WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Zoo's long dark panda drought has come to an end.

Eleven months after the zoo sent its three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-china-national-zoo-b5923fc76613a15ade02fd332e1330df">wildly popular pandas</a>&nbsp;— Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji — back to China, a new pair of bears arrived late Tuesday morning.

The three-year old giant pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, were flown from China to Dulles International Airport in suburban Virginia, with a refueling stop in Alaska. They were loaded into special FedEx trucks and arrived at the zoo just before noon.

"Our team has worked tirelessly to prepare for the pandas’ arrival, and we’re thrilled to welcome Bao Li and Qing Bao to Washington, D.C., the only place you can see giant pandas for free in the nation,” said Brandie Smith, the national zoo director who travelled to China to take part in farewell ceremonies for the bears there. "As a result of our collective efforts, today we joyfully celebrate a new chapter of our 52-year-long giant panda breeding and conservation program.”

The zoo was closed Tuesday to facilitate the arrivals. The bears will be quarantined from the public for at least 30 days. A statement from the zoo set the date for the bears' official public debut and the reopening of the renovated panada house as Jan. 24, 2025.

Bao Li (precious vigor) and Qing Bao (green treasure) arrive in Washington as part of a new 10-year agreement with Chinese authorities. The previous deal expired last year, leading to some concern among American panda-lovers that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-china-diplomacy-national-zoo-1f0eee3fc0114296bcfe5472c43a373e">Beijing was gradually pulling</a>&nbsp;its furry friendship ambassadors from American zoos amid rising diplomatic tensions.

Breeding pairs in zoos in Memphis and San Diego had already returned to China earlier and the four pandas in the Atlanta zoo left for China last week.

That anxiety turned to optimism last November when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-national-zoo-biden-xi-apec-97e3f98236d74c5c433f63e8eed603cb">Chinese President Xi Jinping</a>&nbsp;publicly stated a desire to continue the panda exchange programs. This year, a new pair of bears has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-china-san-diego-zoo-5ea57f2b269d6d7bc7e0b440f32a2d8d">delivered to the San Diego Zoo</a>, while another pair has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-san-francisco-zoo-pandas-2657e35111579b2a4cba8b5915a71bd1">promised to San Francisco</a>.

In Washington, National Zoo officials remained conspicuously silent about negotiations for a new panda agreement, but they expressed optimism about striking a new deal and launched a multimillion-dollar renovation of its panda enclosure in anticipation. Then in late May, Smith&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-washington-zoo-china-764f8016d98c01ab579bdbb6dcc3dd6b">teamed up with first lady Jill Biden</a>&nbsp;to announce that Bao Li and Qing Bao would be arriving by the end of this year.

Pandas have become one of the unofficial symbols of the nation’s capital, dating back to 1972 when the first pair — Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing — were sent as a gift from Chinese Premier&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Enlai">Zhou Enlai</a>&nbsp;following President Richard Nixon’s historic diplomatic visit to China. Later, a rolling series of 10-year cooperation agreements was struck.

“The giant pandas are an iconic part of the Washington, D.C., story, both for locals and incoming travelers alike,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC. “The interest and excitement associated with their return directly benefits the entire city, bringing further interest and visitors to our hotels, restaurants and other attractions.”

The exact terms of the deal are still unclear; under previous 10-year agreements the Chinese government receives $1 million per year, per bear. Any cubs born in overseas zoos are typically returned to China before they reach age four.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, credited the decades of cooperation with advancing research into panda preservation and breeding. During the lifespan of these agreements, giant pandas have been reclassified from an endangered species to merely vulnerable.

“The current round of cooperation will focus on prevention and treatment of major diseases, and protection of habitats and wild giant panda populations,” Liu said in an email. “We hope the arrival of the pandas will inject fresh impetus into exchanges between China and the U.S., and help to stabilize the broader bilateral relationship as well.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Zoo's long dark panda drought has come to an end.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It’s a beautiful day to greet our newest Pandas! Welcome to DC, Qing Bao and Bao Li!! 🐼🐼 <a href="https://t.co/30tTIzj372">pic.twitter.com/30tTIzj372</a>&mdash; Dulles Airport (IAD) (@Dulles_Airport) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dulles_Airport/status/1846193932679434243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Eleven months after the zoo sent its three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-china-national-zoo-b5923fc76613a15ade02fd332e1330df">wildly popular pandas</a>&nbsp;— Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji — back to China, a new pair of bears arrived late Tuesday morning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Drum roll please! 🥁🥁🥁 DC’s newest celebearities are HERE! Our two new giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, have arrived at the Zoo after landing this morning at Dulles International Airport. Get more updates about the bear pair by following <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCPandas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCPandas</a> <a href="https://t.co/ulJrQBTJKk">pic.twitter.com/ulJrQBTJKk</a>&mdash; National Zoo (@NationalZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/1846245237158515179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The three-year old giant pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, were flown from China to Dulles International Airport in suburban Virginia, with a refueling stop in Alaska. They were loaded into special FedEx trucks and arrived at the zoo just before noon."Our team has worked tirelessly to prepare for the pandas’ arrival, and we’re thrilled to welcome Bao Li and Qing Bao to Washington, D.C., the only place you can see giant pandas for free in the nation,” said Brandie Smith, the national zoo director who travelled to China to take part in farewell ceremonies for the bears there. "As a result of our collective efforts, today we joyfully celebrate a new chapter of our 52-year-long giant panda breeding and conservation program.”The zoo was closed Tuesday to facilitate the arrivals. The bears will be quarantined from the public for at least 30 days. A statement from the zoo set the date for the bears' official public debut and the reopening of the renovated panada house as Jan. 24, 2025.Bao Li (precious vigor) and Qing Bao (green treasure) arrive in Washington as part of a new 10-year agreement with Chinese authorities. The previous deal expired last year, leading to some concern among American panda-lovers that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-china-diplomacy-national-zoo-1f0eee3fc0114296bcfe5472c43a373e">Beijing was gradually pulling</a>&nbsp;its furry friendship ambassadors from American zoos amid rising diplomatic tensions.Breeding pairs in zoos in Memphis and San Diego had already returned to China earlier and the four pandas in the Atlanta zoo left for China last week.That anxiety turned to optimism last November when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-national-zoo-biden-xi-apec-97e3f98236d74c5c433f63e8eed603cb">Chinese President Xi Jinping</a>&nbsp;publicly stated a desire to continue the panda exchange programs. This year, a new pair of bears has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-china-san-diego-zoo-5ea57f2b269d6d7bc7e0b440f32a2d8d">delivered to the San Diego Zoo</a>, while another pair has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-san-francisco-zoo-pandas-2657e35111579b2a4cba8b5915a71bd1">promised to San Francisco</a>.In Washington, National Zoo officials remained conspicuously silent about negotiations for a new panda agreement, but they expressed optimism about striking a new deal and launched a multimillion-dollar renovation of its panda enclosure in anticipation. Then in late May, Smith&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-washington-zoo-china-764f8016d98c01ab579bdbb6dcc3dd6b">teamed up with first lady Jill Biden</a>&nbsp;to announce that Bao Li and Qing Bao would be arriving by the end of this year.Pandas have become one of the unofficial symbols of the nation’s capital, dating back to 1972 when the first pair — Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing — were sent as a gift from Chinese Premier&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Enlai">Zhou Enlai</a>&nbsp;following President Richard Nixon’s historic diplomatic visit to China. Later, a rolling series of 10-year cooperation agreements was struck.“The giant pandas are an iconic part of the Washington, D.C., story, both for locals and incoming travelers alike,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC. “The interest and excitement associated with their return directly benefits the entire city, bringing further interest and visitors to our hotels, restaurants and other attractions.”The exact terms of the deal are still unclear; under previous 10-year agreements the Chinese government receives $1 million per year, per bear. Any cubs born in overseas zoos are typically returned to China before they reach age four.Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, credited the decades of cooperation with advancing research into panda preservation and breeding. During the lifespan of these agreements, giant pandas have been reclassified from an endangered species to merely vulnerable.“The current round of cooperation will focus on prevention and treatment of major diseases, and protection of habitats and wild giant panda populations,” Liu said in an email. “We hope the arrival of the pandas will inject fresh impetus into exchanges between China and the U.S., and help to stabilize the broader bilateral relationship as well.”

2 giant pandas from China arrive in US on loan to National Zoo

Neighborhood leaders contend the facility is not the right fit for the community’s doorstep and argue the area is saturated enough with social service providers

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/mikesherry/">MIKE SHERRY</a>

Residents in Kansas City’s historic Northeast neighborhood say plans for a state psychiatric hospital on the site of a former housing project and city park clash with plans for revitalizing their community.

They’re losing patience with efforts to base ever more social services near their homes that they fear could make their streets a dumping ground for the city’s problems.

“This will define one of our most important intersections, and I don’t know if defining it this way is healthy,” said Kate Barsotti, an artist and former president of the Columbus Park Community Council. “Is that shallow? Maybe. Could be. But I do understand people feeling sandbagged and disrespected and betrayed.”

Meanwhile, the city, the state and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.universityhealthkc.org/" target="_blank">University Health</a>&nbsp;(formerly Truman Medical Center) see the psychiatric facility as an economic boon and a key part of what the region needs to deal with growing mental health demands.

The Missouri Department of Mental Health estimates the hospital could open in late 2027 or early 2028 — if everything moves smoothly. And the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development could be a significant stumbling block to the plan.

The roughly 20-acre parcel eyed for the psychiatric hospital used to be Belvidere Park and Chouteau Courts, a public housing complex. The tract is near the intersection of The Paseo and Independence Avenue.

In June 2020, the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri, finished demolishing the crumbling Chouteau Courts. The demolition came as part of the sweeping Paseo Gateway community revitalization project, funded through a $30 million grant from HUD.

The new psychiatric hospital would be a one-level, 300,000-square-foot building on a triangular parcel between The Paseo to the east and Interstate 35 to the west. The new hospital would have 200 beds and generally serve the western half of the state.

In tandem with the state’s Center for Behavioral Medicine, which is located on Hospital Hill, the new psychiatric hospital would take on a growing statewide backlog of more than 350 criminal defendants languishing in local jails as they await mental health treatment.

Judges have ordered those inmates into the care of the department to see if it can restore their competency to stand trial, but DMH has nowhere to treat those people (with limited exceptions). DMH Director Valerie Huhn said the waiting list could reach 500 people by the end of this year.

The department said about one-fifth of the pending cases fall in the Kansas City region. It already operates 65 competency-restoration beds (intended to get defendants mentally well enough to stand trial) at the Center for Behavioral Medicine. The new hospital would boost that total to 100 beds while those at the existing facility would be repurposed.

University Health would use the other beds for short-term psychiatric treatment generally lasting two weeks or less. Patients would get psychiatric care medication management and referrals to outpatient programs. The health system would reserve 25 of its beds for referrals from the Kansas City Municipal Court or other providers in the city.

University Health would also operate a psychiatric emergency department at the hospital, something law enforcement turns to avoid taking them to a conventional emergency room or jail.

University Health closed its psychiatric emergency department in 2015, but Chief Executive Officer Charlie Shields said it faces fewer regulatory hurdles in operating as part of a psychiatric hospital.

Critically, it lightens the load for the Center for Behavioral Medicine so it can concentrate on long-term care that can average stays of nine years for treating conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

A psychiatric emergency room “allows us to catch people before they get to a point of committing a crime, especially in that Jackson County area,” Huhn said, “and then give them … resources so that they don’t commit crimes and have to go through this whole process.”

Huhn and others tout the safety of the proposed new hospital. It will have a perimeter fence. Patient units will be locked. In that way, it will operate like similar state facilities near residential areas in other parts of the state.

Supporters also say the hospital will offer additional training to area medical programs. It will also open more inpatient beds and fix some of the problems created decades ago when mental health care shifted to community-based care while failing to create enough psychiatric support outside institutions.

At the same time, they see the hospital as an economic jump-start to the surrounding area.

Projections include 600-plus health care jobs (from entry-level to physicians and nurses), an annual boost of $60 million to the area economy, and the bump associated with a $300 million construction project.

Overall, the project is “an exceptional idea and way in which we can better utilize our land in a way that would be beneficial for our community more broadly,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. “This shows that this is a new day on Independence, Paseo and lots of streets many Kansas Citians don’t think about enough.”

Those thoroughfares were in the limelight in September 2015.

HUD Secretary Julian Castro came to town then to announce a federal grant to Kansas City to tear down the Chouteau Courts public housing project and support the Paseo Gateway District. The housing authority relocated the last of the Chouteau Courts residents to seven new developments in June.

Meanwhile, a range of nonprofit and government agencies have been working to revitalize the neighborhood. Plans included a mix of affordable single-family homes and apartments alongside commercial developments and a public space for community events.

Barsotti, the Columbus Park artist, and Michael Bushnell, a longtime resident of the Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood and former publisher of the Northeast News newspaper, fume that the psychiatric hospital will dash those dreams.

What’s more, the psychiatric hospital project comes on the heels of a city&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/06/13/kanasas-city-low-barrier-homeless-shelter/" target="_blank">plan to establish a low-barrier homeless shelter</a>&nbsp;at Hope Faith Homeless Assistance Campus at 705 Virginia Ave.

“There needs to be a big ‘no.’ Not here. Go somewhere else,” Bushnell said. “We were promised a completely different development for Chouteau Court. … That’s the plan that needs to be followed.”

Shields said he received positive feedback about the psychiatric center from residents who attended a community information meeting held in August. But detractors said that instead of gathering input, the meeting organizers informed attendees about a done deal.

HUD could throw a wrench into the financial plans for the psychiatric hospital by requiring the housing authority to sell the former Chouteau Courts property for full market value.

The construction plan assumes the state will acquire the property at little or no cost.

Chouteau Courts was appraised at $1.6 million this year. Any potential environmental cleanup costs would be deducted from that value, said housing authority Executive Director Edwin Lowndes.

Lowndes said paperwork could be submitted to HUD in time for a decision from the agency by the end of November.

HUD can approve a sale for less than market value if it decides the deal has a public good, typically more public housing or projects that benefit people living in public housing. Lucas said the groundbreaking could come early next year.

The mayor acknowledged that residents have been frustrated about the start-and-stop nature of various proposals for the neighborhood. But he said such projects are inherently complicated and don’t always follow original plans.

Barsotti said any lack of follow-through breeds disillusionment.

“It’s really hard,” she said, “to tell people to keep engaging with your city government when it doesn’t seem to work, when they can’t trust what they’re told, when they don’t understand what they’re told, or there’s no time to deal with a big change.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/10/09/kansas-city-mental-hospital-northeast/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729016089523.png" alt=" Michael Bushnell stands near the planned site of a state psychiatric hospital in Kansas City’s historic Northeast. Bushnell, a longtime resident of the Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood and former publisher of the Northeast News newspaper, wants the hospital to be built somewhere else and said neighbors were promised a different plan for developing the site (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption> Michael Bushnell stands near the planned site of a state psychiatric hospital in Kansas City’s historic Northeast. Bushnell, a longtime resident of the Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood and former publisher of the Northeast News newspaper, wants the hospital to be built somewhere else and said neighbors were promised a different plan for developing the site (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Neighborhood leaders contend the facility is not the right fit for the community’s doorstep and argue the area is saturated enough with social service providers</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/mikesherry/">MIKE SHERRY</a>Residents in Kansas City’s historic Northeast neighborhood say plans for a state psychiatric hospital on the site of a former housing project and city park clash with plans for revitalizing their community.They’re losing patience with efforts to base ever more social services near their homes that they fear could make their streets a dumping ground for the city’s problems.“This will define one of our most important intersections, and I don’t know if defining it this way is healthy,” said Kate Barsotti, an artist and former president of the Columbus Park Community Council. “Is that shallow? Maybe. Could be. But I do understand people feeling sandbagged and disrespected and betrayed.”Meanwhile, the city, the state and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.universityhealthkc.org/" target="_blank">University Health</a>&nbsp;(formerly Truman Medical Center) see the psychiatric facility as an economic boon and a key part of what the region needs to deal with growing mental health demands.The Missouri Department of Mental Health estimates the hospital could open in late 2027 or early 2028 — if everything moves smoothly. And the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development could be a significant stumbling block to the plan.<h2>Serving the courts</h2>The roughly 20-acre parcel eyed for the psychiatric hospital used to be Belvidere Park and Chouteau Courts, a public housing complex. The tract is near the intersection of The Paseo and Independence Avenue.In June 2020, the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri, finished demolishing the crumbling Chouteau Courts. The demolition came as part of the sweeping Paseo Gateway community revitalization project, funded through a $30 million grant from HUD.The new psychiatric hospital would be a one-level, 300,000-square-foot building on a triangular parcel between The Paseo to the east and Interstate 35 to the west. The new hospital would have 200 beds and generally serve the western half of the state.In tandem with the state’s Center for Behavioral Medicine, which is located on Hospital Hill, the new psychiatric hospital would take on a growing statewide backlog of more than 350 criminal defendants languishing in local jails as they await mental health treatment.Judges have ordered those inmates into the care of the department to see if it can restore their competency to stand trial, but DMH has nowhere to treat those people (with limited exceptions). DMH Director Valerie Huhn said the waiting list could reach 500 people by the end of this year.The department said about one-fifth of the pending cases fall in the Kansas City region. It already operates 65 competency-restoration beds (intended to get defendants mentally well enough to stand trial) at the Center for Behavioral Medicine. The new hospital would boost that total to 100 beds while those at the existing facility would be repurposed.University Health would use the other beds for short-term psychiatric treatment generally lasting two weeks or less. Patients would get psychiatric care medication management and referrals to outpatient programs. The health system would reserve 25 of its beds for referrals from the Kansas City Municipal Court or other providers in the city.University Health would also operate a psychiatric emergency department at the hospital, something law enforcement turns to avoid taking them to a conventional emergency room or jail.University Health closed its psychiatric emergency department in 2015, but Chief Executive Officer Charlie Shields said it faces fewer regulatory hurdles in operating as part of a psychiatric hospital.Critically, it lightens the load for the Center for Behavioral Medicine so it can concentrate on long-term care that can average stays of nine years for treating conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.A psychiatric emergency room “allows us to catch people before they get to a point of committing a crime, especially in that Jackson County area,” Huhn said, “and then give them … resources so that they don’t commit crimes and have to go through this whole process.”Huhn and others tout the safety of the proposed new hospital. It will have a perimeter fence. Patient units will be locked. In that way, it will operate like similar state facilities near residential areas in other parts of the state.Supporters also say the hospital will offer additional training to area medical programs. It will also open more inpatient beds and fix some of the problems created decades ago when mental health care shifted to community-based care while failing to create enough psychiatric support outside institutions.At the same time, they see the hospital as an economic jump-start to the surrounding area.Projections include 600-plus health care jobs (from entry-level to physicians and nurses), an annual boost of $60 million to the area economy, and the bump associated with a $300 million construction project.Overall, the project is “an exceptional idea and way in which we can better utilize our land in a way that would be beneficial for our community more broadly,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. “This shows that this is a new day on Independence, Paseo and lots of streets many Kansas Citians don’t think about enough.”<h2>Choice neighborhoods</h2>Those thoroughfares were in the limelight in September 2015.HUD Secretary Julian Castro came to town then to announce a federal grant to Kansas City to tear down the Chouteau Courts public housing project and support the Paseo Gateway District. The housing authority relocated the last of the Chouteau Courts residents to seven new developments in June.Meanwhile, a range of nonprofit and government agencies have been working to revitalize the neighborhood. Plans included a mix of affordable single-family homes and apartments alongside commercial developments and a public space for community events.Barsotti, the Columbus Park artist, and Michael Bushnell, a longtime resident of the Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood and former publisher of the Northeast News newspaper, fume that the psychiatric hospital will dash those dreams.What’s more, the psychiatric hospital project comes on the heels of a city&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/06/13/kanasas-city-low-barrier-homeless-shelter/" target="_blank">plan to establish a low-barrier homeless shelter</a>&nbsp;at Hope Faith Homeless Assistance Campus at 705 Virginia Ave.“There needs to be a big ‘no.’ Not here. Go somewhere else,” Bushnell said. “We were promised a completely different development for Chouteau Court. … That’s the plan that needs to be followed.”Shields said he received positive feedback about the psychiatric center from residents who attended a community information meeting held in August. But detractors said that instead of gathering input, the meeting organizers informed attendees about a done deal.<h2>HUD’s role</h2>HUD could throw a wrench into the financial plans for the psychiatric hospital by requiring the housing authority to sell the former Chouteau Courts property for full market value.The construction plan assumes the state will acquire the property at little or no cost.Chouteau Courts was appraised at $1.6 million this year. Any potential environmental cleanup costs would be deducted from that value, said housing authority Executive Director Edwin Lowndes.Lowndes said paperwork could be submitted to HUD in time for a decision from the agency by the end of November.HUD can approve a sale for less than market value if it decides the deal has a public good, typically more public housing or projects that benefit people living in public housing. Lucas said the groundbreaking could come early next year.The mayor acknowledged that residents have been frustrated about the start-and-stop nature of various proposals for the neighborhood. But he said such projects are inherently complicated and don’t always follow original plans.Barsotti said any lack of follow-through breeds disillusionment.“It’s really hard,” she said, “to tell people to keep engaging with your city government when it doesn’t seem to work, when they can’t trust what they’re told, when they don’t understand what they’re told, or there’s no time to deal with a big change.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/10/09/kansas-city-mental-hospital-northeast/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Long-awaited Kansas City psychiatric hospital sparks resistance among neighborhood residents

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>

U.S. Agriculture Department officials have launched an internal investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-deli-meat-usda-6d1d933ebdb3dde14bb38c262a3544c7">how the agency handled</a>&nbsp;reports of serious problems at a Boar's Head deli meat plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong is looking into whether federal investigators and Virginia state inspectors responded appropriately to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-recall-fcde06b66dca38d53361c92495a7cfed">dozens of reports</a>&nbsp;of problems at the factory, including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. Inspection reports dating back at least two years indicated that the conditions could pose an “imminent threat” to food safety.

The action came in response to a Sept. 5 letter from Blumenthal demanding an investigation, he said.

“USDA took virtually no action — allowing Boar’s Head to continue business as usual at its chronically unsanitary Virginia plant — despite finding repeated serious violations," the Connecticut Democrat said in a statement.

At least 10 people died and nearly 50 were hospitalized in 19 states since May after eating listeria-contaminated Boar's Head products, including liverwurst, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After recalling more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed nationwide, Boar's Head officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-recall-liverwurst-listeria-83176dfc193c16afd949ffefc827aec2">shuttered</a>&nbsp;the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, and permanently stopped making liverwurst.

Officials with Fong's office did not immediately confirm the investigation. Blumenthal declined to release the agency's response. He said the internal investigation would evaluate the handling of recurrent problems and whether state inspections properly reduced the risk of tainted products entering the food supply.

The Boar's Head plant was inspected under a program that allows state inspectors to act on behalf of the federal agency.

In addition to the internal investigation, Blumenthal and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro last month asked the Justice Department to investigate whether criminal charges were warranted.

Officials with USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service have refused to share documents regarding the agency's inspections and enforcement at the plant, plus inspection reports from eight other company factories across the country. The agency denied Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by The Associated Press, saying releasing the records could “interfere with” and “hinder” potential law enforcement investigations. The AP is appealing the denial.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721435735887.png" alt="FILE - This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, responsible for the food borne illness listeriosis. (Elizabeth White/CDC via AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, responsible for the food borne illness listeriosis. (Elizabeth White/CDC via AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>U.S. Agriculture Department officials have launched an internal investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-deli-meat-usda-6d1d933ebdb3dde14bb38c262a3544c7">how the agency handled</a>&nbsp;reports of serious problems at a Boar's Head deli meat plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak, a lawmaker said Tuesday.Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong is looking into whether federal investigators and Virginia state inspectors responded appropriately to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-recall-fcde06b66dca38d53361c92495a7cfed">dozens of reports</a>&nbsp;of problems at the factory, including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. Inspection reports dating back at least two years indicated that the conditions could pose an “imminent threat” to food safety.The action came in response to a Sept. 5 letter from Blumenthal demanding an investigation, he said.“USDA took virtually no action — allowing Boar’s Head to continue business as usual at its chronically unsanitary Virginia plant — despite finding repeated serious violations," the Connecticut Democrat said in a statement.At least 10 people died and nearly 50 were hospitalized in 19 states since May after eating listeria-contaminated Boar's Head products, including liverwurst, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After recalling more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed nationwide, Boar's Head officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-recall-liverwurst-listeria-83176dfc193c16afd949ffefc827aec2">shuttered</a>&nbsp;the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, and permanently stopped making liverwurst.Officials with Fong's office did not immediately confirm the investigation. Blumenthal declined to release the agency's response. He said the internal investigation would evaluate the handling of recurrent problems and whether state inspections properly reduced the risk of tainted products entering the food supply.The Boar's Head plant was inspected under a program that allows state inspectors to act on behalf of the federal agency.In addition to the internal investigation, Blumenthal and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro last month asked the Justice Department to investigate whether criminal charges were warranted.Officials with USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service have refused to share documents regarding the agency's inspections and enforcement at the plant, plus inspection reports from eight other company factories across the country. The agency denied Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by The Associated Press, saying releasing the records could “interfere with” and “hinder” potential law enforcement investigations. The AP is appealing the denial.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

USDA launches an internal investigation into the deadly Listeria outbreak

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a police chase in Shawnee County.

Just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Buick Park Avenue with an expired license plate near NE Fairchild Street and North Kansas Avenue in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The driver refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. The pursuit ended in the 2700 block of NE Sardou Avenue and the driver was taken into custody.

Stephanie L. Wagner, 31, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, Operating a vehicle without registration, Speeding, Fail to stop at a stop sign, Violating a traffic control signal and No vehicle liability insurance.&nbsp; Wagner also has two warrants for her arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728868684409.png" alt="Wagner photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Wagner photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a police chase in Shawnee County.Just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Buick Park Avenue with an expired license plate near NE Fairchild Street and North Kansas Avenue in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The driver refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. The pursuit ended in the 2700 block of NE Sardou Avenue and the driver was taken into custody.Stephanie L. Wagner, 31, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, Operating a vehicle without registration, Speeding, Fail to stop at a stop sign, Violating a traffic control signal and No vehicle liability insurance.&nbsp; Wagner also has two warrants for her arrest.

Kan. woman wanted on warrants captured after pursuit

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>

As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris sprint to the November finish line, one sprawling policy area has largely fallen out of the spotlight — education.

Though the respective GOP and Democratic presidential candidates have spent comparatively more time campaigning on issues such as immigration, foreign policy and the economy, their ideas surrounding K-12 and higher education vastly differ.

Trump’s education platform vows to “save American education,” with a focus on parental rights, universal school choice and a fight for “patriotic education” in schools.

“By increasing access to school choice, empowering parents to have a voice in their child’s education, and supporting good teachers, President Trump will improve academic excellence for all students,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, said in a statement to States Newsroom.

Trump “believes students should be taught reading, writing, and math in the classroom — not gender, sex and race like the Biden Administration is pushing on our public school system,” Leavitt added.

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has largely focused on the education investments brought by the Biden-Harris administration and building on those efforts if she is elected.

“Over the past four years, the Administration has made unprecedented investments in education, including the single-largest investment in K-12 education in history, which Vice President Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass,” Mia Ehrenberg, a campaign spokesperson, told States Newsroom.

Ehrenberg said that while Harris and her running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, “will build on those investments and continue fighting until every student has the support and the resources they need to thrive, Republicans led by Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda want to cut billions from local K-12 schools and eliminate the Department of Education, undermining America’s students and schools.”

Harris has repeatedly knocked the Heritage Foundation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf" target="_blank">Project 2025</a>&nbsp;— a sweeping conservative agenda that includes education policy proposals like eliminating Head Start, ending time-based and occupation-based student loan forgiveness and barring teachers from using a student’s preferred pronouns different from their “biological sex” without written permission from a parent or guardian.

Trump has fiercely disavowed Project 2025, although some former members of his administration crafted the blueprint.

Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zxfnqj_3XQ" target="_blank">called for shutting down</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Education and said he wants to “move education back to the states.” The department is not the main funding source for K-12 schools, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/elementary-and-secondary-education-expenditures" target="_blank">state and local governments</a>&nbsp;allocate much of those dollars.

In contrast, Harris said at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/lets-fight-it-harris-vows-chart-new-way-forward-defeat-trump" target="_blank">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in August that “we are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”

Living wage for school staff; parental bill of rights

Trump’s education plan calls for creating a “new credentialing body to certify teachers who embrace patriotic values, and understand that their job is not to indoctrinate children, but to educate them.”

He also wants to implement funding boosts for schools that “abolish teacher tenure” for grades K-12 and adopt “merit pay,” establish the direct election of school principals by parents and “drastically cut” the number of school administrators.

In contrast, the&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf" target="_blank">Democratic Party’s 2024 platform</a>&nbsp;calls for recruiting “more new teachers, paraprofessionals and school related personnel, and education support professionals, with the option for some to even start training in high school.”

The platform also aims to help “school-support staff to advance in their own careers with a living wage” and improve working conditions for teachers.

Trump also wants to give funding boosts to schools that adopt a “Parental Bill of Rights that includes complete curriculum transparency, and a form of universal school choice.”

He’s threatening to cut federal funding for schools that teach the primarily collegiate academic subject known as “critical race theory,” gender ideology or “other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.”

The Democrats’ platform opposes “the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education,” adding that “public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”

Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/much-attacked-final-title-ix-rule-goes-effect-while-still-blocked-26-states" target="_blank">released a final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;extending federal protections for LGBTQ+ students.

The updated regulations took effect Aug. 1, but a slew of GOP-led states challenged the measure. The legal battles have created a policy patchwork and weakened the administration’s vision for the final rule.

The updated regulations&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-roll-back-betsy-devos-title-ix-rules" target="_blank">roll back Title IX changes</a>&nbsp;made under the Trump administration and then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

Trump vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qU5EDho3qs" target="_blank">terminate the updated regulations</a>&nbsp;on his first day back in office if reelected.

Harris has repeatedly touted the administration’s record on student loan forgiveness, including nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/biden-harris-administration-approves-additional-12-billion-student-debt" target="_blank">$170 billion</a>&nbsp;in student debt relief for almost 5 million borrowers.

The administration’s most recent student loan repayment initiative came to a grinding halt in August after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bidens-newest-student-loan-repayment-plan-temporarily-blocked-supreme-court" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked</a>&nbsp;the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan.

Although little is mentioned about education in Harris’&nbsp;<a href="https://kamalaharris.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Policy_Book_Economic-Opportunity.pdf" target="_blank">extensive economic plan</a>, the proposal makes clear that the veep will “continue working to end the unreasonable burden of student loan debt and fight to make higher education more affordable, so that college can be a ticket to the middle class.”

She also plans to cut four-year degree requirements for half a million federal jobs.

Trump — who dubbed the Biden-Harris administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-political-rally-racine-wisconsin-june-18-2024/" target="_blank">student loan forgiveness efforts</a>&nbsp;as “not even legal” — sought to repeal the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program during his administration.

His education platform also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-the-american-academy" target="_blank">calls for endowing</a>&nbsp;the “American Academy,” a free, online university.

Trump said he will endow the new institution through the “billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments.”

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris sprint to the November finish line, one sprawling policy area has largely fallen out of the spotlight — education.Though the respective GOP and Democratic presidential candidates have spent comparatively more time campaigning on issues such as immigration, foreign policy and the economy, their ideas surrounding K-12 and higher education vastly differ.Trump’s education platform vows to “save American education,” with a focus on parental rights, universal school choice and a fight for “patriotic education” in schools.“By increasing access to school choice, empowering parents to have a voice in their child’s education, and supporting good teachers, President Trump will improve academic excellence for all students,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, said in a statement to States Newsroom.Trump “believes students should be taught reading, writing, and math in the classroom — not gender, sex and race like the Biden Administration is pushing on our public school system,” Leavitt added.Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has largely focused on the education investments brought by the Biden-Harris administration and building on those efforts if she is elected.“Over the past four years, the Administration has made unprecedented investments in education, including the single-largest investment in K-12 education in history, which Vice President Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass,” Mia Ehrenberg, a campaign spokesperson, told States Newsroom.Ehrenberg said that while Harris and her running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, “will build on those investments and continue fighting until every student has the support and the resources they need to thrive, Republicans led by Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda want to cut billions from local K-12 schools and eliminate the Department of Education, undermining America’s students and schools.”Harris has repeatedly knocked the Heritage Foundation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf" target="_blank">Project 2025</a>&nbsp;— a sweeping conservative agenda that includes education policy proposals like eliminating Head Start, ending time-based and occupation-based student loan forgiveness and barring teachers from using a student’s preferred pronouns different from their “biological sex” without written permission from a parent or guardian.Trump has fiercely disavowed Project 2025, although some former members of his administration crafted the blueprint.<h2>Closing the U.S. Department of Education</h2>Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zxfnqj_3XQ" target="_blank">called for shutting down</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Education and said he wants to “move education back to the states.” The department is not the main funding source for K-12 schools, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/elementary-and-secondary-education-expenditures" target="_blank">state and local governments</a>&nbsp;allocate much of those dollars.In contrast, Harris said at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/lets-fight-it-harris-vows-chart-new-way-forward-defeat-trump" target="_blank">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in August that “we are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”<h2>Living wage for school staff; parental bill of rights</h2>Trump’s education plan calls for creating a “new credentialing body to certify teachers who embrace patriotic values, and understand that their job is not to indoctrinate children, but to educate them.”He also wants to implement funding boosts for schools that “abolish teacher tenure” for grades K-12 and adopt “merit pay,” establish the direct election of school principals by parents and “drastically cut” the number of school administrators.In contrast, the&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf" target="_blank">Democratic Party’s 2024 platform</a>&nbsp;calls for recruiting “more new teachers, paraprofessionals and school related personnel, and education support professionals, with the option for some to even start training in high school.”The platform also aims to help “school-support staff to advance in their own careers with a living wage” and improve working conditions for teachers.Trump also wants to give funding boosts to schools that adopt a “Parental Bill of Rights that includes complete curriculum transparency, and a form of universal school choice.”He’s threatening to cut federal funding for schools that teach the primarily collegiate academic subject known as “critical race theory,” gender ideology or “other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.”The Democrats’ platform opposes “the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education,” adding that “public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”<h2>Title IX&nbsp;</h2>Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/much-attacked-final-title-ix-rule-goes-effect-while-still-blocked-26-states" target="_blank">released a final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;extending federal protections for LGBTQ+ students.The updated regulations took effect Aug. 1, but a slew of GOP-led states challenged the measure. The legal battles have created a policy patchwork and weakened the administration’s vision for the final rule.The updated regulations&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-roll-back-betsy-devos-title-ix-rules" target="_blank">roll back Title IX changes</a>&nbsp;made under the Trump administration and then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.Trump vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qU5EDho3qs" target="_blank">terminate the updated regulations</a>&nbsp;on his first day back in office if reelected.<h2>Student debt and higher education&nbsp;</h2>Harris has repeatedly touted the administration’s record on student loan forgiveness, including nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/biden-harris-administration-approves-additional-12-billion-student-debt" target="_blank">$170 billion</a>&nbsp;in student debt relief for almost 5 million borrowers.The administration’s most recent student loan repayment initiative came to a grinding halt in August after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bidens-newest-student-loan-repayment-plan-temporarily-blocked-supreme-court" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked</a>&nbsp;the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan.Although little is mentioned about education in Harris’&nbsp;<a href="https://kamalaharris.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Policy_Book_Economic-Opportunity.pdf" target="_blank">extensive economic plan</a>, the proposal makes clear that the veep will “continue working to end the unreasonable burden of student loan debt and fight to make higher education more affordable, so that college can be a ticket to the middle class.”She also plans to cut four-year degree requirements for half a million federal jobs.Trump — who dubbed the Biden-Harris administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-political-rally-racine-wisconsin-june-18-2024/" target="_blank">student loan forgiveness efforts</a>&nbsp;as “not even legal” — sought to repeal the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program during his administration.His education platform also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-the-american-academy" target="_blank">calls for endowing</a>&nbsp;the “American Academy,” a free, online university.Trump said he will endow the new institution through the “billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments.”

Education: Where do Harris and Trump stand?

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman was injured in a fire at her apartment in Olathe.

Around 9:30 pm firefighters responded to a kitchen fire in a unit at the&nbsp; Bristol Pointe Apartment Homes, 533 North Somerset Terrace, according to a social media report from Olathe Fire Deparatment.

Johnson County Med Act transported&nbsp; woman with non-life threatening burns was taken to an area burn center.&nbsp; She was burned by hot oil while cooking.

"Every fire reminds us to check our home’s smoke alarms by pressing the test button. And, replace any alarm that is 10 years of age or older."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728986519197.png" alt="Image from Olathe Fire Department video" />
 <figcaption>Image from Olathe Fire Department video</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman was injured in a fire at her apartment in Olathe.Around 9:30 pm firefighters responded to a kitchen fire in a unit at the&nbsp; Bristol Pointe Apartment Homes, 533 North Somerset Terrace, according to a social media report from Olathe Fire Deparatment.Johnson County Med Act transported&nbsp; woman with non-life threatening burns was taken to an area burn center.&nbsp; She was burned by hot oil while cooking."Every fire reminds us to check our home’s smoke alarms by pressing the test button. And, replace any alarm that is 10 years of age or older."

Kan. woman hospitalized after burned by hot oil fire

Zach Wendling <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA —&nbsp;Four secretaries of state and a federal agency director in cybersecurity described their work Wednesday as a line of defense in upholding election integrity and security ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, in explaining the reason for Wednesday’s summit, asked simply, “Why not?” He said the Midwest states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota have demonstrated that elections can be safe, smooth and secure.

“Election security is not static. Election security is not a one-and-done deal. Election security is dynamic,” Evnen said at the news conference. “If you’re going to continue to address these dynamic challenges to elections, then you do so in a dynamic fashion.”

The ‘imperative’ of election confidence

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unomaha.edu/ncite/index.php" target="_blank">National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center</a>, or NCITE, headquartered at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, hosted the event.

Evnen’s three counterparts from Iowa (Paul Pate), Missouri (Jay Ashcroft) and South Dakota (Monae Johnson) joined the event, which Evnen said he expects to be repeated in future years. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab participated in other summit events, including briefings on NCITE research, but was unable to attend the news conference, officials said.

Pate, who is in his fourth term as Iowa’s secretary of state, said he has seen elections evolve and become “more aggressive” in the past two decades, particularly through technology.

Yet election confidence remains essential, Pate said, and secretaries of state are doing everything they can to uphold integrity and security.

“It’s imperative that Americans, and Iowans, have confidence in those election results because the day after the election, if they don’t believe that that’s their governor or their senator or their president, our Republic has fallen without a single bullet being fired,” Pate said. “That’s not acceptable, so we’re going to continue to be vigilant and do what we can on our front.”

Director Jen Easterly of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency</a>, said CISA stands “shoulder to shoulder” with election officials nationwide. She said she has “tremendous confidence” in U.S. elections.

Easterly said CISA was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">established in 2018</a>&nbsp;from a previous U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency in part due to foreign attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election and after election infrastructure was designated as “critical” infrastructure.

The agency helps state and local election officials to prepare for any threats, including ransomware,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nonhazardous-material-found-in-envelope-sent-to-ne-secretary-of-states-office-caution-urged/" target="_blank">physical threats</a>&nbsp;and threats from foreign adversaries (such as Russia, Iran and China). Some of the support the agency provides, Easterly said, are security assessments, hypothetical scenario training and training for de-escalation and anti-active shooter incidents.

“At the end of the day, we know that elections will be safe. They will be secure. They will be free. They will be fair. But there will be things that go wrong,” Easterly said. “The good news is these disruptions, while problematic, will not affect how votes are counted and how votes are cast.”

Evnen said some of the ways that Nebraska has partnered with CISA in the past two years have included weekly scans of all 93 Nebraska county election websites for vulnerabilities, giving local officials “.gov” emails and website addresses and setting up internal protocols for day-to-day security.

“These are important steps we’re taking across Nebraska to ensure that our cyberinfrastructure is protected,” Evnen said.

Pate said those steps are national standards as officials “plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

All five secretaries of state who partnered with NCITE this week are elected Republicans, and Ashcroft said the officials don’t serve just Republicans or Democrats or&nbsp; Libertarians or any other third parties in their respective states.

He said if officials do their job well, they are the basketball ref or linesman of a football game who “no one notices.”

The secretaries of state and Easterly invited more people to get involved in the election process, such as serving as poll workers or watchers, and for anyone who has questions to ask.

“We run elections for the people of the states,” Ashcroft explained. “We run elections for our government because it is how ‘we the people’ decide that our Republic will move forward.”

Ashcroft added that no matter who wins or loses, or which issues pass or fail, “at the end of the day, the American people can drink their beverage of choice and either celebrate or commiserate, but know that they were a part of the decision, that their votes counted and that the votes made a difference.”

The election officials noted that it is typical for “official” results not to be finalized for up to a week after Election Day, but they said that’s due in part due to the need to process provisional ballots, as well as conducting the “checks and balances” needed to ensure accurate results, particularly in close races, or possibly hand-count some ballots.

But for the most part, the secretaries of state said of their jurisdictions, most election results are typically available within a few hours of polls closing on Election Day.

“I believe in getting quick results out, my colleagues do, but we all believe in getting it right, and we believe in making sure that every American, no matter where Uncle Sam has sent them, has the right to participate in our elections,” Ashcroft said, indicating overseas voters.

Johnson, from South Dakota, said the “greatest unease” about the general election is the period between when polls close and when results are finalized. She said officials are workshopping scenarios with public safety teams to ensure that post-election events proceed smoothly and on time.

“Protecting the voting process and its facilitators is a collaborative process, and we have full faith in our state’s ability to overcome any disruptions,” Johnson said.

Gina Ligon, director of NCITE at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said the center, which includes 38 partner universities, is working on four projects, such as tracking threats to election workers through federal charges and possible threats from emerging technologies.

Ligon said the federal charges are the “tip of the iceberg” as federal charges are a “really high bar,” while other NCITE research includes threats or violence specifically against election officials in swing states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia.

Those states have seen the largest spikes in data in recent years, Ligon said.

That project is extending to Nebraska, partially with the competitiveness of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District for president. There are currently no federal charges, according to Ligon.

Other research, out of the University of Arkansas, includes interviews of election workers who have faced threats of violence. Initial research has indicated women don’t always report when they are victims of violence, Ligon said, and that people don’t understand when they cross First Amendment protections from anger to prohibited threats.

“As much as people say this is nothing new&nbsp;— ‘we’ve experienced this for a long time’ — our data just doesn’t support that,” Ligon said.

As of this time, Easterly said, there have been no specific election threats from terrorists, though she noted federal authorities thwarted the apparent plans of an&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/oklahoma-city-man-faces-charges-related-to-planned-election-day-terrorist-attack-authorities-say/" target="_blank">Oklahoma City man</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday and charged him with allegedly plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day in support of ISIS.

“If there are other things that we are seeing from the terrorist landscape, we will ensure that election officials are apprised of that immediately,” Easterly said.

Easterly said the period between Election Day on Nov. 5 and the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 will be critical. She said foreign adversaries will try to create a “wedge” and attempt to “shred our institutions” or sow discord as each milestone of certification and validation passes.

“That’s why it’s up to all of us as Americans — as the secretary (Ashcroft) said, ‘We the people’ — these elections are for us,” Easterly said. “It’s up to all of us to do our part in protecting and preserving our democracy.”

Nebraska Examiner, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729007505031.png" alt=" Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, at podium, leads a news conference Oct. 9, 2024, in Omaha on election security and integrity. Behind him, from left, are Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, Director Jen Easterly of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Director Gina Ligon of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, at podium, leads a news conference Oct. 9, 2024, in Omaha on election security and integrity. Behind him, from left, are Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, Director Jen Easterly of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Director Gina Ligon of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA —&nbsp;Four secretaries of state and a federal agency director in cybersecurity described their work Wednesday as a line of defense in upholding election integrity and security ahead of the Nov. 5 election.Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, in explaining the reason for Wednesday’s summit, asked simply, “Why not?” He said the Midwest states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota have demonstrated that elections can be safe, smooth and secure.“Election security is not static. Election security is not a one-and-done deal. Election security is dynamic,” Evnen said at the news conference. “If you’re going to continue to address these dynamic challenges to elections, then you do so in a dynamic fashion.”<h2>The ‘imperative’ of election confidence</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unomaha.edu/ncite/index.php" target="_blank">National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center</a>, or NCITE, headquartered at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, hosted the event.Evnen’s three counterparts from Iowa (Paul Pate), Missouri (Jay Ashcroft) and South Dakota (Monae Johnson) joined the event, which Evnen said he expects to be repeated in future years. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab participated in other summit events, including briefings on NCITE research, but was unable to attend the news conference, officials said.Pate, who is in his fourth term as Iowa’s secretary of state, said he has seen elections evolve and become “more aggressive” in the past two decades, particularly through technology.Yet election confidence remains essential, Pate said, and secretaries of state are doing everything they can to uphold integrity and security.“It’s imperative that Americans, and Iowans, have confidence in those election results because the day after the election, if they don’t believe that that’s their governor or their senator or their president, our Republic has fallen without a single bullet being fired,” Pate said. “That’s not acceptable, so we’re going to continue to be vigilant and do what we can on our front.”Director Jen Easterly of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency</a>, said CISA stands “shoulder to shoulder” with election officials nationwide. She said she has “tremendous confidence” in U.S. elections.Easterly said CISA was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">established in 2018</a>&nbsp;from a previous U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency in part due to foreign attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election and after election infrastructure was designated as “critical” infrastructure.<h2>Security protocols and training</h2>The agency helps state and local election officials to prepare for any threats, including ransomware,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nonhazardous-material-found-in-envelope-sent-to-ne-secretary-of-states-office-caution-urged/" target="_blank">physical threats</a>&nbsp;and threats from foreign adversaries (such as Russia, Iran and China). Some of the support the agency provides, Easterly said, are security assessments, hypothetical scenario training and training for de-escalation and anti-active shooter incidents.“At the end of the day, we know that elections will be safe. They will be secure. They will be free. They will be fair. But there will be things that go wrong,” Easterly said. “The good news is these disruptions, while problematic, will not affect how votes are counted and how votes are cast.”Evnen said some of the ways that Nebraska has partnered with CISA in the past two years have included weekly scans of all 93 Nebraska county election websites for vulnerabilities, giving local officials “.gov” emails and website addresses and setting up internal protocols for day-to-day security.“These are important steps we’re taking across Nebraska to ensure that our cyberinfrastructure is protected,” Evnen said.Pate said those steps are national standards as officials “plan for the worst and hope for the best.”<h2>Elections for ‘we the people’</h2>All five secretaries of state who partnered with NCITE this week are elected Republicans, and Ashcroft said the officials don’t serve just Republicans or Democrats or&nbsp; Libertarians or any other third parties in their respective states.He said if officials do their job well, they are the basketball ref or linesman of a football game who “no one notices.”The secretaries of state and Easterly invited more people to get involved in the election process, such as serving as poll workers or watchers, and for anyone who has questions to ask.“We run elections for the people of the states,” Ashcroft explained. “We run elections for our government because it is how ‘we the people’ decide that our Republic will move forward.”Ashcroft added that no matter who wins or loses, or which issues pass or fail, “at the end of the day, the American people can drink their beverage of choice and either celebrate or commiserate, but know that they were a part of the decision, that their votes counted and that the votes made a difference.”The election officials noted that it is typical for “official” results not to be finalized for up to a week after Election Day, but they said that’s due in part due to the need to process provisional ballots, as well as conducting the “checks and balances” needed to ensure accurate results, particularly in close races, or possibly hand-count some ballots.But for the most part, the secretaries of state said of their jurisdictions, most election results are typically available within a few hours of polls closing on Election Day.“I believe in getting quick results out, my colleagues do, but we all believe in getting it right, and we believe in making sure that every American, no matter where Uncle Sam has sent them, has the right to participate in our elections,” Ashcroft said, indicating overseas voters.Johnson, from South Dakota, said the “greatest unease” about the general election is the period between when polls close and when results are finalized. She said officials are workshopping scenarios with public safety teams to ensure that post-election events proceed smoothly and on time.“Protecting the voting process and its facilitators is a collaborative process, and we have full faith in our state’s ability to overcome any disruptions,” Johnson said.<h2>NCITE research</h2>Gina Ligon, director of NCITE at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said the center, which includes 38 partner universities, is working on four projects, such as tracking threats to election workers through federal charges and possible threats from emerging technologies.Ligon said the federal charges are the “tip of the iceberg” as federal charges are a “really high bar,” while other NCITE research includes threats or violence specifically against election officials in swing states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia.Those states have seen the largest spikes in data in recent years, Ligon said.That project is extending to Nebraska, partially with the competitiveness of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District for president. There are currently no federal charges, according to Ligon.Other research, out of the University of Arkansas, includes interviews of election workers who have faced threats of violence. Initial research has indicated women don’t always report when they are victims of violence, Ligon said, and that people don’t understand when they cross First Amendment protections from anger to prohibited threats.“As much as people say this is nothing new&nbsp;— ‘we’ve experienced this for a long time’ — our data just doesn’t support that,” Ligon said.<h2>‘It’s up to all of us’</h2>As of this time, Easterly said, there have been no specific election threats from terrorists, though she noted federal authorities thwarted the apparent plans of an&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/oklahoma-city-man-faces-charges-related-to-planned-election-day-terrorist-attack-authorities-say/" target="_blank">Oklahoma City man</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday and charged him with allegedly plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day in support of ISIS.“If there are other things that we are seeing from the terrorist landscape, we will ensure that election officials are apprised of that immediately,” Easterly said.Easterly said the period between Election Day on Nov. 5 and the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 will be critical. She said foreign adversaries will try to create a “wedge” and attempt to “shred our institutions” or sow discord as each milestone of certification and validation passes.“That’s why it’s up to all of us as Americans — as the secretary (Ashcroft) said, ‘We the people’ — these elections are for us,” Easterly said. “It’s up to all of us to do our part in protecting and preserving our democracy.”Nebraska Examiner, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

Midwest secretaries of state host election security and integrity summit

JOHNSON COUNTY —Members of Kansas Task Force 2 are on their way home from hurricane response duty.

While in Florida, the task force teams&nbsp; performed search and rescue efforts with one squad utilizing a boat and another squad using ATV’s, according to a social media report from the Kansas Fire Marshal's office.

Historic flooding remains a concern in the area where Task Force 2 was assigned for their search and rescue efforts. Being unfamiliar with the area, flood concerns are taken seriously so search and rescue operations are not jeopardized.

The Task Force was able to provide some true Kansas hospitality as they helped cook camp breakfast for members of various task forces. This type of teamwork is a great way to build rapport not only for KS-TF2, but also with other task force teams in the same area.

In the field during disaster response, work areas are not the normal office setting many back home enjoy while in the office. For Randy Hill, former Kansas State Fire Marshal Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator and current contractor with the Kansas State Fire Marshal, that means setting up an office in the back of one of the Kansas State Fire Marshal trailers. 

Task Force members adapt and work with what they have so assignments can be completed in safe and timely manners. Kansas Task Force 2 members also assisted Florida-Task Force 7 with getting their new boat built and ready for service so they can continue their search and rescue efforts. 

"Kansas Task Force 2 members have stepped up to the call and delivered professional, meaningful, and much needed assistance to Florida. One of the reasons that is possible is training they receive and their compassion about Search and Rescue response."&nbsp;

&nbsp;On Sunday, Kansas Task Force 2 was notified&nbsp; that they were going to be demobilized and released from their deployment. They began the two-day drive home back to Kansas on Monday.&nbsp; Last week, the Olathe Fire Department welcomed home a portion of Kansas Task Force 1 from their hurricane response duty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728954907312.png" alt="Photos Office of Kansaas Fire Marshal" />
 <figcaption>Photos Office of Kansaas Fire Marshal</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Members of Kansas Task Force 2 are on their way home from hurricane response duty.While in Florida, the task force teams&nbsp; performed search and rescue efforts with one squad utilizing a boat and another squad using ATV’s, according to a social media report from the Kansas Fire Marshal's office.Historic flooding remains a concern in the area where Task Force 2 was assigned for their search and rescue efforts. Being unfamiliar with the area, flood concerns are taken seriously so search and rescue operations are not jeopardized.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728954961719.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Task Force was able to provide some true Kansas hospitality as they helped cook camp breakfast for members of various task forces. This type of teamwork is a great way to build rapport not only for KS-TF2, but also with other task force teams in the same area.In the field during disaster response, work areas are not the normal office setting many back home enjoy while in the office. For Randy Hill, former Kansas State Fire Marshal Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator and current contractor with the Kansas State Fire Marshal, that means setting up an office in the back of one of the Kansas State Fire Marshal trailers. Task Force members adapt and work with what they have so assignments can be completed in safe and timely manners. Kansas Task Force 2 members also assisted Florida-Task Force 7 with getting their new boat built and ready for service so they can continue their search and rescue efforts. "Kansas Task Force 2 members have stepped up to the call and delivered professional, meaningful, and much needed assistance to Florida. One of the reasons that is possible is training they receive and their compassion about Search and Rescue response."&nbsp;&nbsp;On Sunday, Kansas Task Force 2 was notified&nbsp; that they were going to be demobilized and released from their deployment. They began the two-day drive home back to Kansas on Monday.&nbsp; Last week, the Olathe Fire Department welcomed home a portion of Kansas Task Force 1 from their hurricane response duty.

Kansas Task Force 2 on the way home from hurricane Milton response

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a burglary and asking the public for help to identify suspects.

Just before 10:30p.m. October 10, police responded to a report of an auto burglary in the parking lot of a hotel near Midland Drive and Renner Road, in the city of Shawnee.

 The suspects arrived in a newer gray four-door BMW sedan with an unknown license plate. If you have any information or recognize the suspects, please call 913-742-6776.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728927199041.png" alt="Photo Shawnee Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Shawnee Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a burglary and asking the public for help to identify suspects.Just before 10:30p.m. October 10, police responded to a report of an auto burglary in the parking lot of a hotel near Midland Drive and Renner Road, in the city of Shawnee. The suspects arrived in a newer gray four-door BMW sedan with an unknown license plate. If you have any information or recognize the suspects, please call 913-742-6776.

Police ask for help to ID suspects in burglary near Kan. hotel

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two deputies were injured and a suspect is dead following a traffic stop and gun fight early Monday in Callaway County, Missouri.

The preliminary investigation revealed Jonathan A. Beason, 37, of Medina, Texas, was fatally shot after exchanging gunfire with Callaway County Deputies on a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route DD / Route J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

 Beason was located deceased on scene, and a firearm was recovered on scene by Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control investigators.

One deputy is out of surgery and the other was slated for surgery late Monday, according to the Callaway County Sheriff. Both will need extensive time to recover. "Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers."

Just after 3:30a.m. Monday, a Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route&nbsp;DD&nbsp;/ Route&nbsp;J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A second deputy arrived shortly afterward to assist.

During the stop, deputies identified the driver, a 37-year-old man from Texas, as the sole occupant of the vehicle. Callaway County Joint Communications (CCJC) informed the deputies that the driver had multiple felony warrants from out of state. When deputies attempted to take the driver into custody, they notified CCJC that the driver was resisting arrest.

Moments later, deputies reported shots fired. Both deputies were struck by gunfire. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton Police Department, and Columbia Police Department quickly responded to provide assistance. 

The injured deputies were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) to lead the investigation.

"We ask the public to keep both deputies in their thoughts during this difficult time. One deputy is currently in serious condition and undergoing surgery, while the other is in stable condition."

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two deputies were injured and a suspect is dead following a traffic stop and gun fight early Monday in Callaway County, Missouri.The preliminary investigation revealed Jonathan A. Beason, 37, of Medina, Texas, was fatally shot after exchanging gunfire with Callaway County Deputies on a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route DD / Route J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Beason was located deceased on scene, and a firearm was recovered on scene by Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control investigators.One deputy is out of surgery and the other was slated for surgery late Monday, according to the Callaway County Sheriff. Both will need extensive time to recover. "Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers."-------CALLAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two deputies were injured and a suspect is dead following a traffic stop and gun fight early Monday in Callaway County, Missouri.Just after 3:30a.m. Monday, a Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route&nbsp;DD&nbsp;/ Route&nbsp;J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A second deputy arrived shortly afterward to assist.During the stop, deputies identified the driver, a 37-year-old man from Texas, as the sole occupant of the vehicle. Callaway County Joint Communications (CCJC) informed the deputies that the driver had multiple felony warrants from out of state. When deputies attempted to take the driver into custody, they notified CCJC that the driver was resisting arrest.Moments later, deputies reported shots fired. Both deputies were struck by gunfire. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton Police Department, and Columbia Police Department quickly responded to provide assistance. The injured deputies were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) to lead the investigation."We ask the public to keep both deputies in their thoughts during this difficult time. One deputy is currently in serious condition and undergoing surgery, while the other is in stable condition."

Deputies injured after I-70 traffic stop gunfight are recovering

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 37-year-old&nbsp;DeAnthony Guthrie.

Just after 5:30p.m. Sunday patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the parking lot of a convenience store at 35th and Cleveland, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found Guthrie in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS.

Emergency medical personnel pronounced him deceased at the scene, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. This is being investigated as a homicide.

Detectives are woking to determine the events that led up to the shooting and interviewing witnesses. Police have not released any suspect details or reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728902794443.png" alt="POlice on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>POlice on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 37-year-old&nbsp;DeAnthony Guthrie.Just after 5:30p.m. Sunday patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the parking lot of a convenience store at 35th and Cleveland, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found Guthrie in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS.Emergency medical personnel pronounced him deceased at the scene, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. This is being investigated as a homicide.Detectives are woking to determine the events that led up to the shooting and interviewing witnesses. Police have not released any suspect details or reported an arrest.

Police ID man killed in KC convenience store parking lot

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — A Minnesota horticulture teacher remained the reigning champion Monday of an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California where his massive gourds have won the top prize four years in a row.

Travis Gienger, of Anoka, Minnesota, beat his closest competitor by 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) to clinch the victory at the 51st World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.

His winning gourd came in at 2,471 pounds (1,121 kilograms), falling short of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-giant-pumpkin-world-record-dbe2b22743e332998c204f2191b2a46f">the world record</a>&nbsp;he set last year with a pumpkin weighing 2,749 pounds (1,247 kilograms).

Gienger, 44, said that as he has done in the past, he focused on having healthy soil and well-fed plants but that a cold fall with record-breaking rain likely impacted his pumpkin's growth.

“We had really, really tough weather and somehow, some way, I kept on working," Gienger said. “I had to work for this one, and we got it done at the end, but it wasn’t by much.”

Gienger and his family drove his gargantuan gourd for 35 hours to California.

He said the giant pumpkin's next stop will be in Southern California, where a team of professional carvers will do a 3D carve on it at a Halloween event.

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — A Minnesota horticulture teacher remained the reigning champion Monday of an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California where his massive gourds have won the top prize four years in a row.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCNGInews%2Fvideos%2F1526534047969471%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=1" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Travis Gienger, of Anoka, Minnesota, beat his closest competitor by 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) to clinch the victory at the 51st World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.His winning gourd came in at 2,471 pounds (1,121 kilograms), falling short of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-giant-pumpkin-world-record-dbe2b22743e332998c204f2191b2a46f">the world record</a>&nbsp;he set last year with a pumpkin weighing 2,749 pounds (1,247 kilograms).Gienger, 44, said that as he has done in the past, he focused on having healthy soil and well-fed plants but that a cold fall with record-breaking rain likely impacted his pumpkin's growth.“We had really, really tough weather and somehow, some way, I kept on working," Gienger said. “I had to work for this one, and we got it done at the end, but it wasn’t by much.”<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhalfmoonbaypumpkinweighoff%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0pB3gCkVjLZSsMku5iv7Zt5ij3DJg5zho4M5n7cGkfVqmXauFYEJg3TKxijrt9nKQl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="684" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Gienger and his family drove his gargantuan gourd for 35 hours to California.He said the giant pumpkin's next stop will be in Southern California, where a team of professional carvers will do a 3D carve on it at a Halloween event.

Pumpkin weighing 2,471 pounds wins 2024 world championship

JOHNSON COUNTY&nbsp; — A 16-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in connection to a&nbsp;deadly shooting at Olathe’s Black Bob Park&nbsp;in 2022.

The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office says Jacobi Epting, who was 14 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and attempted aggravated robbery.

A court filing says&nbsp;Epting and other teens took masks and a gun&nbsp;with them when they went to Black Bob Park to buy drugs from Cardino.

JOHNSON COUNTY&nbsp; — A 16-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in connection to a&nbsp;deadly shooting at Olathe’s Black Bob Park&nbsp;in 2022.The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office says Jacobi Epting, who was 14 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and attempted aggravated robbery.A court filing says&nbsp;Epting and other teens took masks and a gun&nbsp;with them when they went to Black Bob Park to buy drugs from Cardino.The document also said one of the teenagers told investigators she believed the other teenagers planned to steal the marijuana from Cardino.Olathe police responded to&nbsp;Black Bob Park&nbsp;on May after someone heard gunfire. Officers found Cardino’s body. He’d been shot multiple times.The teenagers went to the park to buy marijuana, according to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.On Jan. 3, 2023, Epting was waived to adult status and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Marco CardinoThe two other teenagers were 13 at the time of Cardino’s death. They are each serving sentences in a juvenile correctional facility. Each teenager will remain in custody until they reach the age of 22 and a half. If either teenager fails to comply with the terms of their sentence, each would serve a 12-year sentence in prison.Sentencing is set for December 27.