NEW CENTURY, Kansas. –&nbsp;Kansas Department of Corrections resident Anthony Mansfield has been placed on escape status at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday after not returning to the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) or reporting to his job Wednesday, according to a media release from the KDOC.

Mansfield, a 36-year old white male, is considered dangerous. He was reported missing when the resident could not be located at the minimum-security unit. This walkaway does not impact the security or operations of the medium-maximum secure compound.

Mansfield is 5-feet, 8-inches tall, and weighs 185 pounds with an average build. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a&nbsp;white t-shirt with black designs, long black sleeve undershirt, brown boots, brown baseball hat and stonewashed jeans .

Mansfield was convicted in Johnson County for eight-months of incarceration for criminal damage to property convictions. He is serving that sentence at the JCDOC-ARC from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents who have release plans that are appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC.

Anyone with information on Mansfield can call EAI at 816-266-2102, JCDOC at 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745669722214.jpeg" alt="Image from an earlier arrest in Missouri" />
 <figcaption>Image from an earlier arrest in Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW CENTURY, Kansas. –&nbsp;Kansas Department of Corrections resident Anthony Mansfield has been placed on escape status at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday after not returning to the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) or reporting to his job Wednesday, according to a media release from the KDOC.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748524255503.png" alt="Mansfield photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Mansfield photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>Mansfield, a 36-year old white male, is considered dangerous. He was reported missing when the resident could not be located at the minimum-security unit. This walkaway does not impact the security or operations of the medium-maximum secure compound.Mansfield is 5-feet, 8-inches tall, and weighs 185 pounds with an average build. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a&nbsp;white t-shirt with black designs, long black sleeve undershirt, brown boots, brown baseball hat and stonewashed jeans .Mansfield was convicted in Johnson County for eight-months of incarceration for criminal damage to property convictions. He is serving that sentence at the JCDOC-ARC from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents who have release plans that are appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC.Anyone with information on Mansfield can call EAI at 816-266-2102, JCDOC at 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911.

Dangerous inmate still missing from Kan. work release facility

WEBSTER COUNTY —Two teens died in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Thursday in Webster County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Mercury Mariner driven by a 17-year-old Rogersville girl was northbound on the median crossover of U.S. 60 toward Porter Crossing Road just east of Rogersville.

 A westbound Kenworth semi struck the Mercury as the SUV began crossing westbound lanes of U.S. 60. After impact the SUV rolled and traveled off the road.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Two passengers identified as a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy both of Rogersville were pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported the SUV driver to Cox South Hospital in Springfield.&nbsp; The semi 78-year-old semi driver from Monticello, Kentucky, was not injured.&nbsp; All four were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

WEBSTER COUNTY —Two teens died in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Thursday in Webster County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Mercury Mariner driven by a 17-year-old Rogersville girl was northbound on the median crossover of U.S. 60 toward Porter Crossing Road just east of Rogersville. A westbound Kenworth semi struck the Mercury as the SUV began crossing westbound lanes of U.S. 60. After impact the SUV rolled and traveled off the road.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two passengers identified as a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy both of Rogersville were pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported the SUV driver to Cox South Hospital in Springfield.&nbsp; The semi 78-year-old semi driver from Monticello, Kentucky, was not injured.&nbsp; All four were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Two Missouri teens killed after semi, SUV crash

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Grant Matthew Hardin.

FBI Little Rock is assisting the USMS, DOC, &amp; ASP with the search for and apprehension of this individual.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExV2NxckREenhxSk9iMWZoZwEepqRynVjsKOr_ysoogmvZ_poYxgEFDunn2yRiI7W7X25WFtfGYFXE0UmQ7Ys_aem_v42mnv0xMoHz6XoHe9QlIA" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>

On Sunday, May 25, at approximately 2:55 p.m., inmate Grant Hardin, ADC #168541, escaped from the North Central Unit. This has been updated since the original reported time of 3:40 p.m. following review of the surveillance footage.

Anyone with information about inmate Hardin’s whereabouts should contact local law enforcement immediately.

The Division of Correction and the Division of Community Correction are working with local, state and federal law enforcement to follow leads.

Hardin has been at the North Central Unit since 2017, serving a 30-year sentence for first degree murder, as well as an additional sentence for rape. Hardin was the former police chief for the city of Gateway with a background in law enforcement.

UPDATE:&nbsp;As of 11:30 PM on Sunday, May 25, the search for inmate Grant Hardin, ADC # 168541, is ongoing. The search is a joint effort including the Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police, and local and state law enforcement offices.

It has been determined that Hardin was wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement when he escaped the facility. He was not wearing a Department of Corrections uniform, and all DOC-issued equipment has been accounted for.

Officials continue to utilize a variety of means to track Hardin, as well as investigating the events that led up to his escape. Further updates will be provided as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748562682920.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Grant Matthew Hardin.FBI Little Rock is assisting the USMS, DOC, &amp; ASP with the search for and apprehension of this individual.Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExV2NxckREenhxSk9iMWZoZwEepqRynVjsKOr_ysoogmvZ_poYxgEFDunn2yRiI7W7X25WFtfGYFXE0UmQ7Ys_aem_v42mnv0xMoHz6XoHe9QlIA" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>----------------------On Sunday, May 25, at approximately 2:55 p.m., inmate Grant Hardin, ADC #168541, escaped from the North Central Unit. This has been updated since the original reported time of 3:40 p.m. following review of the surveillance footage.Anyone with information about inmate Hardin’s whereabouts should contact local law enforcement immediately.The Division of Correction and the Division of Community Correction are working with local, state and federal law enforcement to follow leads.Hardin has been at the North Central Unit since 2017, serving a 30-year sentence for first degree murder, as well as an additional sentence for rape. Hardin was the former police chief for the city of Gateway with a background in law enforcement.UPDATE:&nbsp;As of 11:30 PM on Sunday, May 25, the search for inmate Grant Hardin, ADC # 168541, is ongoing. The search is a joint effort including the Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police, and local and state law enforcement offices.It has been determined that Hardin was wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement when he escaped the facility. He was not wearing a Department of Corrections uniform, and all DOC-issued equipment has been accounted for.Officials continue to utilize a variety of means to track Hardin, as well as investigating the events that led up to his escape. Further updates will be provided as they become available.

FBI: Reward offered for 'Devil in the Ozarks' prison escapee

WASHINGTON— Hormel Foods Corporation, a Tucker, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 256,185 pounds of canned beef stew product that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically wood, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced this week, according to a media release.

The canned beef stew item was produced on February 4, 2025. The following product is subject to recall [<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/food_label_pdf/2025-05/recall-018-2025-labels.pdf">view labels</a>]:

The product subject to recall bears establishment number “EST 199G” printed on the can. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered after the establishment notified FSIS that they had received three consumer complaints reporting pieces of wood in the beef stew product.

There have been no confirmed reports of injury due to consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume it. This product should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at&nbsp;www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Hormel Foods Corporation at 800-523-4635 or media@hormel.com.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748601779129.png" alt="USDA courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>USDA courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON— Hormel Foods Corporation, a Tucker, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 256,185 pounds of canned beef stew product that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically wood, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced this week, according to a media release.The canned beef stew item was produced on February 4, 2025. The following product is subject to recall [<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/food_label_pdf/2025-05/recall-018-2025-labels.pdf">view labels</a>]:<ul>
 <li>20-oz. metal cans containing “Dinty Moore BEEF STEW” with “BEST BY FEB 2028” and lot code “T02045” printed on the can. The lot code may have an additional number at the end.</li>
 </ul>The product subject to recall bears establishment number “EST 199G” printed on the can. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.The problem was discovered after the establishment notified FSIS that they had received three consumer complaints reporting pieces of wood in the beef stew product.There have been no confirmed reports of injury due to consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider.&nbsp;&nbsp;FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume it. This product should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at&nbsp;www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Hormel Foods Corporation at 800-523-4635 or media@hormel.com.Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.

USDA recalls 256,000 pounds of Dinty Moore beef stew 

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces charges for a fatal shooting that occurred earlier this month.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2630/R-Turner-Complaint-redacted">Rasheed M. Turner</a>, 25, faces one count of 2nd Degree Murder and one count of Armed Criminal Action, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor's office.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2631/RTurnerPC-Statement-Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to W. 37th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue on May 13 and located a deceased female victim in the street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds near a parked Chevrolet Malibu.

Witnesses reported they heard gunshots and a woman screaming. Some reported seeing a male exit from the side of the Malibu and run to the driver side of a blue Ford Mustang.&nbsp;

Detectives were able to identify the defendant based on city cameras capturing his Ford Mustang near the scene, text messages exchanged with the victim, and social media.

The victim had a temporary order of protection against the defendant at the time of the shooting.&nbsp;

The defendant is being held without bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748465620281.png" alt="Turner photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Turner photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces charges for a fatal shooting that occurred earlier this month.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2630/R-Turner-Complaint-redacted">Rasheed M. Turner</a>, 25, faces one count of 2nd Degree Murder and one count of Armed Criminal Action, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor's office.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2631/RTurnerPC-Statement-Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to W. 37th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue on May 13 and located a deceased female victim in the street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds near a parked Chevrolet Malibu.Witnesses reported they heard gunshots and a woman screaming. Some reported seeing a male exit from the side of the Malibu and run to the driver side of a blue Ford Mustang.&nbsp;Detectives were able to identify the defendant based on city cameras capturing his Ford Mustang near the scene, text messages exchanged with the victim, and social media.The victim had a temporary order of protection against the defendant at the time of the shooting.&nbsp;The defendant is being held without bond.&nbsp;

Text messages helped police ID Kansas City homicide suspect 

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 3p.m.&nbsp;May 27, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office Investigator conducted a traffic stop at K-31 Highway and Lewelling Road for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. 

During the stop, illegal narcotics were located. Emily T. Hurla, 34, of Osage City was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Interference with law enforcement, No liability insurance, and Illegal registration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748428518605.png" alt="Hurla-photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Hurla-photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 3p.m.&nbsp;May 27, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office Investigator conducted a traffic stop at K-31 Highway and Lewelling Road for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, illegal narcotics were located. Emily T. Hurla, 34, of Osage City was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Interference with law enforcement, No liability insurance, and Illegal registration.

Kansas woman accused of transporting meth

The vehicle stops report issued for 2023 did not include a ‘disparity index’ showing whether police stopped drivers in minority groups more frequently than white drivers&nbsp;

BY:&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>

A new lawsuit filed by the Missouri NAACP accuses Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey of failing to follow state law last year when the&nbsp;<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/get-help/vehicle-stops-report/" target="_blank">annual vehicle stops report</a>&nbsp;omitted data that shows whether minority motorists are being stopped more frequently than white drivers.

Filed Tuesday in Cole County, the lawsuit also accuses Bailey and the University of Missouri of violating the state Sunshine Law by withholding documents showing why the information called a disparity index was left out of the report on stops during 2023 and whether it was calculated at all.

The lawsuit was filed just days before the report for stops in 2024 is due on Sunday.

The disparity index is a ratio of stops among an identifiable group compared to their share of the population of driving age. If the ratio is one, it means that traffic stops in that particular group align with their share of the whole.

Bailey “has an absolute, statutory and ministerial duty, pursuant to (state law), to include a ‘disparity index,’ that is a comparison of the percentage of stopped motor vehicles driven by each minority group and the percentage of the state’s population that each minority group comprises, in his annual report,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Mandamus,%20Declaratory%20Judgment,%20Injunction%20and%20Judicial%20Enforcement%20of%20Public%20Records%20Law.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3571338" target="_blank">the lawsuit states</a>.

In the&nbsp;<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/VSR-2023.pdf" target="_blank">executive summary</a>&nbsp;of the report issued June 1, 2024, the omission was explained as a decision to stop using a data point of questionable value and sometimes incorrect interpretation.

A disparity index of two for any minority group, the summary states, means very different things in a community where 10% of the population are members of that group compared to a community where 50% of the population are members of that group.

“The (vehicle stops report) already provides detailed information on traffic stops and rates relative to subgroup population, so no new objective information is provided by calculating the index,” the summary states.

But Rod Chapel, president of the Missouri NAACP and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said questions about the usefulness of a data point are not enough to excuse ignoring the law that requires it.

“The requirements of the statute are clear, there shall be a disparity index that is produced by the attorney general,” he said. “Last year, Attorney General Bailey recognized that, I think, in his summary, and chose not to do it.”

For the state as a whole, the&nbsp;<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/VSRstatereport2023.pdf" target="_blank">report for 2023 shows</a>, 538 police agencies made almost 1.4 million traffic stops, issued almost 570,000 citations and made 57,713 arrests. White motorists accounted for 77% of the stops, another 17.3% of the motorists were Black and 3.1% were Hispanic.

The Independent calculated a disparity index that showed the index for white drivers was 0.97 while the index for black drivers was 1.59. For Hispanic drivers, the disparity index was 0.8, indicating stops in smaller numbers than their portion of the population. Those figures are&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/03/report-shows-black-drivers-in-missouri-ticketed-arrested-at-much-higher-numbers-than-whites/">similar to what past reports showed</a>.&nbsp;

In the lawsuit, the NAACP is asking for an order directing Bailey to publish the disparity index calculations for the state as a whole and for the 538 police agencies that submitted reports on their traffic stops. The lawsuit also asks for an order stating he has a statutory obligation to include it in future reports and to turn over records requested last year regarding the decision to omit the index.

The Sunshine Law violations alleged in the lawsuit state that the last communication from the attorney general’s office regarding a Nov. 13 request for records was Feb. 26. Bailey’s office said records would be ready in a week but has not delivered them, the lawsuit states.

The University of Missouri performed calculations presented in the report, and the NAACP sought records regarding those calculations and the decision not to include the index. On May 16, the university, after taking six months, delivered 443,000 documents. But it also said, according to the lawsuit, that “many of the records identified in response to your search criteria have been withheld” under Sunshine Law provisions allowing records to be closed.&nbsp;

One of the exemptions cited is that the withheld records were related to legal actions or litigation or confidential or privileged communications with attorneys. In the court filing, the NAACP says that claim is a ruse because, other than the lawsuit filed Tuesday, the University of Missouri is “not involved in legal actions, causes of action or litigation involving the requested documents.”

Bailey’s office said it would not comment on the lawsuit.&nbsp;

University of Missouri spokesman Christopher Ave, in an email, said “we deny liability for the violation alleged in this case and plan to present our defenses in court.”

The vehicle stops report has been published since 2000 under a law intended to detect and prevent racial profiling of motorists. The data reported has been refined over the years, including the disparity index.

The most recent version of the disparity index, before it was discontinued, was calculated based on total stops within a jurisdiction and for stops of motorists who reside within that jurisdiction.

That is an improvement in the data, Chapel said, because it shows whether minority visitors to tourist areas are being stopped in greater numbers than the resident population. The NAACP&nbsp;<a href="https://www.monaacp.org/travel-advisory" target="_blank">travel advisory for Missouri</a>&nbsp;issued in 2017 used data from the vehicle stops reports to state that “African Americans are 75 per cent more likely to be stopped and searched based on skin color than Caucasians.”

The allegation is supported by data on stops that result in discovery of contraband, Chapel said.

“If you look at most of the data, it says that black and brown people get stopped more than anybody else, but the rate at which they’re found with contraband is lower,” Chapel said. “So that would say that we are misusing community resources in a way that is not effective.”

In 2023, 25.5% of white drivers stopped had contraband, compared to 20.5% for Black drivers and 16.3% for Hispanic drivers. Black and Hispanic drivers were, however, much more likely to receive a citation after the stop, with 38.2% of white drivers stopped receiving a ticket, compared to 55.2% for Black drivers and 50.4% for Hispanic drivers.

Don Love of Columbia, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lovemissourivehiclestopsreport/home?authuser=0" target="_blank">analyzing the annual vehicle stops reports</a>&nbsp;for more than a decade, said that he dislikes the disparity index because it is an imprecise measure of officer motives for a stop.

He’s argued for a new method to replace it.

“What they did wasn’t replace it, but just to leave it out entirely,” Love said. “It wasn’t good, but it’s illegal for them not to have it in there.”

The use of ratios to analyze the data should be expanded, he said, to cover other data in the report, including the number of drivers searched, the contraband found and the arrests made, as well as whether drivers get a citation or just a warning.

Breaking the stop data into resident and non-resident stops added a new dimension to the data, Love said.

“If you look at what happens for Black drivers when they leave their home jurisdictions and go someplace else, there’s something more than two times the white rate,” he said.

Omitting the disparity index was not done without thought, Chapel said. The lawsuit is intended to discover the motive and prove that the law requires it as part of the report, he added.

“There’s any number of things that the attorney general is supposed to do,” Chapel said, “and if he’s just making the decision not to do it, we deserve to know.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748540931000.png" alt=" Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel Jr. speaks during a May 15 rally on the Missouri Capitol steps (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel Jr. speaks during a May 15 rally on the Missouri Capitol steps (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The vehicle stops report issued for 2023 did not include a ‘disparity index’ showing whether police stopped drivers in minority groups more frequently than white drivers&nbsp;</h2>BY:&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>A new lawsuit filed by the Missouri NAACP accuses Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey of failing to follow state law last year when the&nbsp;<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/get-help/vehicle-stops-report/" target="_blank">annual vehicle stops report</a>&nbsp;omitted data that shows whether minority motorists are being stopped more frequently than white drivers.Filed Tuesday in Cole County, the lawsuit also accuses Bailey and the University of Missouri of violating the state Sunshine Law by withholding documents showing why the information called a disparity index was left out of the report on stops during 2023 and whether it was calculated at all.The lawsuit was filed just days before the report for stops in 2024 is due on Sunday.The disparity index is a ratio of stops among an identifiable group compared to their share of the population of driving age. If the ratio is one, it means that traffic stops in that particular group align with their share of the whole.Bailey “has an absolute, statutory and ministerial duty, pursuant to (state law), to include a ‘disparity index,’ that is a comparison of the percentage of stopped motor vehicles driven by each minority group and the percentage of the state’s population that each minority group comprises, in his annual report,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Mandamus,%20Declaratory%20Judgment,%20Injunction%20and%20Judicial%20Enforcement%20of%20Public%20Records%20Law.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3571338" target="_blank">the lawsuit states</a>.In the&nbsp;<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/VSR-2023.pdf" target="_blank">executive summary</a>&nbsp;of the report issued June 1, 2024, the omission was explained as a decision to stop using a data point of questionable value and sometimes incorrect interpretation.A disparity index of two for any minority group, the summary states, means very different things in a community where 10% of the population are members of that group compared to a community where 50% of the population are members of that group.“The (vehicle stops report) already provides detailed information on traffic stops and rates relative to subgroup population, so no new objective information is provided by calculating the index,” the summary states.But Rod Chapel, president of the Missouri NAACP and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said questions about the usefulness of a data point are not enough to excuse ignoring the law that requires it.“The requirements of the statute are clear, there shall be a disparity index that is produced by the attorney general,” he said. “Last year, Attorney General Bailey recognized that, I think, in his summary, and chose not to do it.”For the state as a whole, the&nbsp;<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/VSRstatereport2023.pdf" target="_blank">report for 2023 shows</a>, 538 police agencies made almost 1.4 million traffic stops, issued almost 570,000 citations and made 57,713 arrests. White motorists accounted for 77% of the stops, another 17.3% of the motorists were Black and 3.1% were Hispanic.The Independent calculated a disparity index that showed the index for white drivers was 0.97 while the index for black drivers was 1.59. For Hispanic drivers, the disparity index was 0.8, indicating stops in smaller numbers than their portion of the population. Those figures are&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/03/report-shows-black-drivers-in-missouri-ticketed-arrested-at-much-higher-numbers-than-whites/">similar to what past reports showed</a>.&nbsp;In the lawsuit, the NAACP is asking for an order directing Bailey to publish the disparity index calculations for the state as a whole and for the 538 police agencies that submitted reports on their traffic stops. The lawsuit also asks for an order stating he has a statutory obligation to include it in future reports and to turn over records requested last year regarding the decision to omit the index.The Sunshine Law violations alleged in the lawsuit state that the last communication from the attorney general’s office regarding a Nov. 13 request for records was Feb. 26. Bailey’s office said records would be ready in a week but has not delivered them, the lawsuit states.The University of Missouri performed calculations presented in the report, and the NAACP sought records regarding those calculations and the decision not to include the index. On May 16, the university, after taking six months, delivered 443,000 documents. But it also said, according to the lawsuit, that “many of the records identified in response to your search criteria have been withheld” under Sunshine Law provisions allowing records to be closed.&nbsp;One of the exemptions cited is that the withheld records were related to legal actions or litigation or confidential or privileged communications with attorneys. In the court filing, the NAACP says that claim is a ruse because, other than the lawsuit filed Tuesday, the University of Missouri is “not involved in legal actions, causes of action or litigation involving the requested documents.”Bailey’s office said it would not comment on the lawsuit.&nbsp;University of Missouri spokesman Christopher Ave, in an email, said “we deny liability for the violation alleged in this case and plan to present our defenses in court.”The vehicle stops report has been published since 2000 under a law intended to detect and prevent racial profiling of motorists. The data reported has been refined over the years, including the disparity index.The most recent version of the disparity index, before it was discontinued, was calculated based on total stops within a jurisdiction and for stops of motorists who reside within that jurisdiction.That is an improvement in the data, Chapel said, because it shows whether minority visitors to tourist areas are being stopped in greater numbers than the resident population. The NAACP&nbsp;<a href="https://www.monaacp.org/travel-advisory" target="_blank">travel advisory for Missouri</a>&nbsp;issued in 2017 used data from the vehicle stops reports to state that “African Americans are 75 per cent more likely to be stopped and searched based on skin color than Caucasians.”The allegation is supported by data on stops that result in discovery of contraband, Chapel said.“If you look at most of the data, it says that black and brown people get stopped more than anybody else, but the rate at which they’re found with contraband is lower,” Chapel said. “So that would say that we are misusing community resources in a way that is not effective.”In 2023, 25.5% of white drivers stopped had contraband, compared to 20.5% for Black drivers and 16.3% for Hispanic drivers. Black and Hispanic drivers were, however, much more likely to receive a citation after the stop, with 38.2% of white drivers stopped receiving a ticket, compared to 55.2% for Black drivers and 50.4% for Hispanic drivers.Don Love of Columbia, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lovemissourivehiclestopsreport/home?authuser=0" target="_blank">analyzing the annual vehicle stops reports</a>&nbsp;for more than a decade, said that he dislikes the disparity index because it is an imprecise measure of officer motives for a stop.He’s argued for a new method to replace it.“What they did wasn’t replace it, but just to leave it out entirely,” Love said. “It wasn’t good, but it’s illegal for them not to have it in there.”The use of ratios to analyze the data should be expanded, he said, to cover other data in the report, including the number of drivers searched, the contraband found and the arrests made, as well as whether drivers get a citation or just a warning.Breaking the stop data into resident and non-resident stops added a new dimension to the data, Love said.“If you look at what happens for Black drivers when they leave their home jurisdictions and go someplace else, there’s something more than two times the white rate,” he said.Omitting the disparity index was not done without thought, Chapel said. The lawsuit is intended to discover the motive and prove that the law requires it as part of the report, he added.“There’s any number of things that the attorney general is supposed to do,” Chapel said, “and if he’s just making the decision not to do it, we deserve to know.”

NAACP lawsuit accuses Missouri AG of illegally withholding info on police vehicle stops

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748524255503.png" alt="Mansfield photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Mansfield photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW CENTURY, Kansas. –&nbsp;Kansas Department of Corrections resident Anthony Mansfield has been placed on escape status at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday after not returning to the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) or reporting to his job Wednesday, according to a media release from the KDOC.Mansfield, a 36-year old white male, is considered dangerous. He was reported missing when the resident could not be located at the minimum-security unit. This walkaway does not impact the security or operations of the medium-maximum secure compound.Mansfield is 5-feet, 8-inches tall, and weighs 185 pounds with an average build. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a&nbsp;white t-shirt with black designs, long black sleeve undershirt, brown boots, brown baseball hat and stonewashed jeans .Mansfield was convicted in Johnson County for eight-months of incarceration for criminal damage to property convictions. He is serving that sentence at the JCDOC-ARC from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents who have release plans that are appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC.Anyone with information on Mansfield can call EAI at 816-266-2102, JCDOC at 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911.

KDOC: Dangerous inmate escaped Kan. work release facility

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A total abortion ban is back in Missouri, and for Kansas clinics, that could mean added strain on a system that already serves as a regional safe haven.

Two recent rulings from a lower court judge allowed Missourians to receive abortion care in major cities, blocking years of restrictions implemented by state lawmakers. Those rulings came after voter approval of a constitutional amendment in November enshrining reproductive freedom in the state constitution.

All of that was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/27/missouri-supreme-court-reinstates-abortion-restrictions-imposing-de-facto-ban/" target="_blank">undone</a>&nbsp;in a two-page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SC101026%20-%20Peremptory%20Writ_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=SC&amp;di=209055" target="_blank">ruling</a>&nbsp;Tuesday from Chief Justice Mary Russell of the Missouri Supreme Court, which ordered Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang to vacate the December and February decisions and reevaluate the case, restoring a ban on abortions and facility licensing restrictions.

Missourians have a constitutional right to reproductive freedom in name only, said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains. She called the Tuesday ruling surprising but added that the organization is accustomed to having to pivot because of court cases and politics.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains has clinics on both sides of the state line, so the impacts of the court’s ruling are widespread for the organization. On the Missouri side, appointment times are being canceled, and care will become scarcer if the ruling remains in place, Wales said. On the Kansas side, the ruling means adding more appointment times and stretching providers to offer care to an entire region.&nbsp;

Trust Women, an independent abortion clinic in Wichita, is actively expanding the number of patients it can take, CEO and president Kathryn Boyd said in a statement.

Boyd called the ban in Missouri “devastating” and a “setback for women’s health, safety, and reproductive rights.” But it’s nothing new, she said.

“We have been providing essential care to people in the face of oppressive policies and threats of violence for a long time,” she said.

Boyd added: “Like in Kansas, Missourians went to the ballot and voted in favor of protecting abortion rights, and now their political leaders are violating the will of the people.”

Kansas abortion clinics serve&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-abortion-clinics-saw-sizable-majority-of-clients-from-out-of-state-in-2024/">mostly out-of-state patients</a>, which has been attributed to its strong reproductive freedoms and its proximity to Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, where residents must seek care away from home.

“Having so few providers to support an entire region is not a sustainable system,” Wales said.

The ruling is a continuation of notoriously difficult-to-access care in Missouri, said Isabel Guarnieri, communications director for the Guttmacher Institute, a health policy research and advocacy organization.

“As of now, the total ban is back in effect, along with other restrictions that force patients to wait and receive counseling before obtaining an abortion and (targeted regulation of abortion providers) laws that make it difficult for clinics to operate,” Guarnieri said in a Wednesday press release.

In 2023, with Missouri’s ban in effect, almost 3,000 Missourians traveled to Kansas for an abortion. More than 8,700 traveled to Illinois. Wales said Planned Parenthood had been hopeful that Missouri’s restoration of access to abortion could have offered Kansas clinics breathing room.

“We know that the demand for the region outpaces what we can provide,” she said.

And that only applies to those who can access care. Without local abortion access, Wales said, people without the ability to travel for care will be left behind.

Missouri lawmakers intend to put another ballot measure before voters, likely in the 2026 general election, that would overturn the November amendment establishing reproductive freedom in the state constitution.

Kansas Republicans have taken a more roundabout approach in presenting to voters an August 2026 referendum on the state Supreme Court justice selection process. Electing state Supreme Court justices by popular vote could give the majority a conservative tilt, paving the way for the reversal of decisions that protect abortion, public school funding and legislative districts, among others.

Attorneys general from Kansas, Missouri and Idaho are involved in a federal lawsuit seeking to rewrite federal prescribing guidelines for medication abortions. The Trump administration has asked the court to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/05/repub/trump-administration-asks-to-dismiss-suit-by-3-gop-states-trying-to-limit-abortion-pill/">dismiss</a>&nbsp;the suit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740446896339.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A total abortion ban is back in Missouri, and for Kansas clinics, that could mean added strain on a system that already serves as a regional safe haven.Two recent rulings from a lower court judge allowed Missourians to receive abortion care in major cities, blocking years of restrictions implemented by state lawmakers. Those rulings came after voter approval of a constitutional amendment in November enshrining reproductive freedom in the state constitution.All of that was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/27/missouri-supreme-court-reinstates-abortion-restrictions-imposing-de-facto-ban/" target="_blank">undone</a>&nbsp;in a two-page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SC101026%20-%20Peremptory%20Writ_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=SC&amp;di=209055" target="_blank">ruling</a>&nbsp;Tuesday from Chief Justice Mary Russell of the Missouri Supreme Court, which ordered Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang to vacate the December and February decisions and reevaluate the case, restoring a ban on abortions and facility licensing restrictions.Missourians have a constitutional right to reproductive freedom in name only, said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains. She called the Tuesday ruling surprising but added that the organization is accustomed to having to pivot because of court cases and politics.Planned Parenthood Great Plains has clinics on both sides of the state line, so the impacts of the court’s ruling are widespread for the organization. On the Missouri side, appointment times are being canceled, and care will become scarcer if the ruling remains in place, Wales said. On the Kansas side, the ruling means adding more appointment times and stretching providers to offer care to an entire region.&nbsp;Trust Women, an independent abortion clinic in Wichita, is actively expanding the number of patients it can take, CEO and president Kathryn Boyd said in a statement.Boyd called the ban in Missouri “devastating” and a “setback for women’s health, safety, and reproductive rights.” But it’s nothing new, she said.“We have been providing essential care to people in the face of oppressive policies and threats of violence for a long time,” she said.Boyd added: “Like in Kansas, Missourians went to the ballot and voted in favor of protecting abortion rights, and now their political leaders are violating the will of the people.”Kansas abortion clinics serve&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-abortion-clinics-saw-sizable-majority-of-clients-from-out-of-state-in-2024/">mostly out-of-state patients</a>, which has been attributed to its strong reproductive freedoms and its proximity to Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, where residents must seek care away from home.“Having so few providers to support an entire region is not a sustainable system,” Wales said.The ruling is a continuation of notoriously difficult-to-access care in Missouri, said Isabel Guarnieri, communications director for the Guttmacher Institute, a health policy research and advocacy organization.“As of now, the total ban is back in effect, along with other restrictions that force patients to wait and receive counseling before obtaining an abortion and (targeted regulation of abortion providers) laws that make it difficult for clinics to operate,” Guarnieri said in a Wednesday press release.In 2023, with Missouri’s ban in effect, almost 3,000 Missourians traveled to Kansas for an abortion. More than 8,700 traveled to Illinois. Wales said Planned Parenthood had been hopeful that Missouri’s restoration of access to abortion could have offered Kansas clinics breathing room.“We know that the demand for the region outpaces what we can provide,” she said.And that only applies to those who can access care. Without local abortion access, Wales said, people without the ability to travel for care will be left behind.Missouri lawmakers intend to put another ballot measure before voters, likely in the 2026 general election, that would overturn the November amendment establishing reproductive freedom in the state constitution.Kansas Republicans have taken a more roundabout approach in presenting to voters an August 2026 referendum on the state Supreme Court justice selection process. Electing state Supreme Court justices by popular vote could give the majority a conservative tilt, paving the way for the reversal of decisions that protect abortion, public school funding and legislative districts, among others.Attorneys general from Kansas, Missouri and Idaho are involved in a federal lawsuit seeking to rewrite federal prescribing guidelines for medication abortions. The Trump administration has asked the court to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/05/repub/trump-administration-asks-to-dismiss-suit-by-3-gop-states-trying-to-limit-abortion-pill/">dismiss</a>&nbsp;the suit.

Kansas abortion clinics could take on more patients in Missouri ban fallout

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 9p.m. Wednesday, patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 9600 block of Fremont Street, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

As officers arrived they were directed to the driveway of a residence where they located a man and woman suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered KCFD EMS to the scene. Medics declared both victims deceased, on scene.

This is being investigated as a homicide and no one is in custody, according to DiMaratino. Preliminary investigation revealed there was an argument that led to a physical confrontation between several individuals. The physical confrontation led to shots being fired and the victims being struck. Police have not released the names of the victims.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.Just after 9p.m. Wednesday, patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 9600 block of Fremont Street, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.As officers arrived they were directed to the driveway of a residence where they located a man and woman suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered KCFD EMS to the scene. Medics declared both victims deceased, on scene.This is being investigated as a homicide and no one is in custody, according to DiMaratino. Preliminary investigation revealed there was an argument that led to a physical confrontation between several individuals. The physical confrontation led to shots being fired and the victims being struck. Police have not released the names of the victims.

Homicide: Man, woman found dead in driveway of Kansas City home

HARTFORD, CT —Julius Jordan Priester,&nbsp; 24, of Wichita, has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with a charge related to his assault of a crew member on a flight from Bradley International Airport Tuesday night, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on May 27,&nbsp; Priester was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 3359 that departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at approximately 9:30 p.m. bound for Chicago.&nbsp; 

Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling “Help me.”&nbsp; He then grabbed a flight attendant (“the victim”), who was seated, shouted “you’re coming with me,” and forcefully brought the victim to the ground.&nbsp; 

Priester then attempted to drag the victim up the aisle. With the assistance of intervening passengers, Priester was returned to his seat where he continued to act erratically and made incoherent statements.&nbsp; The captain declared an emergency and the flight was diverted back to Bradley Airport.&nbsp; After the plane landed safely at Bradley, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.

Priester appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford.&nbsp; He is detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for May 30.

The complaint charges Priester with interference with flight crew members and attendants, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police.&nbsp; The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738800637991.jpg" alt="File photo AP" />
 <figcaption>File photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>HARTFORD, CT —Julius Jordan Priester,&nbsp; 24, of Wichita, has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with a charge related to his assault of a crew member on a flight from Bradley International Airport Tuesday night, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on May 27,&nbsp; Priester was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 3359 that departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at approximately 9:30 p.m. bound for Chicago.&nbsp; Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling “Help me.”&nbsp; He then grabbed a flight attendant (“the victim”), who was seated, shouted “you’re coming with me,” and forcefully brought the victim to the ground.&nbsp; Priester then attempted to drag the victim up the aisle. With the assistance of intervening passengers, Priester was returned to his seat where he continued to act erratically and made incoherent statements.&nbsp; The captain declared an emergency and the flight was diverted back to Bradley Airport.&nbsp; After the plane landed safely at Bradley, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.Priester appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford.&nbsp; He is detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for May 30.The complaint charges Priester with interference with flight crew members and attendants, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police.&nbsp; The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

Feds: Shirtless airline passenger from Kan. tackled flight attendant

SHANNON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Shannon County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Toyota Yaris driven by a 64-year-old Salem, Missouri, man&nbsp; was northbound on MO 19 seventeen miles north of Eminence. The car traveled off the road and struck the south side of the Round Spring Bridge. 

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Wilson Mortuary. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

SHANNON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Shannon County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Toyota Yaris driven by a 64-year-old Salem, Missouri, man&nbsp; was northbound on MO 19 seventeen miles north of Eminence. The car traveled off the road and struck the south side of the Round Spring Bridge. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Wilson Mortuary. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man dies after crash into bridge

LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder and&nbsp; have properly identified the homicide victim as 57-year-old Adolfo Callejo Viniegra, according to Emporia Police Captain Lisa Hayes.

Callejo Viniegra has been living in Emporia under the alias of Raul Rosado Reyes since the early 2000s.

Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found Reyes dead inside the residence.

Emporia Investigations Division led the investigation and identified 36-year-old Alexei Perez-Ricardo as a primary suspect. Perez-Ricardo was apprehended a short time later in eastern Emporia, questioned, and ultimately booked into to the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Murder, Simple Assault and a Weapons Violation.&nbsp;

Detectives believe a confrontation between Reyes and Perez-Ricardo took place on Saturday. Following the confrontation, Perez-Ricardo is believed to have left the scene on foot to areas in eastern Emporia. He was later seen with a bicycle.

Emporia Detectives gathered information from eyewitnesses, home surveillance videos, and cell phones.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748365013935.png" alt="Perez-Ricardo photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Perez-Ricardo photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder and&nbsp; have properly identified the homicide victim as 57-year-old Adolfo Callejo Viniegra, according to Emporia Police Captain Lisa Hayes.Callejo Viniegra has been living in Emporia under the alias of Raul Rosado Reyes since the early 2000s.Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found Reyes dead inside the residence.Emporia Investigations Division led the investigation and identified 36-year-old Alexei Perez-Ricardo as a primary suspect. Perez-Ricardo was apprehended a short time later in eastern Emporia, questioned, and ultimately booked into to the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Murder, Simple Assault and a Weapons Violation.&nbsp;Detectives believe a confrontation between Reyes and Perez-Ricardo took place on Saturday. Following the confrontation, Perez-Ricardo is believed to have left the scene on foot to areas in eastern Emporia. He was later seen with a bicycle.Emporia Detectives gathered information from eyewitnesses, home surveillance videos, and cell phones.&nbsp;

Police:  Kansas homicide victim had been living under an alias for years

TOPEKA, KAN. — A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with defrauding the federal government, by selling crops that he used as collateral for a federal government loan, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Steven W. Porubsky, 48, of Topeka is charged with one count of conversion of mortgaged collateral.

Porubsky is accused of intentionally defrauding the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by converting to his own use agricultural products that were mortgaged to the USDA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the case. 

TOPEKA, KAN. — A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with defrauding the federal government, by selling crops that he used as collateral for a federal government loan, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Steven W. Porubsky, 48, of Topeka is charged with one count of conversion of mortgaged collateral.Porubsky is accused of intentionally defrauding the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by converting to his own use agricultural products that were mortgaged to the USDA.The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the case.

Kansas farmer accused of defrauding federal government 

Bayer is reportedly considering dropping signature product as litigation costs mount and company fails in effort to obtain legal shelter from lawmakers

German chemical giant Bayer received no relief from runaway litigation costs associated with Roundup herbicide Tuesday when the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a $611 million judgment that its product causes cancer.

The decision, in a case&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=WD87059&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0001_WAP" target="_blank">involving three plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=22AC-CC00043&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#header" target="_blank">sued in Cole County</a>, is one of the reasons the company, which acquired Roundup as a product when it merged with Monsanto, in 2018, is considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.producer.com/news/bayer-says-it-could-halt-roundup-weedkiller-sales-over-legal-risks/" target="_blank">dropping the product entirely</a>. The company faces 67,000 lawsuits claiming the main ingredient, glyphosate, causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with many of those cases awaiting trial in St. Louis County, where the company has its Bayer Crop Science headquarters.

The company&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/18/missouri-house-debate-shows-gop-split-over-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">failed to win passage</a>&nbsp;of a bill intended to shield it from litigation in Missouri. The bill narrowly passed the House but lobbying missteps, including a campaign targeting some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">most conservative members</a>&nbsp;of the state Senate, doomed it. The company did win passage of similar legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/04/14/bill-protecting-pesticide-availability-prevails-in-north-dakota-senate/" target="_blank">in North Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXrKePs5Wk" target="_blank">in Georgia</a>.

In November 2023, a Cole County jury awarded $1.6 billion to three plaintiffs who claimed their cancer was caused by glyphosate exposure while using Roundup. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green reduced the $500 million punitive damages awarded to each plaintiff, instead reducing each award by varying amounts.

Green did not change the amounts awarded for actual damages, which ranged from $5.6 million to $38 million and totaled $61.1 million.

With post-judgment interest, the total Bayer owes is now in excess of $700 million.

“We’re certainly pleased with the court of appeals decision that vindicates the jury’s verdict and the trial court’s judgment,” said attorney Matthew Clement of Jefferson City, who represented the plaintiffs in the case. “We’re happy that nothing happened in the legislature, this year at least, that will affect future cases and and will continue to litigate our cases like we had been.”

In a statement issued through Bayer spokesman Brian Leake, the company said it would continue to appeal the case.

“We continue to believe that the trial court committed significant errors by allowing inadmissible and prejudicial testimony into the courtroom which poisoned the jury against the company,” the statement read.

Bayer is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take its appeal of a 2024 Missouri case awarding $1.25 million in damages to John Durnell of St. Louis. The Eastern District Court of Appeals upheld that decision in February and on April 1 the Missouri Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.

The U.S. Supreme Court has given parties until June 9 to file arguments on whether it should accept the case.

“The overwhelming weight of science as well as the assessments of the EPA and leading health regulators and scientists worldwide that support the safety and non-carcinogenicity of Roundup and we will continue to defend our products in court,” the company stated.

Bayer has paid out at least $10 billion for jury awards and settlements and earlier this year said it had an additional $6 billion set aside. That fund will be depleted quickly if decisions like the one upheld Tuesday are allowed to stand and the company suffers more losses like a&nbsp; $2.1 billion judgment handed down in March&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/georgia-jury-orders-monsanto-parent-to-pay-nearly-2-1-billion-in-roundup-weedkiller-lawsuit#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A,to%20attorneys%20representing%20the%20plaintiff." target="_blank">by a jury in Georgia</a>.&nbsp;

According to a report from Reuters, Roundup produced $2.8 billion in revenue for Bayer in 2024.

The bill protecting glyphosate from litigation passed the Georgia legislature a few weeks after the $2.1 billion award.

Gov. Mike Kehoe, at a news conference after lawmakers adjourned earlier this month, blamed defeat of the Missouri legislation on trial attorneys who have made “tens of millions of dollars” off the lawsuits.

“If, for some reason, that particular product is not produced anymore in the United States, farmers are still going to need that type of product, that type of weed control, and so that, glyphosate I think is what it’s called, will be produced somewhere,” Kehoe said. “And if it is, it won’t be produced in this country, and farmers will not have the same protections and liability recourse back on the companies who make it, if it’s made in China or somewhere overseas.”

Bayer is also being sued by shareholders in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/05/investors-awarded-class-action-status-in-new-bayer-lawsuit/" target="_blank">class action lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over its decision to spend $68 billion to acquire Monsanto in 2018. The lawsuit alleges Bayer misled investors over the risks of the acquisition and failed to properly perform due diligence before buying Monsanto,

When Bayer acquired Monsanto in June 2018, its stock price was about $30 a share. On Tuesday afternoon, the company’s shares were selling for $7 apiece.

In the appeal of the Cole County decision, Bayer argued that Green made numerous errors in the trial and in rulings on post-trial motions. The company’s lawyers’ main points challenged the admissibility of testimony about a case over EPA evaluations of glyphosate; surprise findings from an expert; the use made of medical billing records; and whether the punitive damages were unconstitutionally duplicative.

At the heart of most glyphosate cases, and the target of legislation, is the label and whether it includes a proper notice that glyphosate may cause cancer.

“The misconduct complained about in the complaints in the three California cases Monsanto relies on, and in (one plaintiff’s) petition, includes allegations that despite scientific evidence that Roundup was carcinogenic, Monsanto continued to sell Roundup, and that Monsanto failed to warn of the dangerous effects of using Roundup,” Judge Cynthia Martin wrote in the Western District opinion delivered Tuesday.

In a discussion of whether the punitive damage award should have been reduced more, Martin wrote that “Monsanto’s degree of reprehensibility was high.”

Martin noted that the evidence shows that while the EPA has registered Roundup “for sale since 1974, Monsanto has been aware since 1985 that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has the potential to cause cancer.”

Each of the plaintiffs suffered damages because Monsanto sold a product that was “unreasonably dangerous when used as reasonably anticipated” without altering the labeling to provide a warning.

“Monsanto’s awareness,” Martin wrote, “of studies demonstrating the possibility of a causal relationship between glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, and cancer, particularly NHL, and then its decision to double down on its defense of Roundup in lieu of changing the product’s formulation or adding a warning label regarding the risk posed by Roundup demonstrates, at best, Monsanto’s indifference to or reckless disregard of the health of its customers.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="Post File photo" />
 <figcaption>Post File photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Bayer is reportedly considering dropping signature product as litigation costs mount and company fails in effort to obtain legal shelter from lawmakers</h2>BY:&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>German chemical giant Bayer received no relief from runaway litigation costs associated with Roundup herbicide Tuesday when the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a $611 million judgment that its product causes cancer.The decision, in a case&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=WD87059&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0001_WAP" target="_blank">involving three plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=22AC-CC00043&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#header" target="_blank">sued in Cole County</a>, is one of the reasons the company, which acquired Roundup as a product when it merged with Monsanto, in 2018, is considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.producer.com/news/bayer-says-it-could-halt-roundup-weedkiller-sales-over-legal-risks/" target="_blank">dropping the product entirely</a>. The company faces 67,000 lawsuits claiming the main ingredient, glyphosate, causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with many of those cases awaiting trial in St. Louis County, where the company has its Bayer Crop Science headquarters.The company&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/18/missouri-house-debate-shows-gop-split-over-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">failed to win passage</a>&nbsp;of a bill intended to shield it from litigation in Missouri. The bill narrowly passed the House but lobbying missteps, including a campaign targeting some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">most conservative members</a>&nbsp;of the state Senate, doomed it. The company did win passage of similar legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/04/14/bill-protecting-pesticide-availability-prevails-in-north-dakota-senate/" target="_blank">in North Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXrKePs5Wk" target="_blank">in Georgia</a>.In November 2023, a Cole County jury awarded $1.6 billion to three plaintiffs who claimed their cancer was caused by glyphosate exposure while using Roundup. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green reduced the $500 million punitive damages awarded to each plaintiff, instead reducing each award by varying amounts.Green did not change the amounts awarded for actual damages, which ranged from $5.6 million to $38 million and totaled $61.1 million.With post-judgment interest, the total Bayer owes is now in excess of $700 million.“We’re certainly pleased with the court of appeals decision that vindicates the jury’s verdict and the trial court’s judgment,” said attorney Matthew Clement of Jefferson City, who represented the plaintiffs in the case. “We’re happy that nothing happened in the legislature, this year at least, that will affect future cases and and will continue to litigate our cases like we had been.”In a statement issued through Bayer spokesman Brian Leake, the company said it would continue to appeal the case.“We continue to believe that the trial court committed significant errors by allowing inadmissible and prejudicial testimony into the courtroom which poisoned the jury against the company,” the statement read.Bayer is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take its appeal of a 2024 Missouri case awarding $1.25 million in damages to John Durnell of St. Louis. The Eastern District Court of Appeals upheld that decision in February and on April 1 the Missouri Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.The U.S. Supreme Court has given parties until June 9 to file arguments on whether it should accept the case.“The overwhelming weight of science as well as the assessments of the EPA and leading health regulators and scientists worldwide that support the safety and non-carcinogenicity of Roundup and we will continue to defend our products in court,” the company stated.Bayer has paid out at least $10 billion for jury awards and settlements and earlier this year said it had an additional $6 billion set aside. That fund will be depleted quickly if decisions like the one upheld Tuesday are allowed to stand and the company suffers more losses like a&nbsp; $2.1 billion judgment handed down in March&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/georgia-jury-orders-monsanto-parent-to-pay-nearly-2-1-billion-in-roundup-weedkiller-lawsuit#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A,to%20attorneys%20representing%20the%20plaintiff." target="_blank">by a jury in Georgia</a>.&nbsp;According to a report from Reuters, Roundup produced $2.8 billion in revenue for Bayer in 2024.The bill protecting glyphosate from litigation passed the Georgia legislature a few weeks after the $2.1 billion award.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748460279946.png" alt=" State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair speaks at a news conference Feb. 25 about flyers sent to his constituents attacking his opposition to a bill limiting lawsuits against Bayer over its herbicide Roundup. Joining Hudson, from left, are Sens. Nick Schroer of Defiance, Ben Brown of Washington, Joe Nicola of Independence, Mike Moon of Ash Grove, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, Jill Carter of Joplin and David Gregory of Chesterfield (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair speaks at a news conference Feb. 25 about flyers sent to his constituents attacking his opposition to a bill limiting lawsuits against Bayer over its herbicide Roundup. Joining Hudson, from left, are Sens. Nick Schroer of Defiance, Ben Brown of Washington, Joe Nicola of Independence, Mike Moon of Ash Grove, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, Jill Carter of Joplin and David Gregory of Chesterfield (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Gov. Mike Kehoe, at a news conference after lawmakers adjourned earlier this month, blamed defeat of the Missouri legislation on trial attorneys who have made “tens of millions of dollars” off the lawsuits.“If, for some reason, that particular product is not produced anymore in the United States, farmers are still going to need that type of product, that type of weed control, and so that, glyphosate I think is what it’s called, will be produced somewhere,” Kehoe said. “And if it is, it won’t be produced in this country, and farmers will not have the same protections and liability recourse back on the companies who make it, if it’s made in China or somewhere overseas.”Bayer is also being sued by shareholders in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/05/investors-awarded-class-action-status-in-new-bayer-lawsuit/" target="_blank">class action lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over its decision to spend $68 billion to acquire Monsanto in 2018. The lawsuit alleges Bayer misled investors over the risks of the acquisition and failed to properly perform due diligence before buying Monsanto,When Bayer acquired Monsanto in June 2018, its stock price was about $30 a share. On Tuesday afternoon, the company’s shares were selling for $7 apiece.In the appeal of the Cole County decision, Bayer argued that Green made numerous errors in the trial and in rulings on post-trial motions. The company’s lawyers’ main points challenged the admissibility of testimony about a case over EPA evaluations of glyphosate; surprise findings from an expert; the use made of medical billing records; and whether the punitive damages were unconstitutionally duplicative.At the heart of most glyphosate cases, and the target of legislation, is the label and whether it includes a proper notice that glyphosate may cause cancer.“The misconduct complained about in the complaints in the three California cases Monsanto relies on, and in (one plaintiff’s) petition, includes allegations that despite scientific evidence that Roundup was carcinogenic, Monsanto continued to sell Roundup, and that Monsanto failed to warn of the dangerous effects of using Roundup,” Judge Cynthia Martin wrote in the Western District opinion delivered Tuesday.In a discussion of whether the punitive damage award should have been reduced more, Martin wrote that “Monsanto’s degree of reprehensibility was high.”Martin noted that the evidence shows that while the EPA has registered Roundup “for sale since 1974, Monsanto has been aware since 1985 that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has the potential to cause cancer.”Each of the plaintiffs suffered damages because Monsanto sold a product that was “unreasonably dangerous when used as reasonably anticipated” without altering the labeling to provide a warning.“Monsanto’s awareness,” Martin wrote, “of studies demonstrating the possibility of a causal relationship between glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, and cancer, particularly NHL, and then its decision to double down on its defense of Roundup in lieu of changing the product’s formulation or adding a warning label regarding the risk posed by Roundup demonstrates, at best, Monsanto’s indifference to or reckless disregard of the health of its customers.”

Appeals court upholds $611M judgment in Roundup liability case

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement continue their investigation of a weekend accident that injured five people.

Just after 6 a.m. Saturday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call regarding a single vehicle accident in the 9400 block of SW Hoch Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

First responders discovered a red 2017 Ford pickup truck was traveling northbound when it left the roadway to the east and the driver overcorrected.&nbsp; The pickup rolled and five passengers, four adults and one teenager, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and received medical care at a local hospital.

Police arrested the driver, 35-year-old Aaron C. Botkin, 35, of Auburn and&nbsp; booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated battery; recklessly cause great bodily harm/disfigurement, Aggravated endangering a child; reckless situation to a child &lt; 18, Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs, Failure to wear seatbelt and&nbsp;Improper driving on laned roadway

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748440881013.png" alt="Botkin photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Botkin photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement continue their investigation of a weekend accident that injured five people.Just after 6 a.m. Saturday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call regarding a single vehicle accident in the 9400 block of SW Hoch Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.First responders discovered a red 2017 Ford pickup truck was traveling northbound when it left the roadway to the east and the driver overcorrected.&nbsp; The pickup rolled and five passengers, four adults and one teenager, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and received medical care at a local hospital.Police arrested the driver, 35-year-old Aaron C. Botkin, 35, of Auburn and&nbsp; booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated battery; recklessly cause great bodily harm/disfigurement, Aggravated endangering a child; reckless situation to a child &lt; 18, Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs, Failure to wear seatbelt and&nbsp;Improper driving on laned roadway

Kan. man accused of DUI after crash that injured 4 adults, teen

TOPEKA — President Donald Trump appointed former Kansas Republican Rep. Patrick Penn, who resigned from his House seat earlier this month, as the deputy undersecretary for the department’s food, nutrition and consumer services.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, appointed by Trump in February, announced Penn’s new position&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/27/secretary-rollins-announces-new-slate-presidential-appointments-usda-food-and-nutrition-service-farm" target="_blank">Tuesday</a>, along with a slate of other state-level leadership designations.

“President Trump is putting Farmers First, and so is the incredible team we are building at the Department of Agriculture,” Rollins said in a press release. “Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper.”

Penn resigned from the Wichita-area House seat he held since 2021 on&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-republican-state-rep-patrick-penn-of-wichita-plans-to-quit-house/">May 14</a>, submitting letters to Republican party and state officials. A special precinct election to select a representative to fill the vacant 85th district seat is set for Wednesday. Penn’s term was set to expire January 2027.

Penn is a former Army signal officer who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 2020, where he was dedicated to pushing Second Amendment legislation, including repeated attempts to pass a firearm education program bill.

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers 16 food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps, and emergency food assistance.

Penn voted during the 2025 legislative session in favor of prohibiting SNAP beneficiaries from purchasing candy and soft drinks with their food assistance dollars. Also during the 2025 legislative session, Penn was involved in a handful of disruptive moments. In March, he&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/11/kansas-democrats-liken-bill-to-expand-inspector-generals-authority-to-ag-power-grab/">questioned a Democratic lawmaker’s motives</a>&nbsp;during debate on the House floor. In February, while on the House floor, he&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/13/kansas-republicans-allude-to-shooting-former-democratic-representative-in-exchange-on-house-floor/">alluded to a hypothetical act of violence</a>&nbsp;against a former Hutchinson Democratic representative.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748436728464.jpeg" alt=" Former Kansas Rep. Patrick Penn, seen here during a March 5, 2024, debate in the House, was appointed to a position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture shortly after vacating his House seat. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Former Kansas Rep. Patrick Penn, seen here during a March 5, 2024, debate in the House, was appointed to a position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture shortly after vacating his House seat. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — President Donald Trump appointed former Kansas Republican Rep. Patrick Penn, who resigned from his House seat earlier this month, as the deputy undersecretary for the department’s food, nutrition and consumer services.U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, appointed by Trump in February, announced Penn’s new position&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/27/secretary-rollins-announces-new-slate-presidential-appointments-usda-food-and-nutrition-service-farm" target="_blank">Tuesday</a>, along with a slate of other state-level leadership designations.“President Trump is putting Farmers First, and so is the incredible team we are building at the Department of Agriculture,” Rollins said in a press release. “Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper.”Penn resigned from the Wichita-area House seat he held since 2021 on&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-republican-state-rep-patrick-penn-of-wichita-plans-to-quit-house/">May 14</a>, submitting letters to Republican party and state officials. A special precinct election to select a representative to fill the vacant 85th district seat is set for Wednesday. Penn’s term was set to expire January 2027.Penn is a former Army signal officer who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 2020, where he was dedicated to pushing Second Amendment legislation, including repeated attempts to pass a firearm education program bill.The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers 16 food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps, and emergency food assistance.Penn voted during the 2025 legislative session in favor of prohibiting SNAP beneficiaries from purchasing candy and soft drinks with their food assistance dollars. Also during the 2025 legislative session, Penn was involved in a handful of disruptive moments. In March, he&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/11/kansas-democrats-liken-bill-to-expand-inspector-generals-authority-to-ag-power-grab/">questioned a Democratic lawmaker’s motives</a>&nbsp;during debate on the House floor. In February, while on the House floor, he&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/13/kansas-republicans-allude-to-shooting-former-democratic-representative-in-exchange-on-house-floor/">alluded to a hypothetical act of violence</a>&nbsp;against a former Hutchinson Democratic representative.

Trump appoints former Kansas legislator to USDA post

WABAUNSEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two teen suspect in connection with an alleged burglary.

On Monday night, a Sergeant with the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office investigated a suspicious gray 2018 Hyundia Tucson in Eskridge, according to a media release.

The vehicle had reportedly circled a structure on the 200 block of South Cedar without headlights on before parking. Two individuals dressed in black exited the vehicle and entered an abandoned property with bags and later loaded items from the building into the vehicle.\

The Sheriff's Sergeant initiated a traffic stop as the vehicle attempted to depart the area and made contact with the driver, identified as 18-year-old Zane Arthur Burnett, and the passenger, identified as 19-year-old Eli Joseph Hoskins, both from Johnson County Kansas.

 A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed stolen items from the building including Masonic books, antique photos, and other objects in wet, dirt-covered bags. 

Both suspects were taken into custody without incident and transported to Wabaunsee County Jail and are being held on requested charges of burglary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748362813544.png" alt="Hoskins photo Wabaunsee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hoskins photo Wabaunsee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WABAUNSEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two teen suspect in connection with an alleged burglary.On Monday night, a Sergeant with the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office investigated a suspicious gray 2018 Hyundia Tucson in Eskridge, according to a media release.The vehicle had reportedly circled a structure on the 200 block of South Cedar without headlights on before parking. Two individuals dressed in black exited the vehicle and entered an abandoned property with bags and later loaded items from the building into the vehicle.\<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748362752431.png" alt="Burnett photo Wabaunsee Co." />
 <figcaption>Burnett photo Wabaunsee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Sheriff's Sergeant initiated a traffic stop as the vehicle attempted to depart the area and made contact with the driver, identified as 18-year-old Zane Arthur Burnett, and the passenger, identified as 19-year-old Eli Joseph Hoskins, both from Johnson County Kansas. A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed stolen items from the building including Masonic books, antique photos, and other objects in wet, dirt-covered bags. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident and transported to Wabaunsee County Jail and are being held on requested charges of burglary.

Teens accused in rural Kansas burglary

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating eight suspects on multiple allegations after weeks of investigation in southeast Kansas.

On April 26, police attempted to locate a person with an outstanding warrant at an eastern Emporia residence which led to a narcotics investigation, according to a media release from Emporia Police.

Officers executed a search warrant and discovered narcotics along with apparent fraudulent documents leading to additional investigations. Officers uncovered a ring of individuals involved in the production, supplying and use of false documents including but not limited to, social security cards, identification cards, driver’s licenses, and permanent resident cards. 

One individual under investigation for supplying false documents is alleged to be involved with unlicensed dental offices, uncovered in 2 homes in eastern and western Emporia.

The weeks long investigation by Emporia Patrol Officers yielded 8 arrests, more than 10 search warrants, 2 seized vehicles and approximately $6,000 in seized US currency. The Department of Homeland Security assisted in the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748093842979.png" alt="Hugo Antonio Cardona-Argueta-photo Lyon County" />
 <figcaption>Hugo Antonio Cardona-Argueta-photo Lyon County</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating eight suspects on multiple allegations after weeks of investigation in southeast Kansas.On April 26, police attempted to locate a person with an outstanding warrant at an eastern Emporia residence which led to a narcotics investigation, according to a media release from Emporia Police.Officers executed a search warrant and discovered narcotics along with apparent fraudulent documents leading to additional investigations. Officers uncovered a ring of individuals involved in the production, supplying and use of false documents including but not limited to, social security cards, identification cards, driver’s licenses, and permanent resident cards. One individual under investigation for supplying false documents is alleged to be involved with unlicensed dental offices, uncovered in 2 homes in eastern and western Emporia.The weeks long investigation by Emporia Patrol Officers yielded 8 arrests, more than 10 search warrants, 2 seized vehicles and approximately $6,000 in seized US currency. The Department of Homeland Security assisted in the investigation.The following individuals are in custody on requested charges in connection with the investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748094671764.png" alt="Francisco German Pichardo-Machardo photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Francisco German Pichardo-Machardo photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Francisco German Pichardo-Machardo; Making False Information, Possession of Marijuana, Possession Drug Paraphernalia<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748094721550.png" alt="Martin Pichardo-Machado photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Martin Pichardo-Machado photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Martin Pichardo-Machado; Making False Information, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Identity FraudHugo Antonio Cardona-Argueta; Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Interference with Law Enforcement, Making False Information, Identity Theft<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748093547797.png" alt="Alvarado photo Lyon County" />
 <figcaption>Alvarado photo Lyon County</figcaption>
 </figure>Martha Kenia Lopez-Alvarado; Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Interference with Law Enforcement, Making False Information, Identity Theft<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748094451698.png" alt="Iris Tatiana Sandoval-Flores photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Iris Tatiana Sandoval-Flores photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Iris Tatiana Sandoval-Flores; Human Smuggling, Identity Theft, Dealing in False Identification Documents, Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry or Dental Hygiene<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748094558350.png" alt="Ana Raquel Figueroa" />
 <figcaption>Ana Raquel Figueroa</figcaption>
 </figure>Ana Raquel Figueroa; Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry or Dental Hygiene, Unlawful Obtaining a Prescription-Only DrugRigoberto J Sandoval Sandoval; Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry or Dental Hygiene, Unlawful Obtaining a Prescription-Only Drug