KINGMAN COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident just before 7p.m. Tuesday in Kingman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2025 Kawasaki motorcycle driven by Blake L. Reese, 16, Kingman, was southbound on NE 70 Avenue at NE 50th Street approximately five miles southeast of Pretty Prairie. The driver failed to stop at the stop sign and struck a westbound 2012 Econoline van driven by Kyle K.&nbsp;Meireis, 54, Kingman.

Reese was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Livingston Mortuary.&nbsp; Meireis and six passengers in the van were not injured. Reese was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

KINGMAN COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident just before 7p.m. Tuesday in Kingman County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2025 Kawasaki motorcycle driven by Blake L. Reese, 16, Kingman, was southbound on NE 70 Avenue at NE 50th Street approximately five miles southeast of Pretty Prairie. The driver failed to stop at the stop sign and struck a westbound 2012 Econoline van driven by Kyle K.&nbsp;Meireis, 54, Kingman.Reese was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Livingston Mortuary.&nbsp; Meireis and six passengers in the van were not injured. Reese was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

16-year-old Kansas boy killed in motorcycle, van crash

KANSAS CITY —Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson last week announced the office secured a seven-year sentence for a man involved in a drug trafficking case.

In May,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2715/BYRON-D-KITCHEN-2416-CR00381-01-Judgment_Redacted_FINAL">Byron D. Kitchen</a>, 46,&nbsp;pleaded guilty to 2nd Degree Trafficking Drugs and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2716/Redacted-Probable-Cause-1">According to court records</a>, the Jackson County Drug Task Force began investigating Kitchen in September 2023 after receiving intelligence that he was selling fentanyl pills. Following about five months of the Task Force’s surveillance, the Blue Springs Police Department executed a search warrant, seizing two firearms, ammunition, about 90 fentanyl pills, and other controlled substances.&nbsp;

The Jackson County Drug Task Force brings together detectives from multiple county police departments and sheriff’s offices with federal, state, and local agencies to target drug dealers across the metro. Their outstanding work has earned national recognition:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756498463427.png" alt="Kitchen photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Kitchen photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson last week announced the office secured a seven-year sentence for a man involved in a drug trafficking case.In May,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2715/BYRON-D-KITCHEN-2416-CR00381-01-Judgment_Redacted_FINAL">Byron D. Kitchen</a>, 46,&nbsp;pleaded guilty to 2nd Degree Trafficking Drugs and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2716/Redacted-Probable-Cause-1">According to court records</a>, the Jackson County Drug Task Force began investigating Kitchen in September 2023 after receiving intelligence that he was selling fentanyl pills. Following about five months of the Task Force’s surveillance, the Blue Springs Police Department executed a search warrant, seizing two firearms, ammunition, about 90 fentanyl pills, and other controlled substances.&nbsp;The Jackson County Drug Task Force brings together detectives from multiple county police departments and sheriff’s offices with federal, state, and local agencies to target drug dealers across the metro. Their outstanding work has earned national recognition:<ul>
 <li>Missouri Narcotics Officer’s Association’s Law Enforcement Unit of the Year&nbsp;seven times in 13 years, including 2024</li><li>Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Outstanding Community Impact Investigation in 2023</li><li>More than $35 million in controlled substances&nbsp;seized in 2024 alone</li><li>127 firearms confiscated&nbsp;last year, including illegal machine switches and silencers</li>
 </ul>

Prison for selling fentanyl pills in Kansas City area

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday publicly posted the files it has received from the Justice Department on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">sex trafficking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein</a>&nbsp;and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/98fthv8otekjk28lcrnc5/AIn3egnE58MYe4Bn4fliVBw?rlkey=m7p8e9omml96fgxl13kr2nuyt&amp;e=2&amp;st=0xvm0p08&amp;dl=0">Click here to view the files</a>

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TrGxDGQLDLZu1vvvZDBAh-e7wN3y6Hoz?usp=sharing">here</a>&nbsp;to read Epstein-related documents&nbsp;

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/98fthv8otekjk28lcrnc5/AIn3egnE58MYe4Bn4fliVBw?rlkey=m7p8e9omml96fgxl13kr2nuyt&amp;st=0xvm0p08&amp;dl=0">here</a>. for back up access to the files.

The folders contained hundreds of image files of years-old court filings related to Epstein and Maxwell. They also contained video files appearing to be body cam footage from police searches, as well as law enforcement interviews with victims with their faces obscured.

The Justice Department released the files to the committee in response to a subpoena, but the files mostly contain information that was already publicly known.

Still, pressure is growing in Congress for lawmakers to act to force greater disclosure in the case. House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to quell an effort by Democrats and some Republicans to force a vote on a bill that would require the Justice Department to release all the information in the so-called Epstein files, with the exception of the victims’ personal information of the victims.

Acting quickly, lawmakers pressing for the full release of the so-called Epstein files launched a campaign for the House to take up their bill. Meanwhile, Johnson and a bipartisan group of lawmakers met with survivors of abuse by Epstein and his former girlfriend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>.

“The objective here is not just to uncover, investigate the Epstein evils, but also to ensure that this never happens again and ultimately to find out why justice has been delayed for these ladies for so very long,” said Johnson, R-La., after he emerged from a two-hour meeting with six of the survivors.

“It is inexcusable. And it will stop now because the Congress is dialed in on this,” he added.

But there are still intense disagreements on how lawmakers should proceed. Johnson is pressing for the inquiry to be handled by the House Oversight Committee and putting forward a resolution that directs the committee to publicly release its findings.

The files released Tuesday included audio of an Epstein employee describing to a law enforcement official how “there were a lot of girls that were very, very young” visiting the home but couldn’t say for sure if they were minors.

Over the course of Epstein’s visits to the home, the man said more than a dozen girls might visit, and that he was charged with cleaning the room where Epstein had massages, twice daily.

Some of the interviews with officers from the Palm Beach Police Department date to 2005, according to timestamps read out by officials at the beginning of the files.

Most, if not all, of the text documents posted Tuesday had already been public. Notably, the probable cause affidavit and other records from the 2005 investigation into Epstein contained a notation indicating that they’d been previously released in a 2017 public records request. An internet search showed those files were posted to the website of the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office in July 2017.

If the purpose of the release was to provide answers to a public still curious over the long-concluded cases, the raw mechanics of the clunky rollout made that a challenge.

Lawmakers at 6 p.m. released thousands of pages and videos via a cumbersome Google Drive, leaving it to readers and viewers to decipher new and interesting tidbits on their own. The disclosure also left open the question of why the Justice Department did not release the material directly to the public instead of operating through Capitol Hill.

Meanwhile, Democrats and some Republicans are trying to maneuver around Johnson’s control of the House floor to hold a vote on a separate bill that would require the Justice Department to publicly release the files, with the exception of names and personal information of the victims.

The clash suggests little has changed in Congress since late July, when Johnson sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-jeffrey-epstein-trump-f2a03eca247268b14a9e38858338eded">lawmakers home early</a>&nbsp;in hopes of cooling the political battle over the Epstein case. Members of both parties remain dissatisfied and are demanding more details on the years-old investigation into Epstein, the wealthy and well-connected financier whose 2019 death in a New York jail cell while he faced sex trafficking charges has sparked wide-ranging conspiracy theories and speculation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704330351229.png" alt="Jeffrey Epstein photo New York Sex Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey Epstein photo New York Sex Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday publicly posted the files it has received from the Justice Department on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">sex trafficking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein</a>&nbsp;and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/98fthv8otekjk28lcrnc5/AIn3egnE58MYe4Bn4fliVBw?rlkey=m7p8e9omml96fgxl13kr2nuyt&amp;e=2&amp;st=0xvm0p08&amp;dl=0">Click here to view the files</a>Click&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TrGxDGQLDLZu1vvvZDBAh-e7wN3y6Hoz?usp=sharing">here</a>&nbsp;to read Epstein-related documents&nbsp;Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/98fthv8otekjk28lcrnc5/AIn3egnE58MYe4Bn4fliVBw?rlkey=m7p8e9omml96fgxl13kr2nuyt&amp;st=0xvm0p08&amp;dl=0">here</a>. for back up access to the files.The folders contained hundreds of image files of years-old court filings related to Epstein and Maxwell. They also contained video files appearing to be body cam footage from police searches, as well as law enforcement interviews with victims with their faces obscured.The Justice Department released the files to the committee in response to a subpoena, but the files mostly contain information that was already publicly known.Still, pressure is growing in Congress for lawmakers to act to force greater disclosure in the case. House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to quell an effort by Democrats and some Republicans to force a vote on a bill that would require the Justice Department to release all the information in the so-called Epstein files, with the exception of the victims’ personal information of the victims.Acting quickly, lawmakers pressing for the full release of the so-called Epstein files launched a campaign for the House to take up their bill. Meanwhile, Johnson and a bipartisan group of lawmakers met with survivors of abuse by Epstein and his former girlfriend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>.“The objective here is not just to uncover, investigate the Epstein evils, but also to ensure that this never happens again and ultimately to find out why justice has been delayed for these ladies for so very long,” said Johnson, R-La., after he emerged from a two-hour meeting with six of the survivors.“It is inexcusable. And it will stop now because the Congress is dialed in on this,” he added.But there are still intense disagreements on how lawmakers should proceed. Johnson is pressing for the inquiry to be handled by the House Oversight Committee and putting forward a resolution that directs the committee to publicly release its findings.The files released Tuesday included audio of an Epstein employee describing to a law enforcement official how “there were a lot of girls that were very, very young” visiting the home but couldn’t say for sure if they were minors.Over the course of Epstein’s visits to the home, the man said more than a dozen girls might visit, and that he was charged with cleaning the room where Epstein had massages, twice daily.Some of the interviews with officers from the Palm Beach Police Department date to 2005, according to timestamps read out by officials at the beginning of the files.Most, if not all, of the text documents posted Tuesday had already been public. Notably, the probable cause affidavit and other records from the 2005 investigation into Epstein contained a notation indicating that they’d been previously released in a 2017 public records request. An internet search showed those files were posted to the website of the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office in July 2017.If the purpose of the release was to provide answers to a public still curious over the long-concluded cases, the raw mechanics of the clunky rollout made that a challenge.Lawmakers at 6 p.m. released thousands of pages and videos via a cumbersome Google Drive, leaving it to readers and viewers to decipher new and interesting tidbits on their own. The disclosure also left open the question of why the Justice Department did not release the material directly to the public instead of operating through Capitol Hill.Meanwhile, Democrats and some Republicans are trying to maneuver around Johnson’s control of the House floor to hold a vote on a separate bill that would require the Justice Department to publicly release the files, with the exception of names and personal information of the victims.The clash suggests little has changed in Congress since late July, when Johnson sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-jeffrey-epstein-trump-f2a03eca247268b14a9e38858338eded">lawmakers home early</a>&nbsp;in hopes of cooling the political battle over the Epstein case. Members of both parties remain dissatisfied and are demanding more details on the years-old investigation into Epstein, the wealthy and well-connected financier whose 2019 death in a New York jail cell while he faced sex trafficking charges has sparked wide-ranging conspiracy theories and speculation.

Kan. felon accused of knife attack on another woman

During an exchange with reporters on Tuesday, President Donald Trump&nbsp; responded to social media reports over the weekend about his health including his possible death.

President Trump responded, "Last week I did numerous news conferences and then I didn't do any for two days and they said, 'there must be something wrong with him.'

"Biden wouldn't do them for months. You wouldn't see him and nobody ever said there was ever anything wrong with him and we know he wasn't in the greatest of shape."

During an exchange with reporters on Tuesday, President Donald Trump&nbsp; responded to social media reports over the weekend about his health including his possible death.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/pdoocy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pdoocy</a>: &quot;How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead?&quot; President Trump: &quot;Last week I did numerous news conferences...and then I didn&#39;t do any for two days and they said, &#39;there must be something wrong with him&#39;. Biden wouldn&#39;t do them for months. You wouldn&#39;t see… <a href="https://t.co/aoeb1Gi6M4">pic.twitter.com/aoeb1Gi6M4</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1962955933799321684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Trump responded, "Last week I did numerous news conferences and then I didn't do any for two days and they said, 'there must be something wrong with him.'"Biden wouldn't do them for months. You wouldn't see him and nobody ever said there was ever anything wrong with him and we know he wasn't in the greatest of shape."

How President Trump found out over the weekend he was dead

SEDGWICK COUNTY – Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy and continue to search for a second suspect after a 20-year-old man was killed and another was injured in a shooting on North Arkansas in Wichita.

Just after 4:30 p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 2100 block of North Arkansas for a reported shooting, according to a media release.

When officers arrived, they found two men inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds in the 600 block of W. 20th Street. Officers, Wichita Fire Department, and EMS personnel provided life-saving measures at the scene.

Both victims were transported to a local hospital in critical condition. At 4:58 p.m., 20-year-old Sebastian Williams was pronounced deceased. The second victim, a 20-year-old man remains hospitalized.

Detectives are working to determine what led to the shooting. A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and booked into the Juvenile Intake Assessment Center (JIAC) on a requested charge of&nbsp; felony murder.

Police continue looking for a second suspect in this case. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756848053135.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY – Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy and continue to search for a second suspect after a 20-year-old man was killed and another was injured in a shooting on North Arkansas in Wichita.Just after 4:30 p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 2100 block of North Arkansas for a reported shooting, according to a media release.When officers arrived, they found two men inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds in the 600 block of W. 20th Street. Officers, Wichita Fire Department, and EMS personnel provided life-saving measures at the scene.Both victims were transported to a local hospital in critical condition. At 4:58 p.m., 20-year-old Sebastian Williams was pronounced deceased. The second victim, a 20-year-old man remains hospitalized.Detectives are working to determine what led to the shooting. A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and booked into the Juvenile Intake Assessment Center (JIAC) on a requested charge of&nbsp; felony murder.Police continue looking for a second suspect in this case.

16-year-old Kansas boy accused in fatal shooting

Comanche County school board leaders, principal strive to blunt public outrage

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

COLDWATER — After the father of a small-town, southwest Kansas high school junior reported his daughter was the victim of sexual harassment and unwanted touching by her golf coach, he met with the coach and principal to lay out the teenager’s concerns and disgust.

By the end of that meeting in May, the father said, the three men seemed to have an understanding that the coach violated policy — if not the law — when he made a stunning comment to the girl during golf practice: He told her to grip a club like it was a penis.

At the meeting, the coach signed a document affirming he directed lurid comments at the girl, according to a copy of the document obtained by Kansas Reflector. The student confirmed the accusations in a report with law enforcement and in an interview with Kansas Reflector.

The document said the coach on multiple occasions grabbed the student’s hips, waist and shoulders while standing behind her. She also said that he held the back of her thigh, purportedly to improve her golf posture.

Ty Theurer eventually resigned as the South Central High School golf coach, which was his part-time assignment in the Comanche County School District. He didn’t surrender a much more influential position in the district: Superintendent.

Kansas Reflector interviews with students, parents, educators and elected officials tied to Comanche County schools revealed a concerted effort by insiders to shield the district’s top administrator, despite ongoing law enforcement and Title IX investigations. People with knowledge of Theurer’s past said the golf practice incident wasn’t the only example of inappropriate behavior by the superintendent, who for years personally controlled how the district responded to alleged sexual harassment.

Kansas Reflector reporting shows the Comanche County school board president and vice president along with the high school principal collaborated to minimize disciplinary action against Theurer. It indicated the president sought to tamp down scrutiny of the superintendent as word of the student’s allegation made its way through the sparsely populated district.

In a brief interview with Kansas Reflector, Theurer declined to respond to questions about the complaint.

“I’m not going to answer any of those questions,” he said. “I am under investigation. I’m not allowed to speak about it.”

The student who Theurer made the salacious comments to said she had been standing near him at a the Coldwater golf course during practice this spring, according to a Comanche County Sheriff’s Office report and an interview with Kansas Reflector. The student said Theurer approached her and said, “OK, now I’m going to be a little bold.”

She said he moved closer to her and whispered details of how he expected her to hold golf clubs. She quoted him: “I want you to imagine you have a penis.”

When the student responded with alarm to Theurer’s remark, she said, the superintendent cupped his hands around his groin, saying, “Just like this.”

Her description for law enforcement and Kansas Reflector also said the superintendent “ran his hand against the back of my neck and slowly moved me forward to help me with my putting position.” The summary said Theurer grabbed the back of her thigh as he urged her to bend her knees.

The student’s parents requested anonymity in this story to protect the privacy of their teenage daughter. Kansas Reflector and its parent organization, States Newsroom, do not identify survivors of sexual abuse.

In May, the student’s father reported the behavior to Andy Uhl, the Comanche County school board’s vice president. Uhl apparently passed the dad’s complaint up the chain of command. That resulted in the father’s meeting with Theurer and South Central High School principal Bud Valerius.

But instead of all seven members of the school board assuming a role in a personnel issue involving the person hired by the board to serve as superintendent, Valerius dealt with the student’s complaint as if it were a clash between coach and athlete, emails show. Valerius took that approach despite conflicts of interest, including his job as a direct subordinate of Theurer, his assignment as assistant golf coach and his friendship with Theurer.

School board president Kelly Herd said in an email to other board members that in her opinion, “There was nothing in the complaint that would warrant administrative leave” for superintendent Theurer. Instead, she told board members, coach Theurer had been given a “warning” to not offend again.

The school board replaced the superintendent as the district’s Title IX coordinator with oversight of sexual harassment or sex discrimination complaints because it would be improper for Theurer to investigate himself. Those duties were passed several months ago to the district’s elementary school principal, who would be expected initiate an investigation of the superintendent.

Dean Yoder is another member of the Comanche County school board, which governs the education of the 300 students near the Oklahoma boarder. Besides Coldwater, the district draws students from communities including Protection, Wilmore and Buttermilk. The district extends into Kiowa and Clark counties.

A majority of the school board was excluded at the outset from the process of dealing with the leadership crisis, Yoder said.

The school board president ordered him to “stand down,” Yoder said, and she argued the controversy involving Theurer had to be resolved quietly.

“Nothing has been handled right,” Yoder said.

Bill Faflick, executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said he wasn’t aware of the controversy in Comanche County schools before being contacted by Kansas Reflector.

He said the student who made the complaint should know she could have done nothing to warrant harassment by a school administrator. Assuming the complaint was proven, he said, the incident would make “every dad shudder.”

“If true, certainly that’s inappropriate. It’s wrong as wrong can be. There’s no place for that in school sports,” said Faflick, who worked for 30 years in administrative roles in Wichita public schools.

Herd, the school board president, appeared to shield information about the case from the full school board. In a video obtained by Kansas Reflector, Herd abruptly adjourned a June board meeting to circumvent discussion of Theurer’s conduct. She ordered her colleagues to stop speaking with community members about the controversy.

Herd resisted pleas, including from the golf athlete’s parents, to convene a special meeting so the board could learn more about the allegations and investigatory process, and weigh potential disciplinary options.

Since May, the board president sent a series of emails about the Theurer controversy to fellow board members. In that correspondence, Herd said she and the board’s vice president, in conjunction with the high school principal, dealt effectively with the sexual harassment complaint. Herd said “normal procedure” was followed.

Herd, who didn’t respond to Kansas Reflector requests for comment, said in an email to the board that the complaint ought to be viewed as a teachable moment for a coach rather than a leadership disaster centered on a district superintendent.

“As with any other HS coach, Bud (Valerius, high school principal) is the one to handle these issues. All coaches are given a warning and this will be considered (Theurer’s),” Herd’s email to board members said. “Bud called me and Andy (Uhl) to update us. We both agreed it has been addressed and handled. I assure you this was not taken lightly and it was not brushed aside.”

In another email, the board president instructed her elected peers to cooperate with her goal of limiting public knowledge of Theurer’s plight.

“This conversation regarding Ty has gotten far out of control in our community. We as board members must be careful to not continue to fuel the fire,” Herd wrote. “He has been written up and it is in his personnel file. He did not deny nor make excuses.”

The student’s parents, frustrated school board leadership hadn’t moved to guarantee student safety, filed a report with local law enforcement. Comanche County authorities referred the case of alleged battery to the Ford County Sheriff’s Office.

The school board’s president and the student’s parents said the sexual harassment complaint presented to the school district was forwarded to the Kansas Association of School Boards, which advises school boards on compliance with federal Title IX law. A representative of KASB has interviewed students and others associated within the school district regarding Theurer.

School board members expect to be briefed in executive session on the report, the school board president said.

Eventually, the school board association’s draft report must be shared with the superintendent and complainant. A “decision-maker,” potentially an independent hearing officer, would examine evidence and make a determination about whether harassment occurred. Both sides could appeal.

In a recent email to board members, Herd recommended board members fend off any reporter asking questions about Theurer by explaining they were unable to comment.

“I am not keeping secrets. Nor am I acting on my own,” the school board president said.

South Central High School graduate Isabel Hackney said in an interview with Kansas Reflector that Theurer’s objectionable pronouncements to students extended beyond the golf course.

Hackney said she accidentally collided with a male friend at the school in October 2024, and it was caught on security video. She and some other students decided to watch the footage in the high school’s administration office.

While they were watching, she said, the superintendent emerged from his office. Theurer asked to repeatedly watch the clip, Hackney said.

“Then he said, ‘Izzy, you just got teabagged,’ ” Hackney said, repeating slang for putting a scrotum near a face. “From then on, I felt honestly scared to be around Mr. Theurer.”

Emily Hackney, Isabel’s mother, subsequently confronted Theurer outside the high school about his remark. She told the superintendent it was wrong to speak to her daughter that way.

“He was trying to ignore me,” Emily Hackney said. “He tried to deny it.”

Klete Hackney, Isabel’s father, said his daughter feared retaliation if the family complained to anyone involved with the school district. Instead, Isabel refused to shake the superintendent’s hand at graduation this spring.

“She did it for herself and she did it for all the kids,” Klete Hackney said.

An attempt could be made during the school board’s meeting Wednesday evening at South Central High School to compel a vote by the seven-member board on a motion to place Theurer on administrative leave.

“If you don’t know anything about it, it’s because that’s the plan — sweep it under the rug and nobody will ever know,” said Zach Ellis, who has two children at the high school.

Ellis said he signed up to speak at the next school board meeting, but he’s not certain the board would allow him to say what he wanted to say. On social media, Ellis encouraged people with ties to the school district to join him at the meeting.

He said the school board by now should have adopted new policies or procedures designed to deter sexual harassment. It was “absolutely ridiculous” the school board allowed a superintendent under investigation for sexual harassment and battery to run the district, he said.

“I’ve got a daughter who is a junior. I’m all about making sure that her safety is protected,” Ellis said. “She avoids him. Her words not mine: ‘He creeps me out, so I avoid him.’ ”

The father of the former golf team member said that during the May meeting with the principal and superintendent the principal read aloud a one-page document that summarized the daughter’s allegations against the superintendent. Theurer and Valerius agreed the signing confirmed they discussed the memo. The superintendent didn’t challenge the student’s recollections at the time, the father said.

“I said, ‘I’m not leaving this office without some documentation that this conversation happened,'” the father said. “That’s when the principal said, ‘Hey, we can all sign it here. He can sign it to admit his guilt.’ ”

In an interview, the student said that when she joined the high school’s golf team, other girls warned her to “be careful, Ty’s a little weird.”

“My first day we were in a line,” she said. “He came up behind me and placed his hands on my hips. I wasn’t asked if that was OK. Whenever I asked the golf girls … ‘Hey, does he do this a lot?’ And they’re, like, ‘Yeah, you’ll get used to it.’ ”

She quit the team after the superintendent made the penis remark.

In June, the student’s parents attended a regularly scheduled Comanche County school board meeting with the goal of sharing information about what their daughter said she endured while coached by Theurer.

Herd, the board president, called the mother before the meeting in an attempt to dissuade her from making public comments about the superintendent, the mother said.

The mother decided to go to the board meeting. She attempted to read from a written statement. Herd cut her off by adjourning the meeting. A video obtained by Kansas Reflector showed Herd and other board members walking out of the room with the mother still reading from her prepared remarks.

“How could this not be a priority? Not for my family alone, but for the school community?” the mother said in an interview. “The sudden adjournment and insistence that such an issue of import was literally worth walking out on is deeply troubling.”

She said the school board president’s attempt to bury the complaint was “completely unacceptable” and risked the health and safety of students in the district’s three schools. Failure of the school board to address the superintendent’s misconduct ran “the risk of appearing complicit in continuing toxic and dangerous situations,” the mother said.

“There is no result that can serve justice other than immediate termination,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756845981827.png" alt="Comanche County School District Superintendent Ty Theurer, photographed with the 2019 graduating class at South Central High School in Coldwater, is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment of a student. He was serving as golf coach this spring, according to the student’s complaint, when he told her to hold golf clubs as if she was grasping a penis. (Comanche County School District)" />
 <figcaption>Comanche County School District Superintendent Ty Theurer, photographed with the 2019 graduating class at South Central High School in Coldwater, is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment of a student. He was serving as golf coach this spring, according to the student’s complaint, when he told her to hold golf clubs as if she was grasping a penis. (Comanche County School District)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Comanche County school board leaders, principal strive to blunt public outrage</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>COLDWATER — After the father of a small-town, southwest Kansas high school junior reported his daughter was the victim of sexual harassment and unwanted touching by her golf coach, he met with the coach and principal to lay out the teenager’s concerns and disgust.By the end of that meeting in May, the father said, the three men seemed to have an understanding that the coach violated policy — if not the law — when he made a stunning comment to the girl during golf practice: He told her to grip a club like it was a penis.At the meeting, the coach signed a document affirming he directed lurid comments at the girl, according to a copy of the document obtained by Kansas Reflector. The student confirmed the accusations in a report with law enforcement and in an interview with Kansas Reflector.The document said the coach on multiple occasions grabbed the student’s hips, waist and shoulders while standing behind her. She also said that he held the back of her thigh, purportedly to improve her golf posture.Ty Theurer eventually resigned as the South Central High School golf coach, which was his part-time assignment in the Comanche County School District. He didn’t surrender a much more influential position in the district: Superintendent.Kansas Reflector interviews with students, parents, educators and elected officials tied to Comanche County schools revealed a concerted effort by insiders to shield the district’s top administrator, despite ongoing law enforcement and Title IX investigations. People with knowledge of Theurer’s past said the golf practice incident wasn’t the only example of inappropriate behavior by the superintendent, who for years personally controlled how the district responded to alleged sexual harassment.Kansas Reflector reporting shows the Comanche County school board president and vice president along with the high school principal collaborated to minimize disciplinary action against Theurer. It indicated the president sought to tamp down scrutiny of the superintendent as word of the student’s allegation made its way through the sparsely populated district.In a brief interview with Kansas Reflector, Theurer declined to respond to questions about the complaint.“I’m not going to answer any of those questions,” he said. “I am under investigation. I’m not allowed to speak about it.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756845927495.png" alt="The board of education for the Comanche County School District in Coldwater has retained Superintendent Ty Theurer in the district’s top administrative job despite ongoing investigation of Theurer for sexual harassment and battery. The board members, from left: Hanna McCleary, Jody Leeper, Kelly Herd, Dean Yoder, Andy Uhl, Steve Prusa and Hayden Fletcher. (Comanche County School District)" />
 <figcaption>The board of education for the Comanche County School District in Coldwater has retained Superintendent Ty Theurer in the district’s top administrative job despite ongoing investigation of Theurer for sexual harassment and battery. The board members, from left: Hanna McCleary, Jody Leeper, Kelly Herd, Dean Yoder, Andy Uhl, Steve Prusa and Hayden Fletcher. (Comanche County School District)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘A little bold’</h2>The student who Theurer made the salacious comments to said she had been standing near him at a the Coldwater golf course during practice this spring, according to a Comanche County Sheriff’s Office report and an interview with Kansas Reflector. The student said Theurer approached her and said, “OK, now I’m going to be a little bold.”She said he moved closer to her and whispered details of how he expected her to hold golf clubs. She quoted him: “I want you to imagine you have a penis.”When the student responded with alarm to Theurer’s remark, she said, the superintendent cupped his hands around his groin, saying, “Just like this.”Her description for law enforcement and Kansas Reflector also said the superintendent “ran his hand against the back of my neck and slowly moved me forward to help me with my putting position.” The summary said Theurer grabbed the back of her thigh as he urged her to bend her knees.The student’s parents requested anonymity in this story to protect the privacy of their teenage daughter. Kansas Reflector and its parent organization, States Newsroom, do not identify survivors of sexual abuse.In May, the student’s father reported the behavior to Andy Uhl, the Comanche County school board’s vice president. Uhl apparently passed the dad’s complaint up the chain of command. That resulted in the father’s meeting with Theurer and South Central High School principal Bud Valerius.But instead of all seven members of the school board assuming a role in a personnel issue involving the person hired by the board to serve as superintendent, Valerius dealt with the student’s complaint as if it were a clash between coach and athlete, emails show. Valerius took that approach despite conflicts of interest, including his job as a direct subordinate of Theurer, his assignment as assistant golf coach and his friendship with Theurer.School board president Kelly Herd said in an email to other board members that in her opinion, “There was nothing in the complaint that would warrant administrative leave” for superintendent Theurer. Instead, she told board members, coach Theurer had been given a “warning” to not offend again.The school board replaced the superintendent as the district’s Title IX coordinator with oversight of sexual harassment or sex discrimination complaints because it would be improper for Theurer to investigate himself. Those duties were passed several months ago to the district’s elementary school principal, who would be expected initiate an investigation of the superintendent.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756845882730.png" alt="Parents of a student in the Comanche County School District reported to law enforcement and district officials that superintendent Ty Theurer advised her during a high school golf team practice to hold a club in the same way she would grasp a penis. Theurer leads the 300-student district in southwest Kansas despite ongoing investigation of the incident. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Parents of a student in the Comanche County School District reported to law enforcement and district officials that superintendent Ty Theurer advised her during a high school golf team practice to hold a club in the same way she would grasp a penis. Theurer leads the 300-student district in southwest Kansas despite ongoing investigation of the incident. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Nothing has been handled right’</h2>Dean Yoder is another member of the Comanche County school board, which governs the education of the 300 students near the Oklahoma boarder. Besides Coldwater, the district draws students from communities including Protection, Wilmore and Buttermilk. The district extends into Kiowa and Clark counties.A majority of the school board was excluded at the outset from the process of dealing with the leadership crisis, Yoder said.The school board president ordered him to “stand down,” Yoder said, and she argued the controversy involving Theurer had to be resolved quietly.“Nothing has been handled right,” Yoder said.Bill Faflick, executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said he wasn’t aware of the controversy in Comanche County schools before being contacted by Kansas Reflector.He said the student who made the complaint should know she could have done nothing to warrant harassment by a school administrator. Assuming the complaint was proven, he said, the incident would make “every dad shudder.”“If true, certainly that’s inappropriate. It’s wrong as wrong can be. There’s no place for that in school sports,” said Faflick, who worked for 30 years in administrative roles in Wichita public schools.Herd, the school board president, appeared to shield information about the case from the full school board. In a video obtained by Kansas Reflector, Herd abruptly adjourned a June board meeting to circumvent discussion of Theurer’s conduct. She ordered her colleagues to stop speaking with community members about the controversy.Herd resisted pleas, including from the golf athlete’s parents, to convene a special meeting so the board could learn more about the allegations and investigatory process, and weigh potential disciplinary options.Since May, the board president sent a series of emails about the Theurer controversy to fellow board members. In that correspondence, Herd said she and the board’s vice president, in conjunction with the high school principal, dealt effectively with the sexual harassment complaint. Herd said “normal procedure” was followed.Herd, who didn’t respond to Kansas Reflector requests for comment, said in an email to the board that the complaint ought to be viewed as a teachable moment for a coach rather than a leadership disaster centered on a district superintendent.“As with any other HS coach, Bud (Valerius, high school principal) is the one to handle these issues. All coaches are given a warning and this will be considered (Theurer’s),” Herd’s email to board members said. “Bud called me and Andy (Uhl) to update us. We both agreed it has been addressed and handled. I assure you this was not taken lightly and it was not brushed aside.”In another email, the board president instructed her elected peers to cooperate with her goal of limiting public knowledge of Theurer’s plight.“This conversation regarding Ty has gotten far out of control in our community. We as board members must be careful to not continue to fuel the fire,” Herd wrote. “He has been written up and it is in his personnel file. He did not deny nor make excuses.”<h2>Ongoing investigations</h2>The student’s parents, frustrated school board leadership hadn’t moved to guarantee student safety, filed a report with local law enforcement. Comanche County authorities referred the case of alleged battery to the Ford County Sheriff’s Office.The school board’s president and the student’s parents said the sexual harassment complaint presented to the school district was forwarded to the Kansas Association of School Boards, which advises school boards on compliance with federal Title IX law. A representative of KASB has interviewed students and others associated within the school district regarding Theurer.School board members expect to be briefed in executive session on the report, the school board president said.Eventually, the school board association’s draft report must be shared with the superintendent and complainant. A “decision-maker,” potentially an independent hearing officer, would examine evidence and make a determination about whether harassment occurred. Both sides could appeal.In a recent email to board members, Herd recommended board members fend off any reporter asking questions about Theurer by explaining they were unable to comment.“I am not keeping secrets. Nor am I acting on my own,” the school board president said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756845824979.png" alt="Ty Theurer, superintendent of Comanche County schools, resigned as golf coach after a student accused him of sexual harassment. Members of the USD 300 community plan to attend a school board meeting Wednesday to raise concerns about Theurer remaining in that job despite investigations of the case. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Ty Theurer, superintendent of Comanche County schools, resigned as golf coach after a student accused him of sexual harassment. Members of the USD 300 community plan to attend a school board meeting Wednesday to raise concerns about Theurer remaining in that job despite investigations of the case. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Creeps me out’</h2>South Central High School graduate Isabel Hackney said in an interview with Kansas Reflector that Theurer’s objectionable pronouncements to students extended beyond the golf course.Hackney said she accidentally collided with a male friend at the school in October 2024, and it was caught on security video. She and some other students decided to watch the footage in the high school’s administration office.While they were watching, she said, the superintendent emerged from his office. Theurer asked to repeatedly watch the clip, Hackney said.“Then he said, ‘Izzy, you just got teabagged,’ ” Hackney said, repeating slang for putting a scrotum near a face. “From then on, I felt honestly scared to be around Mr. Theurer.”Emily Hackney, Isabel’s mother, subsequently confronted Theurer outside the high school about his remark. She told the superintendent it was wrong to speak to her daughter that way.“He was trying to ignore me,” Emily Hackney said. “He tried to deny it.”Klete Hackney, Isabel’s father, said his daughter feared retaliation if the family complained to anyone involved with the school district. Instead, Isabel refused to shake the superintendent’s hand at graduation this spring.“She did it for herself and she did it for all the kids,” Klete Hackney said.<h2>Upcoming board meeting</h2>An attempt could be made during the school board’s meeting Wednesday evening at South Central High School to compel a vote by the seven-member board on a motion to place Theurer on administrative leave.“If you don’t know anything about it, it’s because that’s the plan — sweep it under the rug and nobody will ever know,” said Zach Ellis, who has two children at the high school.Ellis said he signed up to speak at the next school board meeting, but he’s not certain the board would allow him to say what he wanted to say. On social media, Ellis encouraged people with ties to the school district to join him at the meeting.He said the school board by now should have adopted new policies or procedures designed to deter sexual harassment. It was “absolutely ridiculous” the school board allowed a superintendent under investigation for sexual harassment and battery to run the district, he said.“I’ve got a daughter who is a junior. I’m all about making sure that her safety is protected,” Ellis said. “She avoids him. Her words not mine: ‘He creeps me out, so I avoid him.’ ”<h2>‘Admit his guilt’</h2>The father of the former golf team member said that during the May meeting with the principal and superintendent the principal read aloud a one-page document that summarized the daughter’s allegations against the superintendent. Theurer and Valerius agreed the signing confirmed they discussed the memo. The superintendent didn’t challenge the student’s recollections at the time, the father said.“I said, ‘I’m not leaving this office without some documentation that this conversation happened,'” the father said. “That’s when the principal said, ‘Hey, we can all sign it here. He can sign it to admit his guilt.’ ”In an interview, the student said that when she joined the high school’s golf team, other girls warned her to “be careful, Ty’s a little weird.”“My first day we were in a line,” she said. “He came up behind me and placed his hands on my hips. I wasn’t asked if that was OK. Whenever I asked the golf girls … ‘Hey, does he do this a lot?’ And they’re, like, ‘Yeah, you’ll get used to it.’ ”She quit the team after the superintendent made the penis remark.<h2>‘How could this not be a priority?’</h2>In June, the student’s parents attended a regularly scheduled Comanche County school board meeting with the goal of sharing information about what their daughter said she endured while coached by Theurer.Herd, the board president, called the mother before the meeting in an attempt to dissuade her from making public comments about the superintendent, the mother said.The mother decided to go to the board meeting. She attempted to read from a written statement. Herd cut her off by adjourning the meeting. A video obtained by Kansas Reflector showed Herd and other board members walking out of the room with the mother still reading from her prepared remarks.“How could this not be a priority? Not for my family alone, but for the school community?” the mother said in an interview. “The sudden adjournment and insistence that such an issue of import was literally worth walking out on is deeply troubling.”She said the school board president’s attempt to bury the complaint was “completely unacceptable” and risked the health and safety of students in the district’s three schools. Failure of the school board to address the superintendent’s misconduct ran “the risk of appearing complicit in continuing toxic and dangerous situations,” the mother said.“There is no result that can serve justice other than immediate termination,” she said.

A Kan. student reported her coach for harassment, touching. School leaders kept it quiet.

By:<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/author/ropshal/">Robin Opsahl</a> <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced Tuesday she is officially not running for another term in the U.S. Senate, leaving the seat open heading into the 2026 election cycle.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb9FWd-0Y08" target="_blank">video</a>&nbsp;address, Ernst said it was “no easy decision” to decide not to seek reelection for a third term as senator.

“It has been an honor to dedicate my life to the service of our great state and country, having been raised in a family who has given me so much love and support,” Ernst said. “Now, as our family ages and grows, it’s my time for me to give back to them. After a tremendous amount of prayer and reflection, I will not be seeking reelection in 2026.”

Ernst, who was first elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020, is the first female combat veteran elected to the U.S. Senate, having served in the U.S. Army Reserves and Iowa Army National Guard. Before her time in Congress, she had served in public office as a state senator and Montgomery County auditor.

The Republican said Iowans sent her to Washington “with a mission in mind — to make Washington squeal,” referencing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BgLwe8bFNg" target="_blank">her 2014 campaign ad</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ernst.senate.gov/make-em-squeal" target="_blank">efforts in office</a>&nbsp;to address federal government waste, fraud and abuse. Ernst said she was “proud to say we have delivered” on her “squeal” promises. She also highlighted her work in the U.S. Senate on anti-abortion measures, preventing violence against women and supporting farmers and veterans.

“As a proud Harley rider, you can rest assured, I’m not slowing down anytime soon,” Ernst said. “There is still so much to accomplish before the end of my term, and I’ll keep fighting every single day, as I always have, to make Iowans’ voices heard loud and clear in the halls of Congress.”

Reports&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/08/29/new-report-says-ernst-plans-to-not-seek-reelection-in-2026/">were published Friday</a>&nbsp;from multiple outlets saying that sources close to Ernst expected she would announce her plans for 2026 this week. Though&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/10/joni-ernst-retirement-watch-iowa-senate-seat-00447670" target="_blank">Senate GOP leadership</a>&nbsp;had reportedly encouraged Ernst to run for another term, the senator faced criticism from Republicans for expressing concerns about U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the nomination process. She also gained national attention for saying “<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/05/30/well-were-all-going-to-die-u-s-sen-joni-ernst-defends-medicaid-cuts-at-heated-town-hall/">well, we all are going to die,”</a>&nbsp;at a May town hall when responding to a person who said GOP-backed Medicaid cuts would cause people to die.

Democrats running for the U.S. Senate seat in the 2026 election, responded that Ernst’s decision not to run was a signal that Republicans’ hold of Iowa’s congressional seats could be at risk. Currently, Iowa’s federal delegation is all Republican, but Iowa’s 1st and 3rd Districts have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank">brought up by political forecasters</a>&nbsp;as pivotal battlegrounds for control of the U.S. House in the upcoming midterms.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank">Cook Political Report</a>&nbsp;rated the race for Iowa’s Senate seat as “likely Republican” — but the race could be more contentious without an incumbent Republican candidate.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair Kirsten Gillibrand released a statement responding to Ernst’s announcement, and said her decision shows that “Donald Trump and Senate Republicans’ devastating agenda has put their majority in jeopardy.”

“Republicans can see the writing on the wall: spiking costs and ripping away health care does so much damage to their states that they would rather leave the Senate than defend their actions to voters,” Schumer and Gillibrand said in the statement. “Democrats are in a strong position to win seats and continue fighting for working families.”

State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris and former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director Nathan Sage are currently running to become Iowa’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in 2026.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott said in a statement the Senate GOP campaign arm “is confident Iowans will elect a Republican to continue fighting for them and championing President Trump’s agenda in 2026.” He also thanked Ernst for her service in Washington and in the military.

“Joni Ernst has dedicated her life to serving our nation and improving the lives of Iowans,” Scott said. “Traveling across the Hawkeye State with Joni, I know she loves Iowa, and Iowa loves her. We are grateful for all she has accomplished in helping Iowa families keep more of their hard-earned money and make Washington squeal.”

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said Ernst “dropped out of this race because she knows her support for Medicaid cuts is a nonstarter” — and said whoever becomes the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate will have to contend with “the same toxic Republican agenda that’s harming Iowa families.”

“The energy is on our side heading into the midterms as Iowans are fed up with Washington Republicans spiking costs for working people to deliver tax cuts for billionaires,” Hart said. “In 2026, Iowans will elect a Democrat to the U.S. Senate who will prioritize making Iowa economically prosperous and a healthier state.”

Hinson expected to make a bid for U.S. Senate

There are two Republicans currently running for the nomination: former state lawmaker&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/06/06/republican-jim-carlin-launches-primary-bid-against-u-s-sen-joni-ernst-in-week-of-campaign-kickoffs/">Jim Carlin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/30/joshua-smith-republican-iowa-senate-joni-ernst/83347040007/" target="_blank">Joshua Smith</a>, a former Libertarian candidate for the state Senate.

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District is also expected to join the race. In a social media post Monday, Hinson thanked Ernst for her service and added that she and her husband will share an announcement soon.

“As we look forward, President Trump needs a fighter in the Senate who will always have his back to continue to cut spending, deport illegal aliens, and put working families first,” Hinson wrote. “I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with the President to pass this America First agenda in the House and I would be his strongest ally in the Senate. Matt and I will have an announcement soon about how we believe we can best serve Iowa, and how we can help President Trump make America great again.”

Hinson has been working on reelection efforts in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in recent months. There are currently three Democrats running for the seat in 2026,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/08/19/democrat-lindsay-james-announces-2nd-congressional-district-bid/">state Rep. Lindsay James</a>, D-Dubuque, &nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/07/22/clint-twedt-ball-founder-of-matthew-25-nonprofit-launches-2nd-district-campaign/">Clint Twedt-Ball</a>, the founder of the nonprofit Matthew 25 and&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/07/15/democrat-kathy-dolter-launches-bid-for-2nd-congressional-district-rep-lindsay-james-mulls-a-run/">Kathy Dolter</a>, the former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College.

Katie Smith, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Hinson’s expected move to the U.S. Senate race in 2026 shows Democrats have a strong chance in the 2nd District race.

“Ashley Hinson is clearly eager to jump off the sinking ship that is her re-election in Iowa’s 2nd district,” Smith said. “Hinson is terrified to face her voters, who’ve had a front row seat as she’s prioritized Washington and billionaires while voting to raise Iowans’ costs. There’s change coming in Iowa: voters are ready for new leadership and no matter what Hinson decides, she will lose her seat.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756840672871.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/author/ropshal/">Robin Opsahl</a> <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a> U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced Tuesday she is officially not running for another term in the U.S. Senate, leaving the seat open heading into the 2026 election cycle.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My message to Iowans: <a href="https://t.co/K6mHG6bSuE">pic.twitter.com/K6mHG6bSuE</a>&mdash; Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJoniErnst/status/1962923952193282085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb9FWd-0Y08" target="_blank">video</a>&nbsp;address, Ernst said it was “no easy decision” to decide not to seek reelection for a third term as senator.“It has been an honor to dedicate my life to the service of our great state and country, having been raised in a family who has given me so much love and support,” Ernst said. “Now, as our family ages and grows, it’s my time for me to give back to them. After a tremendous amount of prayer and reflection, I will not be seeking reelection in 2026.”Ernst, who was first elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020, is the first female combat veteran elected to the U.S. Senate, having served in the U.S. Army Reserves and Iowa Army National Guard. Before her time in Congress, she had served in public office as a state senator and Montgomery County auditor.The Republican said Iowans sent her to Washington “with a mission in mind — to make Washington squeal,” referencing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BgLwe8bFNg" target="_blank">her 2014 campaign ad</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ernst.senate.gov/make-em-squeal" target="_blank">efforts in office</a>&nbsp;to address federal government waste, fraud and abuse. Ernst said she was “proud to say we have delivered” on her “squeal” promises. She also highlighted her work in the U.S. Senate on anti-abortion measures, preventing violence against women and supporting farmers and veterans.“As a proud Harley rider, you can rest assured, I’m not slowing down anytime soon,” Ernst said. “There is still so much to accomplish before the end of my term, and I’ll keep fighting every single day, as I always have, to make Iowans’ voices heard loud and clear in the halls of Congress.”Reports&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/08/29/new-report-says-ernst-plans-to-not-seek-reelection-in-2026/">were published Friday</a>&nbsp;from multiple outlets saying that sources close to Ernst expected she would announce her plans for 2026 this week. Though&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/10/joni-ernst-retirement-watch-iowa-senate-seat-00447670" target="_blank">Senate GOP leadership</a>&nbsp;had reportedly encouraged Ernst to run for another term, the senator faced criticism from Republicans for expressing concerns about U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the nomination process. She also gained national attention for saying “<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/05/30/well-were-all-going-to-die-u-s-sen-joni-ernst-defends-medicaid-cuts-at-heated-town-hall/">well, we all are going to die,”</a>&nbsp;at a May town hall when responding to a person who said GOP-backed Medicaid cuts would cause people to die.Democrats running for the U.S. Senate seat in the 2026 election, responded that Ernst’s decision not to run was a signal that Republicans’ hold of Iowa’s congressional seats could be at risk. Currently, Iowa’s federal delegation is all Republican, but Iowa’s 1st and 3rd Districts have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank">brought up by political forecasters</a>&nbsp;as pivotal battlegrounds for control of the U.S. House in the upcoming midterms.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank">Cook Political Report</a>&nbsp;rated the race for Iowa’s Senate seat as “likely Republican” — but the race could be more contentious without an incumbent Republican candidate.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair Kirsten Gillibrand released a statement responding to Ernst’s announcement, and said her decision shows that “Donald Trump and Senate Republicans’ devastating agenda has put their majority in jeopardy.”“Republicans can see the writing on the wall: spiking costs and ripping away health care does so much damage to their states that they would rather leave the Senate than defend their actions to voters,” Schumer and Gillibrand said in the statement. “Democrats are in a strong position to win seats and continue fighting for working families.”State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris and former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director Nathan Sage are currently running to become Iowa’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in 2026.National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott said in a statement the Senate GOP campaign arm “is confident Iowans will elect a Republican to continue fighting for them and championing President Trump’s agenda in 2026.” He also thanked Ernst for her service in Washington and in the military.“Joni Ernst has dedicated her life to serving our nation and improving the lives of Iowans,” Scott said. “Traveling across the Hawkeye State with Joni, I know she loves Iowa, and Iowa loves her. We are grateful for all she has accomplished in helping Iowa families keep more of their hard-earned money and make Washington squeal.”Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said Ernst “dropped out of this race because she knows her support for Medicaid cuts is a nonstarter” — and said whoever becomes the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate will have to contend with “the same toxic Republican agenda that’s harming Iowa families.”“The energy is on our side heading into the midterms as Iowans are fed up with Washington Republicans spiking costs for working people to deliver tax cuts for billionaires,” Hart said. “In 2026, Iowans will elect a Democrat to the U.S. Senate who will prioritize making Iowa economically prosperous and a healthier state.”<h2>Hinson expected to make a bid for U.S. Senate</h2>There are two Republicans currently running for the nomination: former state lawmaker&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/06/06/republican-jim-carlin-launches-primary-bid-against-u-s-sen-joni-ernst-in-week-of-campaign-kickoffs/">Jim Carlin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/30/joshua-smith-republican-iowa-senate-joni-ernst/83347040007/" target="_blank">Joshua Smith</a>, a former Libertarian candidate for the state Senate.U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District is also expected to join the race. In a social media post Monday, Hinson thanked Ernst for her service and added that she and her husband will share an announcement soon.“As we look forward, President Trump needs a fighter in the Senate who will always have his back to continue to cut spending, deport illegal aliens, and put working families first,” Hinson wrote. “I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with the President to pass this America First agenda in the House and I would be his strongest ally in the Senate. Matt and I will have an announcement soon about how we believe we can best serve Iowa, and how we can help President Trump make America great again.”Hinson has been working on reelection efforts in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in recent months. There are currently three Democrats running for the seat in 2026,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/08/19/democrat-lindsay-james-announces-2nd-congressional-district-bid/">state Rep. Lindsay James</a>, D-Dubuque, &nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/07/22/clint-twedt-ball-founder-of-matthew-25-nonprofit-launches-2nd-district-campaign/">Clint Twedt-Ball</a>, the founder of the nonprofit Matthew 25 and&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/07/15/democrat-kathy-dolter-launches-bid-for-2nd-congressional-district-rep-lindsay-james-mulls-a-run/">Kathy Dolter</a>, the former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College.Katie Smith, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Hinson’s expected move to the U.S. Senate race in 2026 shows Democrats have a strong chance in the 2nd District race.“Ashley Hinson is clearly eager to jump off the sinking ship that is her re-election in Iowa’s 2nd district,” Smith said. “Hinson is terrified to face her voters, who’ve had a front row seat as she’s prioritized Washington and billionaires while voting to raise Iowans’ costs. There’s change coming in Iowa: voters are ready for new leadership and no matter what Hinson decides, she will lose her seat.”

🎥U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst explains why she will not seek reelection

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration violated federal law by sending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-immigration-raid-troops-military-2d81f5c35f9d11db9e32234e03480497">National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;to Southern California during immigration enforcement operations and accompanying protests, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco did not require the several hundred remaining troops to be withdrawn and set his order to go into effect Sept. 12.

The order comes after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/california-pursues-lawsuit-against-trump-over-national-guard-deployment-to-protests-790c2b244cea4dff8cff6815862a9fa9">California sued</a>, saying the troops sent to Los Angeles over the summer were violating a law that prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws. Lawyers for Trump's Republican administration have argued the Posse Comitatus Act doesn’t apply because the troops were protecting federal officers, not enforcing laws. They say the troops were mobilized under an authority that allows the president to deploy them.

The judge's decision comes as Trump has discussed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-trump-federal-intervention-chicago-a206278c6948dfd17f9224be81c440f1">National Guard deployments in Democratic-led cities</a>&nbsp;like Chicago, Baltimore and New York. He has already deployed the guard as part of his unprecedented law enforcement takeover in Washington, where he has direct legal control.

Trump federalized members of the California National Guard and sent them to the second-largest U.S. city over the objections of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and city leaders. Trump did so under a law that allows the president to call the guard into federal service when the country “is invaded,” when “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government,” or when the president is otherwise unable “to execute the laws of the United States.”

Trump has pushed the bounds of typical military activity on domestic soil, including through the creation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-border-militarized-zones-arizona-trump-be3ee9f55a62c323ac5e03b5366f5d25">militarized zones</a>&nbsp;along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Newsom posted on X, in an all-caps reflection of the president’s own social media style, “DONALD TRUMP LOSES AGAIN. The courts agree -- his militarization of our streets and use of the military against US citizens is ILLEGAL.”

The White House and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Breyer's scathing ruling accused the Trump administration of “willfully” violating the law, saying it used troops for functions that were barred by their own training materials, refused to “meaningfully coordinate with state and local officials” and “'coached’” federal law enforcement agencies on the language to use when requesting assistance.

“These actions demonstrate that Defendants knew that they were ordering troops to execute domestic law beyond their usual authority,” he wrote. “The evidence at trial established that Defendants systematically used armed soldiers (whose identity was often obscured by protective armor) and military vehicles to set up protective perimeters and traffic blockades, engage in crowd control, and otherwise demonstrate a military presence in and around Los Angeles."

Roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines were deployed to Los Angeles in early June to deal with protests, over the objections of state and local officials. All were pulled back by the end of July except about 250 National Guard troops. The judge noted that the remaining troops got improper training on what they can and cannot do under the law.

Breyer also noted the Trump administration’s possible plans to call National Guard troops into other U.S. cities.

In Los Angeles, National Guard members joined an operation at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-happened-ice-raid-la-macarthur-park-cc04479ed94ed68d11acf807d97914e6">MacArthur Park</a>&nbsp;in downtown Los Angeles intended as a show of force against people in the U.S. illegally and those protesting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. They also accompanied federal immigration officers on raids at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-farm-immigration-raid-cannabis-fbcf4620675523aa7630599331777ec5">two state-licensed marijuana nurseries</a>&nbsp;in Ventura County, Army Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman testified.

Sherman, who initially commanded the troops deployed to Los Angeles, testified during the second day of the trial that he raised concerns the deployment could violate the Posse Comitatus Act.

He said soldiers were trained on the law and given materials that included a list of activities prohibited by the act, including doing security patrols and conducting traffic control, crowd control and riot control.

Sherman said that while the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits troops from carrying out those actions, he was told by his superiors that there was a “constitutional exception” that permitted such activities when the troops are protecting federal property or personnel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750413132016.jpeg" alt="California National Guard stand in formation guarding the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)" />
 <figcaption>California National Guard stand in formation guarding the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration violated federal law by sending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-immigration-raid-troops-military-2d81f5c35f9d11db9e32234e03480497">National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;to Southern California during immigration enforcement operations and accompanying protests, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">DONALD TRUMP LOSES AGAIN. The courts agree -- his militarization of our streets and use of the military against US citizens is ILLEGAL. <a href="https://t.co/rDq1Li5fug">pic.twitter.com/rDq1Li5fug</a>&mdash; Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1962873063223202205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco did not require the several hundred remaining troops to be withdrawn and set his order to go into effect Sept. 12.The order comes after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/california-pursues-lawsuit-against-trump-over-national-guard-deployment-to-protests-790c2b244cea4dff8cff6815862a9fa9">California sued</a>, saying the troops sent to Los Angeles over the summer were violating a law that prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws. Lawyers for Trump's Republican administration have argued the Posse Comitatus Act doesn’t apply because the troops were protecting federal officers, not enforcing laws. They say the troops were mobilized under an authority that allows the president to deploy them.The judge's decision comes as Trump has discussed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-trump-federal-intervention-chicago-a206278c6948dfd17f9224be81c440f1">National Guard deployments in Democratic-led cities</a>&nbsp;like Chicago, Baltimore and New York. He has already deployed the guard as part of his unprecedented law enforcement takeover in Washington, where he has direct legal control.Trump federalized members of the California National Guard and sent them to the second-largest U.S. city over the objections of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and city leaders. Trump did so under a law that allows the president to call the guard into federal service when the country “is invaded,” when “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government,” or when the president is otherwise unable “to execute the laws of the United States.”Trump has pushed the bounds of typical military activity on domestic soil, including through the creation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-border-militarized-zones-arizona-trump-be3ee9f55a62c323ac5e03b5366f5d25">militarized zones</a>&nbsp;along the U.S.-Mexico border.Newsom posted on X, in an all-caps reflection of the president’s own social media style, “DONALD TRUMP LOSES AGAIN. The courts agree -- his militarization of our streets and use of the military against US citizens is ILLEGAL.”The White House and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.Breyer's scathing ruling accused the Trump administration of “willfully” violating the law, saying it used troops for functions that were barred by their own training materials, refused to “meaningfully coordinate with state and local officials” and “'coached’” federal law enforcement agencies on the language to use when requesting assistance.“These actions demonstrate that Defendants knew that they were ordering troops to execute domestic law beyond their usual authority,” he wrote. “The evidence at trial established that Defendants systematically used armed soldiers (whose identity was often obscured by protective armor) and military vehicles to set up protective perimeters and traffic blockades, engage in crowd control, and otherwise demonstrate a military presence in and around Los Angeles."Roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines were deployed to Los Angeles in early June to deal with protests, over the objections of state and local officials. All were pulled back by the end of July except about 250 National Guard troops. The judge noted that the remaining troops got improper training on what they can and cannot do under the law.Breyer also noted the Trump administration’s possible plans to call National Guard troops into other U.S. cities.In Los Angeles, National Guard members joined an operation at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-happened-ice-raid-la-macarthur-park-cc04479ed94ed68d11acf807d97914e6">MacArthur Park</a>&nbsp;in downtown Los Angeles intended as a show of force against people in the U.S. illegally and those protesting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. They also accompanied federal immigration officers on raids at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-farm-immigration-raid-cannabis-fbcf4620675523aa7630599331777ec5">two state-licensed marijuana nurseries</a>&nbsp;in Ventura County, Army Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman testified.Sherman, who initially commanded the troops deployed to Los Angeles, testified during the second day of the trial that he raised concerns the deployment could violate the Posse Comitatus Act.He said soldiers were trained on the law and given materials that included a list of activities prohibited by the act, including doing security patrols and conducting traffic control, crowd control and riot control.Sherman said that while the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits troops from carrying out those actions, he was told by his superiors that there was a “constitutional exception” that permitted such activities when the troops are protecting federal property or personnel.___

Calif. Governor taunts Trump after judge's ruling on use of troops in LA

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating the&nbsp; mass shooting in Kansas City last month have identified the victims as 24-year-old Kane Taddese and 18-year-old John Alaro, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Detecetives have gathered a lot of video, and continue to canvas for any more that could help them get a better idea what led up to the shooting, KCPD Captain Jake Becchina reported on Wednesday.

Just after 4a.m. August 24, emergency crews responded to a report of multiple shootings in the area of 13th and Grand, according to KC Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

On arrival crews encountered 5 gunshot victims. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene. First responders located four additional victims all suffering from gunshot wounds. One adult male had critical injuries, a second adult male had serious injuries, a juvenile male had critical injuries, and an adult female had non life threatening injuries, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

KCFD crews transported four to area hospital, according to Battalion Chief Hopkins.

Just after 6:40a.m. Sunday morning, hospital personnel pronounced an additional adult male victim deceased, according to DiMartino.

This is being investigated as a homicide, according to DiMartino.

Preliminary information revealed there was an altercation between multiple individuals that led to shots being fired and the victims being struck.&nbsp; Police have not released the names of the two who died.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756830483136.png" alt="The shooting occurred at 13th and Grand -Google Map" />
 <figcaption>The shooting occurred at 13th and Grand -Google Map</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating the&nbsp; mass shooting in Kansas City last month have identified the victims as 24-year-old Kane Taddese and 18-year-old John Alaro, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Detecetives have gathered a lot of video, and continue to canvas for any more that could help them get a better idea what led up to the shooting, KCPD Captain Jake Becchina reported on Wednesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756039118276.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 4a.m. August 24, emergency crews responded to a report of multiple shootings in the area of 13th and Grand, according to KC Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.On arrival crews encountered 5 gunshot victims. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene. First responders located four additional victims all suffering from gunshot wounds. One adult male had critical injuries, a second adult male had serious injuries, a juvenile male had critical injuries, and an adult female had non life threatening injuries, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.KCFD crews transported four to area hospital, according to Battalion Chief Hopkins.Just after 6:40a.m. Sunday morning, hospital personnel pronounced an additional adult male victim deceased, according to DiMartino.This is being investigated as a homicide, according to DiMartino.Preliminary information revealed there was an altercation between multiple individuals that led to shots being fired and the victims being struck.&nbsp; Police have not released the names of the two who died.

Police ID victims in mass shooting near KC Power & Light District

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the alleged theft of an expensive watch in Manhattan.

Just before 6:30p.m. August 29, officers filed a report for theft in the 600 block of Highland Ridge Drive in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

&nbsp;An 18-year-old man reported an unknown suspect stole a Cartier watch during an attempted purchase.

The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $12,000. Anyone with information, contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward up to $1,000.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the alleged theft of an expensive watch in Manhattan.Just before 6:30p.m. August 29, officers filed a report for theft in the 600 block of Highland Ridge Drive in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.&nbsp;An 18-year-old man reported an unknown suspect stole a Cartier watch during an attempted purchase.The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $12,000. Anyone with information, contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward up to $1,000.

Suspect stole Kan. teen's $12,000 watch during attempted purchase

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">trying to assassinate</a>&nbsp;President Donald Trump last year in South Florida is set to represent himself during a pretrial conference on Tuesday, as final preparations are made for trial.

Barring any delays, jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 8 in Fort Pierce federal court for the case against Ryan Routh. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-routh-assassination-attempt-ukraine-suspicions-florida-530098c668f283d8a38eb5dd5570f1b2">Routh’s</a>&nbsp;request to represent himself in July but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel.

The trial will begin nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-indictment-b4c956e1a126e4acfb3c4eae0c06ddb1">attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate</a>, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.

Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.

Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.

Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.

In the early days of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he had a 2002 arrest for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch-long fuse.

In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.

In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726536262473.png" alt="Routh during his arrest -photo Martin County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Routh during his arrest -photo Martin County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">trying to assassinate</a>&nbsp;President Donald Trump last year in South Florida is set to represent himself during a pretrial conference on Tuesday, as final preparations are made for trial.Barring any delays, jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 8 in Fort Pierce federal court for the case against Ryan Routh. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-routh-assassination-attempt-ukraine-suspicions-florida-530098c668f283d8a38eb5dd5570f1b2">Routh’s</a>&nbsp;request to represent himself in July but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel.The trial will begin nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-indictment-b4c956e1a126e4acfb3c4eae0c06ddb1">attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate</a>, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.In the early days of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he had a 2002 arrest for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch-long fuse.In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

Trial nears for man accused of trying to assassinate Trump in Florida

The United State's Senate will convene at 3p.m. Tuesday after their long holiday. Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall shared thoughts on his 100-stop August tour as he returns to work in Washington&nbsp;

The United State's Senate will convene at 3p.m. Tuesday after their long holiday. Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall shared thoughts on his 100-stop August tour as he returns to work in Washington&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">My 100-stop August tour is complete — now back to work in Washington 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/QQzFrO2O5j">pic.twitter.com/QQzFrO2O5j</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1962661840145485930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Senator Marshall: Ready to return to DC after busy August holiday

SEDGWICK COUNTY— An 80-year-old Kansas woman arrested in connection with a weekend crash that killed two Wichita women is no longer in custody.&nbsp;Clowie Ann McLaughlin of Augusta met the requirement for bond just after 7:30p.m. Sunday and is no longer in the Sedgwick County Jail, according to online jail records.

At approximately 9:35 p.m. on Saturday, officers responded to a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Central and Webb Road in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. A black Chevrolet truck traveling east on Central collided with a white BMW and a gray Jeep that were both traveling south on Webb.&nbsp;

In the BMW were Lashea Bell, 42, and her passenger Aniah Bell, 25, both from Wichita. Lashea Bell was pronounced dead at the scene, while Aniah Bell was transported to a local hospital, where she later died, according to Gupilan.

The 41-year-old male driver of the Jeep was treated at the scene and released. The driver of the Chevrolet identified from Sedgwick County booking records as Clowie Ann McLaughlin was taken to a local hospital with injuries. An officer stayed with her, and once she was medically cleared, McLaughlin was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges that include two counts of second-degree homicide. She bonded out of jail just before 7:30p.m.Sunday, according to online jail records.

Speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in this crash.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756685616137.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— An 80-year-old Kansas woman arrested in connection with a weekend crash that killed two Wichita women is no longer in custody.&nbsp;Clowie Ann McLaughlin of Augusta met the requirement for bond just after 7:30p.m. Sunday and is no longer in the Sedgwick County Jail, according to online jail records.At approximately 9:35 p.m. on Saturday, officers responded to a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Central and Webb Road in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. A black Chevrolet truck traveling east on Central collided with a white BMW and a gray Jeep that were both traveling south on Webb.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756722147795.png" alt="Mclaughlin photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Mclaughlin photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>In the BMW were Lashea Bell, 42, and her passenger Aniah Bell, 25, both from Wichita. Lashea Bell was pronounced dead at the scene, while Aniah Bell was transported to a local hospital, where she later died, according to Gupilan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756685308870.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The 41-year-old male driver of the Jeep was treated at the scene and released. The driver of the Chevrolet identified from Sedgwick County booking records as Clowie Ann McLaughlin was taken to a local hospital with injuries. An officer stayed with her, and once she was medically cleared, McLaughlin was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges that include two counts of second-degree homicide. She bonded out of jail just before 7:30p.m.Sunday, according to online jail records.Speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in this crash.The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charges.