DAMASCUS —U.S. forces continue to battle terrorist cells in Syria.

On Friday,&nbsp;Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), enabled by U.S. forces, conducted a raid and captured Salah Mohammad Al-Abdullah, an ISIS cell leader in the vicinity of Shahil, Syria, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.



During the operation, the Syrian Democratic Forces recovered multiple weapons to include a 12.7mm (.50 cal) Sniper rifle, an AK-47, hand grenades, and various weapons and ammunition.



The SDF-led operation is part of the ongoing Defeat-ISIS campaign to degrade ISIS networks and prevent the resurgence of the terrorist group in the region. CENTCOM forces enabled SDF during the operation by providing technical support and intelligence.

DAMASCUS —U.S. forces continue to battle terrorist cells in Syria.On Friday,&nbsp;Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), enabled by U.S. forces, conducted a raid and captured Salah Mohammad Al-Abdullah, an ISIS cell leader in the vicinity of Shahil, Syria, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

During the operation, the Syrian Democratic Forces recovered multiple weapons to include a 12.7mm (.50 cal) Sniper rifle, an AK-47, hand grenades, and various weapons and ammunition.

The SDF-led operation is part of the ongoing Defeat-ISIS campaign to degrade ISIS networks and prevent the resurgence of the terrorist group in the region. CENTCOM forces enabled SDF during the operation by providing technical support and intelligence.

U.S. forces help capture ISIS cell leader in Syria

KANSAS CITY —Prosecutors&nbsp;secured a guilty plea in a fatal shooting that took place in Independence in 2022, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2527/2216-CR04647-01-Guilty-Plea-Judgment_Redacted_FINAL">Jordan Huff, 23, pled guilty</a>&nbsp;to 2nd Degree Murder. A 15-year sentence was agreed on after mediation involving input from the victim’s family.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2526/JHuff_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Independence police were dispatched to a residence regarding a shooting and found the victim deceased in the living room, with multiple apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp;

Detectives determined that the defendant and his family including three children were at the residence eating and playing games.&nbsp;A witness told police that Huff and the victim were playing cards with others. Huff entered the kitchen and then shot and killed the victim. 

Huff pointed the firearm at other witnesses in the residence and demanded a cell phone and car keys. Ring doorbell camera footage showed Huff entering and exiting the apartment with a firearm. The Huff is heard on the footage demanding a witness’s keys and phone.&nbsp;

A witness said the defendant had a history of domestic violence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665006027132.png" alt="Huff photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Huff photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Prosecutors&nbsp;secured a guilty plea in a fatal shooting that took place in Independence in 2022, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2527/2216-CR04647-01-Guilty-Plea-Judgment_Redacted_FINAL">Jordan Huff, 23, pled guilty</a>&nbsp;to 2nd Degree Murder. A 15-year sentence was agreed on after mediation involving input from the victim’s family.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2526/JHuff_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Independence police were dispatched to a residence regarding a shooting and found the victim deceased in the living room, with multiple apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp;Detectives determined that the defendant and his family including three children were at the residence eating and playing games.&nbsp;A witness told police that Huff and the victim were playing cards with others. Huff entered the kitchen and then shot and killed the victim. Huff pointed the firearm at other witnesses in the residence and demanded a cell phone and car keys. Ring doorbell camera footage showed Huff entering and exiting the apartment with a firearm. The Huff is heard on the footage demanding a witness’s keys and phone.&nbsp;A witness said the defendant had a history of domestic violence.

Kansas City man admits to deadly card game killing

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

Just before 12:30 a.m. March 6, a Sheriff's Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Mercedes SUV near 150th and Q. Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 A Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. A search of the vehicle ended with the driver, Shantel Rene Simmons, 39, of Valley Falls, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741122155383.png" alt="Simmons photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Simmons photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.Just before 12:30 a.m. March 6, a Sheriff's Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Mercedes SUV near 150th and Q. Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. A Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. A search of the vehicle ended with the driver, Shantel Rene Simmons, 39, of Valley Falls, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Kansas woman was transporting meth 

WASHINGTON (AP) —On Friday, President Trump announced that he’s creating a task force to prepare for the World Cup, which will be held in North America next year.

Soccer’s biggest tournament will have games spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico over the course of a month. Kansas City is among the host cities. The event is expected to draw millions of tourists to the continent from around the world.

Trump met Friday with officials from FIFA, the international soccer governing body.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On his social media account, Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran praised Trump, " Great news! President Trump announced the establishment of a White House Task Force for the FIFA World Cup 2026." 

Last year, Moran and Senator Any Klobuchar urged the Administration to set up a federal task force to help ensure the safe execution of the World Cup in cities across the country including Kansas CIty. "This is an important step as the U.S. prepares to host one of the world’s largest sporting events."

WASHINGTON (AP) —On Friday, President Trump announced that he’s creating a task force to prepare for the World Cup, which will be held in North America next year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveil the official trophy of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which the U.S. will host this summer. <a href="https://t.co/xIoZfVtaZx">pic.twitter.com/xIoZfVtaZx</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1898111018431131860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveil the official trophy of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which the U.S. will host this summer. <a href="https://t.co/xIoZfVtaZx">pic.twitter.com/xIoZfVtaZx</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1898111018431131860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Soccer’s biggest tournament will have games spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico over the course of a month. Kansas City is among the host cities. The event is expected to draw millions of tourists to the continent from around the world.Trump met Friday with officials from FIFA, the international soccer governing body.&nbsp;&nbsp;On his social media account, Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran praised Trump, " Great news! President Trump announced the establishment of a White House Task Force for the FIFA World Cup 2026." Last year, Moran and Senator Any Klobuchar urged the Administration to set up a federal task force to help ensure the safe execution of the World Cup in cities across the country including Kansas CIty. "This is an important step as the U.S. prepares to host one of the world’s largest sporting events."

🎥Kan. U.S. Senator praises Trump's action on FIFA World Cup 

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, authorities revealed Friday.

Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead Feb. 26. In the days that followed, mystery swirled around the deaths as authorities ruled out foul play, and immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative.

Then authorities in New Mexico released the causes, proposing a simple but tragic theory for the deaths: Shortly after Arakawa’s death from a rare infection, Hackman died of the nation’s leading killer — heart disease — apparently unable to seek help after his wife died.

Up Next - U.S. employers add 151,000 jobs in February-00:11

“I believe they really discovered what truly happened in this case,” said forensic pathologist Dr. Victor Weedn, who was not involved in the investigation. “It seemed such a great mystery to the entire nation.”

Here’s a timeline of events surrounding the couple’s deaths:

Arakawa’s last known activities happened this day. She emailed with a massage therapist in the late morning, visited a grocery store in Santa Fe in the afternoon, then went to a pharmacy and a pet food store, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said.

At 5:15 p.m., Arakawa entered the gated community to the home she shared with Hackman. Mendoza said investigators found no other communication or activity by Arakawa after Feb. 11, which they believe to be the day of her death. The medical examiner said she may have been experiencing symptoms of hantavirus before her death.

Hackman’s initial pacemaker data revealed cardiac activity Feb. 17. Subsequent pacemaker investigation showed an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation Feb. 18, the last record of heart activity.

Based on this information, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said it is reasonable to conclude that Hackman probably died around Feb. 18.

A maintenance worker who showed up to do routine work at the house could not get inside and called a security worker, who spotted two people on the ground inside the home, Mendoza said. The worker called 911 and told an operator he did not know if they were breathing. He and another worker later told authorities that they rarely saw the homeowners and that their last contact with them had been about two weeks prior.

Police found Hackman in an entryway and Arakawa in a bathroom, as well as a deceased dog in a closet.

Arakawa had picked up the kelpie mix named Zinna from Gruda Veterinary Hospital on Feb. 9 after a procedure was done, according to the sheriff. He said the hospital visit might help explain why the dog was found dead. A necropsy is being done on Zinna to determine the cause of death, he said.

Two healthy dogs were found on the property — one inside and one outside.

Autopsies were done on Hackman and Arakawa. Detectives wrote in a search warrant that the couple and the dog had been dead for some time when the maintenance worker discovered their bodies.

Preliminary autopsy results didn’t reveal causes of death but showed Hackman and Arakawa were not killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, the sheriff said. The initial autopsies also found no external trauma to either body.

Authorities reveal causes of death for Hackman and Arakawa. Jarrell said both deaths were from natural causes.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, authorities revealed Friday.Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead Feb. 26. In the days that followed, mystery swirled around the deaths as authorities ruled out foul play, and immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative.Then authorities in New Mexico released the causes, proposing a simple but tragic theory for the deaths: Shortly after Arakawa’s death from a rare infection, Hackman died of the nation’s leading killer — heart disease — apparently unable to seek help after his wife died.Up Next - U.S. employers add 151,000 jobs in February-00:11“I believe they really discovered what truly happened in this case,” said forensic pathologist Dr. Victor Weedn, who was not involved in the investigation. “It seemed such a great mystery to the entire nation.”Here’s a timeline of events surrounding the couple’s deaths:<h2>Feb. 11</h2>Arakawa’s last known activities happened this day. She emailed with a massage therapist in the late morning, visited a grocery store in Santa Fe in the afternoon, then went to a pharmacy and a pet food store, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said.At 5:15 p.m., Arakawa entered the gated community to the home she shared with Hackman. Mendoza said investigators found no other communication or activity by Arakawa after Feb. 11, which they believe to be the day of her death. The medical examiner said she may have been experiencing symptoms of hantavirus before her death.<h2>Feb. 17-18</h2>Hackman’s initial pacemaker data revealed cardiac activity Feb. 17. Subsequent pacemaker investigation showed an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation Feb. 18, the last record of heart activity.Based on this information, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said it is reasonable to conclude that Hackman probably died around Feb. 18.<h2>Feb. 26</h2>A maintenance worker who showed up to do routine work at the house could not get inside and called a security worker, who spotted two people on the ground inside the home, Mendoza said. The worker called 911 and told an operator he did not know if they were breathing. He and another worker later told authorities that they rarely saw the homeowners and that their last contact with them had been about two weeks prior.Police found Hackman in an entryway and Arakawa in a bathroom, as well as a deceased dog in a closet.Arakawa had picked up the kelpie mix named Zinna from Gruda Veterinary Hospital on Feb. 9 after a procedure was done, according to the sheriff. He said the hospital visit might help explain why the dog was found dead. A necropsy is being done on Zinna to determine the cause of death, he said.Two healthy dogs were found on the property — one inside and one outside.<h2>Feb. 27</h2>Autopsies were done on Hackman and Arakawa. Detectives wrote in a search warrant that the couple and the dog had been dead for some time when the maintenance worker discovered their bodies.<h2>Feb. 28</h2>Preliminary autopsy results didn’t reveal causes of death but showed Hackman and Arakawa were not killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, the sheriff said. The initial autopsies also found no external trauma to either body.<h2>March 7</h2>Authorities reveal causes of death for Hackman and Arakawa. Jarrell said both deaths were from natural causes.

Timeline of how actor Gene Hackman, wife died at their New Mexico home

WASHINGTON (AP) — An armed man believed to be traveling from Indiana was shot by U.S. Secret Service agents near the White House after a confrontation early Sunday, according to authorities.

No one else was injured in the shooting that happened around midnight about a block from the White House, according to a Secret Service statement. President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time of the shooting.

The Secret Service received information from local police about an alleged “suicidal individual” who was traveling from Indiana and found the man's car and a person matching his description nearby.

“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” the Secret Service said in a statement.

The man was hospitalized. The Secret Service said his condition was “unknown.”

The Metropolitan Police Department will investigate because the shooting involved law enforcement officers. The police department declined to provide more details.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An armed man believed to be traveling from Indiana was shot by U.S. Secret Service agents near the White House after a confrontation early Sunday, according to authorities.No one else was injured in the shooting that happened around midnight about a block from the White House, according to a Secret Service statement. President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time of the shooting.The Secret Service received information from local police about an alleged “suicidal individual” who was traveling from Indiana and found the man's car and a person matching his description nearby.“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” the Secret Service said in a statement.The man was hospitalized. The Secret Service said his condition was “unknown.”The Metropolitan Police Department will investigate because the shooting involved law enforcement officers. The police department declined to provide more details.

Secret Service shoots armed man in confrontation near White House

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DASHA%20LITVINOVA%20and%20KOSTYA%20MANENKOV%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DASHA LITVINOVA and KOSTYA MANENKOV &nbsp;Associated Press</a>

HELSINKI (AP) — A tale of good versus evil played out on the large screen in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Lutheran church in Finland. Jesus was shown in robes with long hair and a beard, while Satan was dressed in more modern clothes but with a menacing frown and higher-pitched voice — all created by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>.

Also addressing the flock at the Tuesday evening service were avatars of the church’s pastors and a former president of Finland who died in 1986, reading from the Old Testament.

It was the first church service in Finland put together mostly by AI tools, which wrote the sermons and some of the songs, composed the music and created the visuals.

The widely advertised experimental service drew over 120 people to the church in northeastern Helsinki, much more than on a typical weeknight. People came from out of town as did a handful of foreigners who admitted they didn’t speak Finnish well enough to understand it all.

“Usually when people talk about AI, they are talking about what AI can do in the future. But the future is now. … AI can do all those things that people think that it can maybe do in 10 years or so,” said the Rev. Petja Kopperoinen, who came up with the idea and brought it to fruition.

The clergy and worshippers said they enjoyed it, but agreed it wouldn't replace services led by humans anytime soon.

“It was pretty entertaining and fun, but it didn’t feel like a Mass or a service. … It felt distant. I didn’t feel like they were talking to me,” Taru Nieminen told The Associated Press.

The Rev. Kari Kanala, the vicar at St. Paul's, echoed her sentiment.

“The warmth of the people is what people need,” he said.

Other experiments with AI church services

Churches and pastors around the world have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-artificial-intelligence-kentucky-religion-65822bf1c46de7630d3441e9ff4ff41a">experimenting with AI</a>, just like the rest of the society, to try to understand what role it could play in their lives — and if it can attract more worshippers.

In 2023, an AI-led service was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-church-protestants-chatgpt-ai-sermon-651f21c24cfb47e3122e987a7263d348">held in a church in Germany</a>. Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-chatbot-jesus-lucerne-catholic-66268027fbcf4b48972d1d62541f0b16">an avatar of “Jesus”</a>&nbsp;on a computer screen in a Catholic chapel in Switzerland took questions from believers and offered responses based on Scripture.

St. Paul’s church likes to try new things, with pastors incorporating screenings of soccer and ice hockey matches into their services, along with dance and film festivals.

After attending a conference on AI and religion in Geneva and hearing about the service in Germany, Kopperoinen says he thought: Why not try it?

Kanala was on board, as was Bishop Teemu Laajasalo of Helsinki.

Kopperoinen worked for weeks with different AI tools to assemble the 45-minute service, including Open AI’s ChatGPT-4o to write the words, except for those from the Bible; Suno to compose the tunes, similar to pop music; and the Synthesia AI platform to create video avatars of himself, Kanala and another pastor from existing footage.

Seeing himself onscreen speaking words he never said in real life felt “eerie,” Kopperoinen said.

Another tool, Akool, meanwhile, created the avatar of former Finnish President Urho Kekkonen reading from the Old Testament, and the exchange between Satan and Jesus.

In between AI-produced elements, clergy and worshippers sang hymns with live organ music.

The exercise had clear limits. AI was not involved in forgiving sins at the Helsinki service, and the Eucharist was not performed.

Any output needs to be fact-checked and edited by a human, and AI copy is often based on stereotypes, Kopperoinen said.

AI tools generally seemed reluctant to compose religious content, he said. ChatGPT initially wouldn't write dialogue between Jesus and Satan and went along with it only after Kopperoinen assured it that he was a Lutheran pastor and there was nothing wrong with writing it.

ChatGPT also refused to give absolution or blessings, which is a good guardrail, Kanala said, "because somehow it can divide things which are very intimate and religious.”

Kopperoinen also said he was aware of the impact of AI tools on the environment, including, for example, the amount of water used to power them. Some in the Finnish Lutheran church criticized St. Paul's for using AI to entertain people at the cost of the environment, he said.

Worshippers said they found the service different, interesting and entertaining, but also confusing at times. Speech patterns were rapid and hard to follow.

“I did like the songs. They were really catchy, although they lacked the kind of soul the humans have," said student Jeera Pulkkinen, who disliked the tools' fast delivery of the text.

Eeva Salonen, chief development officer at the Helsinki Parish Union, said the service felt “more like a performance,” finding it more impersonal than “it would be with real people.”

The need for a human element is one of the reasons AI is unlikely to replace real pastors, Kopperoinen said.

“It can’t be empathetic towards people. AI can’t really answer your questions in a spiritual way,” he said.

Still, both Kopperoinen and Kanala believe there is a place in the church for AI. St. Paul's already uses it for bookkeeping, and Kopperoinen sometimes turns to ChatGPT to help him compose sermons or when he needs to find verses on a particular topic.

Kanala admits he has "always opposed” AI, but decided to confront it head-on and now thinks it can help clergy on things like research for sermons and speeches.

Tom Stoneham, a University of York philosophy professor and an ethicist with the Center for Doctoral Training in Safe AI Systems in the U.K., notes AI can replace humans only “where the function of the human is purely instrumental” and transactional, such as “in customer service situations."

Even in these situations, however, a smile or a brief friendly exchange adds value that AI can’t, Stoneham said.

In a religious setting, “it’s about the human, not an instrument. They’re not just a mere means to achieving something," he said. "It’s that humanity that is adding value to the situation.”

Anna Puzio, a researcher on ethics of technology at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, said that given the concerns with AI, it’s important for churches and religious groups to experiment with it. That way they can help “shape these AI processes and develop AI and design it in a responsible way,” she said.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741485779201.png" alt="An AI-produced avatar seen on the screen during a rehearsal for an AI-created service in St. Paul's Lutheran church in Helsinki, Finland, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)" />
 <figcaption>An AI-produced avatar seen on the screen during a rehearsal for an AI-created service in St. Paul's Lutheran church in Helsinki, Finland, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DASHA%20LITVINOVA%20and%20KOSTYA%20MANENKOV%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DASHA LITVINOVA and KOSTYA MANENKOV &nbsp;Associated Press</a>HELSINKI (AP) — A tale of good versus evil played out on the large screen in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Lutheran church in Finland. Jesus was shown in robes with long hair and a beard, while Satan was dressed in more modern clothes but with a menacing frown and higher-pitched voice — all created by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>.Also addressing the flock at the Tuesday evening service were avatars of the church’s pastors and a former president of Finland who died in 1986, reading from the Old Testament.It was the first church service in Finland put together mostly by AI tools, which wrote the sermons and some of the songs, composed the music and created the visuals.The widely advertised experimental service drew over 120 people to the church in northeastern Helsinki, much more than on a typical weeknight. People came from out of town as did a handful of foreigners who admitted they didn’t speak Finnish well enough to understand it all.“Usually when people talk about AI, they are talking about what AI can do in the future. But the future is now. … AI can do all those things that people think that it can maybe do in 10 years or so,” said the Rev. Petja Kopperoinen, who came up with the idea and brought it to fruition.The clergy and worshippers said they enjoyed it, but agreed it wouldn't replace services led by humans anytime soon.“It was pretty entertaining and fun, but it didn’t feel like a Mass or a service. … It felt distant. I didn’t feel like they were talking to me,” Taru Nieminen told The Associated Press.The Rev. Kari Kanala, the vicar at St. Paul's, echoed her sentiment.“The warmth of the people is what people need,” he said.<h2>Other experiments with AI church services</h2>Churches and pastors around the world have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-artificial-intelligence-kentucky-religion-65822bf1c46de7630d3441e9ff4ff41a">experimenting with AI</a>, just like the rest of the society, to try to understand what role it could play in their lives — and if it can attract more worshippers.In 2023, an AI-led service was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-church-protestants-chatgpt-ai-sermon-651f21c24cfb47e3122e987a7263d348">held in a church in Germany</a>. Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-chatbot-jesus-lucerne-catholic-66268027fbcf4b48972d1d62541f0b16">an avatar of “Jesus”</a>&nbsp;on a computer screen in a Catholic chapel in Switzerland took questions from believers and offered responses based on Scripture.St. Paul’s church likes to try new things, with pastors incorporating screenings of soccer and ice hockey matches into their services, along with dance and film festivals.After attending a conference on AI and religion in Geneva and hearing about the service in Germany, Kopperoinen says he thought: Why not try it?Kanala was on board, as was Bishop Teemu Laajasalo of Helsinki.Kopperoinen worked for weeks with different AI tools to assemble the 45-minute service, including Open AI’s ChatGPT-4o to write the words, except for those from the Bible; Suno to compose the tunes, similar to pop music; and the Synthesia AI platform to create video avatars of himself, Kanala and another pastor from existing footage.Seeing himself onscreen speaking words he never said in real life felt “eerie,” Kopperoinen said.Another tool, Akool, meanwhile, created the avatar of former Finnish President Urho Kekkonen reading from the Old Testament, and the exchange between Satan and Jesus.In between AI-produced elements, clergy and worshippers sang hymns with live organ music.<h2>Imposing limits</h2>The exercise had clear limits. AI was not involved in forgiving sins at the Helsinki service, and the Eucharist was not performed.Any output needs to be fact-checked and edited by a human, and AI copy is often based on stereotypes, Kopperoinen said.AI tools generally seemed reluctant to compose religious content, he said. ChatGPT initially wouldn't write dialogue between Jesus and Satan and went along with it only after Kopperoinen assured it that he was a Lutheran pastor and there was nothing wrong with writing it.ChatGPT also refused to give absolution or blessings, which is a good guardrail, Kanala said, "because somehow it can divide things which are very intimate and religious.”Kopperoinen also said he was aware of the impact of AI tools on the environment, including, for example, the amount of water used to power them. Some in the Finnish Lutheran church criticized St. Paul's for using AI to entertain people at the cost of the environment, he said.<h2>The importance of human touch</h2>Worshippers said they found the service different, interesting and entertaining, but also confusing at times. Speech patterns were rapid and hard to follow.“I did like the songs. They were really catchy, although they lacked the kind of soul the humans have," said student Jeera Pulkkinen, who disliked the tools' fast delivery of the text.Eeva Salonen, chief development officer at the Helsinki Parish Union, said the service felt “more like a performance,” finding it more impersonal than “it would be with real people.”"But I really liked it,” she added.The need for a human element is one of the reasons AI is unlikely to replace real pastors, Kopperoinen said.“It can’t be empathetic towards people. AI can’t really answer your questions in a spiritual way,” he said.Still, both Kopperoinen and Kanala believe there is a place in the church for AI. St. Paul's already uses it for bookkeeping, and Kopperoinen sometimes turns to ChatGPT to help him compose sermons or when he needs to find verses on a particular topic.Kanala admits he has "always opposed” AI, but decided to confront it head-on and now thinks it can help clergy on things like research for sermons and speeches.Tom Stoneham, a University of York philosophy professor and an ethicist with the Center for Doctoral Training in Safe AI Systems in the U.K., notes AI can replace humans only “where the function of the human is purely instrumental” and transactional, such as “in customer service situations."Even in these situations, however, a smile or a brief friendly exchange adds value that AI can’t, Stoneham said.In a religious setting, “it’s about the human, not an instrument. They’re not just a mere means to achieving something," he said. "It’s that humanity that is adding value to the situation.”Anna Puzio, a researcher on ethics of technology at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, said that given the concerns with AI, it’s important for churches and religious groups to experiment with it. That way they can help “shape these AI processes and develop AI and design it in a responsible way,” she said.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

What one church learned from creating a service almost entirely with AI

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Topeka have identified the victim as 22-year-old&nbsp;Yancy Whitehead of Topeka, according to&nbsp;Police LT Donna Eubanks.&nbsp;

Police are also asking for help to locate a person of interest in the homicide. If you know the whereabouts of Robert Reyes, 49, of Topeka, or have any information about the incident, please call 911 or report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007.

Just after 3a.m. Saturday police responded to a reported shooting in the 2900 block of SE Freemont Road in Topeka, according to Police&nbsp;LT Donna Eubanks. First responders located Whitehead with life-threatening injuries. He was&nbsp; pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel.

Topeka Police were later notified of two other individuals that had arrived at an area hospital. One individual had life-threatening injuries and one a non-life-threatening injury.

This is the city’s 3rd homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp; 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741531482789.png" alt="Reyes photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Reyes photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Topeka have identified the victim as 22-year-old&nbsp;Yancy Whitehead of Topeka, according to&nbsp;Police LT Donna Eubanks.&nbsp;Police are also asking for help to locate a person of interest in the homicide. If you know the whereabouts of Robert Reyes, 49, of Topeka, or have any information about the incident, please call 911 or report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007.Just after 3a.m. Saturday police responded to a reported shooting in the 2900 block of SE Freemont Road in Topeka, according to Police&nbsp;LT Donna Eubanks. First responders located Whitehead with life-threatening injuries. He was&nbsp; pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel.Topeka Police were later notified of two other individuals that had arrived at an area hospital. One individual had life-threatening injuries and one a non-life-threatening injury.This is the city’s 3rd homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp;

Police ask for help to locate Kansas homicide suspect

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

As the Trump administration seeks more partners to help round up immigrants living in the United States illegally, some states and cities are eager to step up, despite risks of racial profiling.

Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and even Arizona’s Democratic governor are pursuing statewide plans to help find immigrants for possible deportation.

And the number of state and local agencies planning “task force” agreements with the feds to do street-level immigration enforcement has reached 121 departments in 12 states: Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas.

The sudden ramping up of the local task force agreements — which led to racial profiling lawsuits 20 years ago when they were common in Republican and Democratic states — is a sign that the Trump administration wants more deportations, said Tom Wong, an associate professor and director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California, San Diego.

“These agreements are intended to be the force multiplier they need in order to enact mass deportations. The Trump administration is using all the tools at its disposal to try to ramp up the identification and detention of undocumented immigrants,” Wong said.

President Donald Trump wants to move quickly: He recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-administration-reassigning-acting-ice-director-rcna193225" target="_blank">reassigned</a>&nbsp;Caleb Vitello, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to a different post because immigration arrests and deportations weren’t as robust as Trump wanted. The United States would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-angry-deportation-numbers-are-not-higher-rcna191273" target="_blank">need</a>&nbsp;to deport more than 2,700 people a day to meet his goal of 1 million a year.

Doris Meissner, who held top positions in the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in the Reagan and Clinton administrations, said the task force agreements had “basically disappeared in recent years” because of their reputation for leading to “racial profiling and over-policing in immigrant communities.” The agreements were discontinued in 2012 during the Obama administration.

“That has changed dramatically and quickly with the new Trump administration,” Meissner said in an interview. “[The agreements] are now on a list of ramping-up actions we’re seeing in pursuit of mass deportations.”

The administration is increasingly pressuring state and local authorities to help with immigration arrests traditionally reserved for federal agents, according to a February&nbsp;<a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/trump-mass-deportation-priority?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=2043f21f-2eea-411a-a070-66d7ac706b02" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;by the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank where Meissner is now director of the U.S. immigration policy program.

Along with state and local law enforcement agencies, the Trump administration has enlisted federal agencies that have never before played a role in immigration enforcement: the Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Migration Policy Institute report found.

One result of local involvement, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://usipc.ucsd.edu/publications/usipc-working-paper-1.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;Wong authored in 2019, is that once residents know that local police could question and arrest them on immigration charges, they are less likely to report crimes when they are victims or witnesses.

The new task force agreements allow local law enforcement, after training, to investigate immigration violations during day-to-day patrol duties. Sheriff Larry Kendrick in Owyhee County, Idaho, said he opted for it because voters in the county want it.

“My constituents support President Trump,” Kendrick said. “And of course me. I support the president’s mission 100%. I will do anything in my power to assist him.”

Kendrick said he doesn’t expect non-criminal immigrants, such as those staffing local dairy farms, to get any trouble from his deputies.

“We haven’t had any crime, really, out of that,” Kendrick said. “The main thing that bothers me is fentanyl.”

Wong said it’s typical for counties such as Owyhee County, which&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owyhee_County,_Idaho" target="_blank">voted</a>&nbsp;almost 83% for Trump last year, to be eager to join forces on immigration. But non-criminal immigrants are still likely to pay a price, he said.

“It is naïve for local officials to think they will only focus on things like fentanyl, when most of the immigration enforcement functions are going to identify undocumented immigrants, likely with no criminal history,” Wong said.

Most officials do stress the importance of removing criminals when calling for more task force agreements.

In announcing the revived task force program, border czar Tom Homan said he planned to “prioritize” criminals but also expected to deport people living here illegally even if they had no criminal record.

“We promised a mass deportation and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Homan told sheriffs at a February conference.

New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.governor.nh.gov/news/governor-ayotte-statement-new-hampshire-law-enforcement-cooperating-ice" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;she supports state and local law enforcement agencies applying for the new task force cooperation agreements. “Criminals who are in our country illegally and pose a danger should be apprehended and removed,” she wrote.

Some areas that made use of the agreements decades ago are not interested in trying it again. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/287g-divergence.pdf" target="_blank">2010</a>&nbsp;there were 40 such agreements in 19 states, including nine in Virginia and seven in Arizona.

To date there are no agreements in Virginia or Arizona, though Arizona’s Democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://azgovernor.gov/office-arizona-governor/news/2025/02/governor-katie-hobbs-signs-executive-order-secure-border" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;Feb. 25 calling for an unspecified partnership with federal authorities in the state’s four border counties. The goal is stopping more fentanyl and human trafficking and not to “indiscriminately round people up,” according to Hobbs’ statement.

Arizona sheriffs have not heard anything specific about the governor’s plan, said David Rhodes, the Republican sheriff of Yavapai County and president of the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association. Yavapai County voted&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yavapai_County,_Arizona" target="_blank">heavily for Trump</a>. And much of the nation’s fentanyl supply is smuggled over Arizona’s highways, Rhodes said, so he’s happy to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration.

But he’s not sure he wants the task force model if it means he and his deputies will have to single people out based on appearance to ask about immigration status.

“I don’t know how you could even tell from looking at somebody that they’re here illegally or not. So we don’t do that. That’s very risky, very close to racial profiling there,” Rhodes said.

ICE guidelines issued in February say “racial profiling is simply not something that will be tolerated” under the new task force agreements.

In Virginia, which had the most task force agreements of any state in 2010, no sheriff has yet shown interest, said John Jones, executive director of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association. However Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order Feb. 27 requiring state police to sign a task force agreement and local jails to cooperate with the state task force.

In North Carolina, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S153" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;progressing in the state Senate would mandate state agencies cooperate with federal immigration authorities, but does not include specifics.

In Hudson County, New Jersey, one of the few urban, immigrant-friendly Democratic areas that had a task force agreement in 2010, leaders have no interest in trying it again, said county spokesperson Mark Cygan. Since 2018, the state has had an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njoag.gov/trust/" target="_blank">“immigrant trust directive”</a>&nbsp;directing local authorities not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities or ask about immigration status during routine police work.

“With the sort of abuses there have been, and listening to our constituents and advocates that work on immigrant right here in Hudson County, we realized this policy just wasn’t going to work out for our county anymore. So we dropped out of the agreement,” Cygan said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740147958319.png" alt="U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrest a man from Venezuela in Miami in February after a wire fraud conviction. As the Trump administration attacks local sanctuary policies, some states and local governments continue to do what little they can to protect some immigrants from deportation. (Courtesy of Miami ICE Enforcement &amp; Removal Operations office)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrest a man from Venezuela in Miami in February after a wire fraud conviction. As the Trump administration attacks local sanctuary policies, some states and local governments continue to do what little they can to protect some immigrants from deportation. (Courtesy of Miami ICE Enforcement &amp; Removal Operations office)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>As the Trump administration seeks more partners to help round up immigrants living in the United States illegally, some states and cities are eager to step up, despite risks of racial profiling.Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and even Arizona’s Democratic governor are pursuing statewide plans to help find immigrants for possible deportation.And the number of state and local agencies planning “task force” agreements with the feds to do street-level immigration enforcement has reached 121 departments in 12 states: Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas.The sudden ramping up of the local task force agreements — which led to racial profiling lawsuits 20 years ago when they were common in Republican and Democratic states — is a sign that the Trump administration wants more deportations, said Tom Wong, an associate professor and director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California, San Diego.“These agreements are intended to be the force multiplier they need in order to enact mass deportations. The Trump administration is using all the tools at its disposal to try to ramp up the identification and detention of undocumented immigrants,” Wong said.President Donald Trump wants to move quickly: He recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-administration-reassigning-acting-ice-director-rcna193225" target="_blank">reassigned</a>&nbsp;Caleb Vitello, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to a different post because immigration arrests and deportations weren’t as robust as Trump wanted. The United States would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-angry-deportation-numbers-are-not-higher-rcna191273" target="_blank">need</a>&nbsp;to deport more than 2,700 people a day to meet his goal of 1 million a year.Doris Meissner, who held top positions in the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in the Reagan and Clinton administrations, said the task force agreements had “basically disappeared in recent years” because of their reputation for leading to “racial profiling and over-policing in immigrant communities.” The agreements were discontinued in 2012 during the Obama administration.“That has changed dramatically and quickly with the new Trump administration,” Meissner said in an interview. “[The agreements] are now on a list of ramping-up actions we’re seeing in pursuit of mass deportations.”The administration is increasingly pressuring state and local authorities to help with immigration arrests traditionally reserved for federal agents, according to a February&nbsp;<a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/trump-mass-deportation-priority?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=2043f21f-2eea-411a-a070-66d7ac706b02" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;by the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank where Meissner is now director of the U.S. immigration policy program.<h2>Focus on crime</h2>Along with state and local law enforcement agencies, the Trump administration has enlisted federal agencies that have never before played a role in immigration enforcement: the Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Migration Policy Institute report found.One result of local involvement, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://usipc.ucsd.edu/publications/usipc-working-paper-1.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;Wong authored in 2019, is that once residents know that local police could question and arrest them on immigration charges, they are less likely to report crimes when they are victims or witnesses.The new task force agreements allow local law enforcement, after training, to investigate immigration violations during day-to-day patrol duties. Sheriff Larry Kendrick in Owyhee County, Idaho, said he opted for it because voters in the county want it.“My constituents support President Trump,” Kendrick said. “And of course me. I support the president’s mission 100%. I will do anything in my power to assist him.”Kendrick said he doesn’t expect non-criminal immigrants, such as those staffing local dairy farms, to get any trouble from his deputies.“We haven’t had any crime, really, out of that,” Kendrick said. “The main thing that bothers me is fentanyl.”Wong said it’s typical for counties such as Owyhee County, which&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owyhee_County,_Idaho" target="_blank">voted</a>&nbsp;almost 83% for Trump last year, to be eager to join forces on immigration. But non-criminal immigrants are still likely to pay a price, he said.“It is naïve for local officials to think they will only focus on things like fentanyl, when most of the immigration enforcement functions are going to identify undocumented immigrants, likely with no criminal history,” Wong said.Most officials do stress the importance of removing criminals when calling for more task force agreements.In announcing the revived task force program, border czar Tom Homan said he planned to “prioritize” criminals but also expected to deport people living here illegally even if they had no criminal record.“We promised a mass deportation and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Homan told sheriffs at a February conference.New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.governor.nh.gov/news/governor-ayotte-statement-new-hampshire-law-enforcement-cooperating-ice" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;she supports state and local law enforcement agencies applying for the new task force cooperation agreements. “Criminals who are in our country illegally and pose a danger should be apprehended and removed,” she wrote.<h2>No renewed interest</h2>Some areas that made use of the agreements decades ago are not interested in trying it again. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/287g-divergence.pdf" target="_blank">2010</a>&nbsp;there were 40 such agreements in 19 states, including nine in Virginia and seven in Arizona.To date there are no agreements in Virginia or Arizona, though Arizona’s Democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://azgovernor.gov/office-arizona-governor/news/2025/02/governor-katie-hobbs-signs-executive-order-secure-border" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;Feb. 25 calling for an unspecified partnership with federal authorities in the state’s four border counties. The goal is stopping more fentanyl and human trafficking and not to “indiscriminately round people up,” according to Hobbs’ statement.Arizona sheriffs have not heard anything specific about the governor’s plan, said David Rhodes, the Republican sheriff of Yavapai County and president of the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association. Yavapai County voted&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yavapai_County,_Arizona" target="_blank">heavily for Trump</a>. And much of the nation’s fentanyl supply is smuggled over Arizona’s highways, Rhodes said, so he’s happy to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration.But he’s not sure he wants the task force model if it means he and his deputies will have to single people out based on appearance to ask about immigration status.“I don’t know how you could even tell from looking at somebody that they’re here illegally or not. So we don’t do that. That’s very risky, very close to racial profiling there,” Rhodes said.ICE guidelines issued in February say “racial profiling is simply not something that will be tolerated” under the new task force agreements.In Virginia, which had the most task force agreements of any state in 2010, no sheriff has yet shown interest, said John Jones, executive director of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association. However Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order Feb. 27 requiring state police to sign a task force agreement and local jails to cooperate with the state task force.In North Carolina, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S153" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;progressing in the state Senate would mandate state agencies cooperate with federal immigration authorities, but does not include specifics.In Hudson County, New Jersey, one of the few urban, immigrant-friendly Democratic areas that had a task force agreement in 2010, leaders have no interest in trying it again, said county spokesperson Mark Cygan. Since 2018, the state has had an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.njoag.gov/trust/" target="_blank">“immigrant trust directive”</a>&nbsp;directing local authorities not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities or ask about immigration status during routine police work.“With the sort of abuses there have been, and listening to our constituents and advocates that work on immigrant right here in Hudson County, we realized this policy just wasn’t going to work out for our county anymore. So we dropped out of the agreement,” Cygan said.

Despite profiling concerns, more law agencies are joining street-level immigration enforcement

The Kansas House on Friday passed two bills that could provide property tax relief to Kansans.

The first bill, HR 2396 limits the property tax revenue increases.&nbsp; It limits the increase for jurisdictions based upon previous year inflation, new construction and some bond payments. It also creates a fund to provide payments to cities and counties that comply with the set funding limit.

The created ASTRA fund, if used to its full extent, could result in approximately $70-75-millon of property tax relief yearly according to House Tax Chair Adam Smith.&nbsp; This is $130 million more of total property tax yearly each year. When paired with HCR 5011 which levels out the predictability of valuation spikes.

The bill also allows the revenue-neutral rate increase provisions and allows voters to protest the budget exceeding the limit.&nbsp; If successful, the budge would be limited to the previous years level.&nbsp;

HCR 5011 if passes would make it so property values would be based on the lesser of the fair market value or the average fair market value.&nbsp; Conditions of the bill state that the legislature needs to determine the number of years to determine the average fair market value.

HB 2396 passed 115-6 and HCR 5011 passed 117-4.&nbsp; Both bills now head to the Kansas Senate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587570641350.png" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>MARC JACOBS Hutch PostThe Kansas House on Friday passed two bills that could provide property tax relief to Kansans.The first bill, HR 2396 limits the property tax revenue increases.&nbsp; It limits the increase for jurisdictions based upon previous year inflation, new construction and some bond payments. It also creates a fund to provide payments to cities and counties that comply with the set funding limit.The created ASTRA fund, if used to its full extent, could result in approximately $70-75-millon of property tax relief yearly according to House Tax Chair Adam Smith.&nbsp; This is $130 million more of total property tax yearly each year. When paired with HCR 5011 which levels out the predictability of valuation spikes.The bill also allows the revenue-neutral rate increase provisions and allows voters to protest the budget exceeding the limit.&nbsp; If successful, the budge would be limited to the previous years level.&nbsp;HCR 5011 if passes would make it so property values would be based on the lesser of the fair market value or the average fair market value.&nbsp; Conditions of the bill state that the legislature needs to determine the number of years to determine the average fair market value.HB 2396 passed 115-6 and HCR 5011 passed 117-4.&nbsp; Both bills now head to the Kansas Senate.

Kansas House sends property tax relief bills to Kansas Senate

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

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">historic measles outbreak in West Texas</a>&nbsp;is just short of 200 cases, Texas state health officials said Friday, while the number of cases in neighboring New Mexico tripled in a day to 30.

Most of the cases across both states are in people younger than 18 and people who are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

Texas health officials identified 39 new infections of the highly contagious disease, bringing the total count in the West Texas outbreak to 198 people since it began in late January. Twenty-three people have been hospitalized so far.

Earlier this month, a school-age child&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">died of measles in Texas,</a>&nbsp;the nation's first measles death in a decade. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week that they were sending a team to Texas to help local public health officials respond to the outbreak.

New Mexico health officials had been reporting for weeks a steady number of cases in Lea County — which borders the epicenter of Texas' outbreak. But on Friday, state health officials provided The Associated Press a week-by-week count that shows cases have steadily increased from 14 cases in the week of Feb. 9 to 30 this week.

A spokesman for the health department said more cases are expected and that many of the cases reported Friday weren't identified until after people's illnesses had run their course. The department has said it hasn’t been able to prove a clear connection to the Texas outbreak, though on Feb. 14, it said a link is “suspected.”

On Thursday, New Mexico health officials confirmed an unvaccinated adult who died without seeking medical care&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">tested positive for measles</a>. The state medical investigator has not announced the official cause of death, but the state health department said Friday it is “measles-related.”

The CDC said Friday it has also confirmed measles cases in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington. But the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks make up for most of the nation’s case count.

The rise in measles cases has been a major test for U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccine-trump-science-autism-9b99621b01f11b7f0bdc81e5a0b82d2b">questioned the safety of childhood vaccines</a>. Recently, he has stopped short of recommending people get the vaccine, and has promoted unproven treatments for the virus, like cod liver oil.

Kennedy dismissed the Texas outbreak as “not unusual," though most local doctors in the West Texas region told The Associated Press that they have never seen a case of measles in their careers until this outbreak.

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years.

Childhood vaccination rates across the country have declined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccinations-kindergarten-exemptions-cdc-1c0f9a196a70491fccf48b9125090de0">as an increasing number of parents</a>&nbsp;seek exemptions from public school requirements for personal or religious reasons. In Gaines County, Texas, which has the majority of cases, the kindergarten measles vaccination rate is 82% - far below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks.

Many of Gaines County's cases are in the county's “close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community, a diverse group that has historically had lower vaccination rates and whose members can be distrusting of government mandates and intervention.

Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/index.html">according to the CDC</a>. Owing to the success of the vaccine, the U.S. considered measles eliminated in 2000.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741383018868.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEVI%20SHASTRI%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEVI SHASTRI &nbsp;AP Health Writer</a>A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">historic measles outbreak in West Texas</a>&nbsp;is just short of 200 cases, Texas state health officials said Friday, while the number of cases in neighboring New Mexico tripled in a day to 30.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741383047634.png" alt="One of the protestors at the"Stand Up for Science" Rally at Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Friday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>One of the protestors at the"Stand Up for Science" Rally at Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Friday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Most of the cases across both states are in people younger than 18 and people who are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.Texas health officials identified 39 new infections of the highly contagious disease, bringing the total count in the West Texas outbreak to 198 people since it began in late January. Twenty-three people have been hospitalized so far.Earlier this month, a school-age child&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">died of measles in Texas,</a>&nbsp;the nation's first measles death in a decade. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week that they were sending a team to Texas to help local public health officials respond to the outbreak.New Mexico health officials had been reporting for weeks a steady number of cases in Lea County — which borders the epicenter of Texas' outbreak. But on Friday, state health officials provided The Associated Press a week-by-week count that shows cases have steadily increased from 14 cases in the week of Feb. 9 to 30 this week.A spokesman for the health department said more cases are expected and that many of the cases reported Friday weren't identified until after people's illnesses had run their course. The department has said it hasn’t been able to prove a clear connection to the Texas outbreak, though on Feb. 14, it said a link is “suspected.”On Thursday, New Mexico health officials confirmed an unvaccinated adult who died without seeking medical care&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">tested positive for measles</a>. The state medical investigator has not announced the official cause of death, but the state health department said Friday it is “measles-related.”The CDC said Friday it has also confirmed measles cases in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington. But the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks make up for most of the nation’s case count.The rise in measles cases has been a major test for U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccine-trump-science-autism-9b99621b01f11b7f0bdc81e5a0b82d2b">questioned the safety of childhood vaccines</a>. Recently, he has stopped short of recommending people get the vaccine, and has promoted unproven treatments for the virus, like cod liver oil.Kennedy dismissed the Texas outbreak as “not unusual," though most local doctors in the West Texas region told The Associated Press that they have never seen a case of measles in their careers until this outbreak.The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years.Childhood vaccination rates across the country have declined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccinations-kindergarten-exemptions-cdc-1c0f9a196a70491fccf48b9125090de0">as an increasing number of parents</a>&nbsp;seek exemptions from public school requirements for personal or religious reasons. In Gaines County, Texas, which has the majority of cases, the kindergarten measles vaccination rate is 82% - far below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks.Many of Gaines County's cases are in the county's “close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community, a diverse group that has historically had lower vaccination rates and whose members can be distrusting of government mandates and intervention.Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/index.html">according to the CDC</a>. Owing to the success of the vaccine, the U.S. considered measles eliminated in 2000.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

U.S. measles cases now reported in a dozen states

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a fatal incident on a&nbsp; construction site in Kansas City, Kansas.

Just after 9:30a., Saturday, Kansas City, Kansas Emergency Dispatch received a call regarding a possible vehicle-related fatality in the 11600 block of State Avenue, according to a media release. 

KCK Police and Fire Department were dispatched to a private construction site where, at the base of a large mound of dirt, they discovered a man pinned under an overturned four-wheel drive vehicle. 

He was pronounced deceased on scene. The initial investigation indicates the driver was trespassing on the construction site when he attempted to traverse the mound of dirt, lost control and flipped the vehicle. 

He was not wearing a seat belt. This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division.&nbsp;

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a fatal incident on a&nbsp; construction site in Kansas City, Kansas.Just after 9:30a., Saturday, Kansas City, Kansas Emergency Dispatch received a call regarding a possible vehicle-related fatality in the 11600 block of State Avenue, according to a media release. KCK Police and Fire Department were dispatched to a private construction site where, at the base of a large mound of dirt, they discovered a man pinned under an overturned four-wheel drive vehicle. He was pronounced deceased on scene. The initial investigation indicates the driver was trespassing on the construction site when he attempted to traverse the mound of dirt, lost control and flipped the vehicle. He was not wearing a seat belt. This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division.&nbsp;

Police: Man trespassing on Kan. construction site dies when vehicle flips

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Xavier Worthy was released Saturday after a district attorney in Texas declined to pursue charges against the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver following an arrest in which he had been accused of felony domestic violence.

Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick told the Austin American-Statesman his office had spoken with witnesses and was not accepting the case at this time. He also said Worthy and his lawyers were fully cooperating with the investigation.

Records showed that Worthy had been arrested Friday by deputies and held in the county jail on a charge of assault on a family or household member in which their breath was impeded, or choking in common terms. The online court listing for the case was updated to “dismissed/declined” later Saturday.

Williamson County includes parts of Austin, where Worthy played college football at the University of Texas.

In a statement, Worthy's attorneys, Chip Lewis and Sam Bassett, said their client was innocent of the charge against him. They said the allegation was made by a female who had been living in Worthy's home, and that she had been asked to leave the home multiple times over the last two weeks “upon discovery of her infidelity.”

“She has refused to vacate the residence and made a number of extortive efforts prior to resorting to this baseless allegation against Mr. Worthy,” the lawyers' statement said. “The complainant further destroyed a room in the residence, scratched Mr. Worthy's face and ripped out parts of his hair, which there is photographic evidence of. Worthy told law enforcement at the time of the incident he did not want to press charges against the complainant.”

The Chiefs told The Associated Press on Saturday that they were aware of the situation and still gathering information.

Under Texas law, impeding breathing means “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of the person by applying pressure to the person’s throat or neck or by blocking the person’s nose or mouth.”

Worthy was chosen by the Chiefs with the 28th overall pick in last year's draft after setting the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He got off to a quick start by scoring a pair of touchdowns in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-kansas-city-ravens-nfl-opener-0ea1b2027f61a147d5365bad6a7f6cbb">NFL debut</a>, and after a midseason lull, he became the Chiefs' go-to wide receiver as they chased an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.

Worthy finished with 59 catches for 638 yards and six TDs while running 20 times for 104 yards and three more scores.

He was one of the few bright spots for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2025-eagles-chiefs-score-e2ff209c074a00a6faff39750ff048f8">Chiefs in a 40-22 loss to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl</a>, too. Worthy caught all eight of his targets for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns at the Superdome in New Orleans.

The Chiefs came to rely on Worthy in part because of a season-ending injury to wide receiver Rashee Rice, who was coming off a brilliant rookie season of his own. Rice caught 24 passes for 288 yards and two TDs in four games before getting hurt.

Rice and another driver, Theodore Knox, were involved in a high-speed car crash in March 2024 that triggered a chain reaction on a highway in Dallas, close to where he had played college football at SMU. Rice is currently facing at least two civil lawsuits along with numerous criminal charges for his role in the wreck.

Rice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rashee-rice-dallas-crash-kansas-city-chiefs-b9c772b81b1b64ad111e249b38c8c4b5">turned himself in following the crash</a>, and his attorney, Texas Sen. Royce West, said that the wide receiver admitted that he was driving the Lamborghini involved. Rice also posted on social media that he took responsibility for his role in the crash.

Skretta reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano contributed to this report from Houston.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721240895604.jpeg" alt="File photo Xavier Worthy" />
 <figcaption>File photo Xavier Worthy</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Xavier Worthy was released Saturday after a district attorney in Texas declined to pursue charges against the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver following an arrest in which he had been accused of felony domestic violence.Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick told the Austin American-Statesman his office had spoken with witnesses and was not accepting the case at this time. He also said Worthy and his lawyers were fully cooperating with the investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741483775149.png" alt="Court listing for Xavier Worthy has been updated to “dismissed/declined”" />
 <figcaption>Court listing for Xavier Worthy has been updated to “dismissed/declined”</figcaption>
 </figure>Records showed that Worthy had been arrested Friday by deputies and held in the county jail on a charge of assault on a family or household member in which their breath was impeded, or choking in common terms. The online court listing for the case was updated to “dismissed/declined” later Saturday.Williamson County includes parts of Austin, where Worthy played college football at the University of Texas.In a statement, Worthy's attorneys, Chip Lewis and Sam Bassett, said their client was innocent of the charge against him. They said the allegation was made by a female who had been living in Worthy's home, and that she had been asked to leave the home multiple times over the last two weeks “upon discovery of her infidelity.”“She has refused to vacate the residence and made a number of extortive efforts prior to resorting to this baseless allegation against Mr. Worthy,” the lawyers' statement said. “The complainant further destroyed a room in the residence, scratched Mr. Worthy's face and ripped out parts of his hair, which there is photographic evidence of. Worthy told law enforcement at the time of the incident he did not want to press charges against the complainant.”The Chiefs told The Associated Press on Saturday that they were aware of the situation and still gathering information.Under Texas law, impeding breathing means “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of the person by applying pressure to the person’s throat or neck or by blocking the person’s nose or mouth.”Worthy was chosen by the Chiefs with the 28th overall pick in last year's draft after setting the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He got off to a quick start by scoring a pair of touchdowns in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-kansas-city-ravens-nfl-opener-0ea1b2027f61a147d5365bad6a7f6cbb">NFL debut</a>, and after a midseason lull, he became the Chiefs' go-to wide receiver as they chased an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.Worthy finished with 59 catches for 638 yards and six TDs while running 20 times for 104 yards and three more scores.He was one of the few bright spots for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2025-eagles-chiefs-score-e2ff209c074a00a6faff39750ff048f8">Chiefs in a 40-22 loss to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl</a>, too. Worthy caught all eight of his targets for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns at the Superdome in New Orleans.The Chiefs came to rely on Worthy in part because of a season-ending injury to wide receiver Rashee Rice, who was coming off a brilliant rookie season of his own. Rice caught 24 passes for 288 yards and two TDs in four games before getting hurt.Rice and another driver, Theodore Knox, were involved in a high-speed car crash in March 2024 that triggered a chain reaction on a highway in Dallas, close to where he had played college football at SMU. Rice is currently facing at least two civil lawsuits along with numerous criminal charges for his role in the wreck.Rice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rashee-rice-dallas-crash-kansas-city-chiefs-b9c772b81b1b64ad111e249b38c8c4b5">turned himself in following the crash</a>, and his attorney, Texas Sen. Royce West, said that the wide receiver admitted that he was driving the Lamborghini involved. Rice also posted on social media that he took responsibility for his role in the crash.___Skretta reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano contributed to this report from Houston.

Chiefs receiver released after Texas DA declines to pursue charges

GARDEN COUNTY, NE —Law enforcement continue investigating a suspect in connection with an alleged abduction.

On Friday the Garden County Nebraska sheriff's office reported&nbsp;sheriff's deputies successfully rescued three children and two women after a suspect drove at high speeds with the victims in the vehicle. 

On February 28, Garden County dispatch received multiple 911 calls from the victims, a Deputy was able to locate and stop the suspect's vehicle.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, the victims had been advised by the Deuel County Sheriff's Department not to travel without proper child safety seats. While seeking assistance in Big Springs, the women encountered the suspect, who offered to take them to Walmart in Ogallala to purchase car seats. &nbsp;

Instead, after approximately 30 minutes, the suspect informed them he was taking them to his house for illicit purposes.&nbsp; The suspect also displayed inappropriate images, burned one of the women with a cigarette and continuously yelled at the victims, causing them significant distress.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On March 4, Carl C Thomas of Morrill was arraigned in Garden County Court on multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, second degree assault, first degree imprisonment, felony child abuse and willful reckless driving. His bond has been set at $5,000,000 with his next court date scheduled for a later time. Authorities have uncovered a concerning multi-state criminal history linked to Thomas.&nbsp;

The swift and diligent actions of the Garden County Sheriff's Office and Garden County Emergency Managment Communications ensured the safety of the victims and prevented a potentially tragic outcome. The Garden County Sheriff's Office remains committed to protecting the community and assisting vulnerable individuals in distress.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741280210310.jpeg" alt="Carl C Thomas&nbsp; file photo" />
 <figcaption>Carl C Thomas&nbsp; file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>GARDEN COUNTY, NE —Law enforcement continue investigating a suspect in connection with an alleged abduction.On Friday the Garden County Nebraska sheriff's office reported&nbsp;sheriff's deputies successfully rescued three children and two women after a suspect drove at high speeds with the victims in the vehicle. On February 28, Garden County dispatch received multiple 911 calls from the victims, a Deputy was able to locate and stop the suspect's vehicle.&nbsp;Earlier in the day, the victims had been advised by the Deuel County Sheriff's Department not to travel without proper child safety seats. While seeking assistance in Big Springs, the women encountered the suspect, who offered to take them to Walmart in Ogallala to purchase car seats. &nbsp;Instead, after approximately 30 minutes, the suspect informed them he was taking them to his house for illicit purposes.&nbsp; The suspect also displayed inappropriate images, burned one of the women with a cigarette and continuously yelled at the victims, causing them significant distress.&nbsp;&nbsp;On March 4, Carl C Thomas of Morrill was arraigned in Garden County Court on multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, second degree assault, first degree imprisonment, felony child abuse and willful reckless driving. His bond has been set at $5,000,000 with his next court date scheduled for a later time. Authorities have uncovered a concerning multi-state criminal history linked to Thomas.&nbsp;The swift and diligent actions of the Garden County Sheriff's Office and Garden County Emergency Managment Communications ensured the safety of the victims and prevented a potentially tragic outcome. The Garden County Sheriff's Office remains committed to protecting the community and assisting vulnerable individuals in distress.&nbsp;

Suspect charged for alleged kidnapping of 3 juveniles, 2 women

BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 7p.m. March 5, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2006 Fort Taurus for an alleged traffic violation in the 9800 Block of SW Santa Fe Lake Road, according to a media release.&nbsp;During the stop, the deputy developed probable cause for a vehicle search leading to the discovery and seizure of approximately 2.8 pounds of marijuana, 92 grams of methamphetamine, and 1 gram of fentanyl powder.

The deputy arrested the suspects identified as a 19-year-old from Wellington and a 33-year-old from Blackwell, Oklahoma. Both were booked into the Butler County Detention Facility on multiple drug related requested charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741259162974.png" alt="Photo Butler Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Butler Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations after a traffic stop.Just after 7p.m. March 5, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2006 Fort Taurus for an alleged traffic violation in the 9800 Block of SW Santa Fe Lake Road, according to a media release.&nbsp;During the stop, the deputy developed probable cause for a vehicle search leading to the discovery and seizure of approximately 2.8 pounds of marijuana, 92 grams of methamphetamine, and 1 gram of fentanyl powder.The deputy arrested the suspects identified as a 19-year-old from Wellington and a 33-year-old from Blackwell, Oklahoma. Both were booked into the Butler County Detention Facility on multiple drug related requested charges.

Kan. deputies seize fentanyl, meth and marijuana during traffic stop

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina man who killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat was executed by firing squad Friday, the first U.S. prisoner in 15 years to die by that method, which he saw as preferable to the electric chair or lethal injection.

Three volunteer prison employees used rifles to carry out the execution of Brad Sigmon, 67, who was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m.

Sigmon killed David and Gladys Larke in their Greenville County home in 2001 in a botched plot to kidnap their daughter. He told police he planned to take her for a romantic weekend, then kill her and himself.

Sigmon's lawyers said he chose the firing squad because the electric chair would “cook him alive,” and he feared that a lethal injection of pentobarbital into his veins would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-brad-sigmon-lethal-injection-311af3d76e1b62e2cdd7a16f845811db">send a rush</a>&nbsp;of fluid and blood into his lungs and drown him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741391683778.png" alt="Sigmon -South Carolina Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Sigmon -South Carolina Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina man who killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat was executed by firing squad Friday, the first U.S. prisoner in 15 years to die by that method, which he saw as preferable to the electric chair or lethal injection.Three volunteer prison employees used rifles to carry out the execution of Brad Sigmon, 67, who was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m.Sigmon killed David and Gladys Larke in their Greenville County home in 2001 in a botched plot to kidnap their daughter. He told police he planned to take her for a romantic weekend, then kill her and himself.Sigmon's lawyers said he chose the firing squad because the electric chair would “cook him alive,” and he feared that a lethal injection of pentobarbital into his veins would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-brad-sigmon-lethal-injection-311af3d76e1b62e2cdd7a16f845811db">send a rush</a>&nbsp;of fluid and blood into his lungs and drown him.The details of South Carolina's lethal injection method are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lethal-injection-shield-law-south-carolina-0a780c87072a7315d2f9da51337137bc">kept secret</a>&nbsp;in South Carolina, and Sigmon unsuccessfully asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to pause his execution because of that.On Friday, Sigmon wore a black jumpsuit with a hood over his head and a white target with a red bullseye over his chest.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-firing-squad-brad-sigmon-a80baef081a7b5456808541efa64d9b6">The armed prison employees</a>&nbsp;stood 15 feet (4.6 meters) from where he sat in the state’s death chamber — the same distance as the backboard is from the free-throw line on a basketball court. Visible in the same small room was the state’s unused electric chair. The gurney used to carry out lethal injections had been rolled away.The volunteers all fired at the same time through openings in a wall. They were not visible to about a dozen witnesses in a room separated from the chamber by bullet-resistant glass. Sigmon made several heavy breaths during the two minutes that elapsed from when the hood was placed to the shots being fired.The shots, which sounded like they were fired at the same time, made a loud, jarring bang that caused witnesses to flinch. His arms briefly tensed when he was shot, and the target was blasted off his chest. He appeared to give another breath or two with a red stain on his chest, and small amounts of tissue could be seen from the wound during those breaths.A doctor came out about a minute later and examined Sigmon for 90 seconds before declaring him dead.Witnesses included three family members of the Larkes. Also present were Sigmon’s attorney and spiritual advisor, a representative from the prosecuting solicitor's office, a sheriff's investigator and three members of the news media.Sigmon's lawyer read a closing statement that he said was “one of love and a calling to my fellow Christians to help us end the death penalty.”Prison spokeswoman Chrysti Shain said Sigmon’s last meal was four pieces of fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, biscuits, cheesecake and sweet tea.The firing squad is an execution method with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-death-penalty-south-carolina-sigmon-05000e874b12bb67c00832c2230f42c8">long and violent history</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. and around the world. Death in a hail of bullets has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America’s Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.Since 1977 only three other prisoners in the U.S. have been executed by firing squad. All were in Utah, most recently Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010. Another Utah man, Ralph Menzies, could be next; he is awaiting the result of a hearing in which his lawyers argued that his dementia makes him unfit for execution.In South Carolina on Friday, a group of protesters holding signs with messages such as “All life is precious” and “Execute justice not people” gathered outside the prison before Sigmon's execution.Supporters and lawyers for Sigmon asked Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to commute his sentence to life in prison. They said he was a model prisoner trusted by guards and worked every day to atone for the killings and also that he committed the killings after succumbing to severe mental illness.But McMaster denied the clemency plea. No governor has ever commuted a death sentence in the state, where 46 other prisoners have been executed since the death penalty resumed in the U.S. in 1976. Seven have died in the electric chair and 39 others by lethal injection.Gerald “Bo” King, chief of the capital habeas unit in the federal public defender’s office, said Sigmon “used his final statement to call on his fellow people of faith to end the death penalty and spare the lives of the 28 men still locked up on South Carolina’s death row.”“It is unfathomable that, in 2025, South Carolina would execute one of its citizens in this bloody spectacle,” King said in a statement. “But South Carolina has ended the life of a man who has devoted himself to his faith, and to ministry and service to all around him. Brad admitted his guilt at trial and shared his deep grief for his crimes with his jury and, in the years since, with everyone who knew him.”In the early 2000s, South Carolina was among the busiest death penalty states, carrying out an average of three executions a year. But officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-state-government-legal-proceedings-crime-prisons-4dcfa79038356927e4584e6018c8410c">suspended executions for 13 years</a>, in part because they were unable to obtain lethal injection drugs.The state Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-south-carolina-lethal-injection-418b9f5ef6e5e4257458fab60b2df3c5">cleared the way</a>&nbsp;to resume them in July. Freddie Owens was the first to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-freddie-owens-lethal-injection-0e15aef91dfe9ac9667264dce7df0193">put to death</a>, on Sept. 20, after McMaster denied him clemency.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-richard-moore-clemency-e3e74f9309ec23eab220d93b7b0dfc29">Richard Moore</a>&nbsp;was executed on Nov. 1 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-marion-bowman-lethal-injection-6ea9748c15f815e01249b6d706b0fb7e">Marion Bowman Jr.</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 31.Going forward the court will allow an execution every five weeks.South Carolina now has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doc.sc.gov/sites/doc/files/Documents/news/death-row-report.pdf">28 inmates</a>&nbsp;on its death row including two who have exhausted their appeals and are awaiting execution, most likely this spring. Just one man has been added to death row in the past decade.Before executions were paused, more than 60 people faced death sentences. Many of those have either had their sentences reduced to life or died in prison.___