FRANKLIN COUNTY, Kan. —Authorities investigating a deadly head-on crash that occurred just after 5:30p.m. Sunday in Franklin County have identified the victims.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 GMC Yukon driven by James D. Gilstrap, 33, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was southbound on U.S. 169 highway just northeast of Virginia Road.

The driver attempted to overtake a slower southbound vehicle and entered the northbound lanes to pass.&nbsp; The Yukon and a northbound 2016 Subaru Legacy driven by Alexander R.&nbsp;Ernst, 37, Ames, Iowa, collided head-on on the northbound shoulder.

Gilstrap and passengers in the Yukon including Wayne T.&nbsp; Walls, 41, Talala, Oklahoma, and two 14-year-old boys from Tulsa were pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a 15-year-old boy from Talala, Oklahoma to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

Ernst and passengers in the Subaru including John D.&nbsp;Elliott, 76;&nbsp; Madalyn N. Elliott, 33;&nbsp; Norleen L. Elliott, 69, all from Chesterfield, Missouri, were pronounced dead at the scene. All were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746453539052.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY, Kan. —Authorities investigating a deadly head-on crash that occurred just after 5:30p.m. Sunday in Franklin County have identified the victims.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 GMC Yukon driven by James D. Gilstrap, 33, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was southbound on U.S. 169 highway just northeast of Virginia Road.The driver attempted to overtake a slower southbound vehicle and entered the northbound lanes to pass.&nbsp; The Yukon and a northbound 2016 Subaru Legacy driven by Alexander R.&nbsp;Ernst, 37, Ames, Iowa, collided head-on on the northbound shoulder.Gilstrap and passengers in the Yukon including Wayne T.&nbsp; Walls, 41, Talala, Oklahoma, and two 14-year-old boys from Tulsa were pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a 15-year-old boy from Talala, Oklahoma to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.Ernst and passengers in the Subaru including John D.&nbsp;Elliott, 76;&nbsp; Madalyn N. Elliott, 33;&nbsp; Norleen L. Elliott, 69, all from Chesterfield, Missouri, were pronounced dead at the scene. All were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

KHP: 3 of 8 who died in head-on crash were from Missouri

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>&nbsp;

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that the agency will provide $1,000 in what it called “travel assistance” to people in the United States without permanent legal status if they self deport.

It’s the latest attempt by DHS to try to meet the Trump administration’s goal of removing 1 million migrants without permanent legal status from the country. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem touted the option as cost-effective.

“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” Noem said in a statement. “This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens and is a 70% savings for US taxpayers.”

It’s unclear from which part of the DHS budget the funding for the travel assistance is coming, as it would roughly cost $1 billion to reimburse up to $1,000 to meet the goal of removing 1 million people.

DHS did not respond to States Newsroom’s request for comment.

President Donald Trump gave his support for the move Monday afternoon, according to White House pool reports.&nbsp;

“We’re going to get them a beautiful flight back to where they came from,” the president said.

Self-deportation would be facilitated by the CBP Home app, which was used by the Biden administration to allow asylum seekers to make appointments with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The payment would apparently not be made in advance. DHS said that once those who use the app to self deport arrive in their home country, they will receive a travel stipend of $1,000.

According to DHS, the Trump administration has deported 152,000 people since taking office in January. The Biden administration last year deported 195,000 people from February to April, according to DHS data.

DHS said already one migrant has used the program to book a flight from Chicago to Honduras.

“Additional tickets have already been booked for this week and the following week,” the agency said in a statement.

The Trump administration has rolled out several programs to facilitate mass self-deportations, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/dhs-will-require-migrants-without-legal-status-register-us-government" target="_blank">a registry to require</a>&nbsp;immigrants in the country without legal authorization to register with the federal government.

Immigrants who don’t register with the federal government could face steep fines and a potential prison sentence.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741624392845.png" alt="Homeland Security app" />
 <figcaption>Homeland Security app</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>&nbsp;WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that the agency will provide $1,000 in what it called “travel assistance” to people in the United States without permanent legal status if they self deport.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his place to pay illegals to self-deport: &quot;We&#39;re going to pay each one a certain amount of money and we&#39;re going to get them a beautiful flight back to where they came from... It&#39;s called self-deportation... You&#39;re talking about so many millions of people.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3bkRYeNWO0">pic.twitter.com/3bkRYeNWO0</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919453781932101990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It’s the latest attempt by DHS to try to meet the Trump administration’s goal of removing 1 million migrants without permanent legal status from the country. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem touted the option as cost-effective.“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” Noem said in a statement. “This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens and is a 70% savings for US taxpayers.”It’s unclear from which part of the DHS budget the funding for the travel assistance is coming, as it would roughly cost $1 billion to reimburse up to $1,000 to meet the goal of removing 1 million people.DHS did not respond to States Newsroom’s request for comment.President Donald Trump gave his support for the move Monday afternoon, according to White House pool reports.&nbsp;“We’re going to get them a beautiful flight back to where they came from,” the president said.Self-deportation would be facilitated by the CBP Home app, which was used by the Biden administration to allow asylum seekers to make appointments with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.The payment would apparently not be made in advance. DHS said that once those who use the app to self deport arrive in their home country, they will receive a travel stipend of $1,000.According to DHS, the Trump administration has deported 152,000 people since taking office in January. The Biden administration last year deported 195,000 people from February to April, according to DHS data.DHS said already one migrant has used the program to book a flight from Chicago to Honduras.“Additional tickets have already been booked for this week and the following week,” the agency said in a statement.The Trump administration has rolled out several programs to facilitate mass self-deportations, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/dhs-will-require-migrants-without-legal-status-register-us-government" target="_blank">a registry to require</a>&nbsp;immigrants in the country without legal authorization to register with the federal government.Immigrants who don’t register with the federal government could face steep fines and a potential prison sentence.&nbsp;

DHS offers $1,000 to immigrants without legal status who self-deport

The Kansas City Missouri Police Department is attempting to locate the&nbsp; suspect vehicle involved in a pedestrian hit and run which occurred at 241 E Linwood Boulevard on April 21, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. The vehicle is a reported stolen auto and has an expired Missouri temp tag&nbsp; &nbsp;The vehicle has has sunroof and no tint on the driver’s window. 

Black 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 4-door Missouri Lic# 07PU0M (expired)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746477507742.png" alt="-Black 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 4-door Missouri Lic# 07PU0M (expired)" />
 <figcaption>-Black 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 4-door Missouri Lic# 07PU0M (expired)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas City Missouri Police Department is attempting to locate the&nbsp; suspect vehicle involved in a pedestrian hit and run which occurred at 241 E Linwood Boulevard on April 21, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. The vehicle is a reported stolen auto and has an expired Missouri temp tag&nbsp; &nbsp;The vehicle has has sunroof and no tint on the driver’s window. Black 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 4-door Missouri Lic# 07PU0M (expired)

KCPD looking for stolen SUV involed in a hit-and-run

NEOSHO COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 6a.m.&nbsp; Monday in Neosho County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Dodge Durango driven by Teresa Marie&nbsp; Phillips, 47, Chanute, was northbound on Kansas 39 Highway fifteen miles east of Chanute. The SUV and a southbound 2021 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp; Thaddaeus Jack&nbsp;Jetmore, 38, Deerfield, Missouri, collided head-on at the center line.

Phillips was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical in Kansas City. EMS transported Jetmore to KU Medical Center. Phillips was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

NEOSHO COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 6a.m.&nbsp; Monday in Neosho County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Dodge Durango driven by Teresa Marie&nbsp; Phillips, 47, Chanute, was northbound on Kansas 39 Highway fifteen miles east of Chanute. The SUV and a southbound 2021 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp; Thaddaeus Jack&nbsp;Jetmore, 38, Deerfield, Missouri, collided head-on at the center line.Phillips was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical in Kansas City. EMS transported Jetmore to KU Medical Center. Phillips was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kan. woman dead, Mo. man injured after SUV,  pickup head-on crash

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/janaroseschleis/">Jana Rose Schleis</a>&nbsp;

Ameren electric customers across Missouri will see their bills go up this summer after a settlement between the utility and consumer advocates was approved by state regulators.

Steve Wills is Ameren Missouri’s senior director of regulatory affairs and said the company is pleased the Public Service Commission approved the settlement, calling it “fair and constructive.”

“We understand that it’s never a good time to raise rates … but we’ve made very significant improvements in our system that will enhance the reliability and the resilience of the system,” Wills said.

Ameren estimates the new prices will result in bills going up $14 per month for the average user. The approved rate increase enables Ameren to collect an additional $335 million dollars annually, which is $91 million less per year than the company initially requested.

Utilities are what’s called “regulated” or “natural” monopolies — in exchange for being the sole provider of utility service in a specified area, the companies are subject to state oversight.

Utilities must ask the Missouri Public Service Commission — the state agency that regulates investor-owned utilities — for approval to increase the prices it charges the public. Ameren filed the rate case in June 2024, which started an 11-month regulatory process.

“We spend a lot of time talking about the various issues and understanding each party’s position and try to find a middle ground that reflects a fair return for the investments that we’ve made to serve customers,” Wills said.

Ameren Missouri initially asked state regulators for permission to raise electricity rates by 15.77% — which would have resulted in an estimated average monthly bill increase of about $17.45.

Utility representatives say the additional revenue is necessary to recoup costs of “major system upgrades” and “cleaner” generation investments.

The new rates are scheduled to take effect June 1.

Michael Sykuta is an economist with the MU Financial Research Institute and said utility price hikes are a reflection of the broader economy.

“We’ve all experienced inflationary pressures in the things that we buy in our household budgets,” he said. “Companies across the board, not just utilities, are facing those same inflationary pressures for the equipment they have to buy, for the salaries they pay, for their other operating expenses.”

John Coffman, an attorney for the Consumers Council of Missouri, a consumer advocacy group that was involved in the settlement negotiations, said he thinks the agreement is fair.

“All the parties felt like they got something valuable out of the deal,” he said. “I mean it’s nothing to celebrate that we have these double digit increases, but we are happy about the way it was applied and some of the other guarantees we have going forward.”

According to the organization, the Consumers Council advocated for elements of the deal relating to low-income bill assistance, community solar power and assurance that Ameren is not allowed to charge customers for costs to mitigate pollution from the Rush Island power plant — which the company was ordered to do by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Missouri Industrial Energy Consumers, Renew Missouri, AARP and other organizations were also involved in the settlement.

Multiple public hearings were held throughout Ameren Missouri’s electric case. Lindsey Phoenix is an attorney living in Jefferson City who testified before the commission in January, sharing her opinion that a price hike was not justified.

Upon hearing of the settlement Thursday, Phoenix said she was disappointed with the results.

“The issue wasn’t how much of an increase they needed. The issue that everyone was there discussing was that they didn’t need one,” she said.

Phoenix, among other members of the public who testified, stressed the economic pressures many people find themselves in and how utility bill increases compound those challenges.

“I am an attorney, and my spouse is a teacher, and we are living paycheck to paycheck,” Phoenix said.

Ameren’s Wills encourages customers who are feeling squeezed to inquire about energy efficiency programs that could lower their costs.

“For those who are really struggling with the rates at a higher level, please reach out to us because we have energy assistance options available,” he said. “We have opportunities for flexible payments arrangements, budget billing and various sources of grants that we can either provide or connect customers with.”

Ameren provides electric service to much of mid-Missouri and has approximately 1.2 million electric customers in the state. The company also provides gas service for some communities, including Columbia and Jefferson City. The utility is in the middle of an ongoing rate case for gas prices.

Missouri utility rate cases are taking place while energy policies on the federal and state level are shifting.

Last month, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a bill into law that affords utilities a variety of new financial accounting practices. The legislation includes a policy called “construction work in progress” that enables energy companies to earn revenue on power plants as they build them and before they generate any electricity.

Ameren representatives have said the bill is an important tool that could help them build new power plants, including nuclear, to meet increasing electric demand.

“We’re having to retire older facilities and build new facilities,” Wills said. “I think what some of the legislation did was try to streamline Missouri’s processes a little bit around future generation planning.”

On the federal level, President Donald Trump has signed a variety of executive orders since taking office aimed at prioritizing the fossil fuel industry, including one last month that targets increased coal production.

MU’s Sykuta said the most recent executive order could help extend the life of Missouri’s coal power plants. However, Trump’s attempts to rescind energy funds from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act could slow down investment in wind and solar as well as upgrades to the transmission grid — ultimately resulting in price increases for customers.

“Consumers pay higher costs when transmission is more congested,” Sykuta said. “A lot of that infrastructure development has been started or planned with the idea of using the IRA funding — and with the IRA funding going away some of that investment is not going to happen.”

Jenn DeRose is a campaign organizer for the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign that aims to get utilities to close coal plants and transition to renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

The Sierra Club was an “intervenor,” or party to the Ameren electric rate case. DeRose said rural Missourians, low-income individuals, and people of color are most likely to face high energy burdens.

DeRose calls the rate case process “very opaque and difficult to understand.” Her role throughout the case was to encourage members of the public to participate.

“The number one thing that anybody can do is advocate,” she said. “Utilities, public service commissioners, they need to know the impacts of their decisions on regular people. They need to know what this looks like, and they need to know that they are responsible for creating solutions.”

The Ameren rate increase comes at a particularly challenging time, DeRose said, as summer cooling needs result in higher monthly bills and the Trump administration just fired the federal staff that administers the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

“LIHEAP is a critical program that helps people pay their heating and cooling bills, and it is essential to keeping people connected to services, but also, more broadly, it’s essential to keeping people in their homes,” DeRose said. “We know that disconnections lead to evictions.”

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/ameren-missouri-electricity-prices-to-increase-this-summer/article_4ee68039-eb6f-4113-b6e5-233c0ee43d91.html#tncms-source=topstory" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746467406989.png" alt=" Ameren estimates the new prices will result in bills going up $14 per month for the average user (Robert Zullo/ States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption> Ameren estimates the new prices will result in bills going up $14 per month for the average user (Robert Zullo/ States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/janaroseschleis/">Jana Rose Schleis</a>&nbsp;Ameren electric customers across Missouri will see their bills go up this summer after a settlement between the utility and consumer advocates was approved by state regulators.Steve Wills is Ameren Missouri’s senior director of regulatory affairs and said the company is pleased the Public Service Commission approved the settlement, calling it “fair and constructive.”“We understand that it’s never a good time to raise rates … but we’ve made very significant improvements in our system that will enhance the reliability and the resilience of the system,” Wills said.Ameren estimates the new prices will result in bills going up $14 per month for the average user. The approved rate increase enables Ameren to collect an additional $335 million dollars annually, which is $91 million less per year than the company initially requested.Utilities are what’s called “regulated” or “natural” monopolies — in exchange for being the sole provider of utility service in a specified area, the companies are subject to state oversight.Utilities must ask the Missouri Public Service Commission — the state agency that regulates investor-owned utilities — for approval to increase the prices it charges the public. Ameren filed the rate case in June 2024, which started an 11-month regulatory process.“We spend a lot of time talking about the various issues and understanding each party’s position and try to find a middle ground that reflects a fair return for the investments that we’ve made to serve customers,” Wills said.Ameren Missouri initially asked state regulators for permission to raise electricity rates by 15.77% — which would have resulted in an estimated average monthly bill increase of about $17.45.Utility representatives say the additional revenue is necessary to recoup costs of “major system upgrades” and “cleaner” generation investments.The new rates are scheduled to take effect June 1.Michael Sykuta is an economist with the MU Financial Research Institute and said utility price hikes are a reflection of the broader economy.“We’ve all experienced inflationary pressures in the things that we buy in our household budgets,” he said. “Companies across the board, not just utilities, are facing those same inflationary pressures for the equipment they have to buy, for the salaries they pay, for their other operating expenses.”John Coffman, an attorney for the Consumers Council of Missouri, a consumer advocacy group that was involved in the settlement negotiations, said he thinks the agreement is fair.“All the parties felt like they got something valuable out of the deal,” he said. “I mean it’s nothing to celebrate that we have these double digit increases, but we are happy about the way it was applied and some of the other guarantees we have going forward.”According to the organization, the Consumers Council advocated for elements of the deal relating to low-income bill assistance, community solar power and assurance that Ameren is not allowed to charge customers for costs to mitigate pollution from the Rush Island power plant — which the company was ordered to do by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Missouri Industrial Energy Consumers, Renew Missouri, AARP and other organizations were also involved in the settlement.Multiple public hearings were held throughout Ameren Missouri’s electric case. Lindsey Phoenix is an attorney living in Jefferson City who testified before the commission in January, sharing her opinion that a price hike was not justified.Upon hearing of the settlement Thursday, Phoenix said she was disappointed with the results.“The issue wasn’t how much of an increase they needed. The issue that everyone was there discussing was that they didn’t need one,” she said.Phoenix, among other members of the public who testified, stressed the economic pressures many people find themselves in and how utility bill increases compound those challenges.“I am an attorney, and my spouse is a teacher, and we are living paycheck to paycheck,” Phoenix said.Ameren’s Wills encourages customers who are feeling squeezed to inquire about energy efficiency programs that could lower their costs.“For those who are really struggling with the rates at a higher level, please reach out to us because we have energy assistance options available,” he said. “We have opportunities for flexible payments arrangements, budget billing and various sources of grants that we can either provide or connect customers with.”Ameren provides electric service to much of mid-Missouri and has approximately 1.2 million electric customers in the state. The company also provides gas service for some communities, including Columbia and Jefferson City. The utility is in the middle of an ongoing rate case for gas prices.<h2>Shifting energy industry policies</h2>Missouri utility rate cases are taking place while energy policies on the federal and state level are shifting.Last month, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a bill into law that affords utilities a variety of new financial accounting practices. The legislation includes a policy called “construction work in progress” that enables energy companies to earn revenue on power plants as they build them and before they generate any electricity.Ameren representatives have said the bill is an important tool that could help them build new power plants, including nuclear, to meet increasing electric demand.“We’re having to retire older facilities and build new facilities,” Wills said. “I think what some of the legislation did was try to streamline Missouri’s processes a little bit around future generation planning.”On the federal level, President Donald Trump has signed a variety of executive orders since taking office aimed at prioritizing the fossil fuel industry, including one last month that targets increased coal production.MU’s Sykuta said the most recent executive order could help extend the life of Missouri’s coal power plants. However, Trump’s attempts to rescind energy funds from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act could slow down investment in wind and solar as well as upgrades to the transmission grid — ultimately resulting in price increases for customers.“Consumers pay higher costs when transmission is more congested,” Sykuta said. “A lot of that infrastructure development has been started or planned with the idea of using the IRA funding — and with the IRA funding going away some of that investment is not going to happen.”Jenn DeRose is a campaign organizer for the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign that aims to get utilities to close coal plants and transition to renewable energy sources like wind and solar.The Sierra Club was an “intervenor,” or party to the Ameren electric rate case. DeRose said rural Missourians, low-income individuals, and people of color are most likely to face high energy burdens.DeRose calls the rate case process “very opaque and difficult to understand.” Her role throughout the case was to encourage members of the public to participate.“The number one thing that anybody can do is advocate,” she said. “Utilities, public service commissioners, they need to know the impacts of their decisions on regular people. They need to know what this looks like, and they need to know that they are responsible for creating solutions.”The Ameren rate increase comes at a particularly challenging time, DeRose said, as summer cooling needs result in higher monthly bills and the Trump administration just fired the federal staff that administers the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.“LIHEAP is a critical program that helps people pay their heating and cooling bills, and it is essential to keeping people connected to services, but also, more broadly, it’s essential to keeping people in their homes,” DeRose said. “We know that disconnections lead to evictions.”This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/ameren-missouri-electricity-prices-to-increase-this-summer/article_4ee68039-eb6f-4113-b6e5-233c0ee43d91.html#tncms-source=topstory" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

Ameren Missouri electricity prices to increase this summer

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump released a budget request Friday that would dramatically slash some federal spending, the initial step in a monthslong process that will include heated debate on Capitol Hill as both political parties work toward a final government funding agreement.

The proposal, for the first time, details how exactly this administration wants lawmakers to restructure spending across the federal government — steep cuts to domestic appropriations, including the elimination of dozens of programs that carry a long history of bipartisan support, and a significant increase in defense funding.

Trump wants more than 60 programs to be scrapped, some with long histories of assistance to states, including Community Services Block Grants, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the National Endowment for Democracy, the National Institute on Minority and Health Disparities within the National Institutes of Health, and the Sexual Risk Avoidance and Teen Pregnancy Prevention programs.

Congress will ultimately decide how much funding to provide to federal programs, and while Republicans hold majorities in both chambers, regular funding bills will need Democratic support to move through the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.

White House budget director Russ Vought wrote in a letter that the request proposes shifting some funding from the federal government to states and local communities.

“Just as the Federal Government has intruded on matters best left to American families, it has intruded on matters best left to the levels of government closest to the people, who understand and respect the needs and desires of their communities far better than the Federal Government ever could,” Vought wrote.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-resources/budget/the-presidents-fy-2026-discretionary-budget-request/" target="_blank">budget request</a>&nbsp;calls on Congress to cut non-defense accounts by $163 billion to $557 billion, while keeping defense funding flat at $893 billion in the dozen annual appropriations bills.

The proposal assumes the GOP Congress passes the separate reconciliation package that is currently being written in the House, bringing defense funding up to $1.01 trillion, a 13.4% increase, and reducing domestic spending to $601 billion, a 16.6% decrease.

Under Trump’s request many federal departments and agencies would be slated for significant spending reductions, though defense, border security and veterans would be exempt.&nbsp;

The budget request also asks Congress to eliminate AmeriCorps, which operates as the Corporation for National and Community Service; the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides some funding to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service; the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences; and the 400 Years of African American History Commission.

What if Congress won’t act on the cuts?

Debate over the budget proposal will take place throughout the summer months, but will come to a head in September, when Congress must pass some sort of funding bill to avoid a partial government shutdown.

A senior White House official, speaking on background on a call with reporters to discuss details of the budget request, suggested that Trump would take unilateral action to cut funding if Congress doesn’t go along with the request.

“Obviously, we have never taken impoundment off the table, because the president and myself believe that 200 years of the president and executive branch had that ability,” the official said. “But we’re working with Congress to see what they will pass. And I believe that they have an interest in passing cuts.”

The 1974 Impoundment Control Act bars the president from canceling funding approved by Congress without consulting lawmakers via a rescissions request, which the officials said the administration plans to release “soon.”

The annual appropriations process is separate from the reconciliation process that Republicans are using to pass their massive tax cuts, border security, defense funding and spending cuts package.

The budget proposal aligns with the Trump’s administration’s plans for mass deportations of people without permanent legal status, and would provide the Department of Homeland Security with $42.3 billion, or a 64.9% increase.

The budget proposal suggests eliminating $650 million from a program that reimburses non-governmental organizations and local governments that help with resettling and aiding newly arrived migrants released from DHS custody, known as the Shelters and Services Program.

The Trump administration also seeks to eliminate the agency that handles the care and resettlement of unaccompanied minors within Health and Human Services. The budget proposal recommends getting rid of the Refugee and Unaccompanied Alien Children Programs’ $1.97 billion budget. The budget proposal argues that because of an executive order to suspend refugee resettlement services, there is no need for the programs.

A federal judge from Washington state issued a nationwide injunction, and ruled the Trump administration must continue refugee resettlement services.

The budget proposal also calls for axing programs that help newly arrived migrant children or students for whom English is not a first language.

For the Education Department, the budget proposal suggests eliminating $890 million in funding for the English Language Acquisition and $428 million for the Migrant Education and Special Programs for Migrant Students.

Members of Congress had mixed reactions to the budget request, with some GOP lawmakers praising its spending cuts, while others took issue with the defense budget.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., outright rejected the defense funding level, writing in a statement that relying on the reconciliation package to get military spending above $1 trillion was unacceptable.&nbsp;

“OMB is not requesting a trillion-dollar budget. It is requesting a budget of $892.6 billion, which is a cut in real terms. This budget would decrease President Trump’s military options and his negotiating leverage,” Wicker wrote. “We face an Axis of Aggressors led by the Chinese Communist Party, who have already started a trade war rather than negotiate in good faith. We need a real Peace Through Strength agenda to ensure Xi Jinping does not launch a military war against us in Asia, beyond his existing military support to the Russians, the Iranians, Hamas, and the Houthis.”

The senior White House official who spoke on a call with reporters to discuss details of the budget request said that splitting the defense increase between the regular Pentagon spending bill and the reconciliation package was a more “durable” proposal.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, wrote the panel will have “an aggressive hearing schedule to learn more about the President’s proposal and assess funding needs for the coming year.”

“This request has come to Congress late, and key details still remain outstanding,” Collins wrote. “Based on my initial review, however, I have serious objections to the proposed freeze in our defense funding given the security challenges we face and to the proposed funding cuts to – and in some cases elimination of – programs like LIHEAP, TRIO, and those that support biomedical research.&nbsp;

“Ultimately, it is Congress that holds the power of the purse.”

Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote in a statement she will work with others in Congress to block the domestic funding cuts from taking effect.

“Trump wants to rip away funding to safeguard Americans’ health, protect our environment, and to help rural communities and our farmers thrive. This president wants to turn our country’s back on Tribes—and let trash pile up at our national parks,” Murray wrote. “Trump is even proposing to cut investments to prevent violent crime, go after drug traffickers, and tackle the opioids and mental health crises.”

A press release from Murray’s office noted the budget request lacked details on certain programs, including Head Start.

House Speaker Mike Johnson R-La, praised the budget proposal in a statement and pledged that House GOP lawmakers are “ready to work alongside President Trump to implement a responsible budget that puts America first.”

“President Trump’s plan ensures every federal taxpayer dollar spent is used to serve the American people, not a bloated bureaucracy or partisan pet projects,” Johnson wrote.

The House and Senate Appropriations committees are set to begin hearings with Cabinet secretaries and agency heads next week, where Trump administration officials will explain their individual funding requests and answer lawmakers’ questions.

The members on those committees will ultimately write the dozen annual appropriations bills in the months ahead, determining funding levels and policy for numerous programs, including those at the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, State and Transportation.

The House panel’s bills will skew more toward Republican funding levels and priorities, though the Senate committee has a long history of writing broadly bipartisan bills.&nbsp;

The leaders of the two committees — House Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., House ranking member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Senate Chairwoman Collins and Senate ranking member Murray — will ultimately work out a final deal later in the year alongside congressional leaders.

Differences over the full-year bills are supposed to be solved before the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1, but members of Congress regularly rely on a stopgap spending bill through mid-December to give themselves more time to complete negotiations.

Failure to pass some sort of government funding measure, either a stopgap bill or all 12 full-year spending bills, before the funding deadline, would lead to a partial government shutdown.

This round of appropriations bills will be the first debated during Trump’s second-term presidency and will likely bring about considerable disagreement over the unilateral actions the administration has already taken to freeze or cancel federal spending, many of which are the subject of lawsuits arguing the president doesn’t have that impoundment authority.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746356978428.png" alt="President Trump during a meeting of his Cabinet last week -image White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during a meeting of his Cabinet last week -image White House</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump released a budget request Friday that would dramatically slash some federal spending, the initial step in a monthslong process that will include heated debate on Capitol Hill as both political parties work toward a final government funding agreement.The proposal, for the first time, details how exactly this administration wants lawmakers to restructure spending across the federal government — steep cuts to domestic appropriations, including the elimination of dozens of programs that carry a long history of bipartisan support, and a significant increase in defense funding.Trump wants more than 60 programs to be scrapped, some with long histories of assistance to states, including Community Services Block Grants, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the National Endowment for Democracy, the National Institute on Minority and Health Disparities within the National Institutes of Health, and the Sexual Risk Avoidance and Teen Pregnancy Prevention programs.Congress will ultimately decide how much funding to provide to federal programs, and while Republicans hold majorities in both chambers, regular funding bills will need Democratic support to move through the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.White House budget director Russ Vought wrote in a letter that the request proposes shifting some funding from the federal government to states and local communities.“Just as the Federal Government has intruded on matters best left to American families, it has intruded on matters best left to the levels of government closest to the people, who understand and respect the needs and desires of their communities far better than the Federal Government ever could,” Vought wrote.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-resources/budget/the-presidents-fy-2026-discretionary-budget-request/" target="_blank">budget request</a>&nbsp;calls on Congress to cut non-defense accounts by $163 billion to $557 billion, while keeping defense funding flat at $893 billion in the dozen annual appropriations bills.The proposal assumes the GOP Congress passes the separate reconciliation package that is currently being written in the House, bringing defense funding up to $1.01 trillion, a 13.4% increase, and reducing domestic spending to $601 billion, a 16.6% decrease.<h2>Many domestic cuts</h2>Under Trump’s request many federal departments and agencies would be slated for significant spending reductions, though defense, border security and veterans would be exempt.&nbsp;The cuts include:<ul>
 <li>Agriculture: – $5 billion, or 18.3%</li><li>Commerce: – $1.7 billion, or 16.5%</li><li>Education: – $12 billion, or 15.3%</li><li>Energy: – $4.7 billion, or 9.4%</li><li>Health and Human Services: – $33 billion, or 26.2%</li><li>Housing and Urban Development: – $33.6 billion, or 43.6%</li><li>Interior: – $5.1 billion, or 30.5%</li><li>Justice: – $2.7 billion, or 7.6%</li><li>Labor: – $4.6 billion, or 34.9%</li><li>State: – $49.1 billion, or 83.7%</li><li>Treasury: – $2.7 billion, or 19%</li>
 </ul>Increases include:<ul>
 <li>Defense: + $113 billion, or 13.4% with reconciliation package</li><li>Homeland Security: + $42.3 billion, or 64.9% with reconciliation package</li><li>Transportation: + $1.5 billion, or 5.8%</li><li>Veterans Affairs: + $5.4 billion, or 4.1%</li>
 </ul>The budget request also asks Congress to eliminate AmeriCorps, which operates as the Corporation for National and Community Service; the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides some funding to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service; the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences; and the 400 Years of African American History Commission.<h2>What if Congress won’t act on the cuts?</h2>Debate over the budget proposal will take place throughout the summer months, but will come to a head in September, when Congress must pass some sort of funding bill to avoid a partial government shutdown.A senior White House official, speaking on background on a call with reporters to discuss details of the budget request, suggested that Trump would take unilateral action to cut funding if Congress doesn’t go along with the request.“Obviously, we have never taken impoundment off the table, because the president and myself believe that 200 years of the president and executive branch had that ability,” the official said. “But we’re working with Congress to see what they will pass. And I believe that they have an interest in passing cuts.”The 1974 Impoundment Control Act bars the president from canceling funding approved by Congress without consulting lawmakers via a rescissions request, which the officials said the administration plans to release “soon.”The annual appropriations process is separate from the reconciliation process that Republicans are using to pass their massive tax cuts, border security, defense funding and spending cuts package.<h2>Huge boost for Homeland Security</h2>The budget proposal aligns with the Trump’s administration’s plans for mass deportations of people without permanent legal status, and would provide the Department of Homeland Security with $42.3 billion, or a 64.9% increase.The budget proposal suggests eliminating $650 million from a program that reimburses non-governmental organizations and local governments that help with resettling and aiding newly arrived migrants released from DHS custody, known as the Shelters and Services Program.The Trump administration also seeks to eliminate the agency that handles the care and resettlement of unaccompanied minors within Health and Human Services. The budget proposal recommends getting rid of the Refugee and Unaccompanied Alien Children Programs’ $1.97 billion budget. The budget proposal argues that because of an executive order to suspend refugee resettlement services, there is no need for the programs.A federal judge from Washington state issued a nationwide injunction, and ruled the Trump administration must continue refugee resettlement services.The budget proposal also calls for axing programs that help newly arrived migrant children or students for whom English is not a first language.For the Education Department, the budget proposal suggests eliminating $890 million in funding for the English Language Acquisition and $428 million for the Migrant Education and Special Programs for Migrant Students.<h2>Key GOP senator rejects defense request</h2>Members of Congress had mixed reactions to the budget request, with some GOP lawmakers praising its spending cuts, while others took issue with the defense budget.Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., outright rejected the defense funding level, writing in a statement that relying on the reconciliation package to get military spending above $1 trillion was unacceptable.&nbsp;“OMB is not requesting a trillion-dollar budget. It is requesting a budget of $892.6 billion, which is a cut in real terms. This budget would decrease President Trump’s military options and his negotiating leverage,” Wicker wrote. “We face an Axis of Aggressors led by the Chinese Communist Party, who have already started a trade war rather than negotiate in good faith. We need a real Peace Through Strength agenda to ensure Xi Jinping does not launch a military war against us in Asia, beyond his existing military support to the Russians, the Iranians, Hamas, and the Houthis.”The senior White House official who spoke on a call with reporters to discuss details of the budget request said that splitting the defense increase between the regular Pentagon spending bill and the reconciliation package was a more “durable” proposal.Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, wrote the panel will have “an aggressive hearing schedule to learn more about the President’s proposal and assess funding needs for the coming year.”“This request has come to Congress late, and key details still remain outstanding,” Collins wrote. “Based on my initial review, however, I have serious objections to the proposed freeze in our defense funding given the security challenges we face and to the proposed funding cuts to – and in some cases elimination of – programs like LIHEAP, TRIO, and those that support biomedical research.&nbsp;“Ultimately, it is Congress that holds the power of the purse.”Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote in a statement she will work with others in Congress to block the domestic funding cuts from taking effect.“Trump wants to rip away funding to safeguard Americans’ health, protect our environment, and to help rural communities and our farmers thrive. This president wants to turn our country’s back on Tribes—and let trash pile up at our national parks,” Murray wrote. “Trump is even proposing to cut investments to prevent violent crime, go after drug traffickers, and tackle the opioids and mental health crises.”A press release from Murray’s office noted the budget request lacked details on certain programs, including Head Start.House Speaker Mike Johnson R-La, praised the budget proposal in a statement and pledged that House GOP lawmakers are “ready to work alongside President Trump to implement a responsible budget that puts America first.”“President Trump’s plan ensures every federal taxpayer dollar spent is used to serve the American people, not a bloated bureaucracy or partisan pet projects,” Johnson wrote.<h2>Spending decisions coming</h2>The House and Senate Appropriations committees are set to begin hearings with Cabinet secretaries and agency heads next week, where Trump administration officials will explain their individual funding requests and answer lawmakers’ questions.The members on those committees will ultimately write the dozen annual appropriations bills in the months ahead, determining funding levels and policy for numerous programs, including those at the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, State and Transportation.The House panel’s bills will skew more toward Republican funding levels and priorities, though the Senate committee has a long history of writing broadly bipartisan bills.&nbsp;The leaders of the two committees — House Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., House ranking member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Senate Chairwoman Collins and Senate ranking member Murray — will ultimately work out a final deal later in the year alongside congressional leaders.Differences over the full-year bills are supposed to be solved before the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1, but members of Congress regularly rely on a stopgap spending bill through mid-December to give themselves more time to complete negotiations.Failure to pass some sort of government funding measure, either a stopgap bill or all 12 full-year spending bills, before the funding deadline, would lead to a partial government shutdown.This round of appropriations bills will be the first debated during Trump’s second-term presidency and will likely bring about considerable disagreement over the unilateral actions the administration has already taken to freeze or cancel federal spending, many of which are the subject of lawsuits arguing the president doesn’t have that impoundment authority.&nbsp;

Trump wants to cut $163B in non-defense spending, ax dozens of programs

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Sunday in Kansas City.

A Dodge Challenger was westbound on 63rd Street at a very high rate of speed, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

In the area of 63rd and Winchester, the driver failed to negotiate the curvature of the roadway. The Dodge traveled off the roadway to the right, traveling through the grassy shoulder area of the highway and overturned.

The unrestrained driver and unrestrained front seat passenger were ejected. Both were transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver was subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital staff, according to DiMartino.

The passenger was in very critical condition late Sunday. This is fatality #21 compared to #39 at this time last year, according to DiMartino.

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Sunday in Kansas City.A Dodge Challenger was westbound on 63rd Street at a very high rate of speed, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.In the area of 63rd and Winchester, the driver failed to negotiate the curvature of the roadway. The Dodge traveled off the roadway to the right, traveling through the grassy shoulder area of the highway and overturned.The unrestrained driver and unrestrained front seat passenger were ejected. Both were transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver was subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital staff, according to DiMartino.The passenger was in very critical condition late Sunday. This is fatality #21 compared to #39 at this time last year, according to DiMartino.

KCPD: Driver dies after ejected in rollover crash

JOHNSON COUNTY — A suspect arrested in connection with the death of a Kansas woman in her home is set to face a judge Monday.

Just after 4:30p.m. Friday police booked 47-year-old Dartanan Hudgens into the Johnson County jail in connection with the death of 75-year-old Karen M. Peterson.

On Thursday, police reported they were conducting a homicide investigation in Olathe and identified the victim sa Peterson, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Persimmon Drive in Olathe to check on the welfare of Peterson according to&nbsp;Officer Sean Wilkes. At the home, first responders found her deceased inside the residence.&nbsp; Police have not released how she died.

Hudgens, who has no permanent address, according the arrest report, is being held on a $1 million dollar bond on requested charges of premeditated first-degree murder, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746403139992.png" alt="Hudgens photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hudgens photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY — A suspect arrested in connection with the death of a Kansas woman in her home is set to face a judge Monday.Just after 4:30p.m. Friday police booked 47-year-old Dartanan Hudgens into the Johnson County jail in connection with the death of 75-year-old Karen M. Peterson.On Thursday, police reported they were conducting a homicide investigation in Olathe and identified the victim sa Peterson, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Persimmon Drive in Olathe to check on the welfare of Peterson according to&nbsp;Officer Sean Wilkes. At the home, first responders found her deceased inside the residence.&nbsp; Police have not released how she died.Hudgens, who has no permanent address, according the arrest report, is being held on a $1 million dollar bond on requested charges of premeditated first-degree murder, according to online jail records.

Suspect accused of killing 75-year-old Kansas woman 

GASCONADE COUNTY— people were injured in an accident just before 11a.m. Saturday in Gasconade County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Freightliner M Line Shuttle bus driven by a 45-year-old Herrman, Missouri man was westbound on MO 100 just west of Eagle Nest Driver. The vehicle traveled off the right side of the road. The driver overcorrected and the bus traveled off the left side of the road and struck a&nbsp; ditch.

The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, was air-lifted to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

EMS transported 31 others on board to area hospitals. Eighteen were sent to Herrman Area District Hospital.&nbsp; The occupants were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; Herrman, Missouri is approximately 200 miles east of Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746404891051.png" alt="Photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>GASCONADE COUNTY— people were injured in an accident just before 11a.m. Saturday in Gasconade County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Freightliner M Line Shuttle bus driven by a 45-year-old Herrman, Missouri man was westbound on MO 100 just west of Eagle Nest Driver. The vehicle traveled off the right side of the road. The driver overcorrected and the bus traveled off the left side of the road and struck a&nbsp; ditch.The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, was air-lifted to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries.EMS transported 31 others on board to area hospitals. Eighteen were sent to Herrman Area District Hospital.&nbsp; The occupants were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; Herrman, Missouri is approximately 200 miles east of Kansas City.

32 hospitalized after Missouri shuttle bus crash

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City&nbsp; man has been charged in a federal criminal complaint for child pornography offenses.

Jeffrey Lynn Petrie, 40,&nbsp; was charged in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, on April 25, according to the United State's Attorney.

The federal criminal complaint charges Petrie with one count of distributing child pornography over the internet in May 2024, and one count of possessing child pornography from Dec. 9, 2024, to April 24, 2025.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, law enforcement officers received a Cybertip reporting that a user, “kinkypopper69,” was uploading video files depicting child sexual abuse materials. Petrie was later identified as the user “kinkypopper69.”

On Thursday, April 24, the FBI conducted a search at Petrie’s residence and seized a cell phone. Petrie is a registered sex offender in Missouri based on prior convictions for child molestation in the 2nd degree.

The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745699870377.png" alt="Petrie photo Sex Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Petrie photo Sex Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City&nbsp; man has been charged in a federal criminal complaint for child pornography offenses.Jeffrey Lynn Petrie, 40,&nbsp; was charged in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, on April 25, according to the United State's Attorney.The federal criminal complaint charges Petrie with one count of distributing child pornography over the internet in May 2024, and one count of possessing child pornography from Dec. 9, 2024, to April 24, 2025.According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, law enforcement officers received a Cybertip reporting that a user, “kinkypopper69,” was uploading video files depicting child sexual abuse materials. Petrie was later identified as the user “kinkypopper69.”On Thursday, April 24, the FBI conducted a search at Petrie’s residence and seized a cell phone. Petrie is a registered sex offender in Missouri based on prior convictions for child molestation in the 2nd degree.The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Cyber tip led to arrest of KC sex offender 'kinkypopper69'

ELLSWORTH COUNTY—A Kansas man died in a small plane crash just after 1:30p.m. Sunday in Ellsworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1946 Piper Fixed Wing aircraft piloted by&nbsp;Thompson, Ronnie D.&nbsp;Thompson, 77, Goddard, was flying from Lucas back to Wichita.

Witness told the patrol the plane went down for no apparent reason near 4th Road and Avenue D, two miles east of Kansas 232.&nbsp; Thompson was pronounced&nbsp; dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Parsons Funeral Home.&nbsp; The FAA and NTSB will investigate the incident.

ELLSWORTH COUNTY—A Kansas man died in a small plane crash just after 1:30p.m. Sunday in Ellsworth County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1946 Piper Fixed Wing aircraft piloted by&nbsp;Thompson, Ronnie D.&nbsp;Thompson, 77, Goddard, was flying from Lucas back to Wichita.Witness told the patrol the plane went down for no apparent reason near 4th Road and Avenue D, two miles east of Kansas 232.&nbsp; Thompson was pronounced&nbsp; dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Parsons Funeral Home.&nbsp; The FAA and NTSB will investigate the incident.

Kansas man dies in small plane crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on multiple allegations after an arrest at a Kansas home.

On May 1,&nbsp; members of the Topeka Police Department’s Investigations and Patrol Bureaus served a search warrant in the 1300 block of SW 16th Street, Topeka, according to Police&nbsp;Commander Aaron Jones.

The search revealed firearms, firearms accessories, Methamphetamine, Marijuana, drug paraphernalia and an explosive device.

As a result, Thomas Lathrom 34, of Topeka, was taken into custody and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp;Criminal possession of a firearm by convicted felon, Distribution of methamphetamine within 1000 feet of school, Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, Criminal possession of explosives, Aggravated Endangerment of a child and Felony interference with a law enforcement officer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746222576644.png" alt="Lathrom photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Lathrom photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on multiple allegations after an arrest at a Kansas home.On May 1,&nbsp; members of the Topeka Police Department’s Investigations and Patrol Bureaus served a search warrant in the 1300 block of SW 16th Street, Topeka, according to Police&nbsp;Commander Aaron Jones.The search revealed firearms, firearms accessories, Methamphetamine, Marijuana, drug paraphernalia and an explosive device.As a result, Thomas Lathrom 34, of Topeka, was taken into custody and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp;Criminal possession of a firearm by convicted felon, Distribution of methamphetamine within 1000 feet of school, Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, Criminal possession of explosives, Aggravated Endangerment of a child and Felony interference with a law enforcement officer.

Police found drugs, children and explosives at Kansas home

With vaccine skepticism on the rise, immunization rates in decline and public funds disappearing, the country faces its largest measles outbreak since 2019

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>

Amber Schmidtke, a microbiologist, remembers feeling a tinge of relief five years ago as COVID spread across communities.

“Measles is the most contagious disease we have,” said Schmidtke, who teaches at Kansas City University.

But now, she and other public health experts are watching with alarm as the largely preventable virus marches toward Kansas City in the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html" target="_blank">largest outbreak</a>&nbsp;since 2019.

So far this year, health officials have confirmed 884 cases across the country, including 46 in southwest Kansas. One Missouri case reported on April 18 involved a child visiting the Branson area.

Marvia Jones, director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health" target="_blank">Kansas City Health Department</a>, said her agency will be as prepared as possible when cases reach the metro. But there’s little doubt about whether they will come.

“It’s clear to us that measles is just a car ride away from Kansas Citians,” Jones said at an April 29 press conference that was called to urge people to get vaccinated before the virus gets here.

But rising vaccine skepticism, falling immunization rates and recent&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/02/massive-cuts-federal-health-care-grants-alarm-kansas-citys-health-departments/" target="_blank">major cuts</a>&nbsp;to federal public health funding are all working against efforts to quickly end the current measles outbreak, health officials said.

“This makes me heartsick,” said Lynelle Phillips, president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://moimmunize.org/" target="_blank">Missouri Immunization Coalition</a>. “I think more children will be struck down and killed by a completely preventable outbreak of measles. And I think the question to us as Americans is how many of these children will have to die before we realize the mistake we’ve made?”

Three deaths have been attributed to the outbreak so far, including two children in Texas and an adult in New Mexico.

Unlike the start of COVID when there was no vaccine, a highly effective measles vaccine is widely available. Until recently it was also widely adopted.

By 2000, 37 years after the measles vaccine was introduced, United States health officials could declare measles&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html" target="_blank">eliminated</a>&nbsp;because there hadn’t been continuous spread for more than a year.

Now, that designation is in danger as measles cases spread. So far, the outbreak has reached 30 states. The largest cluster is in Texas, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025" target="_blank">663 cases</a>&nbsp;have been confirmed since late January.

The rise in measles infections, health leaders said, can be directly linked to low vaccination rates.

Herd immunity for measles, when the virus is unlikely to spread, requires a vaccination rate of 95%. But communities and schools are increasingly slipping below that mark. And where that happens, an outbreak becomes much more likely.

In Kansas City, three ZIP codes fall below the 95% threshold, city health officials said.

Jones said these undervaccinated ZIP codes will get special attention as the city works to convince more people to let their kids get vaccines. The health department plans to hold community meetings in these areas in hopes of answering questions and easing hesitancy.

“We are doing all we can to add outreach and have real conversations,” Jones said.

The health department also will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health" target="_blank">extend the hours</a>&nbsp;it offers vaccinations. Beginning May 14, vaccines will be available at 2400 Troost Ave. until 7 p.m., and Saturday hours will begin May 17. For an appointment, people can call 311, but appointments are not required.

Parents, faced with an internet awash in inaccurate information about vaccinations in general and the measles vaccine specifically, are more often skipping routine childhood immunizations.

Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine are recommended for children. The first dose is recommended at about 1 year old, and a second dose when a child starts school, between 4 and 6 years old.

During the 2023-24 school year, immunization rates for kindergartners&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html#cdc_data_surveillance_section_7-mmr-vaccine-coverage-for-kindergarteners-by-school-year-2009%e2%80%932024" target="_blank">fell to 92.7%</a>&nbsp;nationwide, from 95.2% during the 2019-20 school year. In Missouri, the rate went from 94.6% in 2019-20 to 90.4% in 2023-24. In those same years, Kansas’ rate climbed slightly, from 90% to 90.4%.

Six metro counties showed MMR vaccination rates below 95% for kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year.

Schools require children to have the MMR and other vaccinations in order to attend kindergarten, but states allow exemptions for religious or medical reasons. And those exemptions have been&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/schoolhealth/dashboard.php" target="_blank">on the rise</a>.

The Staley Farms ZIP code’s religious exemption rate doubled to 14% last year from 7% in 2019, city officials said. According to state records, private schools in Clay County, where the ZIP code is located, had a religious exemption rate of 13.4% in 2023, compared with 5.4% in 2019.

In Kansas, the statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/2016/Kindergarten-Immunization-Data" target="_blank">exemption rate</a>&nbsp;was just over 1% in the 2010-11 school year. But by the 2023-24 year, it was up to almost 3%. And Missouri’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/schoolhealth/dashboard.php" target="_blank">statewide rate</a>&nbsp;is getting close to 5%, said Dr. George Turabelidze, Missouri’s state epidemiologist.

Phillips said the increase can also be traced to a change in Missouri law that took effect at the beginning of 2024, lowering barriers for parents to get vaccine exemptions for their children. It’s now as simple as filling out a&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/immunizations/daycarerequirements.php" target="_blank">form online</a>&nbsp;and submitting it to the school.

“Prior to that, you would have to make an appointment at the health department and meet with a public health nurse,” Phillips said.

Parents who oppose vaccines objected to the state’s previous exemption requirements, saying they violated their speech and religious rights.

But Phillips said the added step of going to the health department gave parents an opportunity to learn about the health consequences of choosing to forgo their child’s vaccinations. And they also found out that children who are unvaccinated have to miss weeks of school if they are exposed — even if they don’t get sick.

Public health officials understand that a growing number of people are afraid of having their kids vaccinated. In part, they blame strong anti-vaccination views that took root during the COVID pandemic related to the vaccines developed to treat that virus.

“That (skepticism) spills over to other vaccines as well,” Turabelidze said.

In addition to fueling anti-vaccine views, the pandemic also led to more distrust of public health agencies, which became the face of shuttered schools and businesses and other restrictions that some people abhorred. That distrust has made it even harder to get accurate information to people who may be worried about unfounded claims about vaccines that flourish on the internet.

One of the most persistent myths — that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism — has been especially common, Turabelidze said.

“It’s been debunked so many times, I can’t even count,” he said. “But people keep repeating this myth.”

Now, many fear that the vaccine doubts have been given more credibility with the appointment of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services.

As Missouri’s immunization rates have slipped, Turabelidze said the state Department of Health and Senior Services has been working to increase outreach and education efforts, especially to schools or communities with lower vaccination rates.

Those communities are sitting ducks for such a highly contagious virus, health experts said.

Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed to measles will get sick. And the virus can infect people who don’t even come into contact with someone who has it. Measles spreads when people talk, cough or sneeze, but can linger in the air for three hours.

“If I had a person in my class that had measles and didn’t know it and they left, everyone who enters that classroom for the next several hours could get it,” Phillips said. “It’s really difficult to manage transmission when you realize just how infectious measles is.”

And the measles virus can be dangerous. One in five people who get the virus end up in the hospital, Dr. Susanne Luedtke, an infectious disease specialist at University Health, told reporters during the April 29 press conference hosted by the Kansas City Health Department.

One in 20 children contract pneumonia with measles. The disease can cause brain swelling and serious long-term side effects like seizures, hearing loss and a condition called immune amnesia, which can destroy a child’s immune response. And between one and three of every 1,000 children who get measles will die.

“Measles is not a rash and a fever,” Luedtke said. “It’s a serious disease with real risks.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743085628490.png" alt="Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.png" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.png</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>With vaccine skepticism on the rise, immunization rates in decline and public funds disappearing, the country faces its largest measles outbreak since 2019</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>Amber Schmidtke, a microbiologist, remembers feeling a tinge of relief five years ago as COVID spread across communities.At least it wasn’t measles.“Measles is the most contagious disease we have,” said Schmidtke, who teaches at Kansas City University.But now, she and other public health experts are watching with alarm as the largely preventable virus marches toward Kansas City in the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html" target="_blank">largest outbreak</a>&nbsp;since 2019.So far this year, health officials have confirmed 884 cases across the country, including 46 in southwest Kansas. One Missouri case reported on April 18 involved a child visiting the Branson area.Marvia Jones, director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health" target="_blank">Kansas City Health Department</a>, said her agency will be as prepared as possible when cases reach the metro. But there’s little doubt about whether they will come.“It’s clear to us that measles is just a car ride away from Kansas Citians,” Jones said at an April 29 press conference that was called to urge people to get vaccinated before the virus gets here.But rising vaccine skepticism, falling immunization rates and recent&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/02/massive-cuts-federal-health-care-grants-alarm-kansas-citys-health-departments/" target="_blank">major cuts</a>&nbsp;to federal public health funding are all working against efforts to quickly end the current measles outbreak, health officials said.“This makes me heartsick,” said Lynelle Phillips, president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://moimmunize.org/" target="_blank">Missouri Immunization Coalition</a>. “I think more children will be struck down and killed by a completely preventable outbreak of measles. And I think the question to us as Americans is how many of these children will have to die before we realize the mistake we’ve made?”Three deaths have been attributed to the outbreak so far, including two children in Texas and an adult in New Mexico.<h2>Declining immunization rates</h2>Unlike the start of COVID when there was no vaccine, a highly effective measles vaccine is widely available. Until recently it was also widely adopted.By 2000, 37 years after the measles vaccine was introduced, United States health officials could declare measles&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html" target="_blank">eliminated</a>&nbsp;because there hadn’t been continuous spread for more than a year.Now, that designation is in danger as measles cases spread. So far, the outbreak has reached 30 states. The largest cluster is in Texas, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025" target="_blank">663 cases</a>&nbsp;have been confirmed since late January.The rise in measles infections, health leaders said, can be directly linked to low vaccination rates.Herd immunity for measles, when the virus is unlikely to spread, requires a vaccination rate of 95%. But communities and schools are increasingly slipping below that mark. And where that happens, an outbreak becomes much more likely.In Kansas City, three ZIP codes fall below the 95% threshold, city health officials said.<ul>
 <li>64114 in the Waldo area has an immunization rate of 93%.</li><li>64151, where Lake Waukomis is located north of the river, is at 92%.</li><li>And 64155, where the upscale Staley Farms development is located, has a vaccination rate of only 84%.</li>
 </ul>Jones said these undervaccinated ZIP codes will get special attention as the city works to convince more people to let their kids get vaccines. The health department plans to hold community meetings in these areas in hopes of answering questions and easing hesitancy.“We are doing all we can to add outreach and have real conversations,” Jones said.The health department also will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health" target="_blank">extend the hours</a>&nbsp;it offers vaccinations. Beginning May 14, vaccines will be available at 2400 Troost Ave. until 7 p.m., and Saturday hours will begin May 17. For an appointment, people can call 311, but appointments are not required.<h2>Growing vaccine skepticism</h2>Parents, faced with an internet awash in inaccurate information about vaccinations in general and the measles vaccine specifically, are more often skipping routine childhood immunizations.Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine are recommended for children. The first dose is recommended at about 1 year old, and a second dose when a child starts school, between 4 and 6 years old.During the 2023-24 school year, immunization rates for kindergartners&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html#cdc_data_surveillance_section_7-mmr-vaccine-coverage-for-kindergarteners-by-school-year-2009%e2%80%932024" target="_blank">fell to 92.7%</a>&nbsp;nationwide, from 95.2% during the 2019-20 school year. In Missouri, the rate went from 94.6% in 2019-20 to 90.4% in 2023-24. In those same years, Kansas’ rate climbed slightly, from 90% to 90.4%.Six metro counties showed MMR vaccination rates below 95% for kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year.Schools require children to have the MMR and other vaccinations in order to attend kindergarten, but states allow exemptions for religious or medical reasons. And those exemptions have been&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/schoolhealth/dashboard.php" target="_blank">on the rise</a>.The Staley Farms ZIP code’s religious exemption rate doubled to 14% last year from 7% in 2019, city officials said. According to state records, private schools in Clay County, where the ZIP code is located, had a religious exemption rate of 13.4% in 2023, compared with 5.4% in 2019.In Kansas, the statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/2016/Kindergarten-Immunization-Data" target="_blank">exemption rate</a>&nbsp;was just over 1% in the 2010-11 school year. But by the 2023-24 year, it was up to almost 3%. And Missouri’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/schoolhealth/dashboard.php" target="_blank">statewide rate</a>&nbsp;is getting close to 5%, said Dr. George Turabelidze, Missouri’s state epidemiologist.Phillips said the increase can also be traced to a change in Missouri law that took effect at the beginning of 2024, lowering barriers for parents to get vaccine exemptions for their children. It’s now as simple as filling out a&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/immunizations/daycarerequirements.php" target="_blank">form online</a>&nbsp;and submitting it to the school.“Prior to that, you would have to make an appointment at the health department and meet with a public health nurse,” Phillips said.Parents who oppose vaccines objected to the state’s previous exemption requirements, saying they violated their speech and religious rights.But Phillips said the added step of going to the health department gave parents an opportunity to learn about the health consequences of choosing to forgo their child’s vaccinations. And they also found out that children who are unvaccinated have to miss weeks of school if they are exposed — even if they don’t get sick.Public health officials understand that a growing number of people are afraid of having their kids vaccinated. In part, they blame strong anti-vaccination views that took root during the COVID pandemic related to the vaccines developed to treat that virus.“That (skepticism) spills over to other vaccines as well,” Turabelidze said.In addition to fueling anti-vaccine views, the pandemic also led to more distrust of public health agencies, which became the face of shuttered schools and businesses and other restrictions that some people abhorred. That distrust has made it even harder to get accurate information to people who may be worried about unfounded claims about vaccines that flourish on the internet.One of the most persistent myths — that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism — has been especially common, Turabelidze said.“It’s been debunked so many times, I can’t even count,” he said. “But people keep repeating this myth.”Now, many fear that the vaccine doubts have been given more credibility with the appointment of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services.<h2>Highly contagious</h2>As Missouri’s immunization rates have slipped, Turabelidze said the state Department of Health and Senior Services has been working to increase outreach and education efforts, especially to schools or communities with lower vaccination rates.Those communities are sitting ducks for such a highly contagious virus, health experts said.Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed to measles will get sick. And the virus can infect people who don’t even come into contact with someone who has it. Measles spreads when people talk, cough or sneeze, but can linger in the air for three hours.“If I had a person in my class that had measles and didn’t know it and they left, everyone who enters that classroom for the next several hours could get it,” Phillips said. “It’s really difficult to manage transmission when you realize just how infectious measles is.”And the measles virus can be dangerous. One in five people who get the virus end up in the hospital, Dr. Susanne Luedtke, an infectious disease specialist at University Health, told reporters during the April 29 press conference hosted by the Kansas City Health Department.One in 20 children contract pneumonia with measles. The disease can cause brain swelling and serious long-term side effects like seizures, hearing loss and a condition called immune amnesia, which can destroy a child’s immune response. And between one and three of every 1,000 children who get measles will die.“Measles is not a rash and a fever,” Luedtke said. “It’s a serious disease with real risks.”Before the measles vaccine came along in 1963, almost everyone came down with measles before they turned 15. The telltale rash would begin at the hairline and move down the torso and out to the extremities. A high fever developed, along with symptoms like a runny nose and cough.Of course, most people recovered as they would from the flu or another viral infection. But before the vaccine, every year an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html" target="_blank">400 to 500 people died</a>, 48,000 were hospitalized and 1,000 developed encephalitis or brain swelling.“This is not a disease you joke around with,” Turabelidze said. “It’s highly contagious. And it can put you in the hospital. We already have three persons dead in this country. And you can also have long-term consequences.”The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services operates a 24-hour helpline that doctors can call if they run into a potential case of measles. Turabelidze said calls have increased as doctors, many of whom have never run into a case of measles before, grow increasingly wary of unidentifiable rashes.“More often it’s not really measles,” he said. “But we would rather have a consultation” than an undetected case.The state also has added capacity for the state laboratory to conduct PCR tests for measles. That service, which began in March, will reduce the time test results take, which could make a big difference in quelling an outbreak.“We wanted to have a very, very quick response time because measles is so highly contagious,” Turabelidze said.<h2>Importance of education</h2>When measles is detected, public health agencies play a crucial role in quickly locating anyone an infected person has been around. They also track down people who have shared an inside space where the infected person could have left behind the virus.Public health is critical in managing an outbreak. But for the system to work, experts said, the public needs to trust public health. And public health agencies need to be available to answer questions to assuage concerns, provide information to doctors and patients and offer easy access to the vaccine.“Vaccines in the refrigerator never yet prevented a single case of infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “They have to be administered… This takes human beings and it takes time.”It also takes money. But recent federal funding cuts by the Trump administration have slashed support for public health outreach efforts.On March 24, the Missouri Immunization Coalition, Phillips’ organization, lost all of its funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That money funded the group’s entire budget, which means it is now “on life support,” Phillips said.And like other public health organizations that had relied on those funds, the work the coalition had been doing — educating people about vaccines, providing transportation and other resources to improve access — is hanging by a thread.“Vaccination rates are not going to raise themselves,” Phillips said. “The organizations involved with all of the education and logistics and support … have been dismantled. At a time when we’re witnessing a resurgence in measles, these are the ingredients of a perfect storm.”Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services lost a combined $255 million in the March 24 CDC cuts. That included $135 million in projects currently underway to support the state’s public health system and about $119 million for projects that hadn’t been determined.Turabelidze said it is unclear how the cuts will affect the state’s vaccine efforts.The Kansas City Health Department has seen federal cuts so far of about $3 million, money that was allocated to pay for adult vaccinations and outreach, enhanced laboratory capacity and community health workers.On April 25, the city&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2417/1746" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;it had joined a coalition of other local governments and a labor union representing government workers in a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funding cuts.In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said, “It’s important that we as cities and people stand up for common sense and public health in the courts.”It’s also worth remembering, Schmidtke said, that eliminating outreach programs may save money in the short term. But if measles cases increase as a result, the ultimate cost will be much more. While each MMR vaccine dose costs around $2, she said, managing a case of someone who contracts measles can cost $50,000.“I know money isn’t everything,” Schmidtke said. “But when we don’t have enough money to get the outreach, to educate the public about the importance of vaccination, to educate them about where to find it, we run the risk of really expensive outbreaks that are hard to control.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/05/02/just-a-car-ride-away-as-a-measles-outbreak-creeps-toward-kansas-city/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.