider that their main job. We need to go back home and go to work. And so there’s always going to be a balance.”&nbsp;

The re-evaluation of legislative pay is a result of a law passed in the 2023 session.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzA0MjEuNzU1NjMzNDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIzXzI0L21lYXN1cmVzL3NiMjI5LyJ9.xuWFkl3Y9o9So9Dm4_7fcrA6t1Cc-muDt4iKxWjBt4o/s/2897855304/br/161153741090-l">Senate Bill 229</a>,&nbsp;a legislative pay adjustment proposal, established a nine-person independent commission tasked with studying compensation rates for state officials.&nbsp;

The first round of compensation rates and salary will be decided by Dec. 1, 2023, and implemented in the 2025 legislative session, with rates set to be readjusted every four years.&nbsp;

Jason Watkins from the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, a former state representative who introduced the initial bill content on behalf of the chamber, said better pay would equalize the field.&nbsp;

“One of the reasons that we introduced this legislation is we believe in representative democracy,” Watkins said. “The Legislature should look like a cross section of the state of Kansas and folks from all walks of life should be able to serve.”&nbsp;

During his time as a representative, Watkins said he knew several people who could only serve one or two terms before leaving due to financial constraints. Watkins said lawmakers would joke that the term limits for Kansas lawmakers were decided by when they went&nbsp; bankrupt.&nbsp;

“A lot of folks that have served in the Legislature really experienced financial hardship,” Watkins said. “And listen, nobody should get rich serving at any level of government. But people shouldn’t have to go broke either. And that’s the stark truth.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694350643938.png" alt="Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, says low legislative pay has long impeded prospective candidates who can't afford to serve in the Legislature. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, says low legislative pay has long impeded prospective candidates who can't afford to serve in the Legislature. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Independent commission has begun to examine pay increases, fair compensation</h2>TOPEKA —&nbsp; Increasing long-stagnant legislative pay could revolutionize state politics by encouraging Kansans from more diverse backgrounds to seek public office, but top Republican legislators also cautioned against dramatically escalating compensation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, said low pay has been a longstanding barrier for many Kansans. But Masterson also warned against raising pay to the point where Kansans have a marked financial incentive to serve in the Legislature.&nbsp;“The truth is, for years now, it’s been a hurdle for large segments of our population to even attempt and represent their neighbors in this way,” Masterson said during a Thursday legislative meeting on compensation. “We’d like to see us make that hurdle go away. However, I also don’t believe it should be a career. There needs to be some level of service. Public service, at some level does have sacrifice to it, and I think that should exist but there needs to be balance.”Low compensation and long hours have blocked many Kansans from entering the field, leaving retired Kansans or those with independent income or extremely flexible jobs facing less competition for seats. In past sessions, critics of the system have said the pay barrier allows affluent Kansans to have a much greater voice in state policy than those from other economic backgrounds.&nbsp;State legislators are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/committees/ctte_ot_legislative_compensation_commission_1/documents/testimony/20230907_04.pdf">currently paid</a>&nbsp;a base salary of $88.66 for every day during the session, a salary that hasn’t changed since 2009. Starting in October, lawmakers will receive a per diem allowance of $166 per day to offset food and lodging costs during the session. In an average 92-day session, the pay works out to about $23,429 per year, with additional compensation for leadership positions.&nbsp;The state ranked in the bottom third for legislative compensation in a 2019 legislative study of 14 other states. The study found Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado paid their lawmakers about $48,000 per year. The lowest state compensation was between $12,000 and $13,000 per year, in Maine, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, shared Masterson’s sentiments.&nbsp;He estimated lawmakers spend about 10-15 hours per week outside of the 92-day session on constituent needs or community engagement, with another 15 hours of work for anyone who heads a committee.&nbsp;“We don’t have a normal job as legislators,” Hawkins said. “I wouldn’t call our job normal at all in any stretch of the imagination. We are working all the time. … Truly, it is a huge level of service but we love the people we serve, and that’s what we’re really trying to do is just serve and do the best job we can.”&nbsp;While Hawkins said compensation rates needed to be adjusted, he also warned against raising pay too high.&nbsp;“There has to be a level of service,” Hawkins said. “We’re a citizen legislature so we don’t want people just to consider that their main job. We need to go back home and go to work. And so there’s always going to be a balance.”&nbsp;The re-evaluation of legislative pay is a result of a law passed in the 2023 session.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzA0MjEuNzU1NjMzNDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIzXzI0L21lYXN1cmVzL3NiMjI5LyJ9.xuWFkl3Y9o9So9Dm4_7fcrA6t1Cc-muDt4iKxWjBt4o/s/2897855304/br/161153741090-l">Senate Bill 229</a>,&nbsp;a legislative pay adjustment proposal, established a nine-person independent commission tasked with studying compensation rates for state officials.&nbsp;The first round of compensation rates and salary will be decided by Dec. 1, 2023, and implemented in the 2025 legislative session, with rates set to be readjusted every four years.&nbsp;Jason Watkins from the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, a former state representative who introduced the initial bill content on behalf of the chamber, said better pay would equalize the field.&nbsp;“One of the reasons that we introduced this legislation is we believe in representative democracy,” Watkins said. “The Legislature should look like a cross section of the state of Kansas and folks from all walks of life should be able to serve.”&nbsp;During his time as a representative, Watkins said he knew several people who could only serve one or two terms before leaving due to financial constraints. Watkins said lawmakers would joke that the term limits for Kansas lawmakers were decided by when they went&nbsp; bankrupt.&nbsp;“A lot of folks that have served in the Legislature really experienced financial hardship,” Watkins said. “And listen, nobody should get rich serving at any level of government. But people shouldn’t have to go broke either. And that’s the stark truth.”

GOP leaders warn against substantial pay increases for Kansas lawmakers

KANSAS CITY —After a&nbsp; jury convicted a Kansas City man in the 2017 fatal shooting of Tamara Randolf, a judge sentences 42-year-old John Frazier to Life Without Parole plus 20 years, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

In April, the jury convicted Frazier of Murder 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action.&nbsp; The jury made its recommendation on sentence: Life Without Parole, the mandatory sentence for a Murder 1st Degree conviction, and 20 years in prison for the Armed Criminal Action conviction.

A Jackson County judge sentenced Frazier as the jury recommended. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

According to court records, police responded on Aug. 2, 2017, to a residence in the 3700 block of Woodland on a reported shooting.&nbsp; Frazier was the caller; he told police he shot the victim after she pulled a gun on him. 

Witnesses told police that the victim was at the residence to retrieve her two children. Police found the victim on the ground. She was declared deceased on the scene. 

Video surveillance showed the victim arriving and knocking at the door. Frazier arrived at the residence, gets out of his truck and appears to be holding a gun. A family member of the victim was on the phone with her and heard a struggle. A ShotSpotter nearby picked up the sounds of seven gun shots.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694035953134.png" alt="Frazier-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Frazier-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —After a&nbsp; jury convicted a Kansas City man in the 2017 fatal shooting of Tamara Randolf, a judge sentences 42-year-old John Frazier to Life Without Parole plus 20 years, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.In April, the jury convicted Frazier of Murder 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action.&nbsp; The jury made its recommendation on sentence: Life Without Parole, the mandatory sentence for a Murder 1st Degree conviction, and 20 years in prison for the Armed Criminal Action conviction.A Jackson County judge sentenced Frazier as the jury recommended. The sentences are to be served concurrently.According to court records, police responded on Aug. 2, 2017, to a residence in the 3700 block of Woodland on a reported shooting.&nbsp; Frazier was the caller; he told police he shot the victim after she pulled a gun on him. Witnesses told police that the victim was at the residence to retrieve her two children. Police found the victim on the ground. She was declared deceased on the scene. Video surveillance showed the victim arriving and knocking at the door. Frazier arrived at the residence, gets out of his truck and appears to be holding a gun. A family member of the victim was on the phone with her and heard a struggle. A ShotSpotter nearby picked up the sounds of seven gun shots.

Witness: KC man shot woman who came to pick up her children

&nbsp;CHARITON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating a train accident that occurred just after 8:30a.m. Monday in Chariton COunty.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a BNSF train struck a side by side that was stuck on the tracks at Mike Road North of Mendon.

There were no injuries involved. No damage to cargo of train. The side by side, a vehicle designed to operate on railroad tracks and the engine of train were damaged.&nbsp; Mendon is located approximately 100 miles east of St. Joseph.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694449972595.png" alt="photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;CHARITON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating a train accident that occurred just after 8:30a.m. Monday in Chariton COunty.According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a BNSF train struck a side by side that was stuck on the tracks at Mike Road North of Mendon.There were no injuries involved. No damage to cargo of train. The side by side, a vehicle designed to operate on railroad tracks and the engine of train were damaged.&nbsp; Mendon is located approximately 100 miles east of St. Joseph.

MSHP investigating train accident in central Missouri

KEARNY COUNTY — There is no school on Monday for USD 216 Deerfield due to damage from a Sunday storm that brought large hail and strong winds to the community.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning just after 5p.m. Sunday for portions of Kearny, Haskell, Grant and Finney counties.

The school district reported early Monday they&nbsp;need time to clean up and repair large parts of the school.&nbsp; Many vehicles and buildings were damaged with hail approximately 2 and one half inches in diameter, according to the Kearny County Sheriff's office.&nbsp; There are no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694442575976.png" alt="Radar image from Sunday afternoon -NWS Dodge City" />
 <figcaption>Radar image from Sunday afternoon -NWS Dodge City</figcaption>
 </figure>KEARNY COUNTY — There is no school on Monday for USD 216 Deerfield due to damage from a Sunday storm that brought large hail and strong winds to the community.The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning just after 5p.m. Sunday for portions of Kearny, Haskell, Grant and Finney counties.The school district reported early Monday they&nbsp;need time to clean up and repair large parts of the school.&nbsp; Many vehicles and buildings were damaged with hail approximately 2 and one half inches in diameter, according to the Kearny County Sheriff's office.&nbsp; There are no injuries reported.

Kan. district cancels school due to severe storm damage

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are looking back on the horror and legacy of 9/11, gathering Monday at memorials, firehouses, city halls and elsewhere to observe the 22nd anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?530271-1/911-remembrance-ceremony-york-city">Click here to watch</a> the 9/11 remembrance ceremony in New York

Commemorations stretch from the attack sites — at New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania — to Alaska and beyond.

“For those of us who lost people on that day, that day is still happening. Everybody else moves on. And you find a way to go forward, but that day is always happening for you,” Edward Edelman said as he arrived at ground zero to honor his slain brother-in-law, Daniel McGinley.

President Joe Biden is due at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-911-terrorist-attack-harris-alaska-8e58378865dc612a49d0a2dee80f2304">a ceremony on a military base</a>&nbsp;in Anchorage. His visit, en route to Washington, D.C., from a trip to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-vietnam-status-china-trade-ac8f9dd899f77910c42295769d3fedb6">India and Vietnam</a>, is a reminder that the impact of 9/11 was felt in every corner of the nation, however remote. The hijacked plane attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-20-years-world-affairs-cc497f11743fcbd48b0b3e0c3ed2da5f">reshaped American foreign policy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-sept-11-changed-flying-1ce4dc4282fb47a34c0b61ae09a024f4">domestic fears</a>.

On that day, “we were one country, one nation, one people, just like it should be. That was the feeling — that everyone came together and did what we could, where we were at, to try to help," said Eddie Ferguson, the fire-rescue chief in Virginia’s Goochland County.

It's more than 100 miles from the Pentagon and more than three times as far from New York. But a sense of connection is enshrined in a local memorial incorporating steel from the World Trade Center’s destroyed twin towers.

The predominantly rural county of 25,000 people holds not just one but two anniversary commemorations: a morning service focused on first responders and an evening ceremony honoring all the victims.

Other communities across the country pay tribute with moments of silence, tolling bells, candlelight vigils and other activities. In Columbus, Indiana, 911 dispatchers broadcast a remembrance message to police, fire and EMS radios throughout the 50,000-person city, which also holds a public memorial ceremony.

Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts raise and lower the flag at a commemoration in Fenton, Missouri, where a “Heroes Memorial” includes a piece of World Trade Center steel and a plaque honoring 9/11 victim Jessica Leigh Sachs. Some of her relatives live in the St. Louis suburb of 4,000 residents.

“We’re just a little bitty community,” said Mayor Joe Maurath, but “it’s important for us to continue to remember these events. Not just 9/11, but all of the events that make us free.”

New Jersey's Monmouth County, which was home to some 9/11 victims, made Sept. 11 a holiday this year for county employees so they could attend commemorations.

As another way of marking the anniversary, many Americans do volunteer work on what Congress has designated both Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

At ground zero, Vice President Kamala Harris is due to join the ceremony on the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum plaza. The event will not feature remarks from political figures, instead giving the podium to victims’ relatives for an hourslong reading of the names of the dead.

James Giaccone signed up to read again this year in memory of his brother, Joseph Giaccone, 43. The family attends the ceremony every year to hear Joseph's name.

"If their name is spoken out loud, they don’t disappear,” James Giaccone said in a recent interview.

“I hope I never see the day when they minimize this,” he said. “It's a day that changed history.”

Biden, a Democrat, will be the first president to commemorate Sept. 11 in Alaska, or anywhere in the western U.S. He and his predecessors have gone to one or another of the attack sites in most years, though Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama each marked the anniversary on the White House lawn at times. Obama followed one of those observances by recognizing the military with a visit to Fort Meade in Maryland.

First lady Jill Biden is due to lay a wreath at the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon.

In Pennsylvania, where one of the hijacked jets crashed after passengers tried to storm the cockpit, a remembrance and wreath-laying is scheduled at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown operated by the National Park Service. Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is expected to attend the ceremony.

The memorial site will offer a new educational video, virtual tour and other materials for teachers to use in classrooms. Educators with a total of more than 10,000 students have registered for access to the free “National Day of Learning” program, which will be available through the fall, organizers say.

“We need to get the word out to the next generation,” said memorial spokesperson Katherine Hostetler, a National Park Service ranger.

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are looking back on the horror and legacy of 9/11, gathering Monday at memorials, firehouses, city halls and elsewhere to observe the 22nd anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?530271-1/911-remembrance-ceremony-york-city">Click here to watch</a> the 9/11 remembrance ceremony in New YorkCommemorations stretch from the attack sites — at New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania — to Alaska and beyond.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">September 11 is a day not only to remember, but a day of renewal and resolve for every American — in our devotion to this country, to the principles it embodies, to our democracy. That is what we owe one another. And what we owe future generations of Americans to come. <a href="https://t.co/EeCYvo7Q0Q">pic.twitter.com/EeCYvo7Q0Q</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1701200460386816145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“For those of us who lost people on that day, that day is still happening. Everybody else moves on. And you find a way to go forward, but that day is always happening for you,” Edward Edelman said as he arrived at ground zero to honor his slain brother-in-law, Daniel McGinley.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, we remember and honor all the heroes and victims our nation lost on September 11, 2001. We will never forget. <a href="https://t.co/Zmh9LIqX9Y">pic.twitter.com/Zmh9LIqX9Y</a>&mdash; KS Highway Patrol (@kshighwaypatrol) <a href="https://twitter.com/kshighwaypatrol/status/1701224816995365282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden is due at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-911-terrorist-attack-harris-alaska-8e58378865dc612a49d0a2dee80f2304">a ceremony on a military base</a>&nbsp;in Anchorage. His visit, en route to Washington, D.C., from a trip to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-vietnam-status-china-trade-ac8f9dd899f77910c42295769d3fedb6">India and Vietnam</a>, is a reminder that the impact of 9/11 was felt in every corner of the nation, however remote. The hijacked plane attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-20-years-world-affairs-cc497f11743fcbd48b0b3e0c3ed2da5f">reshaped American foreign policy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-sept-11-changed-flying-1ce4dc4282fb47a34c0b61ae09a024f4">domestic fears</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today marks 22 years since the terrorist attacks on America. 2,977 people were killed including 343 Firefighters, 72 police &amp; 55 military personnel. The KCKFD stands ready to serve our city as those responders served theirs. We will always remember. We will never forget 9-11-2001 <a href="https://t.co/Qahg3szxSg">pic.twitter.com/Qahg3szxSg</a>&mdash; KCK Fire Department (@KCKFDPIO) <a href="https://twitter.com/KCKFDPIO/status/1701225966037536876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>On that day, “we were one country, one nation, one people, just like it should be. That was the feeling — that everyone came together and did what we could, where we were at, to try to help," said Eddie Ferguson, the fire-rescue chief in Virginia’s Goochland County.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The lights are on! 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in Overland Park starts at 7:30 a.m. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeverForget?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NeverForget</a> <a href="https://t.co/fWErmrdBCv">pic.twitter.com/fWErmrdBCv</a>&mdash; Overland Park Fire (@OverlandParkFD) <a href="https://twitter.com/OverlandParkFD/status/1701050417969529151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It's more than 100 miles from the Pentagon and more than three times as far from New York. But a sense of connection is enshrined in a local memorial incorporating steel from the World Trade Center’s destroyed twin towers.The predominantly rural county of 25,000 people holds not just one but two anniversary commemorations: a morning service focused on first responders and an evening ceremony honoring all the victims.Other communities across the country pay tribute with moments of silence, tolling bells, candlelight vigils and other activities. In Columbus, Indiana, 911 dispatchers broadcast a remembrance message to police, fire and EMS radios throughout the 50,000-person city, which also holds a public memorial ceremony.Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts raise and lower the flag at a commemoration in Fenton, Missouri, where a “Heroes Memorial” includes a piece of World Trade Center steel and a plaque honoring 9/11 victim Jessica Leigh Sachs. Some of her relatives live in the St. Louis suburb of 4,000 residents.“We’re just a little bitty community,” said Mayor Joe Maurath, but “it’s important for us to continue to remember these events. Not just 9/11, but all of the events that make us free.”New Jersey's Monmouth County, which was home to some 9/11 victims, made Sept. 11 a holiday this year for county employees so they could attend commemorations.As another way of marking the anniversary, many Americans do volunteer work on what Congress has designated both Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance.At ground zero, Vice President Kamala Harris is due to join the ceremony on the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum plaza. The event will not feature remarks from political figures, instead giving the podium to victims’ relatives for an hourslong reading of the names of the dead.James Giaccone signed up to read again this year in memory of his brother, Joseph Giaccone, 43. The family attends the ceremony every year to hear Joseph's name."If their name is spoken out loud, they don’t disappear,” James Giaccone said in a recent interview.The commemoration is crucial to him.“I hope I never see the day when they minimize this,” he said. “It's a day that changed history.”Biden, a Democrat, will be the first president to commemorate Sept. 11 in Alaska, or anywhere in the western U.S. He and his predecessors have gone to one or another of the attack sites in most years, though Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama each marked the anniversary on the White House lawn at times. Obama followed one of those observances by recognizing the military with a visit to Fort Meade in Maryland.First lady Jill Biden is due to lay a wreath at the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon.In Pennsylvania, where one of the hijacked jets crashed after passengers tried to storm the cockpit, a remembrance and wreath-laying is scheduled at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown operated by the National Park Service. Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is expected to attend the ceremony.The memorial site will offer a new educational video, virtual tour and other materials for teachers to use in classrooms. Educators with a total of more than 10,000 students have registered for access to the free “National Day of Learning” program, which will be available through the fall, organizers say.“We need to get the word out to the next generation,” said memorial spokesperson Katherine Hostetler, a National Park Service ranger.

🎥The United States marks 22 years since 9/11

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas high school football team paid tribute to their longtime photographer following her death Friday, four days after an accidental hit on the sidelines of a junior varsity game she was photographing.

Linda Gregory died a few hours before Friday's game, her husband Mel Gregory&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mel.gregory/posts/pfbid0273zvgj8bCaFxGqemeRZEvisiwYhS4Je2amtwqrozjHjuLex3svN2qheoSTb1UzTXl">announced on Facebook</a>.

The 69-year-old woman had fallen backward and struck her head on concrete while taking pictures Sept. 4 at the junior varsity matchup between Wichita Northwest High School and rival Bishop Carroll High. Critically injured, she had been on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/sports/varsity-kansas/article278994699.html">life support</a>&nbsp;all week waiting to donate her organs ever since the inadvertent hit during a blocking play by two players.

Mel Gregory, who owned a local photography business with his wife and was her photography partner, joined several other family members at Northwest's game against Heights High School on Friday just as the couple had done for years. All the players wore “LG” stickers on their helmets that will be there all season, and there was a moment of silence in her honor before kickoff.

“I was back on the sidelines tonight to watch Linda Gregory being honored with many tributes. It was hard to do the interviews and my voice broke way too many times but I hope I made my beloved Linda Gregory proud of my attempt to be as good as she was,” Mel Gregory&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mel.gregory/posts/pfbid0ymaHzopLGUnxfce11DRUYPSsm47hGWLxDfJDyb8Kp3umSkkFDCqniPTEuwNW5MbEl">wrote</a>&nbsp;on Facebook after Friday's game.

The Gregorys started taking pictures of Northwest High sporting events in 2014 and have been a regular presence around the school's teams.

“Linda was an amazing person who breathed life into our students here at Northwest,” coach Steve Martin said after she was critically injured. “She would go out of her way to make each kid feel important in her own unique way. Her passion for kids was amazing, but it went deeper than taking pictures for Linda and Mel. They were a part of our football team and always will be. They are family!"

Longtime friend Joanna Chadwick said Linda Gregory made a lasting impression on the players she took pictures of. Chadwick became close to her when her husband coached basketball at Northwest.

“Linda is the third grandmother to my sons and that is something I’ll never, ever be able to repay her for,” Chadwick said. “But what is so amazing about Linda is that as much as she loved my family and as much as we loved her, it was that same way with so many other people.”

Former Northwest High star Breece Hall, who is now a New York Jets running back in the NFL, asked for prayers Tuesday after he heard about the injury.

“These are the most genuine, polite, kind, giving, whole hearted people. Prayers out to you and your wonderful wife, Mel Gregory,” Hall&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/breece.hall/posts/pfbid02o8Y77kJdPWMqaJ6iGZX2NJtCpaU71AXJaE9WbBzPPWtPvHJ93w8deLYXzrHX1x4Cl">posted on Facebook</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694433688827.png" alt="Linda Gregory-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Linda Gregory-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas high school football team paid tribute to their longtime photographer following her death Friday, four days after an accidental hit on the sidelines of a junior varsity game she was photographing.Linda Gregory died a few hours before Friday's game, her husband Mel Gregory&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mel.gregory/posts/pfbid0273zvgj8bCaFxGqemeRZEvisiwYhS4Je2amtwqrozjHjuLex3svN2qheoSTb1UzTXl">announced on Facebook</a>.The 69-year-old woman had fallen backward and struck her head on concrete while taking pictures Sept. 4 at the junior varsity matchup between Wichita Northwest High School and rival Bishop Carroll High. Critically injured, she had been on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/sports/varsity-kansas/article278994699.html">life support</a>&nbsp;all week waiting to donate her organs ever since the inadvertent hit during a blocking play by two players.Mel Gregory, who owned a local photography business with his wife and was her photography partner, joined several other family members at Northwest's game against Heights High School on Friday just as the couple had done for years. All the players wore “LG” stickers on their helmets that will be there all season, and there was a moment of silence in her honor before kickoff.“I was back on the sidelines tonight to watch Linda Gregory being honored with many tributes. It was hard to do the interviews and my voice broke way too many times but I hope I made my beloved Linda Gregory proud of my attempt to be as good as she was,” Mel Gregory&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mel.gregory/posts/pfbid0ymaHzopLGUnxfce11DRUYPSsm47hGWLxDfJDyb8Kp3umSkkFDCqniPTEuwNW5MbEl">wrote</a>&nbsp;on Facebook after Friday's game.The Gregorys started taking pictures of Northwest High sporting events in 2014 and have been a regular presence around the school's teams.“Linda was an amazing person who breathed life into our students here at Northwest,” coach Steve Martin said after she was critically injured. “She would go out of her way to make each kid feel important in her own unique way. Her passion for kids was amazing, but it went deeper than taking pictures for Linda and Mel. They were a part of our football team and always will be. They are family!"Longtime friend Joanna Chadwick said Linda Gregory made a lasting impression on the players she took pictures of. Chadwick became close to her when her husband coached basketball at Northwest.“Linda is the third grandmother to my sons and that is something I’ll never, ever be able to repay her for,” Chadwick said. “But what is so amazing about Linda is that as much as she loved my family and as much as we loved her, it was that same way with so many other people.”Former Northwest High star Breece Hall, who is now a New York Jets running back in the NFL, asked for prayers Tuesday after he heard about the injury.“These are the most genuine, polite, kind, giving, whole hearted people. Prayers out to you and your wonderful wife, Mel Gregory,” Hall&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/breece.hall/posts/pfbid02o8Y77kJdPWMqaJ6iGZX2NJtCpaU71AXJaE9WbBzPPWtPvHJ93w8deLYXzrHX1x4Cl">posted on Facebook</a>.

Tribute for Kan. high school football photographer who died after sideline accident

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend shooting in Wichita.

Just after 2a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 4000 block of West Memory Lane in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders&nbsp; located&nbsp;19-year-old Zyles James of Wichita unconscious and not breathing with gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body.

Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived. James was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

During the initial response, officers located another victim with a graze wound to the arm. The victim was transported to a local hospital and was treated and released.

Investigators are still working to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting and the relationship between the victim and the suspect.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend shooting in Wichita.Just after 2a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 4000 block of West Memory Lane in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders&nbsp; located&nbsp;19-year-old Zyles James of Wichita unconscious and not breathing with gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body.Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived. James was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.During the initial response, officers located another victim with a graze wound to the arm. The victim was transported to a local hospital and was treated and released.Investigators are still working to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting and the relationship between the victim and the suspect.

Police: 19-year-old dead in Kansas shooting

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. spoke on Saturday at the Kansas State Fair about the importance of caring for your neighbors with mental health issues, especially those working in agriculture.

"September is Mental Health Awareness Month," Marshall said. "Specifically, we're trying to educate folks about the challenges in agriculture. Farmers and ranchers have an almost four times higher suicide rate than the general population. The pressures are for real. Many of us, I'm a fifth-generation farm kid, many are six and seven generations out here. The pressure to keep that farm alive and well for future generations is enormous."

It's getting harder and harder to go from pencil to profit in production agriculture. Costs are not what they were even a few years ago.

"Interest rates alone, the average farmer has about $1 million operation loan," Marshall said. "They were paying two percent interest on that particular loan three years ago and now it's, I'm hearing nine and ten percent. That was the profit margin in their entire operation. Most farmers and ranchers are not having any profit left. At the end of the day, they're working for free."

Marshall said cultivating relationships with those farmers that live near you is important to keeping them alive and healthy.

"Call 988 for the suicide prevention hotline, if they need it," Marshall said. "Most important, just be a good neighbor and reach out. When you see your neighbor struggling, invite them back to church. Invite them to a ballgame, invite them to go get some lunch with you. Be a good neighbor."

According to <a href="https://www.ruralminds.org/serving-rural-america">Rural Minds</a>, pre-pandemic in 2018, nearly two thirds of rural counties in America did not have a psychiatrist.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694426842459.png" alt="Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann and Senator Roger Marshall&nbsp; at the State Fair on Saturday-photo courtesy&nbsp;Renew Kansas Biofuels Association" />
 <figcaption>Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann and Senator Roger Marshall&nbsp; at the State Fair on Saturday-photo courtesy&nbsp;Renew Kansas Biofuels Association</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. spoke on Saturday at the Kansas State Fair about the importance of caring for your neighbors with mental health issues, especially those working in agriculture."September is Mental Health Awareness Month," Marshall said. "Specifically, we're trying to educate folks about the challenges in agriculture. Farmers and ranchers have an almost four times higher suicide rate than the general population. The pressures are for real. Many of us, I'm a fifth-generation farm kid, many are six and seven generations out here. The pressure to keep that farm alive and well for future generations is enormous."It's getting harder and harder to go from pencil to profit in production agriculture. Costs are not what they were even a few years ago."Interest rates alone, the average farmer has about $1 million operation loan," Marshall said. "They were paying two percent interest on that particular loan three years ago and now it's, I'm hearing nine and ten percent. That was the profit margin in their entire operation. Most farmers and ranchers are not having any profit left. At the end of the day, they're working for free."Marshall said cultivating relationships with those farmers that live near you is important to keeping them alive and healthy."Call 988 for the suicide prevention hotline, if they need it," Marshall said. "Most important, just be a good neighbor and reach out. When you see your neighbor struggling, invite them back to church. Invite them to a ballgame, invite them to go get some lunch with you. Be a good neighbor."According to <a href="https://www.ruralminds.org/serving-rural-america">Rural Minds</a>, pre-pandemic in 2018, nearly two thirds of rural counties in America did not have a psychiatrist.

Marshall at State Fair: Mental health for farmers a major issue

KANSAS CITY —Two people died in an accident just after 4p.m. Sunday in Kansas City.

A Mazda CX5 was southbound on Bennington at a very high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Corey Carlisle.&nbsp; The driver of the Mazda failed to stop for the posted stop sign at 17th Street. 

The SUV entering the intersection and struck an east bound Toyota Camry. The driver and rear seat juvenile passenger of the Toyota were both declared deceased at the scene. 

EMS transported the driver of the Mazda to a local hospital with critical injuries and was in stable condition late Sunday.

The investigation, to include suspected impairment, is ongoing, according to Carlisle. Police have not released names of the victims.

KANSAS CITY —Two people died in an accident just after 4p.m. Sunday in Kansas City.A Mazda CX5 was southbound on Bennington at a very high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Corey Carlisle.&nbsp; The driver of the Mazda failed to stop for the posted stop sign at 17th Street. The SUV entering the intersection and struck an east bound Toyota Camry. The driver and rear seat juvenile passenger of the Toyota were both declared deceased at the scene. EMS transported the driver of the Mazda to a local hospital with critical injuries and was in stable condition late Sunday.The investigation, to include suspected impairment, is ongoing, according to Carlisle. Police have not released names of the victims.