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

Democrat praises investment in economy, water policy; blasts K-12 decisions

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly made an end-of-session plea to the Kansas Legislature after signing a massive state budget bill investing in economic development, water resources and disability services while triggering more than 35 vetoes of provisions labeled as unwarranted earmarks, power grabs or financial gaffes.

Kelly, who has leaned on her veto pen in disputes with House and Senate Republicans since taking office in 2019, said she was concerned the budget endangered the state’s long-term fiscal health and could jeopardize funding for essential programs and services that mattered the most to Kansans. She said it was folly for GOP leadership in the Legislature to adjourn the annual session before release of updated revenue reports evaluating financial implications of the budget.

“This budget will put Kansas in the red by fiscal year 2028,” Kelly said Wednesday in a message to the Legislature. “Given the ongoing economic uncertainty we are experiencing, I urge the Legislature to seriously consider revisiting this budget.”

She said Kansas demonstrated financial resilience during the past seven years after enduring damaging tax and spending decisions under a previous governor. She repeated a warning to not ignore the history of careless decisions leading deep cuts, unnecessary debt and higher taxes.

“We risk losing all of that progress and returning to the dark days of four-day school weeks and crumbling roads and bridges if we don’t correct the structural imbalance we are currently facing,” the governor said.

Kelly said she was enthusiastic about portions of Senate Bill 125 that provided $6 million to safeguard Kansas’ water supply, a $1.75 million increase in matching funds for local conservation districts and $3 million for a pilot project to manage sedimentation in John Redmond Reservoir.

She thanked the Legislature for $50 million invested in the state’s aviation industry because those commitments would continue “the state’s historic success” in economy development. She praised lawmakers for allocating $1 million to create rural remote workspaces as well as investments to attract innovative businesses in cybersecurity and biotechnology.

The budget appropriately invested in early childhood education while adding $10 million for special education programs in the state’s K-12 public education system, Kelly said. There was $1.25 million to expand rural child care, she said. The governor appreciated $14 million to help 200 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities move off the state’s waiting list for services.

However, the governor said it was troubling the Legislature didn’t address rising health costs by expanding eligibility for Medicaid. Forty states and the District of Columbia have opened that door to billions of dollars in federal funding aimed at lower-income residents without quality, affordable health care.

“Not only will expanding Medicaid make it easier and more affordable for Kansas families to access health care,” she said, “it would also have substantial economic benefits for Kansans.”

She line-item vetoed a provision requiring the state to unenroll and reenroll people in the Medicaid program at an annual cost of $3.5 million to $4.3 million. She said federal regulations forbid caregivers and parents from being denied Medicaid health care coverage without an individual review. In addition, the governor said, the concept was a “highly inefficient, administratively burdensome, costly process.”

Kelly, known as a public education advocate as governor and during her 14-year tour in the Kansas Senate, said she was disappointed with a collection of budget decisions regarding K-12 schools. She was critical of the elimination of funding for teacher professional development programs and literacy training for teachers.

She objected to the “extremely troubling” decision by the Legislature to finance grants for emergency medical equipment in private schools with money that should be applied to public schools. She suggested the maneuver raised questions about whether lawmakers were challenging Kansas Supreme Court rulings in the Gannon v. State school finance lawsuit that concluded the Legislature violated the Kansas Constitution by inadequately funding schools.

“While I have corrected this via a line-item veto, I remain extremely concerned about the future of education funding in Kansas,” Kelly said. “The Legislature must stop playing games with school finance, especially when it underfunds our public schools and could land the state back in court, relitigating issues we’ve worked to solve in a bipartisan manner.”

The governor also vetoed a budget item that directed school districts to adopt an online curriculum not vetted by the Kansas Board of Education. Constitutional authority for curriculum decisions rested with the elected 10-member state Board of Education, she said.

Kelly used a veto pen to dispatch the appropriation of $3 million to the state treasurer, rather than to an executive branch agency, for operation of the “pregnancy compassion awareness” program. Her veto message recalled the August 2022 statewide vote that defeated a proposed amendment to the Constitution reversing a state Supreme Court decision that women had a basic constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.

“I continue to believe that housing the pregnancy crisis center program in the office of the state treasurer is inappropriate and simply politically motivated,” the governor said. “Kansas women facing unplanned pregnancies deserve meaningful support from medical professionals who can provide evidence-based guidance, not from largely unregulated pregnancy resource centers.”

In addition, Kelly vetoed creation of an “unvetted program with no guardrails” in the office of state treasurer that would help expand the state’s workforce. She said it was inefficient for the Legislature to defund an existing workforce program, “Love, Kansas,” in the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Kelly vetoed a provision in the budget that would have increased the cost of office space for journalists in the Capitol.

“This item appears to be targeted at the Kansas Capitol press corps to stymie their ability to effectively report on the actions occurring in the people’s house,” the governor said. “Provisions like this set a dangerous precedent and undermine one of the core principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.”

Kelly said she couldn’t allow the Legislature to approve a no-bid $1 million earmark for the O’Connell Children’s Shelter in Lawrence. She said the expenditure circumvented established methods of awarding grants that would include rigorous review of qualified applicants.

“We have made great progress towards eliminating no-bid contracts recently,” Kelly said. “We should not take an unnecessary step backwards.”

Kelly vetoed a directive that the state Department of Commerce devote $500,000 to Wichita State University’s aviation research institute to work on unmanned aircraft systems and $500,000 to the Salina campus of Kansas State University for development of a commercial credentialing process for drones.

“The Department of Commerce did not request this item and it did not go through the agency vetting process,” she said. “I cannot ignore the deficiencies in the process that led to this being included in the budget.”

The governor vetoed a $750,000 earmark for a feasibility study on launching a dental school at Wichita State. She urged higher education and dentistry professionals to collaborate on a strategy for starting the school and present it to the 2026 Legislature.

Meanwhile, Kelly vetoed $500,000 to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for a forensic genetic genealogy DNA analysis system to identify human remains. The KBI didn’t request the funding through the normal appropriations process, the governor said.

Kelly deleted a plan calling on the Kansas Highway Patrol to collaborate with a third-party entity to build an aviation hangar in Wichita that would be leased by the state.

She also vetoed “poorly written” provisos directing the state Department of Health and Environment to spend not less than $250,000 on preventing transmission of tuberculosis and a separate requirement that KDHE spend up to $96,000 to control tuberculosis. A $263,000 earmark for cerebral palsy research, not requested by KDHE, was vetoed because “intent behind this budget proviso is unclear,” the governor said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744278649866.jpeg" alt="emocratic Gov. Laura Kelly signed the Republican-led Legislature's large budget bill after issuing dozens of line-item vetoes and recommending lawmaker revisit the blueprint before adjourning the 2025 session. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>emocratic Gov. Laura Kelly signed the Republican-led Legislature's large budget bill after issuing dozens of line-item vetoes and recommending lawmaker revisit the blueprint before adjourning the 2025 session. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Democrat praises investment in economy, water policy; blasts K-12 decisions</h2>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly made an end-of-session plea to the Kansas Legislature after signing a massive state budget bill investing in economic development, water resources and disability services while triggering more than 35 vetoes of provisions labeled as unwarranted earmarks, power grabs or financial gaffes.Kelly, who has leaned on her veto pen in disputes with House and Senate Republicans since taking office in 2019, said she was concerned the budget endangered the state’s long-term fiscal health and could jeopardize funding for essential programs and services that mattered the most to Kansans. She said it was folly for GOP leadership in the Legislature to adjourn the annual session before release of updated revenue reports evaluating financial implications of the budget.“This budget will put Kansas in the red by fiscal year 2028,” Kelly said Wednesday in a message to the Legislature. “Given the ongoing economic uncertainty we are experiencing, I urge the Legislature to seriously consider revisiting this budget.”She said Kansas demonstrated financial resilience during the past seven years after enduring damaging tax and spending decisions under a previous governor. She repeated a warning to not ignore the history of careless decisions leading deep cuts, unnecessary debt and higher taxes.“We risk losing all of that progress and returning to the dark days of four-day school weeks and crumbling roads and bridges if we don’t correct the structural imbalance we are currently facing,” the governor said.<h2>Good news … right thing</h2>Kelly said she was enthusiastic about portions of Senate Bill 125 that provided $6 million to safeguard Kansas’ water supply, a $1.75 million increase in matching funds for local conservation districts and $3 million for a pilot project to manage sedimentation in John Redmond Reservoir.She thanked the Legislature for $50 million invested in the state’s aviation industry because those commitments would continue “the state’s historic success” in economy development. She praised lawmakers for allocating $1 million to create rural remote workspaces as well as investments to attract innovative businesses in cybersecurity and biotechnology.The budget appropriately invested in early childhood education while adding $10 million for special education programs in the state’s K-12 public education system, Kelly said. There was $1.25 million to expand rural child care, she said. The governor appreciated $14 million to help 200 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities move off the state’s waiting list for services.However, the governor said it was troubling the Legislature didn’t address rising health costs by expanding eligibility for Medicaid. Forty states and the District of Columbia have opened that door to billions of dollars in federal funding aimed at lower-income residents without quality, affordable health care.“Not only will expanding Medicaid make it easier and more affordable for Kansas families to access health care,” she said, “it would also have substantial economic benefits for Kansans.”She line-item vetoed a provision requiring the state to unenroll and reenroll people in the Medicaid program at an annual cost of $3.5 million to $4.3 million. She said federal regulations forbid caregivers and parents from being denied Medicaid health care coverage without an individual review. In addition, the governor said, the concept was a “highly inefficient, administratively burdensome, costly process.”<h2>Education, ‘falls short’</h2>Kelly, known as a public education advocate as governor and during her 14-year tour in the Kansas Senate, said she was disappointed with a collection of budget decisions regarding K-12 schools. She was critical of the elimination of funding for teacher professional development programs and literacy training for teachers.She objected to the “extremely troubling” decision by the Legislature to finance grants for emergency medical equipment in private schools with money that should be applied to public schools. She suggested the maneuver raised questions about whether lawmakers were challenging Kansas Supreme Court rulings in the Gannon v. State school finance lawsuit that concluded the Legislature violated the Kansas Constitution by inadequately funding schools.“While I have corrected this via a line-item veto, I remain extremely concerned about the future of education funding in Kansas,” Kelly said. “The Legislature must stop playing games with school finance, especially when it underfunds our public schools and could land the state back in court, relitigating issues we’ve worked to solve in a bipartisan manner.”The governor also vetoed a budget item that directed school districts to adopt an online curriculum not vetted by the Kansas Board of Education. Constitutional authority for curriculum decisions rested with the elected 10-member state Board of Education, she said.<h2>Power grabs</h2>Kelly used a veto pen to dispatch the appropriation of $3 million to the state treasurer, rather than to an executive branch agency, for operation of the “pregnancy compassion awareness” program. Her veto message recalled the August 2022 statewide vote that defeated a proposed amendment to the Constitution reversing a state Supreme Court decision that women had a basic constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.“I continue to believe that housing the pregnancy crisis center program in the office of the state treasurer is inappropriate and simply politically motivated,” the governor said. “Kansas women facing unplanned pregnancies deserve meaningful support from medical professionals who can provide evidence-based guidance, not from largely unregulated pregnancy resource centers.”In addition, Kelly vetoed creation of an “unvetted program with no guardrails” in the office of state treasurer that would help expand the state’s workforce. She said it was inefficient for the Legislature to defund an existing workforce program, “Love, Kansas,” in the Kansas Department of Commerce.Kelly vetoed a provision in the budget that would have increased the cost of office space for journalists in the Capitol.“This item appears to be targeted at the Kansas Capitol press corps to stymie their ability to effectively report on the actions occurring in the people’s house,” the governor said. “Provisions like this set a dangerous precedent and undermine one of the core principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.”<h2>Special-interest earmarks</h2>Kelly said she couldn’t allow the Legislature to approve a no-bid $1 million earmark for the O’Connell Children’s Shelter in Lawrence. She said the expenditure circumvented established methods of awarding grants that would include rigorous review of qualified applicants.“We have made great progress towards eliminating no-bid contracts recently,” Kelly said. “We should not take an unnecessary step backwards.”Kelly vetoed a directive that the state Department of Commerce devote $500,000 to Wichita State University’s aviation research institute to work on unmanned aircraft systems and $500,000 to the Salina campus of Kansas State University for development of a commercial credentialing process for drones.“The Department of Commerce did not request this item and it did not go through the agency vetting process,” she said. “I cannot ignore the deficiencies in the process that led to this being included in the budget.”The governor vetoed a $750,000 earmark for a feasibility study on launching a dental school at Wichita State. She urged higher education and dentistry professionals to collaborate on a strategy for starting the school and present it to the 2026 Legislature.Meanwhile, Kelly vetoed $500,000 to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for a forensic genetic genealogy DNA analysis system to identify human remains. The KBI didn’t request the funding through the normal appropriations process, the governor said.Kelly deleted a plan calling on the Kansas Highway Patrol to collaborate with a third-party entity to build an aviation hangar in Wichita that would be leased by the state.She also vetoed “poorly written” provisos directing the state Department of Health and Environment to spend not less than $250,000 on preventing transmission of tuberculosis and a separate requirement that KDHE spend up to $96,000 to control tuberculosis. A $263,000 earmark for cerebral palsy research, not requested by KDHE, was vetoed because “intent behind this budget proviso is unclear,” the governor said.

Gov. Laura Kelly signs budget bill, issues dozens of line-item vetoes, asks Legislature to try again

By&nbsp;&nbsp;ALANNA DURKIN RICHER&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lolita-c-baldor">LOLITA C. BALDOR</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel has been removed as the acting chief of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives">Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives</a>&nbsp;and has been replaced with the Army secretary, three people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear why Patel was replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to lead the Justice Department agency that’s responsible for enforcing the nation’s gun laws. One person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel move, said Patel was removed at the end of February, just days after he was sworn in.

But that was never publicly announced. Patel on Wednesday afternoon remained on the agency’s website and was identified as the acting director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atf.gov/news/press-releases/doj-atf-repeal-ffl-inspection-policy-and-begin-review-two-final-rules" target="_blank">in an April 7 press release</a>. In March,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1904357301651161468" target="_blank">he posted on social media</a>&nbsp;a note he sent to the ATF workforce that read “special message from the acting director.” And senior ATF leaders were only informed Wednesday of the change, according to another person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move.

Driscoll will remain secretary of the Army, according to a defense official. This puts a defense leader — with an already large job — in charge of a domestic law enforcement agency. U.S. defense officials have historically tried to maintain a strict divide between military forces and law enforcement. U.S. troops are not allowed to participate in law enforcement activities on American soil. They do, however, provide support and intelligence gathering to Custom and Border Protection to help secure the southern border

As Army secretary, Driscoll, 38, heads the U.S. military’s largest service, which has about 452,000 soldiers including thousands who are deployed all over the world. He also oversees dozens of major weapons, aircraft and equipment programs worth billions of dollars and is responsible for an Army budget of more than $187 billion.

Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, said Patel was “briefly designated ATF Director while awaiting Senate confirmations — a standard, short-term move.”

“Director Patel is now excelling in his role at the FBI and delivering outstanding results,” Fields said.

Driscoll, of North Carolina, had served as an adviser to Vice President JD Vance, whom he met when both were attending Yale Law School. He served in the Army for less than four years and left at the rank of first lieutenant.

He ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, getting about 8% of the vote in a crowded field of candidates.

Patel was named acting ATF director in an unusual arrangement in February just days after he was sworn in to lead the FBI, putting him in charge of two separate and sprawling Justice Department agencies.

Justice Department officials have been considering a plan to combine the ATF and the Drug Enforcement Administration into a single agency. The two agencies often work together, along with the FBI, but are both led by separate directors and are tasked with distinctly different missions.

The plan is designed to “achieve efficiencies in resources, case deconfliction, and regulatory efforts,” according to a recent memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The ATF investigates things like violent crime, gun trafficking, arson and bombings. It also provides technical expertise in tracing guns used in crimes and analyzing intelligence in shooting investigations. The DEA, meanwhile, is in charge of enforcing the nation’s laws around drugs. Its agents are focused on combating criminal drug networks and stemming the illicit flow of fentanyl and other street drugs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734452495966.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Patel ahead of his confirmation hearing- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Patel ahead of his confirmation hearing- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;ALANNA DURKIN RICHER&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lolita-c-baldor">LOLITA C. BALDOR</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel has been removed as the acting chief of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives">Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives</a>&nbsp;and has been replaced with the Army secretary, three people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.It was not immediately clear why Patel was replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to lead the Justice Department agency that’s responsible for enforcing the nation’s gun laws. One person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel move, said Patel was removed at the end of February, just days after he was sworn in.But that was never publicly announced. Patel on Wednesday afternoon remained on the agency’s website and was identified as the acting director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atf.gov/news/press-releases/doj-atf-repeal-ffl-inspection-policy-and-begin-review-two-final-rules" target="_blank">in an April 7 press release</a>. In March,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1904357301651161468" target="_blank">he posted on social media</a>&nbsp;a note he sent to the ATF workforce that read “special message from the acting director.” And senior ATF leaders were only informed Wednesday of the change, according to another person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move.Driscoll will remain secretary of the Army, according to a defense official. This puts a defense leader — with an already large job — in charge of a domestic law enforcement agency. U.S. defense officials have historically tried to maintain a strict divide between military forces and law enforcement. U.S. troops are not allowed to participate in law enforcement activities on American soil. They do, however, provide support and intelligence gathering to Custom and Border Protection to help secure the southern borderAs Army secretary, Driscoll, 38, heads the U.S. military’s largest service, which has about 452,000 soldiers including thousands who are deployed all over the world. He also oversees dozens of major weapons, aircraft and equipment programs worth billions of dollars and is responsible for an Army budget of more than $187 billion.Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, said Patel was “briefly designated ATF Director while awaiting Senate confirmations — a standard, short-term move.”“Director Patel is now excelling in his role at the FBI and delivering outstanding results,” Fields said.Driscoll, of North Carolina, had served as an adviser to Vice President JD Vance, whom he met when both were attending Yale Law School. He served in the Army for less than four years and left at the rank of first lieutenant.He ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, getting about 8% of the vote in a crowded field of candidates.Patel was named acting ATF director in an unusual arrangement in February just days after he was sworn in to lead the FBI, putting him in charge of two separate and sprawling Justice Department agencies.Justice Department officials have been considering a plan to combine the ATF and the Drug Enforcement Administration into a single agency. The two agencies often work together, along with the FBI, but are both led by separate directors and are tasked with distinctly different missions.The plan is designed to “achieve efficiencies in resources, case deconfliction, and regulatory efforts,” according to a recent memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.The ATF investigates things like violent crime, gun trafficking, arson and bombings. It also provides technical expertise in tracing guns used in crimes and analyzing intelligence in shooting investigations. The DEA, meanwhile, is in charge of enforcing the nation’s laws around drugs. Its agents are focused on combating criminal drug networks and stemming the illicit flow of fentanyl and other street drugs.

Why was FBI director replaced as acting head of the ATF?

KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man faces charges for a violent robbery that critically injured an 89-year-old woman.

&nbsp;today announced a felony charge against a Kansas City man who snatched a purse from an elderly woman downtown last month.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2565/Locke-Zachary---Complaint">Zachary Locke faces</a>, 42, who snatched a purse from the elderly woman is charged with one count of 1st Degree Robbery, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2564/Locke-Zachary---PC_Redacted">According to court records</a>, on March 24, Kansas City police were dispatched near West 12th Street and Central Street on March 24, where they found the elderly victim lying on the sidewalk. She said she was walking when she felt a tug on her purse from behind. She held on to her purse but fell due to the force of Locke pulling her purse from her. She was taken to an area hospital and sustained multiple broken bones.&nbsp;

Detectives identified the defendant after area canvassing and a review of camera footage. In an interview with detectives, the Locke admitted he stole the victim’s purse and saw her fall to the ground.&nbsp; &nbsp;He is being held without bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744058584219.png" alt="Locke photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Locke photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man faces charges for a violent robbery that critically injured an 89-year-old woman.&nbsp;today announced a felony charge against a Kansas City man who snatched a purse from an elderly woman downtown last month.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2565/Locke-Zachary---Complaint">Zachary Locke faces</a>, 42, who snatched a purse from the elderly woman is charged with one count of 1st Degree Robbery, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2564/Locke-Zachary---PC_Redacted">According to court records</a>, on March 24, Kansas City police were dispatched near West 12th Street and Central Street on March 24, where they found the elderly victim lying on the sidewalk. She said she was walking when she felt a tug on her purse from behind. She held on to her purse but fell due to the force of Locke pulling her purse from her. She was taken to an area hospital and sustained multiple broken bones.&nbsp;Detectives identified the defendant after area canvassing and a review of camera footage. In an interview with detectives, the Locke admitted he stole the victim’s purse and saw her fall to the ground.&nbsp; &nbsp;He is being held without bond.&nbsp;

Man robbed, severely injured 89-year-old Kansas City woman

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a violent Kansas offender on new allegations after an arrest.

Just after 1p.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; Sheriff Deputies responded to a residence to check the welfare of a minor child at 318 Friend Street in the City of Soldier, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 Deputies encountered a man behind the residence who barricaded himself inside a camping trailer. Deputies identified the man as Jose L. P. Alacantar Jr., 52, of Holton. 

Alacantar was wanted for a parole violation. He was on parole for aggravated assault with a weapon. Shortly before 5:30 P.M. Alacantar surrendered to deputies.  Alacantar is being held in the Jackson County Jail for the felony warrant and requested charges that include interference with law enforcement and registered offender violations.&nbsp; He has been registered since January for a conviction in Allen County for felony aggravated assault, use of a deadly weapon, according to the offender registry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744228973082.png" alt="Alcantar photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Alcantar photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a violent Kansas offender on new allegations after an arrest.Just after 1p.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; Sheriff Deputies responded to a residence to check the welfare of a minor child at 318 Friend Street in the City of Soldier, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. Deputies encountered a man behind the residence who barricaded himself inside a camping trailer. Deputies identified the man as Jose L. P. Alacantar Jr., 52, of Holton. Alacantar was wanted for a parole violation. He was on parole for aggravated assault with a weapon. Shortly before 5:30 P.M. Alacantar surrendered to deputies. Alacantar is being held in the Jackson County Jail for the felony warrant and requested charges that include interference with law enforcement and registered offender violations.&nbsp; He has been registered since January for a conviction in Allen County for felony aggravated assault, use of a deadly weapon, according to the offender registry.

Registered offender jailed after standoff at Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) —GOP senators were attending a luncheon when Sen. Roger Marshall stood up and announced that Trump was backing down on most tariffs.

The room responded with applause, some cheers and relief, said senators who were in the meeting.

“It really lightened up the lunch discussion,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, adding that there were “a lot of smiles.”

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., said he was relieved by the announcement and “we all would rather see the market rise than fall.”

Republicans in recent days have become louder with their concerns that Trump’s sweeping tariffs would harm the economy.

In the Senate, they have pushed the White House to negotiate trade deals rather than double down on the tariffs.

WASHINGTON (AP) —GOP senators were attending a luncheon when Sen. Roger Marshall stood up and announced that Trump was backing down on most tariffs.The room responded with applause, some cheers and relief, said senators who were in the meeting.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> knows that America has the largest consumer market in the world — we are in the catbird seat. Trust the plan. This is The Art of the Deal. <a href="https://t.co/xFwMY2DQPT">pic.twitter.com/xFwMY2DQPT</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1910038216570462358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It really lightened up the lunch discussion,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, adding that there were “a lot of smiles.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;No other President would have done what I did... Somebody had to do it. It had to stop because it&#39;s not sustainable. Last year, China made $1 trillion off trade with the United States... Now I&#39;ve reversed it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9BmKdFzLm1">pic.twitter.com/9BmKdFzLm1</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1910049260248191107?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., said he was relieved by the announcement and “we all would rather see the market rise than fall.”Republicans in recent days have become louder with their concerns that Trump’s sweeping tariffs would harm the economy.In the Senate, they have pushed the White House to negotiate trade deals rather than double down on the tariffs.

Kansas U.S. Senator among Republicans cheering Trump’s tariffs news

BROWN COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 6a.m. Wednesday in Brown County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy Silverado driven by Charles Hopp, 98, Highland, was westbound on U.S. 36 just east of Hiawatha.

The pickup traveled left of center and sideswiped an eastbound 2011 Nissan Altima driven by DeAndre&nbsp;Harris, 31, Sabetha. After impact the pickup traveled into the south ditch and struck a KDOT fence. The Nissan rotated counter clockwise off the roadway to the south and came to rest in the ditch.

Harris was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Chapel Oaks Funeral Home. EMS transported Hopp to KU Medical Center.&nbsp; Harris was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

BROWN COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 6a.m. Wednesday in Brown County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy Silverado driven by Charles Hopp, 98, Highland, was westbound on U.S. 36 just east of Hiawatha.The pickup traveled left of center and sideswiped an eastbound 2011 Nissan Altima driven by DeAndre&nbsp;Harris, 31, Sabetha. After impact the pickup traveled into the south ditch and struck a KDOT fence. The Nissan rotated counter clockwise off the roadway to the south and came to rest in the ditch.Harris was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Chapel Oaks Funeral Home. EMS transported Hopp to KU Medical Center.&nbsp; Harris was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kan. man dies after pickup driven by 98-year-old sideswipes a car

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a global market meltdown, President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed down on his tariffs on most nations for 90 days, but raised the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125%.

It was seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war between the U.S. and most of the world to a showdown between the U.S. and China. The S&amp;P 500 stock index jumped nearly 7% after the announcement, but the precise details of Trump's plans to ease tariffs on non-China trade partners were not immediately clear.

Trump posted on Truth Social that because “more than 75 Countries” had reached out to the U.S. government for trade talks and have not retaliated in meaningful way “I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately.”

The 10% tariff was the baseline rate for most nations that went into effect on Saturday. It's meaningfully lower than the 20% tariff that Trump had set for goods from the European Union, 24% on imports from Japan and 25% on products from South Korea. Still, 10% would represent an increase in the tariffs previously charged by the U.S. government.

The announcement came after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">global economy</a>&nbsp;appeared to be in open rebellion against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump's</a>&nbsp;tariffs as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-reciprocal-tariffs-higher-rates-china-9645cf4608a8c153e90bdd10263ccb01">took effect</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, a signal that the U.S. president was not immune from market pressures.

Business executives were warning of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/recession-tariffs-economy-inflation-5a24ff198dcd6813b53f44c662354b6a">potential recession</a>&nbsp;caused by his policies, some of the top U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-europe-trump-2c4f1519373803ac1f7c1744b69812d0">trading partners</a>&nbsp;are retaliating with their own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">import taxes</a>&nbsp;and the stock market is quivering after days of decline.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the walk back was part of some grand negotiating strategy by Trump.

“President Trump created maximum negotiating leverage for himself,” she said, adding that the news media "clearly failed to see what President Trump is doing here. You tried to say that the rest of the world would be moved closer to China, when in fact, we’ve seen the opposite effect the entire world is calling the United States of America, not China, because they need our markets.”

But market pressures had been building for weeks ahead of Trump's move.

Particularly worrisome was that U.S. government debt had lost some of its luster with investors, who usually treat Treasury notes as a safe haven when there's economic turbulence. Government bond prices had been falling, pushing up the interest rate on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note to 4.45%. That rate eased after Trump's reversal.

Gennadiy Goldberg, head of U.S. rates strategy at TD Securities, said before the announcement that markets wanted to see a truce in the trade disputes.

“Markets more broadly, not just the Treasury market, are looking for signs that a trade de-escalation is coming," he said. "Absent any de-escalation, it’s going to be difficult for markets to stabilize.”

John Canavan, lead analyst at the consultancy Oxford Economics, noted that while Trump said he changed course due to possible negotiations, he had previously indicated that the tariffs would stay in place.

“There have been very mixed messages on whether there would be negotiations," Canavan said. "Given what's been going on with the markets, he realized the safest thing to do is negotiate and put things on pause.”

Presidents often receive undue credit or blame for the state of the U.S. economy as their time in the White House is subject to financial and geopolitical forces beyond their direct control.

But by unilaterally imposing tariffs, Trump is exerting extraordinary influence over the flow of commerce, creating political risks and pulling the market in different directions based on his remarks and social media posts. There still appear to be 25% tariffs on autos, steel and aluminum, with more imports set to be tariffed in the weeks ahead.

On CNBC, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said the administration was being less strategic than it was during Trump's first term. His company had in January projected it would have its best financial year in history, only to scrap its expectations for 2025 due to the economic uncertainty.

“Trying to do it all at the same time has created chaos in terms of being able to make plans,” he said, noting that demand for air travel has weakened.

Before Trump's reversal, economic forecasters say his second term has had a series of negative and cascading impacts that could put the country into a downturn.

“Simultaneous shocks to consumer sentiment, corporate confidence, trade, financial markets as well as to prices, new orders and the labor market will tip the economy into recession in the current quarter,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at the consultancy RSM.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously said it could take months to strike deals with countries on tariff rates, and the administration has not been clear on whether the baseline 10% tariffs imposed on most countries will stay in place. But in an appearance on “Mornings with Maria,” Bessent said the economy would “be back to firing on all cylinders” at a point in the “not too distant future.”

He said there has been an "overwhelming" response by “the countries who want to come and sit at the table rather than escalate.” Bessent mentioned Japan, South Korea, and India. "I will note that they are all around China. We have Vietnam coming today,” he said.

What's not yet known is what Trump does with the rest of his tariff agenda. In a Tuesday night speech, he said taxes on imported drugs would happen soon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744220879736.png" alt="President Trump speaking Tuesday night at the National Republican Committee Dinner-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump speaking Tuesday night at the National Republican Committee Dinner-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a global market meltdown, President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed down on his tariffs on most nations for 90 days, but raised the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125%.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: &quot;Do not retaliate and you will be rewarded. So every country in the world wants to come and negotiate. We are willing to hear you. We are going to go down to a 10% baseline tariff for them and China will be raised to 125% due to their insistence on escalation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/dA2HnbmE0M">pic.twitter.com/dA2HnbmE0M</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1910028221120213237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NEW TRUTH SOCIAL FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP: 🇨🇳125% TARIFF ON CHINA 🌎90-DAY PAUSE &amp; LOWERED 10% RECIPROCAL TARIFF FOR OTHER COUNTRIES 🚨EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY <a href="https://t.co/Gt5Bd6276m">pic.twitter.com/Gt5Bd6276m</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1910025543434789291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It was seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war between the U.S. and most of the world to a showdown between the U.S. and China. The S&amp;P 500 stock index jumped nearly 7% after the announcement, but the precise details of Trump's plans to ease tariffs on non-China trade partners were not immediately clear.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 NEW from <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: <a href="https://t.co/HWEV2vb225">pic.twitter.com/HWEV2vb225</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1910019818910015687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump posted on Truth Social that because “more than 75 Countries” had reached out to the U.S. government for trade talks and have not retaliated in meaningful way “I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately.”The 10% tariff was the baseline rate for most nations that went into effect on Saturday. It's meaningfully lower than the 20% tariff that Trump had set for goods from the European Union, 24% on imports from Japan and 25% on products from South Korea. Still, 10% would represent an increase in the tariffs previously charged by the U.S. government.The announcement came after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">global economy</a>&nbsp;appeared to be in open rebellion against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump's</a>&nbsp;tariffs as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-reciprocal-tariffs-higher-rates-china-9645cf4608a8c153e90bdd10263ccb01">took effect</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, a signal that the U.S. president was not immune from market pressures.Business executives were warning of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/recession-tariffs-economy-inflation-5a24ff198dcd6813b53f44c662354b6a">potential recession</a>&nbsp;caused by his policies, some of the top U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-europe-trump-2c4f1519373803ac1f7c1744b69812d0">trading partners</a>&nbsp;are retaliating with their own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">import taxes</a>&nbsp;and the stock market is quivering after days of decline.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the walk back was part of some grand negotiating strategy by Trump.“President Trump created maximum negotiating leverage for himself,” she said, adding that the news media "clearly failed to see what President Trump is doing here. You tried to say that the rest of the world would be moved closer to China, when in fact, we’ve seen the opposite effect the entire world is calling the United States of America, not China, because they need our markets.”But market pressures had been building for weeks ahead of Trump's move.Particularly worrisome was that U.S. government debt had lost some of its luster with investors, who usually treat Treasury notes as a safe haven when there's economic turbulence. Government bond prices had been falling, pushing up the interest rate on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note to 4.45%. That rate eased after Trump's reversal.Gennadiy Goldberg, head of U.S. rates strategy at TD Securities, said before the announcement that markets wanted to see a truce in the trade disputes.“Markets more broadly, not just the Treasury market, are looking for signs that a trade de-escalation is coming," he said. "Absent any de-escalation, it’s going to be difficult for markets to stabilize.”John Canavan, lead analyst at the consultancy Oxford Economics, noted that while Trump said he changed course due to possible negotiations, he had previously indicated that the tariffs would stay in place.“There have been very mixed messages on whether there would be negotiations," Canavan said. "Given what's been going on with the markets, he realized the safest thing to do is negotiate and put things on pause.”Presidents often receive undue credit or blame for the state of the U.S. economy as their time in the White House is subject to financial and geopolitical forces beyond their direct control.But by unilaterally imposing tariffs, Trump is exerting extraordinary influence over the flow of commerce, creating political risks and pulling the market in different directions based on his remarks and social media posts. There still appear to be 25% tariffs on autos, steel and aluminum, with more imports set to be tariffed in the weeks ahead.On CNBC, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said the administration was being less strategic than it was during Trump's first term. His company had in January projected it would have its best financial year in history, only to scrap its expectations for 2025 due to the economic uncertainty.“Trying to do it all at the same time has created chaos in terms of being able to make plans,” he said, noting that demand for air travel has weakened.Before Trump's reversal, economic forecasters say his second term has had a series of negative and cascading impacts that could put the country into a downturn.“Simultaneous shocks to consumer sentiment, corporate confidence, trade, financial markets as well as to prices, new orders and the labor market will tip the economy into recession in the current quarter,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at the consultancy RSM.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously said it could take months to strike deals with countries on tariff rates, and the administration has not been clear on whether the baseline 10% tariffs imposed on most countries will stay in place. But in an appearance on “Mornings with Maria,” Bessent said the economy would “be back to firing on all cylinders” at a point in the “not too distant future.”He said there has been an "overwhelming" response by “the countries who want to come and sit at the table rather than escalate.” Bessent mentioned Japan, South Korea, and India. "I will note that they are all around China. We have Vietnam coming today,” he said.What's not yet known is what Trump does with the rest of his tariff agenda. In a Tuesday night speech, he said taxes on imported drugs would happen soon.

President Trump explains why he will pause tariffs on most nations for 90 days

Governor signs bill tweaking K-12 public school graduation rate calculations

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation Tuesday establishing a task force dedicated to developing a long-term investment strategy for Kansas water resources modeled after the state’s rolling 10-year transportation program.

The Democratic governor praised members of the Republican-led Legislature for approving&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2172_00_03252025.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2172</a>&nbsp;to create a dedicated funding source for addressing&nbsp; the state’s water challenges. The task force with 13 voting members must work to get a better handle on evaluation of water appropriations and state water laws.&nbsp; The task force will submit to Kelly and the Legislature a preliminary report in 2026 and a final report in 2027.

“Developing a comprehensive, long-term and sustainable water program is long overdue and a significant step forward in ensuring Kansas’ water supply is preserved for generations to come,” Kelly said. “I commend the Legislature for advancing my proposal and acting on this critical issue.”

The bill passed the House on a vote of 116-8 and it received unanimous support in the Senate. In January, Kelly recommended the Legislature authorize the task force. The Kansas Water Authority and Kelly administration conducted 14 public meetings last year to gather input on water policy.

The task force, with members from each of the state’s five conservation regions, must work to evaluate major risks to Kansas’ water quality and quantity, including issues of current and future economic growth. It must evaluate water infrastructure needs in every corner of the state.

“This is a critical step forward in addressing Kansas’ water challenges by establishing a dedicated task force and work group to guide our state’s water policy and funding decisions,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover.&nbsp;“This bill reflects a bipartisan legislative commitment to ensuring sustainable water resources for future generations, and I’m proud to see it move forward with the governor’s support.”

Kelly also signed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_sb45_01_032525.pdf" target="_blank">Senate Bill 45</a>, which created an alternative school district graduation rate calculation that excluded students who transferred to homeschools and nonaccredited private schools or who enrolled as a credit-deficient student.

The governor signed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/supp_note_sb54_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">Senate Bill 54</a>&nbsp;to require disclosure in court proceedings of third-party litigation funding agreements as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2118_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2118</a>&nbsp;requiring private entities that solicit a fee for filing or retrieving government documents to tell consumers the solicitations weren’t made on behalf of a government agency.

Kelly put a signature to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2030_01_03242025.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2030</a>&nbsp;to exclude dealers and manufacturers of nonmotorized trailers from the vehicle dealers licensing law. It wouldn’t apply to dealers of semitrailers and travel trailers.

Her signing of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2122_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2122</a>&nbsp;meant the annual license fee of electric and hybrid vehicles would increase. The fee for electric hybrid vehicles would go from $50 to $70, while the plug-in electric hybrid vehicle fee would rise from $50 to $100. The all-electric vehicle would be hit with a fee of $165, up from $100.

She placed into law contents of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2016_01_03242025.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2016</a>&nbsp;to give active military members, their spouses and dependents stationed in Kansas but maintaining residency in another state to serve as poll workers for Kansas elections. In addition, the bill permitted county election officers to rely on obituaries posted online to remove a voter’s name from registration books.

The governor agreed to sign&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2168_01_03242025landsurveyreports.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2168</a>&nbsp;to extend the time required for filing of public land surveys from 30 days to 90 days to comply with industry standards. Meanwhile, Kelly signed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2242_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2242</a>&nbsp;to authorize a Kansas governor to accept requests for concurrent jurisdiction from the federal government.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729533905311.png" alt="&nbsp;Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signs a bill complying with her request for the Legislature to create a special task force to put together a comprehensive&nbsp;water planning and investment task force modeled after the state's 10-year planning horizon for highway projects. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signs a bill complying with her request for the Legislature to create a special task force to put together a comprehensive&nbsp;water planning and investment task force modeled after the state's 10-year planning horizon for highway projects. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Governor signs bill tweaking K-12 public school graduation rate calculations</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation Tuesday establishing a task force dedicated to developing a long-term investment strategy for Kansas water resources modeled after the state’s rolling 10-year transportation program.The Democratic governor praised members of the Republican-led Legislature for approving&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2172_00_03252025.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2172</a>&nbsp;to create a dedicated funding source for addressing&nbsp; the state’s water challenges. The task force with 13 voting members must work to get a better handle on evaluation of water appropriations and state water laws.&nbsp; The task force will submit to Kelly and the Legislature a preliminary report in 2026 and a final report in 2027.“Developing a comprehensive, long-term and sustainable water program is long overdue and a significant step forward in ensuring Kansas’ water supply is preserved for generations to come,” Kelly said. “I commend the Legislature for advancing my proposal and acting on this critical issue.”The bill passed the House on a vote of 116-8 and it received unanimous support in the Senate. In January, Kelly recommended the Legislature authorize the task force. The Kansas Water Authority and Kelly administration conducted 14 public meetings last year to gather input on water policy.The task force, with members from each of the state’s five conservation regions, must work to evaluate major risks to Kansas’ water quality and quantity, including issues of current and future economic growth. It must evaluate water infrastructure needs in every corner of the state.“This is a critical step forward in addressing Kansas’ water challenges by establishing a dedicated task force and work group to guide our state’s water policy and funding decisions,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover.&nbsp;“This bill reflects a bipartisan legislative commitment to ensuring sustainable water resources for future generations, and I’m proud to see it move forward with the governor’s support.”Kelly also signed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_sb45_01_032525.pdf" target="_blank">Senate Bill 45</a>, which created an alternative school district graduation rate calculation that excluded students who transferred to homeschools and nonaccredited private schools or who enrolled as a credit-deficient student.The governor signed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/supp_note_sb54_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">Senate Bill 54</a>&nbsp;to require disclosure in court proceedings of third-party litigation funding agreements as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2118_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2118</a>&nbsp;requiring private entities that solicit a fee for filing or retrieving government documents to tell consumers the solicitations weren’t made on behalf of a government agency.Kelly put a signature to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2030_01_03242025.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2030</a>&nbsp;to exclude dealers and manufacturers of nonmotorized trailers from the vehicle dealers licensing law. It wouldn’t apply to dealers of semitrailers and travel trailers.Her signing of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2122_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2122</a>&nbsp;meant the annual license fee of electric and hybrid vehicles would increase. The fee for electric hybrid vehicles would go from $50 to $70, while the plug-in electric hybrid vehicle fee would rise from $50 to $100. The all-electric vehicle would be hit with a fee of $165, up from $100.She placed into law contents of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2016_01_03242025.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2016</a>&nbsp;to give active military members, their spouses and dependents stationed in Kansas but maintaining residency in another state to serve as poll workers for Kansas elections. In addition, the bill permitted county election officers to rely on obituaries posted online to remove a voter’s name from registration books.The governor agreed to sign&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2168_01_03242025landsurveyreports.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2168</a>&nbsp;to extend the time required for filing of public land surveys from 30 days to 90 days to comply with industry standards. Meanwhile, Kelly signed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2242_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2242</a>&nbsp;to authorize a Kansas governor to accept requests for concurrent jurisdiction from the federal government.

Kelly signs bill creating long-term water resource planning, investment task force

TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health reported eight new case of measles over the past week in the state, according to the the KDHE's online reportable infections disease web site. One person is hospitalized.

Kansas has 32 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state as of Wednesday, including Morton Stevens, Haskell, Kiowa, Grant, and Gray counties. Finney and Ford county are new to the list with active outbreaks.

The state's first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.

Already, the U.S. has more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">Other states with outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Ohio and Oklahoma. Since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.

The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. The World Health Organization said last week that cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;are linked to the Texas outbreak.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.

Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.

A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.

Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.

People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”

But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744217207299.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health reported eight new case of measles over the past week in the state, according to the the KDHE's online reportable infections disease web site. One person is hospitalized.Kansas has 32 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state as of Wednesday, including Morton Stevens, Haskell, Kiowa, Grant, and Gray counties. Finney and Ford county are new to the list with active outbreaks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744217094136.png" alt="Outbreak counties in yellow-KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Outbreak counties in yellow-KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>The state's first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744217179217.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Already, the U.S. has more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">Other states with outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Ohio and Oklahoma. Since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. The World Health Organization said last week that cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;are linked to the Texas outbreak.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.<h2>Do you need an MMR booster?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<h2>Why do vaccination rates matter?</h2>In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

KDHE: Measles now reported in 8 counties in Kansas

SEDGWICK, Kan. — Two unauthorized individuals gained access to a Sedgwick school building in the 400 West 4th Street in Sedgwick on Tuesday afternoon prompting a swift response from staff and law enforcement, according to USD 439 Superintendent Dr. Rae Niles.

In a message sent to parents and guardians, Niles said the incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. when two men entered a school building through a side door. A high school senior working as a student aide initially turned the pair away at the grade school entrance, instructing them to go to the high school’s main entrance. The men then spent nearly an hour wandering school grounds before being let in by a student through a side door.

Once inside, the men ended up in the school courtyard, where Mavis, the district’s therapy dog, alerted staff to their presence. Librarian Leah Gaede spotted the intruders and contacted elementary principal Julie Scott, who escorted them to the high school office before they were removed from the building.

“There could have been a far worse outcome, but it was a frightening situation nonetheless,” Niles wrote.

Authorities later identified the two men, who were located at their home in Park City. Niles said they are not connected to the Sedgwick community and have never attended school there. The district worked with local police to issue trespass orders against both individuals. Photos of the men have been distributed to staff and posted in school offices.

Emergency staff meetings were held Wednesday morning to reinforce security protocols and remind employees of the importance of reporting unauthorized individuals. Students were also briefed on safety practices, including the district’s “See Something, Say Something” policy.

Niles emphasized that the district will be reviewing and strengthening safety procedures in the coming weeks and thanked families for their continued support.

“We know we can always do better,” she said. “Keeping your child safe is our top priority.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744214256071.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK, Kan. — Two unauthorized individuals gained access to a Sedgwick school building in the 400 West 4th Street in Sedgwick on Tuesday afternoon prompting a swift response from staff and law enforcement, according to USD 439 Superintendent Dr. Rae Niles.In a message sent to parents and guardians, Niles said the incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. when two men entered a school building through a side door. A high school senior working as a student aide initially turned the pair away at the grade school entrance, instructing them to go to the high school’s main entrance. The men then spent nearly an hour wandering school grounds before being let in by a student through a side door.Once inside, the men ended up in the school courtyard, where Mavis, the district’s therapy dog, alerted staff to their presence. Librarian Leah Gaede spotted the intruders and contacted elementary principal Julie Scott, who escorted them to the high school office before they were removed from the building.“There could have been a far worse outcome, but it was a frightening situation nonetheless,” Niles wrote.Authorities later identified the two men, who were located at their home in Park City. Niles said they are not connected to the Sedgwick community and have never attended school there. The district worked with local police to issue trespass orders against both individuals. Photos of the men have been distributed to staff and posted in school offices.Emergency staff meetings were held Wednesday morning to reinforce security protocols and remind employees of the importance of reporting unauthorized individuals. Students were also briefed on safety practices, including the district’s “See Something, Say Something” policy.Niles emphasized that the district will be reviewing and strengthening safety procedures in the coming weeks and thanked families for their continued support.“We know we can always do better,” she said. “Keeping your child safe is our top priority.”

Unauthorized entry at Kan. school prompts security response, policy review

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man found guilty for his role in a deadly crash while racing another car will learn his fate today.

Ahmed Juma, 22, Wichita, is scheduled to appear before&nbsp;Judge Quentin Pittman for sentencing.

He was originally charged with two counts reckless involuntary manslaughter and two alternative counts of involuntary manslaughter in commission of another crime: racing.

Just before 2:30a.m. November 15, 2023, a Lexus GS350 driven by Juma was westbound in the 6200 Block of East Pawnee, according to Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs. The Lexus left the road, struck a utility pole, rolled and all three occupants were ejected.

The rear passenger Carol Chakra, 19, Wichita, was pronounced deceased on scene, according to Gibbs. EMS transported the front seat passenger Lian Awadi 19, Wichita, to a local hospital in critical condition and she later died.&nbsp; Juma was treated at a local hospital and released.

The second vehicle at the scene did not have any physical contact with the Lexus however the occupants knew the individuals involved in the collision. It does not appear alcohol was a factor in the crash at this time. Speed is a likely factor, Lt. Gibbs reported at the time of the preliminary investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737649438557.png" alt="Juma-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Juma-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man found guilty for his role in a deadly crash while racing another car will learn his fate today.Ahmed Juma, 22, Wichita, is scheduled to appear before&nbsp;Judge Quentin Pittman for sentencing.He was originally charged with two counts reckless involuntary manslaughter and two alternative counts of involuntary manslaughter in commission of another crime: racing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700074597542.png" alt="View of the crash scene -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>View of the crash scene -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 2:30a.m. November 15, 2023, a Lexus GS350 driven by Juma was westbound in the 6200 Block of East Pawnee, according to Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs. The Lexus left the road, struck a utility pole, rolled and all three occupants were ejected.The rear passenger Carol Chakra, 19, Wichita, was pronounced deceased on scene, according to Gibbs. EMS transported the front seat passenger Lian Awadi 19, Wichita, to a local hospital in critical condition and she later died.&nbsp; Juma was treated at a local hospital and released.The second vehicle at the scene did not have any physical contact with the Lexus however the occupants knew the individuals involved in the collision. It does not appear alcohol was a factor in the crash at this time. Speed is a likely factor, Lt. Gibbs reported at the time of the preliminary investigation.

Sentencing Day: Kansas street racing crash killed two women

NEMAHA COUNTY —The community of Seneca, Kansas will honor a beloved priest who was shot and killed last week .

Father Arul Carasala&nbsp;will lie in state at Saints Peter &amp; Paul Catholic Church on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Rosary prayers will be offered at 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and 7:00 PM, according to Lauer Funeral Home.

He will lie in state with an overnight vigil until 9:00 AM on Thursday.&nbsp; A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, April 10, 2025. 

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/nTkaBA4zrAY">Click here to view </a>the Mass streamed on YouTube.&nbsp;

 Following the service, Father Arul will return to India, where a Funeral Mass will be celebrated at his home parish, Sacred Heart Church, Kilachery Parish in Kilacheri, Tamil Nadu. His Funeral Mass will be live streamed on YouTube. He will be laid to rest at Sacred Heart Church Cemetery with his parents.

Memorials may be made to Fr. Arul Carasala Memorial 411 Pioneer Seneca, Kansas 66538.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.lauerfuneralhome.com/obituary/father-arul-raj-balaswamy-carasala/">Click here to read the full obituary.</a>

Gary Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. was charged Friday with Carasal's murder. He is being held in the Nemaha County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond, according to the Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert.

The charging complaint says that Hermesch “intentionally and with premeditation” killed Carasala, Lippert said. Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting or said whether the suspect and the priest knew each other.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744196756788.png" alt="Father Arul Carasala" />
 <figcaption>Father Arul Carasala</figcaption>
 </figure>NEMAHA COUNTY —The community of Seneca, Kansas will honor a beloved priest who was shot and killed last week .Father Arul Carasala&nbsp;will lie in state at Saints Peter &amp; Paul Catholic Church on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Rosary prayers will be offered at 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and 7:00 PM, according to Lauer Funeral Home.He will lie in state with an overnight vigil until 9:00 AM on Thursday.&nbsp; A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, April 10, 2025. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/nTkaBA4zrAY">Click here to view </a>the Mass streamed on YouTube.&nbsp; Following the service, Father Arul will return to India, where a Funeral Mass will be celebrated at his home parish, Sacred Heart Church, Kilachery Parish in Kilacheri, Tamil Nadu. His Funeral Mass will be live streamed on YouTube. He will be laid to rest at Sacred Heart Church Cemetery with his parents.Memorials may be made to Fr. Arul Carasala Memorial 411 Pioneer Seneca, Kansas 66538.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.lauerfuneralhome.com/obituary/father-arul-raj-balaswamy-carasala/">Click here to read the full obituary.</a>Gary Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. was charged Friday with Carasal's murder. He is being held in the Nemaha County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond, according to the Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert.The charging complaint says that Hermesch “intentionally and with premeditation” killed Carasala, Lippert said. Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting or said whether the suspect and the priest knew each other.

Memorial services for slain Kansas priest 

RENO COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a rural home in Reno County.

Just before 1:30a.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a fire at a home in the 1600 Block of North Wilson Road, according to a media release from Jeremy Unruh Division Chief of Operations.

First arriving crews found the single story home with heavy fire. The detached garage and a 28-foot camper were also burning.&nbsp; Crews started a defensive attack as rural water supply operations were initiated with the assistance of mutual aid water tenders.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Crews were eventually able to knock down a majority of the fire and enter the home. The occupants were not home at the time of the fire. The garage and camper are a total loss. The fire damage approximately 70 percent of the home.&nbsp; Wind&nbsp; was a significant factor with the behavior of the fire. There were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744195260743.png" alt="Photos Hutchinson Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Hutchinson Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a rural home in Reno County.Just before 1:30a.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a fire at a home in the 1600 Block of North Wilson Road, according to a media release from Jeremy Unruh Division Chief of Operations.First arriving crews found the single story home with heavy fire. The detached garage and a 28-foot camper were also burning.&nbsp; Crews started a defensive attack as rural water supply operations were initiated with the assistance of mutual aid water tenders.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744195917193.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Crews were eventually able to knock down a majority of the fire and enter the home. The occupants were not home at the time of the fire. The garage and camper are a total loss. The fire damage approximately 70 percent of the home.&nbsp; Wind&nbsp; was a significant factor with the behavior of the fire. There were no injuries reported.

Wind driven fire damages rural Kansas home, destroys garage and camper 

CRAWFORD COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a vehicle in crash and looking for the driver who left a lot of merchandise behind.

On Tuesday, the Crawford County Kansas Sheriff shared photos of a crash involving a Chrysler 300.&nbsp; The Sheriff's office wrote, "Heyyyyy… if you left your camouflage Chrysler 300 with those stolen guns and the weed in it, we’d like to speak with you! Give us a call! 620-724-8274"

The sheriff's office did not report if they had received a response or possibly made an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744147265812.png" alt="Photos Crawford Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Crawford Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>CRAWFORD COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a vehicle in crash and looking for the driver who left a lot of merchandise behind.On Tuesday, the Crawford County Kansas Sheriff shared photos of a crash involving a Chrysler 300.&nbsp; The Sheriff's office wrote, "Heyyyyy… if you left your camouflage Chrysler 300 with those stolen guns and the weed in it, we’d like to speak with you! Give us a call! 620-724-8274"<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744147484559.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The sheriff's office did not report if they had received a response or possibly made an arrest.

Kan. sheriff looking for crash victims who left stolen guns behind

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run have identified the victim as 66-year-old Jeffrey Leigh of Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 8:30a.m. April 1, police were dispatched to report of an accident in the 4300 block of State Line Road, according to a statement from KCK Officer Jovanna Cheatum.

When officers arrived on scene, they located a pedestrian later identified as Leigh deceased in the roadway. The initial investigation revealed a large construction dump truck struck Leigh and left the scene. Police&nbsp;located the driver of the vehicle, according to Cheatum. They are cooperating with detectives.&nbsp; An autopsy on the victim helped police identify him.

This remains incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743534048942.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run have identified the victim as 66-year-old Jeffrey Leigh of Kansas City, Missouri.Just after 8:30a.m. April 1, police were dispatched to report of an accident in the 4300 block of State Line Road, according to a statement from KCK Officer Jovanna Cheatum.When officers arrived on scene, they located a pedestrian later identified as Leigh deceased in the roadway. The initial investigation revealed a large construction dump truck struck Leigh and left the scene. Police&nbsp;located the driver of the vehicle, according to Cheatum. They are cooperating with detectives.&nbsp; An autopsy on the victim helped police identify him.This remains incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division.

Police ID victim in fatal dump truck, pedestrian hit-and-run

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether federal law preempts thousands of state lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller could cause cancer.

Bayer's new request to the nation's highest court comes as it is simultaneously pursing legislation in several states seeking to erect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-legislation-glyphosate-roundup-lawsuits-cancer-warning-4fa2e6662479f3e60a409ce4439a40ed">a legal shield against lawsuits</a>&nbsp;targeting Roundup, a commonly used weedkiller for both farms and homes. Bayer disputes the cancer claims but has set aside $16 billion to settle cases and asserted Monday that the future of American agriculture is at stake.

In a court filing, Bayer urged the Supreme Court to take up a Missouri case that awarded $1.25 million to a man who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after spraying Roundup on a community garden in St. Louis. The federally approved label for Roundup includes no warning of cancer. Bayer contends federal pesticide laws preempt states from adopting additional labeling for products and thus prohibits failure-to-warn lawsuits brought under state laws.

The Supreme Court in 2022 declined to hear a similar claim from Bayer in a California case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-environment-and-nature-california-san-francisco-b0ef61238f5e83778fb12e748bc97593">awarded more than $86 million</a>&nbsp;to a married couple.

But Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Roundup maker Monsanto in 2018, contends the Supreme Court should intervene now because lower courts have issued conflicting rulings. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Bayer's favor last year while the 9th and 11th Circuits have ruled against its stance.

An attorney representing the St. Louis gardener said Bayer is “really grasping at straws."

“The reality is they don’t want to put the warning on it because they’re afraid" that if people "realize it’s unsafe, it will reduce sales,” said attorney Jim Onder, whose firm has more than 20,000 clients with failure-to-warn claims regarding Roundup.

Bayer faces about 181,000 Roundup claims, mostly from residential users.

Because of that, Bayer stopped using the key ingredient glyphosate in Roundup sold for home uses. But glyphosate remains in agricultural products. It's designed to be used with genetically modified seeds that can resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect, thus allowing farmers to produce more while conserving the soil by tilling it less.

Bayer has said it might have to consider pulling glyphosate from U.S. agricultural markets if the lawsuits persist.

“This is a bigger threat to innovation in general, when we think about agriculture," said Jess Christiansen, head of communications for Bayer’s crop science division. "If glyphosate falls to the litigation industry, what could be next?”

Bayer has made similar arguments to lawmakers in several states. Georgia recently became the first to pass legislation backed by Bayer that would deem federally approved pesticide labels sufficient to satisfy any state-law duty to warn customers. Gov. Brian Kemp has not indicated whether he will sign the bill.

A jury in Georgia recently ordered Bayer to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roundup-monsanto-cancer-lawsuit-2-billion-7f903acb350dd6f6ce09b102914eabc1">pay nearly $2.1 billion</a>&nbsp;to a man who claimed Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Legislation barring similar state failure-to-warn claims for pesticide makers passed the Tennessee Senate on Thursday and the North Dakota House earlier this year and is now pending in the second chamber in each state.

Bayer also has focused heavily on Missouri and Iowa, home respectively to its North America crop science division and a Roundup manufacturing facility.

The Republicna-led Missouri House narrowly passed the legislation in February. But a coalition of Republican senators has vowed to block it. State Sen. Nick Schroer has said it “would be a betrayal to the public trust” and the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial to grant “immunity” to pesticide manufactures against particular legal claims.

Similar legislation advanced through the Iowa Senate this year with exclusively Republican support. But the Iowa House declined to bring the bill forward before last week’s legislative deadline. Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley told reporters Thursday “there’s not support” within the Republican House caucus at this time.

The bill drew staunch opposition from environmental justice groups that denounced it as a “cancer gag act,” saying it would limit the rights of Iowans to hold pesticide companies accountable if their products cause harm. During a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">February protest</a>&nbsp;at the Iowa capitol building, speakers took turns telling stories of family members throughout the state who have been diagnosed with cancers.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether federal law preempts thousands of state lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller could cause cancer.Bayer's new request to the nation's highest court comes as it is simultaneously pursing legislation in several states seeking to erect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-legislation-glyphosate-roundup-lawsuits-cancer-warning-4fa2e6662479f3e60a409ce4439a40ed">a legal shield against lawsuits</a>&nbsp;targeting Roundup, a commonly used weedkiller for both farms and homes. Bayer disputes the cancer claims but has set aside $16 billion to settle cases and asserted Monday that the future of American agriculture is at stake.In a court filing, Bayer urged the Supreme Court to take up a Missouri case that awarded $1.25 million to a man who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after spraying Roundup on a community garden in St. Louis. The federally approved label for Roundup includes no warning of cancer. Bayer contends federal pesticide laws preempt states from adopting additional labeling for products and thus prohibits failure-to-warn lawsuits brought under state laws.The Supreme Court in 2022 declined to hear a similar claim from Bayer in a California case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-environment-and-nature-california-san-francisco-b0ef61238f5e83778fb12e748bc97593">awarded more than $86 million</a>&nbsp;to a married couple.But Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Roundup maker Monsanto in 2018, contends the Supreme Court should intervene now because lower courts have issued conflicting rulings. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Bayer's favor last year while the 9th and 11th Circuits have ruled against its stance.An attorney representing the St. Louis gardener said Bayer is “really grasping at straws."“The reality is they don’t want to put the warning on it because they’re afraid" that if people "realize it’s unsafe, it will reduce sales,” said attorney Jim Onder, whose firm has more than 20,000 clients with failure-to-warn claims regarding Roundup.Bayer faces about 181,000 Roundup claims, mostly from residential users.Because of that, Bayer stopped using the key ingredient glyphosate in Roundup sold for home uses. But glyphosate remains in agricultural products. It's designed to be used with genetically modified seeds that can resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect, thus allowing farmers to produce more while conserving the soil by tilling it less.Bayer has said it might have to consider pulling glyphosate from U.S. agricultural markets if the lawsuits persist.“This is a bigger threat to innovation in general, when we think about agriculture," said Jess Christiansen, head of communications for Bayer’s crop science division. "If glyphosate falls to the litigation industry, what could be next?”Bayer has made similar arguments to lawmakers in several states. Georgia recently became the first to pass legislation backed by Bayer that would deem federally approved pesticide labels sufficient to satisfy any state-law duty to warn customers. Gov. Brian Kemp has not indicated whether he will sign the bill.A jury in Georgia recently ordered Bayer to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roundup-monsanto-cancer-lawsuit-2-billion-7f903acb350dd6f6ce09b102914eabc1">pay nearly $2.1 billion</a>&nbsp;to a man who claimed Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.Legislation barring similar state failure-to-warn claims for pesticide makers passed the Tennessee Senate on Thursday and the North Dakota House earlier this year and is now pending in the second chamber in each state.Bayer also has focused heavily on Missouri and Iowa, home respectively to its North America crop science division and a Roundup manufacturing facility.The Republicna-led Missouri House narrowly passed the legislation in February. But a coalition of Republican senators has vowed to block it. State Sen. Nick Schroer has said it “would be a betrayal to the public trust” and the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial to grant “immunity” to pesticide manufactures against particular legal claims.Similar legislation advanced through the Iowa Senate this year with exclusively Republican support. But the Iowa House declined to bring the bill forward before last week’s legislative deadline. Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley told reporters Thursday “there’s not support” within the Republican House caucus at this time.The bill drew staunch opposition from environmental justice groups that denounced it as a “cancer gag act,” saying it would limit the rights of Iowans to hold pesticide companies accountable if their products cause harm. During a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">February protest</a>&nbsp;at the Iowa capitol building, speakers took turns telling stories of family members throughout the state who have been diagnosed with cancers.___