KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a large auto auction lot in Kansas City.

Just after midnight on Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported car fire in the 3900 block of N. Skiles at the Manheim Auto Auction, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

 On arrival crews reported multiple cars on fire in a rear lot of the property. Multiple pumpers had to be called to the scene to get the fires under control due to the distance from the street and hydrant accessibility. 

In total approximately 25 cars burned. The fire was placed under control at 01:52 a.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD. No injuries were reported

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747773102324.png" alt="A view of the Manheim Auto Auction location -image courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>A view of the Manheim Auto Auction location -image courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a large auto auction lot in Kansas City. Just after midnight on Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported car fire in the 3900 block of N. Skiles at the Manheim Auto Auction, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. On arrival crews reported multiple cars on fire in a rear lot of the property. Multiple pumpers had to be called to the scene to get the fires under control due to the distance from the street and hydrant accessibility. In total approximately 25 cars burned. The fire was placed under control at 01:52 a.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD. No injuries were reported

Over 2 dozen cars destroyed in KC auto auction fire

Current and former colleagues praised Bond for energy, dedication to job as auditor, governor and U.S. Senator

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>

Missouri said goodbye Tuesday to Kit Bond, the Republican former governor, U.S. Senator and auditor who&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/13/kit-bond-former-missouri-governor-u-s-senator-dead-at-86/">spent 34 of his 86 years in public office</a>.

During a memorial service in the Missouri Capitol Building’s rotunda, Bond was eulogized by John Ashcroft, the Republican who succeeded him in office as governor, and U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat who said the two formed a lifelong friendship during Bond’s first term as governor from 1973 to 1977.

“Talk is cheap, but doing takes the devotion of one’s lifetime,” Ashcroft said. “Bond was a doer.”

Cleaver said he first met Bond as a civil rights leader, and the friendship was cemented during his time as mayor of Kansas City and when he was elected to Congress in 2004.&nbsp;

On Cleaver’s arrival in Washington, Bond, starting his fourth term in the Senate, held a reception for the freshman Democrat. They worked together to restore the Liberty Memorial, obtain funds for a new courthouse and find money for bridge and road projects, Cleaver said.

“I will be delighted for the rest of my life to have worked with Kit Bond,” Cleaver said.

The hour-long ceremony also featured prayers from former U.S. Sen. Jack Danforth, an Episcopal priest who, along with Bond and Ashcroft, were the young Republican leaders who broke a Democratic monopoly on state offices in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Bond’s casket will remain in the rotunda until 1 p.m. Wednesday, when he will be taken to St. Louis for a family memorial service and private interment.

Bond died May 13 and was survived by his wife of 22 years, Linda Holwick Bond, and his son, Samuel.

Bond grew up in Mexico, Missouri, the grandson of the founder of A.P. Green Industries, a fireclay manufacturer and a major employer at the time. He attended a boarding school in Massachusetts, Princeton University as an undergraduate and studied law in Virginia, practicing law in Washington, D.C., until he returned home in 1967.&nbsp;

Bond lost a bid for Congress in 1968 before winning the race for state auditor in 1970. When he was elected governor in 1972 at the age of 33, he was — and remains — the youngest person ever to win the state’s highest office.

In 2020, veteran journalist Phill Brooks, who covered both Bond administrations for KMOX and the University of Missouri School of Journalism, wrote that Bond won office in 1972 by campaigning on a platform to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/10/23/capitol-perspectives-the-better-angels-of-our-nature/">restrict special interest influence</a>&nbsp;in government.

“His victory empowered him to lead the successful, bipartisan legislative effort for campaign and lobbyist disclosure requirements, as well as the state’s ‘Sunshine Law’ requiring public access to government meetings and records,” Brooks wrote.

In his first term, Bond also won passage of stronger consumer protection laws and, in 1975, issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/archives/resources/findingaids/miscMormRecs/eo/19760625_RescisOrder.pdf" target="_blank">executive order rescinding</a>&nbsp;former Gov. Lilburn Boggs’ 1838 order that Mormons “<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/archives/resources/findingaids/miscMormRecs/eo/18381027_ExtermOrder.pdf" target="_blank">must be exterminated</a>&nbsp;or driven from the state.”

Bond also reorganized state government, taking it from 96 independent agencies to 14 state departments organized along lines of responsibility such as health, education and corrections.

After losing a bid for re-election, Bond made a political comeback in 1980, winning the governor’s office again. He won his seat in the U.S. Senate in 1986 and was re-elected three times.

The turnout Tuesday, which filled the rotunda for the 45-minute memorial service, included former governors Bob Holden and Mike Parson, former U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, people who had worked with Bond in Jefferson City and Washington, and current officials elected since he left office in 2010.

Warren Erdman, executive vice president-administration and corporate affairs for Kansas City Southern railway, was Bond’s chief of staff in his U.S. Senate office and an aide to Bond in his second term as governor. He said Bond embodied the spirit of the early Pilgrims, who founded a society, described by John Winthrop in 1630, as one of “communal charity, affection and unity.”

“Kit loved and practiced these beliefs throughout his lifetime and in his public service,” Erdmann said. “They were foundational to his approach to public service.”

In his second term as governor, Bond had to deal with state budget shortfalls as the economy weakened. He promoted and won passage of a $600 million construction bond issue to boost employment and renew state facilities.

As a senator, Bond became known for his work on the Senate Intelligence Committee, his commitment to national defense and, as illustrated by buildings like the Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center at the University of Missouri, the source of earmarked federal funds for local projects.

When his son was born, Bond was introduced to the program for parental guidance of education that became known as Parents as Teachers.&nbsp;

“I think that Parents as Teachers is Missouri’s greatest export,” Bond said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://files.shsmo.org/research/oralhistory/s1125/bondc.pdf" target="_blank">oral history interview in 2014</a>. “We believe that when you advocate Parents as Teachers, you are telling people across the country that Parents as Teachers is Missouri’s greatest export.”

In that same interview, Bond said “the job of governor was one of the most satisfying jobs I’ve ever had.”

Bond’s 1972 victory energized new leaders to go into public service, Ashcroft said in his eulogy.

“Over and over again. Kit launched the careers of young people, talented, committed, dedicated people who later, after appointment, found opportunity beckoning them to achievement levels they had not anticipated,” Ashcroft said.

Danforth, who has parted ways with Republicans over many issues in recent years, said Bond made state government better and enjoyed doing it.

“He elevated the quality of government,” Danforth said. “And besides that, in his day, politics was fun. I don’t think it’s fun anymore.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747823252276.png" alt=" Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and First Lady Claudia Kehoe take a moment by the casket of Christopher S. “Kit” Bond during a memorial service Tuesday the Missouri State Capitol rotunda (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and First Lady Claudia Kehoe take a moment by the casket of Christopher S. “Kit” Bond during a memorial service Tuesday the Missouri State Capitol rotunda (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Current and former colleagues praised Bond for energy, dedication to job as auditor, governor and U.S. Senator</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>Missouri said goodbye Tuesday to Kit Bond, the Republican former governor, U.S. Senator and auditor who&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/13/kit-bond-former-missouri-governor-u-s-senator-dead-at-86/">spent 34 of his 86 years in public office</a>.During a memorial service in the Missouri Capitol Building’s rotunda, Bond was eulogized by John Ashcroft, the Republican who succeeded him in office as governor, and U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat who said the two formed a lifelong friendship during Bond’s first term as governor from 1973 to 1977.“Talk is cheap, but doing takes the devotion of one’s lifetime,” Ashcroft said. “Bond was a doer.”Cleaver said he first met Bond as a civil rights leader, and the friendship was cemented during his time as mayor of Kansas City and when he was elected to Congress in 2004.&nbsp;On Cleaver’s arrival in Washington, Bond, starting his fourth term in the Senate, held a reception for the freshman Democrat. They worked together to restore the Liberty Memorial, obtain funds for a new courthouse and find money for bridge and road projects, Cleaver said.“I will be delighted for the rest of my life to have worked with Kit Bond,” Cleaver said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747823322924.png" alt=" Kit Bond’s portrait in the Hall of Governor’s is marked by a black band to memorialize his death (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Kit Bond’s portrait in the Hall of Governor’s is marked by a black band to memorialize his death (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>The hour-long ceremony also featured prayers from former U.S. Sen. Jack Danforth, an Episcopal priest who, along with Bond and Ashcroft, were the young Republican leaders who broke a Democratic monopoly on state offices in the late 1960s and early 1970s.Bond’s casket will remain in the rotunda until 1 p.m. Wednesday, when he will be taken to St. Louis for a family memorial service and private interment.Bond died May 13 and was survived by his wife of 22 years, Linda Holwick Bond, and his son, Samuel.Bond grew up in Mexico, Missouri, the grandson of the founder of A.P. Green Industries, a fireclay manufacturer and a major employer at the time. He attended a boarding school in Massachusetts, Princeton University as an undergraduate and studied law in Virginia, practicing law in Washington, D.C., until he returned home in 1967.&nbsp;Bond lost a bid for Congress in 1968 before winning the race for state auditor in 1970. When he was elected governor in 1972 at the age of 33, he was — and remains — the youngest person ever to win the state’s highest office.In 2020, veteran journalist Phill Brooks, who covered both Bond administrations for KMOX and the University of Missouri School of Journalism, wrote that Bond won office in 1972 by campaigning on a platform to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/10/23/capitol-perspectives-the-better-angels-of-our-nature/">restrict special interest influence</a>&nbsp;in government.“His victory empowered him to lead the successful, bipartisan legislative effort for campaign and lobbyist disclosure requirements, as well as the state’s ‘Sunshine Law’ requiring public access to government meetings and records,” Brooks wrote.In his first term, Bond also won passage of stronger consumer protection laws and, in 1975, issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/archives/resources/findingaids/miscMormRecs/eo/19760625_RescisOrder.pdf" target="_blank">executive order rescinding</a>&nbsp;former Gov. Lilburn Boggs’ 1838 order that Mormons “<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/archives/resources/findingaids/miscMormRecs/eo/18381027_ExtermOrder.pdf" target="_blank">must be exterminated</a>&nbsp;or driven from the state.”Bond also reorganized state government, taking it from 96 independent agencies to 14 state departments organized along lines of responsibility such as health, education and corrections.After losing a bid for re-election, Bond made a political comeback in 1980, winning the governor’s office again. He won his seat in the U.S. Senate in 1986 and was re-elected three times.The turnout Tuesday, which filled the rotunda for the 45-minute memorial service, included former governors Bob Holden and Mike Parson, former U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, people who had worked with Bond in Jefferson City and Washington, and current officials elected since he left office in 2010.Warren Erdman, executive vice president-administration and corporate affairs for Kansas City Southern railway, was Bond’s chief of staff in his U.S. Senate office and an aide to Bond in his second term as governor. He said Bond embodied the spirit of the early Pilgrims, who founded a society, described by John Winthrop in 1630, as one of “communal charity, affection and unity.”“Kit loved and practiced these beliefs throughout his lifetime and in his public service,” Erdmann said. “They were foundational to his approach to public service.”In his second term as governor, Bond had to deal with state budget shortfalls as the economy weakened. He promoted and won passage of a $600 million construction bond issue to boost employment and renew state facilities.As a senator, Bond became known for his work on the Senate Intelligence Committee, his commitment to national defense and, as illustrated by buildings like the Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center at the University of Missouri, the source of earmarked federal funds for local projects.When his son was born, Bond was introduced to the program for parental guidance of education that became known as Parents as Teachers.&nbsp;“I think that Parents as Teachers is Missouri’s greatest export,” Bond said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://files.shsmo.org/research/oralhistory/s1125/bondc.pdf" target="_blank">oral history interview in 2014</a>. “We believe that when you advocate Parents as Teachers, you are telling people across the country that Parents as Teachers is Missouri’s greatest export.”In that same interview, Bond said “the job of governor was one of the most satisfying jobs I’ve ever had.”Bond’s 1972 victory energized new leaders to go into public service, Ashcroft said in his eulogy.“Over and over again. Kit launched the careers of young people, talented, committed, dedicated people who later, after appointment, found opportunity beckoning them to achievement levels they had not anticipated,” Ashcroft said.Danforth, who has parted ways with Republicans over many issues in recent years, said Bond made state government better and enjoyed doing it.“He elevated the quality of government,” Danforth said. “And besides that, in his day, politics was fun. I don’t think it’s fun anymore.”

Kit Bond eulogized as inspirational leader, political innovator at Missouri memorial service

JOHNSON COUNTY—A man injured in an accident that occurred just after 5p.m. April 20 in Johnson County has died.&nbsp;

According to Overland Park Police a vehicle was eastbound on W. 143rd Street at King Street. The vehicle struck a northbound vehicle driven by 86-year-old Jacob Webb of Shawnee Kansas, who was attempting to make a left turn onto westbound W. 143rd Street from King Street.&nbsp; EMS transported Webb to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

On Tuesday, the Johnson County Medical Examiner notified the Overland Park Police Mr. Webb had died due to injuries from the crash.

The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with additional information, please contact the Overland Park Traffic Unit at 913-327-6731. 

JOHNSON COUNTY—A man injured in an accident that occurred just after 5p.m. April 20 in Johnson County has died.&nbsp;According to Overland Park Police a vehicle was eastbound on W. 143rd Street at King Street. The vehicle struck a northbound vehicle driven by 86-year-old Jacob Webb of Shawnee Kansas, who was attempting to make a left turn onto westbound W. 143rd Street from King Street.&nbsp; EMS transported Webb to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.On Tuesday, the Johnson County Medical Examiner notified the Overland Park Police Mr. Webb had died due to injuries from the crash.The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with additional information, please contact the Overland Park Traffic Unit at 913-327-6731.

86-year-old Kan. man dies from injuries a month after crash

KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man is going to prison for a fatal stabbing.

Last week Phillip R. Lacy was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a fatal stabbing that took place in 2023, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson

Lacy pled guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter and Armed Criminal Action. He was sentenced to 15 years for Voluntary Manslaughter and three years for Armed Criminal Action, for a total of 18 years in prison.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2620/Phillip-Lacy-Statement-of-Probable-Cause_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched on November 10, 2023, to 24th Street and Cypress Avenue and found the victim. He was later declared deceased at a local hospital.&nbsp;

Based on witness reports, Lacy was smoking methamphetamine and then engaged in an altercation with the victim in an abandoned building. During the altercation, Lacy produced a screwdriver and began stabbing the victim.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747509660446.png" alt="Lacy photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Lacy photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man is going to prison for a fatal stabbing.Last week Phillip R. Lacy was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a fatal stabbing that took place in 2023, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa JohnsonLacy pled guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter and Armed Criminal Action. He was sentenced to 15 years for Voluntary Manslaughter and three years for Armed Criminal Action, for a total of 18 years in prison.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2620/Phillip-Lacy-Statement-of-Probable-Cause_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched on November 10, 2023, to 24th Street and Cypress Avenue and found the victim. He was later declared deceased at a local hospital.&nbsp;Based on witness reports, Lacy was smoking methamphetamine and then engaged in an altercation with the victim in an abandoned building. During the altercation, Lacy produced a screwdriver and began stabbing the victim.&nbsp;

Kansas City man admits to killing victim with a screwdriver

GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas woman involved in an alleged domestic incident involving a Junction City City commissioner&nbsp;

During a Geary County District Court hearing Monday, 26-year-old Corrieyonna Trice entered a not guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of Domestic Battery involving Commissioner 30-year-old Alovence Gordon with whom she lived.

A jury trial was scheduled for September 15 in the case.

Trice was charged following the alleged incident involving Gordon. He too faces one misdemeanor count of Domestic Battery with arraignment scheduled on June 2.

On January 23, police were called to their home. Trice had earlier testified about a fight with Gordon revolving around hair clips that she had laid out to do her hair. The clips wound up in a shopping bag carried by Gordon with a dispute over who had initially possessed the clips. 

Earlier this month, the court denied a defense motion for immunity from prosecution by Gordon in the case.&nbsp;

Gordon and Trice had been in a relationship for nearly seven years.&nbsp; Both were released from custody on own recognizance, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737753585186.jpeg" alt="Alovence Gordon photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Alovence Gordon photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas woman involved in an alleged domestic incident involving a Junction City City commissioner&nbsp;During a Geary County District Court hearing Monday, 26-year-old Corrieyonna Trice entered a not guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of Domestic Battery involving Commissioner 30-year-old Alovence Gordon with whom she lived.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737753680992.jpeg" alt="Corrieyonna Trice photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Corrieyonna Trice photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A jury trial was scheduled for September 15 in the case.Trice was charged following the alleged incident involving Gordon. He too faces one misdemeanor count of Domestic Battery with arraignment scheduled on June 2.On January 23, police were called to their home. Trice had earlier testified about a fight with Gordon revolving around hair clips that she had laid out to do her hair. The clips wound up in a shopping bag carried by Gordon with a dispute over who had initially possessed the clips. Earlier this month, the court denied a defense motion for immunity from prosecution by Gordon in the case.&nbsp;Gordon and Trice had been in a relationship for nearly seven years.&nbsp; Both were released from custody on own recognizance, according to online jail records.

Kan. woman enters plea in alleged fight over hair clips

KANSAs CITY —Police in Kansas City, Missouri are attempting to identify suspects who were involved in an assault that occurred in the 7600-Block of Monroe Ave at 10:30a.m. on May 5, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

If you can identify the suspects please contact the Assault Squad at 816-234-5227 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747770310140.png" alt="Image Kansas City, Missouri Police" />
 <figcaption>Image Kansas City, Missouri Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAs CITY —Police in Kansas City, Missouri are attempting to identify suspects who were involved in an assault that occurred in the 7600-Block of Monroe Ave at 10:30a.m. on May 5, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.If you can identify the suspects please contact the Assault Squad at 816-234-5227 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

KCPD working to ID assault suspects

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

SCRANTON — On a gravel road northwest of this small Kansas town, a picturesque creek with overhanging trees shimmers with brilliant shades of green.

The beauty, though, hasn’t made up for the aggravation caused by high floodwaters that sweep the wooden bridge over that creek off its moorings to land about 30 yards or so away from the roadway, leaving the road impassable for area farmers, said Ryan Fine, Osage County public works director.

“That old wood one, it kept floating away. If we got a big, heavy rain, it would float down there, and we’d have to grab it out of the trees,” he said, gesturing down the creek. “The last time it happened, I said, ‘Leave that sucker in the trees. I gotta figure this out.’ ”

The cost of a new bridge, done with the typical bridge construction the county uses, would have been more than $300,000, Fine said. Instead, with the help of the Soy Transportation Coalition and the Kansas Soybean Association, the total bridge price was about $106,000, attributed to financial help and building a different style of bridge.

The new culvert bridge has walls, called headwalls, attached to the sides of the culvert and wingwalls that come out from there to help support the bridge, Fine said. Then large beams are set into the ground to a depth of four or five feet, he said. The top is covered with rock.&nbsp;

“Even if there is erosion from high water where it does go over this road, this should stay locked in place,” Fine said, then added with a smile, “OK, can’t say it would always lock in place, because water can do some amazing things. But this is going to give us a better chance of it staying put where it needs to be.”

Fine said he remembered that Raylen Phelon, a commissioner at large for the Kansas Soybean Commission and vice-chairman of the STC, spoke at county meetings about help available for transportation projects.

He reached out and as a result, Osage County’s bridge became the first project in the state to use soybean checkoff funds set aside for such projects through the transportation coalition, Phelon said.

It’s also the first official use of the Soy Transportation Coalition’s report that was put together to offer innovative solutions for replacing and repairing rural bridges, Phelon said. STC&nbsp;is made up of 13 state soybean boards, the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board. The organization works to address transportation issues that affect the soy industry’s ability to move products.

The STC innovation report was designed to give counties options to consider when they replaced or repaired bridges, often with a significantly smaller price tag, said Kaleb Little, CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association. So along with $4,500 for the engineering costs on the project, they want to support creative thinking to solve problems that impact soybean farmers, he said.

“What I really am tickled about is we’re using checkoff dollars,” Phelon said of the $4,500 check presented to Osage County. “It’s farmers’ checkoff dollars, from when they sell soybeans. It’s one-half of 1%, or a nickel every bushel with the prices right now, and it’s coming right back into the county, to where the farmers are at.”

Using checkoff dollars is a win-win for everyone, from the county and taxpayers to the farmers at the local level, he said.&nbsp;

Phelon said he became&nbsp; involved in STC because, as a soybean farmer, he knows how important infrastructure is. It was evident when a small bridge near his Melvern farm was getting to be unsafe, but if it had closed, he would have had to go miles out of his way to transport his crop.

“We can grow fantastic crops, but if you can’t get them to market, it affects your price,” Phelon said. “What are you going to do with an overabundance if you can’t move it? Also, it helps the consumer. If we can get it to them, it’ll help their prices be better.”

Phelon said STC supports projects around the country, including a large project at the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington state. Farmers can’t always make the connection to how that project halfway across the country helps them, he said.&nbsp;

But two railroads go from the Midwest to Port of Grays, where soybeans are put on ships and sent around the world, Phelon said.&nbsp;

“So taking products that are grown here in the United States, putting them on a boat and selling them — it helps our price,” he said. “There’s been maybe a little bit of pushback from Kansas farmers to say, well, we don’t sell any soybeans to China. I said wait a minute. Maybe not directly, but if Nebraska is selling them, we’re going to fill that void. And we need to be in that ballgame.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747756761664.jpeg" alt=" Kaleb Little, left, CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association, Raylen Phelon, center, Kansas soybean farmer and vice-chairman of the Soy Transportation Council, and Ryan Fine, Osage County public works director, take a look at a new bridge near Scranton. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kaleb Little, left, CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association, Raylen Phelon, center, Kansas soybean farmer and vice-chairman of the Soy Transportation Council, and Ryan Fine, Osage County public works director, take a look at a new bridge near Scranton. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>SCRANTON — On a gravel road northwest of this small Kansas town, a picturesque creek with overhanging trees shimmers with brilliant shades of green.The beauty, though, hasn’t made up for the aggravation caused by high floodwaters that sweep the wooden bridge over that creek off its moorings to land about 30 yards or so away from the roadway, leaving the road impassable for area farmers, said Ryan Fine, Osage County public works director.“That old wood one, it kept floating away. If we got a big, heavy rain, it would float down there, and we’d have to grab it out of the trees,” he said, gesturing down the creek. “The last time it happened, I said, ‘Leave that sucker in the trees. I gotta figure this out.’ ”The cost of a new bridge, done with the typical bridge construction the county uses, would have been more than $300,000, Fine said. Instead, with the help of the Soy Transportation Coalition and the Kansas Soybean Association, the total bridge price was about $106,000, attributed to financial help and building a different style of bridge.The new culvert bridge has walls, called headwalls, attached to the sides of the culvert and wingwalls that come out from there to help support the bridge, Fine said. Then large beams are set into the ground to a depth of four or five feet, he said. The top is covered with rock.&nbsp;“Even if there is erosion from high water where it does go over this road, this should stay locked in place,” Fine said, then added with a smile, “OK, can’t say it would always lock in place, because water can do some amazing things. But this is going to give us a better chance of it staying put where it needs to be.”<h2>First in Kansas</h2>Fine said he remembered that Raylen Phelon, a commissioner at large for the Kansas Soybean Commission and vice-chairman of the STC, spoke at county meetings about help available for transportation projects.He reached out and as a result, Osage County’s bridge became the first project in the state to use soybean checkoff funds set aside for such projects through the transportation coalition, Phelon said.It’s also the first official use of the Soy Transportation Coalition’s report that was put together to offer innovative solutions for replacing and repairing rural bridges, Phelon said. STC&nbsp;is made up of 13 state soybean boards, the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board. The organization works to address transportation issues that affect the soy industry’s ability to move products.The STC innovation report was designed to give counties options to consider when they replaced or repaired bridges, often with a significantly smaller price tag, said Kaleb Little, CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association. So along with $4,500 for the engineering costs on the project, they want to support creative thinking to solve problems that impact soybean farmers, he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747756709682.jpeg" alt=" A new style of bridge that includes beams driven four or five feet into the ground replaced an old wooden bridge that kept moving downstream when it flooded. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption> A new style of bridge that includes beams driven four or five feet into the ground replaced an old wooden bridge that kept moving downstream when it flooded. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Soybean checkoff</h2>“What I really am tickled about is we’re using checkoff dollars,” Phelon said of the $4,500 check presented to Osage County. “It’s farmers’ checkoff dollars, from when they sell soybeans. It’s one-half of 1%, or a nickel every bushel with the prices right now, and it’s coming right back into the county, to where the farmers are at.”Using checkoff dollars is a win-win for everyone, from the county and taxpayers to the farmers at the local level, he said.&nbsp;Phelon said he became&nbsp; involved in STC because, as a soybean farmer, he knows how important infrastructure is. It was evident when a small bridge near his Melvern farm was getting to be unsafe, but if it had closed, he would have had to go miles out of his way to transport his crop.“We can grow fantastic crops, but if you can’t get them to market, it affects your price,” Phelon said. “What are you going to do with an overabundance if you can’t move it? Also, it helps the consumer. If we can get it to them, it’ll help their prices be better.”Phelon said STC supports projects around the country, including a large project at the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington state. Farmers can’t always make the connection to how that project halfway across the country helps them, he said.&nbsp;But two railroads go from the Midwest to Port of Grays, where soybeans are put on ships and sent around the world, Phelon said.&nbsp;“So taking products that are grown here in the United States, putting them on a boat and selling them — it helps our price,” he said. “There’s been maybe a little bit of pushback from Kansas farmers to say, well, we don’t sell any soybeans to China. I said wait a minute. Maybe not directly, but if Nebraska is selling them, we’re going to fill that void. And we need to be in that ballgame.”

Kansas county bridge replaced with innovative design, contribution from soybean farmers

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">State Memorial Service for Christopher S. &quot;Kit&quot; Bond <a href="https://t.co/SXqo798Zuz">https://t.co/SXqo798Zuz</a>&mdash; Governor Mike Kehoe (@GovMikeKehoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeKehoe/status/1924872767641403792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Memorial Service for Kit Bond, former Missouri governor, U.S. Senator

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Over 90,000 Missourians could lose their Medicaid coverage under a proposal by Congressional Republicans to implement work requirements, according to a pair of recent studies of the plan.

A Republican reconciliation bill still being negotiated in the U.S. House contains various proposed changes to Medicaid — among them work reporting requirements — to pay for an extension of President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. A preliminary Congressional Budget Office estimate found over&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/cbo-emails-re-e%26c-reconcilation-scores-may-11%2C-2025.pdf" target="_blank">8 million people nationally&nbsp;</a>could lose coverage under the House legislation.

The work requirements would apply to adults on Medicaid between ages 19 and 64, requiring them to report at least 80 hours of work per month or qualify for an exception. The exemptions include people with disabilities, caregivers and pregnant participants.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2025-04/Expanding%20Federal%20Work%20Requirements%20for%20Medicaid%20Expansion%20Coverage%20to%20Age%2064%20Would%20Increase%20Coverage%20Losses%5B61%5D.pdf" target="_blank">report from the Urban Institute</a>&nbsp;and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation published last month found between 84,000 and 96,000 Missourians ages 19 to 64 could lose coverage under the plan. Another&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/harsh-work-requirements-in-house-republican-bill-would-take-away-medicaid-coverage" target="_blank">report, from the left-leaning Center for Budget and Policy Priorities</a>&nbsp;published last week, estimated a reduction of 91,000 Missourians.&nbsp;

The CBPP analysis found that although 28% of Missouri Medicaid participants in the adult-expansion group could lose coverage, only 8% didn’t work in the last year and don’t qualify for an exemption — meaning thousands of eligible participants would lose coverage.

Work requirements in the current version of the legislation would go into effect in 2029, though there are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/15/megabill-teeters-after-hard-liners-make-their-stand-00352892?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">reports</a>&nbsp;Republicans are considering moving up the timeline.

States would be required to monitor compliance and ensure those with exceptions don’t get kicked off. Participants would need to navigate red tape to prove they’re working or exempt.&nbsp;

New bureaucratic hurdles could prove especially problematic in Missouri, which has historically fared poorly with administration of its public assistance programs. Missouri’s social services agency has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/17/leader-of-missouri-social-services-agency-stepping-down-for-new-job-in-poplar-bluff/">struggled</a>&nbsp;to meet federal standards for processing Medicaid applications and is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/07/missouri-is-still-illegally-denying-food-assistance-despite-court-order/">being sued for its administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.</a>

Administrative issues — such as long call center wait times, application delays and paperwork issues — routinely cause Missourians who are eligible for benefits to be incorrectly booted from benefit programs.

At a legislative hearing for a proposed work requirement in Missouri earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/19/republicans-renew-push-to-enact-work-requirements-for-missouri-medicaid-recipients/">opponents said</a>&nbsp;work requirements on Medicaid would only exacerbate the social service agency’s call center wait times and staffing issues.

One in five Missourians is enrolled on Medicaid.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/2025/04/expanding-federal-work-requirements-to-age-64-would-increase-medicaid-coverage-losses.html" target="_blank">Most adults on Medicaid</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/5-key-facts-about-medicaid-work-requirements/" target="_blank">already working</a>&nbsp;or would qualify for an exception, but work reporting requirements would cause many to fall through the cracks, experts say, including low-wage workers with unpredictable hours. Opponents of work requirements&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/opinion/medicaid-work-requirements-pointless.html" target="_blank">also say Medicaid is a crucial safety net for workers who are laid-off</a>&nbsp;or fired for reasons beyond their control and lose employer-sponsored health care.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has been a vocal opponent of Medicaid cuts but has said he is supportive of work requirements.

“Listen, if you want to do work requirements, I’m all for that,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOkq1XlcGg0&amp;ab_channel=CNN" target="_blank">told CNN last week</a>. “I bet every Republican, and I bet most Americans would agree with that.”

Arkansas was the first state to adopt Medicaid work requirements in 2018. Until a court halted the program in 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/health/medicaid-work-requirements.html" target="_blank">over 18,000 people lost coverage</a>, many of whom didn’t know about exemptions or couldn’t navigate the red tape. Studies found Arkansas’ policy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00538" target="_blank">didn’t result in increased employment.</a>

Georgia’s Medicaid work requirement program has been mired in technical issues,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/series/broken-pathways" target="_blank">ProPublica has reported,</a>&nbsp;and the increased requirements for state employees to verify work status have proven onerous and expensive.

Other proposed Medicaid changes in the U.S. House budget&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/us/politics/republicans-medicaid-cuts.html" target="_blank">include</a>&nbsp;more frequent eligibility checks, out-of-pocket copays for some enrollees and freezing the tax states levy on providers to help fund the program.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The federal budget bill is expected to continue&nbsp;<a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/house/budget-clears-reconciliation/" target="_blank">being negotiated</a>&nbsp;in the coming weeks.&nbsp;

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Over 90,000 Missourians could lose their Medicaid coverage under a proposal by Congressional Republicans to implement work requirements, according to a pair of recent studies of the plan.A Republican reconciliation bill still being negotiated in the U.S. House contains various proposed changes to Medicaid — among them work reporting requirements — to pay for an extension of President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. A preliminary Congressional Budget Office estimate found over&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/cbo-emails-re-e%26c-reconcilation-scores-may-11%2C-2025.pdf" target="_blank">8 million people nationally&nbsp;</a>could lose coverage under the House legislation.The work requirements would apply to adults on Medicaid between ages 19 and 64, requiring them to report at least 80 hours of work per month or qualify for an exception. The exemptions include people with disabilities, caregivers and pregnant participants.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2025-04/Expanding%20Federal%20Work%20Requirements%20for%20Medicaid%20Expansion%20Coverage%20to%20Age%2064%20Would%20Increase%20Coverage%20Losses%5B61%5D.pdf" target="_blank">report from the Urban Institute</a>&nbsp;and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation published last month found between 84,000 and 96,000 Missourians ages 19 to 64 could lose coverage under the plan. Another&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/harsh-work-requirements-in-house-republican-bill-would-take-away-medicaid-coverage" target="_blank">report, from the left-leaning Center for Budget and Policy Priorities</a>&nbsp;published last week, estimated a reduction of 91,000 Missourians.&nbsp;The CBPP analysis found that although 28% of Missouri Medicaid participants in the adult-expansion group could lose coverage, only 8% didn’t work in the last year and don’t qualify for an exemption — meaning thousands of eligible participants would lose coverage.Work requirements in the current version of the legislation would go into effect in 2029, though there are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/15/megabill-teeters-after-hard-liners-make-their-stand-00352892?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">reports</a>&nbsp;Republicans are considering moving up the timeline.States would be required to monitor compliance and ensure those with exceptions don’t get kicked off. Participants would need to navigate red tape to prove they’re working or exempt.&nbsp;New bureaucratic hurdles could prove especially problematic in Missouri, which has historically fared poorly with administration of its public assistance programs. Missouri’s social services agency has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/17/leader-of-missouri-social-services-agency-stepping-down-for-new-job-in-poplar-bluff/">struggled</a>&nbsp;to meet federal standards for processing Medicaid applications and is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/07/missouri-is-still-illegally-denying-food-assistance-despite-court-order/">being sued for its administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.</a>Administrative issues — such as long call center wait times, application delays and paperwork issues — routinely cause Missourians who are eligible for benefits to be incorrectly booted from benefit programs.At a legislative hearing for a proposed work requirement in Missouri earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/19/republicans-renew-push-to-enact-work-requirements-for-missouri-medicaid-recipients/">opponents said</a>&nbsp;work requirements on Medicaid would only exacerbate the social service agency’s call center wait times and staffing issues.One in five Missourians is enrolled on Medicaid.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/2025/04/expanding-federal-work-requirements-to-age-64-would-increase-medicaid-coverage-losses.html" target="_blank">Most adults on Medicaid</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/5-key-facts-about-medicaid-work-requirements/" target="_blank">already working</a>&nbsp;or would qualify for an exception, but work reporting requirements would cause many to fall through the cracks, experts say, including low-wage workers with unpredictable hours. Opponents of work requirements&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/opinion/medicaid-work-requirements-pointless.html" target="_blank">also say Medicaid is a crucial safety net for workers who are laid-off</a>&nbsp;or fired for reasons beyond their control and lose employer-sponsored health care.U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has been a vocal opponent of Medicaid cuts but has said he is supportive of work requirements.“Listen, if you want to do work requirements, I’m all for that,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOkq1XlcGg0&amp;ab_channel=CNN" target="_blank">told CNN last week</a>. “I bet every Republican, and I bet most Americans would agree with that.”Arkansas was the first state to adopt Medicaid work requirements in 2018. Until a court halted the program in 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/health/medicaid-work-requirements.html" target="_blank">over 18,000 people lost coverage</a>, many of whom didn’t know about exemptions or couldn’t navigate the red tape. Studies found Arkansas’ policy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00538" target="_blank">didn’t result in increased employment.</a>Georgia’s Medicaid work requirement program has been mired in technical issues,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/series/broken-pathways" target="_blank">ProPublica has reported,</a>&nbsp;and the increased requirements for state employees to verify work status have proven onerous and expensive.Other proposed Medicaid changes in the U.S. House budget&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/us/politics/republicans-medicaid-cuts.html" target="_blank">include</a>&nbsp;more frequent eligibility checks, out-of-pocket copays for some enrollees and freezing the tax states levy on providers to help fund the program.&nbsp;&nbsp;The federal budget bill is expected to continue&nbsp;<a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/house/budget-clears-reconciliation/" target="_blank">being negotiated</a>&nbsp;in the coming weeks.&nbsp;

Proposed federal work reporting requirements could cut over 90k Missourians from Medicaid

WASHINGTON —Kansas Junior U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, who spends a lot of time talking with the media, was a guest on Fox Business early Tuesday. 

President Donald Trump, who like to watch television news, apparently was tuned in to see Marshall's interview with Fox host Maria Bartiromo on a variety of topics including controversial cuts to Medicaid.

 The President liked what he saw and used his Truth Social account to praise the Senator.

President Trump wrote, "Senator Roger Marshall was fantastic this morning on Fox Business as interviewed by Maria Bartiromo."&nbsp; "The great people of Kansas are lucky to have him."

WASHINGTON —Kansas Junior U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, who spends a lot of time talking with the media, was a guest on Fox Business early Tuesday. President Donald Trump, who like to watch television news, apparently was tuned in to see Marshall's interview with Fox host Maria Bartiromo on a variety of topics including controversial cuts to Medicaid. The President liked what he saw and used his Truth Social account to praise the Senator.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you, President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>. <a href="https://t.co/PlQAbgzJy5">pic.twitter.com/PlQAbgzJy5</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1924805643224907793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Medicaid has turned into a $1 trillion business with waste, fraud, and abuse. Republicans are here to save Medicaid for American citizens who need it the most — not illegal aliens. <a href="https://t.co/VR0kFeO9M0">pic.twitter.com/VR0kFeO9M0</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1924797670553436249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For four years, the Biden Administration lied to the American people. Even after leaving office, the deception continues. The American people deserve the truth about Joe Biden’s health during his presidency and anything else they’ve been hiding. <a href="https://t.co/Khh0iuQa8c">pic.twitter.com/Khh0iuQa8c</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1924832901838827883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Trump wrote, "Senator Roger Marshall was fantastic this morning on Fox Business as interviewed by Maria Bartiromo."&nbsp; "The great people of Kansas are lucky to have him."

🎥President Trump praised Kan. U.S. Senator's TV appearance

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a Sunday shooting in Kansas reported the death of another victim identified as 25-year-old Zackery&nbsp;Matthews.

Just after 4pm Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting at 73rd Street and South Benton Avenue, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. \

First responders located Matthews in front of a residence on the block there. Officers summoned EMS to the scene who transported him to the hospital for treatment of life threatening injuries.

On Monday, KCPD detectives were notified Matthews died.

Preliminary investigation indicated that Matthews and an unknown suspect had an interaction in front of the residence that escalated and led to gunfire, striking him.

This case is now being investigated as a homicide.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a Sunday shooting in Kansas reported the death of another victim identified as 25-year-old Zackery&nbsp;Matthews.Just after 4pm Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting at 73rd Street and South Benton Avenue, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. \First responders located Matthews in front of a residence on the block there. Officers summoned EMS to the scene who transported him to the hospital for treatment of life threatening injuries.On Monday, KCPD detectives were notified Matthews died.Preliminary investigation indicated that Matthews and an unknown suspect had an interaction in front of the residence that escalated and led to gunfire, striking him.This case is now being investigated as a homicide.

KCPD: Man wounded in weekend shooting has died

TOPEKA, Kansas. –&nbsp;The Kansas Prisoner Review Board rescinded its previous decision to grant parole to 78-year-old Jimmie Nelms, according to a media release from the Board.

In 1979, Nelms was sentenced to consecutive life terms plus nine years for the crimes of unlawful possession of a firearm, aggravated kidnapping, and murder in the first degree of Kansas Highway Patrolman Trooper Conroy O’Brien.

Nelms has been eligible for parole since 1993 and has appeared before the board nine times, having been initially granted parole after his hearing in March of this year.

The board, in a new hearing on May 16 with Nelms, rescinded its previous decision to grant parole and decided to deny him release at this time.

On May 8, Kansas Governor asked the board to reconsider the decision.

Trooper O’Brien, 26, was conducting a routine traffic stop on the Kansas Turnpike during the early morning hours of May 24, 1978, when Nelms and two others overpowered him. Authorities said O’Brien was forced at gunpoint into a roadside ditch, where he was pistol-whipped and fatally shot twice in the head with his own service weapon.&nbsp;

The three suspects, later identified as being wanted in a string of armed robberies across multiple states, were apprehended later that day after engaging another trooper in a gunfight. All were taken into custody following a manhunt.&nbsp;

The Kansas Trooper's Association late on Monday released a statement on the new decision.  In that statement the president of the trooper's association said in part, “We are grateful to the KRB for ultimately choosing justice,” said KSTA President, Technical Trooper Sage Hill. “Trooper O’Brien gave his life in the line of duty. Granting parole to the man responsible for that murder deeply undermined public trust and the sacrifices of every law enforcement officer. Today, justice was reaffirmed, and we are grateful. Tomorrow, we will begin working to make sure such a close call never happens again.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746744841747.jpeg" alt="Trooper Conroy O'Brien - Courtesy Kansas Highway Patrol&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Trooper Conroy O'Brien - Courtesy Kansas Highway Patrol&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kansas. –&nbsp;The Kansas Prisoner Review Board rescinded its previous decision to grant parole to 78-year-old Jimmie Nelms, according to a media release from the Board.In 1979, Nelms was sentenced to consecutive life terms plus nine years for the crimes of unlawful possession of a firearm, aggravated kidnapping, and murder in the first degree of Kansas Highway Patrolman Trooper Conroy O’Brien.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746748524625.png" alt="Nelms photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Nelms photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>Nelms has been eligible for parole since 1993 and has appeared before the board nine times, having been initially granted parole after his hearing in March of this year.The board, in a new hearing on May 16 with Nelms, rescinded its previous decision to grant parole and decided to deny him release at this time.On May 8, Kansas Governor asked the board to reconsider the decision.Trooper O’Brien, 26, was conducting a routine traffic stop on the Kansas Turnpike during the early morning hours of May 24, 1978, when Nelms and two others overpowered him. Authorities said O’Brien was forced at gunpoint into a roadside ditch, where he was pistol-whipped and fatally shot twice in the head with his own service weapon.&nbsp;The three suspects, later identified as being wanted in a string of armed robberies across multiple states, were apprehended later that day after engaging another trooper in a gunfight. All were taken into custody following a manhunt.&nbsp;The Kansas Trooper's Association late on Monday released a statement on the new decision. In that statement the president of the trooper's association said in part, “We are grateful to the KRB for ultimately choosing justice,” said KSTA President, Technical Trooper Sage Hill. “Trooper O’Brien gave his life in the line of duty. Granting parole to the man responsible for that murder deeply undermined public trust and the sacrifices of every law enforcement officer. Today, justice was reaffirmed, and we are grateful. Tomorrow, we will begin working to make sure such a close call never happens again.”

Man who killed Kansas Trooper has parole rescinded

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating after a body was found in an apartment fire in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 9a.m. Monday, crews responded to a reported fire at a home in the 4000 block of Stateline, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

 On arrival crews reported smoke and fire from the second floor of a two-story&nbsp; home that had been converted to apartments. KCFD received reports of someone possibly inside the structure. Searches of the structure. During the search a victim was located. The Kansas City Police Departments Bomb and Arson unit has been ordered to the scene due to the suspicious nature of the fire and the fatality. 

Bomb and Arson are in charge of the investigation into the cause and the fatality at this incident.&nbsp; Authorities did not release the name or additional details on the victim.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating after a body was found in an apartment fire in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 9a.m. Monday, crews responded to a reported fire at a home in the 4000 block of Stateline, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. On arrival crews reported smoke and fire from the second floor of a two-story&nbsp; home that had been converted to apartments. KCFD received reports of someone possibly inside the structure. Searches of the structure. During the search a victim was located. The Kansas City Police Departments Bomb and Arson unit has been ordered to the scene due to the suspicious nature of the fire and the fatality. Bomb and Arson are in charge of the investigation into the cause and the fatality at this incident.&nbsp; Authorities did not release the name or additional details on the victim.

Crews found body during search of apartment fire in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another weekend of deadly violence in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 7:30p.m. Friday, police were initially called to 92nd and James A Reed Road for what was described as an injury accident, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

While officers were still on the way the call was updated to a shooting call with a victim at 92nd Street. Initial responding officers located an adult male shooting victim outside of a vehicle just north of 92nd Street

Additional responding officers were notified of an additional vehicle that had crashed at 93rd and James A. Reed Road.&nbsp; Additional officers responded to that location and found a vehicle that had crashed there with one adult male shooting victim inside the vehicle.

EMS responded to both locations and declared both victims deceased at the scene. Homicide detectives are working to determine the sequence of events that led to the shooting.&nbsp;

just after 2a.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to the 4200 block of College on a shooting call, according to Becchina.

On arrival officers were directed to a shooting victim later identified as&nbsp;50-year-old Dante Franklin who was unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a house there.

Officers rendered aid and called for EMS to the scene. EMS declared Franklin deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates that Franklin had an interaction in front of the residence with one or more suspects that escalated and led to gunfire, which struck the victim.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Just after 5:30p.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to a reported shooting in the 4000 block of Troost in Kansas City, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. 

Callers advised that two people were shot at the location. First responders were directed to an apartment building there. Officers located an adult male shooting victim, later identified as 21-year-old Earnest Wilson-Trice, unresponsive on the front porch of the apartment building. They were further led inside one of the apartment units where officers located an adult female shooting victim later identified as 21-year-old Lilly B. Mack unresponsive.

Officers called for EMS to the scene who declared both shooting victims deceased. Homicide detectives are investigating. At this time detectives are not searching for any additional suspects. Further they are working with witnesses to determine the exact sequence of events that led up to the victims being shot.

This case is now being investigated as an apparent murder/suicide. Mack is the victim of the murder and Wilson-Trice is the victim of the suicide, according to Captain Becchina.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747472835672.png" alt="Investigation Friday near 92nd and James A Reed Road-Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Investigation Friday near 92nd and James A Reed Road-Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another weekend of deadly violence in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 7:30p.m. Friday, police were initially called to 92nd and James A Reed Road for what was described as an injury accident, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747472818903.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>While officers were still on the way the call was updated to a shooting call with a victim at 92nd Street. Initial responding officers located an adult male shooting victim outside of a vehicle just north of 92nd StreetAdditional responding officers were notified of an additional vehicle that had crashed at 93rd and James A. Reed Road.&nbsp; Additional officers responded to that location and found a vehicle that had crashed there with one adult male shooting victim inside the vehicle.EMS responded to both locations and declared both victims deceased at the scene. Homicide detectives are working to determine the sequence of events that led to the shooting.&nbsp;just after 2a.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to the 4200 block of College on a shooting call, according to Becchina.On arrival officers were directed to a shooting victim later identified as&nbsp;50-year-old Dante Franklin who was unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a house there.Officers rendered aid and called for EMS to the scene. EMS declared Franklin deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates that Franklin had an interaction in front of the residence with one or more suspects that escalated and led to gunfire, which struck the victim.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747536801851.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 5:30p.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to a reported shooting in the 4000 block of Troost in Kansas City, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. Callers advised that two people were shot at the location. First responders were directed to an apartment building there. Officers located an adult male shooting victim, later identified as 21-year-old Earnest Wilson-Trice, unresponsive on the front porch of the apartment building. They were further led inside one of the apartment units where officers located an adult female shooting victim later identified as 21-year-old Lilly B. Mack unresponsive.Officers called for EMS to the scene who declared both shooting victims deceased. Homicide detectives are investigating. At this time detectives are not searching for any additional suspects. Further they are working with witnesses to determine the exact sequence of events that led up to the victims being shot.This case is now being investigated as an apparent murder/suicide. Mack is the victim of the murder and Wilson-Trice is the victim of the suicide, according to Captain Becchina.

Another deadly weekend of violence in Kansas City

BARRY COUNTY —A teenager drowned just after 1p.m. Friday at Table Rock Lake.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 14-year-old Shell Knob, Missouri boy jumped into the lake from a dock. He was overcome by the wind and waves and drowned a short distance from the dock.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol dive team recovered the body of Ean Heuback at the same location and he was transported to <a href="https://www.whitefuneralhome.org/obituary/ean-hueback">White Funeral Home in Cassville.</a>&nbsp; He had just celebrated his graduation from 8th grade according to <a href="https://www.whitefuneralhome.org/obituary/ean-hueback">his obituary.</a>

BARRY COUNTY —A teenager drowned just after 1p.m. Friday at Table Rock Lake.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 14-year-old Shell Knob, Missouri boy jumped into the lake from a dock. He was overcome by the wind and waves and drowned a short distance from the dock.A Missouri State Highway Patrol dive team recovered the body of Ean Heuback at the same location and he was transported to <a href="https://www.whitefuneralhome.org/obituary/ean-hueback">White Funeral Home in Cassville.</a>&nbsp; He had just celebrated his graduation from 8th grade according to <a href="https://www.whitefuneralhome.org/obituary/ean-hueback">his obituary.</a>

14-year-old drowns at Table Rock Lake

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/q5CPyHZkLD">pic.twitter.com/q5CPyHZkLD</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1924523182909747657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

President Trump describes phone call with Russian President Putin

As cash-strapped jails rush in for ICE contracts, one man’s death shows the complexity and risk of detaining immigrants

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jessebogan/">Jesse Bogan</a>

On a recent morning, thick fog lingered over the hills and hollows of Ozark County, Missouri, limiting the view of Lick Creek. It and other waterways raged out of their banks in overnight flash flooding, only to recede with debris strewn about.

County commissioners huddled inside the courthouse, one block from a muddy rodeo ring, discussing bridge inspections and the path forward. Some washed-out areas were only accessible by four-wheel drive.

They’d put up more “road closed” signs, the commissioners said, if only people would stop stealing them.&nbsp;

Ozark County — estimated population 9,090 — is used to doing without. A mere nick in the Bible Belt, it doesn’t even have a stoplight.

What it does have is a 24-bed jail with a cattle trough baptismal pool in the recreational area.&nbsp;

It also has an ambitious sheriff who sees his prayers answered in a new contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that could boost his $1.1 million annual budget.&nbsp;

“It’s a pain in the butt because this is a whole new ground that we are covering, but then, you know, when you are one of the poorest counties in the state of Missouri, I’ve got to figure out how to pay for law enforcement,” Sheriff Cass Martin told the Marshall Project – St. Louis. “And that’s not easy, especially when you can’t even get new recruits. Nobody wants to be in law enforcement. It’s dying.”

Ozark County is one of many places, big and small, that the Trump administration is depending on to pull off one of the largest mass deportations from the U.S. in recent history. An enormous ramp-up in detention capacity is underway. New contracts are being negotiated. Existing contracts with the federal government are being expanded. In the ICE contract’s infancy, Ozark County is already reaping the benefits by raising wages and hiring for new positions in law enforcement.

As of early May, tracking reports show ICE contracting with or operating 147 public and private detention facilities, including three in Missouri. That’s up from 107 facilities reported in the final days of the Biden administration. On Feb. 24, Martin signed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ice.gov/doclib/foia/detFacContracts/70CDCR25DIG000014-BASEOzark%20County-IGSA-GainsvilleMO.pdf" target="_blank">contract</a>&nbsp;for Ozark County, which isn’t yet on the list.

ICE plans to spend $45 billion on new contracts to hold and transport detainees and provide detainee services,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25940066-ice-dhs-rfp-70cdcr25r00000005/?mode=document#document/p3/a2651185" target="_blank">according to a federal request for proposals</a>. Counties like Ozark are getting a taste in federal dollars of what that expansion means.&nbsp;

Sheriffs say the feds pay well, yet the detention and transportation contracts come with much more scrutiny and oversight than typical jail work, especially in Missouri, which doesn’t have statewide jail standards.&nbsp;

Still, ICE reported that eight detainees had died nationally while in custody this year, as of May 5, including one death in a rural Missouri jail that the local coroner ruled a suicide. In 2024, ICE reported 11 deaths.

Some groups that advocate for ICE detainees are concerned that people from all over the world are increasingly being held in communities without well-established legal watchdogs and medical services.

Contracting with local jails “is the easiest way to get a (detention) facility up and running without any of the risk to the federal government,” said Romelia Graefrath, co-executive director of Mariposa Legal, a nonprofit in Indianapolis that fights for immigrant rights. “The end result is people get hurt, and then that is a huge liability for these communities that are already suffering.”

Martin said he applied for an ICE contract under the Biden administration when his department faced a budget crisis from falling revenue.

“We were really hurting,” he said. “We were basically praying that next month will be better.” The ICE application lay dormant until Trump was elected, he said.&nbsp;

“The day after the inauguration, a federal inspector showed up here at the jail wanting to look at everything throughout the facility,” he said.

The negotiated ICE contract will breathe new life into his department at a rate of $110 a night per detainee and $1.10 per mile when transporting detainees, Martin said.&nbsp;

He said Ozark County was still working out medical care so it could be cleared to hold detainees longer than overnight. Meanwhile, it has three transport vans out on the road, sometimes driving hundreds of miles per day.

He said they’ve made 525-mile runs from Ozark County to the federal building in St. Louis, down to the Greene County Jail in southwest Missouri, then back home. They’ve picked up detainees 325 miles away in Oklahoma and taken them to the tarmac at Kansas City International Airport. Sometimes detainees spend the night in the Ozark County Jail, on the way to Little Rock, Arkansas, for example, which is about a 3½-hour drive.&nbsp;

“We’ll feed them, we’ll house them, we’ll take care of them, and then the next morning they’ll go back out,” Martin said. “We are just kind of a spot in the road.”

Because of the ICE contract, Martin said, he’s been able to attract more jail staff and raise the pay from about $13 to $18 an hour. In addition to mileage, he said ICE pays $18.50 an hour for drivers transporting detainees, as well as time and a half for overtime.

Martin plucked one new employee who speaks Spanish from a local real estate office. She went through a short training program to be a transport officer.&nbsp;

“It definitely enlightened her a little bit,” Martin said. “They are able to talk to her and tell her if something is going on.”

The staffing bump was reflected in the public payroll.&nbsp;

In February, the county paid five jail employees a total of $12,900 in earnings, which came to an average of $2,580 each. By March, it had 14 employees earning $54,193, including about $10,500 in overtime, or an average of $3,871 each.&nbsp;

“We’d like to add another pod to the jail and at some point help pay livable wages,” said Brian Wise, the county clerk. “Around here, local law enforcement doesn’t have tons of money. Without extra revenue, they can’t function.”

It’s hard to gauge what local residents think. Just one attended a recent county commissioner meeting. Two years’ worth of meeting minutes didn’t mention the ICE contract in detail. Wise said he wanted to wait until federal money started coming in before listing projected revenue in the county’s $7 million annual budget.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Other elected local officials also see the contract as a boon.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s going to work out to be a great thing for us,” Ozark County Presiding Commissioner Terry Newton said.

While cash-strapped jails see opportunity in ICE contracts, Brayan Garzón, a former street vendor in Bogotá, Colombia, saw opportunity in the United States.&nbsp;

He left in 2023 and crossed the U.S. border into southern California. Garzón was then detained for three months before settling in St. Louis, where he held various odd jobs doing roofing and food deliveries, his family said.

On May 27, 2024, Garzón was arrested for shoplifting in Missouri. Two weeks later, an immigration judge in San Diego, at a hearing Garzón wasn’t present for, ordered him removed from the country, ICE officials said.

In late March, St. Louis police arrested Garzón on a charge of using a stolen credit card at a smoke shop. He was arrested along with a friend from Colombia who was accused of stealing credit cards, a watch and more than $25,000 in jewelry while cleaning hotel rooms for a temp agency, according to court records. ICE took both into custody.&nbsp;

Garzón ended up being held 100 miles southwest of St. Louis in the Phelps County Jail. On March 27, a medical intake screening of Garzón at the jail noted that he had anxiety and a history of a heart murmur. He denied having suicidal thoughts. A routine mental health referral was made, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ice.gov/doclib/foia/reports/ddrBrayanRAYO-Garzon.pdf" target="_blank">ICE report</a>.

Two days later, Garzón had severe head pain, body aches and sweating. A tuberculosis test came back positive. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 at a local hospital’s emergency room after being taken there by the jail staff. He was returned to the jail a day later, on March 30, with normal vitals. But a few days later, he was treated for vomiting. His mental health appointment was rescheduled because of “mental health clinic time and staff” and his COVID-19 diagnosis.

Around 9:50 p.m. on April 7, Garzón was found near death in his cell with a blanket wrapped around his neck. He was pronounced dead the following day, after being flown to a hospital in the St. Louis area for a higher level of care, ICE said in its report.&nbsp;

Garzón was in his cell alone prior to his suicide, according to Phelps County Coroner Ernie Coverdell. Garzón had given a letter to his jailers written in Spanish, requesting to speak to his mother by telephone. Coverdell said surveillance footage showed Garzón praying before entering a bottom bunk, hidden by a draped blanket. When a jailer found him unresponsive about 20 minutes later, Coverdell said Garzón looked like he was asleep, but with bedding around his neck.

Emergency responders and doctors kept his heart beating for several days after he was declared clinically dead, Coverdell said. With his family’s permission, Garzón’s heart and several organs were donated to people in need.&nbsp;

“He saved more than one life,” Coverdell said.&nbsp;

Garzón, one of six siblings, was 27.&nbsp;

<h2>As cash-strapped jails rush in for ICE contracts, one man’s death shows the complexity and risk of detaining immigrants</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jessebogan/">Jesse Bogan</a>On a recent morning, thick fog lingered over the hills and hollows of Ozark County, Missouri, limiting the view of Lick Creek. It and other waterways raged out of their banks in overnight flash flooding, only to recede with debris strewn about.County commissioners huddled inside the courthouse, one block from a muddy rodeo ring, discussing bridge inspections and the path forward. Some washed-out areas were only accessible by four-wheel drive.They’d put up more “road closed” signs, the commissioners said, if only people would stop stealing them.&nbsp;Ozark County — estimated population 9,090 — is used to doing without. A mere nick in the Bible Belt, it doesn’t even have a stoplight.What it does have is a 24-bed jail with a cattle trough baptismal pool in the recreational area.&nbsp;It also has an ambitious sheriff who sees his prayers answered in a new contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that could boost his $1.1 million annual budget.&nbsp;“It’s a pain in the butt because this is a whole new ground that we are covering, but then, you know, when you are one of the poorest counties in the state of Missouri, I’ve got to figure out how to pay for law enforcement,” Sheriff Cass Martin told the Marshall Project – St. Louis. “And that’s not easy, especially when you can’t even get new recruits. Nobody wants to be in law enforcement. It’s dying.”Ozark County is one of many places, big and small, that the Trump administration is depending on to pull off one of the largest mass deportations from the U.S. in recent history. An enormous ramp-up in detention capacity is underway. New contracts are being negotiated. Existing contracts with the federal government are being expanded. In the ICE contract’s infancy, Ozark County is already reaping the benefits by raising wages and hiring for new positions in law enforcement.As of early May, tracking reports show ICE contracting with or operating 147 public and private detention facilities, including three in Missouri. That’s up from 107 facilities reported in the final days of the Biden administration. On Feb. 24, Martin signed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ice.gov/doclib/foia/detFacContracts/70CDCR25DIG000014-BASEOzark%20County-IGSA-GainsvilleMO.pdf" target="_blank">contract</a>&nbsp;for Ozark County, which isn’t yet on the list.ICE plans to spend $45 billion on new contracts to hold and transport detainees and provide detainee services,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25940066-ice-dhs-rfp-70cdcr25r00000005/?mode=document#document/p3/a2651185" target="_blank">according to a federal request for proposals</a>. Counties like Ozark are getting a taste in federal dollars of what that expansion means.&nbsp;Sheriffs say the feds pay well, yet the detention and transportation contracts come with much more scrutiny and oversight than typical jail work, especially in Missouri, which doesn’t have statewide jail standards.&nbsp;Still, ICE reported that eight detainees had died nationally while in custody this year, as of May 5, including one death in a rural Missouri jail that the local coroner ruled a suicide. In 2024, ICE reported 11 deaths.Some groups that advocate for ICE detainees are concerned that people from all over the world are increasingly being held in communities without well-established legal watchdogs and medical services.Contracting with local jails “is the easiest way to get a (detention) facility up and running without any of the risk to the federal government,” said Romelia Graefrath, co-executive director of Mariposa Legal, a nonprofit in Indianapolis that fights for immigrant rights. “The end result is people get hurt, and then that is a huge liability for these communities that are already suffering.”<h2>ICE detention</h2>Martin said he applied for an ICE contract under the Biden administration when his department faced a budget crisis from falling revenue.“We were really hurting,” he said. “We were basically praying that next month will be better.” The ICE application lay dormant until Trump was elected, he said.&nbsp;“The day after the inauguration, a federal inspector showed up here at the jail wanting to look at everything throughout the facility,” he said.The negotiated ICE contract will breathe new life into his department at a rate of $110 a night per detainee and $1.10 per mile when transporting detainees, Martin said.&nbsp;He said Ozark County was still working out medical care so it could be cleared to hold detainees longer than overnight. Meanwhile, it has three transport vans out on the road, sometimes driving hundreds of miles per day.He said they’ve made 525-mile runs from Ozark County to the federal building in St. Louis, down to the Greene County Jail in southwest Missouri, then back home. They’ve picked up detainees 325 miles away in Oklahoma and taken them to the tarmac at Kansas City International Airport. Sometimes detainees spend the night in the Ozark County Jail, on the way to Little Rock, Arkansas, for example, which is about a 3½-hour drive.&nbsp;“We’ll feed them, we’ll house them, we’ll take care of them, and then the next morning they’ll go back out,” Martin said. “We are just kind of a spot in the road.”Because of the ICE contract, Martin said, he’s been able to attract more jail staff and raise the pay from about $13 to $18 an hour. In addition to mileage, he said ICE pays $18.50 an hour for drivers transporting detainees, as well as time and a half for overtime.Martin plucked one new employee who speaks Spanish from a local real estate office. She went through a short training program to be a transport officer.&nbsp;“It definitely enlightened her a little bit,” Martin said. “They are able to talk to her and tell her if something is going on.”The staffing bump was reflected in the public payroll.&nbsp;In February, the county paid five jail employees a total of $12,900 in earnings, which came to an average of $2,580 each. By March, it had 14 employees earning $54,193, including about $10,500 in overtime, or an average of $3,871 each.&nbsp;“We’d like to add another pod to the jail and at some point help pay livable wages,” said Brian Wise, the county clerk. “Around here, local law enforcement doesn’t have tons of money. Without extra revenue, they can’t function.”It’s hard to gauge what local residents think. Just one attended a recent county commissioner meeting. Two years’ worth of meeting minutes didn’t mention the ICE contract in detail. Wise said he wanted to wait until federal money started coming in before listing projected revenue in the county’s $7 million annual budget.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other elected local officials also see the contract as a boon.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s going to work out to be a great thing for us,” Ozark County Presiding Commissioner Terry Newton said.<h2>Death in a Missouri jail</h2>While cash-strapped jails see opportunity in ICE contracts, Brayan Garzón, a former street vendor in Bogotá, Colombia, saw opportunity in the United States.&nbsp;He left in 2023 and crossed the U.S. border into southern California. Garzón was then detained for three months before settling in St. Louis, where he held various odd jobs doing roofing and food deliveries, his family said.On May 27, 2024, Garzón was arrested for shoplifting in Missouri. Two weeks later, an immigration judge in San Diego, at a hearing Garzón wasn’t present for, ordered him removed from the country, ICE officials said.In late March, St. Louis police arrested Garzón on a charge of using a stolen credit card at a smoke shop. He was arrested along with a friend from Colombia who was accused of stealing credit cards, a watch and more than $25,000 in jewelry while cleaning hotel rooms for a temp agency, according to court records. ICE took both into custody.&nbsp;Garzón ended up being held 100 miles southwest of St. Louis in the Phelps County Jail. On March 27, a medical intake screening of Garzón at the jail noted that he had anxiety and a history of a heart murmur. He denied having suicidal thoughts. A routine mental health referral was made, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ice.gov/doclib/foia/reports/ddrBrayanRAYO-Garzon.pdf" target="_blank">ICE report</a>.Two days later, Garzón had severe head pain, body aches and sweating. A tuberculosis test came back positive. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 at a local hospital’s emergency room after being taken there by the jail staff. He was returned to the jail a day later, on March 30, with normal vitals. But a few days later, he was treated for vomiting. His mental health appointment was rescheduled because of “mental health clinic time and staff” and his COVID-19 diagnosis.Around 9:50 p.m. on April 7, Garzón was found near death in his cell with a blanket wrapped around his neck. He was pronounced dead the following day, after being flown to a hospital in the St. Louis area for a higher level of care, ICE said in its report.&nbsp;Garzón was in his cell alone prior to his suicide, according to Phelps County Coroner Ernie Coverdell. Garzón had given a letter to his jailers written in Spanish, requesting to speak to his mother by telephone. Coverdell said surveillance footage showed Garzón praying before entering a bottom bunk, hidden by a draped blanket. When a jailer found him unresponsive about 20 minutes later, Coverdell said Garzón looked like he was asleep, but with bedding around his neck.Emergency responders and doctors kept his heart beating for several days after he was declared clinically dead, Coverdell said. With his family’s permission, Garzón’s heart and several organs were donated to people in need.&nbsp;“He saved more than one life,” Coverdell said.&nbsp;Garzón, one of six siblings, was 27.&nbsp;His mother, Adriana, said in Spanish that she’d spoken to her son several times by phone from the jail. He’d complained about the food and being sick, but she was blindsided by his suicide.“My son had more will to live than to die,” she said. “He was a very happy person.”&nbsp;&nbsp;She struggled to comprehend how he fell through the cracks of a country rich in resources and modern technology.&nbsp;“How is it possible that my son could do this?” she said. “He’s a human being. They should have been watching.”The Phelps County Jail has a long history of holding detainees for the federal government. In an effort to hold more, the facility just underwent a $21 million expansion that doubled the size of the jail to 400 beds.A few weeks prior to Garzón’s arrival, Phelps County Sheriff Michael Kirn’s department was struggling to pay January and February invoices “due to lack of funds,” according to county commission meeting minutes.&nbsp;Kirn told commissioners that it was imperative to get the ICE agreement in place because he expected it to generate an additional $3.6 million a year on top of the sheriff’s typical budget of $5.5 million.Kirn declined to comment about the death because it was under investigation by state and federal authorities. He said no policies or procedures have been changed or added since Garzón’s death.&nbsp;The county’s existing contract with the U.S. Marshals — who track down dangerous fugitives and enforce federal law — was expanded to include ICE detainees, Kirn said. He declined to share the rate.&nbsp;“The feds are a little funny about stuff, and I don’t want to cause ripples,” he said.He said they were hovering at about 300 out of 400 beds filled, half of them with federal detainees.“We had to slow down,” he said. “It’s not the amount of people; it’s the paperwork.”&nbsp;ICE officials didn’t respond to a request for comment. An April press release about Garzón’s death stated that the agency “remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments.”<h2>Brayan Garzón</h2>Garzón’s death seemed to weigh on Martin, the sheriff in Ozark County.&nbsp;“He was so young,” Martin said.&nbsp;He wondered if there were any red flags leading up to the incident. And how did ICE respond?Martin said if a jail resident is in a mental crisis in Ozark County, they rush them to the hospital for an emergency hold. That hadn’t been an issue with any of the ICE detainees they’d been transporting, he said.“These guys are a little bit easier to deal with than our local inmates on most points,” he said. “They are, ‘Thank you, thank you for this. Thank you for food.’ They are appreciative of what we’ve got.”&nbsp;Martin said he doesn’t know all the ins and outs of why ICE detainees are in custody, but he wants to do a professional job.“It’s not like going to the stockyard up here and watching cattle run through the chute. They are human beings,” Martin said. “My thing is, I promise that I can give them a safe place to put their head at night. I will feed them, and I will make sure that they are taken care of. And from there, wherever they are going, I hope everything turns out well for them.”