JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating alleged counterfeiting and asked the public for help to identify suspects, according to Lenexa Police. On Thursday police reported "Thanks to you, these individuals have been identified, allowing the investigation to move forward."

The two individuals shown on security cameras are suspected of passing counterfeit bills at area retailers. Police believed the suspects were driving a black SUV.&nbsp; Police released no additional details including information on an arrest.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729017004777.png" alt="Photo Lenexa Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lenexa Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating alleged counterfeiting and asked the public for help to identify suspects, according to Lenexa Police. On Thursday police reported "Thanks to you, these individuals have been identified, allowing the investigation to move forward."The two individuals shown on security cameras are suspected of passing counterfeit bills at area retailers. Police believed the suspects were driving a black SUV.&nbsp; Police released no additional details including information on an arrest.&nbsp;

Tips help police ID suspects in Kan. counterfeit cash investigation

KANSAS CITY —A slowly-developing La Nina is favored to influence conditions for the upcoming winter across most of the country, according to NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook released today by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/">Climate Prediction Center</a>&nbsp;— a division of NOAA’s National Weather Service. This outlook is for December 2024 through February 2025 and contains information on likely conditions throughout the country for temperature, precipitation and drought.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This winter, NOAA predicts wetter-than-average conditions for the entire northern tier of the continental U.S., particularly in the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region, along with northern and western Alaska. Meanwhile, drier-than-average conditions are expected from the Four Corners region of the Southwest to the Southeast, Gulf Coast and lower mid-Atlantic states.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“In September, we announced a $100 million investment into NOAA’s high-performance computer system to advance research on weather, climate and ocean predictions because understanding our climate system is essential for making longer-term predictions like the Winter Seasonal Outlook, which provides vital information for many of our partners and the public,” said Michael Morgan, Ph.D., NOAA’s assistant secretary of commerce for observation and prediction. “We continue to innovate in this space, developing new ways to share winter forecast information with the public.”

“This winter, an emerging La Nina is anticipated to influence the upcoming winter patterns, especially our precipitation predictions,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center.&nbsp;

La Nina conditions are expected to develop later this fall and typically lead to a more northerly storm track during the winter months, leaving the southern tier of the country warmer and drier. As a result, NOAA forecasters, in collaboration with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drought.gov/about">National Integrated Drought Information System</a>&nbsp;(NIDIS), expect drought conditions to persist and worsen across the central and southern Plains of the U.S.

“Unfortunately, after a brief period in the spring of 2024 with minimal drought conditions across the country, more than a quarter of the land mass in the continental U.S. is currently in at least a moderate drought,” said Brad Pugh, operational drought lead with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “And the winter precipitation outlook does not bode well for widespread relief.”

Winter forecasting tools: Here’s what’s new at NOAA&nbsp;

NOAA’s seasonal outlooks provide the likelihood that temperatures and total precipitation amounts will be above-, near- or below-average, and how drought conditions are anticipated to change in the months ahead. The outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations as snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance.&nbsp;

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center updates the three-month outlook monthly. The next update will be available November 21.&nbsp;

Seasonal outlooks help communities prepare for what is likely to come in the months ahead and minimize weather's impacts on lives and livelihoods. Resources such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drought.gov/">drought.gov</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.climate.gov/">climate.gov</a>&nbsp;provide comprehensive tools to better understand and plan for climate-driven hazards. Empowering people with actionable forecasts, seasonal predictions and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/winter">winter weather safety tips</a>&nbsp;is key to NOAA’s effort to build a more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/wrn/">Weather</a>- and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/stories/story-map-building-climate-ready-nation">Climate</a>-Ready Nation.

KANSAS CITY —A slowly-developing La Nina is favored to influence conditions for the upcoming winter across most of the country, according to NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook released today by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/">Climate Prediction Center</a>&nbsp;— a division of NOAA’s National Weather Service. This outlook is for December 2024 through February 2025 and contains information on likely conditions throughout the country for temperature, precipitation and drought.&nbsp;&nbsp;This winter, NOAA predicts wetter-than-average conditions for the entire northern tier of the continental U.S., particularly in the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region, along with northern and western Alaska. Meanwhile, drier-than-average conditions are expected from the Four Corners region of the Southwest to the Southeast, Gulf Coast and lower mid-Atlantic states.&nbsp;&nbsp;“In September, we announced a $100 million investment into NOAA’s high-performance computer system to advance research on weather, climate and ocean predictions because understanding our climate system is essential for making longer-term predictions like the Winter Seasonal Outlook, which provides vital information for many of our partners and the public,” said Michael Morgan, Ph.D., NOAA’s assistant secretary of commerce for observation and prediction. “We continue to innovate in this space, developing new ways to share winter forecast information with the public.”“This winter, an emerging La Nina is anticipated to influence the upcoming winter patterns, especially our precipitation predictions,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center.&nbsp;La Nina conditions are expected to develop later this fall and typically lead to a more northerly storm track during the winter months, leaving the southern tier of the country warmer and drier. As a result, NOAA forecasters, in collaboration with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drought.gov/about">National Integrated Drought Information System</a>&nbsp;(NIDIS), expect drought conditions to persist and worsen across the central and southern Plains of the U.S.“Unfortunately, after a brief period in the spring of 2024 with minimal drought conditions across the country, more than a quarter of the land mass in the continental U.S. is currently in at least a moderate drought,” said Brad Pugh, operational drought lead with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “And the winter precipitation outlook does not bode well for widespread relief.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729207977321.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Temperature</h2><ul>
 <li>Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored from the southern tier of the U.S. to the eastern Great Lakes, eastern seaboard, New England and northern Alaska. These probabilities are strongest along the Gulf Coast and for most of Texas.</li><li>Below-average temperatures are most likely in southern Alaska, with below-average temperatures slightly favored from the Pacific Northwest to the northern High Plains.</li><li>The remaining areas have equal chances of below-, near-, or above-average seasonal mean temperatures.</li>
 </ul><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729208031294.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Precipitation</h2><ul>
 <li>Wetter-than-average conditions are most likely in the Great Lakes states, and above-average precipitation is also favored in northern and western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and across the northern tier of the U.S. These probabilities&nbsp; are strongest in portions of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.</li><li>The greatest likelihood for drier-than-average conditions are in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in Texas and southern New Mexico.</li><li>Much of California, the central Plains states and the I-95 corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C., have equal chances of below-average, near-average or above-average seasonal total precipitation.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729208085467.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Drought</h2><ul>
 <li>Widespread moderate to extreme drought continues across much of the Great Plains and in portions of the Rocky Mountains, especially farther south.</li><li>Drought conditions are expected to improve or end in the Ohio River Valley, the Great Lakes region and portions of the northwestern U.S., including eastern Washington and Oregon and northern and central Idaho.</li><li>Drought conditions are expected to persist across the Great Plains.</li><li>Drought is likely to develop or worsen across portions of the Southwest and Gulf Coast.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><h2>Winter forecasting tools: Here’s what’s new at NOAA&nbsp;</h2><ul>
 <li>Over the past year, NOAA implemented several upgrades and improvements to its forecasting tools. In late 2023, the experimental&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/wssi/prob_wssi.php">Probabilistic Winter Storm Severity Index</a>&nbsp;(WSSI-P) became operational. The product enhances communication with external partners, media and the public by visually representing the likelihood of potential societal impacts due to expected winter hazards over a 7-day period. This is complemented by an existing operational version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/wssi/wssi.php">Winter Storm Severity Index</a>&nbsp;(WSSI), which is based on the official National Weather Service forecast of the most likely conditions over the next three days.</li><li>NOAA is simplifying its suite of cold weather products to improve messaging of these hazards and provide better decision support services. As of October 2024, the Wind Chill Watch, Warning, and Advisory products were consolidated into the Extreme Cold Watch and Warning and Cold Weather Advisory products, respectively. The Hard Freeze Watch and Warning products were consolidated into the existing Freeze Watch and Warning products, respectively. More information can be found within this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/news/243009-cold-hazard-simplification">hazard simplication project webstory</a>.</li><li>NOAA will make the Experimental Probabilistic Precipitation Portal publicly available beginning in early November. This webpage will enable users to view the Low-End, Expected and High-End amounts of snow and rain, as well as probabilities of exceeding threshold amounts of precipitation. Data will be available through an interactive map, tables and graphics to assist local partners, including emergency management, with decision support.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><h2>About NOAA's seasonal outlooks</h2>NOAA’s seasonal outlooks provide the likelihood that temperatures and total precipitation amounts will be above-, near- or below-average, and how drought conditions are anticipated to change in the months ahead. The outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations as snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance.&nbsp;NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center updates the three-month outlook monthly. The next update will be available November 21.&nbsp;Seasonal outlooks help communities prepare for what is likely to come in the months ahead and minimize weather's impacts on lives and livelihoods. Resources such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drought.gov/">drought.gov</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.climate.gov/">climate.gov</a>&nbsp;provide comprehensive tools to better understand and plan for climate-driven hazards. Empowering people with actionable forecasts, seasonal predictions and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/winter">winter weather safety tips</a>&nbsp;is key to NOAA’s effort to build a more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/wrn/">Weather</a>- and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/stories/story-map-building-climate-ready-nation">Climate</a>-Ready Nation.

NOAA  winter weather outlook doesn't say much about Kansas

SEWARD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Thursday in Seward County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Chevy 1500 driven by Emilee Megan Grace&nbsp;Hamilton, 15, Liberal, was stopped at the stop sign on County Road 17 at the Junction of U.S. 54.

The driver failed to yield, turned westbound onto U.S 54 in front of 2025 Kenworth semi driven by James Campbell Bailey, 60, Wichita.

The semi collided with the picku in the intersection.

Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Hornung Funeral Home. Bailey was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

SEWARD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Thursday in Seward County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Chevy 1500 driven by Emilee Megan Grace&nbsp;Hamilton, 15, Liberal, was stopped at the stop sign on County Road 17 at the Junction of U.S. 54.The driver failed to yield, turned westbound onto U.S 54 in front of 2025 Kenworth semi driven by James Campbell Bailey, 60, Wichita.The semi collided with the picku in the intersection.Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Hornung Funeral Home. Bailey was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

15-year-old Kansas girl dead after pickup, semi crash

TOPEKA—A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday to 80 months in prison for threatening multiple Black people in and around the Wichita area, and for interfering with the housing rights of a white woman because he believed that she was dating and associating with Black people, according to the United State's Attorney.

Austin Schoemann, 31, of Wichita,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kansas-man-pleads-guilty-brandishing-gun-and-using-death-threats-and-racial-slurs-intimidate">previously pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to two counts of interference with federally protected activities, two counts of interstate threats and one count of interference with housing. In connection with the plea, Schoemann admitted that, in July 2022, he brandished a firearm and used racial slurs in order to threaten two Black juveniles while they were entering a QuikTrip gasoline station, and that he also used his firearm to threaten a Black adult who intervened to support the juveniles. Schoemann also acknowledged that, from January 2022 through August 2022, he interfered with the federally protected housing rights of a white woman by making threats to hurt or kill any Black people who visited her home. Schoemann further admitted that he sent videos and messages to the woman’s family members and others in which he repeatedly threatened to shoot and kill Black people.

“Racially-motivated threats of violence cannot be tolerated in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “For months, this defendant made threats to a woman and her family that he would shoot and kill any Black person who visited the woman’s home. After that campaign of terror, the defendant called two Black children racist slurs, and threatened the children and a Black woman with a gun when they happened to cross paths at a convenience store. This case should make clear that the Justice Department will not rest in bringing the perpetrators of racially-motivated hate crimes to justice.”

“Perpetrators of hate crimes inflict pain upon victims in furtherance of a larger goal of breeding fear and divisiveness within our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The Justice Department is standing against racial violence and threats of racial violence by prosecuting offenders, but we need the public’s help. &nbsp;The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas encourages those who are victims of or witnesses to hate crimes to report these incidents to law enforcement.”

The FBI Kansas City Field Office and Wichita Police investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685477437664.png" alt="Schoemann photo Butler County" />
 <figcaption>Schoemann photo Butler County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA—A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday to 80 months in prison for threatening multiple Black people in and around the Wichita area, and for interfering with the housing rights of a white woman because he believed that she was dating and associating with Black people, according to the United State's Attorney.Austin Schoemann, 31, of Wichita,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kansas-man-pleads-guilty-brandishing-gun-and-using-death-threats-and-racial-slurs-intimidate">previously pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to two counts of interference with federally protected activities, two counts of interstate threats and one count of interference with housing. In connection with the plea, Schoemann admitted that, in July 2022, he brandished a firearm and used racial slurs in order to threaten two Black juveniles while they were entering a QuikTrip gasoline station, and that he also used his firearm to threaten a Black adult who intervened to support the juveniles. Schoemann also acknowledged that, from January 2022 through August 2022, he interfered with the federally protected housing rights of a white woman by making threats to hurt or kill any Black people who visited her home. Schoemann further admitted that he sent videos and messages to the woman’s family members and others in which he repeatedly threatened to shoot and kill Black people.“Racially-motivated threats of violence cannot be tolerated in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “For months, this defendant made threats to a woman and her family that he would shoot and kill any Black person who visited the woman’s home. After that campaign of terror, the defendant called two Black children racist slurs, and threatened the children and a Black woman with a gun when they happened to cross paths at a convenience store. This case should make clear that the Justice Department will not rest in bringing the perpetrators of racially-motivated hate crimes to justice.”“Perpetrators of hate crimes inflict pain upon victims in furtherance of a larger goal of breeding fear and divisiveness within our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The Justice Department is standing against racial violence and threats of racial violence by prosecuting offenders, but we need the public’s help. &nbsp;The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas encourages those who are victims of or witnesses to hate crimes to report these incidents to law enforcement.”The FBI Kansas City Field Office and Wichita Police investigated the case.

Kan. man made race-based death threats to multiple Black people

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Outdoor conditioning while a heat advisory was in effect during the humid summer left 15-year-old football player Ovet Gomez Regalado pale and asking for water.

After a 15-minute exercise, he collapsed as he walked to a building at his suburban Kansas City high school and died two days later of heatstroke, the medical examiner's office wrote this month in a report that followed a weekslong investigation.

That makes Regalado the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/high-school-football-heat-deaths-climate-change-2455ba5852d83f548754e44240abf99b">latest in a series</a>&nbsp;of teen football players to succumb to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deadly-heat-wave-body-climate-change-b70e6ff98a81e80d9b99ed088e6de3d6">heat-related illnesses</a>&nbsp;during searing temperatures and high humidity.

The Johnson County, Kansas, medical examiner’s report said the temperature on the fateful Aug. 14 afternoon was 92 F. National Weather Service data shows temperatures rising over the the two-hour period that Regalado collapsed, from the mid-80s to around 90.

The high humidity made it feel much hotter, though.

Obesity also contributed to his death; Regalado weighed 384 pounds&nbsp; and had sickle cell trait. People with the trait are more likely to have problems when their body needs extra oxygen, as happens in extreme heat and after intense exercise.

Jeremy Holaday, assistant executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said only weights and conditioning activities had been permitted since it was still preseason.

“To our knowledge that is what was taking place,” Holaday said.

He said the association recommends using a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/high-school-football-heat-deaths-climate-change-072241ef3a0783f49da4bb40af39e520">wet-bulb globe thermometer</a>&nbsp;to monitor heat, and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/pdf/HeatPolicy-Current.pdf">chart</a>&nbsp;on the association’s website recommends when outdoor activities should be altered or halted altogether based on the readings. The metric is considered the best way to measure heat stress since it includes ambient air temperature, humidity, direct sunlight and wind.

The heat and humidity figures listed in the medical examiner report, when plotted on the association's chart, suggest it was too hot for outdoor workouts. But the slightly lower temps the National Weather Service reported were on the cusp.

The situation was complicated by the fact that temperatures were rising.

Because Regalado’s death followed an offseason workout, the district oversaw the investigation, rather than the activities association. The district said in a statement that staff acted in accordance with association rules and school emergency action protocols.

After Regalado collapsed, ice bags were used to cool him down, the medical examiner's report said. But his body temperature was 104.6 F (40.3 C) when emergency medical services arrived. They used several rounds of ice buckets and managed to lower his temperature to 102 F (38.9 C) before rushing him to a hospital. He went into multisystem organ failure and died two days later, according to the report.

“For all those who knew and loved Ovet, this report reopens the painful wounds that came as a result of his premature death,” the district said in a statement. “His absence is deeply felt in the Northwest community, and nowhere more profoundly than by his family, including his brother, who continues to attend Northwest.”

David Smith, the district spokesperson, declined to say Thursday whether Regalado had completed a student physical. Smith said the physicals were due when regular season practice started Aug. 19, five days after he collapsed. Smith said he wasn't able to comment further out of respect to the family's privacy.

<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-ovet-support-his-family">Click here to visit</a>&nbsp;the GoFundMe page

The Shawnee police department also conducted its own investigation, which was closed with no further action taken, said Emily Rittman, the city's public safety information officer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729212738073.png" alt="Ovet Gomez Regalado-photo GoFundme" />
 <figcaption>Ovet Gomez Regalado-photo GoFundme</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Outdoor conditioning while a heat advisory was in effect during the humid summer left 15-year-old football player Ovet Gomez Regalado pale and asking for water.After a 15-minute exercise, he collapsed as he walked to a building at his suburban Kansas City high school and died two days later of heatstroke, the medical examiner's office wrote this month in a report that followed a weekslong investigation.That makes Regalado the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/high-school-football-heat-deaths-climate-change-2455ba5852d83f548754e44240abf99b">latest in a series</a>&nbsp;of teen football players to succumb to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deadly-heat-wave-body-climate-change-b70e6ff98a81e80d9b99ed088e6de3d6">heat-related illnesses</a>&nbsp;during searing temperatures and high humidity.The Johnson County, Kansas, medical examiner’s report said the temperature on the fateful Aug. 14 afternoon was 92 F. National Weather Service data shows temperatures rising over the the two-hour period that Regalado collapsed, from the mid-80s to around 90.The high humidity made it feel much hotter, though.Obesity also contributed to his death; Regalado weighed 384 pounds&nbsp; and had sickle cell trait. People with the trait are more likely to have problems when their body needs extra oxygen, as happens in extreme heat and after intense exercise.Jeremy Holaday, assistant executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said only weights and conditioning activities had been permitted since it was still preseason.“To our knowledge that is what was taking place,” Holaday said.He said the association recommends using a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/high-school-football-heat-deaths-climate-change-072241ef3a0783f49da4bb40af39e520">wet-bulb globe thermometer</a>&nbsp;to monitor heat, and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/pdf/HeatPolicy-Current.pdf">chart</a>&nbsp;on the association’s website recommends when outdoor activities should be altered or halted altogether based on the readings. The metric is considered the best way to measure heat stress since it includes ambient air temperature, humidity, direct sunlight and wind.The heat and humidity figures listed in the medical examiner report, when plotted on the association's chart, suggest it was too hot for outdoor workouts. But the slightly lower temps the National Weather Service reported were on the cusp.The situation was complicated by the fact that temperatures were rising.Because Regalado’s death followed an offseason workout, the district oversaw the investigation, rather than the activities association. The district said in a statement that staff acted in accordance with association rules and school emergency action protocols.After Regalado collapsed, ice bags were used to cool him down, the medical examiner's report said. But his body temperature was 104.6 F (40.3 C) when emergency medical services arrived. They used several rounds of ice buckets and managed to lower his temperature to 102 F (38.9 C) before rushing him to a hospital. He went into multisystem organ failure and died two days later, according to the report.“For all those who knew and loved Ovet, this report reopens the painful wounds that came as a result of his premature death,” the district said in a statement. “His absence is deeply felt in the Northwest community, and nowhere more profoundly than by his family, including his brother, who continues to attend Northwest.”David Smith, the district spokesperson, declined to say Thursday whether Regalado had completed a student physical. Smith said the physicals were due when regular season practice started Aug. 19, five days after he collapsed. Smith said he wasn't able to comment further out of respect to the family's privacy.<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-ovet-support-his-family">Click here to visit</a>&nbsp;the GoFundMe pageThe Shawnee police department also conducted its own investigation, which was closed with no further action taken, said Emily Rittman, the city's public safety information officer.

Kan. high school football player's death is blamed on heat

WYDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1a.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.

According to Kansas City, Kansas, police a vehicle was eastbound on Interstate 70&nbsp; just before the 18th St Expressway exit.&nbsp;

The vehicle left the roadway struck an object and caught fire. Kansas City Kansas Fire responded to the scene and the driver was pronounced deceased.

WYDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1a.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.According to Kansas City, Kansas, police a vehicle was eastbound on Interstate 70&nbsp; just before the 18th St Expressway exit.&nbsp;The vehicle left the roadway struck an object and caught fire. Kansas City Kansas Fire responded to the scene and the driver was pronounced deceased.Police released no additional details.

Driver dies in Kansas after I-70 crash and fire

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

On October 14, sheriff's deputies arrested 44-year-old&nbsp;Jesse Lee Hewes of Independence, Oregon, near Mayetta, Kansas, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies reported they found illegal drugs in Hewes' 2011 Honda Civic. He is being held in the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribute cocaine, distribute hallucinogenic drug, distribute marijuana, possession of paraphernalia with intent manufacture/plant/cultivate controlled substance, distribute or possess with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, criminal use of a weapon and no drug tax stamp.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728997703583.png" alt="Hewes-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Hewes-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On October 14, sheriff's deputies arrested 44-year-old&nbsp;Jesse Lee Hewes of Independence, Oregon, near Mayetta, Kansas, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies reported they found illegal drugs in Hewes' 2011 Honda Civic. He is being held in the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribute cocaine, distribute hallucinogenic drug, distribute marijuana, possession of paraphernalia with intent manufacture/plant/cultivate controlled substance, distribute or possess with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, criminal use of a weapon and no drug tax stamp.

Man from Oregon accused of selling cocaine in Kansas

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans lambasted a Manhattan-area Democratic candidate who used a racial slur in a 2020 Facebook post that detailed the candidate’s feelings about an outburst she witnessed.

Kim Zito, a Democrat running for House District 67, posted to Facebook, “F**K YOU N*****S!!!!” preceded by a middle finger emoji on Nov. 9, 2020. The post continues, “I write that because I want you to see that. That’s what we heard yday (sic) while we were cheering for our new President and our first female VP.”

Republicans called on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to rescind her endorsement of Zito in a Wednesday news release, and called the post a “shocking and racially charged rant.”

Zito said in a statement Republicans were attempting to distract voters from concerns with her opponent, Angel Roeser.

In the 2020 post, which has been deleted, Zito explained she was illustrating the “level of hate being hurled at people of color and anyone supporting the end of the” Trump administration. She pleaded with friends and family to “stand up against the violence of fellow human beings.”&nbsp;

The Kansas Black Republican Council brought the post to the attention of the Kansas House Republican Campaign Committee on Tuesday, according to the news release. Joseph Elmore, chairman of the Sedgwick County Black Republican Council and member of the state council’s executive board, called on Democrats to “unequivocally disavow and divest themselves.”

“Exposure of Kim Zito’s racism is painful to see and, in my view, disqualifies her for service as a lawmaker,” Elmore said in the news release. “Racist words and racial slurs are hurtful and hateful to our Community.”

House Majority Leader Chris Croft, R-Overland Park, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, echoed Elmore’s condemnation.

Zito responded by accusing Roeser of being dishonest about her level of education and where she stands on abortion rights.

“The Kansas Republican Party has a fundamentally flawed candidate who has a broken relationship with the truth,” Zito said. “The Republicans are trying to distract the voters of Manhattan from the fact their candidate lies about her voting history and lies about whether she graduated from K-State, which is an insult to hard-working Kansans.”

Roeser, who doesn’t have a college degree, identified herself as a Kansas State University graduate in postcards produced by her campaign.

The first-time candidate said in a statement for this story she didn’t have “any ill intent to withhold information” about obtaining a college degree. She acknowledged it was a mistake to lie about her education.

“Kim Zito has yet to take responsibility for the offensive, insulting and downright hostile comments she has made about races of people, groups of worshipers and individuals in our community,” Roeser said. “Her partisan rhetoric and personal attacks won’t serve Manhattan well and will most definitely ensure we don’t have a seat at the table.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729193641491.png" alt="Kim Zito, a Manhattan Democrat, says Republicans are complaining about her four-year-old social media post to draw attention away from her opponent, who lied about being a Kansas State University graduate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kim Zito, a Manhattan Democrat, says Republicans are complaining about her four-year-old social media post to draw attention away from her opponent, who lied about being a Kansas State University graduate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans lambasted a Manhattan-area Democratic candidate who used a racial slur in a 2020 Facebook post that detailed the candidate’s feelings about an outburst she witnessed.Kim Zito, a Democrat running for House District 67, posted to Facebook, “F**K YOU N*****S!!!!” preceded by a middle finger emoji on Nov. 9, 2020. The post continues, “I write that because I want you to see that. That’s what we heard yday (sic) while we were cheering for our new President and our first female VP.”Republicans called on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to rescind her endorsement of Zito in a Wednesday news release, and called the post a “shocking and racially charged rant.”Zito said in a statement Republicans were attempting to distract voters from concerns with her opponent, Angel Roeser.In the 2020 post, which has been deleted, Zito explained she was illustrating the “level of hate being hurled at people of color and anyone supporting the end of the” Trump administration. She pleaded with friends and family to “stand up against the violence of fellow human beings.”&nbsp;The Kansas Black Republican Council brought the post to the attention of the Kansas House Republican Campaign Committee on Tuesday, according to the news release. Joseph Elmore, chairman of the Sedgwick County Black Republican Council and member of the state council’s executive board, called on Democrats to “unequivocally disavow and divest themselves.”“Exposure of Kim Zito’s racism is painful to see and, in my view, disqualifies her for service as a lawmaker,” Elmore said in the news release. “Racist words and racial slurs are hurtful and hateful to our Community.”House Majority Leader Chris Croft, R-Overland Park, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, echoed Elmore’s condemnation.Zito responded by accusing Roeser of being dishonest about her level of education and where she stands on abortion rights.“The Kansas Republican Party has a fundamentally flawed candidate who has a broken relationship with the truth,” Zito said. “The Republicans are trying to distract the voters of Manhattan from the fact their candidate lies about her voting history and lies about whether she graduated from K-State, which is an insult to hard-working Kansans.”Roeser, who doesn’t have a college degree, identified herself as a Kansas State University graduate in postcards produced by her campaign.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729193490172.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The first-time candidate said in a statement for this story she didn’t have “any ill intent to withhold information” about obtaining a college degree. She acknowledged it was a mistake to lie about her education.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729193550023.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Kim Zito has yet to take responsibility for the offensive, insulting and downright hostile comments she has made about races of people, groups of worshipers and individuals in our community,” Roeser said. “Her partisan rhetoric and personal attacks won’t serve Manhattan well and will most definitely ensure we don’t have a seat at the table.”

Kansas Republicans condemn Democrat’s use of racial slur in 2020 social media post, omit context

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a church burglary have made an arrest.

On Wednesday,&nbsp; police reported a&nbsp;person of interest in Monday’s recovery of approximately $36,000 of stolen property from a Kansas City Kansas church is in custody and charged with the crime, according to Kansas City Kansas Police.

The Wyandotte County District Attorney has charged 22-year-old Enrique Martinez Vasquez of Kansas City, Kan., with felony burglary, theft and criminal damage to property. 

He remains in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $35,000 bond.

&nbsp;Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729128351973.png" alt="Vasquez photo Wyandotte County" />
 <figcaption>Vasquez photo Wyandotte County</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a church burglary have made an arrest.On Wednesday,&nbsp; police reported a&nbsp;person of interest in Monday’s recovery of approximately $36,000 of stolen property from a Kansas City Kansas church is in custody and charged with the crime, according to Kansas City Kansas Police.The Wyandotte County District Attorney has charged 22-year-old Enrique Martinez Vasquez of Kansas City, Kan., with felony burglary, theft and criminal damage to property. He remains in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $35,000 bond.&nbsp;Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous.

Suspect in $36,000 burglary at Kansas church captured

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks drifted around their record heights Thursday following the latest signals that the U.S. economy continues to hum.

The S&amp;P 500 finished virtually unchanged after flirting with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-3eea0bd848ea1fe6dd788930c17027eb">its all-time</a>&nbsp;high for much of the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 161 points, or 0.4%, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-asml-f1a0aae2960ef964d05afd956b360745">its own record</a>&nbsp;set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was close to flat.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-ai-earnings-stock-464d35670b6e91a698751ec7ee157532">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;and other companies in the chip industry were some of the market’s strongest after global heavyweight Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported bigger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. TSMC credited strong demand related to smartphones and artificial intelligence, and its stock that trades in the United States jumped 9.8%.

It was a sharp turnaround from earlier in the week when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-earnings-9603ee04b6690dc4e80c22f02f298159">warning from a major Dutch supplier</a>&nbsp;to the chip industry, ASML, sent stocks sinking across the industry. Nvidia’s gain of 0.9% was Thursday's strongest single force pushing upward on the S&amp;P 500.

But a 1.4% slide for Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and a 10.6% tumble for Elevance Health helped keep stock indexes in check.

In the bond market, Treasury yields rose following the latest encouraging reports on the U.S. economy.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retailers-spending-consumers-inflation-stores-shoppers-economy-3e4df15431444adb36a67c628c6553b7">U.S. retailers made more in sales</a>&nbsp;in September than in August, and underlying growth trends within the data were better than economists expected. The strength was “all the more impressive in the face of stretched household finances, particularly among lower-income shoppers, and pre-election jitters,” according to Gary Schlossberg, market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

A separate report, meanwhile, said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-28ea3e5133d84119f35a88db82fb605e">fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment</a>&nbsp;benefits last week, a signal that layoffs nationwide are relatively low and aren’t damaging the job market.

Such data bolster the hope that has sent U.S. stocks to records: The economy could make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">a perfect escape</a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">worst inflation in generations</a>, one that ends without a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-jerome-powell-839eaf55d57958b96fe18f9bc0884397">recession</a>&nbsp;that many investors had seen as nearly inevitable. And with the Federal Reserve now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">cutting interest rates</a>&nbsp;to keep the economy humming, the expectation among optimists is that stocks can rise even further.

Critics, meanwhile, warn stock prices look too expensive given how much faster they’ve climbed than profits for companies.

Lower interest rates can ease the brakes off the economy, boost prices for investments and make borrowing bills less costly for households and businesses. And rates are heading lower around the world, with only a couple exceptions.

The European Central Bank on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-central-bank-interest-rates-inflation-4b2545966c179c893a8ff34421a2530f">cut its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;by a quarter of a percentage point. That helped send stock indexes higher by 1.2% in France and 0.8% in Germany. They halted a run of losses that started the day in Asian stock markets, where Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.7% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1%.

On Wall Street, insurer Travelers was the biggest reason for the Dow's setting another record. It jumped 9% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Higher income made from its investments and elsewhere helped cover greater losses due to Hurricane Helene and severe wind and hail storms in multiple states.

Blackstone also pushed upward on indexes after the investor in real estate, hedge funds and other alternative investments reported stronger profit than expected. It climbed 6.3% after CEO Stephen Schwarzman said it’s seeing broad-based acceleration across its businesses.

They helped offset Elevance Health's tumble after it reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elevance-medicaid-2024-forecast-cut-78e197b7af397aa64a2a0ef213ea8411">weaker profit for the latest quarter than expected</a>. The insurer also cut its forecast for profit for the full year, saying it was dealing with a “timing mismatch” between Medicaid rates and higher claims from customers.

CSX fell 6.7% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/csx-railroad-third-quarter-earnings-profit-4d0d06487157bb2c39749c4a1f6ba36e">falling short of analysts’ profit expectations</a>&nbsp;for the latest quarter. The railroad also expects only modest volume growth the rest of the year as the Southeast rebuilds after two major&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes">hurricanes.</a>

All told, the S&amp;P 500 slipped 1.00, or less than 0.1%, to 5,841.47. The Dow gained 161.35 points, or 0.4%, to 43,239.05, and the Nasdaq composite added 6.53, or less than 0.1%, to 18,373.61.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.09% from 4.02% late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which moves more closely with expectations for action by the Fed, rose to 3.98% from 3.94%.

All the strong recent reports on the U.S. economy have forced traders to abandon bets that the Fed could cut its main interest rate by another half a percentage point in November. Instead, they’re largely betting the Fed will move forward with a traditional-sized cut of a quarter of a percentage point, according to data from CME Group.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks drifted around their record heights Thursday following the latest signals that the U.S. economy continues to hum.The S&amp;P 500 finished virtually unchanged after flirting with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-3eea0bd848ea1fe6dd788930c17027eb">its all-time</a>&nbsp;high for much of the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 161 points, or 0.4%, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-asml-f1a0aae2960ef964d05afd956b360745">its own record</a>&nbsp;set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was close to flat.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-ai-earnings-stock-464d35670b6e91a698751ec7ee157532">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;and other companies in the chip industry were some of the market’s strongest after global heavyweight Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported bigger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. TSMC credited strong demand related to smartphones and artificial intelligence, and its stock that trades in the United States jumped 9.8%.It was a sharp turnaround from earlier in the week when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-earnings-9603ee04b6690dc4e80c22f02f298159">warning from a major Dutch supplier</a>&nbsp;to the chip industry, ASML, sent stocks sinking across the industry. Nvidia’s gain of 0.9% was Thursday's strongest single force pushing upward on the S&amp;P 500.But a 1.4% slide for Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and a 10.6% tumble for Elevance Health helped keep stock indexes in check.In the bond market, Treasury yields rose following the latest encouraging reports on the U.S. economy.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retailers-spending-consumers-inflation-stores-shoppers-economy-3e4df15431444adb36a67c628c6553b7">U.S. retailers made more in sales</a>&nbsp;in September than in August, and underlying growth trends within the data were better than economists expected. The strength was “all the more impressive in the face of stretched household finances, particularly among lower-income shoppers, and pre-election jitters,” according to Gary Schlossberg, market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.A separate report, meanwhile, said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-28ea3e5133d84119f35a88db82fb605e">fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment</a>&nbsp;benefits last week, a signal that layoffs nationwide are relatively low and aren’t damaging the job market.Such data bolster the hope that has sent U.S. stocks to records: The economy could make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">a perfect escape</a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">worst inflation in generations</a>, one that ends without a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-jerome-powell-839eaf55d57958b96fe18f9bc0884397">recession</a>&nbsp;that many investors had seen as nearly inevitable. And with the Federal Reserve now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">cutting interest rates</a>&nbsp;to keep the economy humming, the expectation among optimists is that stocks can rise even further.Critics, meanwhile, warn stock prices look too expensive given how much faster they’ve climbed than profits for companies.Lower interest rates can ease the brakes off the economy, boost prices for investments and make borrowing bills less costly for households and businesses. And rates are heading lower around the world, with only a couple exceptions.The European Central Bank on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-central-bank-interest-rates-inflation-4b2545966c179c893a8ff34421a2530f">cut its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;by a quarter of a percentage point. That helped send stock indexes higher by 1.2% in France and 0.8% in Germany. They halted a run of losses that started the day in Asian stock markets, where Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.7% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1%.On Wall Street, insurer Travelers was the biggest reason for the Dow's setting another record. It jumped 9% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Higher income made from its investments and elsewhere helped cover greater losses due to Hurricane Helene and severe wind and hail storms in multiple states.Blackstone also pushed upward on indexes after the investor in real estate, hedge funds and other alternative investments reported stronger profit than expected. It climbed 6.3% after CEO Stephen Schwarzman said it’s seeing broad-based acceleration across its businesses.They helped offset Elevance Health's tumble after it reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elevance-medicaid-2024-forecast-cut-78e197b7af397aa64a2a0ef213ea8411">weaker profit for the latest quarter than expected</a>. The insurer also cut its forecast for profit for the full year, saying it was dealing with a “timing mismatch” between Medicaid rates and higher claims from customers.CSX fell 6.7% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/csx-railroad-third-quarter-earnings-profit-4d0d06487157bb2c39749c4a1f6ba36e">falling short of analysts’ profit expectations</a>&nbsp;for the latest quarter. The railroad also expects only modest volume growth the rest of the year as the Southeast rebuilds after two major&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes">hurricanes.</a>All told, the S&amp;P 500 slipped 1.00, or less than 0.1%, to 5,841.47. The Dow gained 161.35 points, or 0.4%, to 43,239.05, and the Nasdaq composite added 6.53, or less than 0.1%, to 18,373.61.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.09% from 4.02% late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which moves more closely with expectations for action by the Fed, rose to 3.98% from 3.94%.All the strong recent reports on the U.S. economy have forced traders to abandon bets that the Fed could cut its main interest rate by another half a percentage point in November. Instead, they’re largely betting the Fed will move forward with a traditional-sized cut of a quarter of a percentage point, according to data from CME Group.

Wall Street drifts around its records following latest encouraging economic data

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia grand jury indicted both a father and son on murder charges Thursday in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder.

Georgia media outlets reported that the Barrow County grand jury meeting in Winder indicted 14-year-old Colt Gray on Thursday on a total of 55 counts including four counts of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, plus aggravated assault and cruelty to children. His father, Colin Gray, faces 29 counts including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.

Deputy court clerk Missy Headrick confirmed that Colin and Colt Gray had been indicted in separate indictments. She said the clerk’s office had not yet processed the indictments and that the documents likely wouldn’t be available to the public until Friday.

Both are scheduled to appear for arraignment on Nov. 21, when each would formally enter a plea. Colin Gray is being held in the Barrow County jail. Colt Gray is charged as an adult but is being held in a juvenile detention center in Gainesville. Neither has sought to be released on bail and their lawyers have previously declined comment.

Investigators testified Wednesday during a preliminary hearing for Colin Gray that Colt Gray carried a semiautomatic assault-style rifle on the school bus that morning, with the barrel sticking out of his book bag, wrapped up in a poster board. They say the boy left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom with the rifle before shooting people in a classroom and hallways.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-high-school-shooting-victims-d5b510b7f855d235256d984ccd381571">The shooting killed</a>&nbsp;teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.

Investigators have said the teenager carefully plotted the shooting at the 1,900-student high school northeast of Atlanta. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified that the boy left a notebook in his classroom with step-by-step handwritten instructions to prepare for the shooting. It included a diagram of his second-period classroom and his estimate that he could kill as many as 26 people and wound as many as 13 others, writing that he’d be “surprised if I make it this far.”

There had long been signs that Colt Gray was troubled.

Colt and Colin Gray were interviewed about an online threat linked to Colt Gray in May of 2023. Colt Gray denied making the threat at the time. He enrolled as a freshman at Apalachee after the academic year began and then skipped multiple days of school. Investigators said he had a “severe anxiety attack” on Aug. 14. A counselor said he reported having suicidal thoughts and rocked and shook uncontrollably while in her office.

Colt’s mother Marcee Gray, who lived separately, told investigators that she had argued with Colin Gray asking him to secure his guns and restrict Colt’s access in August. Instead, he bought the boy ammunition, a gun sight and other shooting accessories, records show.

After Colt Gray asked his mother to put him in a “mental asylum,” the family arranged to take him on Aug. 31 to a mental health treatment center in Athens that offers inpatient treatment, but the plan fell apart when his parents argued about Colt’s access to guns the day before and his father said he didn’t have the gas money, an investigator said.

Colin Gray’s indictment is the latest example of prosecutors holding parents responsible for their children’s actions in school shootings. Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley, the first to be convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting, were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison for not securing a firearm at home and acting indifferently to signs of their son’s deteriorating mental health before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oxford-high-school-shooting">he killed four students in 2021</a>.

“In this case, your honor, he had primary custody of Colt. He had knowledge of Colt’s obsessions with school shooters. He had knowledge of Colt’s deteriorating mental state. And he provided the firearms and the ammunition that Colt used in this,” District Attorney Brad Smith told the judge Wednesday at the preliminary hearing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725622947526.png" alt="Colin Gray photo Barrow County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Colin Gray photo Barrow County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia grand jury indicted both a father and son on murder charges Thursday in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder.Georgia media outlets reported that the Barrow County grand jury meeting in Winder indicted 14-year-old Colt Gray on Thursday on a total of 55 counts including four counts of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, plus aggravated assault and cruelty to children. His father, Colin Gray, faces 29 counts including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.Deputy court clerk Missy Headrick confirmed that Colin and Colt Gray had been indicted in separate indictments. She said the clerk’s office had not yet processed the indictments and that the documents likely wouldn’t be available to the public until Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725585758159.png" alt="-Colt Gray photo Barrow County Sheriff's office" />
 <figcaption>-Colt Gray photo Barrow County Sheriff's office</figcaption>
 </figure>Both are scheduled to appear for arraignment on Nov. 21, when each would formally enter a plea. Colin Gray is being held in the Barrow County jail. Colt Gray is charged as an adult but is being held in a juvenile detention center in Gainesville. Neither has sought to be released on bail and their lawyers have previously declined comment.Investigators testified Wednesday during a preliminary hearing for Colin Gray that Colt Gray carried a semiautomatic assault-style rifle on the school bus that morning, with the barrel sticking out of his book bag, wrapped up in a poster board. They say the boy left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom with the rifle before shooting people in a classroom and hallways.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-high-school-shooting-victims-d5b510b7f855d235256d984ccd381571">The shooting killed</a>&nbsp;teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.Investigators have said the teenager carefully plotted the shooting at the 1,900-student high school northeast of Atlanta. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified that the boy left a notebook in his classroom with step-by-step handwritten instructions to prepare for the shooting. It included a diagram of his second-period classroom and his estimate that he could kill as many as 26 people and wound as many as 13 others, writing that he’d be “surprised if I make it this far.”There had long been signs that Colt Gray was troubled.Colt and Colin Gray were interviewed about an online threat linked to Colt Gray in May of 2023. Colt Gray denied making the threat at the time. He enrolled as a freshman at Apalachee after the academic year began and then skipped multiple days of school. Investigators said he had a “severe anxiety attack” on Aug. 14. A counselor said he reported having suicidal thoughts and rocked and shook uncontrollably while in her office.Colt’s mother Marcee Gray, who lived separately, told investigators that she had argued with Colin Gray asking him to secure his guns and restrict Colt’s access in August. Instead, he bought the boy ammunition, a gun sight and other shooting accessories, records show.After Colt Gray asked his mother to put him in a “mental asylum,” the family arranged to take him on Aug. 31 to a mental health treatment center in Athens that offers inpatient treatment, but the plan fell apart when his parents argued about Colt’s access to guns the day before and his father said he didn’t have the gas money, an investigator said.Colin Gray’s indictment is the latest example of prosecutors holding parents responsible for their children’s actions in school shootings. Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley, the first to be convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting, were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison for not securing a firearm at home and acting indifferently to signs of their son’s deteriorating mental health before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oxford-high-school-shooting">he killed four students in 2021</a>.“In this case, your honor, he had primary custody of Colt. He had knowledge of Colt’s obsessions with school shooters. He had knowledge of Colt’s deteriorating mental state. And he provided the firearms and the ammunition that Colt used in this,” District Attorney Brad Smith told the judge Wednesday at the preliminary hearing.

Father and son are both indicted in mass school shooting in Georgia

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military continues working to determine the source of mysterious drones that have been allowed to fly over U.S. bases.

Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran responded to a Wall Street Journal account of the mystery. "As drone technology continues to evolve, the tactics used against the United States grow more alarming each day, " Moran wrote on social media. 

"The recent reports of unidentified aircrafts hovering for 17 days over a U.S. military base without intervention is not just concerning, but an affront to our national security."

"This violation of our airspace highlights the threat of below-the-threshold activity that hostile actors can pose to our nation."

"Military leaders currently lack the authority to engage until there is an imminent threat posed to our men and women in uniform. I am working on legislation to provide the Department of Defense with the necessary authorities to engage drones or unidentified aircrafts that breech our military airspace before it is too late to respond."

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military continues working to determine the source of mysterious drones that have been allowed to fly over U.S. bases.Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran responded to a Wall Street Journal account of the mystery. "As drone technology continues to evolve, the tactics used against the United States grow more alarming each day, " Moran wrote on social media. "The recent reports of unidentified aircrafts hovering for 17 days over a U.S. military base without intervention is not just concerning, but an affront to our national security.""This violation of our airspace highlights the threat of below-the-threshold activity that hostile actors can pose to our nation.""Military leaders currently lack the authority to engage until there is an imminent threat posed to our men and women in uniform. I am working on legislation to provide the Department of Defense with the necessary authorities to engage drones or unidentified aircrafts that breech our military airspace before it is too late to respond."

Kan. U.S. Senator wants action on mysterious drone swarm at military base 

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli forces in Gaza killed Hamas’ top leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-sinwar-leader-2963dbc6e8ef040a00e588488cba33e7">Yahya Sinwar</a>, a chief architect of last year’s attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel’s most wanted man.

Israeli leaders celebrated his killing as a settling of scores, just over a year after Hamas-led militants surged out of Gaza into southern Israel in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-one-year-anniversary-cf123f95609051e8e8eaf6aebe661b6a">an attack that stunned the country</a>. They also presented it as a moment for Hamas to surrender and release some 100 hostages it still holds captive.

Still, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Our war has not yet ended.” Besides seeking the release of hostages, Netanyahu has said Israel must keep long-term control over Gaza to ensure Hamas does not rearm — opening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the possibility of continued fighting</a>.

For Hamas, Sinwar's death is a crippling blow, but it has continually proven resilient during the war. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas of Sinwar's death.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addressed Hamas fighters, saying it “is time to go out, release the hostages, raise your hands, surrender.”

President Joe Biden called Sinwar's death a “good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world,” comparing it to the feeling in the U.S. after the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. He said he would talk with Netanyahu "to discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all.”

Sinwar has been Hamas’ top leader inside the Gaza Strip for years, closely connected to its military wing while dramatically building up its capabilities. He was elevated to Hamas' highest spot in July after his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an apparent Israeli strike in the Iranian capital Tehran.

In the past months, Israel has eliminated a string of senior figures from Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah with airstrikes. Israel has claimed to have killed the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, in an airstrike, but the group has said he survived.

But in Sinwar's case, troops found him by chance.

An Israeli military official said that Sinwar "engaged in combat” with Israeli troops operating in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, and was spotted running into a building. The army struck the building with tank fire.

The army had suspected a number of top Hamas officials including Sinwar were in the vicinity, but Sinwar was not the target of that day's specific operations, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity under military briefing rules.

Visiting the site of the killing, Israel's army chief Herzi Halevi said that while the military had conducted “many special operations in this war where we had excellent information .... Here, we didn’t have that and the response was very, very strong.”

Photos circulating online showed the body of a man resembling Sinwar with a gaping head wound, dressed in a military-style vest, half buried in the rubble of a destroyed building. The security official confirmed the photos were taken by Israeli security officials at the scene. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.

The military said three militants were killed in the operation. Police said one of them was confirmed as Sinwar by dental records and fingerprints, and DNA tests were ongoing. Sinwar was imprisoned by Israel from the late 1980s until 2011, and during that time he underwent treatment for brain cancer – leaving Israeli authorities with extensive medical records.

Netanyahu said Israel had “settled its account” with the man behind the Oct. 7 attack. But he added, “Today evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete.”

He said it was an “important moment in the war” to bring home the hostages and that anyone in Hamas who surrendered weapons and assisted with hostage's return would be allowed to leave Gaza safely.

Israel launched its campaign in Gaza to eliminate Hamas after the militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 others. Some 100 captives are still inside Gaza, about a third of whom are believed to be dead.

Israel’s offensive has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says women and children make up a little more than half of the fatalities.

On Thursday, an Israeli strike hit a school sheltering displaced Palestinians, killing at least 28 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Fares Abu Hamza, head of the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency unit in the north, said the dead included a woman and four children, correcting an earlier report of five children. He said dozens of people were wounded.

The Israeli military said it targeted a command center run by Hamas and Islamic Jihad inside the school. It provided a list of around a dozen names of people it identified as militants who were present when the strike was called in. It was not immediately possible to verify the names.

Israel has repeatedly struck tent camps and schools sheltering displaced people in Gaza. The Israeli military says it carries out precise strikes on militants and tries to avoid harming civilians, but its strikes often kill women and children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713493747235.png" alt="IDF Spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari couresy photo" />
 <figcaption>IDF Spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari couresy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli forces in Gaza killed Hamas’ top leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-sinwar-leader-2963dbc6e8ef040a00e588488cba33e7">Yahya Sinwar</a>, a chief architect of last year’s attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel’s most wanted man.Israeli leaders celebrated his killing as a settling of scores, just over a year after Hamas-led militants surged out of Gaza into southern Israel in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-one-year-anniversary-cf123f95609051e8e8eaf6aebe661b6a">an attack that stunned the country</a>. They also presented it as a moment for Hamas to surrender and release some 100 hostages it still holds captive.Still, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Our war has not yet ended.” Besides seeking the release of hostages, Netanyahu has said Israel must keep long-term control over Gaza to ensure Hamas does not rearm — opening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the possibility of continued fighting</a>.For Hamas, Sinwar's death is a crippling blow, but it has continually proven resilient during the war. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas of Sinwar's death.Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addressed Hamas fighters, saying it “is time to go out, release the hostages, raise your hands, surrender.”President Joe Biden called Sinwar's death a “good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world,” comparing it to the feeling in the U.S. after the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. He said he would talk with Netanyahu "to discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all.”Sinwar has been Hamas’ top leader inside the Gaza Strip for years, closely connected to its military wing while dramatically building up its capabilities. He was elevated to Hamas' highest spot in July after his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an apparent Israeli strike in the Iranian capital Tehran.In the past months, Israel has eliminated a string of senior figures from Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah with airstrikes. Israel has claimed to have killed the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, in an airstrike, but the group has said he survived.But in Sinwar's case, troops found him by chance.An Israeli military official said that Sinwar "engaged in combat” with Israeli troops operating in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, and was spotted running into a building. The army struck the building with tank fire.The army had suspected a number of top Hamas officials including Sinwar were in the vicinity, but Sinwar was not the target of that day's specific operations, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity under military briefing rules.Visiting the site of the killing, Israel's army chief Herzi Halevi said that while the military had conducted “many special operations in this war where we had excellent information .... Here, we didn’t have that and the response was very, very strong.”Photos circulating online showed the body of a man resembling Sinwar with a gaping head wound, dressed in a military-style vest, half buried in the rubble of a destroyed building. The security official confirmed the photos were taken by Israeli security officials at the scene. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.The military said three militants were killed in the operation. Police said one of them was confirmed as Sinwar by dental records and fingerprints, and DNA tests were ongoing. Sinwar was imprisoned by Israel from the late 1980s until 2011, and during that time he underwent treatment for brain cancer – leaving Israeli authorities with extensive medical records.Netanyahu said Israel had “settled its account” with the man behind the Oct. 7 attack. But he added, “Today evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete.”He said it was an “important moment in the war” to bring home the hostages and that anyone in Hamas who surrendered weapons and assisted with hostage's return would be allowed to leave Gaza safely.Israel launched its campaign in Gaza to eliminate Hamas after the militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 others. Some 100 captives are still inside Gaza, about a third of whom are believed to be dead.Israel’s offensive has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says women and children make up a little more than half of the fatalities.On Thursday, an Israeli strike hit a school sheltering displaced Palestinians, killing at least 28 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.Fares Abu Hamza, head of the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency unit in the north, said the dead included a woman and four children, correcting an earlier report of five children. He said dozens of people were wounded.The Israeli military said it targeted a command center run by Hamas and Islamic Jihad inside the school. It provided a list of around a dozen names of people it identified as militants who were present when the strike was called in. It was not immediately possible to verify the names.Israel has repeatedly struck tent camps and schools sheltering displaced people in Gaza. The Israeli military says it carries out precise strikes on militants and tries to avoid harming civilians, but its strikes often kill women and children.___

Israel confirms: Troops killed the mastermind of Oct. 7 terror attack

MCPHERSON— Tucky Allen with KansasWorkforceONE confirmed to Hutch Post Thursday morning that there have been layoffs at Pfizer in McPherson and that it was a reduction of 80 workers between Wednesday and Thursday.&nbsp;

Allen said he would be meeting with those who were laid off&nbsp; and provided dislocated worker services and will be hosting a Q &amp; A next week for the affected employees.

This action does not affect production. These were professional/salaried positions.&nbsp;The McPherson, Kansas site specializes in manufacturing sterile injectable medicines used daily in hospitals around the world, according to the company web site.

This job action follows layoffs for the drugmaker in Ireland this fall, amid larger cost cutting measures.

MCPHERSON— Tucky Allen with KansasWorkforceONE confirmed to Hutch Post Thursday morning that there have been layoffs at Pfizer in McPherson and that it was a reduction of 80 workers between Wednesday and Thursday.&nbsp;Allen said he would be meeting with those who were laid off&nbsp; and provided dislocated worker services and will be hosting a Q &amp; A next week for the affected employees.This action does not affect production. These were professional/salaried positions.&nbsp;The McPherson, Kansas site specializes in manufacturing sterile injectable medicines used daily in hospitals around the world, according to the company web site.This job action follows layoffs for the drugmaker in Ireland this fall, amid larger cost cutting measures.

Layoffs at manufacturing plant in McPherson

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor who starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film of "South Pacific" and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, has died. She was 93.

Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/movies">Hollywood musical,</a>&nbsp;died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday morning, her long-time managers Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press.

“As we celebrate her legacy, we offer our thanks to her friends and fans and the countless audiences she entertained throughout her long life,” Reyes and Rosamonda said in a joint statement. “Your love, support and appreciation meant so very much to her and was a sustaining gift in her life.”

Her entertainment career spanned eight decades across film, television and the stage, and appeared in several notable films including “We’re Not Married!” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” but she is best remembered for her turn in “South Pacific.”

The screen version of “South Pacific” received three Academy Award nominations and won for best sound, while Gaynor was a best actress nominee for a Golden Globe.

The role of the love-sick nurse Nellie, created on Broadway by Mary Martin, had been eagerly sought by Hollywood stars. Sinatra helped Gaynor land it.

She was starring with him in “The Joker Is Wild,” when she had a one-day opportunity to audition for lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. It was the same day she was scheduled for her biggest scene with Sinatra. When she explained her plight, he told her, “Don’t worry, I’ll change the schedule.”

Hammerstein was impressed with Gaynor, who had already won the approval of director Josh Logan and composer Richard Rodgers. She was cast opposite Rossano Brazzi, about whom she sang “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy.”

“South Pacific” was not the turning point in her career that Gaynor had hoped it would be, and she shifted her focus from film to television, making early appearances on Donald O’Connor’s variety series “Here Comes Donald,” and on CBS’ “The Jack Benny Hour.” In October of 1959, she was the only women to guest star alongside Sinatra, Crosby, Dean Martin and Jimmy Durante on ABC’s “The Frank Sinatra Timex Show” special.

Later in her career, Gaynor reinvented herself as a performing entertainer. Working with her husband and manager Jack Bean, she starred in her own musical revue that was a big draw in theaters throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia.

She became the highest paid female entertainer in Las Vegas and was the first woman to be awarded the Las Vegas governor’s trophy for “Star Entertainer of the Year" in 1970.

When touring with a full orchestra, a corps of dancers and backstage personnel became too unwieldy and expensive, Gaynor slimmed down the production, eventually making it a one-woman show. They continued touring every year until 2002 when Bean’s illness required a hiatus.

“I love touring; I’ve been doing it much of my life,” Gaynor said in a 2003 interview. “We go back to the same places; it’s like visiting friends. After the show, people come backstage to the dressing room, and we renew friendships. We send out almost 3,000 Christmas cards every year.”

Born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber (Mitzi is diminutive for Marlene) in Chicago on Sept. 4, 1931, she was a part of a musically inclined family and started singing and dancing at a young age.

In a 2003 AP interview, Gaynor said she has a clear memory of her stage debut. She had been taking ballet and tap lessons and at age 7 she was scheduled for a tap routine at the dance school recital. She had neglected to use the bathroom, and when she faced the audience, a puddle formed on the stage.

“I ran kicking and screaming off the stage,” she recalls. “But I got huge applause. So I dried off and put some lipstick on. After the next girl did a hula with batons and slipped on the wet floor, I went out and said, ‘I’m OK now. Can I do it?’ And I got cheers!”

Gaynor and Bean married in 1954 and in 1960 bought a spacious house in Beverly Hills that became their home until his death in 2006. They rarely appeared at Hollywood events, preferring to entertain a few close friends. The couple had no children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729183398328.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor who starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film of "South Pacific" and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, has died. She was 93.Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/movies">Hollywood musical,</a>&nbsp;died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday morning, her long-time managers Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press.“As we celebrate her legacy, we offer our thanks to her friends and fans and the countless audiences she entertained throughout her long life,” Reyes and Rosamonda said in a joint statement. “Your love, support and appreciation meant so very much to her and was a sustaining gift in her life.”Her entertainment career spanned eight decades across film, television and the stage, and appeared in several notable films including “We’re Not Married!” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” but she is best remembered for her turn in “South Pacific.”The screen version of “South Pacific” received three Academy Award nominations and won for best sound, while Gaynor was a best actress nominee for a Golden Globe.The role of the love-sick nurse Nellie, created on Broadway by Mary Martin, had been eagerly sought by Hollywood stars. Sinatra helped Gaynor land it.She was starring with him in “The Joker Is Wild,” when she had a one-day opportunity to audition for lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. It was the same day she was scheduled for her biggest scene with Sinatra. When she explained her plight, he told her, “Don’t worry, I’ll change the schedule.”Hammerstein was impressed with Gaynor, who had already won the approval of director Josh Logan and composer Richard Rodgers. She was cast opposite Rossano Brazzi, about whom she sang “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy.”“South Pacific” was not the turning point in her career that Gaynor had hoped it would be, and she shifted her focus from film to television, making early appearances on Donald O’Connor’s variety series “Here Comes Donald,” and on CBS’ “The Jack Benny Hour.” In October of 1959, she was the only women to guest star alongside Sinatra, Crosby, Dean Martin and Jimmy Durante on ABC’s “The Frank Sinatra Timex Show” special.Later in her career, Gaynor reinvented herself as a performing entertainer. Working with her husband and manager Jack Bean, she starred in her own musical revue that was a big draw in theaters throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia.She became the highest paid female entertainer in Las Vegas and was the first woman to be awarded the Las Vegas governor’s trophy for “Star Entertainer of the Year" in 1970.When touring with a full orchestra, a corps of dancers and backstage personnel became too unwieldy and expensive, Gaynor slimmed down the production, eventually making it a one-woman show. They continued touring every year until 2002 when Bean’s illness required a hiatus.“I love touring; I’ve been doing it much of my life,” Gaynor said in a 2003 interview. “We go back to the same places; it’s like visiting friends. After the show, people come backstage to the dressing room, and we renew friendships. We send out almost 3,000 Christmas cards every year.”Born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber (Mitzi is diminutive for Marlene) in Chicago on Sept. 4, 1931, she was a part of a musically inclined family and started singing and dancing at a young age.In a 2003 AP interview, Gaynor said she has a clear memory of her stage debut. She had been taking ballet and tap lessons and at age 7 she was scheduled for a tap routine at the dance school recital. She had neglected to use the bathroom, and when she faced the audience, a puddle formed on the stage.“I ran kicking and screaming off the stage,” she recalls. “But I got huge applause. So I dried off and put some lipstick on. After the next girl did a hula with batons and slipped on the wet floor, I went out and said, ‘I’m OK now. Can I do it?’ And I got cheers!”Gaynor and Bean married in 1954 and in 1960 bought a spacious house in Beverly Hills that became their home until his death in 2006. They rarely appeared at Hollywood events, preferring to entertain a few close friends. The couple had no children.

Mitzi Gaynor, legendary actress and star of 'South Pacific,' dies at 93

WASHINGTON —On Wednesday, the Department of Defense&nbsp; announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs.

 This announcement is the Biden Administration's&nbsp;sixty-seventh tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.&nbsp; This Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package, which has an estimated value of $425 million, will provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: air defense capabilities; air-to-ground weapons; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; armored vehicles; and anti-tank weapons.

The capabilities in this announcement include:

The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated capability coalitions to meet Ukraine's urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717851301558.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —On Wednesday, the Department of Defense&nbsp; announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This announcement is the Biden Administration's&nbsp;sixty-seventh tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.&nbsp; This Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package, which has an estimated value of $425 million, will provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: air defense capabilities; air-to-ground weapons; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; armored vehicles; and anti-tank weapons.The capabilities in this announcement include:<ul>
 <li>Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS):</li><li>RIM-7 missiles and support for air defense;</li><li>Stinger anti-aircraft missiles;</li><li>Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);</li><li>Air-to-ground munitions;</li><li>155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;</li><li>Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles;</li><li>Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;</li><li>High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);</li><li>Small arms and ammunition;</li><li>Grenades, thermals, and training equipment;</li><li>Demolitions equipment and munitions; and</li><li>Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated capability coalitions to meet Ukraine's urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression.

U.S. spending another $425 million on Ukraine military aid

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The owner of the Kansas City Chiefs said Wednesday that he has no issue with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-harrison-butker-e00f6ee45955c99ef1e809ec447239e0">kicker Harrison Butker</a>&nbsp;forming a political action committee designed to encourage Christians to vote for what the PAC describes as “traditional values.”

Butker announced his UPRIGHT PAC last weekend, during the Chiefs' bye, in a series of postings on social media.

“One of the things I talk to the players every year about at training camp is using their platform to make a difference,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said. “We have players on both sides of the political spectrum, both sides of whatever controversial issue you want to bring up. I’m not at all concerned when our players use their platform to make a difference."

Butker is front-and-center on the website of the UPRIGHT PAC along with Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who earned the kicker's endorsement ahead of the general election against Democrat Lucas Kunce.

"We’re seeing our values under attack every day. In our schools, in the media, and even from our own government. But we have a chance to fight back and reclaim the traditional values that have made this country great," the PAC says on its website. "We are working to mobilize Christians across this country to make sure we protect these values at the ballot box.

Butker first made what he called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-college-conservative-commencement-harrison-butker-a40b881fe41ac489853fb67e58ed20d1">a “very intentional" foray</a>&nbsp;into politics in May, when he delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harrison-butker-chiefs-homemaker-nfl-5466d7b3560f640c825107df9694b07b">a polarizing commencement address</a>&nbsp;at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas. The three-time Super Bowl champion said, among other things, that most of the women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having children, and that some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.”

Butker also assailed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pride-parade-protest-lgbtq-nyc-6afa739efa2f66d750175b3db77516fc">Pride month</a>, an important time for the LGBTQ+ community, and President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion.

The NFL distanced itself from Butker's comments, issuing a statement afterward that said: "His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

“I’ve just decided, ‘You know what? There’s things that I believe wholeheartedly that I think will make this world a better place,’ and I’m going to preach that,” Butker said, when asked about the address during training camp. "If people don’t agree, they don’t agree, but I’m going to continue to say what I believe to be true and love everyone along the way.”

The Hunt family has supported a group urging Missouri voters to reject a ballot measure that would overturn a near-total ban on abortion in the state through Unity Hunt, the company that oversees the assets of the Lamar Hunt family. The Chiefs have declined to comment on the $300,000 donation other than confirming to The Kansas City Star that the money was wired by Clark Hunt's half-brother, Lamar Hunt Jr., through his account with Unity Hunt.

Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said last month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-wife-donald-trump-chiefs-nfl-b2ba221de1c83138c2fac126223e46bb">he would not endorse Donald Trump or Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;in the November election, even as the former president repeatedly referred to his wife, Brittany, as a supporter of his campaign.

“I don’t want my place and my platform to be used to endorse a candidate,” Mahomes said. “My place is to inform people to get registered to vote. It’s to inform people to do their own research and then make the best decision for them and their family.”

Those comments came less than a day after Taylor Swift,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-chiefs-taylor-swift-nfl-9f78a6dad40ff62993c2462e9c653964">who is dating the Chiefs' Travis Kelce</a>&nbsp;and has become friends with the Mahomes family, endorsed Harris for the presidency. That led Trump to tell Fox News: “I actually like Mrs. Mahomes much better, if you want to know the truth. She’s a big Trump fan. I like Brittany. I think Brittany is great.”

Patrick Mahomes was asked Wednesday about Trump’s references to his wife and said “at the end of the day, it’s about me and my family and how we treat other people.”

“I think you see Brittany does a lot in the community. I do a lot in the community to help bring people up, and give people an opportunity to use their voice,” he said. “In political times, people are going to use stuff here and there, but I can’t let that affect how I go about my business every single day of my life, and trying to live it to the best of my ability.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722892306920.jpeg" alt="File photo Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker waves to the fans as he walks to the field during training camp in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)" />
 <figcaption>File photo Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker waves to the fans as he walks to the field during training camp in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The owner of the Kansas City Chiefs said Wednesday that he has no issue with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-harrison-butker-e00f6ee45955c99ef1e809ec447239e0">kicker Harrison Butker</a>&nbsp;forming a political action committee designed to encourage Christians to vote for what the PAC describes as “traditional values.”Butker announced his UPRIGHT PAC last weekend, during the Chiefs' bye, in a series of postings on social media.“One of the things I talk to the players every year about at training camp is using their platform to make a difference,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said. “We have players on both sides of the political spectrum, both sides of whatever controversial issue you want to bring up. I’m not at all concerned when our players use their platform to make a difference."Butker is front-and-center on the website of the UPRIGHT PAC along with Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who earned the kicker's endorsement ahead of the general election against Democrat Lucas Kunce."We’re seeing our values under attack every day. In our schools, in the media, and even from our own government. But we have a chance to fight back and reclaim the traditional values that have made this country great," the PAC says on its website. "We are working to mobilize Christians across this country to make sure we protect these values at the ballot box.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-JS7RIKSaCc?si=n5vTS7FShykUyMek&amp;start=10" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Butker first made what he called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-college-conservative-commencement-harrison-butker-a40b881fe41ac489853fb67e58ed20d1">a “very intentional" foray</a>&nbsp;into politics in May, when he delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harrison-butker-chiefs-homemaker-nfl-5466d7b3560f640c825107df9694b07b">a polarizing commencement address</a>&nbsp;at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas. The three-time Super Bowl champion said, among other things, that most of the women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having children, and that some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.”Butker also assailed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pride-parade-protest-lgbtq-nyc-6afa739efa2f66d750175b3db77516fc">Pride month</a>, an important time for the LGBTQ+ community, and President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion.The NFL distanced itself from Butker's comments, issuing a statement afterward that said: "His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”“I’ve just decided, ‘You know what? There’s things that I believe wholeheartedly that I think will make this world a better place,’ and I’m going to preach that,” Butker said, when asked about the address during training camp. "If people don’t agree, they don’t agree, but I’m going to continue to say what I believe to be true and love everyone along the way.”The Hunt family has supported a group urging Missouri voters to reject a ballot measure that would overturn a near-total ban on abortion in the state through Unity Hunt, the company that oversees the assets of the Lamar Hunt family. The Chiefs have declined to comment on the $300,000 donation other than confirming to The Kansas City Star that the money was wired by Clark Hunt's half-brother, Lamar Hunt Jr., through his account with Unity Hunt.Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said last month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-wife-donald-trump-chiefs-nfl-b2ba221de1c83138c2fac126223e46bb">he would not endorse Donald Trump or Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;in the November election, even as the former president repeatedly referred to his wife, Brittany, as a supporter of his campaign.“I don’t want my place and my platform to be used to endorse a candidate,” Mahomes said. “My place is to inform people to get registered to vote. It’s to inform people to do their own research and then make the best decision for them and their family.”Those comments came less than a day after Taylor Swift,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-chiefs-taylor-swift-nfl-9f78a6dad40ff62993c2462e9c653964">who is dating the Chiefs' Travis Kelce</a>&nbsp;and has become friends with the Mahomes family, endorsed Harris for the presidency. That led Trump to tell Fox News: “I actually like Mrs. Mahomes much better, if you want to know the truth. She’s a big Trump fan. I like Brittany. I think Brittany is great.”Patrick Mahomes was asked Wednesday about Trump’s references to his wife and said “at the end of the day, it’s about me and my family and how we treat other people.”“I think you see Brittany does a lot in the community. I do a lot in the community to help bring people up, and give people an opportunity to use their voice,” he said. “In political times, people are going to use stuff here and there, but I can’t let that affect how I go about my business every single day of my life, and trying to live it to the best of my ability.”___

Chiefs owner backs kicker Harrison Butker forming PAC supporting ‘traditional values’

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ZEKE%20MILLER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ZEKE MILLER &nbsp;AP White House Correspondent</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris engaged in a combative interview with Fox News on Wednesday, sparring with anchor Bret Baier on immigration and shifting policy positions while asserting that if elected, she would not represent a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency.

Harris’ interview marked her first foray onto the network, which is popular with conservative viewers, as she looked to broaden her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-presidential-campaign-8975f37859dc16de3a7e8a99c5d07760">outreach to GOP-leaning voters</a>&nbsp;with less than three weeks until Election Day. Her nearly 30-minute sit-down with Baier repeatedly grew heated, with the two talking over each other.

When Baier kept talking as Harris tried to respond to his challenges on immigration, Harris said: "May I please finish? ... You have to let me finish, please.”

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729167956626.png" alt="Image courtesy Fox news via Kamala Harris campaign&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Fox news via Kamala Harris campaign&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ZEKE%20MILLER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ZEKE MILLER &nbsp;AP White House Correspondent</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris engaged in a combative interview with Fox News on Wednesday, sparring with anchor Bret Baier on immigration and shifting policy positions while asserting that if elected, she would not represent a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency.Harris’ interview marked her first foray onto the network, which is popular with conservative viewers, as she looked to broaden her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-presidential-campaign-8975f37859dc16de3a7e8a99c5d07760">outreach to GOP-leaning voters</a>&nbsp;with less than three weeks until Election Day. Her nearly 30-minute sit-down with Baier repeatedly grew heated, with the two talking over each other.When Baier kept talking as Harris tried to respond to his challenges on immigration, Harris said: "May I please finish? ... You have to let me finish, please.”Harris tried repeatedly to pivot the conversation to attacking Donald Trump. But she also had plenty to say about herself.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I invite everyone to go to <a href="https://t.co/c9mtidgQmA">https://t.co/c9mtidgQmA</a> to read up on my comprehensive plans for the American people. <a href="https://t.co/puHgczVf5n">pic.twitter.com/puHgczVf5n</a>&mdash; Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1846709798957465985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A week after saying she couldn’t&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-stern-view-colbert-60-minutes-daddy-5a2af60ba0b1099e19cca151955c9855">think of any move</a>&nbsp;made by Biden that she would have done differently, Harris asserted, “My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency.”Harris did not offer specifics, but said, “Like every new president that comes into office, I will bring my life experiences, and my professional experiences and fresh and new ideas.”Asked to clarify her assertion that she wants to “turn the page,” though Democrats currently hold the White House, Harris said she is running on “turning the page from the last decade in which we have been burdened with the kind of rhetoric coming from Donald Trump.”On immigration, Harris expressed regret over the deaths of women who were killed by people who were detained and then released after crossing into the U.S. illegally during the Biden administration, but she criticized Trump for his role in blocking a bipartisan immigration bill earlier this year that would have boosted border funding.“I am so sorry for her loss, sincerely,” Harris said after Baier played footage of the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray blaming Biden and Harris for her daughter's death.Harris indicated she no longer supports decriminalizing crossing the border illegally, as she did in 2019.“That was five years ago and I am very clear that I will follow the law,” she said. She gave the same answer about proposals to allow those in the U.S. illegally to get driver's licenses and subsidized healthcare.Of Trump, she said, “People are exhausted with someone who professes to be a leader and who spends full time demeaning and engaging in personal grievances." She added, "He’s not stable."She also sought to focus Fox viewers on Trump's talk of "the enemy within” and threats to punish political rivals.Baier challenged Harris over her attestations to Biden's mental stamina after his disastrous debate with Trump in June that forced his exit from the 2024 presidential race and her elevation to the top of the ticket. She again defended Biden, but added, “Joe Biden is not on the ballot and Donald Trump is.”Trump's campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Harris was “angry, defensive, and once again abdicated any responsibility for the problems Americans are facing.” She added that if "Kamala can’t handle the pressure of an interview with Fox News, she certainly can’t handle the pressure of being president of the United States.”Pushing back against Baier's line of questioning, Harris at one point said, “I would like if we could have a conversation that is grounded in a full assessment of the facts.”Harris campaign spokesperson Brian Fallon said her team felt she “achieved what we set out to achieve" with the “Special Report” host. “She was able to reach an audience that has probably been not exposed to the arguments she’s been making on the trail and she also got to show her toughness in standing tall against a hostile interviewer,” he said.Referring to former Trump challenger Nikki Haley, Fallon said, “I think there’s a good number of independents and Haley-style Republicans who are very open to voting for Vice President Harris and that’s why we are open to doing events with Republicans and on Fox News."