ELLIS COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating a shooting that occurred early Sunday morning in Hays, Kansas, resulting in the death of an officer with the Hays Police Department.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, just before midnight, Hays Police Department (HPD) received a 911 call indicating a woman had escaped a domestic violence incident at a residence in the 2000 block of E. 21st Street in Hays, according to a media release from the KBI.

 The woman reported that while she attempted to flee, her significant other, identified as Zane Wickham, 34, of Hays, drove his truck into her vehicle. She ran to a nearby home to call for help.

Preliminary information indicates that Sept. 28, at approximately 1:55 a.m., officers from HPD and a trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) were setting up a perimeter near the backyard of Wickham’s residence in the 2200 block of Downing Street. A single shot was fired from inside the house, and the round struck a Hays Police officer.

Officers immediately performed life-saving measures. The officer was then transported via air to a regional hospital. Despite efforts, he died from his injuries, just after 4 a.m.

The HPD Special Situation Response Team, the KHP Special Response Team, and the KBI High Risk Warrant Team responded to the residence where Wickham had barricaded. The teams negotiated with the suspect. Gas munitions, projectiles intended to break windows, and a surveillance drone were deployed into the residence during the standoff. No law enforcement officers fired their duty weapons throughout the incident.

At approximately, 6:15 a.m., tactical teams entered the house and found Wickham deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

When this investigation concludes, case findings will be presented to the Ellis County Attorney. The investigation is ongoing.

ELLIS COUNTY — A police officer was killed responding to a domestic violence call Saturday night in Hays.

Just before 11 p.m. Saturday, police responded a report of a domestic violence situation in the 2200 block of Downing Avenue, according to a media release from Hays Police. When the responding officer arrived, the suspect fired shots at the officer.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer was transported to a hospital and pronounced deceased.

Hays Police said there are no additional suspects being sought in connection with the incident.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759083305785.jpeg" alt="Officers at the corner of 22nd and Downing near the shooting incident on Sunday morning. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Officers at the corner of 22nd and Downing near the shooting incident on Sunday morning. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLIS COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating a shooting that occurred early Sunday morning in Hays, Kansas, resulting in the death of an officer with the Hays Police Department.On Saturday, Sept. 27, just before midnight, Hays Police Department (HPD) received a 911 call indicating a woman had escaped a domestic violence incident at a residence in the 2000 block of E. 21st Street in Hays, according to a media release from the KBI. The woman reported that while she attempted to flee, her significant other, identified as Zane Wickham, 34, of Hays, drove his truck into her vehicle. She ran to a nearby home to call for help.Preliminary information indicates that Sept. 28, at approximately 1:55 a.m., officers from HPD and a trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) were setting up a perimeter near the backyard of Wickham’s residence in the 2200 block of Downing Street. A single shot was fired from inside the house, and the round struck a Hays Police officer.Officers immediately performed life-saving measures. The officer was then transported via air to a regional hospital. Despite efforts, he died from his injuries, just after 4 a.m.The HPD Special Situation Response Team, the KHP Special Response Team, and the KBI High Risk Warrant Team responded to the residence where Wickham had barricaded. The teams negotiated with the suspect. Gas munitions, projectiles intended to break windows, and a surveillance drone were deployed into the residence during the standoff. No law enforcement officers fired their duty weapons throughout the incident.At approximately, 6:15 a.m., tactical teams entered the house and found Wickham deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.When this investigation concludes, case findings will be presented to the Ellis County Attorney. The investigation is ongoing.----------------ELLIS COUNTY — A police officer was killed responding to a domestic violence call Saturday night in Hays.Just before 11 p.m. Saturday, police responded a report of a domestic violence situation in the 2200 block of Downing Avenue, according to a media release from Hays Police. When the responding officer arrived, the suspect fired shots at the officer.The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer was transported to a hospital and pronounced deceased.Hays Police said there are no additional suspects being sought in connection with the incident.The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.

Kan. police officer killed, suspect dead at scene of domestic incident

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/joshua-haiar/">Joshua Haiar</a> <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/09/26/medals-awarded-for-wounded-knee-massacre-wont-be-rescinded-hegseth-announces/" target="_blank">South Dakota Searchlight</a>

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that Medals of Honor awarded to U.S. soldiers for their role in the Wounded Knee Massacre will not be rescinded.

The massacre occurred on Dec. 29, 1890. Lakota people were camped near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwestern South Dakota, where they were surrounded by hundreds of Army soldiers. A shot rang out while the soldiers tried to disarm the camp, and chaotic shooting ensued.

Fewer than 40 soldiers were killed (some by friendly fire, according to historians), while estimates of Lakota deaths ran from 200 to 300 or more, depending on the source. After some of the bodies froze on the ground for several days, a military-led burial party placed them in a mass grave.

Hegseth used the word “battle” to describe the massacre.

“Under my direction, we’re making it clear, without hesitation, that the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890 will keep their medals,” Hegseth said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1971342502650429458" target="_blank">video posted to social media</a>. “And we’re making it clear that they deserve those medals. This decision is now final, and their place in our nation’s history is no longer up for debate.”

Hegseth’s predecessor during the Biden administration, Lloyd Austin, created&nbsp;<a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/07/24/defense-secretary-orders-review-of-wounded-knee-massacre-medals/" target="_blank">a panel</a>&nbsp;last year to review the medals. At the time, the Defense Department said “approximately 20” soldiers had received a Medal of Honor for participating in the massacre. Historians have noted that the records associated with some of the medals are incomplete or unclear.

There was no public report from the panel and no public action on the matter by the Biden administration before Biden left office. Hegseth held up a report in his social media video that he said was generated by that panel in October, but the Defense Department has not published it. A request from South Dakota Searchlight for the report is pending with the department.

“Upon deliberation, that panel concluded that these brave soldiers should, in fact, rightfully keep their medals from actions in 1890,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth alleged the prior administration was too concerned with being “politically correct” to share a final decision.&nbsp;

Oliver “OJ” Semans, a Rosebud Sioux tribal member who advocates for the revocation of the medals, said he wasn’t surprised by Hegseth’s statements. Semans said he felt the review panel’s makeup was skewed toward protecting the military’s image.

“I think it’s a shame that Secretary Hegseth was misled by his predecessor’s report,” Semans said.

Past efforts to rescind the medals through congressional action have failed. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, introduced another bill to do so&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1915" target="_blank">this year</a>.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, was at a public event Friday in Rapid City, about 90 miles from Wounded Knee. Thune said the decision was Hegseth’s to make and that the decision was supported by an “independent review.”

South Dakota Searchlight asked Thune if he agreed with Hegseth’s use of the word “battle” and Hegseth’s statement that the soldiers “deserve those medals.”

“Whenever you’re talking about those types of events in our nation’s history, you need to do it in a respectful way,” Thune said. “I didn’t watch what he said, but like I said, I think the decision that he issued is the one that everybody will end up having to adhere to.”

South Dakota Searchlight’s Seth Tupper contributed to this report.

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/09/26/medals-awarded-for-wounded-knee-massacre-wont-be-rescinded-hegseth-announces/" target="_blank">South Dakota Searchlight</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Missouri Independent, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759066705724.png" alt="Plastic flowers and American flags are placed atop graves at the Wounded Knee Memorial and cemetery on June 30, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)" />
 <figcaption>Plastic flowers and American flags are placed atop graves at the Wounded Knee Memorial and cemetery on June 30, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/joshua-haiar/">Joshua Haiar</a> <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/09/26/medals-awarded-for-wounded-knee-massacre-wont-be-rescinded-hegseth-announces/" target="_blank">South Dakota Searchlight</a>U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that Medals of Honor awarded to U.S. soldiers for their role in the Wounded Knee Massacre will not be rescinded.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Under my direction, the soldiers who fought at the Battle of Wounded Knee will keep their medals. This decision is final. Their place in history is settled. <a href="https://t.co/klQlB6MZ6l">pic.twitter.com/klQlB6MZ6l</a>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1971342502650429458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The massacre occurred on Dec. 29, 1890. Lakota people were camped near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwestern South Dakota, where they were surrounded by hundreds of Army soldiers. A shot rang out while the soldiers tried to disarm the camp, and chaotic shooting ensued.Fewer than 40 soldiers were killed (some by friendly fire, according to historians), while estimates of Lakota deaths ran from 200 to 300 or more, depending on the source. After some of the bodies froze on the ground for several days, a military-led burial party placed them in a mass grave.Hegseth used the word “battle” to describe the massacre.“Under my direction, we’re making it clear, without hesitation, that the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890 will keep their medals,” Hegseth said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1971342502650429458" target="_blank">video posted to social media</a>. “And we’re making it clear that they deserve those medals. This decision is now final, and their place in our nation’s history is no longer up for debate.”Hegseth’s predecessor during the Biden administration, Lloyd Austin, created&nbsp;<a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/07/24/defense-secretary-orders-review-of-wounded-knee-massacre-medals/" target="_blank">a panel</a>&nbsp;last year to review the medals. At the time, the Defense Department said “approximately 20” soldiers had received a Medal of Honor for participating in the massacre. Historians have noted that the records associated with some of the medals are incomplete or unclear.There was no public report from the panel and no public action on the matter by the Biden administration before Biden left office. Hegseth held up a report in his social media video that he said was generated by that panel in October, but the Defense Department has not published it. A request from South Dakota Searchlight for the report is pending with the department.“Upon deliberation, that panel concluded that these brave soldiers should, in fact, rightfully keep their medals from actions in 1890,” Hegseth said.Hegseth alleged the prior administration was too concerned with being “politically correct” to share a final decision.&nbsp;Oliver “OJ” Semans, a Rosebud Sioux tribal member who advocates for the revocation of the medals, said he wasn’t surprised by Hegseth’s statements. Semans said he felt the review panel’s makeup was skewed toward protecting the military’s image.“I think it’s a shame that Secretary Hegseth was misled by his predecessor’s report,” Semans said.Past efforts to rescind the medals through congressional action have failed. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, introduced another bill to do so&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1915" target="_blank">this year</a>.U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, was at a public event Friday in Rapid City, about 90 miles from Wounded Knee. Thune said the decision was Hegseth’s to make and that the decision was supported by an “independent review.”South Dakota Searchlight asked Thune if he agreed with Hegseth’s use of the word “battle” and Hegseth’s statement that the soldiers “deserve those medals.”“Whenever you’re talking about those types of events in our nation’s history, you need to do it in a respectful way,” Thune said. “I didn’t watch what he said, but like I said, I think the decision that he issued is the one that everybody will end up having to adhere to.”South Dakota Searchlight’s Seth Tupper contributed to this report.This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/09/26/medals-awarded-for-wounded-knee-massacre-wont-be-rescinded-hegseth-announces/" target="_blank">South Dakota Searchlight</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Missouri Independent, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

🎥Medals awarded for Wounded Knee Massacre won’t be rescinded

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — Congress’ failure to pass a short-term government funding bill before midnight Tuesday will lead to the first shutdown in nearly seven years and give President Donald Trump broad authority to determine what federal operations keep running — which will have a huge impact on the government, its employees, states and Americans.&nbsp;

A funding lapse this year would have a considerably wider effect than the 35-day one that took place during Trump’s first term and could last longer, given heightened political tensions.&nbsp;

The last shutdown didn’t affect the departments of Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Labor and Veterans Affairs, since Congress had approved those agencies’ full-year funding bills.

Lawmakers had also enacted the Legislative Branch appropriations bill, exempting Capitol Hill from any repercussions.&nbsp;

That isn’t the case this time around since none of the dozen government spending bills have become law. That means nearly every corner of the federal government will feel the pain in some way&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/chance-government-shutdown-rises-us-senate-fails-advance-spending-bill" target="_blank">if a compromise isn’t reached</a>&nbsp;by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.&nbsp;

States Newsroom’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/category/dc-bureau" target="_blank">Washington, D.C. Bureau</a>&nbsp;offers you a quick guide to what could happen if Republicans and Democrats don’t broker an agreement in time.

How does the White House budget office determine what government operations are essential during a shutdown?

Generally, federal programs that include the preservation of life or property as well as those addressing national security continue during a shutdown, while all other activities are supposed to cease until a funding bill becomes law.&nbsp;

But the president holds expansive power to determine what activities within the executive branch are essential and which aren’t, making the effects of a shutdown hard to pinpoint unless the Trump administration shares that information publicly.&nbsp;

Presidential administrations have&nbsp;<a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/information-for-agencies/agency-contingency-plans/" target="_blank">traditionally posted</a>&nbsp;contingency plans on the White House budget office’s website, detailing how each agency would shut down — explaining which employees are exempt and need to keep working, and which are furloughed.&nbsp;

That appears to have changed this year. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-resources/guidance/agency-contingency-plans/" target="_blank">web page</a>&nbsp;that would normally host dozens of contingency plans remained blank until late September, when the White House budget office posted that a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/a11.pdf" target="_blank">940-page document</a>&nbsp;released in August calls for the plans to be “hosted solely on each agency’s website.”

Only a few departments had plans from this year posted on their websites as of Friday afternoon.

The White House budget office expects agencies to develop Reduction in Force plans as part of their shutdown preparation, signaling a prolonged funding lapse will include mass firings and layoffs.

While the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-threatens-mass-firings-federal-employees-government-shutdown" target="_blank">two-page memo</a>&nbsp;doesn’t detail which agencies would be most affected, it says layoffs will apply to programs, projects, or activities that are “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”

Trump will be paid during a shutdown since&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/section-1/" target="_blank">Article II, Section 1, Clause 7</a>&nbsp;of the Constitution prevents the president’s salary from being increased or decreased during the current term.

No one else in the executive branch — including Cabinet secretaries, more than 2 million civilian employees and over 1 million active duty military personnel — will receive their paycheck until after the shutdown ends.&nbsp;

Are federal courts exempt from a shutdown since they’re a separate branch of government?

The Supreme Court will continue to conduct normal operations in the event of a shutdown, according to its Public Information Office.&nbsp;

The office said the court “will rely on permanent funds not subject to annual approval, as it has in the past, to maintain operations through the duration of short-term lapses of annual appropriations,” in a statement shared with States Newsroom.&nbsp;

As for any impact on lower federal courts, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said the federal judiciary was still assessing the fiscal 2026 outlook and had no comment.&nbsp;

The office serves as the central support arm of the federal judiciary.&nbsp;

During the last&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/judiciary-news/2018/12/22/judiciary-operating-during-shutdown" target="_blank">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;from late 2018 into early 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/judiciary-news/2019/01/07/judiciary-operating-limited-funds-during-shutdown" target="_blank">federal courts</a>&nbsp;remained open using court fee balances and “no-year” funds, which are available for an indefinite period.&nbsp;

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has said that if those funds run out, they would operate under the terms of the Anti-Deficiency Act, which “allows work to continue during a lapse in appropriations if it is necessary to support the exercise of Article III judicial powers.”&nbsp;

Supreme Court justices and appointed federal judges continue to get paid during a government shutdown, as&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/" target="_blank">Article III</a>&nbsp;of the Constitution says the judges’ compensation “shall not be diminished” during their term.

What happens to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid?

The three programs exist largely outside of the annual appropriations process, since lawmakers categorized them as “mandatory spending.”&nbsp;

This means Social Security checks as well as reimbursements to health care providers for Medicare and Medicaid services should continue as normal.

One possible hitch is the salaries for people who run those programs are covered by annual appropriations bills, so there could be some staffing problems for the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, depending on their contingency plans.&nbsp;

The first Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201026053427/https://www.ssa.gov/agency/shutdown/materials/contingency-plan-09-23-20.pdf" target="_blank">shutdown guidance</a>&nbsp;for the Social Security Administration showed 54,000 of 63,000 employees at that agency would have kept working. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy-2021-cms-contingency-staffing-plan/index.html" target="_blank">CMS plan</a>&nbsp;from 2020 shows that it intended to keep about 50% of its employees working in the event of a shutdown. Neither had a current plan as of Friday.

Will the Department of Veterans Affairs be able to keep providing health care and benefits?

Veterans can expect health care to continue uninterrupted at VA medical centers and outpatient clinics in the event of a shutdown. Vets would also continue to receive benefits, including compensation, pension, education and housing, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs&nbsp;<a href="https://department.va.gov/contingency-planning/" target="_blank">contingency planning</a>&nbsp;for a funding lapse that is currently published on the department’s website. It’s unclear if the plan will be the one the Trump administration puts into action.

But a shutdown would affect other VA services. For example, the GI Bill hotline would close, and all in-person and virtual career counseling and transition assistance services would be unavailable.

Additionally, all regional VA benefits offices would shutter until Congress agreed to fund the government. The closures would include the Manila Regional Office in the Philippines that serves veterans in the Pacific region.

All department public outreach to veterans would also cease.

Will Hubbard, spokesperson for Veterans Education Success, said his advocacy organization is bracing for increased phone calls and emails from veterans who would normally call the GI Bill hotline.

“Questions are going to come up, veterans are going to be looking for answers, and they’re not going to be able to call like they would be able to normally, that’s going to be a big problem,” Hubbard said.

“Most of the benefits that people are going to be most concerned about will not be affected, but the ones that do get affected, for the people that that hits, I mean, it’s going to matter a lot to them. It’s going to change the direction of their planning, and potentially the direction of their life,” Hubbard said.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Office of Management and Budget did not respond to a request for current VA shutdown guidance.

What happens to immigration enforcement and immigration courts?&nbsp;

As the Trump administration continues with its aggressive immigration tactics in cities with high immigrant populations, that enforcement is likely to continue during a government shutdown, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/2025_0303_dhs_procedures_related_to_a_lapse_in_appropriations.pdf" target="_blank">March guidance</a>&nbsp;for operating in a government shutdown.

Immigration-related fees will continue, such as for processing visas and applications from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.&nbsp;

And DHS expects nearly all of its U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees to be exempt — 17,500 out of 20,500 — and continue working without pay amid a government shutdown.&nbsp;

That means that ICE officers will continue to arrest, detain and remove from the country immigrants without legal status. DHS is currently concentrating immigration enforcement efforts in Chicago, known as “Operation Midway Blitz.”

Other employees within DHS, such as those in Transportation Security Administration, will also be retained during a government shutdown. There are about 58,000 TSA employees that would be exempt and continue to work without pay in airports across the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;

DHS did not respond to States Newsroom’s request for a contingency plan if there is a government shutdown.

Separately, a shutdown would also burden the overwhelmed immigration court system that is housed within the Department of Justice. It would lead to canceling or rescheduling court cases, when there is already a backlog of 3.4 million cases.

The only exceptions are immigration courts that are located within Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, detention centers, but most cases would need to be rescheduled. The partial government shutdown that began in December 2018 caused nearly 43,000 court cases to be canceled,&nbsp;<a href="https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/543/" target="_blank">according to a report</a>&nbsp;by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, or TRAC.

And 28 states have an immigration court, requiring some immigrants to travel hundreds, or thousands, of miles for their appointment.&nbsp;

States that do not have an immigration court include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Will people be able to visit national parks or use public lands during a shutdown?&nbsp;

Probably, but that may be bad for parks’ long-term health.

During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the first Trump administration kept parks open, with skeleton staffs across the country struggling to maintain National Park Service facilities.

Theresa Pierno, the president and CEO of the advocacy group National Parks Conservation Association, said in a Sept. 23 statement the last shutdown devastated areas of some parks.

“Americans watched helplessly as Joshua Trees were cut down, park buildings were vandalized, prehistoric petroglyphs were defaced, trash overflowed leading to wildlife impacts, and human waste piled up,” she wrote. “Visitor safety and irreplaceable natural and cultural resources were put at serious risk. We cannot allow this to happen again.”

The National Park Service’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doi.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-03/doi-nps-contingency-plan-2024.pdf" target="_blank">latest contingency plan</a>&nbsp;was published in March 2024, during President Joe Biden’s administration. It calls for at least some closures during a shutdown, though the document says the response will differ from park to park.&nbsp;

Restricting access to parks is difficult due to their physical characteristics, the document said, adding that staffing would generally be maintained at a minimum to allow visitors. However, some areas that are regularly closed could be locked up for the duration of a shutdown.

But that contingency plan is likely to change before Tuesday, spokespeople for the Park Service and the Interior Department, which oversees NPS, said Sept. 25.

“The lapse in funding plans on our website are from 2024,” an email from the NPS office of public affairs said. “They are currently being reviewed and updated.”

Hunters and others seeking to use public lands maintained by Interior’s Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will likely be able to continue to do so, though they may have to make alternative plans if they’d planned to use facilities such as campgrounds.&nbsp;

Land Tawney, the co-chair of the advocacy group American Hunters and Anglers, said campgrounds, toilets and facilities that require staffing would be inaccessible, but most public lands would remain available.

“Those lands are kind of open and they’re just unmanned, I would say, and that’s not really gonna change much,” he said. “If you’re staying in a campground, you’ve got to figure something else out.”

As with national parks, access to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges and other hunting and fishing sites will differ from site to site, Tawney said. The Fish and Wildlife Service doesn’t require permits for hunting on its lands, but access to some refuges is determined by a staff-run lottery drawing. If those drawings can’t be held, access to those sites will be limited, Tawney said.

What happens to the Internal Revenue Service?

How the Internal Revenue Service would operate during a government shutdown remains unclear.&nbsp;

When Congress teetered on letting funding run out in March, the nation’s revenue collection agency released a contingency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26126431-irs-fy25lapseplan/" target="_blank">plan</a>&nbsp;to continue full operations during the height of tax filing season.&nbsp;

The IRS planned to use funds allocated in the 2022 budget reconciliation law to keep its roughly 95,000 employees processing returns and refunds, answering the phones, and pursuing audits.&nbsp;

Ultimately Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-stopgap-spending-bill-law-following-us-senate-passage" target="_blank">agreed</a>&nbsp;on a stopgap funding bill to avoid a March shutdown, but much has changed since then.

The new tax and spending&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fourth-july-trump-signs-his-big-beautiful-bill-law" target="_blank">law</a>, signed by Trump on July 4 and often referred to as the “one big beautiful bill,” made major changes to the U.S. tax code.&nbsp;

Additionally, the agency, which processes roughly 180 million income tax returns per year, has lost about a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/JRC26_FullReport.pdf" target="_blank">quarter</a>&nbsp;of its workforce since January. Top leadership has also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/billy-long-ousted-trump-irs-chief-after-less-2-months-office" target="_blank">turned over</a>&nbsp;six times in 2025.

Rachel Snyderman, of the Bipartisan Policy Center, said workforce reductions combined with a string of leadership changes could factor into how the agency would operate during a funding lapse.

“It’s really difficult to understand both what the status of the agency would be if the government were to shut down in less than a week, and also the impacts that a prolonged shutdown could have on taxpayer services and taxpayers at large,” said Snyderman, the think tank’s managing director of economic policy.

Do federal employees get back pay after a shutdown ends?

According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/furlough-guidance/guidance-for-shutdown-furloughs.pdf" target="_blank">Office of Personnel Management</a>&nbsp;— the executive branch’s chief human resources agency — “after the lapse in appropriations has ended, employees who were furloughed as the result of the lapse will receive retroactive pay for those furlough periods.”&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/24/text/statute?statuteId=45971" target="_blank">Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019</a>&nbsp;requires furloughed government employees to receive back pay as a result of a government shutdown.&nbsp;

That law does not apply to federal contractors, who face uncertainty in getting paid during a shutdown.&nbsp;

What role does Congress have during a shutdown?

The House and Senate must approve a stopgap spending bill or all dozen full-year appropriations bills to end a shutdown, a feat that requires the support of at least some Democrats to get past the upper chamber’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.&nbsp;

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., control their respective chambers’ calendars as well as the floor schedule, so they could keep holding votes on the stopgap bill&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/chance-government-shutdown-rises-us-senate-fails-advance-spending-bill" target="_blank">Democrats have already rejected</a>&nbsp;or try to pass individual bills to alleviate the impacts on certain agencies.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Neither Johnson nor Thune has yet to suggest bipartisan negotiations with Democratic leaders about funding the government. And while they are open to discussions about extending the enhanced tax credits for people who buy their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, they don’t want that decision connected to the funding debate.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Democratic leaders have said repeatedly that Republicans shouldn’t expect them to vote for legislation they had no say in drafting, especially with a health care cliff for millions of Americans coming at the end of the year.&nbsp;

Members of Congress will receive their paychecks regardless of how long a shutdown lasts, but the people who work for them would only receive their salaries after it ends.&nbsp;

Lawmakers must be paid under language in&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-6/" target="_blank">Article I, Section 6, Clause 1</a>&nbsp;of the Constitution as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-27/" target="_blank">27th Amendment</a>, which bars members of Congress from changing their salaries during the current session.&nbsp;

Lawmakers have discretion to decide which of their staff members continue working during a shutdown and which are furloughed.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Capitol Police, which is tasked with protecting members amid a sharp rise in political violence, said a shutdown “would not affect the security of the Capitol Complex.”&nbsp;

“Our officers, and the professional staff who perform or support emergency functions, would still report to work,” the spokesperson said. “Employees who are not required for emergency functions would be furloughed until funding is available.”

Federal government shutdown is nearing: A guide for what to expect

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

TOPEKA — Kansas hospital leaders sent&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Enhanced-Premium-Tax-Credit-Letter-to-Kansas-Congressional-Delegation.pdf">a letter</a>&nbsp;to the state’s congressional delegation urging members to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/24/kansas-governor-says-health-care-cuts-will-have-disastrous-effects-if-congress-cant-reach-deal/">extend premium tax credits</a>&nbsp;for those who receive health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.

Republicans in Congress, including the state’s two senators and three of the four House members, stripped the tax credits from low-income families as part of a tax and spending bill earlier this year. As the federal government approaches a possible shutdown next week, Democrats are refusing to support a short-term spending plan unless Republicans make the tax credits permanent.

Health care providers say the loss of tax credits will especially hurt families and hospitals in rural parts of the state.

“The reality is that for a rural hospital like ours, every dollar counts,” said Preston Sayers, CEO of Kingman Healthcare Center. “A failure to extend the tax credits will cause Kansans to lose their coverage, and they often won’t qualify for Medicaid. This will lead to a surge in uncompensated care and make it even more difficult to keep our doors open and provide the care our communities depend on.”

More than 160,000 Kansans benefit from the tax credits that are expected to expire. They can expect to see a 77% increase in premiums.

That means a hike of $2,500 per year for a family earning $64,000 per year, or $18,000 for a 60-year-old couple making $82,800 per year, according to a news release from Ascension Via Christi, which operates hospitals in Wichita.

“As health care providers on the front lines of patient care, we know firsthand the devastating impact that a loss of affordable coverage would have on our communities,” said Kevin Strecker, CEO of Ascension Via Christi. “This is a direct threat to the financial well-being of Kansas families and the stability of our health care system, particularly our rural hospitals, which serve as a lifeline for their communities.”

In the letter sent Thursday to all six members of the state’s congressional delegation, the hospital leaders said as Kansans lose coverage, hospitals will face rising costs from uncompensated care. The letter was sent to Republican Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids, and Republican Reps. Derek Schmidt, Ron Estes and Tracey Mann.

It was signed by leaders of Ascension Via Christi, Caldwell Regional Medical Center, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Greenwood County Hospital, Hillsboro Community Hospital, Kingman Healthcare Center, NMC Health in Newton, Patterson Health Center in Anthony, Salina Regional Health Center and Wesley Healthcare.

“Allowing the premium tax cuts to expire will directly affect our ability as a rural health care provider to care for the community where we live, work and serve,” said Vallerie Gleason, President and CEO of NMC Health. “I urge our Kansas congressional delegation, who care deeply about rural Kansas and rural hospitals, to support extensions of the premium tax cuts.”

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>rTOPEKA — Kansas hospital leaders sent&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Enhanced-Premium-Tax-Credit-Letter-to-Kansas-Congressional-Delegation.pdf">a letter</a>&nbsp;to the state’s congressional delegation urging members to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/24/kansas-governor-says-health-care-cuts-will-have-disastrous-effects-if-congress-cant-reach-deal/">extend premium tax credits</a>&nbsp;for those who receive health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.Republicans in Congress, including the state’s two senators and three of the four House members, stripped the tax credits from low-income families as part of a tax and spending bill earlier this year. As the federal government approaches a possible shutdown next week, Democrats are refusing to support a short-term spending plan unless Republicans make the tax credits permanent.Health care providers say the loss of tax credits will especially hurt families and hospitals in rural parts of the state.“The reality is that for a rural hospital like ours, every dollar counts,” said Preston Sayers, CEO of Kingman Healthcare Center. “A failure to extend the tax credits will cause Kansans to lose their coverage, and they often won’t qualify for Medicaid. This will lead to a surge in uncompensated care and make it even more difficult to keep our doors open and provide the care our communities depend on.”More than 160,000 Kansans benefit from the tax credits that are expected to expire. They can expect to see a 77% increase in premiums.That means a hike of $2,500 per year for a family earning $64,000 per year, or $18,000 for a 60-year-old couple making $82,800 per year, according to a news release from Ascension Via Christi, which operates hospitals in Wichita.“As health care providers on the front lines of patient care, we know firsthand the devastating impact that a loss of affordable coverage would have on our communities,” said Kevin Strecker, CEO of Ascension Via Christi. “This is a direct threat to the financial well-being of Kansas families and the stability of our health care system, particularly our rural hospitals, which serve as a lifeline for their communities.”In the letter sent Thursday to all six members of the state’s congressional delegation, the hospital leaders said as Kansans lose coverage, hospitals will face rising costs from uncompensated care. The letter was sent to Republican Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids, and Republican Reps. Derek Schmidt, Ron Estes and Tracey Mann.It was signed by leaders of Ascension Via Christi, Caldwell Regional Medical Center, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Greenwood County Hospital, Hillsboro Community Hospital, Kingman Healthcare Center, NMC Health in Newton, Patterson Health Center in Anthony, Salina Regional Health Center and Wesley Healthcare.“Allowing the premium tax cuts to expire will directly affect our ability as a rural health care provider to care for the community where we live, work and serve,” said Vallerie Gleason, President and CEO of NMC Health. “I urge our Kansas congressional delegation, who care deeply about rural Kansas and rural hospitals, to support extensions of the premium tax cuts.”

Kansas hospitals urge congressional delegation to restore health care tax credits

MCDONALD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Saturday in McDonald County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ram 1500 driven by a 33-year-old Bradley, Arkansas, woman was westbound on MO 75 five miles south of Stella. The driver made a left turn in the path of an eastbound 2003 Harley Davidson driven by a 54-year-old Anderson man. The pickup struck the motorcycle.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Ozark Funeral Home. The pickup driver was not injured. The motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

MCDONALD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Saturday in McDonald County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ram 1500 driven by a 33-year-old Bradley, Arkansas, woman was westbound on MO 75 five miles south of Stella. The driver made a left turn in the path of an eastbound 2003 Harley Davidson driven by a 54-year-old Anderson man. The pickup struck the motorcycle.The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Ozark Funeral Home. The pickup driver was not injured. The motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri motorcyclist dies after struck by a pickup

KANSAS CITY—Two Kansas City men have now been sentenced in federal court for bank robbery.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rathell Quavon Ross, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 77 months. Ross’s co-defendant Gerrad D. Rivera-Willis was sentenced previously on April 22, 2025, to 72 months in prison for bank robbery, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Rivera-Willis and Ross parked a vehicle near a bank in Kansas City, Mo., entered the bank and threatened its employees and demanded money.&nbsp;

 The two defendants left the bank with $2,033 and left in the same vehicle in which they arrived. Law enforcement officers were able to identify the vehicle, which had also been used in a previous bank robbery at a different bank. 

The vehicle was subsequently located at which point Ross and Rivera-Willis both fled on foot. Ross was found hiding under a tarp nearby in possession of the vehicle’s keys. Officers also tracked the path of Rivera-Willis’s flight from the vehicle with a K-9 and recovered the stolen $2,033 in currency from under a cinder block near where Rivera-Willis was arrested. 

Rivera-Willis admitted to taking part in the previous bank robbery and was ordered to pay $8,542 in restitution.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759017083106.png" alt="Ross photo from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte County" />
 <figcaption>Ross photo from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Two Kansas City men have now been sentenced in federal court for bank robbery.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rathell Quavon Ross, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 77 months. Ross’s co-defendant Gerrad D. Rivera-Willis was sentenced previously on April 22, 2025, to 72 months in prison for bank robbery, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Rivera-Willis and Ross parked a vehicle near a bank in Kansas City, Mo., entered the bank and threatened its employees and demanded money.&nbsp; The two defendants left the bank with $2,033 and left in the same vehicle in which they arrived. Law enforcement officers were able to identify the vehicle, which had also been used in a previous bank robbery at a different bank. The vehicle was subsequently located at which point Ross and Rivera-Willis both fled on foot. Ross was found hiding under a tarp nearby in possession of the vehicle’s keys. Officers also tracked the path of Rivera-Willis’s flight from the vehicle with a K-9 and recovered the stolen $2,033 in currency from under a cinder block near where Rivera-Willis was arrested. Rivera-Willis admitted to taking part in the previous bank robbery and was ordered to pay $8,542 in restitution.This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

Prison: Kansas City bank robbery suspect found under a tarp

MONTGMERY COUNTY—Four people injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Friday in Montgomery County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Jeep driven by Tenisha D.&nbsp;Mayberry, 38, Blue Springs, Mo., was northbound on Patterson Boulevard fleeing law enforcement. The driver failed to yield at a stop light at 8th Street in Coffeyville and struck the passenger side of eastbound Chevy Tahoe driven by Maia E, O'Connell, 17, Coffeyville.

After impact the Jeep traveled off the road and overturned. The Tahoe left the road and rolled onto its roof.

EMS transported Mayberry, a passenger in the Jeep Cortez J. Wasson, Jr. 19,&nbsp; Blue Springs, Missouri, O'Connell to Coffeyville Regional Hospital. EMS transported a passenger in the Tahoe Serafina L&nbsp; O'Connell, 15, Coffeyville, to&nbsp;St Francis Hospital in Tulsa. Wasson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp; Police did not report what prompted the chase.

MONTGMERY COUNTY—Four people injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Friday in Montgomery County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Jeep driven by Tenisha D.&nbsp;Mayberry, 38, Blue Springs, Mo., was northbound on Patterson Boulevard fleeing law enforcement. The driver failed to yield at a stop light at 8th Street in Coffeyville and struck the passenger side of eastbound Chevy Tahoe driven by Maia E, O'Connell, 17, Coffeyville.After impact the Jeep traveled off the road and overturned. The Tahoe left the road and rolled onto its roof.EMS transported Mayberry, a passenger in the Jeep Cortez J. Wasson, Jr. 19,&nbsp; Blue Springs, Missouri, O'Connell to Coffeyville Regional Hospital. EMS transported a passenger in the Tahoe Serafina L&nbsp; O'Connell, 15, Coffeyville, to&nbsp;St Francis Hospital in Tulsa. Wasson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp; Police did not report what prompted the chase.

2 from Missouri, 2 Kan. teens hospitalized after crash during chase

By:<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>

PORTLAND, Ore. — President Donald Trump said Saturday morning he will send troops to Portland, attempting an unprecedented use of U.S. military forces within the country.

In a brief post to his social media platform, Trump said he would have Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth order troops deployed to Oregon’s largest city.

Trump did not specify what legal justification he had to do so, what military branch would be used or other key details. The troops would be used to defend U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities from “domestic terrorists,” he said.&nbsp;

“At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”

A 19th-century law, the Posse Comitatus Act, generally forbids military members from conducting domestic law enforcement. Constitutional experts say the ideas was one of the nation’s founding principles.&nbsp;

A spokesperson for the U.S. National Guard said the branch had no information to share and deferred questions to the White House. White House spokespeople did not return messages.

Messages for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office were not immediately returned Saturday morning.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, a Democrat whose district includes much of Portland, blasted the announcement as “an egregious abuse of power and a betrayal of our most basic American values.”

“Authoritarians rely on fear to divide us. Portland will not give them that,” she wrote. “We will not be intimidated. We have prepared for this moment since Trump first took office, and we will meet it with every tool available to us: litigation, legislation, and the power of peaceful public pressure.”

A group of about a dozen local leaders&nbsp; — including Dexter, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat — assembled on short notice for a press conference Friday evening to discuss the potential deployment.

Merkley described it as a “don’t-take-the-bait press conference.”

“There’s a lot we don’t know,” he said. They’ve been given no details about how many troops are being sent, from what agency or branch of the government, and there’s been no coordination with the city of Portland, he said.

“Here is what I do know — the president has sent agents here to create chaos and riots in Portland, to induce a reaction, to induce protests, to induce conflicts. His goal is to make Portland look like what he’s been describing it as,” Merkley said. “Their point is to lead to an engagement. An engagement that could lead to violence.”

Wilson described the agents as already in Portland.

“They are here without clear precedent or purpose,” he said. “This is happening against the national backdrop of a federal government that may not even be open in a week’s time.”

Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said that as a sanctuary county in a sanctuary state, the county would not help enforce federal immigration laws without an order signed by a judge.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-floats-portland-oregon-next-national-guard-deployment" target="_blank">Deploying troops to Portland</a>&nbsp;would mark a dramatic escalation, even for Trump, who has tested the legal limits of domestic military use.&nbsp;

He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-sen-padilla-blasts-trump-path-toward-fascism-la-immigration-crackdown" target="_blank">sent National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles&nbsp;</a>in response to protests against aggressive immigration enforcement there, despite the Democratic governor’s objections. And he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/six-gop-states-send-more-1000-national-guard-dc-trump-crackdown" target="_blank">ordered National Guard troops to assist police in Washington, D.C.</a>

But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/vance-dispatched-la-after-trump-administration-court-victory-national-guard-case" target="_blank">the Los Angeles deployment&nbsp;</a>responded to a specific circumstance, and the president holds power to deploy the National Guard in the District of Columbia because it is a federal territory.&nbsp;

Neither is true for Portland, where there has not been any evidence of violence at protests against the administration. The state government is dominated by Democrats.&nbsp;

The city did see extended protests in the summer of 2020 after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Trump deployed federal agents then in what he said was an effort to protect the federal courthouse in downtown Portland.

Alex Baumhardt of the Oregon Capital Chronicle contributed to this report.

By:<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>PORTLAND, Ore. — President Donald Trump said Saturday morning he will send troops to Portland, attempting an unprecedented use of U.S. military forces within the country.In a brief post to his social media platform, Trump said he would have Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth order troops deployed to Oregon’s largest city.Trump did not specify what legal justification he had to do so, what military branch would be used or other key details. The troops would be used to defend U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities from “domestic terrorists,” he said.&nbsp;“At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”A 19th-century law, the Posse Comitatus Act, generally forbids military members from conducting domestic law enforcement. Constitutional experts say the ideas was one of the nation’s founding principles.&nbsp;A spokesperson for the U.S. National Guard said the branch had no information to share and deferred questions to the White House. White House spokespeople did not return messages.Messages for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office were not immediately returned Saturday morning.U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, a Democrat whose district includes much of Portland, blasted the announcement as “an egregious abuse of power and a betrayal of our most basic American values.”“Authoritarians rely on fear to divide us. Portland will not give them that,” she wrote. “We will not be intimidated. We have prepared for this moment since Trump first took office, and we will meet it with every tool available to us: litigation, legislation, and the power of peaceful public pressure.”<h2>‘Don’t take the bait’</h2>A group of about a dozen local leaders&nbsp; — including Dexter, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat — assembled on short notice for a press conference Friday evening to discuss the potential deployment.Merkley described it as a “don’t-take-the-bait press conference.”“There’s a lot we don’t know,” he said. They’ve been given no details about how many troops are being sent, from what agency or branch of the government, and there’s been no coordination with the city of Portland, he said.“Here is what I do know — the president has sent agents here to create chaos and riots in Portland, to induce a reaction, to induce protests, to induce conflicts. His goal is to make Portland look like what he’s been describing it as,” Merkley said. “Their point is to lead to an engagement. An engagement that could lead to violence.”Wilson described the agents as already in Portland.“They are here without clear precedent or purpose,” he said. “This is happening against the national backdrop of a federal government that may not even be open in a week’s time.”Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said that as a sanctuary county in a sanctuary state, the county would not help enforce federal immigration laws without an order signed by a judge.<h2>Escalation of military use</h2><a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-floats-portland-oregon-next-national-guard-deployment" target="_blank">Deploying troops to Portland</a>&nbsp;would mark a dramatic escalation, even for Trump, who has tested the legal limits of domestic military use.&nbsp;He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-sen-padilla-blasts-trump-path-toward-fascism-la-immigration-crackdown" target="_blank">sent National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles&nbsp;</a>in response to protests against aggressive immigration enforcement there, despite the Democratic governor’s objections. And he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/six-gop-states-send-more-1000-national-guard-dc-trump-crackdown" target="_blank">ordered National Guard troops to assist police in Washington, D.C.</a>But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/vance-dispatched-la-after-trump-administration-court-victory-national-guard-case" target="_blank">the Los Angeles deployment&nbsp;</a>responded to a specific circumstance, and the president holds power to deploy the National Guard in the District of Columbia because it is a federal territory.&nbsp;Neither is true for Portland, where there has not been any evidence of violence at protests against the administration. The state government is dominated by Democrats.&nbsp;The city did see extended protests in the summer of 2020 after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Trump deployed federal agents then in what he said was an effort to protect the federal courthouse in downtown Portland.Alex Baumhardt of the Oregon Capital Chronicle contributed to this report.

Trump to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, vows ‘Full Force’

A juvenile is in custody after a bomb threat temporarily shut down operations Friday morning at Hutchinson Regional Airport.

According to the Hutchinson Police Department, officers were dispatched to the airport at 8:16 a.m. on Friday, after staff reported receiving a threatening voicemail late the previous night. The caller claimed a bomb had been placed on an airplane at the airport. Investigators said the voice appeared to belong to a juvenile male.

Airport officials immediately locked down the facility and restricted both incoming and outgoing flights. Police, along with supporting agencies, conducted a comprehensive sweep of all aircraft and airport facilities. By 10:00 a.m., authorities declared the scene all clear, finding no evidence of explosives or credible threats.

Investigators were later able to identify a possible suspect, and with help from the Wichita Police Department, made contact with the juvenile and his parents in Wichita. Hutchinson officers took the suspect into custody and transported him to the Reno County Youth Shelter.

No devices were found, but police have referred charges of aggravated criminal threat to the Reno County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities emphasized that the suspect is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

9:30 a.m. Law enforcement agencies have given the all clear.&nbsp; Police did not report what prompted their response.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Multiple law enforcement agencies are responding to a threat at Hutchinson Regional Airport on Friday morning.

Officials said the airspace around the airport has been closed until noon while the situation is investigated. No further details have been released, and authorities said additional information will be provided when available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758895566375.jpeg" alt="Hutch Post Photo/Marc Jacobs" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Post Photo/Marc Jacobs</figcaption>
 </figure>MARC JACOBSHutch PostA juvenile is in custody after a bomb threat temporarily shut down operations Friday morning at Hutchinson Regional Airport.According to the Hutchinson Police Department, officers were dispatched to the airport at 8:16 a.m. on Friday, after staff reported receiving a threatening voicemail late the previous night. The caller claimed a bomb had been placed on an airplane at the airport. Investigators said the voice appeared to belong to a juvenile male.Airport officials immediately locked down the facility and restricted both incoming and outgoing flights. Police, along with supporting agencies, conducted a comprehensive sweep of all aircraft and airport facilities. By 10:00 a.m., authorities declared the scene all clear, finding no evidence of explosives or credible threats.Investigators were later able to identify a possible suspect, and with help from the Wichita Police Department, made contact with the juvenile and his parents in Wichita. Hutchinson officers took the suspect into custody and transported him to the Reno County Youth Shelter.No devices were found, but police have referred charges of aggravated criminal threat to the Reno County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities emphasized that the suspect is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.----------------9:30 a.m. Law enforcement agencies have given the all clear.&nbsp; Police did not report what prompted their response.----------HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Multiple law enforcement agencies are responding to a threat at Hutchinson Regional Airport on Friday morning.Officials said the airspace around the airport has been closed until noon while the situation is investigated. No further details have been released, and authorities said additional information will be provided when available.

Juvenile in custody following alleged bomb threat at Kan. airport

TOPEKA, KAN. —A Kansas woman was sentenced to 293 months in prison for the murder of her husband, a U.S. Army soldier, according to the United State's Attorney.

On February 14, 2025, a federal jury found Margaret E. Shafe, 31, guilty of murder in the second degree for killing her husband, Greg Shafe, in February 2024 at their home on the Fort Riley military installation. Evidence presented at trial showed that Shafe shot her husband in the face while in the presence of two minor children.&nbsp;

“Margaret Shafe deserves to go to prison. The evidence in this case showed she murdered her husband while the couple’s two young daughters were in the home,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “The Court heard brave testimony from Ms. Shafe’s own daughter who witnessed her mother shoot her stepfather in a fury.”&nbsp;

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Walton and Lindsey Debenham and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham prosecuted the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739588332020.png" alt="Shafe photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Shafe photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KAN. —A Kansas woman was sentenced to 293 months in prison for the murder of her husband, a U.S. Army soldier, according to the United State's Attorney.On February 14, 2025, a federal jury found Margaret E. Shafe, 31, guilty of murder in the second degree for killing her husband, Greg Shafe, in February 2024 at their home on the Fort Riley military installation. Evidence presented at trial showed that Shafe shot her husband in the face while in the presence of two minor children.&nbsp;“Margaret Shafe deserves to go to prison. The evidence in this case showed she murdered her husband while the couple’s two young daughters were in the home,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “The Court heard brave testimony from Ms. Shafe’s own daughter who witnessed her mother shoot her stepfather in a fury.”&nbsp;The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Walton and Lindsey Debenham and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham prosecuted the case.

Kansas woman going to prison for killing her husband on Fort Riley

GOP leadership expresses interest in reshaping districts to benefit Republicans

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

TOPEKA — Maneuvering by Republicans to convene a special legislative session in November to revise boundaries of the state’s four congressional districts prompted U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids to dust off a 2022 playbook used to oppose the GOP’s last attempt to gerrymander her out of office.

Davids was elected in 2018 by Republicans, Democrats and independents in a 3rd District dominated by voters in Wyandotte and Johnson counties. She won reelection by double digits in 2022 and 2024, despite efforts by Kansas GOP legislators to undercut Davids by adding three rural counties and removing the northern half of Wyandotte County from the 3rd District.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643147273216.png" alt="Kansas Congressional Districts -Image Kansas Secretary of State" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Congressional Districts -Image Kansas Secretary of State</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>GOP leadership expresses interest in reshaping districts to benefit Republicans</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Maneuvering by Republicans to convene a special legislative session in November to revise boundaries of the state’s four congressional districts prompted U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids to dust off a 2022 playbook used to oppose the GOP’s last attempt to gerrymander her out of office.Davids was elected in 2018 by Republicans, Democrats and independents in a 3rd District dominated by voters in Wyandotte and Johnson counties. She won reelection by double digits in 2022 and 2024, despite efforts by Kansas GOP legislators to undercut Davids by adding three rural counties and removing the northern half of Wyandotte County from the 3rd District.Davids, who is the only woman, Native American and Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation, denounced the new gerrymandering campaign under development by Kansas Republicans in the Legislature. She said advance work on a special session session to transform the state’s 3-1 partisan split into a 4-0 GOP monolith tapped into the worst political instincts and was designed to appease President Donald Trump.“Let’s be clear. Kansans deserve fair representation. Not backroom deals,” Davids said. “Republicans in Topeka know their politically motivated plan to once again silence Kansans and gerrymander the state isn’t popular, which is why they’re trying to do it in secret.”She said sprinkling Johnson County voters across multiple GOP-controlled districts would require Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins to break commitments to a congressional map keeping Johnson County united as a community of interest. In 2022, Masterson and Hawkins said it was fair to have Johnson County as the core of the Kansas City-area’s 3rd District.“They are breaking their promise to not split up Johnson County and putting their political futures and Donald Trump’s demands ahead of Kansans’ voices,” Davids said. “Voters, not politicians, should choose their representatives.”<h2>Sarnecki 100% on board</h2>Philip Sarnecki, a Johnson County businessman and Republican candidate for governor, said there should be no hesitation by the Legislature to deliver for Trump.“I met with President Trump’s political team at the White House … and discussed&nbsp;redistricting&nbsp;in&nbsp;Kansas,” Sarnecki said. “I am 100% in favor of redrawing the congressional map and adding a Republican seat in Congress.”Masterson, an Andover Republican and also a candidate for governor, told reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday that work of organizing a special session in Topeka — likely Saturday, Nov. 8 — to engage in reapportionment was a matter of “working out the details.” He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2025/09/24/kansas-senate-president-expects-november-decision-on-redistricting/86333055007/" target="_blank">told the Topeka Capital-Journal</a>&nbsp;it was “disingenuous at best” for Gov. Laura Kelly to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/23/kansas-governor-urges-gop-to-convene-public-hearings-on-u-s-house-redistricting/">demand the Legislature convene public meetings</a>&nbsp;to gather input on how congressional maps might be redrawn ahead of 2026 elections.“If our congressional delegation, particularly our Republican delegation, is united behind it, I don’t see why we wouldn’t take it up,” Masterson told Fox4 in Kansas City, Missouri.Hawkins, a Wichita lawmaker seeking the Republican nomination for state insurance commissioner, said “we’re not there” yet on formally adopting a framework for a special session on reapportionment. Hawkins, as well as Masterson, would be better positioned to earn Trump’s endorsement if they delivered on redistricting in Kansas to undermine Davids.Typically, Kansas governors would call the Legislature into special session. The House and Senate leadership could bypass tradition by gathering petition signatures from two-thirds of the Senate and House.If the Legislature were to produce a map improving odds of a Republican sweep of the four U.S. House districts, the legislation would likely be vetoed by Kelly. The Legislature would need two-thirds majorities for an override — 84 of 125 members of the House and 27 of 40 members of the Senate. The GOP leadership in both chambers could afford to lose no more than four Republican members to complete an override and implement a new map — pending an inevitable lawsuit.<h2>Reapportionment skeptics</h2>Rep. Mark Schreiber, a Republican from Emporia, said he wouldn’t be among GOP lawmakers backing a new map. He said redrawing Kansas’ congressional boundaries outside the regular 10-year cycle tied to the U.S. Census couldn’t be justified.“I’ve not heard a good reason yet to go back and redistrict. What we’re doing now is playing with the rules of the game. I just don’t see there’s wide (public) support for it,” Schreiber said.Sen. Brenda Dietrich, a Topeka Republican, said remapping could regrettably make Republican U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt more vulnerable to a challenge in the 2nd District.“I always worry about unintended consequences,” she said.She said diluting influence of moderates in Johnson County also could trigger a backlash against Republican candidates in Kansas House races in 2026.Sen. Cindy Holscher, a Johnson County Democrat campaigning for governor, said the public should contact state representatives or senators to register opposition to this unique round of congressional redistricting. She said the GOP’s strategy was about “making it easier for extremists to take control.”“This proposal aims to dilute the votes of the hundreds of thousands of Kansans. There is no reason to redistrict mid-decade except to rig the system in one party’s favor over another. That’s not democracy. That’s cheating,” she said.Kansans haven’t been clamoring for a new congressional map, said Sen. Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa. She said hypothetical maps for Kansas illustrate GOP electoral goals could be achieved by splitting the 3rd District into two or three sections.“Why redraw the map the Republicans celebrated as fair just three years ago?” Sykes said.In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article312152069.html" target="_blank">a Kansas City Star story</a>, Rep. Bill Sutton, R-Gardner, said “it’s a questionable decision to redesign the districts anytime there’s a change in president.”Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, told the Star that breaking up Johnson County to shift political power “might end up maybe giving a court challenge a little bit more chance of succeeding.”<h2>The Supreme Court</h2>Legal challenges of a Kansas congressional map could wind up in front of the Kansas Supreme Court. It would be a near repeat of a battle leading to a 4-3 decision in 2022 upholding constitutionality of the GOP’s gerrymandered congressional map, which cut Wyandotte County in half and placed Lawrence in the 1st District.Justice Caleb Stegall said in the majority opinion that lack of direction in the Kansas Constitution or Kansas law forbidding use of partisan political reasoning to shape congressional districts left the state’s highest court no alternative than approving the 2022 map.“The use of partisan factors in district line drawing is not constitutionally prohibited,” Stegall wrote. “If the redistricting process is intended to have ‘substantial political consequences’ it is no surprise that our court has consistently rejected pleas to establish a bright line prohibition on politics in the redistricting process.”He said the Legislature was free to adopt clear standards limiting partisan gerrymandering in Kansas. Such clear standards would provide the judiciary with tools to adjudicate claims of excessive partisan gerrymandering, he added.There were two minority opinions from state Supreme Court justices. One was written by Justice Eric Rosen and the second by Justice Dan Biles. Biles’ dissent was joined by Rosen and Justice Melissa Standridge.“The majority denies Kansans the very thing our founders envisioned: A people’s government that fervently guards the people’s equal benefit from and access to the law — regardless of what the narrower-in-scope center power has to say about it,” Rosen said.Biles, with Rosen and Standridge concurring, said a judicial retreat wasn’t the answer when state actions crossed constitutional boundaries.“Courts must intervene because a desire to harm politically disfavored groups is not a legitimate government interest,” Biles said.Stegall’s majority opinion in 2022 was joined by Chief Justice Marla Luckert and Justices K.J. Wall and Evelyn Wilson. It could be significant, if there were a fresh challenge to a new congressional map, that Wilson retired from the Supreme Court. On Sept. 16, she was replaced by Justice Larkin Walsh.