RILEY COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Manhattan.

Just before noon Friday, crews were dispatched to a house fire at 4517 Lamonte Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release.

First arriving crews found a two-story house with heavy fire showing from the rear. The fire was contained within 30 minutes. The house is a two-story split-level home with a basement. Loss is estimated at $125,000 to contents and $300,000 to the structure. There were no injuries reported.

The owners are listed as Nathan and Shanna Legleiter of the same address. The fire's cause is under investigation at this time.

Riley County Fire District #1 provided a mobile air unit to fill air bottles at the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729288256852.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Manhattan.Just before noon Friday, crews were dispatched to a house fire at 4517 Lamonte Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729288428452.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>First arriving crews found a two-story house with heavy fire showing from the rear. The fire was contained within 30 minutes. The house is a two-story split-level home with a basement. Loss is estimated at $125,000 to contents and $300,000 to the structure. There were no injuries reported.The owners are listed as Nathan and Shanna Legleiter of the same address. The fire's cause is under investigation at this time.Riley County Fire District #1 provided a mobile air unit to fill air bottles at the scene.

Thousands of dollars in damage after fire at Kansas home 

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>

The campaign opposing a sports betting constitutional amendment on Missouri’s November ballot canceled more than $1 million in television ads Thursday just as the group pushing the proposal launched new ads featuring former&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKgkOu4I0rA" target="_blank">St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith</a>.

The Independent’s tracking of broadcaster reports to the Federal Communications Commission show that Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/16/statewide-candidates-in-missouri-run-cheap-campaigns-while-ballot-measures-spend-heavily/">aired or reserved almost $4 million</a>&nbsp;worth of television ads opposing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-160.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 2</a>.&nbsp;

Thursday’s cancellation took down $1.2 million of those ads, some of which had been purchased weeks ago.

The ads are being pulled so the campaign can shift to more direct contacts, saidBrooke Foster, a spokeswoman for Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment.

“While the out-of-state online gambling corporations continue to throw millions of dollars at misleading TV ads, we have decided to focus our efforts on grassroots outreach and community conversations during the two and a weeks that remain before Election Day,” she said in an email.

Since it was created Sept. 10, the committee has received $14.2 million from Caesars Entertainment-owned casinos in Missouri. In the $2.7 million of television ads that did run, the campaign has played on skepticism about how taxes from gambling are used, casting doubt on whether a promise of more than $100 million for education programs over the first five years will be fulfilled.

Caesars is the only one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mgc.dps.mo.gov/MGCwebCrystalReports/dxClassALicensee.aspx" target="_blank">six casino operators</a>&nbsp;licensed in Missouri that is actively opposing the ballot measure. One aspect the company dislikes is that online gambling platforms could be licensed without having to create a business relationship with a Missouri casino.

Winning for Missouri Education, the committee backing Amendment 2, is the best-funded ballot measure campaign in state history. The two biggest online bookmakers, FanDuel and DraftKings, have each contributed $15.8 million, and the television and radio ad campaign has cost almost $10 million so far. The ads in favor of sports wagering emphasize that the Missouri Constitution directs all revenue from gambling taxes to education programs.

Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for Winning for Missouri Education, declined to say why he believed the ads were pulled.

“That’s something you’d have to ask them about,” Cardetti said. “We’re focused on the campaign and making sure our message is getting out. We feel really good about where we are right now.”

In an August St. Louis University/YouGov poll, 50% of voters surveyed said they supported sports wagering after reading the Amendment 2 ballot language while 30% were opposed. The television ads opposing Amendment 2, which began running in the first week of September, had narrowed that lead,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">Foster said last week</a>.

“It’s definitely tightened,” she said. “It’s margin of error type close, so we’re really pleased to see that.”

Winning for Missouri Education this week has increased the size of some of its television purchases and has begun emphasizing support for the measure from professional sports teams — which will be able to set up retail sports wagering locations and provide a branded online platform.

“The Amendment 2 campaign will continue to aggressively get our message out,” Cardetti said, “and ensure that Missourians know the benefits of legalizing sports betting, right up until the last hour.”

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> The campaign opposing a sports betting constitutional amendment on Missouri’s November ballot canceled more than $1 million in television ads Thursday just as the group pushing the proposal launched new ads featuring former&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKgkOu4I0rA" target="_blank">St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith</a>.The Independent’s tracking of broadcaster reports to the Federal Communications Commission show that Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/16/statewide-candidates-in-missouri-run-cheap-campaigns-while-ballot-measures-spend-heavily/">aired or reserved almost $4 million</a>&nbsp;worth of television ads opposing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-160.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 2</a>.&nbsp;Thursday’s cancellation took down $1.2 million of those ads, some of which had been purchased weeks ago.The ads are being pulled so the campaign can shift to more direct contacts, saidBrooke Foster, a spokeswoman for Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment.“While the out-of-state online gambling corporations continue to throw millions of dollars at misleading TV ads, we have decided to focus our efforts on grassroots outreach and community conversations during the two and a weeks that remain before Election Day,” she said in an email.Since it was created Sept. 10, the committee has received $14.2 million from Caesars Entertainment-owned casinos in Missouri. In the $2.7 million of television ads that did run, the campaign has played on skepticism about how taxes from gambling are used, casting doubt on whether a promise of more than $100 million for education programs over the first five years will be fulfilled.Caesars is the only one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mgc.dps.mo.gov/MGCwebCrystalReports/dxClassALicensee.aspx" target="_blank">six casino operators</a>&nbsp;licensed in Missouri that is actively opposing the ballot measure. One aspect the company dislikes is that online gambling platforms could be licensed without having to create a business relationship with a Missouri casino.Winning for Missouri Education, the committee backing Amendment 2, is the best-funded ballot measure campaign in state history. The two biggest online bookmakers, FanDuel and DraftKings, have each contributed $15.8 million, and the television and radio ad campaign has cost almost $10 million so far. The ads in favor of sports wagering emphasize that the Missouri Constitution directs all revenue from gambling taxes to education programs.Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for Winning for Missouri Education, declined to say why he believed the ads were pulled.“That’s something you’d have to ask them about,” Cardetti said. “We’re focused on the campaign and making sure our message is getting out. We feel really good about where we are right now.”In an August St. Louis University/YouGov poll, 50% of voters surveyed said they supported sports wagering after reading the Amendment 2 ballot language while 30% were opposed. The television ads opposing Amendment 2, which began running in the first week of September, had narrowed that lead,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">Foster said last week</a>.“It’s definitely tightened,” she said. “It’s margin of error type close, so we’re really pleased to see that.”Winning for Missouri Education this week has increased the size of some of its television purchases and has begun emphasizing support for the measure from professional sports teams — which will be able to set up retail sports wagering locations and provide a branded online platform.“The Amendment 2 campaign will continue to aggressively get our message out,” Cardetti said, “and ensure that Missourians know the benefits of legalizing sports betting, right up until the last hour.”

Opponents of Missouri sports betting amendment pull TV ads in campaign’s homestretch

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The train named Big Boy was late. Anticipation and impatience built as 30 minutes passed.

Some had been on the edge of the tracks of Great Overland Station in North Topeka for hours waiting to see a piece of American history pass through town.

Just before 1 p.m., the teeth-chattering whistle of Big Boy No. 4014 announced its arrival.

The 83-year-old steam locomotive stopped briefly Thursday afternoon spewing steam in Topeka on its way from Kansas City, Missouri, to Salina while on the last leg of its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/" target="_blank">Heartland of America Tour</a>. It was met with at least 1,000 people from across Kansas, eager to catch a glimpse of the living legend.

Crowds have gathered at almost every stop on the eight-week, nine-state tour, ranging from hundreds to thousands to see the more than 1.2 million lb. locomotive, said Mike Jaixen, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad.

“There’s a legend of the Big Boy,” he said.

The way Jaixen explains the draw of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/4014/" target="_blank">Big Boy</a>&nbsp;begins in 1941 when the first Big Boy rolled out of the factory in Schenectady, New York. It wasn’t named Big Boy then. It was going to be named after the Wasatch Mountains, through which it would travel for 20 years and more than 1 million miles between Utah and Wyoming hauling freight before retiring in 1961.

But one crew member, who was amazed at the sheer size of it, took a piece of chalk and scrawled the name “Big Boy” on the locomotive, Jaixen said. Crew members today still draw the name in chalk on the locomotive’s front.

The Big Boy No. 4014 was one of 25 manufactured exclusively for Union Pacific, and it’s now the only one in operation after it was brought out of retirement and restored between 2013 and 2019, which allowed it to reclaim its title as the largest steam locomotive in the world. It’s almost as long as two typical diesel locomotives and produces more than 6,000 horsepower.

Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka waited from behind a fence on the northeast side of the tracks. Others were sitting on the hoods and in the trunks of their cars or in pools of crowds near the station. Lena Appenfeller, a 7-year-old, had the day off from school, and it was Jeff Appenfeller’s second time seeing Big Boy No. 4014 in Topeka. The locomotive’s whistle will “rattle your teeth,” he said.

As Big Boy churned around the bend and slowly rolled into the station, railroad police and crew tried to keep excited spectators from lingering on the tracks. It stopped for about 40 minutes, and people swarmed the front of the train for photos or to get a closer look while crews performed minor maintenance work.

One couple came to watch from El Dorado, more than 100 miles away, and had plans to chase the train to Wamego, to witness it among the sparsely populated fields, they said.

Doug Edwards drove the 30 miles from Holton to see Big Boy.

Trains were a big part of his life as a kid. Now a retired electronics businessman, they remind him of the northeastern Kansas farm he grew up on, and recalling those memories made him emotional as he looked out at the tracks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729265876120.png" alt="Hundreds of Kansans greet the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, on Oct. 17, 2024, in North Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Hundreds of Kansans greet the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, on Oct. 17, 2024, in North Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The train named Big Boy was late. Anticipation and impatience built as 30 minutes passed.Some had been on the edge of the tracks of Great Overland Station in North Topeka for hours waiting to see a piece of American history pass through town.Just before 1 p.m., the teeth-chattering whistle of Big Boy No. 4014 announced its arrival.The 83-year-old steam locomotive stopped briefly Thursday afternoon spewing steam in Topeka on its way from Kansas City, Missouri, to Salina while on the last leg of its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/" target="_blank">Heartland of America Tour</a>. It was met with at least 1,000 people from across Kansas, eager to catch a glimpse of the living legend.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729265844799.png" alt=" The world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolls into Topeka on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolls into Topeka on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Crowds have gathered at almost every stop on the eight-week, nine-state tour, ranging from hundreds to thousands to see the more than 1.2 million lb. locomotive, said Mike Jaixen, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad.“There’s a legend of the Big Boy,” he said.The way Jaixen explains the draw of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/4014/" target="_blank">Big Boy</a>&nbsp;begins in 1941 when the first Big Boy rolled out of the factory in Schenectady, New York. It wasn’t named Big Boy then. It was going to be named after the Wasatch Mountains, through which it would travel for 20 years and more than 1 million miles between Utah and Wyoming hauling freight before retiring in 1961.But one crew member, who was amazed at the sheer size of it, took a piece of chalk and scrawled the name “Big Boy” on the locomotive, Jaixen said. Crew members today still draw the name in chalk on the locomotive’s front.The Big Boy No. 4014 was one of 25 manufactured exclusively for Union Pacific, and it’s now the only one in operation after it was brought out of retirement and restored between 2013 and 2019, which allowed it to reclaim its title as the largest steam locomotive in the world. It’s almost as long as two typical diesel locomotives and produces more than 6,000 horsepower.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729265799147.png" alt="Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka react to the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolling into town on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka react to the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolling into town on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka waited from behind a fence on the northeast side of the tracks. Others were sitting on the hoods and in the trunks of their cars or in pools of crowds near the station. Lena Appenfeller, a 7-year-old, had the day off from school, and it was Jeff Appenfeller’s second time seeing Big Boy No. 4014 in Topeka. The locomotive’s whistle will “rattle your teeth,” he said.As Big Boy churned around the bend and slowly rolled into the station, railroad police and crew tried to keep excited spectators from lingering on the tracks. It stopped for about 40 minutes, and people swarmed the front of the train for photos or to get a closer look while crews performed minor maintenance work.One couple came to watch from El Dorado, more than 100 miles away, and had plans to chase the train to Wamego, to witness it among the sparsely populated fields, they said.Doug Edwards drove the 30 miles from Holton to see Big Boy.Trains were a big part of his life as a kid. Now a retired electronics businessman, they remind him of the northeastern Kansas farm he grew up on, and recalling those memories made him emotional as he looked out at the tracks.“It’s a childhood thing,” he said.

World’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy, rattles into Topeka

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday patrol officers were dispatched to the 3700 Block of Independence Avenue on the report of someone with a weapon, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Officers located a victim suffering from bodily trauma. Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. 

At the same time, officers were dispatched to the area of 6th and Monroe on an ambulance en route call.&nbsp; It was determined both of these calls were related. The original incident occurred at 6th and Monroe. This is being investigated as a homicide. 

A preliminary investigation revealed the victim to have injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. Responding officers were able to locate several witnesses on scene.&nbsp; Detectives are interviewing those witnesses to determine the events that led up to incident, according to DiMartino.

Crime scene personnel processed the scene for any physical evidence.If anyone has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.&nbsp; There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday patrol officers were dispatched to the 3700 Block of Independence Avenue on the report of someone with a weapon, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Officers located a victim suffering from bodily trauma. Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. At the same time, officers were dispatched to the area of 6th and Monroe on an ambulance en route call.&nbsp; It was determined both of these calls were related. The original incident occurred at 6th and Monroe. This is being investigated as a homicide. A preliminary investigation revealed the victim to have injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. Responding officers were able to locate several witnesses on scene.&nbsp; Detectives are interviewing those witnesses to determine the events that led up to incident, according to DiMartino.Crime scene personnel processed the scene for any physical evidence.If anyone has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.&nbsp; There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

Homicide: KCPD found victim with bodily trauma 

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating alleged counterfeiting and asked the public for help to identify suspects, according to Lenexa Police. On Thursday police reported "Thanks to you, these individuals have been identified, allowing the investigation to move forward."

The two individuals shown on security cameras are suspected of passing counterfeit bills at area retailers. Police believed the suspects were driving a black SUV.&nbsp; Police released no additional details including information on an arrest.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729017004777.png" alt="Photo Lenexa Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lenexa Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating alleged counterfeiting and asked the public for help to identify suspects, according to Lenexa Police. On Thursday police reported "Thanks to you, these individuals have been identified, allowing the investigation to move forward."The two individuals shown on security cameras are suspected of passing counterfeit bills at area retailers. Police believed the suspects were driving a black SUV.&nbsp; Police released no additional details including information on an arrest.&nbsp;

Tips help police ID suspects in Kan. counterfeit cash investigation

KANSAS CITY —A slowly-developing La Nina is favored to influence conditions for the upcoming winter across most of the country, according to NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook released today by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/">Climate Prediction Center</a>&nbsp;— a division of NOAA’s National Weather Service. This outlook is for December 2024 through February 2025 and contains information on likely conditions throughout the country for temperature, precipitation and drought.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This winter, NOAA predicts wetter-than-average conditions for the entire northern tier of the continental U.S., particularly in the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region, along with northern and western Alaska. Meanwhile, drier-than-average conditions are expected from the Four Corners region of the Southwest to the Southeast, Gulf Coast and lower mid-Atlantic states.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“In September, we announced a $100 million investment into NOAA’s high-performance computer system to advance research on weather, climate and ocean predictions because understanding our climate system is essential for making longer-term predictions like the Winter Seasonal Outlook, which provides vital information for many of our partners and the public,” said Michael Morgan, Ph.D., NOAA’s assistant secretary of commerce for observation and prediction. “We continue to innovate in this space, developing new ways to share winter forecast information with the public.”

“This winter, an emerging La Nina is anticipated to influence the upcoming winter patterns, especially our precipitation predictions,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center.&nbsp;

La Nina conditions are expected to develop later this fall and typically lead to a more northerly storm track during the winter months, leaving the southern tier of the country warmer and drier. As a result, NOAA forecasters, in collaboration with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drought.gov/about">National Integrated Drought Information System</a>&nbsp;(NIDIS), expect drought conditions to persist and worsen across the central and southern Plains of the U.S.

“Unfortunately, after a brief period in the spring of 2024 with minimal drought conditions across the country, more than a quarter of the land mass in the continental U.S. is currently in at least a moderate drought,” said Brad Pugh, operational drought lead with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “And the winter precipitation outlook does not bode well for widespread relief.”

Winter forecasting tools: Here’s what’s new at NOAA&nbsp;

NOAA’s seasonal outlooks provide the likelihood that temperatures and total precipitation amounts will be above-, near- or below-average, and how drought conditions are anticipated to change in the months ahead. The outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations as snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance.&nbsp;

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center updates the three-month outlook monthly. The next update will be available November 21.&nbsp;

Seasonal outlooks help communities prepare for what is likely to come in the months ahead and minimize weather's impacts on lives and livelihoods. Resources such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drought.gov/">drought.gov</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.climate.gov/">climate.gov</a>&nbsp;provide comprehensive tools to better understand and plan for climate-driven hazards. Empowering people with actionable forecasts, seasonal predictions and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/winter">winter weather safety tips</a>&nbsp;is key to NOAA’s effort to build a more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/wrn/">Weather</a>- and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/stories/story-map-building-climate-ready-nation">Climate</a>-Ready Nation.

KANSAS CITY —A slowly-developing La Nina is favored to influence conditions for the upcoming winter across most of the country, according to NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook released today by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/">Climate Prediction Center</a>&nbsp;— a division of NOAA’s National Weather Service. This outlook is for December 2024 through February 2025 and contains information on likely conditions throughout the country for temperature, precipitation and drought.&nbsp;&nbsp;This winter, NOAA predicts wetter-than-average conditions for the entire northern tier of the continental U.S., particularly in the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region, along with northern and western Alaska. Meanwhile, drier-than-average conditions are expected from the Four Corners region of the Southwest to the Southeast, Gulf Coast and lower mid-Atlantic states.&nbsp;&nbsp;“In September, we announced a $100 million investment into NOAA’s high-performance computer system to advance research on weather, climate and ocean predictions because understanding our climate system is essential for making longer-term predictions like the Winter Seasonal Outlook, which provides vital information for many of our partners and the public,” said Michael Morgan, Ph.D., NOAA’s assistant secretary of commerce for observation and prediction. “We continue to innovate in this space, developing new ways to share winter forecast information with the public.”“This winter, an emerging La Nina is anticipated to influence the upcoming winter patterns, especially our precipitation predictions,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center.&nbsp;La Nina conditions are expected to develop later this fall and typically lead to a more northerly storm track during the winter months, leaving the southern tier of the country warmer and drier. As a result, NOAA forecasters, in collaboration with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drought.gov/about">National Integrated Drought Information System</a>&nbsp;(NIDIS), expect drought conditions to persist and worsen across the central and southern Plains of the U.S.“Unfortunately, after a brief period in the spring of 2024 with minimal drought conditions across the country, more than a quarter of the land mass in the continental U.S. is currently in at least a moderate drought,” said Brad Pugh, operational drought lead with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “And the winter precipitation outlook does not bode well for widespread relief.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729207977321.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Temperature</h2><ul>
 <li>Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored from the southern tier of the U.S. to the eastern Great Lakes, eastern seaboard, New England and northern Alaska. These probabilities are strongest along the Gulf Coast and for most of Texas.</li><li>Below-average temperatures are most likely in southern Alaska, with below-average temperatures slightly favored from the Pacific Northwest to the northern High Plains.</li><li>The remaining areas have equal chances of below-, near-, or above-average seasonal mean temperatures.</li>
 </ul><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729208031294.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Precipitation</h2><ul>
 <li>Wetter-than-average conditions are most likely in the Great Lakes states, and above-average precipitation is also favored in northern and western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and across the northern tier of the U.S. These probabilities&nbsp; are strongest in portions of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.</li><li>The greatest likelihood for drier-than-average conditions are in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in Texas and southern New Mexico.</li><li>Much of California, the central Plains states and the I-95 corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C., have equal chances of below-average, near-average or above-average seasonal total precipitation.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729208085467.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Drought</h2><ul>
 <li>Widespread moderate to extreme drought continues across much of the Great Plains and in portions of the Rocky Mountains, especially farther south.</li><li>Drought conditions are expected to improve or end in the Ohio River Valley, the Great Lakes region and portions of the northwestern U.S., including eastern Washington and Oregon and northern and central Idaho.</li><li>Drought conditions are expected to persist across the Great Plains.</li><li>Drought is likely to develop or worsen across portions of the Southwest and Gulf Coast.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><h2>Winter forecasting tools: Here’s what’s new at NOAA&nbsp;</h2><ul>
 <li>Over the past year, NOAA implemented several upgrades and improvements to its forecasting tools. In late 2023, the experimental&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/wssi/prob_wssi.php">Probabilistic Winter Storm Severity Index</a>&nbsp;(WSSI-P) became operational. The product enhances communication with external partners, media and the public by visually representing the likelihood of potential societal impacts due to expected winter hazards over a 7-day period. This is complemented by an existing operational version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/wssi/wssi.php">Winter Storm Severity Index</a>&nbsp;(WSSI), which is based on the official National Weather Service forecast of the most likely conditions over the next three days.</li><li>NOAA is simplifying its suite of cold weather products to improve messaging of these hazards and provide better decision support services. As of October 2024, the Wind Chill Watch, Warning, and Advisory products were consolidated into the Extreme Cold Watch and Warning and Cold Weather Advisory products, respectively. The Hard Freeze Watch and Warning products were consolidated into the existing Freeze Watch and Warning products, respectively. More information can be found within this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/news/243009-cold-hazard-simplification">hazard simplication project webstory</a>.</li><li>NOAA will make the Experimental Probabilistic Precipitation Portal publicly available beginning in early November. This webpage will enable users to view the Low-End, Expected and High-End amounts of snow and rain, as well as probabilities of exceeding threshold amounts of precipitation. Data will be available through an interactive map, tables and graphics to assist local partners, including emergency management, with decision support.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><h2>About NOAA's seasonal outlooks</h2>NOAA’s seasonal outlooks provide the likelihood that temperatures and total precipitation amounts will be above-, near- or below-average, and how drought conditions are anticipated to change in the months ahead. The outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations as snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance.&nbsp;NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center updates the three-month outlook monthly. The next update will be available November 21.&nbsp;Seasonal outlooks help communities prepare for what is likely to come in the months ahead and minimize weather's impacts on lives and livelihoods. Resources such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drought.gov/">drought.gov</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.climate.gov/">climate.gov</a>&nbsp;provide comprehensive tools to better understand and plan for climate-driven hazards. Empowering people with actionable forecasts, seasonal predictions and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/winter">winter weather safety tips</a>&nbsp;is key to NOAA’s effort to build a more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/wrn/">Weather</a>- and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/stories/story-map-building-climate-ready-nation">Climate</a>-Ready Nation.

NOAA  winter weather outlook doesn't say much about Missouri

REYNOLDS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Thursday in Reynolds County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Lincoln Towncar driven by&nbsp; Russell J. Shipp, 59, Bunker, was southbound on Highway KK ten miles northeast of Bunker.

The car traveled off the left side of the road and overturned. Shipp was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to McSpadden Funeral Home. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

REYNOLDS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Thursday in Reynolds County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Lincoln Towncar driven by&nbsp; Russell J. Shipp, 59, Bunker, was southbound on Highway KK ten miles northeast of Bunker.The car traveled off the left side of the road and overturned. Shipp was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to McSpadden Funeral Home. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man dies after car overturns

TOPEKA—A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday to 80 months in prison for threatening multiple Black people in and around the Wichita area, and for interfering with the housing rights of a white woman because he believed that she was dating and associating with Black people, according to the United State's Attorney.

Austin Schoemann, 31, of Wichita,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kansas-man-pleads-guilty-brandishing-gun-and-using-death-threats-and-racial-slurs-intimidate">previously pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to two counts of interference with federally protected activities, two counts of interstate threats and one count of interference with housing. In connection with the plea, Schoemann admitted that, in July 2022, he brandished a firearm and used racial slurs in order to threaten two Black juveniles while they were entering a QuikTrip gasoline station, and that he also used his firearm to threaten a Black adult who intervened to support the juveniles. Schoemann also acknowledged that, from January 2022 through August 2022, he interfered with the federally protected housing rights of a white woman by making threats to hurt or kill any Black people who visited her home. Schoemann further admitted that he sent videos and messages to the woman’s family members and others in which he repeatedly threatened to shoot and kill Black people.

“Racially-motivated threats of violence cannot be tolerated in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “For months, this defendant made threats to a woman and her family that he would shoot and kill any Black person who visited the woman’s home. After that campaign of terror, the defendant called two Black children racist slurs, and threatened the children and a Black woman with a gun when they happened to cross paths at a convenience store. This case should make clear that the Justice Department will not rest in bringing the perpetrators of racially-motivated hate crimes to justice.”

“Perpetrators of hate crimes inflict pain upon victims in furtherance of a larger goal of breeding fear and divisiveness within our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The Justice Department is standing against racial violence and threats of racial violence by prosecuting offenders, but we need the public’s help. &nbsp;The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas encourages those who are victims of or witnesses to hate crimes to report these incidents to law enforcement.”

The FBI Kansas City Field Office and Wichita Police investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685477437664.png" alt="Schoemann photo Butler County" />
 <figcaption>Schoemann photo Butler County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA—A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday to 80 months in prison for threatening multiple Black people in and around the Wichita area, and for interfering with the housing rights of a white woman because he believed that she was dating and associating with Black people, according to the United State's Attorney.Austin Schoemann, 31, of Wichita,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kansas-man-pleads-guilty-brandishing-gun-and-using-death-threats-and-racial-slurs-intimidate">previously pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to two counts of interference with federally protected activities, two counts of interstate threats and one count of interference with housing. In connection with the plea, Schoemann admitted that, in July 2022, he brandished a firearm and used racial slurs in order to threaten two Black juveniles while they were entering a QuikTrip gasoline station, and that he also used his firearm to threaten a Black adult who intervened to support the juveniles. Schoemann also acknowledged that, from January 2022 through August 2022, he interfered with the federally protected housing rights of a white woman by making threats to hurt or kill any Black people who visited her home. Schoemann further admitted that he sent videos and messages to the woman’s family members and others in which he repeatedly threatened to shoot and kill Black people.“Racially-motivated threats of violence cannot be tolerated in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “For months, this defendant made threats to a woman and her family that he would shoot and kill any Black person who visited the woman’s home. After that campaign of terror, the defendant called two Black children racist slurs, and threatened the children and a Black woman with a gun when they happened to cross paths at a convenience store. This case should make clear that the Justice Department will not rest in bringing the perpetrators of racially-motivated hate crimes to justice.”“Perpetrators of hate crimes inflict pain upon victims in furtherance of a larger goal of breeding fear and divisiveness within our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The Justice Department is standing against racial violence and threats of racial violence by prosecuting offenders, but we need the public’s help. &nbsp;The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas encourages those who are victims of or witnesses to hate crimes to report these incidents to law enforcement.”The FBI Kansas City Field Office and Wichita Police investigated the case.

Kan. man made race-based death threats to multiple Black people

WYDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1a.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.

According to Kansas City, Kansas, police a vehicle was eastbound on Interstate 70&nbsp; just before the 18th St Expressway exit.&nbsp;

The vehicle left the roadway struck an object and caught fire. Kansas City Kansas Fire responded to the scene and the driver was pronounced deceased.

WYDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1a.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.According to Kansas City, Kansas, police a vehicle was eastbound on Interstate 70&nbsp; just before the 18th St Expressway exit.&nbsp;The vehicle left the roadway struck an object and caught fire. Kansas City Kansas Fire responded to the scene and the driver was pronounced deceased.Police released no additional details.

Driver dies in Kansas after I-70 crash and fire

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

On October 14, sheriff's deputies arrested 44-year-old&nbsp;Jesse Lee Hewes of Independence, Oregon, near Mayetta, Kansas, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies reported they found illegal drugs in Hewes' 2011 Honda Civic. He is being held in the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribute cocaine, distribute hallucinogenic drug, distribute marijuana, possession of paraphernalia with intent manufacture/plant/cultivate controlled substance, distribute or possess with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, criminal use of a weapon and no drug tax stamp.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728997703583.png" alt="Hewes-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Hewes-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On October 14, sheriff's deputies arrested 44-year-old&nbsp;Jesse Lee Hewes of Independence, Oregon, near Mayetta, Kansas, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies reported they found illegal drugs in Hewes' 2011 Honda Civic. He is being held in the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribute cocaine, distribute hallucinogenic drug, distribute marijuana, possession of paraphernalia with intent manufacture/plant/cultivate controlled substance, distribute or possess with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, criminal use of a weapon and no drug tax stamp.

Man from Oregon accused of selling cocaine in Kansas

TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans lambasted a Manhattan-area Democratic candidate who used a racial slur in a 2020 Facebook post that detailed the candidate’s feelings about an outburst she witnessed.

Kim Zito, a Democrat running for House District 67, posted to Facebook, “F**K YOU N*****S!!!!” preceded by a middle finger emoji on Nov. 9, 2020. The post continues, “I write that because I want you to see that. That’s what we heard yday (sic) while we were cheering for our new President and our first female VP.”

Republicans called on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to rescind her endorsement of Zito in a Wednesday news release, and called the post a “shocking and racially charged rant.”

Zito said in a statement Republicans were attempting to distract voters from concerns with her opponent, Angel Roeser.

In the 2020 post, which has been deleted, Zito explained she was illustrating the “level of hate being hurled at people of color and anyone supporting the end of the” Trump administration. She pleaded with friends and family to “stand up against the violence of fellow human beings.”&nbsp;

The Kansas Black Republican Council brought the post to the attention of the Kansas House Republican Campaign Committee on Tuesday, according to the news release. Joseph Elmore, chairman of the Sedgwick County Black Republican Council and member of the state council’s executive board, called on Democrats to “unequivocally disavow and divest themselves.”

“Exposure of Kim Zito’s racism is painful to see and, in my view, disqualifies her for service as a lawmaker,” Elmore said in the news release. “Racist words and racial slurs are hurtful and hateful to our Community.”

House Majority Leader Chris Croft, R-Overland Park, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, echoed Elmore’s condemnation.

Zito responded by accusing Roeser of being dishonest about her level of education and where she stands on abortion rights.

“The Kansas Republican Party has a fundamentally flawed candidate who has a broken relationship with the truth,” Zito said. “The Republicans are trying to distract the voters of Manhattan from the fact their candidate lies about her voting history and lies about whether she graduated from K-State, which is an insult to hard-working Kansans.”

Roeser, who doesn’t have a college degree, identified herself as a Kansas State University graduate in postcards produced by her campaign.

The first-time candidate said in a statement for this story she didn’t have “any ill intent to withhold information” about obtaining a college degree. She acknowledged it was a mistake to lie about her education.

“Kim Zito has yet to take responsibility for the offensive, insulting and downright hostile comments she has made about races of people, groups of worshipers and individuals in our community,” Roeser said. “Her partisan rhetoric and personal attacks won’t serve Manhattan well and will most definitely ensure we don’t have a seat at the table.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729193641491.png" alt="Kim Zito, a Manhattan Democrat, says Republicans are complaining about her four-year-old social media post to draw attention away from her opponent, who lied about being a Kansas State University graduate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kim Zito, a Manhattan Democrat, says Republicans are complaining about her four-year-old social media post to draw attention away from her opponent, who lied about being a Kansas State University graduate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans lambasted a Manhattan-area Democratic candidate who used a racial slur in a 2020 Facebook post that detailed the candidate’s feelings about an outburst she witnessed.Kim Zito, a Democrat running for House District 67, posted to Facebook, “F**K YOU N*****S!!!!” preceded by a middle finger emoji on Nov. 9, 2020. The post continues, “I write that because I want you to see that. That’s what we heard yday (sic) while we were cheering for our new President and our first female VP.”Republicans called on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to rescind her endorsement of Zito in a Wednesday news release, and called the post a “shocking and racially charged rant.”Zito said in a statement Republicans were attempting to distract voters from concerns with her opponent, Angel Roeser.In the 2020 post, which has been deleted, Zito explained she was illustrating the “level of hate being hurled at people of color and anyone supporting the end of the” Trump administration. She pleaded with friends and family to “stand up against the violence of fellow human beings.”&nbsp;The Kansas Black Republican Council brought the post to the attention of the Kansas House Republican Campaign Committee on Tuesday, according to the news release. Joseph Elmore, chairman of the Sedgwick County Black Republican Council and member of the state council’s executive board, called on Democrats to “unequivocally disavow and divest themselves.”“Exposure of Kim Zito’s racism is painful to see and, in my view, disqualifies her for service as a lawmaker,” Elmore said in the news release. “Racist words and racial slurs are hurtful and hateful to our Community.”House Majority Leader Chris Croft, R-Overland Park, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, echoed Elmore’s condemnation.Zito responded by accusing Roeser of being dishonest about her level of education and where she stands on abortion rights.“The Kansas Republican Party has a fundamentally flawed candidate who has a broken relationship with the truth,” Zito said. “The Republicans are trying to distract the voters of Manhattan from the fact their candidate lies about her voting history and lies about whether she graduated from K-State, which is an insult to hard-working Kansans.”Roeser, who doesn’t have a college degree, identified herself as a Kansas State University graduate in postcards produced by her campaign.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729193490172.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The first-time candidate said in a statement for this story she didn’t have “any ill intent to withhold information” about obtaining a college degree. She acknowledged it was a mistake to lie about her education.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729193550023.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Kim Zito has yet to take responsibility for the offensive, insulting and downright hostile comments she has made about races of people, groups of worshipers and individuals in our community,” Roeser said. “Her partisan rhetoric and personal attacks won’t serve Manhattan well and will most definitely ensure we don’t have a seat at the table.”

Kansas Republicans condemn Democrat’s use of racial slur in 2020 social media post, omit context

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a church burglary have made an arrest.

On Wednesday,&nbsp; police reported a&nbsp;person of interest in Monday’s recovery of approximately $36,000 of stolen property from a Kansas City Kansas church is in custody and charged with the crime, according to Kansas City Kansas Police.

The Wyandotte County District Attorney has charged 22-year-old Enrique Martinez Vasquez of Kansas City, Kan., with felony burglary, theft and criminal damage to property. 

He remains in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $35,000 bond.

&nbsp;Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729128351973.png" alt="Vasquez photo Wyandotte County" />
 <figcaption>Vasquez photo Wyandotte County</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a church burglary have made an arrest.On Wednesday,&nbsp; police reported a&nbsp;person of interest in Monday’s recovery of approximately $36,000 of stolen property from a Kansas City Kansas church is in custody and charged with the crime, according to Kansas City Kansas Police.The Wyandotte County District Attorney has charged 22-year-old Enrique Martinez Vasquez of Kansas City, Kan., with felony burglary, theft and criminal damage to property. He remains in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $35,000 bond.&nbsp;Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous.

Suspect in $36,000 burglary at Kansas church captured

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military continues working to determine the source of mysterious drones that have been allowed to fly over U.S. bases.

Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran responded to a Wall Street Journal account of the mystery. "As drone technology continues to evolve, the tactics used against the United States grow more alarming each day, " Moran wrote on social media. 

"The recent reports of unidentified aircrafts hovering for 17 days over a U.S. military base without intervention is not just concerning, but an affront to our national security."

"This violation of our airspace highlights the threat of below-the-threshold activity that hostile actors can pose to our nation."

"Military leaders currently lack the authority to engage until there is an imminent threat posed to our men and women in uniform. I am working on legislation to provide the Department of Defense with the necessary authorities to engage drones or unidentified aircrafts that breech our military airspace before it is too late to respond."

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military continues working to determine the source of mysterious drones that have been allowed to fly over U.S. bases.Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran responded to a Wall Street Journal account of the mystery. "As drone technology continues to evolve, the tactics used against the United States grow more alarming each day, " Moran wrote on social media. "The recent reports of unidentified aircrafts hovering for 17 days over a U.S. military base without intervention is not just concerning, but an affront to our national security.""This violation of our airspace highlights the threat of below-the-threshold activity that hostile actors can pose to our nation.""Military leaders currently lack the authority to engage until there is an imminent threat posed to our men and women in uniform. I am working on legislation to provide the Department of Defense with the necessary authorities to engage drones or unidentified aircrafts that breech our military airspace before it is too late to respond."

Kan. U.S. Senator wants action on mysterious drone swarm at military base 

WASHINGTON —On Wednesday, the Department of Defense&nbsp; announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs.

 This announcement is the Biden Administration's&nbsp;sixty-seventh tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.&nbsp; This Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package, which has an estimated value of $425 million, will provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: air defense capabilities; air-to-ground weapons; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; armored vehicles; and anti-tank weapons.

The capabilities in this announcement include:

The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated capability coalitions to meet Ukraine's urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717851301558.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —On Wednesday, the Department of Defense&nbsp; announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This announcement is the Biden Administration's&nbsp;sixty-seventh tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.&nbsp; This Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package, which has an estimated value of $425 million, will provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: air defense capabilities; air-to-ground weapons; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; armored vehicles; and anti-tank weapons.The capabilities in this announcement include:<ul>
 <li>Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS):</li><li>RIM-7 missiles and support for air defense;</li><li>Stinger anti-aircraft missiles;</li><li>Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);</li><li>Air-to-ground munitions;</li><li>155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;</li><li>Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles;</li><li>Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;</li><li>High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);</li><li>Small arms and ammunition;</li><li>Grenades, thermals, and training equipment;</li><li>Demolitions equipment and munitions; and</li><li>Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated capability coalitions to meet Ukraine's urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression.

U.S. spending another $425 million on Ukraine military aid

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

WASHINGTON —Top advisers to the Kamala Harris presidential campaign held a Wednesday press conference including children who were separated from their parents under the highly criticized Trump administration immigration policy, as a warning of what a second term under the former president could bring for the Latino community.

The press conference in Doral, Florida, came ahead of a late Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.univision.com/univision-news/politics/how-to-see-town-hall-latinos-donald-trump-univision-interview" target="_blank">Univision town hal</a>l at which GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump will talk with undecided Latino voters.

Four children at the press conference recounted stories of being separated from a parent by immigration officials during the Trump administration and the lasting trauma it caused. Their full names and ages were not provided by the campaign.

With 20 days until Nov. 5 and early voting underway in many states, both campaigns have tried to court Latino voters, as they are the second-largest group of eligible voters.

“The Latino vote will decide this election,” Democratic Texas U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, who serves as co-chair for the Harris campaign, said at the press conference.

Harris campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said that for the next 20 days, Democrats will continue to reach out to Latinos and stress “the threat that Donald Trump is to Latino communities everywhere.”

The 2024 presidential election is essentially a dead heat between Harris and Trump. Latino voter preferences largely resemble the 2020 presidential election, when President Joe Biden defeated Trump 61% to 36% in earning the Latino vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/09/24/in-tight-u-s-presidential-race-latino-voters-preferences-mirror-2020/" target="_blank">according to the Pew Research Center.&nbsp;</a>

Harris, the Democratic nominee, currently has a smaller lead over Trump with Latinos, 57% to 39%, according to the Pew Research Center.

Escobar warned what a second Trump administration could bring to the Latino community.

“I hear a lot of Latinos who say that they want to vote for Donald Trump, that they appreciate some of his policies,” she said.

Escobar said that Trump has not only&nbsp;<a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/2024/08/23/trump-promises-mass-deportations-of-undocumented-people-how-would-that-work/" target="_blank">promised to carry out mass deportations</a>, but go after pathways to legal immigration. She argued that architects of some of the former president’s harshest immigration policies are top level advisers, like Stephen Miller, who has proposed eliminating legal immigration like humanitarian parole programs and Temporary Protected Status.

Miller has also proposed a program to strip naturalized citizens of their U.S. citizenship — an initiative that Miller&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/StephenM/status/1712094935820780029?lang=en" target="_blank">said would be “turbocharged”</a>&nbsp;under a second Trump administration.

“For Latinos who think that when Donald Trump insults immigrants, or when he talks about mass deportation that you’re thinking he’s talking about somebody else, oh no, no, he’s talking about you,” Escobar, who represents the border town of El Paso, said.

Escobar said there would be no guardrails for a second Trump administration and programs like family separation could be implemented. The separation occurred at the border as asylum-seeking parents were put into criminal detention and sometimes deported.

“These kids who have lived through horrific trauma, through the pain of being separated from their parents, what you heard from them moments ago will be far worse if Trump gets a second term,” she said. “In Donald Trump’s first term, he had people around him who actually tried to stop him. In a second term, not only will those guardrails not exist, but those people who were there to stop him in the first place are long gone.”

Trump has declined to say whether he would resume family separations if given a second term, also known as the zero-tolerance policy.

“Well, when you have that policy, people don’t come. If a family hears that they’re going to be separated, they love their family. They don’t come. So I know it sounds harsh,” Trump said during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/politics/transcript-cnn-town-hall-trump/index.html" target="_blank">a CNN town hall in May 2023.&nbsp;</a>

Escobar said that she is hoping that at Wednesday night’s town hall, Trump will be pressed on whether he would reimplement his family separation policy.

The Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.together.gov/" target="_blank">established a task force</a>&nbsp;to reunite the 3,881 children who were separated from their families from 2017 to 2021.

The Department of Homeland Security has reunited about 74% of those families, but there are still&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/02/02/fact-sheet-review-family-reunification-task-force-second-anniversary-its" target="_blank">998 children who have not been reunited</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729112192868.png" alt="File photo courtesy Harris campaign" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy Harris campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>WASHINGTON —Top advisers to the Kamala Harris presidential campaign held a Wednesday press conference including children who were separated from their parents under the highly criticized Trump administration immigration policy, as a warning of what a second term under the former president could bring for the Latino community.The press conference in Doral, Florida, came ahead of a late Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.univision.com/univision-news/politics/how-to-see-town-hall-latinos-donald-trump-univision-interview" target="_blank">Univision town hal</a>l at which GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump will talk with undecided Latino voters.Four children at the press conference recounted stories of being separated from a parent by immigration officials during the Trump administration and the lasting trauma it caused. Their full names and ages were not provided by the campaign.With 20 days until Nov. 5 and early voting underway in many states, both campaigns have tried to court Latino voters, as they are the second-largest group of eligible voters.“The Latino vote will decide this election,” Democratic Texas U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, who serves as co-chair for the Harris campaign, said at the press conference.Harris campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said that for the next 20 days, Democrats will continue to reach out to Latinos and stress “the threat that Donald Trump is to Latino communities everywhere.”<h2>Harris looks for Latino support</h2>The 2024 presidential election is essentially a dead heat between Harris and Trump. Latino voter preferences largely resemble the 2020 presidential election, when President Joe Biden defeated Trump 61% to 36% in earning the Latino vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/09/24/in-tight-u-s-presidential-race-latino-voters-preferences-mirror-2020/" target="_blank">according to the Pew Research Center.&nbsp;</a>Harris, the Democratic nominee, currently has a smaller lead over Trump with Latinos, 57% to 39%, according to the Pew Research Center.Escobar warned what a second Trump administration could bring to the Latino community.“I hear a lot of Latinos who say that they want to vote for Donald Trump, that they appreciate some of his policies,” she said.Escobar said that Trump has not only&nbsp;<a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/2024/08/23/trump-promises-mass-deportations-of-undocumented-people-how-would-that-work/" target="_blank">promised to carry out mass deportations</a>, but go after pathways to legal immigration. She argued that architects of some of the former president’s harshest immigration policies are top level advisers, like Stephen Miller, who has proposed eliminating legal immigration like humanitarian parole programs and Temporary Protected Status.Miller has also proposed a program to strip naturalized citizens of their U.S. citizenship — an initiative that Miller&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/StephenM/status/1712094935820780029?lang=en" target="_blank">said would be “turbocharged”</a>&nbsp;under a second Trump administration.“For Latinos who think that when Donald Trump insults immigrants, or when he talks about mass deportation that you’re thinking he’s talking about somebody else, oh no, no, he’s talking about you,” Escobar, who represents the border town of El Paso, said.Escobar said there would be no guardrails for a second Trump administration and programs like family separation could be implemented. The separation occurred at the border as asylum-seeking parents were put into criminal detention and sometimes deported.“These kids who have lived through horrific trauma, through the pain of being separated from their parents, what you heard from them moments ago will be far worse if Trump gets a second term,” she said. “In Donald Trump’s first term, he had people around him who actually tried to stop him. In a second term, not only will those guardrails not exist, but those people who were there to stop him in the first place are long gone.”Trump has declined to say whether he would resume family separations if given a second term, also known as the zero-tolerance policy.“Well, when you have that policy, people don’t come. If a family hears that they’re going to be separated, they love their family. They don’t come. So I know it sounds harsh,” Trump said during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/politics/transcript-cnn-town-hall-trump/index.html" target="_blank">a CNN town hall in May 2023.&nbsp;</a>Escobar said that she is hoping that at Wednesday night’s town hall, Trump will be pressed on whether he would reimplement his family separation policy.The Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.together.gov/" target="_blank">established a task force</a>&nbsp;to reunite the 3,881 children who were separated from their families from 2017 to 2021.The Department of Homeland Security has reunited about 74% of those families, but there are still&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/02/02/fact-sheet-review-family-reunification-task-force-second-anniversary-its" target="_blank">998 children who have not been reunited</a>.

Harris campaign stresses ‘the threat that Donald Trump is to Latino communities’

KANSAS CITY —&nbsp;A Kansas City motorcycle traffic officer is recovering from injuries in an accident on Wednesday. Quick thinking bystanders helped get him immediate medical attention.

The crash occurred just after 9:30a.m. at the intersection of 72nd&nbsp;and Troost. Investigators determined the motorcycle officer was northbound when a southbound SUV turned left (east) in front of the officer causing a collision.

Responding officers and EMS administered aid and transported the officer to the hospital with what was reported to be Critical, life threatening injuries. The officer was later upgraded to critical, but stable condition.

The other involved driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.

KCPD was initially alerted to this crash thanks to some quick thinking by some nearby bystanders who rushed to the officer’s aid after hearing the crash. One person pushed the emergency button on the officer’s police radio while another person provided medical aid and CPR. Because of those citizen’s quick thinking first responders were alerted to the emergency, and able to locate the officer quickly, thanks to GPS on the police radio.

Chief Graves expressed her deep appreciation for the many bystanders that rushed to the officers aid, EMS personnel with KCFD, and the Medical Staff at the hospital, along with the numerous KCPD officers who responded to the scene and who are conducting the investigation. Chief also asks the community to keep the injured officer, his family, and all of KCPD in their prayers.

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City motorcycle traffic officer was injured in an accident just after 9:30a.m. Wednesday, according to KCPD Officer Jake Becchina.

The crash occurred&nbsp;at Gregory and Troost.&nbsp; EMS transported the officer&nbsp; to the hospital with what is reported to be critical injuries, according to Becchina.

KCPD traffic investigations and the KCPD accident investigation sections were at the scene investigating the crash.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Few details are available. Check the Post for more information as it is released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729105015166.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —&nbsp;A Kansas City motorcycle traffic officer is recovering from injuries in an accident on Wednesday. Quick thinking bystanders helped get him immediate medical attention.The crash occurred just after 9:30a.m. at the intersection of 72nd&nbsp;and Troost. Investigators determined the motorcycle officer was northbound when a southbound SUV turned left (east) in front of the officer causing a collision.Responding officers and EMS administered aid and transported the officer to the hospital with what was reported to be Critical, life threatening injuries. The officer was later upgraded to critical, but stable condition.The other involved driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.KCPD was initially alerted to this crash thanks to some quick thinking by some nearby bystanders who rushed to the officer’s aid after hearing the crash. One person pushed the emergency button on the officer’s police radio while another person provided medical aid and CPR. Because of those citizen’s quick thinking first responders were alerted to the emergency, and able to locate the officer quickly, thanks to GPS on the police radio.Chief Graves expressed her deep appreciation for the many bystanders that rushed to the officers aid, EMS personnel with KCFD, and the Medical Staff at the hospital, along with the numerous KCPD officers who responded to the scene and who are conducting the investigation. Chief also asks the community to keep the injured officer, his family, and all of KCPD in their prayers.--------KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City motorcycle traffic officer was injured in an accident just after 9:30a.m. Wednesday, according to KCPD Officer Jake Becchina.The crash occurred&nbsp;at Gregory and Troost.&nbsp; EMS transported the officer&nbsp; to the hospital with what is reported to be critical injuries, according to Becchina.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A motorcycle officer of the Kansas City Police Department sustained serious injuries this morning in a crash. We are praying for the officer, their family, and all of the women and men of KCPD.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1846577294451597518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>KCPD traffic investigations and the KCPD accident investigation sections were at the scene investigating the crash.&nbsp;&nbsp;Few details are available. Check the Post for more information as it is released.

Bystanders helped KC motorcycle officer critically injured in crash

WASHINGTON —U.S. forces conducted multiple, precision airstrikes on numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen that contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target U.S. and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to a media release from the U.S. Central Command.<a></a>

These actions were taken to degrade the Houthi's capability to continue their reckless and unlawful attacks on international commercial shipping and on U.S., coalition, and merchant personnel and vessels in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, and to degrade their ability to threaten regional partners.

CENTCOM forces targeted the Houthi's hardened underground facilities housing missiles, weapons components, and other munitions used to target military and civilian vessels throughout the region.

U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers, were part of the operation. The employment of the B-2 bomber demonstrates U.S. global strike capabilities to reach these targets, when necessary, anytime, anywhere.

Our battle damage assessments are underway and do not indicate civilian casualties. We will provide updates as information is confirmed.

WASHINGTON —U.S. forces conducted multiple, precision airstrikes on numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen that contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target U.S. and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to a media release from the U.S. Central Command.<a></a>These actions were taken to degrade the Houthi's capability to continue their reckless and unlawful attacks on international commercial shipping and on U.S., coalition, and merchant personnel and vessels in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, and to degrade their ability to threaten regional partners.CENTCOM forces targeted the Houthi's hardened underground facilities housing missiles, weapons components, and other munitions used to target military and civilian vessels throughout the region.U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers, were part of the operation. The employment of the B-2 bomber demonstrates U.S. global strike capabilities to reach these targets, when necessary, anytime, anywhere.Our battle damage assessments are underway and do not indicate civilian casualties. We will provide updates as information is confirmed.

US bombers target underground bunkers of Yemen's Houthi rebels

PETTIS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Wednesday in Pettis County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Honda Accord driven by Gayline R. Leafty, 80, Sedalia, was northbound on Route. Y at Quisenberry Road.&nbsp;

The driver traveled into the intersection without yielding to a 2017 Volvo semi driven by Lloyd R. Waxter, 55, Fort Worth, Texas. The semi struck the Honda.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Leafty was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Rea Funeral Home.&nbsp; Waxter was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

PETTIS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Wednesday in Pettis County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Honda Accord driven by Gayline R. Leafty, 80, Sedalia, was northbound on Route. Y at Quisenberry Road.&nbsp;The driver traveled into the intersection without yielding to a 2017 Volvo semi driven by Lloyd R. Waxter, 55, Fort Worth, Texas. The semi struck the Honda.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leafty was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Rea Funeral Home.&nbsp; Waxter was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri woman dies after crash with a semi

JOHNSON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Wednesday in Johnson County.

The single-vehicle crash occurred near Shawnee Mission Parkway and Midland Drive when the driver experienced a medical emergency. The vehicle traveled off the road struck a dumpster and then collided with a shed in a nearby backyard.

 Johnson County MED-ACT transported the driver to a local hospital in stable condition. No other injuries were reported. The Shawnee Police Department, Shawnee Fire Department also assisted at the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729124296604.png" alt="Photos Shawnee Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos Shawnee Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Wednesday in Johnson County.The single-vehicle crash occurred near Shawnee Mission Parkway and Midland Drive when the driver experienced a medical emergency. The vehicle traveled off the road struck a dumpster and then collided with a shed in a nearby backyard.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729124296604.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> Johnson County MED-ACT transported the driver to a local hospital in stable condition. No other injuries were reported. The Shawnee Police Department, Shawnee Fire Department also assisted at the scene.

Kan. driver hospitalized after crash into trash dumpster, shed

KANSAS CITY —A homeless man faces felony charges after he entered a south Kansas City church, sought assistance and stabbed a church member in the chest on Sunday morning, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Jarod A. Hill, 24, faces Assault in the 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court records, close to 11 a.m. Sunday, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched to a reported knife attack at the church. Officers located a victim suffering from a stab wound to his chest. They also found several members of the church on top of the suspect, the defendant Jarod Hill. 

Police took Hill into custody. While being placed into a transport wagon, he attempted to grab a police officer's gun. Witnesses told police that it appeared that the defendant had pitched a tent nearby and was upset that someone had spray painted the tent. The victim attempted to help the defendant. 

Other members of the church told the defendant to leave or they would call police. The victim was standing next to Hill when he put the victim into a headlock and pulled out a knife. Hill began to stab the victim in the chest. They struggled over the knife and other church members helped to restrain the defendant until police arrived.&nbsp;

Video from the church corroborated the accounts of the victim and witnesses, according to court documents.

The police are continuing to investigate the incident at First Church of the Nazarene, located at 118th and State Line Road. The defendant is being held on a $100,000 cash bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729028388397.png" alt="Hill-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hill-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A homeless man faces felony charges after he entered a south Kansas City church, sought assistance and stabbed a church member in the chest on Sunday morning, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Jarod A. Hill, 24, faces Assault in the 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court records, close to 11 a.m. Sunday, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched to a reported knife attack at the church. Officers located a victim suffering from a stab wound to his chest. They also found several members of the church on top of the suspect, the defendant Jarod Hill. Police took Hill into custody. While being placed into a transport wagon, he attempted to grab a police officer's gun. Witnesses told police that it appeared that the defendant had pitched a tent nearby and was upset that someone had spray painted the tent. The victim attempted to help the defendant. Other members of the church told the defendant to leave or they would call police. The victim was standing next to Hill when he put the victim into a headlock and pulled out a knife. Hill began to stab the victim in the chest. They struggled over the knife and other church members helped to restrain the defendant until police arrived.&nbsp;Video from the church corroborated the accounts of the victim and witnesses, according to court documents.The police are continuing to investigate the incident at First Church of the Nazarene, located at 118th and State Line Road. The defendant is being held on a $100,000 cash bond.

Homeless man entered KC church, stabbed parishioner on Sunday

Just about $1.2 million has been spent since the primary by candidates seeking offices from governor to attorney general

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

As ballot measure campaigns fill the airwaves with&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">seven-figure ad wars</a>&nbsp;alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/15/why-are-you-so-weird-lucas-kunce-taunts-josh-hawley-during-squabble-about-debates/">Missouri’s U.S. Senate race</a>, the state seems about to experience the cheapest campaign in years for other statewide offices.

On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, the Republican nominee for governor, reported raising about $760,000 during September for his campaign committee and another $1.3 million for his joint-fundraising committee, American Dream PAC.&nbsp;

His Democratic opponent, state Rep. Crystal Quade, raised $425,000 and her joint fundraising committee, Crystal PAC, took in $7,000.

Quade used her modest campaign budget to start television advertising last week, spending about $165,000 so far. Kehoe has reserved time for later in the month, spending about $835,000.

In a news release, Quade said she was pleased with the fundraising result.

“I’m so grateful for the overwhelming support from everyday Missourians for this campaign,” she said. “Voters are sick of bought-and-paid for politicians who make life easier for their corporate donors and well-connected political insiders.”

Candidates for the other four statewide offices on the November ballot have combined to spend less than $400,000 since the primary.

Four years ago, Gov. Mike Parson’s re-election campaign raised $1 million during September and his joint fundraising committee raised $2.6 million. His Democratic opponent, then-state auditor Nicole Galloway, raised $1.5 million in September 2020.

And in 2016, the last time no incumbent ran for governor, Democrat Chris Koster raised $3.5 million in September, while Republican nominee Eric Greitens took in $4.2 million.

In comparison, spending for and against ballot measures on this year’s ballot totals $25.3 million since May, when signatures were turned in. And in the Senate race, Democrat Lucas Kunce has spent $6 million on television ads since the end of July, with Republican incumbent Josh Hawley spending $3.9 million.

Campaign reports for the period ending Sept. 30 were due Tuesday. State candidates report to the Missouri Ethics Commission, while candidates for Congress and the U.S. Senate report to the Federal Election Commission. There will be one more round of reports before the election on Nov. 5.

In the U.S. Senate race, Kunce has outraised Hawley throughout the year and that trend continued in the third quarter of the year. Kunce reported raising $7.6 million between mid-July and the end of September, while Hawley reported raising $3 million in the same period.

There are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/petitions/2024BallotMeasures" target="_blank">six statewide ballot measures</a>&nbsp;before voters this year, five constitutional amendments and a statutory change increasing the minimum wage. Total spending on all ballot measures through Sept. 30, according to the reports filed Tuesday, is $40.8 million.&nbsp;

The two biggest spenders are the committee backing Amendment 2 to legalize sports wagering and the committee backing Amendment 3 to restore the right to abortion and protect other reproductive health services.

Winning for Missouri Education, backing Amendment 2, reported raising $21.6 million, with $10 million more in large donations since the start of the month. Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, backing Amendment 3, took in $21.8 through Sept. 30 and $3.8 million in large donations since.

<h2>Just about $1.2 million has been spent since the primary by candidates seeking offices from governor to attorney general</h2>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>As ballot measure campaigns fill the airwaves with&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">seven-figure ad wars</a>&nbsp;alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/15/why-are-you-so-weird-lucas-kunce-taunts-josh-hawley-during-squabble-about-debates/">Missouri’s U.S. Senate race</a>, the state seems about to experience the cheapest campaign in years for other statewide offices.On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, the Republican nominee for governor, reported raising about $760,000 during September for his campaign committee and another $1.3 million for his joint-fundraising committee, American Dream PAC.&nbsp;His Democratic opponent, state Rep. Crystal Quade, raised $425,000 and her joint fundraising committee, Crystal PAC, took in $7,000.Quade used her modest campaign budget to start television advertising last week, spending about $165,000 so far. Kehoe has reserved time for later in the month, spending about $835,000.In a news release, Quade said she was pleased with the fundraising result.“I’m so grateful for the overwhelming support from everyday Missourians for this campaign,” she said. “Voters are sick of bought-and-paid for politicians who make life easier for their corporate donors and well-connected political insiders.”Candidates for the other four statewide offices on the November ballot have combined to spend less than $400,000 since the primary.Four years ago, Gov. Mike Parson’s re-election campaign raised $1 million during September and his joint fundraising committee raised $2.6 million. His Democratic opponent, then-state auditor Nicole Galloway, raised $1.5 million in September 2020.And in 2016, the last time no incumbent ran for governor, Democrat Chris Koster raised $3.5 million in September, while Republican nominee Eric Greitens took in $4.2 million.In comparison, spending for and against ballot measures on this year’s ballot totals $25.3 million since May, when signatures were turned in. And in the Senate race, Democrat Lucas Kunce has spent $6 million on television ads since the end of July, with Republican incumbent Josh Hawley spending $3.9 million.Campaign reports for the period ending Sept. 30 were due Tuesday. State candidates report to the Missouri Ethics Commission, while candidates for Congress and the U.S. Senate report to the Federal Election Commission. There will be one more round of reports before the election on Nov. 5.In the U.S. Senate race, Kunce has outraised Hawley throughout the year and that trend continued in the third quarter of the year. Kunce reported raising $7.6 million between mid-July and the end of September, while Hawley reported raising $3 million in the same period.In other statewide races:<ul>
 <li>Republican candidate for lieutenant governor David Wasinger raised almost $161,000 and used $125,000 of it to start paying himself back the $2.6 million he loaned his campaign for the primary. State Rep. Richard Brown of Kansas City, the Democratic nominee, had not reported Tuesday night.</li><li>Democratic nominee for attorney general Elad Gross raised more for his campaign committee, $185,000, than incumbent Republican Andrew Bailey, who took in $165,000. But Bailey’s joint fundraising committee, Liberty and Justice PAC, raised $600,000 as well. Gross does not have a separate PAC.</li><li>State Rep. Barbara Phifer, a St. Louis Democrat, outraised state Sen. Denny Hoskins, the GOP nominee, in their race for secretary of state. Phifer took in almost $102,000, while Hoskins raised $37,000 for his campaign and $33,000 for his joint fundraising committee.</li><li>State Treasurer Vivek Malek raised $34,075 and his PAC raised $4,350 more, while Democratic opponent Mark Osmack raised $11,501.</li>
 </ul><h2>Ballot measures</h2>There are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/petitions/2024BallotMeasures" target="_blank">six statewide ballot measures</a>&nbsp;before voters this year, five constitutional amendments and a statutory change increasing the minimum wage. Total spending on all ballot measures through Sept. 30, according to the reports filed Tuesday, is $40.8 million.&nbsp;The two biggest spenders are the committee backing Amendment 2 to legalize sports wagering and the committee backing Amendment 3 to restore the right to abortion and protect other reproductive health services.Winning for Missouri Education, backing Amendment 2, reported raising $21.6 million, with $10 million more in large donations since the start of the month. Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, backing Amendment 3, took in $21.8 through Sept. 30 and $3.8 million in large donations since.All the money for Winning for Missouri Education comes from two donors — Draft Kings and FanDuel. While most of the funding for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom — $18 million — comes in donations of $100,000 or more from liberal groups that don’t disclose their donors, the 1,654-page report delivered Tuesday includes thousands of donations from Missourians who gave between $20 and $500.The best-funded opposition to a ballot measure is fighting Amendment 2. Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment raised $4.2 million by mid-September and has reported $10 million in donations from Caesars Entertainment since.Groups opposing the abortion amendment are not able to match the spending in its favor. Vote No on 3 raised $456,000 by the end of September and has collected $455,000 in large donations since.The filings Tuesday show there was a change in the name on a campaign donation opposing Amendment 3 that The Independent&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/11/missouri-abortion-amendment-opposition-hunt-chiefs/">tied to the family that owns the Kansas CIty Chiefs</a>.&nbsp;A group called Leadership For America purchased a small amount of radio air time opposing Amendment 3 and donated $100,000 to Vote No on 3 after accepting a $300,000 donation from a company called Unity Hunt.Unity Hunt owns the business properties of the late Lamar Hunt, who founded the Chiefs. In the Tuesday filing, the donation was reattributed to Lamar Hunt Jr.The other ballot measure campaigns, and their funding, are:<ul>
 <li>YesOn5, which is backing Amendment 5 to allow a new casino at the Lake of the Ozarks, is funded by Bally’s Corp. and RIS, a lake-area developer, who have provided $9.4 million so far.</li><li>Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages, supporting Proposition A to raise the minimum wage and require employers to provide paid sick leave, reported raising $4.4 million for the campaign through September. The campaign has received another $1.25 million in large donations this month.</li><li>The Committee to Ensure a Future for Sheriffs &amp; Prosecutors is backing Amendment 6, to impose fees on criminal court cases to fund retirement benefits for sheriffs and prosecutors. The committee reported raising $110,425 through Sept. 30, with another $80,000 since. Those donations are $30,000 from the sheriff’s retirement fund and $50,000 from the prosecutor’s retirement fund, donations that have&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/09/missouri-sheriffs-pension-donates-30k-to-ballot-campaign-sparking-concerns/">raised questions</a>&nbsp;among lawmakers.</li>
 </ul>The only ballot measure without a committee dedicated to its passage or defeat is Amendment 7, which would ban ranked-choice voting and restate the current constitutional ban on voting by non-citizens.