Dr.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/94982d52cefc48babc242fb0e3853a43">James Dobson</a>, founder of Focus on the Family, died on Thursday. He was 89.

His death was confirmed by the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.

Dr.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/94982d52cefc48babc242fb0e3853a43">James Dobson</a>, founder of Focus on the Family, died on Thursday. He was 89.His death was confirmed by the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For nearly five decades, his voice championed life, marriage, and the truth of God’s Word. As we grieve, we also give thanks — for his life, his legacy, and the mission that lives on through the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. <a href="https://t.co/TEBn59Fesy">pic.twitter.com/TEBn59Fesy</a>&mdash; Dr. James Dobson Family Institute (@DrJamesDobsonFT) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrJamesDobsonFT/status/1958497811453886630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today we remember a hero of the faith. Our Founder, Dr. James C. Dobson, passed away this morning. Although we&#39;re sorrowful over this loss, we are thankful for his legacy of family ministry that will live on for future generations, and rejoice that he is now in the presence of… <a href="https://t.co/H8sSsXssos">pic.twitter.com/H8sSsXssos</a>&mdash; Focus on the Family (@FocusFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/FocusFamily/status/1958532943464268014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Legendary evangelical  leader Dr. James Dobson dead at 89

State party vice chair Jennifer Bukowsky said map proposals are already circulating and she expects a special session when district lines are decided by national Republicans&nbsp;

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

There’s a new congressional district map for Missouri circulating that was produced in Washington, D.C. But a top Republican said Wednesday that she’s been unable to get a look at it.

Jennifer Bukowsky of Columbia, vice chair of the Republican State Committee, said she expects a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/02/missouri-senate-leader-says-special-session-is-likely-to-redraw-congressional-map/">special session of the Legislature</a>&nbsp;to be called after there is agreement between the Trump White House and the Republican National Committee on how to revise current boundaries.

President Donald Trump and his political advisers are pushing Missouri to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/20/texas-house-vote-congressional-map-redistricting-democrats-trump/" target="_blank">join Texas</a>&nbsp;in redrawing districts to favor the GOP. Any proposal is likely to split the 5th District, which is mainly in Kansas City, by adding Republican voters in sufficient numbers to take it away from incumbent U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

That would give Republicans seven of the state’s eight seats in the U.S. House instead of the current six.

“I’ve tried to get a hold of the map that I’ve heard about,” Bukowsky said. “I guess I’m not important enough to be consulted.”

The push for redistricting in Republican-led states is an effort to shore up the thin Republican majority in Congress. With a 219-212 majority — four seats are vacant, including three previously held by Democrats — Republicans are worried that a small shift in voter sentiment could put them again in the minority.

Redistricting is usually done in the first legislative session after census data is released and the districts remain in place for 10 years.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Gov. Mike Kehoe said the biggest consideration for him is maintaining the Republican majority in Congress.

“Our goal, if we move forward — and there’s no decision to move forward — is to make sure Missouri’s values are reflected in Washington, D.C.,” Kehoe said. “And I’ve said many times that I think our current speaker does a very good job of matching the values of Missourians.”

Republican members of the Missouri House have been told there will be two caucus meetings scheduled to coincide with the annual veto session, which starts Sept. 10, state Rep. Barry Hovis, a Republican from Cape Girardeau said Wednesday in an interview with The Independent.

One meeting, he said, is presumably to discuss whether there are any vetoes the House wants to override. In the other, Hovis expects an in-depth discussion of redistricting.

For Hovis, one consideration on whether to redraw Missouri’s map will be if Democratic states&nbsp; California, Illinois or New York revise their maps in response to the action in Texas. Gerrymandered districts that give one party far more representation than their share of the overall vote can be seen in every state dominated by a single party, he said. Illinois has a district that looks like a snake, he said, while Massachusetts — where Republicans get about the same share of the vote as Democrats in Missouri — has no GOP congressional seats.

Democrats will complain they are being denied representation, Hovis said.

“If they’re going to bring (Texas) up, I’m going to say, well, ‘we’re just doing what you guys taught us to do’,” Hovis said.

Until Kehoe makes the call, Hovis said, the whole discussion is speculation.

“For me to tell you that I know exactly what we’re going to do here, I truly don’t,” he said.

Missouri’s current congressional map was approved by lawmakers in 2022 after a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/05/14/battle-lines-remain-fixed-in-missouri-senate-republican-factional-fights-as-session-ends/">bitter GOP factional dispute</a>&nbsp;that centered on efforts to draw seven Republican-controlled districts. And with Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/black-missouri-lawmakers-vow-to-block-missouri-gop-push-for-new-congressional-districts/">promising to filibuster</a>&nbsp;any redistricting bill in the Senate, getting a new map approved will also be difficult.

The biggest challenge for Republicans, Hovis said, will be to draw a map that doesn’t put districts the party currently holds at risk with large numbers of new Democratic votes.&nbsp;

“If we go to the Kansas City model, the one that I saw when we did this several years ago, we’re going to have some districts that could be more purple than red, and we could end up being 5-3, real easy, or worst case scenario, 4-4.”

The people most interested in redistricting, Bukowsky said, are incumbents. They want a map that retains the voters who have come to know their name, while potential opponents want a map that includes voters who share their ideology.

“Whenever they’re doing redistricting,” Bukowsky said, “it’s like the two parties are incumbents and challengers.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753559628377.png" alt="Missouri Congressional districts -Missouri Secretary of State’s Office." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Congressional districts -Missouri Secretary of State’s Office.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>State party vice chair Jennifer Bukowsky said map proposals are already circulating and she expects a special session when district lines are decided by national Republicans&nbsp;</h2>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>There’s a new congressional district map for Missouri circulating that was produced in Washington, D.C. But a top Republican said Wednesday that she’s been unable to get a look at it.Jennifer Bukowsky of Columbia, vice chair of the Republican State Committee, said she expects a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/02/missouri-senate-leader-says-special-session-is-likely-to-redraw-congressional-map/">special session of the Legislature</a>&nbsp;to be called after there is agreement between the Trump White House and the Republican National Committee on how to revise current boundaries.President Donald Trump and his political advisers are pushing Missouri to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/20/texas-house-vote-congressional-map-redistricting-democrats-trump/" target="_blank">join Texas</a>&nbsp;in redrawing districts to favor the GOP. Any proposal is likely to split the 5th District, which is mainly in Kansas City, by adding Republican voters in sufficient numbers to take it away from incumbent U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.That would give Republicans seven of the state’s eight seats in the U.S. House instead of the current six.“I’ve tried to get a hold of the map that I’ve heard about,” Bukowsky said. “I guess I’m not important enough to be consulted.”The push for redistricting in Republican-led states is an effort to shore up the thin Republican majority in Congress. With a 219-212 majority — four seats are vacant, including three previously held by Democrats — Republicans are worried that a small shift in voter sentiment could put them again in the minority.Redistricting is usually done in the first legislative session after census data is released and the districts remain in place for 10 years.&nbsp;Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Gov. Mike Kehoe said the biggest consideration for him is maintaining the Republican majority in Congress.“Our goal, if we move forward — and there’s no decision to move forward — is to make sure Missouri’s values are reflected in Washington, D.C.,” Kehoe said. “And I’ve said many times that I think our current speaker does a very good job of matching the values of Missourians.”Republican members of the Missouri House have been told there will be two caucus meetings scheduled to coincide with the annual veto session, which starts Sept. 10, state Rep. Barry Hovis, a Republican from Cape Girardeau said Wednesday in an interview with The Independent.One meeting, he said, is presumably to discuss whether there are any vetoes the House wants to override. In the other, Hovis expects an in-depth discussion of redistricting.For Hovis, one consideration on whether to redraw Missouri’s map will be if Democratic states&nbsp; California, Illinois or New York revise their maps in response to the action in Texas. Gerrymandered districts that give one party far more representation than their share of the overall vote can be seen in every state dominated by a single party, he said. Illinois has a district that looks like a snake, he said, while Massachusetts — where Republicans get about the same share of the vote as Democrats in Missouri — has no GOP congressional seats.Democrats will complain they are being denied representation, Hovis said.“If they’re going to bring (Texas) up, I’m going to say, well, ‘we’re just doing what you guys taught us to do’,” Hovis said.Until Kehoe makes the call, Hovis said, the whole discussion is speculation.“For me to tell you that I know exactly what we’re going to do here, I truly don’t,” he said.Missouri’s current congressional map was approved by lawmakers in 2022 after a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/05/14/battle-lines-remain-fixed-in-missouri-senate-republican-factional-fights-as-session-ends/">bitter GOP factional dispute</a>&nbsp;that centered on efforts to draw seven Republican-controlled districts. And with Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/black-missouri-lawmakers-vow-to-block-missouri-gop-push-for-new-congressional-districts/">promising to filibuster</a>&nbsp;any redistricting bill in the Senate, getting a new map approved will also be difficult.The biggest challenge for Republicans, Hovis said, will be to draw a map that doesn’t put districts the party currently holds at risk with large numbers of new Democratic votes.&nbsp;“If we go to the Kansas City model, the one that I saw when we did this several years ago, we’re going to have some districts that could be more purple than red, and we could end up being 5-3, real easy, or worst case scenario, 4-4.”The people most interested in redistricting, Bukowsky said, are incumbents. They want a map that retains the voters who have come to know their name, while potential opponents want a map that includes voters who share their ideology.“Whenever they’re doing redistricting,” Bukowsky said, “it’s like the two parties are incumbents and challengers.”

 Missouri GOP leader says lawmakers will start with a congressional map drawn in D.C.

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop in Dickinson County.

Earlier this month a KHP Trooper conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Dickinson County for speeding, according to a social media report from the KHP Troop C.

During the investigation, the driver was taken into custody for possession of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and transporting an open container of alcohol.

 A vial containing a suspected dose of PCP was also recovered and has been submitted to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for further analysis. The passenger was arrested on a felony probation violation warrant originating from Kentucky related to stolen property, with nationwide extradition. The KHP did not release the names of the suspects.

"The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kshighwayPatrol?__cft__[0]=AZUgJdFuiinvY_bj2EAn6grHxhSRMsiS0EHGzQ5e5AUKUHzcmajLgYi4Si5OkkeNzjCkvHq1kU_GBeisLYtoZe_u0gO1Jg4BSLdm--qgleOU76qfw29eDG_z3QI6N2EB1bKr_oh4WmuRZ_oi5yl00nubnOd9DieEVf4CqtQTlxgybnrGp7Lm1ipCodkImGLjZW8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol</a> remains focused on safeguarding Kansas roadways by removing dangerous substances and wanted individuals from our communities."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755773907165.png" alt="-Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>-Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop in Dickinson County.Earlier this month a KHP Trooper conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Dickinson County for speeding, according to a social media report from the KHP Troop C.During the investigation, the driver was taken into custody for possession of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and transporting an open container of alcohol. A vial containing a suspected dose of PCP was also recovered and has been submitted to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for further analysis. The passenger was arrested on a felony probation violation warrant originating from Kentucky related to stolen property, with nationwide extradition. The KHP did not release the names of the suspects."The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kshighwayPatrol?__cft__[0]=AZUgJdFuiinvY_bj2EAn6grHxhSRMsiS0EHGzQ5e5AUKUHzcmajLgYi4Si5OkkeNzjCkvHq1kU_GBeisLYtoZe_u0gO1Jg4BSLdm--qgleOU76qfw29eDG_z3QI6N2EB1bKr_oh4WmuRZ_oi5yl00nubnOd9DieEVf4CqtQTlxgybnrGp7Lm1ipCodkImGLjZW8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol</a> remains focused on safeguarding Kansas roadways by removing dangerous substances and wanted individuals from our communities."

KHP finds PCP, meth during I-70 traffic stop for speeding

KANSAS CITY —An adult with a laboratory-confirmed infection of Naegleria fowleri has died, according to a statement from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The patient died on Tuesday in a St. Louis area hospital.

&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/naegleria/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/index.html">Naegleria fowleri</a>&nbsp;is a microscopic single-celled free-living ameba that can cause a rare deadly infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), also known as “brain-eating” infection. Typically, fewer than 10 people a year in the United States get PAM.

The ameba is common and naturally present in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers and ponds; however, PAM is extremely rare. Between 1962 and 2024, there were 167 reported cases of PAM in the United States.

The source of the patient’s exposure is still under investigation by public health officials. While not confirmed, preliminary information implies the patient may have been water skiing at the Lake of the Ozarks days prior to becoming ill. Recreational water users should assume that&nbsp;Naegleria fowleri&nbsp;is present in warm freshwater across the United States; however, infection remains very rare.

&nbsp;No additional suspected cases of PAM are being investigated in Missouri.

Although a rare occurrence, people become infected by&nbsp;Naegleria fowleri&nbsp;when water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose from freshwater sources. The&nbsp;Naegleria fowleri&nbsp;ameba then travels up the nose to the brain where it damages the brain tissue. This infection cannot be spread from one person to another, and it cannot be contracted by swallowing contaminated water.

People can take actions to reduce the risk of infection by limiting the amount of water going up the nose. These actions could include:

Those who experience the following symptoms after swimming in any warm body of water should contact their health care provider immediately as the disease progresses rapidly:

Information about recreational water safety in Missouri is available&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/recreationalwater/index.php" target="_blank">on the DHSS website.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755118398929.png" alt="Naegleria fowleri  infects people by traveling up the nose and to the brain (shown here) where it consumes brain tissue. Photo: Dr. James Roberts, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta" />
 <figcaption>Naegleria fowleri  infects people by traveling up the nose and to the brain (shown here) where it consumes brain tissue. Photo: Dr. James Roberts, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —An adult with a laboratory-confirmed infection of Naegleria fowleri has died, according to a statement from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The patient died on Tuesday in a St. Louis area hospital.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/naegleria/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/index.html">Naegleria fowleri</a>&nbsp;is a microscopic single-celled free-living ameba that can cause a rare deadly infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), also known as “brain-eating” infection. Typically, fewer than 10 people a year in the United States get PAM.The ameba is common and naturally present in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers and ponds; however, PAM is extremely rare. Between 1962 and 2024, there were 167 reported cases of PAM in the United States.The source of the patient’s exposure is still under investigation by public health officials. While not confirmed, preliminary information implies the patient may have been water skiing at the Lake of the Ozarks days prior to becoming ill. Recreational water users should assume that&nbsp;Naegleria fowleri&nbsp;is present in warm freshwater across the United States; however, infection remains very rare.&nbsp;No additional suspected cases of PAM are being investigated in Missouri.Although a rare occurrence, people become infected by&nbsp;Naegleria fowleri&nbsp;when water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose from freshwater sources. The&nbsp;Naegleria fowleri&nbsp;ameba then travels up the nose to the brain where it damages the brain tissue. This infection cannot be spread from one person to another, and it cannot be contracted by swallowing contaminated water.People can take actions to reduce the risk of infection by limiting the amount of water going up the nose. These actions could include:<ol>
 <li>Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when taking part in activities in bodies of warm freshwater, especially if you jump or dive into the water.</li><li>Avoid putting your head under the water in hot springs and other untreated thermal waters.</li><li>Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high-water temperature.</li><li>Avoid digging in, or stirring up, the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.&nbsp;Naegleria fowleri&nbsp;amebas are more likely to live in sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds and rivers.</li>
 </ol>Those who experience the following symptoms after swimming in any warm body of water should contact their health care provider immediately as the disease progresses rapidly:<ol>
 <li>Severe headache.</li><li>Fever.</li><li>Nausea.</li><li>Vomiting.</li><li>Stiff neck.</li><li>Seizures.</li><li>Altered mental status.</li><li>Hallucinations.</li>
 </ol>Information about recreational water safety in Missouri is available&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/recreationalwater/index.php" target="_blank">on the DHSS website.</a>

Victim with ‘brain-eating’ infection linked to Lake of the Ozarks died

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a two accidents involving a carjacking that led to a crash with a KCPD vehicle just after 2:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Police were in pursuit of a Silver BMW 640I that was taken in conjunction with an Armed Robbery/Carjacking, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

 The BMW was traveling the wrong way southbound on Askew. Askew is a one way for northbound motorists only. 

The BMW struck an unoccupied gold Buick Enclave which was parked in the 200 block of Askew and the driver continued traveling southbound on Askew without stopping. 

In the area of Anderson and Askew, the BMW entered the controlled intersection, a posted stop sign for northbound motorist,&nbsp; and was struck by a marked police Dodge Durango that was traveling Code-1 (red lights and sirens) westbound on Anderson.

After impact, the BMW continued southbound on Askew, traveling off the roadway to the right and striking a wooden light pole before coming to rest. The driver and sole occupant of the BMW was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit and was uninjured in the collision. 

The restrained officer and sole occupant of the police vehicle received non-life-threatening injuries from the collision and declined medical treatment/transport at the scene.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755770726295.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City WDAF" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City WDAF</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a two accidents involving a carjacking that led to a crash with a KCPD vehicle just after 2:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri.Police were in pursuit of a Silver BMW 640I that was taken in conjunction with an Armed Robbery/Carjacking, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. The BMW was traveling the wrong way southbound on Askew. Askew is a one way for northbound motorists only. The BMW struck an unoccupied gold Buick Enclave which was parked in the 200 block of Askew and the driver continued traveling southbound on Askew without stopping. In the area of Anderson and Askew, the BMW entered the controlled intersection, a posted stop sign for northbound motorist,&nbsp; and was struck by a marked police Dodge Durango that was traveling Code-1 (red lights and sirens) westbound on Anderson.After impact, the BMW continued southbound on Askew, traveling off the roadway to the right and striking a wooden light pole before coming to rest. The driver and sole occupant of the BMW was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit and was uninjured in the collision. The restrained officer and sole occupant of the police vehicle received non-life-threatening injuries from the collision and declined medical treatment/transport at the scene.&nbsp;

Carjacking suspect arrested after crash into KCPD SUV 

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City area man was sentenced in federal court&nbsp; for producing child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

Cecil Pulluaim, 54, Raytown, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Pulluaim to serve supervised release for Life following his incarceration.

Pulluaim pleaded guilty to video recording and possessing images of his sexual abuse of a minor victim.&nbsp; 

According to the plea agreement, Pulluaim admitted to recording himself sexually abusing the minor victim on at least 10 separate dates between April 27, 2023, and June 15, 2023.&nbsp; In connection with their investigation of a report that the defendant had produced child pornography of the minor victim, officers with the Raytown Missouri Police Department located and seized the defendant’s cell phone.&nbsp;

 Pursuant to a search warrant, a forensic analysis of the phone by the United States Secret Service located the videos the defendant had produced of the minor victim, along with several photos the defendant made by taking screen shots of those videos.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755727014859.png" alt="Pulluaim photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Pulluaim photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City area man was sentenced in federal court&nbsp; for producing child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.Cecil Pulluaim, 54, Raytown, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Pulluaim to serve supervised release for Life following his incarceration.Pulluaim pleaded guilty to video recording and possessing images of his sexual abuse of a minor victim.&nbsp; According to the plea agreement, Pulluaim admitted to recording himself sexually abusing the minor victim on at least 10 separate dates between April 27, 2023, and June 15, 2023.&nbsp; In connection with their investigation of a report that the defendant had produced child pornography of the minor victim, officers with the Raytown Missouri Police Department located and seized the defendant’s cell phone.&nbsp; Pursuant to a search warrant, a forensic analysis of the phone by the United States Secret Service located the videos the defendant had produced of the minor victim, along with several photos the defendant made by taking screen shots of those videos.

KC area man admits producing videos of child pornography

WABAUNSEE COUNTY—One person died and a dozen others were injured in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Wednesday in Wabaunsee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ford Transit van driven by Blake L&nbsp;Franklin, 43, Columbus, Ohio, was eastbound in the right lane of Interstate 70 just west of McFarland Road. The the driver lost control of the vehicle when the rear right tire blew. The van traveled into the center grass median and rolled. Two people were ejected.&nbsp;

Isaiah&nbsp; Adkins, 23, West Jefferson, Ohio, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical.

EMS transported Franklin and passenger Eric S. Brown, 23, Columbus, Ohio and Taylor D. Jackson, 30, Groveport, Ohio, to St. Francis in Topeka.&nbsp; 

EMS&nbsp; transported passengers Dominic J.&nbsp;Chavira, 28, Groveport, Ohio; Steven I&nbsp;Galloway, 26, Columbus, Ohio;&nbsp; Tyrence&nbsp;Gibson, 20, Columbus, Ohio;&nbsp; Maleik C. Gore, 28, Columbus, Ohio;&nbsp; Julius M. Hurst, 35, Columbus, Ohio; Roger J.&nbsp;Messer, 38, West Jefferson, Ohio;&nbsp; Temauni D.&nbsp;Moore, 29,&nbsp;Pataskala, Ohio and Victor Parks, 32, Columbus, Ohio to Stormont Vail. EMS transported Jonathan R.&nbsp; Price, 41, Columbus, Ohio, to KU Medical Center. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755718065706.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the crash- photo by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the crash- photo by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WABAUNSEE COUNTY—One person died and a dozen others were injured in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Wednesday in Wabaunsee County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ford Transit van driven by Blake L&nbsp;Franklin, 43, Columbus, Ohio, was eastbound in the right lane of Interstate 70 just west of McFarland Road. The the driver lost control of the vehicle when the rear right tire blew. The van traveled into the center grass median and rolled. Two people were ejected.&nbsp;Isaiah&nbsp; Adkins, 23, West Jefferson, Ohio, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical.EMS transported Franklin and passenger Eric S. Brown, 23, Columbus, Ohio and Taylor D. Jackson, 30, Groveport, Ohio, to St. Francis in Topeka.&nbsp; EMS&nbsp; transported passengers Dominic J.&nbsp;Chavira, 28, Groveport, Ohio; Steven I&nbsp;Galloway, 26, Columbus, Ohio;&nbsp; Tyrence&nbsp;Gibson, 20, Columbus, Ohio;&nbsp; Maleik C. Gore, 28, Columbus, Ohio;&nbsp; Julius M. Hurst, 35, Columbus, Ohio; Roger J.&nbsp;Messer, 38, West Jefferson, Ohio;&nbsp; Temauni D.&nbsp;Moore, 29,&nbsp;Pataskala, Ohio and Victor Parks, 32, Columbus, Ohio to Stormont Vail. EMS transported Jonathan R.&nbsp; Price, 41, Columbus, Ohio, to KU Medical Center. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

One dead, 12 hospitalized after I-70 van rollover crash

Osawatomie, Larned superintendents outline reasons to keep private contract labor

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The state of Kansas invests more than $60 million annually to hire contract nursing staff to work at state psychiatric hospitals in Larned and Osawatomie, but the financial boost hasn’t closed job vacancy gaps exceeding 33% at both facilities.

On Tuesday, Kansas legislators on a special committee exploring contract nursing shared disappointment with results of years of stopgap appropriations to hire temporary nurses provided by private companies. The state also has devoted resources to raising salaries and providing bonuses to encourage state-employed nurses to remain at the hospitals.

Lawmakers expressed skepticism Kansas would ever have enough people to fill vacancies at state hospitals serving involuntarily committed or criminally charged individuals with mental health issues, as well as sexually violent offenders detained at Larned after serving prison sentences.

“In my experience, we’re not going to build this staff to take care of the number of people that are out there right now,” said Rep. Will Carpenter, an El Dorado Republican who chairs the Legislature’s interim health committee. “Prove me wrong, because I want to be wrong.”

Carpenter suggested consideration be given to transferring about 100 patients from Larned to other locations so staffing levels could be sustained without contract nurses. In 2027, Kansas is scheduled to open a new 104-bed state psychiatric hospital in Sedgwick County.

Expenditures at Larned State Hospital for nursing contract labor increased from $5.9 million in 2019 to $8.6 million in 2021, $43.1 million in 2023 and $46 million in 2025. At Osawatomie State Hospital, contract costs surged from $233,000 in 2019 to $3.2 million in 2021, $16 million in 2023 and $15.4 million in 2025. The job vacancy rate at Osawatomie stood at 35.5%, while the rate at Larned was 33.5%.

“I’ve been incredibly disappointed on how that’s worked,” Carpenter said.

Scott Brunner, deputy secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, said the agency used state tax dollars to bring in dozens of registered nurses and licensed practice nurses to care for patients who generally had complex medical needs. Some require one-on-one care.

“To keep our bed count open at the levels that they are,” he said, “we have to have enough staff to make sure patients are safe.”

He said the starting salary for a registered nurse at the state hospitals was about $40 per hour. The state paid companies providing contract registered nurses $90 to $100 per hour to take on the same responsibilities, with the nurse receiving approximately two-thirds of the total.

“We certainly don’t think contract labor is a solution,” Brunner said. “It’s a way of addressing the need to keep beds open and keep patients moving through the system.”

He recommended the Legislature pass&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2237/" target="_blank">House Bill 2237</a>, which is hung up in the Senate, to place in state law the ability of state agencies to award employee bonuses in amounts up to $10,000 per year. He urged lawmakers to keep funding cost-of-living and market-rate adjustments to salaries so state hospitals could compete with the private sector for labor. The existing budget for contract nurses needs to be sustained, he said.

In addition, Brunner suggested the state expand college scholarships for nurses, consider providing nursing students with financial support in exchange for post-graduation employment agreements and provide training opportunities for experienced nurses to advance their careers.

Ashley Byram, superintendent of the Osawatomie hospital, said only half of the facility’s RNs, LPNs and mental health technicians were state employees. Here’s the split between state employee and agency contract workers at Osawatomie: RNs, 16 state and 16 private; LPNs, three state and 13 private; and mental health techs, 39 state and 33 private.

She said Osawatomie contract nurses were asked what it would take for them to accept state employment. The nurses weren’t interested in signing bonuses or housing allowances, she said, but were keen to earn salaries of at least $50 per hour. The average RN at Osawatomie has been paid $44 per hour, or $59 per hour when benefits were included.

“I would increase the salaries,” Byram said. “It’s the current wage gap between agency and state positions that is our primary obstacle.”

If the Legislature prohibited payment of contract nurses to staff the Osawatomie hospital, she said, the facility had enough nurses to make use of 43 beds. She said 116 beds at Osawatomie would be closed if contract nurses were removed and replacements weren’t hired.

Lindsey Topps, superintendent at Larned, said the hospital averaged 400 patients with more than half the total in a sexual predator treatment program.

“We have, I say, no fat on campus,” Topps said. “We’ve maximized the amount of residents or patients to the RNs and LPNs in order to provide safe and good patient care as well as follow the regulations.”

Here is the breakdown between state employees and contract laborers at Larned: Registered nurses, 17 state and 38 private; LPNs, nine state and 27 private; mental health workers or CNAs, 194 state and 179 private.

Topps said debate by the Legislature about reducing contract nursing labor should take into consideration the aggressive, disruptive, suicidal and homicidal conduct of people at Larned. She said most community-based health facilities didn’t have the staff or facilities to deal with individuals who ended up at the state hospital.

“We have some of the most severe mentally ill individuals in the state of Kansas,” Topps said.

During the 2025 legislative session, the House and Senate didn’t approve financing for new spending on contract nursing at the two state hospitals.

“Sometimes we set aside money because that feels good and we think that’s going to to do something,” said Sen. Beverly Gossage, a Republican from Eudora.

Sen. Renee Erickson, R-Wichita, said the state had a handful of initiatives designed to develop a Kansas pipeline of nurses who could fill jobs at state hospitals. She said the state spent millions of dollars so 2,700 high school students could take courses required to become a certified nursing assistant. She said only one-third of those students became CNAs.

“We’re paying to fill that pipeline, but it’s not translating,” she said. “It doesn’t appear like (it’s) actually reducing the demand and getting to the root of the problem. It doesn’t seem to be making the impact it should or we would hope it should.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755719328268.png" alt=" Rep. Will Carpenter, R-El Dorado, says he doubts the state can ever build the nursing staff needed to operate state psychiatric hospitals in Larned and Osawatomie. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Will Carpenter, R-El Dorado, says he doubts the state can ever build the nursing staff needed to operate state psychiatric hospitals in Larned and Osawatomie. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Osawatomie, Larned superintendents outline reasons to keep private contract labor</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The state of Kansas invests more than $60 million annually to hire contract nursing staff to work at state psychiatric hospitals in Larned and Osawatomie, but the financial boost hasn’t closed job vacancy gaps exceeding 33% at both facilities.On Tuesday, Kansas legislators on a special committee exploring contract nursing shared disappointment with results of years of stopgap appropriations to hire temporary nurses provided by private companies. The state also has devoted resources to raising salaries and providing bonuses to encourage state-employed nurses to remain at the hospitals.Lawmakers expressed skepticism Kansas would ever have enough people to fill vacancies at state hospitals serving involuntarily committed or criminally charged individuals with mental health issues, as well as sexually violent offenders detained at Larned after serving prison sentences.“In my experience, we’re not going to build this staff to take care of the number of people that are out there right now,” said Rep. Will Carpenter, an El Dorado Republican who chairs the Legislature’s interim health committee. “Prove me wrong, because I want to be wrong.”Carpenter suggested consideration be given to transferring about 100 patients from Larned to other locations so staffing levels could be sustained without contract nurses. In 2027, Kansas is scheduled to open a new 104-bed state psychiatric hospital in Sedgwick County.Expenditures at Larned State Hospital for nursing contract labor increased from $5.9 million in 2019 to $8.6 million in 2021, $43.1 million in 2023 and $46 million in 2025. At Osawatomie State Hospital, contract costs surged from $233,000 in 2019 to $3.2 million in 2021, $16 million in 2023 and $15.4 million in 2025. The job vacancy rate at Osawatomie stood at 35.5%, while the rate at Larned was 33.5%.“I’ve been incredibly disappointed on how that’s worked,” Carpenter said.<h2>Contract labor not answer</h2>Scott Brunner, deputy secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, said the agency used state tax dollars to bring in dozens of registered nurses and licensed practice nurses to care for patients who generally had complex medical needs. Some require one-on-one care.“To keep our bed count open at the levels that they are,” he said, “we have to have enough staff to make sure patients are safe.”He said the starting salary for a registered nurse at the state hospitals was about $40 per hour. The state paid companies providing contract registered nurses $90 to $100 per hour to take on the same responsibilities, with the nurse receiving approximately two-thirds of the total.“We certainly don’t think contract labor is a solution,” Brunner said. “It’s a way of addressing the need to keep beds open and keep patients moving through the system.”He recommended the Legislature pass&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2237/" target="_blank">House Bill 2237</a>, which is hung up in the Senate, to place in state law the ability of state agencies to award employee bonuses in amounts up to $10,000 per year. He urged lawmakers to keep funding cost-of-living and market-rate adjustments to salaries so state hospitals could compete with the private sector for labor. The existing budget for contract nurses needs to be sustained, he said.In addition, Brunner suggested the state expand college scholarships for nurses, consider providing nursing students with financial support in exchange for post-graduation employment agreements and provide training opportunities for experienced nurses to advance their careers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755719398717.png" alt=" Lindsey Topps, superintendent of Larned State Hospital, said the facility serving about 400 patients with mental illness relies extensively on contract nursing staff to operate programs serving sexual predators, individuals charged with crimes and people struggling with acute illness. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature video)" />
 <figcaption> Lindsey Topps, superintendent of Larned State Hospital, said the facility serving about 400 patients with mental illness relies extensively on contract nursing staff to operate programs serving sexual predators, individuals charged with crimes and people struggling with acute illness. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature video)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘Increase the salaries’</h2>Ashley Byram, superintendent of the Osawatomie hospital, said only half of the facility’s RNs, LPNs and mental health technicians were state employees. Here’s the split between state employee and agency contract workers at Osawatomie: RNs, 16 state and 16 private; LPNs, three state and 13 private; and mental health techs, 39 state and 33 private.She said Osawatomie contract nurses were asked what it would take for them to accept state employment. The nurses weren’t interested in signing bonuses or housing allowances, she said, but were keen to earn salaries of at least $50 per hour. The average RN at Osawatomie has been paid $44 per hour, or $59 per hour when benefits were included.“I would increase the salaries,” Byram said. “It’s the current wage gap between agency and state positions that is our primary obstacle.”If the Legislature prohibited payment of contract nurses to staff the Osawatomie hospital, she said, the facility had enough nurses to make use of 43 beds. She said 116 beds at Osawatomie would be closed if contract nurses were removed and replacements weren’t hired.Lindsey Topps, superintendent at Larned, said the hospital averaged 400 patients with more than half the total in a sexual predator treatment program.“We have, I say, no fat on campus,” Topps said. “We’ve maximized the amount of residents or patients to the RNs and LPNs in order to provide safe and good patient care as well as follow the regulations.”Here is the breakdown between state employees and contract laborers at Larned: Registered nurses, 17 state and 38 private; LPNs, nine state and 27 private; mental health workers or CNAs, 194 state and 179 private.Topps said debate by the Legislature about reducing contract nursing labor should take into consideration the aggressive, disruptive, suicidal and homicidal conduct of people at Larned. She said most community-based health facilities didn’t have the staff or facilities to deal with individuals who ended up at the state hospital.“We have some of the most severe mentally ill individuals in the state of Kansas,” Topps said.<h2>‘It’s not translating’</h2>During the 2025 legislative session, the House and Senate didn’t approve financing for new spending on contract nursing at the two state hospitals.“Sometimes we set aside money because that feels good and we think that’s going to to do something,” said Sen. Beverly Gossage, a Republican from Eudora.Sen. Renee Erickson, R-Wichita, said the state had a handful of initiatives designed to develop a Kansas pipeline of nurses who could fill jobs at state hospitals. She said the state spent millions of dollars so 2,700 high school students could take courses required to become a certified nursing assistant. She said only one-third of those students became CNAs.“We’re paying to fill that pipeline, but it’s not translating,” she said. “It doesn’t appear like (it’s) actually reducing the demand and getting to the root of the problem. It doesn’t seem to be making the impact it should or we would hope it should.”

Kansas legislators despair about $60 million annual cost of contract nurses at psychiatric hospitals

SALINE COUNTY—A fire in rural Saline County caused thousands of dollars in damage.

Just before 9a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp;&nbsp;a metal pole style building fire was reported at 6304 W. Thorstenberg Road, according to Saline County Sheriff's Captain Jim Hughes.

The fire destroyed 150 large round hay bales valued at $12,000, a Massey Ferguson swather with header valued at $40,000 and the 60-foot by 80-foot metal building.&nbsp; Owner, Miguel Contreras, did not have a value of the building.&nbsp;

The cause of the fire is suspected wet hays bales that spontaneously combusted, according to Hughes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755698280106.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—A fire in rural Saline County caused thousands of dollars in damage.Just before 9a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp;&nbsp;a metal pole style building fire was reported at 6304 W. Thorstenberg Road, according to Saline County Sheriff's Captain Jim Hughes.The fire destroyed 150 large round hay bales valued at $12,000, a Massey Ferguson swather with header valued at $40,000 and the 60-foot by 80-foot metal building.&nbsp; Owner, Miguel Contreras, did not have a value of the building.&nbsp;The cause of the fire is suspected wet hays bales that spontaneously combusted, according to Hughes.

Sheriff: Thousands of dollars in damage after rural Kansas fire

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes in Manhattan.

Just after 2p.m. Tuesday, police arrested 46-year-old Jeremy Welch of Tucson, Arizona, on a Riley Count District Court warrant, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

Welch is being held on a $100,000 bond on requested charges that include two counts of rape, two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, and aggravated indecent liberties with a child.&nbsp; The RCPD did not report where the crimes are alleged to have occurred.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes in Manhattan.Just after 2p.m. Tuesday, police arrested 46-year-old Jeremy Welch of Tucson, Arizona, on a Riley Count District Court warrant, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.Welch is being held on a $100,000 bond on requested charges that include two counts of rape, two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, and aggravated indecent liberties with a child.&nbsp; The RCPD did not report where the crimes are alleged to have occurred.

Arizona man jailed for alleged child sex crimes in Manhattan

ICE facility is part of a multi-pronged state effort to help Trump enforcement expansion

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s version of the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” federal immigration detention center is being created in the roughly 7,500-resident city of McCook, Gov. Jim Pillen confirmed.

His announcement Tuesday was part of a multi-pronged push to support the Trump administration and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s ramped-up approach to deportation.

“We want President Trump to know that Nebraska is supportive and grateful for his ongoing, critical work with Secretary Noem to arrest and deport” migrants who commit crimes, Pillen said in a statement.&nbsp;

He said the assistance Nebraska offered to the Trump administration from the state and its law enforcement agencies was about “keeping Nebraskans and Americans across our country safe.”

Others, including some Nebraska lawmakers, criticized the state’s participation.

State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, whose district includes the food plant where a high-profile immigration raid on June 10 arrested 76 undocumented workers, said she was furious at the prospect of Nebraska becoming a home to a facility modeled after Alligator Alcatraz, the name given by Florida Republicans to an Everglades detention center.&nbsp;

She pledged protests all over the state, adding: “I don’t feel that’s an appropriate way for the immigrants to be treated. I’m pissed.”

State Sen. Dunixi Guereca of Omaha said the Governor’s Office had not shared details with him, including the type of funds or labor force numbers involved.&nbsp;Guereca said he saw better uses for the funds, wherever they might originate.

“We need to focus on building a stronger Nebraska for all,” he said. “Instead we’re ripping families apart and wreaking terror and havoc on a hard-working community that just wants to provide a better life for the next generation of Nebraskans.”

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, said he was privy to a quick briefing on the state’s immigration enforcement efforts. He said he learned the federal government will fully reimburse Nebraska for costs, with reimbursement rates anticipated to exceed the daily costs.

Costs wouldn’t be passed on to Nebraskans, he said, adding that it’s still too early to quantify any potential savings through reduced state spending.

“I’m supportive of the president enforcing the law,” Clements said.&nbsp;

He said he was told the facility was to be used for low- to medium-security risk detainees.&nbsp;

“I was pleased that the McCook people wouldn’t be exposed to a higher level of security than what they currently have,” Clements added.

State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, who represents the McCook area, told the Examiner he was informed about the ICE plans “as soon as the governor knew.”

Murman said the people in his district are “generally in support of what the president is doing,” but said he figures some people “have some concerns.”

“President Trump does move quickly on everything he does. … He’s moving quickly to get his policies in place,” Murman said. “and that includes what he’s doing out here with the facility in McCook.”

A Homeland Security news release labeled the facility the “Cornhusker Clink” and said it would house criminal ICE detainees — “the worst of the worst.”&nbsp;

“This agreement was made possible by the One Big Beautiful Bill,” the statement said. “This law fully funded the 287(g) program and provided funding to secure 80,000 new beds for ICE to utilize when detaining and deporting the worst of the worst.”

It went on to say: “Thanks to Governor Pillen for his partnership …. If you are in America illegally … Avoid arrest and self deport now using the CBP Home App.”

Nebraska’s Correctional Services Director Rob Jeffreys, in a news conference at the Capitol, said the facility won’t house the “worst of the worst” but would be used for detainees at the “low level and medium.”

Jeffreys said the facility would be the Midwestern hub for ICE. He added that the nearby McCook Ben Nelson Airport could be used for deportations, but the logistics are still being worked out.

A handful of protesters gathered outside of the press conference that included Jeffreys, Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Bryan Waugh and Nebraska National Guard Maj. Gen. Craig Strong.

“It’s incredibly frustrating that no matter how much it looks like people are saying, ‘Stop’ — no one actually in power is doing what needs to be done and stopping it,” said Jaci Vetro, a Lincoln resident.

Nebraska U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., said he views the move as a way to support the local community and keep jobs in McCook. “I support President Trump’s actions to protect our communities and Gov. Pillen’s work to bring DHS investment to Nebraska,” Ricketts said in a statement.

The Homeland Security statement said that the Nebraska facility marks the third state partnership to expand ICE detention space “following Alligator Alcatraz and Speedway Slammer.”

Speedway Slammer is their nickname for ICE’s new facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana, referencing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is about 75 miles away.&nbsp;

In addition to the McCook center, Pillen announced two other state-federal partnerships with Homeland Security.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For one, the Nebraska National Guard will provide about 20 soldiers to help Nebraska-based ICE agents carry out enforcement duties. Training is to begin within the next week.

Also at Pillen’s direction, the Nebraska State Patrol announced it would sign a 287(g) agreement that empowers state troopers to help ICE arrest migrants in the country without authorization who break the law.

So named for its section of immigration law, the often-controversial program delegates state and local law enforcement officers authority to perform immigration officer functions under the federal agency’s direction and oversight.

Pillen turned to an arrest earlier this summer in Omaha when Nebraska law enforcement agents worked with ICE to arrest a person ICE described as a “drug-trafficking kingpin and murderer.”

“This stuff hits close to home — and hits every corner of this state and country,” he said. “Government’s most important job is to keep us safe, and that’s why the State of Nebraska, under my leadership, is partnering with President Trump.”

Three Nebraska county sheriff’s offices currently are authorized for the 287(g) program —&nbsp;Brown, Dakota and Wheeler.&nbsp;

The Homeland Security and Pillen confirmations of the McCook ICE facility revealed that it would provide up to 280 beds at the site of the existing Work Ethic Camp, which was built to house up to 200 people in a medium-security facility operated by the Nebraska state prison system.&nbsp;

Gene Weedin, a McCook City Council member, said he was still learning details and forming an opinion about the center coming to his city. Nebraska owns nearly 45 acres at the McCook site.&nbsp;

Weedin said Pillen was in McCook with Corrections Director Jeffreys over the weekend talking to various local officials. Weedin’s understanding is that the state prison facility would stop operating in its current form, start functioning as the federal immigration detention facility, and that those currently in the facility would be transferred to other places.

He said the people currently housed at the center have contributed to the community by picking up trash, putting up annual Christmas decorations and doing other public service.

“There are just a lot of questions,” said Weedin.

Nebraska has historically struggled to hire enough staff to use the McCook center as it was originally intended, to reform younger men who’ve committed crimes by assigning them jobs and tasks. The camp focuses its counseling and other efforts on encouraging behavior changes to reduce recidivism.

It is the least crowded of Nebraska’s adult prison facilities, running a daily census of about 184 in Fiscal Year 2025. But it is also one of the prison facilities with the greatest need for additional staffing. The department’s census says it was staffed to house an average of about 125 people in FY 2025.

Cristine Schwartz, the public information officer at the McCook Work Ethic Camp, referred calls to a state Correctional Services spokeswoman, who did not immediately return calls.&nbsp;

State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner, who represents part of west-central Nebraska outside of McCook, said she only just learned about the ICE effort and was “still gathering more information.”

The state has been working around the Douglas County Jail in Omaha no longer actively participating in ICE detentions. Detainees from eastern Nebraska have been sent to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and as far away as the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte — where the 76 workers arrested in the high-profile immigration raid at Omaha’s Glenn Valley plant were transported. Many are still there.

ICE also plans to contract with jails in eastern Nebraska’s Sarpy and Cass Counties for 30 beds each and the Washington County Jail for 15, according to ICE documents the Washington Post obtained.

Pillen’s announcement is apparently Nebraska’s contribution to a plan that the federal documents showed would open or expand 125 immigration detention facilities this year.

In its detention expansion strategy, the Trump administration has revived other dormant prisons, repurposed military bases and secured partnerships with private prison contractors, local sheriffs and Republican governors to house its record number of detainees, the Post reported.

By January, the documents indicate, ICE would have capacity to hold more than 107,000 people, up from close to 50,000 currently. The documents, last updated July 30, reflected ICE intentions to rely increasingly on makeshift “soft-sided” structures that could be built in a few weeks and taken down as easily. The government is also planning to make more room for detaining parents and children.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska is among critics of the Pillen plan, calling it “a new low point and way out of step with where most Nebraskans are on this issue.”

“Imagine hearing about the cruel rights violations happening in other states’ ICE detention sites and thinking that we need our own heartland horror,” said Mindy Rush Chipman, executive director of ACLU Nebraska.

Nebraska Democratic Party officials described creation of the detention facility in McCook as a “bend the knee” moment by top Republicans in Nebraska, and the governor’s participation as disgusting.

“They promised to go after criminals and instead have locked up hardworking moms and dads who contribute their skills to our agricultural economy,” said Jane Kleeb, state party chair. “Creating fear and division … does not have to be the Cornhusker way.”

Nebraska Appleseed called the governor’s cooperation part of a “harmful, dangerous and rapid expansion” of detainment camps that “repeat a deeply ugly pattern of history.”

Darcy Tromanhauser, the advocacy agency’s immigrants and communities program director, urged officials instead to update immigration laws.

&nbsp;“Nebraskans want policy change, not punishment,” she said.

Earlier this month, Noem revealed in an interview with CBS News that Nebraska was being considered as a home to one of the state-run, federally funded migrant detention centers that the Trump administration hoped to launch across the country in the likeness of the one dubbed Alligator Alcatraz.

Noem said she had already appealed to governors and state leaders. Strimple acknowledged the possibility at the time, saying the governor would “make details public at the appropriate time.”

Nebraska Examiner’s Aaron Sanderford, Zach Wendling and Juan Salinas II contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755655048611.png" alt=" The McCook Work Ethic Camp in McCook, Nebraska. (Courtesy of Nebraska Department of Correctional Services)" />
 <figcaption> The McCook Work Ethic Camp in McCook, Nebraska. (Courtesy of Nebraska Department of Correctional Services)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>ICE facility is part of a multi-pronged state effort to help Trump enforcement expansion</h2>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska’s version of the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” federal immigration detention center is being created in the roughly 7,500-resident city of McCook, Gov. Jim Pillen confirmed.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">COMING SOON: THE CORNHUSKER CLINK 🌽 <a href="https://t.co/jGrZS8opsW">https://t.co/jGrZS8opsW</a> <a href="https://t.co/W75pCHipHm">pic.twitter.com/W75pCHipHm</a>&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1957931320044138759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>His announcement Tuesday was part of a multi-pronged push to support the Trump administration and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s ramped-up approach to deportation.“We want President Trump to know that Nebraska is supportive and grateful for his ongoing, critical work with Secretary Noem to arrest and deport” migrants who commit crimes, Pillen said in a statement.&nbsp;<h2>Sparks criticism</h2>He said the assistance Nebraska offered to the Trump administration from the state and its law enforcement agencies was about “keeping Nebraskans and Americans across our country safe.”Others, including some Nebraska lawmakers, criticized the state’s participation.State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, whose district includes the food plant where a high-profile immigration raid on June 10 arrested 76 undocumented workers, said she was furious at the prospect of Nebraska becoming a home to a facility modeled after Alligator Alcatraz, the name given by Florida Republicans to an Everglades detention center.&nbsp;She pledged protests all over the state, adding: “I don’t feel that’s an appropriate way for the immigrants to be treated. I’m pissed.”State Sen. Dunixi Guereca of Omaha said the Governor’s Office had not shared details with him, including the type of funds or labor force numbers involved.&nbsp;Guereca said he saw better uses for the funds, wherever they might originate.“We need to focus on building a stronger Nebraska for all,” he said. “Instead we’re ripping families apart and wreaking terror and havoc on a hard-working community that just wants to provide a better life for the next generation of Nebraskans.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755655006412.png" alt="Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations announced a pair of arrests in Omaha they say involved MS-13 gang members. (Courtesy of ICE)" />
 <figcaption>Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations announced a pair of arrests in Omaha they say involved MS-13 gang members. (Courtesy of ICE)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>No state expense&nbsp;</h2>State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, said he was privy to a quick briefing on the state’s immigration enforcement efforts. He said he learned the federal government will fully reimburse Nebraska for costs, with reimbursement rates anticipated to exceed the daily costs.Costs wouldn’t be passed on to Nebraskans, he said, adding that it’s still too early to quantify any potential savings through reduced state spending.“I’m supportive of the president enforcing the law,” Clements said.&nbsp;He said he was told the facility was to be used for low- to medium-security risk detainees.&nbsp;“I was pleased that the McCook people wouldn’t be exposed to a higher level of security than what they currently have,” Clements added.State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, who represents the McCook area, told the Examiner he was informed about the ICE plans “as soon as the governor knew.”Murman said the people in his district are “generally in support of what the president is doing,” but said he figures some people “have some concerns.”“President Trump does move quickly on everything he does. … He’s moving quickly to get his policies in place,” Murman said. “and that includes what he’s doing out here with the facility in McCook.”A Homeland Security news release labeled the facility the “Cornhusker Clink” and said it would house criminal ICE detainees — “the worst of the worst.”&nbsp;“This agreement was made possible by the One Big Beautiful Bill,” the statement said. “This law fully funded the 287(g) program and provided funding to secure 80,000 new beds for ICE to utilize when detaining and deporting the worst of the worst.”It went on to say: “Thanks to Governor Pillen for his partnership …. If you are in America illegally … Avoid arrest and self deport now using the CBP Home App.”<h2>Midwestern hub for ICE</h2>Nebraska’s Correctional Services Director Rob Jeffreys, in a news conference at the Capitol, said the facility won’t house the “worst of the worst” but would be used for detainees at the “low level and medium.”Jeffreys said the facility would be the Midwestern hub for ICE. He added that the nearby McCook Ben Nelson Airport could be used for deportations, but the logistics are still being worked out.A handful of protesters gathered outside of the press conference that included Jeffreys, Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Bryan Waugh and Nebraska National Guard Maj. Gen. Craig Strong.“It’s incredibly frustrating that no matter how much it looks like people are saying, ‘Stop’ — no one actually in power is doing what needs to be done and stopping it,” said Jaci Vetro, a Lincoln resident.Nebraska U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., said he views the move as a way to support the local community and keep jobs in McCook. “I support President Trump’s actions to protect our communities and Gov. Pillen’s work to bring DHS investment to Nebraska,” Ricketts said in a statement.The Homeland Security statement said that the Nebraska facility marks the third state partnership to expand ICE detention space “following Alligator Alcatraz and Speedway Slammer.”Speedway Slammer is their nickname for ICE’s new facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana, referencing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is about 75 miles away.&nbsp;<h2>More partnerships</h2>In addition to the McCook center, Pillen announced two other state-federal partnerships with Homeland Security.&nbsp;&nbsp;For one, the Nebraska National Guard will provide about 20 soldiers to help Nebraska-based ICE agents carry out enforcement duties. Training is to begin within the next week.Also at Pillen’s direction, the Nebraska State Patrol announced it would sign a 287(g) agreement that empowers state troopers to help ICE arrest migrants in the country without authorization who break the law.So named for its section of immigration law, the often-controversial program delegates state and local law enforcement officers authority to perform immigration officer functions under the federal agency’s direction and oversight.Pillen turned to an arrest earlier this summer in Omaha when Nebraska law enforcement agents worked with ICE to arrest a person ICE described as a “drug-trafficking kingpin and murderer.”“This stuff hits close to home — and hits every corner of this state and country,” he said. “Government’s most important job is to keep us safe, and that’s why the State of Nebraska, under my leadership, is partnering with President Trump.”Three Nebraska county sheriff’s offices currently are authorized for the 287(g) program —&nbsp;Brown, Dakota and Wheeler.&nbsp;<h2>280 beds</h2>The Homeland Security and Pillen confirmations of the McCook ICE facility revealed that it would provide up to 280 beds at the site of the existing Work Ethic Camp, which was built to house up to 200 people in a medium-security facility operated by the Nebraska state prison system.&nbsp;Gene Weedin, a McCook City Council member, said he was still learning details and forming an opinion about the center coming to his city. Nebraska owns nearly 45 acres at the McCook site.&nbsp;Weedin said Pillen was in McCook with Corrections Director Jeffreys over the weekend talking to various local officials. Weedin’s understanding is that the state prison facility would stop operating in its current form, start functioning as the federal immigration detention facility, and that those currently in the facility would be transferred to other places.He said the people currently housed at the center have contributed to the community by picking up trash, putting up annual Christmas decorations and doing other public service.“There are just a lot of questions,” said Weedin.<h2>Staffing shortage</h2>Nebraska has historically struggled to hire enough staff to use the McCook center as it was originally intended, to reform younger men who’ve committed crimes by assigning them jobs and tasks. The camp focuses its counseling and other efforts on encouraging behavior changes to reduce recidivism.It is the least crowded of Nebraska’s adult prison facilities, running a daily census of about 184 in Fiscal Year 2025. But it is also one of the prison facilities with the greatest need for additional staffing. The department’s census says it was staffed to house an average of about 125 people in FY 2025.Cristine Schwartz, the public information officer at the McCook Work Ethic Camp, referred calls to a state Correctional Services spokeswoman, who did not immediately return calls.&nbsp;State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner, who represents part of west-central Nebraska outside of McCook, said she only just learned about the ICE effort and was “still gathering more information.”The state has been working around the Douglas County Jail in Omaha no longer actively participating in ICE detentions. Detainees from eastern Nebraska have been sent to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and as far away as the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte — where the 76 workers arrested in the high-profile immigration raid at Omaha’s Glenn Valley plant were transported. Many are still there.<h2>Other ICE contracts</h2>ICE also plans to contract with jails in eastern Nebraska’s Sarpy and Cass Counties for 30 beds each and the Washington County Jail for 15, according to ICE documents the Washington Post obtained.Pillen’s announcement is apparently Nebraska’s contribution to a plan that the federal documents showed would open or expand 125 immigration detention facilities this year.In its detention expansion strategy, the Trump administration has revived other dormant prisons, repurposed military bases and secured partnerships with private prison contractors, local sheriffs and Republican governors to house its record number of detainees, the Post reported.By January, the documents indicate, ICE would have capacity to hold more than 107,000 people, up from close to 50,000 currently. The documents, last updated July 30, reflected ICE intentions to rely increasingly on makeshift “soft-sided” structures that could be built in a few weeks and taken down as easily. The government is also planning to make more room for detaining parents and children.The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska is among critics of the Pillen plan, calling it “a new low point and way out of step with where most Nebraskans are on this issue.”“Imagine hearing about the cruel rights violations happening in other states’ ICE detention sites and thinking that we need our own heartland horror,” said Mindy Rush Chipman, executive director of ACLU Nebraska.Nebraska Democratic Party officials described creation of the detention facility in McCook as a “bend the knee” moment by top Republicans in Nebraska, and the governor’s participation as disgusting.“They promised to go after criminals and instead have locked up hardworking moms and dads who contribute their skills to our agricultural economy,” said Jane Kleeb, state party chair. “Creating fear and division … does not have to be the Cornhusker way.”Nebraska Appleseed called the governor’s cooperation part of a “harmful, dangerous and rapid expansion” of detainment camps that “repeat a deeply ugly pattern of history.”Darcy Tromanhauser, the advocacy agency’s immigrants and communities program director, urged officials instead to update immigration laws.&nbsp;“Nebraskans want policy change, not punishment,” she said.Earlier this month, Noem revealed in an interview with CBS News that Nebraska was being considered as a home to one of the state-run, federally funded migrant detention centers that the Trump administration hoped to launch across the country in the likeness of the one dubbed Alligator Alcatraz.Noem said she had already appealed to governors and state leaders. Strimple acknowledged the possibility at the time, saying the governor would “make details public at the appropriate time.”Nebraska Examiner’s Aaron Sanderford, Zach Wendling and Juan Salinas II contributed to this report.

Next federal immigration detention center to open in Nebraska

DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement on Tuesday shared a unique video of an arrest after a chase following a crash on a Kansas highway.

On Monday night, sheriff's deputies used a drone to locate a suspect in a field near the unincorporated Douglas County community of Vinland, according to the Douglas County Sheriff.

He had fled from a crash into a ditch in a vehicle that identified as involved in an earlier pursuit with another agency.

DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement on Tuesday shared a unique video of an arrest after a chase following a crash on a Kansas highway.On Monday night, sheriff's deputies used a drone to locate a suspect in a field near the unincorporated Douglas County community of Vinland, according to the Douglas County Sheriff.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Deputies on Monday night used a drone to locate a suspect in a field near Vinland. He had fled from a crash into a ditch. Deputies identified the vehicle as one involved in an earlier pursuit with another agency. <a href="https://t.co/BdpKqBt8Rq">pic.twitter.com/BdpKqBt8Rq</a>&mdash; Douglas Co. Sheriff (@DGSOSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/DGSOSheriff/status/1957904224886403179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He had fled from a crash into a ditch in a vehicle that identified as involved in an earlier pursuit with another agency.

🎥 Kan. deputies use a drone to capture suspect hiding in a field

JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a large house fire in Johnson County.

Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, crews responded to a home near 119th and Cherokee lane in Leawood after a 911 caller reported smoke in the area, according to the Leawood Fire Department.

First arriving crews found heavy smoke coming from the eaves of a large home. Fire moved into the attic and burned through the roof. Overland Park fire crews also responded to assist.

Two firefighters were injured. One was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The other was treated on the scene. There was nobody home at the time of the fire.

119th Street was closed at Cherokee for several hours while crews battled the blaze and investigated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755684945461.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a large house fire in Johnson County.Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, crews responded to a home near 119th and Cherokee lane in Leawood after a 911 caller reported smoke in the area, according to the Leawood Fire Department.First arriving crews found heavy smoke coming from the eaves of a large home. Fire moved into the attic and burned through the roof. Overland Park fire crews also responded to assist.Two firefighters were injured. One was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The other was treated on the scene. There was nobody home at the time of the fire.119th Street was closed at Cherokee for several hours while crews battled the blaze and investigated.

Two firefighters injured battling  large Kansas house fire

The Kansas City Missouri Police Department is seeking information to help identify suspects in an aggravated assault that occurred in the area of 27th Street and Indiana Ave on August 16.

 A large group riding ATV’s and dirt bikes followed the victim from E 18th and Grand Ave to E 27th St and Indiana Avenue where one of the riders shot into the vehicle, in which two children were riding in, striking two adults, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

If you have any information, please contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the Assault Unit at 816-234-5227.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755644194648.png" alt="KCTV" />
 <figcaption>KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas City Missouri Police Department is seeking information to help identify suspects in an aggravated assault that occurred in the area of 27th Street and Indiana Ave on August 16. A large group riding ATV’s and dirt bikes followed the victim from E 18th and Grand Ave to E 27th St and Indiana Avenue where one of the riders shot into the vehicle, in which two children were riding in, striking two adults, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.If you have any information, please contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the Assault Unit at 816-234-5227.

KCPD: Group of ATVs, bikes shot into car with children inside

JOHNSON COUNTY — A man admitted his role in a drug overdose death.

On August 14, Joseph Thomas Miller pleaded guilty to distribution of drugs causing death in connection with he death of 33-year-old Mason Findley of Wellsville in August of 2024, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

In February,&nbsp; police found and arrested Miller in Kansas City in connection with the alleged crime, according to Jackson County court records.&nbsp;

In August of 2024, Miller sold a controlled substance to Findley which ultimately caused his death, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Johnson County, Kansas District Attorney's office.

Miller of Blue Springs was extradited to Kansas to face justice. He is scheduled for sentencing on October 8.&nbsp; <a href="https://memorials.brucefuneralhome.com/mason-findley/5476330/">Click here to read Mason Findley's obituary.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755639317775.png" alt="Mason Findley is survived by a wife and three children. Photo courtesy Bruce Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Mason Findley is survived by a wife and three children. Photo courtesy Bruce Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY — A man admitted his role in a drug overdose death.On August 14, Joseph Thomas Miller pleaded guilty to distribution of drugs causing death in connection with he death of 33-year-old Mason Findley of Wellsville in August of 2024, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755391331093.png" alt="Miller photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Miller photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>In February,&nbsp; police found and arrested Miller in Kansas City in connection with the alleged crime, according to Jackson County court records.&nbsp;In August of 2024, Miller sold a controlled substance to Findley which ultimately caused his death, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Johnson County, Kansas District Attorney's office.Miller of Blue Springs was extradited to Kansas to face justice. He is scheduled for sentencing on October 8.&nbsp; <a href="https://memorials.brucefuneralhome.com/mason-findley/5476330/">Click here to read Mason Findley's obituary.</a>

Suspect admits selling drugs that killed Kansas man

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: &quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/AGAndrewBailey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGAndrewBailey</a> is extremely qualified. He&#39;s been serving with honor as the Attorney General of Missouri, and he&#39;s been brought on as another set of very credible and experienced hands to work alongside the current Deputy Director, <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDDBongino?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBIDDBongino</a>...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Wc2CIjX5uT">https://t.co/Wc2CIjX5uT</a> <a href="https://t.co/c6Inu6KSYA">pic.twitter.com/c6Inu6KSYA</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957860672403878199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥White House statement on former Mo. AG joining FBI in DC

KANSAS CITY—Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.

Just before 3:30a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported&nbsp;house&nbsp;fire in the 8600 block of Thompson Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755631351209.png" alt="Photo KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.Just before 3:30a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported&nbsp;house&nbsp;fire in the 8600 block of Thompson Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.&nbsp;Crews reported fire showing from the 1-story structure on arrival and initiated an offensive fire attack advancing hoselines inside the structure. A working fire response was ordered. While advancing to extinguishing the fire, crews encountered holes in the floor, as well as a large amount of fire coming from the crawl space below. Orders were given to evacuate the structure and changed the mode to a defensive fire attack. Three hoselines were used from the exterior while flypipe operations were being set up and eventually initiated.&nbsp;&nbsp;The fire was brought under control at 4:44 a.m., and flypipe operations were shut down. Crews continued with exposing and extinguishing fire with handlines.&nbsp;Dangerous Buildings was called to the scene to evaluate the structure. There were no injuries were reported. A damage estimate has not been released.