HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Heading into the final weekend of the Kansas State Fair, the numbers have been solid thus far.

At Friday morning's Kansas State Fair Board meeting, General Manager Bryan Schulz said attendance through Thursday was over 220,000, with big days expected for Chiefs Red Friday and the Riley Green concert Saturday night.

The carnival is also ahead of last year's pace on money collections, with a strong Monday due to area kids being out of school really helping this year.

Speaking of the Riley Green concert, Schulz expects that to be the largest attendance in a few years, with over 7,000 expected on Saturday night.

The hope is that they can get strong walk-up numbers for Pop Evil Friday night and that the weather is not too warm and they can get strong numbers for the Sunday afternoon Oak Ridge Boys concert to close out the fair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725972052496.jpeg" alt="Kansas State Fair Midway-Photo by Pat James" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Fair Midway-Photo by Pat James</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Heading into the final weekend of the Kansas State Fair, the numbers have been solid thus far.At Friday morning's Kansas State Fair Board meeting, General Manager Bryan Schulz said attendance through Thursday was over 220,000, with big days expected for Chiefs Red Friday and the Riley Green concert Saturday night.The carnival is also ahead of last year's pace on money collections, with a strong Monday due to area kids being out of school really helping this year.Speaking of the Riley Green concert, Schulz expects that to be the largest attendance in a few years, with over 7,000 expected on Saturday night.The hope is that they can get strong walk-up numbers for Pop Evil Friday night and that the weather is not too warm and they can get strong numbers for the Sunday afternoon Oak Ridge Boys concert to close out the fair.

Attendance numbers good headed into final weekend of the State Fair 

A truck driver from Texas died Friday morning in an apparent accident at Triumph Foods, a pork processing plant, in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Just before 7a.m., police received a call about an accident within the fenced area of the plant,&nbsp;5302 Stockyards Expressway, according to a media release.

Aaron Ruelas, 39, of Santa Maria, Texas died when a utility truck at the plant, attempting to hitch to a trailer, struck and killed him.

The truck driver says he didn’t see Ruelas behind him when he put the truck in reverse to connect with the trailer hitch. Ruelas worked for a trucking company from East Prairie, Missouri.

Police report the driver is cooperating in the investigation and it appears to be accidental, though the investigation continues.

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostA truck driver from Texas died Friday morning in an apparent accident at Triumph Foods, a pork processing plant, in St. Joseph, Missouri.Just before 7a.m., police received a call about an accident within the fenced area of the plant,&nbsp;5302 Stockyards Expressway, according to a media release.Aaron Ruelas, 39, of Santa Maria, Texas died when a utility truck at the plant, attempting to hitch to a trailer, struck and killed him.The truck driver says he didn’t see Ruelas behind him when he put the truck in reverse to connect with the trailer hitch. Ruelas worked for a trucking company from East Prairie, Missouri.Police report the driver is cooperating in the investigation and it appears to be accidental, though the investigation continues.

Truck driver killed in apparent accident at pork processing plant

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine’s push to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kursk-putin-missiles-7e59c745b4bff79802454f0b660b0d0d">ease restrictions</a>&nbsp;on the use of weapons from the United States and Britain will be discussed Friday in White House talks between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Ukraine wants approval to use some weapons to strike deeper into Russia and there are signs Biden might shift U.S. policy in response. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons would put NATO at war with Moscow.

While the issue is expected to be at the top of the agenda for the meeting, it appeared unlikely that Biden and Starmer would announce any policy changes at this time, according to two U.S. officials familiar with planning for the talks. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private deliberations.

During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blinken-lammy-ukraine-russia-missiles-0584fb5f4cf2b89f9b4eea1358700a91">this week’s visit to Kyiv</a>&nbsp;by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Ukrainian officials renewed their pleas to use Western-provided long-range missiles against targets deeper inside Russia.

Blinken said he had “no doubt” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poland-us-blinken-duda-ukraine-54232b14cae7785df02f9d48a77e7823">Biden and Starmer would discuss the matter</a>, noting the U.S. has adapted and “will adjust as necessary” as Russia’s battlefield strategy has changed.

Blinken spoke similarly in May, shortly before the U.S. allowed Ukraine to use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/czechia-ukraine-russia-nato-blinken-441c9624d95f8193e99cf08effced44f">American-provided weapons just inside Russian territory</a>. The permitted distance has been largely limited to cross-border targets deemed a direct threat, out of concerns about further escalating the conflict.

Biden also has hinted that a change could be afoot. In an exchange with reporters this week about whether he was ready to ease weapons restrictions on Ukraine, he responded, “We’re working that out now.”

Putin said Thursday that allowing long-range strikes “would mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia. … If this is so, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us.”

His remarks were in line with the narrative the Kremlin has promoted since early in the Ukraine war, accusing NATO countries of de-facto participation in the conflict and threatening a response.

Earlier in the year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-ukraine-e192904652221b29efdc88d0af23114e">Putin warned that Russia could provide long-range weapons</a>&nbsp;to others to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory, saying it “would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act the same way.”

Starmer, in response to Putin's comments Thursday, said on his way to the U.S. that Britain does not seek any conflict with Russia.

“Russia started this conflict," Starmer said. “Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia could end this conflict straight away.”

He added: “Ukraine has the right to self-defense and we’ve obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine’s right to self-defense — we’re providing training capability, as you know."

“But we don’t seek any conflict with Russia — that’s not our intention in the slightest," Starmer said.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has pressed U.S. and allied military leaders to go much further. He argues that the U.S. must&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-us-weapons-long-range-missiles-7f061044c7b50a1946409eea9e9c399f">allow Ukraine to target Russian air bases and launch sites</a>&nbsp;far from the border as Russia has stepped up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-energy-russia-airstrikes-greenpeace-1dfe7e60d4f9291f1196afda1a19373a">assaults on Ukraine’s electricity grid</a>&nbsp;and utilities before the winter.

Zelenskyy also wants more long-range weaponry from Washington, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-long-range-missiles-4d2254639eb5a503d8b0a291ed0680e9">Army Tactical Missile System,</a>&nbsp;known as ATACMS, for strikes in Russia.

ATACMS would not be the answer to the main threat Ukraine faces from long-range Russian glide bombs, which are being fired from more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) away, beyond the ATACMS' reach, said Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz, Pentagon spokesperson.

American officials also do not believe they have enough of the weapon systems available to provide Ukraine with the number to make a substantive difference to conditions on the ground, one of the U.S. officials said.

During a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-military-aid-zelenskyy-cf8addbd055e518a7a10a73d3d4353cd">meeting of allied defense ministers</a>&nbsp;last week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not believe providing Ukraine with long-range weapon systems would be a game-changer. He noted that Ukraine has already been able to strike inside Russia with its own internally produced systems, including drones.

“I don’t believe one capability is going to be decisive, and I stand by that comment,” Austin said.

“As of right now, the policy has not changed," Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said Thursday.

Starmer said he was visiting Washington for “strategic meetings to discuss Ukraine and to discuss the Middle East.” It’s the prime minister’s second meeting with Biden since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-election-keir-starmer-profile-labour-e98d16e0810273f6041b61747e084aae">his center-left government was elected in July</a>.

It comes after Britain last week diverged from the U.S. by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-israel-arms-sales-c13210a21f1df7ef060f06a7a34addd1">suspending some arms exports</a>&nbsp;to Israel because of the risk they could be used to break international law.

Their meeting also comes before this month’s annual meeting of global leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. The White House talks were scheduled in part to help Biden and Starmer compare notes on the war in Ukraine, the languishing efforts to get a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-ceasefire-egypt-qatar-biden-aafbe442e8dd976218588d2f164b38a1">cease-fire deal in Gaza</a>, mutual concerns in the Indo-Pacific, and other issues before the U.N. meeting.

The White House also has tried in recent days to put a greater emphasis on the nexus between the war in Ukraine and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/west-bank-palestinian-teenagers-israel/">conflict in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;that was sparked after Iranian-backed Hamas militants in Gaza launched attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.

The Biden administration said this week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-britain-blinken-ukraine-iran-ballistic-missiles-russia-a2c3f92e213518063ccd5ad890105560">Iran recently delivered short-range ballistic weapons to Russia</a>&nbsp;to use against Ukraine, a transfer that White House officials worry will allow Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets far beyond the Ukrainian front line while employing Iranian warheads for closer-range targets.

In turn, the U.S. administration says Russia has been tightening its relationship with Iran, including by providing it with nuclear and space technology.

“This is obviously deeply concerning,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said of the missile transfer. “And it certainly speaks to the manner in which this partnership threatens European security and how it illustrates Iran’s destabilizing influence now reaches well beyond the Middle East.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726238871572.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine’s push to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kursk-putin-missiles-7e59c745b4bff79802454f0b660b0d0d">ease restrictions</a>&nbsp;on the use of weapons from the United States and Britain will be discussed Friday in White House talks between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.Ukraine wants approval to use some weapons to strike deeper into Russia and there are signs Biden might shift U.S. policy in response. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons would put NATO at war with Moscow.While the issue is expected to be at the top of the agenda for the meeting, it appeared unlikely that Biden and Starmer would announce any policy changes at this time, according to two U.S. officials familiar with planning for the talks. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private deliberations.During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blinken-lammy-ukraine-russia-missiles-0584fb5f4cf2b89f9b4eea1358700a91">this week’s visit to Kyiv</a>&nbsp;by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Ukrainian officials renewed their pleas to use Western-provided long-range missiles against targets deeper inside Russia.Blinken said he had “no doubt” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poland-us-blinken-duda-ukraine-54232b14cae7785df02f9d48a77e7823">Biden and Starmer would discuss the matter</a>, noting the U.S. has adapted and “will adjust as necessary” as Russia’s battlefield strategy has changed.Blinken spoke similarly in May, shortly before the U.S. allowed Ukraine to use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/czechia-ukraine-russia-nato-blinken-441c9624d95f8193e99cf08effced44f">American-provided weapons just inside Russian territory</a>. The permitted distance has been largely limited to cross-border targets deemed a direct threat, out of concerns about further escalating the conflict.Biden also has hinted that a change could be afoot. In an exchange with reporters this week about whether he was ready to ease weapons restrictions on Ukraine, he responded, “We’re working that out now.”Putin said Thursday that allowing long-range strikes “would mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia. … If this is so, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us.”His remarks were in line with the narrative the Kremlin has promoted since early in the Ukraine war, accusing NATO countries of de-facto participation in the conflict and threatening a response.Earlier in the year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-ukraine-e192904652221b29efdc88d0af23114e">Putin warned that Russia could provide long-range weapons</a>&nbsp;to others to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory, saying it “would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act the same way.”Starmer, in response to Putin's comments Thursday, said on his way to the U.S. that Britain does not seek any conflict with Russia.“Russia started this conflict," Starmer said. “Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia could end this conflict straight away.”He added: “Ukraine has the right to self-defense and we’ve obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine’s right to self-defense — we’re providing training capability, as you know."“But we don’t seek any conflict with Russia — that’s not our intention in the slightest," Starmer said.Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has pressed U.S. and allied military leaders to go much further. He argues that the U.S. must&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-us-weapons-long-range-missiles-7f061044c7b50a1946409eea9e9c399f">allow Ukraine to target Russian air bases and launch sites</a>&nbsp;far from the border as Russia has stepped up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-energy-russia-airstrikes-greenpeace-1dfe7e60d4f9291f1196afda1a19373a">assaults on Ukraine’s electricity grid</a>&nbsp;and utilities before the winter.Zelenskyy also wants more long-range weaponry from Washington, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-long-range-missiles-4d2254639eb5a503d8b0a291ed0680e9">Army Tactical Missile System,</a>&nbsp;known as ATACMS, for strikes in Russia.ATACMS would not be the answer to the main threat Ukraine faces from long-range Russian glide bombs, which are being fired from more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) away, beyond the ATACMS' reach, said Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz, Pentagon spokesperson.American officials also do not believe they have enough of the weapon systems available to provide Ukraine with the number to make a substantive difference to conditions on the ground, one of the U.S. officials said.During a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-military-aid-zelenskyy-cf8addbd055e518a7a10a73d3d4353cd">meeting of allied defense ministers</a>&nbsp;last week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not believe providing Ukraine with long-range weapon systems would be a game-changer. He noted that Ukraine has already been able to strike inside Russia with its own internally produced systems, including drones.“I don’t believe one capability is going to be decisive, and I stand by that comment,” Austin said.“As of right now, the policy has not changed," Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said Thursday.Starmer said he was visiting Washington for “strategic meetings to discuss Ukraine and to discuss the Middle East.” It’s the prime minister’s second meeting with Biden since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-election-keir-starmer-profile-labour-e98d16e0810273f6041b61747e084aae">his center-left government was elected in July</a>.It comes after Britain last week diverged from the U.S. by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-israel-arms-sales-c13210a21f1df7ef060f06a7a34addd1">suspending some arms exports</a>&nbsp;to Israel because of the risk they could be used to break international law.Their meeting also comes before this month’s annual meeting of global leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. The White House talks were scheduled in part to help Biden and Starmer compare notes on the war in Ukraine, the languishing efforts to get a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-ceasefire-egypt-qatar-biden-aafbe442e8dd976218588d2f164b38a1">cease-fire deal in Gaza</a>, mutual concerns in the Indo-Pacific, and other issues before the U.N. meeting.The White House also has tried in recent days to put a greater emphasis on the nexus between the war in Ukraine and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/west-bank-palestinian-teenagers-israel/">conflict in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;that was sparked after Iranian-backed Hamas militants in Gaza launched attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.The Biden administration said this week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-britain-blinken-ukraine-iran-ballistic-missiles-russia-a2c3f92e213518063ccd5ad890105560">Iran recently delivered short-range ballistic weapons to Russia</a>&nbsp;to use against Ukraine, a transfer that White House officials worry will allow Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets far beyond the Ukrainian front line while employing Iranian warheads for closer-range targets.In turn, the U.S. administration says Russia has been tightening its relationship with Iran, including by providing it with nuclear and space technology.“This is obviously deeply concerning,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said of the missile transfer. “And it certainly speaks to the manner in which this partnership threatens European security and how it illustrates Iran’s destabilizing influence now reaches well beyond the Middle East.”

Biden considering biggest escalation since Ukraine war started

TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Kansas man of assault with a deadly weapon following an incident on a United States Army installation, according to the United State's Attorney.

In November 2023, Jordan Thompson, 24, assaulted an adult male victim while at Fort Riley.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Thompson was involved in a domestic dispute with his estranged wife. He used a 9 mm caliber pistol to threaten the victim who was at the home of the child’s mother, and then left with the minor. The incident prompted officials to issue an Amber Alert.

Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, Fort Riley Department of the Army

Civilian Police, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Highway

Patrol, and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726243691062.png" alt="Thompson photo Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Thompson photo Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Kansas man of assault with a deadly weapon following an incident on a United States Army installation, according to the United State's Attorney.In November 2023, Jordan Thompson, 24, assaulted an adult male victim while at Fort Riley.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726243865993.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Thompson was involved in a domestic dispute with his estranged wife. He used a 9 mm caliber pistol to threaten the victim who was at the home of the child’s mother, and then left with the minor. The incident prompted officials to issue an Amber Alert.Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.The Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, Fort Riley Department of the ArmyCivilian Police, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas HighwayPatrol, and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Jury: Man guilty in connection with Amber Alert incident at Fort Riley

NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials on Thursday said they don’t know how a Missouri person caught&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>&nbsp;but believe it may be a rare instance of a “one-off" standalone illness.

Investigators trying to determine how the person caught the virus have not been able to confirm the exact strain of flu.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the risk to the general public remains low.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-human-missouri-769d0a52bae2f97a5a0df13f9e733619">The Missouri case</a>&nbsp;raised questions about the possibility of human-to-human bird flu transmission, but officials said there is no evidence of other people being infected.

“Right now, evidence points to this being a one-off case,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, CDC principal deputy director.

Unusual flu strains that come from animals are occasionally found in people. This year alone, health officials identified seven human cases of swine flu in the U.S., officials said. But this is the first time the surveillance system detected an avian flu like this.

The H5N1 bird flu&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-humans-animals-deaths-ae01d3717783f0cf41e23f3fedb97017">has been spreading widely</a>&nbsp;among wild birds, poultry, cows and a growing number of other animals. Its growing presence in the environment increases the chances that people will be exposed, and potentially catch it, Shah said.

Citing patient confidentiality, health officials have disclosed few details about the Missouri case, which was first announced late last week.

The person had chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weakness and was hospitalized on Aug. 22 “for reasons related to their underlying medical conditions,” Shah said.

The patient was tested for flu as part of the treatment and was positive for influenza A, a broad virus category. Subsequent testing — completed last week — found the bug to belong to category of viruses usually seen in birds and not people. However, the patient had a very low concentration of viral genetic material, leaving officials without the ability to full analyze it and confirm exactly which virus it is, Shah said.

"Ultimately, a full sequence may not be technically feasible," Shah said.

The patient had no known contact with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-usda-iowa-research-8506a7cd0ab1e58cf776aba67b0f97f8">dairy cows</a>&nbsp;or other animals associated with the ongoing bird flu outbreak. The person later told Missouri health officials that they didn't drink&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-raw-milk-h5n1-6398d2eda26eb41797ee2700cf9d036b">unpasteurized milk</a>&nbsp;or dairy products, Shah said in a Thursday call with reporters.

The patient received antiviral medication and has since recovered and gone home, health officials said.

As part of their investigation, officials hope to draw blood from people who were around the patient to see if they show evidence of infection, Shah said.

The Missouri patient was the 14th person in the U.S. sickened with bird flu since March, when the virus was detected in cows. One other person was infected in 2022. All of those cases were relatively mild illnesses, and each patient had been in direct contact with infected animals.

U.S. health officials have been making preparations for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-shots-cdc-dairy-farms-poultry-cdc012837f682e999c96eda3d87b6f9e">vaccines and other measures</a>, in case the bird flu does start spreading widely among people or begins causing severe illness.

On Thursday, the CDC announced it is partnering with five commercial lab companies so they can develop and conduct tests for H5N1 or other viruses. The agency initially is devoting at least $5 million to the agreements, and making plans to scale up to $118 million over the next five years if necessary, Shah said.

In the past, CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-united-nations-donald-trump-ap-top-news-virus-outbreak-c335958b1f8f6a37b19b421bc7759722">developed its own tests</a>&nbsp;during the early stages of new epidemics, with widespread testing not becoming available until later. That slowed detection of emerging infections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726222969059.png" alt=" A Missouri case marked the 14th person to contract highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1, this year amid ongoing outbreaks among poultry and dairy cattle. The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University tests samples from animals for viruses such as avian influenza (Photo courtesy of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory)." />
 <figcaption> A Missouri case marked the 14th person to contract highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1, this year amid ongoing outbreaks among poultry and dairy cattle. The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University tests samples from animals for viruses such as avian influenza (Photo courtesy of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory).</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials on Thursday said they don’t know how a Missouri person caught&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>&nbsp;but believe it may be a rare instance of a “one-off" standalone illness.Investigators trying to determine how the person caught the virus have not been able to confirm the exact strain of flu.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the risk to the general public remains low.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-human-missouri-769d0a52bae2f97a5a0df13f9e733619">The Missouri case</a>&nbsp;raised questions about the possibility of human-to-human bird flu transmission, but officials said there is no evidence of other people being infected.“Right now, evidence points to this being a one-off case,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, CDC principal deputy director.Unusual flu strains that come from animals are occasionally found in people. This year alone, health officials identified seven human cases of swine flu in the U.S., officials said. But this is the first time the surveillance system detected an avian flu like this.The H5N1 bird flu&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-humans-animals-deaths-ae01d3717783f0cf41e23f3fedb97017">has been spreading widely</a>&nbsp;among wild birds, poultry, cows and a growing number of other animals. Its growing presence in the environment increases the chances that people will be exposed, and potentially catch it, Shah said.Citing patient confidentiality, health officials have disclosed few details about the Missouri case, which was first announced late last week.The person had chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weakness and was hospitalized on Aug. 22 “for reasons related to their underlying medical conditions,” Shah said.The patient was tested for flu as part of the treatment and was positive for influenza A, a broad virus category. Subsequent testing — completed last week — found the bug to belong to category of viruses usually seen in birds and not people. However, the patient had a very low concentration of viral genetic material, leaving officials without the ability to full analyze it and confirm exactly which virus it is, Shah said."Ultimately, a full sequence may not be technically feasible," Shah said.The patient had no known contact with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-usda-iowa-research-8506a7cd0ab1e58cf776aba67b0f97f8">dairy cows</a>&nbsp;or other animals associated with the ongoing bird flu outbreak. The person later told Missouri health officials that they didn't drink&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-raw-milk-h5n1-6398d2eda26eb41797ee2700cf9d036b">unpasteurized milk</a>&nbsp;or dairy products, Shah said in a Thursday call with reporters.The patient received antiviral medication and has since recovered and gone home, health officials said.As part of their investigation, officials hope to draw blood from people who were around the patient to see if they show evidence of infection, Shah said.The Missouri patient was the 14th person in the U.S. sickened with bird flu since March, when the virus was detected in cows. One other person was infected in 2022. All of those cases were relatively mild illnesses, and each patient had been in direct contact with infected animals.U.S. health officials have been making preparations for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-shots-cdc-dairy-farms-poultry-cdc012837f682e999c96eda3d87b6f9e">vaccines and other measures</a>, in case the bird flu does start spreading widely among people or begins causing severe illness.On Thursday, the CDC announced it is partnering with five commercial lab companies so they can develop and conduct tests for H5N1 or other viruses. The agency initially is devoting at least $5 million to the agreements, and making plans to scale up to $118 million over the next five years if necessary, Shah said.In the past, CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-united-nations-donald-trump-ap-top-news-virus-outbreak-c335958b1f8f6a37b19b421bc7759722">developed its own tests</a>&nbsp;during the early stages of new epidemics, with widespread testing not becoming available until later. That slowed detection of emerging infections.

Investigation continues on 1st case of bird flu without known animal contact 

SHAWNEE COUNTY — A woman is in custody following a vehicle theft and kidnapping that led to a pursuit on eastbound Interstate 70 on Thursday afternoon.

Just after 1:15 p.m., police responded&nbsp; to a reported vehicle theft at the BP gas station located at 600 SE Quincy Street in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols

 It was reported that a vehicle was stolen with an adult female with special needs still inside. The suspect then fled eastbound on Interstate 70.

TPD officers responded and shared information with state law enforcement partners related to the incident. Authorities from Kansas Highway Patrol Troop G located and attempted to stop the vehicle near mile marker 200 on I-70, and the driver fled initiating a pursuit. 

The pursuit ended near mile marker 225 after stop sticks were deployed and Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) techniques were used. The suspect was detained and the female passenger was returned to her guardians without further incident.

As a result of the investigation, LaShantese V. Ward, 29, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated burglary; Vehicle; to commit felony, theft, DV or sexually motivated crime, Kidnapping; In Flight Or The Commission Of Any Crime, Theft &gt;$1,500&lt;$25,000 Motor Vehicle, Aggravated battery; Recklessly cause great bodily harm/disfigurement, Criminal Damage To Property; Misdemeanor, Interference with LEO; Conceal/alter/destroy evidence in felony case, Theft; shoplifting Unknown Value Theft &lt;$1,500 From Motor Vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726190084942.png" alt="Ward photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ward photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — A woman is in custody following a vehicle theft and kidnapping that led to a pursuit on eastbound Interstate 70 on Thursday afternoon.Just after 1:15 p.m., police responded&nbsp; to a reported vehicle theft at the BP gas station located at 600 SE Quincy Street in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols It was reported that a vehicle was stolen with an adult female with special needs still inside. The suspect then fled eastbound on Interstate 70.TPD officers responded and shared information with state law enforcement partners related to the incident. Authorities from Kansas Highway Patrol Troop G located and attempted to stop the vehicle near mile marker 200 on I-70, and the driver fled initiating a pursuit. The pursuit ended near mile marker 225 after stop sticks were deployed and Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) techniques were used. The suspect was detained and the female passenger was returned to her guardians without further incident.As a result of the investigation, LaShantese V. Ward, 29, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated burglary; Vehicle; to commit felony, theft, DV or sexually motivated crime, Kidnapping; In Flight Or The Commission Of Any Crime, Theft &gt;$1,500&lt;$25,000 Motor Vehicle, Aggravated battery; Recklessly cause great bodily harm/disfigurement, Criminal Damage To Property; Misdemeanor, Interference with LEO; Conceal/alter/destroy evidence in felony case, Theft; shoplifting Unknown Value Theft &lt;$1,500 From Motor Vehicle.

Kan. carjacking arrest:  Vehicle had passenger with special needs

SEATTLE (AP) — Aircraft assembly workers walked off the job early Friday at Boeing factories near Seattle and elsewhere after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-vote-machinists-12d008c0127bab57f8cc9941f48e3ac6">union members voted</a>&nbsp;overwhelmingly to go on strike and reject a tentative contract that would have increased wages by 25% over four years.

The strike started at 12:01 a.m. PDT, less than three hours after the local branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced 94.6% of voting workers rejected the proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-labor-contract-machinists-strike-4fd6c9055b126ad78a6c8facc12e87d5">contract</a>&nbsp;and 96% approved the work stoppage, easily surpassing a two-thirds requirement.

The labor action involves 33,000 Boeing machinists, most of them in Washington state, and is expected to shut down production of the company’s best-selling airline planes. The strike will not affect commercial flights but represents another setback for the aerospace giant, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-fraud-plea-deal-victims-justice-department-0cd99f8e7fd4e8e98621a91b8eb2e102">reputation</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-sales-cancellations-crisis-674375bc711c299cac19b6df09443d4a">finances</a>&nbsp;have been battered by manufacturing problems and multiple federal investigations this year.

The striking machinists assemble&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-plea-737-max-crashes-b34daa014406657e720bec4a990dccf6">the 737 Max</a>, Boeing’s best-selling airliner, along with the 777, or “triple-seven” jet, and the 767 cargo plane at factories in Renton and Everett, Washington. The walkout likely will not stop production of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are built by nonunion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-boeing-787-inspection-investigation-4b6ac28d8ab0d7687112e2cbb7bf6e00">workers in South Carolina</a>.

Outside the Renton factory, people stood with signs reading, “Historic contract my ass” and “Have you seen the damn housing prices?” Car horns honked and a boom box played songs such as Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do.”

The machinists make $75,608 per year on average, not counting overtime, and that would rise to $106,350 at the end of the four-year contract, according to Boeing.

However, the deal fell short of the union’s initial demand for pay raises of 40% over three years. The union also wanted to restore traditional pensions that were axed a decade ago but settled for an increase in new Boeing contributions of up to $4,160 per worker to employee 401(k) retirement accounts.

Under the rejected contract, workers would have received $3,000 lump sum payments and a reduced share of health care costs. Boeing also had met a key union demand by agreeing to build its next new plane in Washington state.

Several workers said they considered the wage offer inadequate and were upset by a recent company decision to change the criteria on which annual bonuses are paid. Toolmaker John Olson, 45, said he has received a 2% percent raise during his six years at Boeing.

“The last contract we negotiated was 16 years ago and the company is basing the wage increases off of wages from 16 years ago," Olson said. "They don’t even keep up with the cost of inflation that is currently happening right now.”

Boeing responded to the strike announcement by saying it was “ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.”

“The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members. We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union,” the company said in a statement.

Very little has gone right for Boeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-manufacturing-reputation-3eed69b839021b24bfe792080c85b63c">this year</a>, from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ntsb-boeing-max-blowout-alaska-airlines-9057d70b2f85b06caa80d6ba7a91826a">panel blowing out</a>&nbsp;and leaving a gaping hole in one of its passenger jets in January to NASA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-spacex-nasa-astronauts-starliner-e4e81e5a6c23dee2f8f72260ddea011c">leaving two astronauts in space</a>&nbsp;rather sending them home on a problem-plagued Boeing spacecraft.

As long as the strike lasts, it will deprive the company of much-needed cash it gets from delivering new planes to airlines. That will be another challenge for new Boeing CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-ortberg-new-ceo-factory-visit-e5bada09a96d0e26b25f2d35d6d6cfc0">Kelly Ortberg</a>, who six weeks ago was given the job of turning around a company that has lost more than $25 billion in the last six years and fallen behind European rival Airbus.

Ortberg made a last-ditch effort to salvage a deal that had unanimous backing from the union’s negotiators. He told machinists Wednesday that “no one wins” in a walkout and a strike would put Boeing’s recovery in jeopardy and raise more doubt about the company in the eyes of its airline customers.

“For Boeing, it is no secret that our business is in a difficult period, in part due to our own mistakes in the past,” he said. “Working together, I know that we can get back on track, but a strike would put our shared recovery in jeopardy, further eroding trust with our customers and hurting our ability to determine our future together.”

The head of the union local, IAM District 751 President Jon Holden, said Ortberg faced a difficult position because machinists were bitter about stagnant wages and concessions they have made since 2008 on pensions and health care to prevent the company from moving jobs elsewhere.

“This is about respect, this is about the past, and this is about fighting for our future,” Holden said in announcing the strike.

The vote also was a rebuke to Holden and union negotiators, who recommended workers approve the contract offer. Holden, who had predicted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-machinists-contract-vote-85da12957ac9f7e1c9fedda346844e15">workers would vote to strike</a>, said the union would survey members to decide which issues they want to stress when negotiations resume.

Depending on how long the strike lasts, suspension of airplane production could prove costly for the beleaguered Boeing. An eight-week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/business/02boeing.html?ref=business">strike in 2008</a>, the longest at Boeing since a 10-week walkout in 1995, cost the company about $100 million daily in deferred revenue.

Before the tentative agreement was announced Sunday, Jefferies aerospace analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu estimated a strike would cost the company about $3 billion based on the 2008 strike plus inflation and current airplane-production rates.

Solomon Hammond, 33, another Renton toolmaker, said he was prepared to strike indefinitely to secure a better contract.

Boeing's offer “just doesn’t line up with the current climate. The wages are just too low," Hammond said. "I make $47 an hour and work paycheck to paycheck. Everything costs more.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726229458525.png" alt="Photo the International Association of Machinists &amp; Aerospace Workers" />
 <figcaption>Photo the International Association of Machinists &amp; Aerospace Workers</figcaption>
 </figure>SEATTLE (AP) — Aircraft assembly workers walked off the job early Friday at Boeing factories near Seattle and elsewhere after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-vote-machinists-12d008c0127bab57f8cc9941f48e3ac6">union members voted</a>&nbsp;overwhelmingly to go on strike and reject a tentative contract that would have increased wages by 25% over four years.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The members have spoken: STRIKE Solidarity with our <a href="https://twitter.com/IAM751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IAM751</a> kin, Washington’s labor movement will be with you on the line every step. <a href="https://t.co/HjCkh5FZ8U">pic.twitter.com/HjCkh5FZ8U</a>&mdash; Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WAAFLCIO/status/1834465442024620297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The strike started at 12:01 a.m. PDT, less than three hours after the local branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced 94.6% of voting workers rejected the proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-labor-contract-machinists-strike-4fd6c9055b126ad78a6c8facc12e87d5">contract</a>&nbsp;and 96% approved the work stoppage, easily surpassing a two-thirds requirement.The labor action involves 33,000 Boeing machinists, most of them in Washington state, and is expected to shut down production of the company’s best-selling airline planes. The strike will not affect commercial flights but represents another setback for the aerospace giant, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-fraud-plea-deal-victims-justice-department-0cd99f8e7fd4e8e98621a91b8eb2e102">reputation</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-sales-cancellations-crisis-674375bc711c299cac19b6df09443d4a">finances</a>&nbsp;have been battered by manufacturing problems and multiple federal investigations this year.The striking machinists assemble&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-plea-737-max-crashes-b34daa014406657e720bec4a990dccf6">the 737 Max</a>, Boeing’s best-selling airliner, along with the 777, or “triple-seven” jet, and the 767 cargo plane at factories in Renton and Everett, Washington. The walkout likely will not stop production of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are built by nonunion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-boeing-787-inspection-investigation-4b6ac28d8ab0d7687112e2cbb7bf6e00">workers in South Carolina</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726229433334.png" alt="Photo the International Association of Machinists &amp; Aerospace Workers" />
 <figcaption>Photo the International Association of Machinists &amp; Aerospace Workers</figcaption>
 </figure>Outside the Renton factory, people stood with signs reading, “Historic contract my ass” and “Have you seen the damn housing prices?” Car horns honked and a boom box played songs such as Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do.”The machinists make $75,608 per year on average, not counting overtime, and that would rise to $106,350 at the end of the four-year contract, according to Boeing.However, the deal fell short of the union’s initial demand for pay raises of 40% over three years. The union also wanted to restore traditional pensions that were axed a decade ago but settled for an increase in new Boeing contributions of up to $4,160 per worker to employee 401(k) retirement accounts.Under the rejected contract, workers would have received $3,000 lump sum payments and a reduced share of health care costs. Boeing also had met a key union demand by agreeing to build its next new plane in Washington state.Several workers said they considered the wage offer inadequate and were upset by a recent company decision to change the criteria on which annual bonuses are paid. Toolmaker John Olson, 45, said he has received a 2% percent raise during his six years at Boeing.“The last contract we negotiated was 16 years ago and the company is basing the wage increases off of wages from 16 years ago," Olson said. "They don’t even keep up with the cost of inflation that is currently happening right now.”Boeing responded to the strike announcement by saying it was “ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.”“The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members. We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union,” the company said in a statement.Very little has gone right for Boeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-manufacturing-reputation-3eed69b839021b24bfe792080c85b63c">this year</a>, from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ntsb-boeing-max-blowout-alaska-airlines-9057d70b2f85b06caa80d6ba7a91826a">panel blowing out</a>&nbsp;and leaving a gaping hole in one of its passenger jets in January to NASA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-spacex-nasa-astronauts-starliner-e4e81e5a6c23dee2f8f72260ddea011c">leaving two astronauts in space</a>&nbsp;rather sending them home on a problem-plagued Boeing spacecraft.As long as the strike lasts, it will deprive the company of much-needed cash it gets from delivering new planes to airlines. That will be another challenge for new Boeing CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-ortberg-new-ceo-factory-visit-e5bada09a96d0e26b25f2d35d6d6cfc0">Kelly Ortberg</a>, who six weeks ago was given the job of turning around a company that has lost more than $25 billion in the last six years and fallen behind European rival Airbus.Ortberg made a last-ditch effort to salvage a deal that had unanimous backing from the union’s negotiators. He told machinists Wednesday that “no one wins” in a walkout and a strike would put Boeing’s recovery in jeopardy and raise more doubt about the company in the eyes of its airline customers.“For Boeing, it is no secret that our business is in a difficult period, in part due to our own mistakes in the past,” he said. “Working together, I know that we can get back on track, but a strike would put our shared recovery in jeopardy, further eroding trust with our customers and hurting our ability to determine our future together.”The head of the union local, IAM District 751 President Jon Holden, said Ortberg faced a difficult position because machinists were bitter about stagnant wages and concessions they have made since 2008 on pensions and health care to prevent the company from moving jobs elsewhere.“This is about respect, this is about the past, and this is about fighting for our future,” Holden said in announcing the strike.The vote also was a rebuke to Holden and union negotiators, who recommended workers approve the contract offer. Holden, who had predicted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-machinists-contract-vote-85da12957ac9f7e1c9fedda346844e15">workers would vote to strike</a>, said the union would survey members to decide which issues they want to stress when negotiations resume.Depending on how long the strike lasts, suspension of airplane production could prove costly for the beleaguered Boeing. An eight-week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/business/02boeing.html?ref=business">strike in 2008</a>, the longest at Boeing since a 10-week walkout in 1995, cost the company about $100 million daily in deferred revenue.Before the tentative agreement was announced Sunday, Jefferies aerospace analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu estimated a strike would cost the company about $3 billion based on the 2008 strike plus inflation and current airplane-production rates.Solomon Hammond, 33, another Renton toolmaker, said he was prepared to strike indefinitely to secure a better contract.Boeing's offer “just doesn’t line up with the current climate. The wages are just too low," Hammond said. "I make $47 an hour and work paycheck to paycheck. Everything costs more.”

Boeing factory workers go on strike after rejecting contract offer

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a road-rage shooting have made an arrest.

At approximately 4:30p.m. Thursday, a citizen was the victim of a road rage shooting, according to the Excelsior Springs Police Deparatment. The incident began at Walmart and the shooting occurred at Schwartz and 69 Highway near the ES Animal Clinic.

  The suspect left in an unknown direction. The vehicle was described as a full size Chevrolet van, dark blue, a spare tire on the rear door and an unknown rectangular type equipment attacked to the trailer hitch and with Ohio license plate JGV 2365.

 Driver is described as an older white male. Just before 8p.m. Thursday, police reported with the help of the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff's office they had identified and taken the suspect into custody.&nbsp; The name of the suspect has not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726188089761.png" alt="Photo of the suspect vehicle Excelsior Springs, Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo of the suspect vehicle Excelsior Springs, Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a road-rage shooting have made an arrest.At approximately 4:30p.m. Thursday, a citizen was the victim of a road rage shooting, according to the Excelsior Springs Police Deparatment. The incident began at Walmart and the shooting occurred at Schwartz and 69 Highway near the ES Animal Clinic. The suspect left in an unknown direction. The vehicle was described as a full size Chevrolet van, dark blue, a spare tire on the rear door and an unknown rectangular type equipment attacked to the trailer hitch and with Ohio license plate JGV 2365. Driver is described as an older white male. Just before 8p.m. Thursday, police reported with the help of the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff's office they had identified and taken the suspect into custody.&nbsp; The name of the suspect has not been released.

Police: Suspect in KC area road rage shooting in custody

TOPEKA, Kan. – Law enforcement and USD 501 officials are investigating an alleged school threat.

Just after 5:30p.m. Thursday,&nbsp; police&nbsp;received information of a potential threat to Meadows Elementary School,&nbsp;201 SW Clay Street in Topeka, according to Topeka Police Captain Jerry Monasmith. 

Federal law enforcement partners and the USD 501 Police were immediately notified and an investigation began.

Police have located all individuals involved and no threat has been identified. Law enforcement are collaborating to ensure a safe conclusion to the school week Friday.

The Topeka Police Department reminded the public that any threat of violence, whether spoken or online, is a serious matter and will be fully investigated.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573757762937.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. – Law enforcement and USD 501 officials are investigating an alleged school threat.Just after 5:30p.m. Thursday,&nbsp; police&nbsp;received information of a potential threat to Meadows Elementary School,&nbsp;201 SW Clay Street in Topeka, according to Topeka Police Captain Jerry Monasmith. Federal law enforcement partners and the USD 501 Police were immediately notified and an investigation began.Police have located all individuals involved and no threat has been identified. Law enforcement are collaborating to ensure a safe conclusion to the school week Friday.The Topeka Police Department reminded the public that any threat of violence, whether spoken or online, is a serious matter and will be fully investigated.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police investigate alleged threat toward Kansas middle school

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Tourism unveiled its Mobile Visitor Center (MVC) on Thursday at the Kansas State Fair with a ribbon cutting inside the Pride of Kansas building.

The MVC will attend major sporting events, fairs, trade shows and festivals in and out of the state to help attract guests to visit Kansas.

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland and&nbsp;Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed joined Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe at the event on Thursday.

“Kansas is home to endless views, unique geography, one of a kind sights, vibrant communities and amazing people," Reed said. "Whether its a road trip that takes you to the Gypsum Hills, a treasure hunt on US-36, a camping trip to one of our many beautiful lakes, or hiking and biking on over 800 miles of biking and pedestrian trails in our state, Kansas is a destination for all road trips. Today, I am proud to be a part of the unveiling of the Kansas Mobile Visitors Center, which will provide us with the opportunity to showcase our amazing state."

Toland talked about how the idea and vision came about for the MVC.

"About a year and a half ago we had a series of conversations with the Kansas Tourism team," Toland said. "They were about the World Cup and specifically the east side of the state and the need for a visitors information center somewhere along I-70. So we had some conversations and decided to talk to KDOT to see what we could do."

Toland says Reed and his staff listened to the idea and had an even better vision.

"KDOT came with a concept of a mobile visitor center," Toland said. "They did some research about what cities around the country had been doing. There is a model where you don't wait for them to come to you, you go to them. You go to the people you want to bring to your place."

Toland and his staff were skeptical of this vision in the beginning, but now has a different opinion.

"They (KDOT) were right," Toland said. "They were absolutely right that we need to think differently about how we bring people to Kansas. It's not just about expecting them to pull off the highway and stop at our place. We need to go to Dallas, to Denver, to Ames, Iowa, to Lincoln, Nebraska, to Chicago and make the case for why they should come here."&nbsp;

Toland was very appreciative and supportive for all of the hard work done to bring visitors to the Sunflower State by Kansas Tourism and its Director Bridgette Jobe.

"I also want to think the Kansas Tourism team, because they are always open to those new ideas," Toland said. "Kansas has now achieved visitation numbers that are dramatically above where we were pre-COVID. We've got more people to come to Kansas than ever before, and that's because this team is getting out there and hustling. They're doing it in-person, they're going to the trade shows and our numbers are way up."

The van will hit the road shortly after the Kansas State Fair to make its debut outside of the state.

"I think two days after the fair is over he (Kevin Crockett) is heading to Nebraska City for a major event," Jobe said. "We have it scheduled to be on the road every week between now and the end of the year."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726172844931.jpeg" alt="Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Tourism unveiled its Mobile Visitor Center (MVC) on Thursday at the Kansas State Fair with a ribbon cutting inside the Pride of Kansas building.The MVC will attend major sporting events, fairs, trade shows and festivals in and out of the state to help attract guests to visit Kansas.Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland and&nbsp;Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed joined Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe at the event on Thursday.“Kansas is home to endless views, unique geography, one of a kind sights, vibrant communities and amazing people," Reed said. "Whether its a road trip that takes you to the Gypsum Hills, a treasure hunt on US-36, a camping trip to one of our many beautiful lakes, or hiking and biking on over 800 miles of biking and pedestrian trails in our state, Kansas is a destination for all road trips. Today, I am proud to be a part of the unveiling of the Kansas Mobile Visitors Center, which will provide us with the opportunity to showcase our amazing state."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726172904770.jpeg" alt="Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)</figcaption>
 </figure>Toland talked about how the idea and vision came about for the MVC."About a year and a half ago we had a series of conversations with the Kansas Tourism team," Toland said. "They were about the World Cup and specifically the east side of the state and the need for a visitors information center somewhere along I-70. So we had some conversations and decided to talk to KDOT to see what we could do."Toland says Reed and his staff listened to the idea and had an even better vision."KDOT came with a concept of a mobile visitor center," Toland said. "They did some research about what cities around the country had been doing. There is a model where you don't wait for them to come to you, you go to them. You go to the people you want to bring to your place."Toland and his staff were skeptical of this vision in the beginning, but now has a different opinion.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726172963986.jpeg" alt="Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland cuts the ribbon at the ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland cuts the ribbon at the ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)</figcaption>
 </figure>"They (KDOT) were right," Toland said. "They were absolutely right that we need to think differently about how we bring people to Kansas. It's not just about expecting them to pull off the highway and stop at our place. We need to go to Dallas, to Denver, to Ames, Iowa, to Lincoln, Nebraska, to Chicago and make the case for why they should come here."&nbsp;Toland was very appreciative and supportive for all of the hard work done to bring visitors to the Sunflower State by Kansas Tourism and its Director Bridgette Jobe."I also want to think the Kansas Tourism team, because they are always open to those new ideas," Toland said. "Kansas has now achieved visitation numbers that are dramatically above where we were pre-COVID. We've got more people to come to Kansas than ever before, and that's because this team is getting out there and hustling. They're doing it in-person, they're going to the trade shows and our numbers are way up."The van will hit the road shortly after the Kansas State Fair to make its debut outside of the state."I think two days after the fair is over he (Kevin Crockett) is heading to Nebraska City for a major event," Jobe said. "We have it scheduled to be on the road every week between now and the end of the year."

Kansas Tourism unveils new mobile visitors center 

LANSING, Kan. (AP) — The shuttered Kansas prison where the killers chronicled in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truman-capote-sicily-unpublished-story-e473c57274d68b2733a1e81bf11f3251">Truman Capote</a>&nbsp;'s “In Cold Blood” were executed is now a tourist attraction.

Starting Friday, former wardens and corrections officers will lead two-hour tours of the stone-walled building in Lansing that first began housing inmates in the 1860s, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article292092030.html">reported</a>.

The building, originally called the Kansas State Penitentiary, was without purpose after the Kansas Department of Corrections opened the newly constructed Lansing Correctional Facility in 2020. But instead of demolishing it, the Department of Corrections transferred control of the building to the Lansing Historical Society and Museum.

Upcoming events include a car show inside the prison walls later this month.

“We’re expecting the prison to open up to large crowds who want to know what went on inside those walls,” Debra Bates-Lamborn, president of the society, said after state prison officials handed over the keys this week.

For years, the prison carried out executions by hanging at the gallows — a site that visitors will not be able to access during tours. Since removed from prison grounds, the wooden gallows are now disassembled and under the state’s custody.

Among the notable inmates executed at the prison were Richard “Dick” Hickock and Perry Smith, who were convicted of murdering four members of the Clutter family on November 15, 1959, in the family's home near Holcomb, Kansas.

Capote along with his close friend and fellow writer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/harper-lee">Harper Lee</a>&nbsp;visited the prison while doing research for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-99541e64b30d4f4180ecf04ccf5a72a3">book about the killings</a>. Hickock and Smith were executed in April 1965, among the last inmates to be hung in the state.

One spot on the tour is the Chow Hall, where the late country music legend Johnny Cash performed for inmates in 1970.

“Johnny Cash has always said that audiences in prisons are the most enthusiastic audience he’s ever played to,” Bates-Lamborn.

The prison tour is modeled off of a similar tour in Missouri. About a year ago, a state lawmaker approached the Lansing Historical Society and Museum with the idea of preserving the prison by converting it into a tourist attraction.

Bates-Lamborn said she and another board member made the trip to Jefferson City to tour the Missouri State Penitentiary, which has been open for tours since 2009.

“Afterwards, I thought ours is a shoo-in and we’re so much better,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726081200362.png" alt="Dick Hickock-photo Garden City Police" />
 <figcaption>Dick Hickock-photo Garden City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>LANSING, Kan. (AP) — The shuttered Kansas prison where the killers chronicled in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truman-capote-sicily-unpublished-story-e473c57274d68b2733a1e81bf11f3251">Truman Capote</a>&nbsp;'s “In Cold Blood” were executed is now a tourist attraction.Starting Friday, former wardens and corrections officers will lead two-hour tours of the stone-walled building in Lansing that first began housing inmates in the 1860s, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article292092030.html">reported</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726081220877.png" alt="Perry Smith-photo Garden City Police" />
 <figcaption>Perry Smith-photo Garden City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>The building, originally called the Kansas State Penitentiary, was without purpose after the Kansas Department of Corrections opened the newly constructed Lansing Correctional Facility in 2020. But instead of demolishing it, the Department of Corrections transferred control of the building to the Lansing Historical Society and Museum.Upcoming events include a car show inside the prison walls later this month.“We’re expecting the prison to open up to large crowds who want to know what went on inside those walls,” Debra Bates-Lamborn, president of the society, said after state prison officials handed over the keys this week.For years, the prison carried out executions by hanging at the gallows — a site that visitors will not be able to access during tours. Since removed from prison grounds, the wooden gallows are now disassembled and under the state’s custody.Among the notable inmates executed at the prison were Richard “Dick” Hickock and Perry Smith, who were convicted of murdering four members of the Clutter family on November 15, 1959, in the family's home near Holcomb, Kansas.Capote along with his close friend and fellow writer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/harper-lee">Harper Lee</a>&nbsp;visited the prison while doing research for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-99541e64b30d4f4180ecf04ccf5a72a3">book about the killings</a>. Hickock and Smith were executed in April 1965, among the last inmates to be hung in the state.One spot on the tour is the Chow Hall, where the late country music legend Johnny Cash performed for inmates in 1970.“Johnny Cash has always said that audiences in prisons are the most enthusiastic audience he’s ever played to,” Bates-Lamborn.The prison tour is modeled off of a similar tour in Missouri. About a year ago, a state lawmaker approached the Lansing Historical Society and Museum with the idea of preserving the prison by converting it into a tourist attraction.Bates-Lamborn said she and another board member made the trip to Jefferson City to tour the Missouri State Penitentiary, which has been open for tours since 2009.“Afterwards, I thought ours is a shoo-in and we’re so much better,” she said.

Kan. prison where ‘In Cold Blood’ killers were executed now open for tours

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating&nbsp; a fatal shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 43-year-old&nbsp;Willie L. Judon III, according to KCKPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

Just before 11:45p.m. Wednesday, police were&nbsp;dispatched to a shooting in 4000 block of Norton, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp;

 Officers located two adult shooting victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Judon was&nbsp; on the porch of a home and pronounced dead at scene. EMS transported a female victim to an area hospital

Detectives continue investigating what led up to shots being fired. There is not currently anyone in custody and detectives are working on identifying a person of interest.

If you know anything about this incident, you can leave an anonymous tip on the tips hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726187733804.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating&nbsp; a fatal shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 43-year-old&nbsp;Willie L. Judon III, according to KCKPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.Just before 11:45p.m. Wednesday, police were&nbsp;dispatched to a shooting in 4000 block of Norton, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp; Officers located two adult shooting victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Judon was&nbsp; on the porch of a home and pronounced dead at scene. EMS transported a female victim to an area hospitalDetectives continue investigating what led up to shots being fired. There is not currently anyone in custody and detectives are working on identifying a person of interest.If you know anything about this incident, you can leave an anonymous tip on the tips hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Homicide: Police ID man found dead on porch of KC home

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a now former Kansas Sheriff's office employee on multiple allegations of perjury and falsifying documents.

 In late June, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office became aware that a civilian employee, Andrew Johnson, 52, of Topeka, Kansas, had possibly falsified certain records related to the service of court documents.

Johnson, who had been employed by the agency as a civil process server for approximately six months, was immediately placed on administrative leave and removed from all job duties.

The Sheriff’s Office initiated a criminal investigation into the matter, with detectives and staff officers reviewing the entirety of Johnson’s work history with the agency, including all activitym for each day of Johnson’s employment.

On July 2, Johnson was terminated from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office. Notification of the investigative findings was made to the Shawnee County District Court, and results of the criminal investigation were forwarded to the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Just after 3p.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; Shawnee County grand jury indicted Johnson on 333 total felony counts of perjury and making false information. A warrant was issued for Johnson’s arrest and he was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to work with court officials to remediate any issue related to this matter and the court documents previously assigned to Johnson for service.

Notification will be made by the Shawnee County District Court to all parties whose cases were involved in the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726137090219.png" alt="Johnson photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a now former Kansas Sheriff's office employee on multiple allegations of perjury and falsifying documents. In late June, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office became aware that a civilian employee, Andrew Johnson, 52, of Topeka, Kansas, had possibly falsified certain records related to the service of court documents.Johnson, who had been employed by the agency as a civil process server for approximately six months, was immediately placed on administrative leave and removed from all job duties.The Sheriff’s Office initiated a criminal investigation into the matter, with detectives and staff officers reviewing the entirety of Johnson’s work history with the agency, including all activitym for each day of Johnson’s employment.On July 2, Johnson was terminated from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office. Notification of the investigative findings was made to the Shawnee County District Court, and results of the criminal investigation were forwarded to the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.Just after 3p.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; Shawnee County grand jury indicted Johnson on 333 total felony counts of perjury and making false information. A warrant was issued for Johnson’s arrest and he was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to work with court officials to remediate any issue related to this matter and the court documents previously assigned to Johnson for service.Notification will be made by the Shawnee County District Court to all parties whose cases were involved in the investigation.

 Kan. sheriff’s office employee indicted on 333 felony counts

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A judge declined Thursday to vacate the conviction and death sentence of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>, a Missouri man scheduled for execution later this month in the stabbing death of a woman in 1998, despite questions about DNA evidence on the knife used in the attack.

St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hilton presided over an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-missouri-death-row-f7b3b4257c8a18542a6686d810472646">evidentiary hearing</a>&nbsp;last month challenging Williams' guilt. Williams, 55, was convicted in the killing of Lisha Gayle, a social worker and former reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His execution by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">lethal injection is scheduled for Sept. 24</a>&nbsp;unless the courts or Republican Gov. Mike Parson intervene.

“Every claim of error Williams has asserted on direct appeal, post-conviction review, and habeas review has been rejected by Missouri's courts,” Hilton wrote. “There is no basis for a court to find that Williams is innocent, and no court has made such a finding. Williams is guilty of first-degree murder, and has been sentenced to death.”

Williams' attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement that the Midwest Innocence Project "will continue pursuing every possible option to prevent Mr. Williams’ wrongful execution. There is still time for the courts or Governor Parson to ensure that Missouri does not commit the irreparable injustice of executing an innocent person.”

Representatives of the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and the Missouri Attorney General's Office did not respond to messages seeking comment.

In January, Democratic St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">Wesley Bell cited questions about DNA evidence</a>&nbsp;on the murder weapon in seeking a hearing to consider vacating Williams’ conviction. Bell said the evidence indicated that someone else’s DNA was on the butcher knife used to kill Gayle.

Bell brought the challenge under a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;that allows prosecutors to ask a court to review a conviction they believe is unjust. That and the setting of an execution date saw Williams facing the prospect of everything from having his conviction overturned and being set free, to having it confirmed and facing pending execution.

Despite Bell's motion, the Missouri Supreme Court in June set the Sept. 24 execution date. Then, an August hearing date was set on the motion by Bell involving the DNA evidence.

But just before the Aug. 21 hearing, a new DNA report revealed that the DNA evidence was contaminated because officials in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office touched the knife without gloves before the original trial in 2001.

With the DNA evidence spoiled, lawyers working on behalf of Williams from the Midwest Innocence Project reached a compromise with the prosecutor’s office: Williams would enter a new, no-contest plea to first-degree murder in exchange for a new sentence of life in prison without parole.

Hilton signed off on the agreement. So did Gayle’s family. But the Missouri Attorney General’s Office did not.

At Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s urging, the Missouri Supreme Court blocked the agreement and ordered Hilton to proceed with the evidentiary hearing on Aug. 28.

An attorney for Williams, Jonathan Potts, said during the hearing that the mishandling of the murder weapon was devastating for Williams because it “destroyed his last and best chance” to prove his innocence.

“In light of this report, (Williams) cannot demonstrate that the genetic material on the knife handle can form a basis for a ‘clear and convincing showing’ of Williams’ innocence,” Hilton wrote.

Assistant Attorney General Michael Spillane said other evidence pointed to his guilt.

“They refer to the evidence in this case as being weak. It was overwhelming,” Spillane said at the hearing.

Prosecutors at Williams’ original trial said he broke into Gayle’s home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen.

Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.

Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.

Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted of felonies and wanted a $10,000 reward.

Three other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;— have been freed after decades in prison under the 2021 Missouri law.

Williams has been close to execution before. In August 2017, just hours before his scheduled death, then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-a97937db95a34c03b116817d2ed3c340">granted a stay</a>&nbsp;after reviewing the same DNA evidence that spurred Bell's effort to vacate the conviction.

A rising star in Missouri Democratic politics,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-congress-election-bush-bell-f507703334e182528489ca078bc5ce70">Bell defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in a primary this month and is heavily favored in the November general election.

Williams is Black and at the hearing, the man who prosecuted him, Keith Larner, was asked why the trial jury included just one Black juror. Larner said he struck just three potential Black jurors, including one who he said looked like Williams.

Williams’ trial attorney, Joseph Green, told Hilton that when Williams was tried, he also was representing a man who killed his wife and injured several others in a St. Louis County courthouse shooting in 1992. That case took time away from working on Williams’ defense, Green said at the hearing.

“I don’t believe he got our best,” said Green, now a judge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726156556643.png" alt="Williams photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Williams photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A judge declined Thursday to vacate the conviction and death sentence of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>, a Missouri man scheduled for execution later this month in the stabbing death of a woman in 1998, despite questions about DNA evidence on the knife used in the attack.St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hilton presided over an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-missouri-death-row-f7b3b4257c8a18542a6686d810472646">evidentiary hearing</a>&nbsp;last month challenging Williams' guilt. Williams, 55, was convicted in the killing of Lisha Gayle, a social worker and former reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His execution by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">lethal injection is scheduled for Sept. 24</a>&nbsp;unless the courts or Republican Gov. Mike Parson intervene.“Every claim of error Williams has asserted on direct appeal, post-conviction review, and habeas review has been rejected by Missouri's courts,” Hilton wrote. “There is no basis for a court to find that Williams is innocent, and no court has made such a finding. Williams is guilty of first-degree murder, and has been sentenced to death.”Williams' attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement that the Midwest Innocence Project "will continue pursuing every possible option to prevent Mr. Williams’ wrongful execution. There is still time for the courts or Governor Parson to ensure that Missouri does not commit the irreparable injustice of executing an innocent person.”Representatives of the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and the Missouri Attorney General's Office did not respond to messages seeking comment.In January, Democratic St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">Wesley Bell cited questions about DNA evidence</a>&nbsp;on the murder weapon in seeking a hearing to consider vacating Williams’ conviction. Bell said the evidence indicated that someone else’s DNA was on the butcher knife used to kill Gayle.Bell brought the challenge under a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;that allows prosecutors to ask a court to review a conviction they believe is unjust. That and the setting of an execution date saw Williams facing the prospect of everything from having his conviction overturned and being set free, to having it confirmed and facing pending execution.Despite Bell's motion, the Missouri Supreme Court in June set the Sept. 24 execution date. Then, an August hearing date was set on the motion by Bell involving the DNA evidence.But just before the Aug. 21 hearing, a new DNA report revealed that the DNA evidence was contaminated because officials in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office touched the knife without gloves before the original trial in 2001.With the DNA evidence spoiled, lawyers working on behalf of Williams from the Midwest Innocence Project reached a compromise with the prosecutor’s office: Williams would enter a new, no-contest plea to first-degree murder in exchange for a new sentence of life in prison without parole.Hilton signed off on the agreement. So did Gayle’s family. But the Missouri Attorney General’s Office did not.At Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s urging, the Missouri Supreme Court blocked the agreement and ordered Hilton to proceed with the evidentiary hearing on Aug. 28.An attorney for Williams, Jonathan Potts, said during the hearing that the mishandling of the murder weapon was devastating for Williams because it “destroyed his last and best chance” to prove his innocence.Hilton, in his ruling, agreed.“In light of this report, (Williams) cannot demonstrate that the genetic material on the knife handle can form a basis for a ‘clear and convincing showing’ of Williams’ innocence,” Hilton wrote.Assistant Attorney General Michael Spillane said other evidence pointed to his guilt.“They refer to the evidence in this case as being weak. It was overwhelming,” Spillane said at the hearing.Prosecutors at Williams’ original trial said he broke into Gayle’s home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen.Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted of felonies and wanted a $10,000 reward.Three other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;— have been freed after decades in prison under the 2021 Missouri law.Williams has been close to execution before. In August 2017, just hours before his scheduled death, then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-a97937db95a34c03b116817d2ed3c340">granted a stay</a>&nbsp;after reviewing the same DNA evidence that spurred Bell's effort to vacate the conviction.A rising star in Missouri Democratic politics,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-congress-election-bush-bell-f507703334e182528489ca078bc5ce70">Bell defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in a primary this month and is heavily favored in the November general election.Williams is Black and at the hearing, the man who prosecuted him, Keith Larner, was asked why the trial jury included just one Black juror. Larner said he struck just three potential Black jurors, including one who he said looked like Williams.Williams’ trial attorney, Joseph Green, told Hilton that when Williams was tried, he also was representing a man who killed his wife and injured several others in a St. Louis County courthouse shooting in 1992. That case took time away from working on Williams’ defense, Green said at the hearing.“I don’t believe he got our best,” said Green, now a judge.

Judge rejects innocence claim of Mo. man who faces execution

KANSAS CITY– Three Mexican nationals were charged in federal court last week after they were caught with more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on Interstate 29, according to the United State's Attorney.

Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 20, Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, 24, and Pablo De Jesus Peralta Anguis, 25, all of whom are citizens of Mexico, were charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112th&nbsp;Street exit in Kansas City at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3. Ayala, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and Pacheco and Anguis in the back seats.

When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.

When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, the affidavit says, Ayala and Anguis fled on foot. A manhunt ensued; Ayala was apprehended about half an hour later and Anguis was apprehended after about 12 minutes.

Ayala told investigators they had picked up the drugs at a Walmart parking lot in Omaha, Nebraska. Ayala said he was going to receive $2,000 for transporting the drugs.

KANSAS CITY– Three Mexican nationals were charged in federal court last week after they were caught with more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on Interstate 29, according to the United State's Attorney.Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 20, Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, 24, and Pablo De Jesus Peralta Anguis, 25, all of whom are citizens of Mexico, were charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 10.According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112th&nbsp;Street exit in Kansas City at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3. Ayala, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and Pacheco and Anguis in the back seats.When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, the affidavit says, Ayala and Anguis fled on foot. A manhunt ensued; Ayala was apprehended about half an hour later and Anguis was apprehended after about 12 minutes.Ayala told investigators they had picked up the drugs at a Walmart parking lot in Omaha, Nebraska. Ayala said he was going to receive $2,000 for transporting the drugs.