By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Local Republican legislators said property tax relief will be a focus as the Kansas Legislature begins its session on Monday.

Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th district, Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, Rep. Jim Minnix, R-Scott City, Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, and Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, spoke with Hays Post to give a sneak peek at key issues slated for the Kansas legislative session.

Wasinger said her top priorities include controlling spending, balancing the state budget and addressing taxes. She spoke with the Ellis County Commission and the Hays City Commission in December about potential property tax solutions.

"What we have to do is figure out a more equitable way to impose property taxes that aren't so high," she said.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0dc3bf76-bd9f-4190-a0c7-231ca8172d18">SEE RELATED STORY: Rep. Wasinger seeks Ellis County commissioners' input on property tax relief</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/31a9d9f8-0883-480f-aada-22ac084f09b9">SEE RELATED FOR CITY: Hays City Commission talks housing, business developments, marijuana sales</a>

"Valuations and property taxes are so high," Billinger said. "Our seniors especially, spent their whole life paying mortgages off, and now they're paying more on property tax than they did for a mortgage. ... It's made it very tough on our seniors."

Wasinger said all state agencies are on the table for budget cuts, with no exceptions. She noted excess staffing and unused office space in Topeka.

"We have to learn to live within our budget, and we have to learn how to cut back in a very judicious way," she said. "I think the government itself is very bloated. ... I think we have a lot of excess space, and we're not filling it, so we shouldn't be paying for it."

Rahjes said property tax relief remains the top issue, pointing to constituent frustration and ongoing disagreements between the House and Senate on how to address it.

"We need to have a conversation with the counties, the Legislature and all parties concerned, rather than just yelling at each other," Rahjes said.

Minnix said he wants to explore new revenue sources to reduce the state’s reliance on property taxes.

"I'm working on something to tax some of the additional energy here in Kansas that seems to be a very fast-growing industry to bring a little tax revenue into the state and distribute that back to the local government, cities and counties," he said.

Billinger said Kansas spent more than it collected last year, prompting the state to tap into its reserves.

"Last year, we cut about a little over $200 million, but we still spent more than we brought in. The revenues were less than what we spent," Billinger said. "We spent from our reserves, and we'll have to find ways to reduce the budget some more again this year."

Waymaster said the state has limited flexibility on property taxes but pointed to education as a possible area for adjustments.

"We did reduce the 20 mills that go to education. We could possibly look at that," he said. "There are various other proposals that some are coming up with regarding addressing property taxes for taxpayers."

Billinger said all agencies will be considered for budget cuts, while acknowledging the importance of supporting social services and education.

On education funding, Wasinger said she questions whether increased spending is effective, citing low reading and math proficiency rates despite higher funding levels.

"We have given the Department of Education millions and millions of dollars, and they said, 'You haven't paid us enough. That's why there's no student success.' But if you look at the test results of children right now, over 40% do not read or do math at grade level, and that's with a few billion more dollars," she said.

Wasinger said the department also oversees the distribution of special education funding and that a broader review is needed before any potential court involvement.

Billinger said there is little room to cut funding for K-12 education and social services. He said special education remains underfunded, and lawmakers plan to continue increasing its share of the budget.

Waymaster said education is a recurring focus each year, with K-12 funding making up about 52% of the state budget.

"It's not like we don't fund special education, we do," he said. "A lot of school districts are saying that the state is coming up short because we should be financing it at a certain level. But the federal government is also supposed to be doing that, too, which it's not."

Waymaster said higher education institutions, such as universities, are expected to submit sizable funding requests and will be part of budget discussions.

As chairman of the House Water Committee, Minnix said he plans to work on several bills, such as proposals for long-term water funding.

"There are a lot of things that we need to improve. We need to encourage conservation and better utilization of our water resources out there," he said.

Rahjes said the session will include discussions on the agricultural economy, disease prevention and right-to-farm protections.

"We want to make sure the tools that farmers have when it comes to using some chemicals are correct. In fact, we're learning about some of those right now and working on some language that allows farmers to use some of those tools that work," Rahjes said.

Minnix said agriculture is experiencing mixed conditions between cattle and crop production, and property tax relief would also benefit both.

Health care staff, rural attorney shortage

Rahjes said rural health care will be discussed. He acknowledged critical access hospitals in southwest Kansas continue to face challenges, including staffing shortages.

"The other thing we hope to complete this year is to start the process of working with our law schools to get more rural attorneys. We are desperately short," he said.

Billinger said mental health is a growing concern and expects the new 104-bed South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital in Wichita to help reduce the state’s reliance on temporary health care staff.

"At Larned and Osawatomie, we're using a lot of traveling staff, nurses and doctors. We spent over $60 million on traveling personnel," he said.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2c666ccf-6356-4a39-8f41-6d19c237f901">SEE RELATED STORY: Two Kansas hospitals spent $61.4 million on temporary staff. It was just $6 million in 2019</a>

Waymaster said recent federal health care changes are expected to affect the state’s budget, but added that Kansas received funding in December to support rural health care.

"Kansas is going to be receiving about $221 million to address rural health care across the state. That's kind of in its infancy," Waymaster said. "The timeline, according to the Department of Health and Environment, is we have to spend or allocate it by Oct. 31, 2026."

Direct election of Kansas Supreme Court justices

Voters will decide in August whether to rewrite the state Constitution to make Kansas Supreme Court justices elected and end the current merit-based selection system for filling vacancies.

Wasinger and Rahjes said they support the amendment.

"We need to have the Supreme Court justices be elected," Wasinger said. "The Supreme Court is chosen by a panel that is not in touch with Kansans or what's going on. They are making the decisions for us, and we need to be accountable for our decisions."

A nine-member nominating commission reviews applications to fill a vacancy and selects three finalists for the governor to choose from.&nbsp;

"The Supreme Court should be representative of the people," Rahjes said. "Over the last few years, if you go back and look at who has appointed these Supreme Court Justices, it's primarily been one party. There's this game being played that if you're in the right position, you hold out until you absolutely have to retire, and maybe somebody that's&nbsp;from my party is the governor."

Waymaster said he likes the idea of elections but prefers to have a federal model.

"We'll see what the Kansas voters say in the primary ballot," he said.

Minnix said he is still undecided, while Billinger said he has not yet thoroughly reviewed the issue.

Local legislators to prioritize property taxes during 2026 session

TMP-Marian v Sacred Heart Friday, Jan. 9th, 5 p.m Hays, Kan.

Radio:&nbsp;KHAZ (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> <a href="https://mix103fm.com/"></a>Video:&nbsp;Monarchs Sports Network&nbsp;<a href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/3315080">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>

The TMP-Marian Monarchs return to the court Friday night for a non-league matchup against the Sacred Heart Knights in a rivarly contest.

Tip-off for the girls' game is set for 5:00 p.m. The Hertz Rent-a-Car Pregame Show begins at 5:40 p.m. on 99.5 KZ Country.

🏀🎥 TMP host rival Sacred Heart

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman talks to&nbsp;Allen P Roth about the 80th anniversary of the local conservation district.

Forward Ever: Allen P Roth on 80th anniversary of local conservation district 

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Hays received an additional .47 inches of rain on Thursday, according to the K-State Ag Research Center.

Hays had received .38 inches of rain as of 8 a.m. Thursday for a total of .85 inches.

Hays averages .5 inches of precipitation in January.

The center reported no snowfall as of 8 a.m., although snow is in the forecast for today.

The high for Hays today is forecast for 37 degrees with a 50% chance of snow today, a 20% chance of snow before midnight, and an overnight low of 22 degrees.

Southwest Kansas is forecast to receive the most snowfall, with accumulations of up to 6 inches.

The forecast for Hays calls for sunny skies with highs in the upper 40s on Saturday and Sunday, and in the upper 50s on Monday and Tuesday.

Hays receives more needed rainfall Thursday; snow still in forecast for today

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/category/obituaries">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/corrections-about-us">Click HERE for the Hays Post obituary policy.&nbsp;</a>

How to submit an obituary to the Hays Post

Please email obituaries to haysobits@eaglemedia.com.

Please allow up to 24 hours from the submission of the obituary for it to be posted on the Hays Post.&nbsp;

If you have questions, please contact Scarlett Deutscher at 785-301-2211.&nbsp;

If you have an issue outside of business hours or your obit has not been published within 24 hours, please email <a href="mailto:hayspost@eaglemedia.com" target="_blank">hayspost@eaglemedia.com</a> or call Cristina Janney, Hays Post editor, at 785-301-2077.&nbsp;

Recent obituaries, how to submit an obituary

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced that over $10.4 million in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant funding will be awarded to 64 community-based organizations and local and state agencies.&nbsp;

“The&nbsp;services&nbsp;these 64&nbsp;organizations&nbsp;provide&nbsp;are&nbsp;essential&nbsp;to&nbsp;Kansans impacted by crime,” Kelly said.&nbsp;“This&nbsp;crucial&nbsp;funding&nbsp;is vital to these organizations’&nbsp;ability to continue providing the&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;crime victims and survivors&nbsp;need&nbsp;as they&nbsp;rebuild&nbsp;their lives, navigate the criminal justice system, and regain a sense of&nbsp;normality.”&nbsp;

The organizations and agencies provide mental health services, legal assistance, victim advocacy, crisis intervention, and other services to crime victims and survivors. The VOCA grant funding comes from the Federal Crime Victims Fund, which&nbsp;is financed by fines and penalties from convictions in federal cases.&nbsp;

The grant funds are made available through the&nbsp;Office for Victims of Crime,&nbsp;a key&nbsp;component&nbsp;of the&nbsp;Office of Justice Programs at the U.S.&nbsp;Department&nbsp;of Justice.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A total of $10,484,525&nbsp;was awarded.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The 2026 VOCA grant awardees include:&nbsp;

Barton County Attorney’s Office--$52,064 Barton County Family Crisis Center--$194,908 Ellis County&nbsp;Options: Domestic &amp; Sexual Violence Services--$182,122 Scott County&nbsp;Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center--$265,566 &nbsp;

Options receives Federal Victims of Crime Act funding

CONCORDIA — Cloud County Community College has announced the names of students on the Fall 2025 Honor Roll. 

To be named to this honor roll, students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours of college coursework and earned a semester grade point average of 3.66-3.899. 

Polaris Swagerty, Ellis Jaci Vonlintel, Victoria

Ellis County students named to Cloud County Community College fall 2025 honors

The annual Hays Holy Family Elementary School Chili Supper &amp; Bazaar will be held Sunday, January 25, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the school, 1800 Milner.&nbsp;

The event includes a book fair, bingo, game room, cake walk, Feed the Pig, raffle and silent auction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Chili Supper &amp; Bazaar is one of the largest fundraisers held to support Holy Family Elementary School every year. Each dollar raised directly affects our educational efforts for the 380+ students in our school as well as helps us maintain a safe environment for our students, staff, and visitors.

Silent auction items are still being sought for donation. For more information call Kelsey Konz at 785-410-8668.

Holy Family Elementary annual Chili Supper, Bazaar Jan. 25

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

Thank you for your patience and cooperation with drop-off and pick-up. We know the past few days have been frustrating, and we truly appreciate your flexibility as we continue working to make the process smoother. Today was already better, and we expect things to keep improving.

Morning Drop-Off (Drop-Off Only): To help traffic move more quickly, please use both lanes, even though they are not marked. ( We will get lanes marked when weather improves.)Inside lane (next to the school): You may drop off your student anywhere along the lane. Students can walk on the sidewalk to the gym commons entrance.Outside lane: Please pull up to the crosswalk area with the stop signs before letting your student out.Using both lanes consistently will help speed up the entire drop-off process.

Afternoon Pick-Up: To keep traffic flowing and ensure student safety:Please do not park and wait in the inside lane. If your student isn’t ready, pull into the parking lot or loop back around.The outside lane must remain a through lane. Students should not enter vehicles from the outside lane for safety reasons.

Crossing 13th Street: If your student walks home and needs to cross 13th, please remind them to use one of the two designated crosswalks and press the crossing button. This keeps traffic moving safely and protects students from dangerous crossings.Thank you again for your understanding, patience, and support as we work through these improvements. We truly appreciate you.Go Indians!

Hays Middle School offers direction on new student pick up, drop off

On this episode of the Hays Post Podcast, Becky Kiser, news reporter, talks with Lee Ann June, The Bricks executive director, about the 2025 holiday season in downtown Hays and some of the plans for 2026.

🎙 Post Podcast: The Bricks wraps up holiday season in downtown Hays

Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as we work to make drop-off and pick-up as smooth and safe as possible.

Morning Drop-Off: Please continue using both lanes.

Inside lane (next to the school): You may drop your student off anywhere along the sidewalk, even past the raised crosswalk and all the way to the north end of the building. The more vehicles that pull forward, the quicker the line moves.

Outside lane: For safety reasons, students should exit only at the raised concrete area by the stop sign.We also ask that you continue entering from Hays Way to reduce congestion at 13th &amp; Canterbury. With both lanes in front of HMS being used, we saw a noticeable improvement this morning, and this should continue to help traffic move efficiently.

Thank you again for your patience, flexibility, and support as everyone adjusts to this system. We truly appreciate you.

Hays Middle School offers traffic update

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Tonight’s varsity high school basketball games vs. Sacred Heart will begin at 5 p.m.. The girls' varsity game will tip off at 5 p.m., followed by the boys' varsity game. JV/C games will not be played.

TMP basketball schedule change for tonight

&nbsp;Submit events to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:admin@hayspost.com">admin@hayspost.com</a>. Cover photo courtesy Pixabay

Special thanks to <a href="https://www.visithays.com/183/Events">The Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau</a> and<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/"> Fort Hays State University</a> for their contributions to the community calendar.

Community Calendar

'The Feast' fundraiser for Codell Community Church Feb. 7

Logan, KS — The Hansen Museum Continuing Education Program is delighted to welcome certified Bob Ross instructor Hope Blakely of Arvada, Colorado, for two Magic of Painting classes on January 24 &amp; 25. On Saturday, January 24th, participants will paint Old Castle, and on Sunday, January 25th, Mystic Waterfall. Both classes will take place in the Hansen Museum Community Room, located at 110 W. Main Street in Logan, Kansas, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day, with a one-hour lunch break.

These classes offer a fun, beginner-friendly introduction to painting. Students will be guided step-by-step through the process of completing a finished painting each day. No prior experience is necessary, and all supplies are provided. Participants need only bring a roll of paper towels. Open to individuals aged 13 and older, these sessions provide a relaxed, supportive atmosphere that fosters creativity and camaraderie.

Registration is available online at www.hansenmuseum.org under the “Classes &amp; Camps” section. Discounts are offered to Patron and Sustaining Members of the Hansen Museum. These classes are part of the Hansen Museum Continuing Education Program and are made possible through generous support from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. For more information, call 785-689-4846.

The Hansen Museum is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 4:00, Saturdays from 9:00 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 5:00, and Sundays and holidays from 1:00 to 5:00. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The facility is handicap-accessible, and thanks to the support of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, admission is always free.

Upcoming beginner-friendly painting class at Hansen Museum

BUNKER HILL – Smoky Hills PBS is excited to announce that the 2026 PBS KIDS Writers Contest is now officially open for entries. The annual contest encourages creativity and imagination by inviting children in 1st through 5th grade to submit their very own original stories.

This year introduces a new contest requirement: every story must include a zoo theme. Whether it’s a daring adventure, a silly animal tale, or a heartwarming zoo friendship, young writers are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild.

“At Smoky Hills PBS, we love celebrating the creativity and imagination of young writers across our region," said Betsy Schwien, general manager of Smoky Hills PBS. "The PBS KIDS Writers Contest is a wonderful opportunity for students in 1st through 5th grade to explore storytelling, share their unique voices, and maybe even see their work featured on television. We can’t wait to read all the amazing zoo-themed stories this year!"

Students may submit stories individually, and teachers are also welcome to submit multiple entries on behalf of their classrooms. Printable entry forms are available at <a href="https://www.smokyhillspbs.org/kids/pbs-kids-writers-contest/">SmokyHillsPBS.org</a>, and completed forms and stories can be emailed to writerscontest@shptv.org.

All entries must be received by February 23, 2026.

Winners will receive prizes and be recognized in May 2026, during the annual Smoky Hills PBS Awards Show, where selected stories will be featured on TV.

The PBS KIDS Writers Contest continues to be a fun and educational opportunity for children to strengthen their writing skills, express themselves creatively, and share their ideas with the community.

Thank you to <a href="https://www.messer-us.com/">Messer: Gases for Life</a> and the Beach Family Foundation for making this year’s 2026 PBS KIDS Writers Contest possible.

Smoky Hills PBS announces 2026 PBS KIDS Writers Contest

Girl Scout sign up Monday in La Crosse

The Arc is collecting size 16+ dresses and 2XL suits to help make Night to Shine unforgettable for its amazing guests.

Drop off donations between Jan. 5-9 at The Arc, 600 Main St., Hays.

Be sure to mark donations for Night to Shine.

Arc collecting dresses, suits for Night to Shine

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks hit records Friday following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-growth-3520ef449c36be8ca60eb046177200a2">a mixed report on the U.S. job market</a>, one that may delay&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-economy-inflation-jobs-442de589de9b99bb811f76e402b00948">another cut to interest rates</a>&nbsp;by the Federal Reserve but does not slam the door on it.

The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.6% and topped its prior all-time high set earlier in the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 237 points, or 0.5%, and likewise set a record, while the Nasdaq composite led the market with a 0.8% gain.

The moves came after the U.S. Labor Department said employers hired fewer workers during December than economists expected, though the unemployment rate improved and was better than expected. It reinforced how the U.S. job market may be in a “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-economy-c48fd84dfaa71eee962feb3a88fd8575">low-hire</a>, low-fire” state and may hopefully avoid a recession.

On Wall Street, power company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-meta-zuckerberg-ai-vistra-oklo-terrapower-0eb051a9a11d96f7ce200e186ad13476">Vistra soared</a>&nbsp;10.5% to help lead the market after signing a 20-year deal to provide electricity from three of its nuclear plants to Meta Platforms. Big Tech companies have been signing a string of such deals to electrify the data centers powering their moves into artificial-intelligence technology.

Oklo jumped 7.9% after saying it also signed a deal with Meta Platforms that will help it secure nuclear fuel and advance its project to build a facility in Pike County, Ohio.

Homebuilders and other companies involved in the housing market were strong in their first trading after President Donald Trump announced a plan to lower mortgage rates. Trump on late Thursday called for the purchase of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-housing-mortgage-rates-79294cf8eac1579b17430b4cd0708fcd">$200 billion in mortgage bonds</a>, similar to how the Fed in the past has bought bonds backed by mortgages to bring down mortgage rates.

Builders FirstSource, a supplier of building products, jumped 12% for one of the biggest gains in the S&amp;P 500 along with Vistra. Among homebuilders, Lennar rallied 8.9%, D.R. Horton climbed 7.8% and PulteGroup rose 7.3%.

They helped offset a 2.7% drop for General Motors. The auto giant said it will take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/general-motors-ev-byd-tesla-c9db4cd7030c9b58803e7375e25b9484">a $6 billion hit</a>&nbsp;to its results for the last three months of 2025 related to its pullback from electric vehicles. That’s on top of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/general-motors-gm-ev-emission-tax-2d2e43fd9dc0e12864e590a018be280f">$1.6 billion in charges</a>&nbsp;GM took in the prior quarter. Fewer tax incentives and easier fuel-emission regulations have been eating into demand for EVs.

WD-40 tumbled 6.6% after reporting a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Chief Financial Officer Sara Hyzer said the soft numbers were primarily because of timing issues, not weaker demand from end customers, and the company stood by its financial forecasts for the upcoming year.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 44.82 points to 6,966.28. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 237.96 to 49,504.07, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 191.33 to 23,671.35.

In the bond market, Treasury yields were mixed.

Friday’s improvement in the unemployment rate was enough to get traders to ratchet back expectations for a cut to interest rates at the Fed’s next meeting, which is scheduled for later this month. Traders are now forecasting just a 5% chance of that, down from 11% a day before, according to data from CME Group.

But traders nevertheless still largely expect the Fed to cut rates at least twice this upcoming year.

Whether they’re correct carries high stakes for financial markets. Lower interest rates can goose the economy and push up prices for investments, though they can also worsen inflation at the same time. And inflation has stubbornly remained above the Fed’s 2% target.

“Until the data provide a clearer direction, a divided Fed is likely to stay that way,” according to Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. “Lower rates are likely coming this year, but the markets may have to be patient.”

The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.16% from 4.19% late Thursday. It tends to track expectations for longer-term economic growth and inflation.

The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks forecasts for what the Fed will do with short-term interest rates in the near term, rose to 3.53% from 3.49%.

A separate report released Friday morning suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is strengthening, particularly among lower-income households. Perhaps more importantly for the Fed, the preliminary report from the University of Michigan also said expectations for inflation in the coming 12 months may be at their lowest level in a year. That could give it more freedom to cut interest rates.

Hopes for both lower interest rates and a solid economy have helped other areas of the stock market climb recently, wresting leadership away from the Big Tech and AI stocks that dominated the market for years. The smaller stocks in the Russell 2000, for example, climbed 4.6% this week, much more than the 1.6% rise of the S&amp;P 500.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia.

Another record setting day on Wall Street 

By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/max-nesterak/">Max Nesterak</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>

Minnesota prosecutors are asking the public for evidence in the killing of a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent on Wednesday after the Trump administration froze local law enforcement out of the investigation.

“Every moment in these cases is precious,” said Attorney General Keith Ellison at a news conference in Minneapolis on Friday. “If you have information bearing on the outcome of this matter in any way, please share it.”

The Attorney General’s Office and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office set&nbsp;<a href="https://hennepinprosecutor.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/communityevidencerequest1-7-26" target="_blank">up a portal for people to submit photos, videos and other evidence</a>&nbsp;they think may help prosecutors understand the case and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will catalogue the submissions.

The BCA typically investigates police shootings and was on the scene at Portland Avenue near 34th Street collecting evidence after an ICE officer, who has been identified as Jonathan Ross, shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in her Honda Pilot.

But on Thursday, the agency announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office had made the unusual decision that the FBI would be the sole investigative agency, effectively&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/09/minnesota-prosecution-of-ice-officer-faces-new-political-obstacles-under-trump/">freezing out local law enforcement</a>.

“Without complete access to the evidence, witnesses and information collected, we cannot meet the investigative standards that Minnesota law and the public demands,” BCA superintendent Drew Evans said. “As a result, the BCA has reluctantly withdrawn from the investigation.”

Gov. Tim Walz and other state Democrats have expressed doubt that the public could trust the results of an investigation conducted solely by the federal government.

“Now that Minnesota has been taken out of the investigation, it feels very, very difficult that we will get a fair outcome,” Walz said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a Thursday news conference that local officials “have not been cut out. They don’t have any jurisdiction in this investigation.”

The standoff over jurisdiction adds to a contentious fight between state leaders and the Trump administration over fraud in state social service programs and a surge of thousands of federal agents and officers in what the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is calling its largest operation ever.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty emphasized that local officials have the authority to both investigate the shooting and potentially bring criminal charges based on the evidence.

“We do have jurisdiction,” Moriarty said. “We cannot make any decision, however, if there is not evidence submitted to our office.”

Moriarty said the FBI has possession of key evidence, including Good’s car and the shell casings from the officer’s gun. She also acknowledged they have really no access to federal law enforcement officers for interviews.

She said she does not have concerns about the integrity of the FBI, but rather that they won’t turn over their findings for state prosecutors to review.

“In the past, the FBI has invited us to see a high level overview of their investigation, but we were prohibited from seeing the entire investigation or talking about what we saw,” Moriarty said.

Prosecutions of federal law enforcement officers are also complicated by the fact that they&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/09/minnesota-prosecution-of-ice-officer-faces-new-political-obstacles-under-trump/">have immunity from state prosecution</a>&nbsp;for carrying out their duties.

But legal experts emphasize that immunity does not extend to officers who use unreasonable and excessive force.

Minnesota begins collecting evidence into ICE shooting 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said on social media Thursday that he is directing the federal government to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds, a move he said would help reduce mortgage rates at a time when Americans are worried about home prices.

Trump and the White House have been trying to show they are responding to voter concerns about affordability ahead of midterm elections in November. Home prices have generally risen faster than incomes because of a persistent construction shortfall, making it harder for renters to buy their first home and for existing owners to upgrade to a new property — a challenge that dates back to Trump’s first term and the recovery from the housing market collapse that triggered the global financial crisis in 2008.

Trump said the two mortgage companies under government conservatorship, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have $200 billion in cash that will be used to make the purchase.

“This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and make the cost of owning a home more affordable,” Trump posted on social media.

White House officials did not immediately respond to questions about the timelines for how purchases would occur.

The Federal Reserve has in the past bought mortgage bonds during times of economic turmoil in order to help reduce interest rates, leading many homeowners to refinance into rates of 3% or less. The low rates of the recent past make these homeowners reluctant to sell their properties, depriving the market of inventory.

“At a high level I feel this is putting a Band-Aid on a deeper issue and it probably wouldn’t lower rates enough to really undo the mortgage rate lock-in effect,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at the real estate brokerage Redfin.

Fairweather estimated the government purchases of mortgage debt could shave 0.25 to 0.5 percentage points off the rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. But the purchases wouldn’t address other factors such as a chronic shortage of homes on the market, which has helped make homeownership unaffordable for many Americans, she cautioned.

Mortgage rates have been averaging around 6.2%, according to Freddie Mac, which went into conservatorship along with Fannie Mae in 2008 when the U.S. economy crashed during the Great Recession. Thirty-year mortgage rates haven’t been below 6% since September 2022.

“Lowering mortgage rates by maybe a quarter point or half a point maybe will encourage more demand on the margins, but I don’t think it’s going to solve the restrictions that exist in the housing market,” Fairweather said.

There is also a risk because Trump would be spending the cash reserves that are supposed to help be a buffer against an economic downturn akin to what happened during the Great Recession. In a sense, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could be more vulnerable if anything negative happens to the housing market, meaning Trump is betting that possibility is highly unlikely.

Separately, the Fed holds roughly $2 trillion worth of mortgage-backed securities on its balance sheet. That’s down from $2.7 trillion in June 2022. The Fed began to unwind its mortgage-debt holdings as the U.S. economy recovered from the global pandemic.

Mortgage rates began to climb as inflation spiked coming out of the global pandemic, with the consumer price index hitting a four-decade high in 2022. The average mortgage rate is down from nearly 7% at the start of Trump’s second term last year, yet the decrease has done little to reassure a public that feels pressure from the costs of housing, food and energy.

When interest rates fall it can become cheaper to service housing debt on a monthly basis. The reduced monthly payments can improve affordability for a period until home prices adjust in response to changes in the rates. There was roughly $21.1 trillion in outstanding mortgage debt as of the middle of last year, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve.

Many homeowners took advantage of low interest rates during the pandemic to refinance their mortgages at rates of 3% or lower.

Trump last month said he planned to unveil housing reforms -- and on Wednesday he said he wants to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-housing-plan-investors-davos-6ec9f96c03d16c0714a6804c5f703db2">block institutional investors</a>&nbsp;from buying houses.

Trump taking action to make buying a home more affordable

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman will learn her fate for a deadly DUI crash that killed a teen.

Trisha Greer, 43, will appear in Judge Quinton Pittman's courtroom for sentencing on Friday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In October, Greer pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence before Judge Pittman. She originally pleading not guilty in June and was to face a jury trial.

Just after 11p.m. May 14, 2024, Greer was driving without headlights at 55th Street South and Hoover, according to Sheriff's Lt Nathan Gibbs. The vehicle struck and killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio who was standing with a group of people at the location.

Greer was booked into jail just after 1a.m. the following morning, according to online jail records. She met the requirements of bond and is no longer in custody.&nbsp;Sentencing is scheduled for January 29, according to the district attorney's office.

Sentencing day for Kan. woman in DUI crash that killed teen 

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

Just before 3p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 6600 block of Monroe Avenue, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez. While officers were responding to the scene, several additional calls for a sound of shots were reported.

Upon arrival, officers observed a group of people summoning responding officers to the rear of an apartment complex building. An unidentified male victim, believed to be&nbsp;an&nbsp;adult, was located lying in a parking lot, unresponsive and suffering from believed gunshot trauma. EMS responded shortly behind officers and declared the victim deceased on scene.

Preliminary information indicates there was an interaction that took place between the victim and several unknown males. That interaction escalated into gunfire and resulted in the victim being struck. The unidentified suspects left the scene in an unknown direction occupying an unidentified vehicle. Police do not have any subjects of interest identified and no one is in police custody at this time.

Homicide: Man found dead in parking lot of KC apartment complex

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, the U.S. military said, as the Trump administration continues to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">target sanctioned tankers</a>&nbsp;traveling to and from Venezuela.

The pre-dawn action was carried out by Marines and Navy sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, part of the extensive force the U.S. has built up in the Caribbean in recent months, according to U.S. Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the tanker called the Olina. The Coast Guard then took control of the vessel, officials said.

Southern Command and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem both posted unclassified footage on social media of a U.S. helicopter landing on the vessel and U.S. personnel conducting a search of the deck and tossing what appeared to be an explosive device in front of a door leading to inside the ship.

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