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

U.S. Agriculture Department officials have launched an internal investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-deli-meat-usda-6d1d933ebdb3dde14bb38c262a3544c7">how the agency handled</a>&nbsp;reports of serious problems at a Boar's Head deli meat plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong is looking into whether federal investigators and Virginia state inspectors responded appropriately to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-recall-fcde06b66dca38d53361c92495a7cfed">dozens of reports</a>&nbsp;of problems at the factory, including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. Inspection reports dating back at least two years indicated that the conditions could pose an “imminent threat” to food safety.

The action came in response to a Sept. 5 letter from Blumenthal demanding an investigation, he said.

“USDA took virtually no action — allowing Boar’s Head to continue business as usual at its chronically unsanitary Virginia plant — despite finding repeated serious violations," the Connecticut Democrat said in a statement.

At least 10 people died and nearly 50 were hospitalized in 19 states since May after eating listeria-contaminated Boar's Head products, including liverwurst, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After recalling more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed nationwide, Boar's Head officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-recall-liverwurst-listeria-83176dfc193c16afd949ffefc827aec2">shuttered</a>&nbsp;the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, and permanently stopped making liverwurst.

Officials with Fong's office did not immediately confirm the investigation. Blumenthal declined to release the agency's response. He said the internal investigation would evaluate the handling of recurrent problems and whether state inspections properly reduced the risk of tainted products entering the food supply.

The Boar's Head plant was inspected under a program that allows state inspectors to act on behalf of the federal agency.

In addition to the internal investigation, Blumenthal and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro last month asked the Justice Department to investigate whether criminal charges were warranted.

Officials with USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service have refused to share documents regarding the agency's inspections and enforcement at the plant, plus inspection reports from eight other company factories across the country. The agency denied Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by The Associated Press, saying releasing the records could “interfere with” and “hinder” potential law enforcement investigations. The AP is appealing the denial.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721435735887.png" alt="FILE - This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, responsible for the food borne illness listeriosis. (Elizabeth White/CDC via AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, responsible for the food borne illness listeriosis. (Elizabeth White/CDC via AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>U.S. Agriculture Department officials have launched an internal investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-deli-meat-usda-6d1d933ebdb3dde14bb38c262a3544c7">how the agency handled</a>&nbsp;reports of serious problems at a Boar's Head deli meat plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak, a lawmaker said Tuesday.Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong is looking into whether federal investigators and Virginia state inspectors responded appropriately to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-recall-fcde06b66dca38d53361c92495a7cfed">dozens of reports</a>&nbsp;of problems at the factory, including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. Inspection reports dating back at least two years indicated that the conditions could pose an “imminent threat” to food safety.The action came in response to a Sept. 5 letter from Blumenthal demanding an investigation, he said.“USDA took virtually no action — allowing Boar’s Head to continue business as usual at its chronically unsanitary Virginia plant — despite finding repeated serious violations," the Connecticut Democrat said in a statement.At least 10 people died and nearly 50 were hospitalized in 19 states since May after eating listeria-contaminated Boar's Head products, including liverwurst, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After recalling more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed nationwide, Boar's Head officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-recall-liverwurst-listeria-83176dfc193c16afd949ffefc827aec2">shuttered</a>&nbsp;the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, and permanently stopped making liverwurst.Officials with Fong's office did not immediately confirm the investigation. Blumenthal declined to release the agency's response. He said the internal investigation would evaluate the handling of recurrent problems and whether state inspections properly reduced the risk of tainted products entering the food supply.The Boar's Head plant was inspected under a program that allows state inspectors to act on behalf of the federal agency.In addition to the internal investigation, Blumenthal and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro last month asked the Justice Department to investigate whether criminal charges were warranted.Officials with USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service have refused to share documents regarding the agency's inspections and enforcement at the plant, plus inspection reports from eight other company factories across the country. The agency denied Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by The Associated Press, saying releasing the records could “interfere with” and “hinder” potential law enforcement investigations. The AP is appealing the denial.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

USDA launches an internal investigation into the deadly Listeria outbreak

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a police chase in Shawnee County.

Just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Buick Park Avenue with an expired license plate near NE Fairchild Street and North Kansas Avenue in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The driver refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. The pursuit ended in the 2700 block of NE Sardou Avenue and the driver was taken into custody.

Stephanie L. Wagner, 31, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, Operating a vehicle without registration, Speeding, Fail to stop at a stop sign, Violating a traffic control signal and No vehicle liability insurance.&nbsp; Wagner also has two warrants for her arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728868684409.png" alt="Wagner photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Wagner photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a police chase in Shawnee County.Just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Buick Park Avenue with an expired license plate near NE Fairchild Street and North Kansas Avenue in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The driver refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. The pursuit ended in the 2700 block of NE Sardou Avenue and the driver was taken into custody.Stephanie L. Wagner, 31, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, Operating a vehicle without registration, Speeding, Fail to stop at a stop sign, Violating a traffic control signal and No vehicle liability insurance.&nbsp; Wagner also has two warrants for her arrest.

Kan. woman wanted on warrants captured after pursuit

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>

As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris sprint to the November finish line, one sprawling policy area has largely fallen out of the spotlight — education.

Though the respective GOP and Democratic presidential candidates have spent comparatively more time campaigning on issues such as immigration, foreign policy and the economy, their ideas surrounding K-12 and higher education vastly differ.

Trump’s education platform vows to “save American education,” with a focus on parental rights, universal school choice and a fight for “patriotic education” in schools.

“By increasing access to school choice, empowering parents to have a voice in their child’s education, and supporting good teachers, President Trump will improve academic excellence for all students,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, said in a statement to States Newsroom.

Trump “believes students should be taught reading, writing, and math in the classroom — not gender, sex and race like the Biden Administration is pushing on our public school system,” Leavitt added.

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has largely focused on the education investments brought by the Biden-Harris administration and building on those efforts if she is elected.

“Over the past four years, the Administration has made unprecedented investments in education, including the single-largest investment in K-12 education in history, which Vice President Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass,” Mia Ehrenberg, a campaign spokesperson, told States Newsroom.

Ehrenberg said that while Harris and her running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, “will build on those investments and continue fighting until every student has the support and the resources they need to thrive, Republicans led by Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda want to cut billions from local K-12 schools and eliminate the Department of Education, undermining America’s students and schools.”

Harris has repeatedly knocked the Heritage Foundation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf" target="_blank">Project 2025</a>&nbsp;— a sweeping conservative agenda that includes education policy proposals like eliminating Head Start, ending time-based and occupation-based student loan forgiveness and barring teachers from using a student’s preferred pronouns different from their “biological sex” without written permission from a parent or guardian.

Trump has fiercely disavowed Project 2025, although some former members of his administration crafted the blueprint.

Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zxfnqj_3XQ" target="_blank">called for shutting down</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Education and said he wants to “move education back to the states.” The department is not the main funding source for K-12 schools, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/elementary-and-secondary-education-expenditures" target="_blank">state and local governments</a>&nbsp;allocate much of those dollars.

In contrast, Harris said at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/lets-fight-it-harris-vows-chart-new-way-forward-defeat-trump" target="_blank">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in August that “we are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”

Living wage for school staff; parental bill of rights

Trump’s education plan calls for creating a “new credentialing body to certify teachers who embrace patriotic values, and understand that their job is not to indoctrinate children, but to educate them.”

He also wants to implement funding boosts for schools that “abolish teacher tenure” for grades K-12 and adopt “merit pay,” establish the direct election of school principals by parents and “drastically cut” the number of school administrators.

In contrast, the&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf" target="_blank">Democratic Party’s 2024 platform</a>&nbsp;calls for recruiting “more new teachers, paraprofessionals and school related personnel, and education support professionals, with the option for some to even start training in high school.”

The platform also aims to help “school-support staff to advance in their own careers with a living wage” and improve working conditions for teachers.

Trump also wants to give funding boosts to schools that adopt a “Parental Bill of Rights that includes complete curriculum transparency, and a form of universal school choice.”

He’s threatening to cut federal funding for schools that teach the primarily collegiate academic subject known as “critical race theory,” gender ideology or “other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.”

The Democrats’ platform opposes “the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education,” adding that “public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”

Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/much-attacked-final-title-ix-rule-goes-effect-while-still-blocked-26-states" target="_blank">released a final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;extending federal protections for LGBTQ+ students.

The updated regulations took effect Aug. 1, but a slew of GOP-led states challenged the measure. The legal battles have created a policy patchwork and weakened the administration’s vision for the final rule.

The updated regulations&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-roll-back-betsy-devos-title-ix-rules" target="_blank">roll back Title IX changes</a>&nbsp;made under the Trump administration and then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

Trump vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qU5EDho3qs" target="_blank">terminate the updated regulations</a>&nbsp;on his first day back in office if reelected.

Harris has repeatedly touted the administration’s record on student loan forgiveness, including nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/biden-harris-administration-approves-additional-12-billion-student-debt" target="_blank">$170 billion</a>&nbsp;in student debt relief for almost 5 million borrowers.

The administration’s most recent student loan repayment initiative came to a grinding halt in August after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bidens-newest-student-loan-repayment-plan-temporarily-blocked-supreme-court" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked</a>&nbsp;the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan.

Although little is mentioned about education in Harris’&nbsp;<a href="https://kamalaharris.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Policy_Book_Economic-Opportunity.pdf" target="_blank">extensive economic plan</a>, the proposal makes clear that the veep will “continue working to end the unreasonable burden of student loan debt and fight to make higher education more affordable, so that college can be a ticket to the middle class.”

She also plans to cut four-year degree requirements for half a million federal jobs.

Trump — who dubbed the Biden-Harris administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-political-rally-racine-wisconsin-june-18-2024/" target="_blank">student loan forgiveness efforts</a>&nbsp;as “not even legal” — sought to repeal the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program during his administration.

His education platform also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-the-american-academy" target="_blank">calls for endowing</a>&nbsp;the “American Academy,” a free, online university.

Trump said he will endow the new institution through the “billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments.”

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris sprint to the November finish line, one sprawling policy area has largely fallen out of the spotlight — education.Though the respective GOP and Democratic presidential candidates have spent comparatively more time campaigning on issues such as immigration, foreign policy and the economy, their ideas surrounding K-12 and higher education vastly differ.Trump’s education platform vows to “save American education,” with a focus on parental rights, universal school choice and a fight for “patriotic education” in schools.“By increasing access to school choice, empowering parents to have a voice in their child’s education, and supporting good teachers, President Trump will improve academic excellence for all students,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, said in a statement to States Newsroom.Trump “believes students should be taught reading, writing, and math in the classroom — not gender, sex and race like the Biden Administration is pushing on our public school system,” Leavitt added.Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has largely focused on the education investments brought by the Biden-Harris administration and building on those efforts if she is elected.“Over the past four years, the Administration has made unprecedented investments in education, including the single-largest investment in K-12 education in history, which Vice President Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass,” Mia Ehrenberg, a campaign spokesperson, told States Newsroom.Ehrenberg said that while Harris and her running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, “will build on those investments and continue fighting until every student has the support and the resources they need to thrive, Republicans led by Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda want to cut billions from local K-12 schools and eliminate the Department of Education, undermining America’s students and schools.”Harris has repeatedly knocked the Heritage Foundation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf" target="_blank">Project 2025</a>&nbsp;— a sweeping conservative agenda that includes education policy proposals like eliminating Head Start, ending time-based and occupation-based student loan forgiveness and barring teachers from using a student’s preferred pronouns different from their “biological sex” without written permission from a parent or guardian.Trump has fiercely disavowed Project 2025, although some former members of his administration crafted the blueprint.<h2>Closing the U.S. Department of Education</h2>Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zxfnqj_3XQ" target="_blank">called for shutting down</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Education and said he wants to “move education back to the states.” The department is not the main funding source for K-12 schools, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/elementary-and-secondary-education-expenditures" target="_blank">state and local governments</a>&nbsp;allocate much of those dollars.In contrast, Harris said at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/lets-fight-it-harris-vows-chart-new-way-forward-defeat-trump" target="_blank">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in August that “we are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”<h2>Living wage for school staff; parental bill of rights</h2>Trump’s education plan calls for creating a “new credentialing body to certify teachers who embrace patriotic values, and understand that their job is not to indoctrinate children, but to educate them.”He also wants to implement funding boosts for schools that “abolish teacher tenure” for grades K-12 and adopt “merit pay,” establish the direct election of school principals by parents and “drastically cut” the number of school administrators.In contrast, the&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf" target="_blank">Democratic Party’s 2024 platform</a>&nbsp;calls for recruiting “more new teachers, paraprofessionals and school related personnel, and education support professionals, with the option for some to even start training in high school.”The platform also aims to help “school-support staff to advance in their own careers with a living wage” and improve working conditions for teachers.Trump also wants to give funding boosts to schools that adopt a “Parental Bill of Rights that includes complete curriculum transparency, and a form of universal school choice.”He’s threatening to cut federal funding for schools that teach the primarily collegiate academic subject known as “critical race theory,” gender ideology or “other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.”The Democrats’ platform opposes “the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education,” adding that “public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”<h2>Title IX&nbsp;</h2>Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/much-attacked-final-title-ix-rule-goes-effect-while-still-blocked-26-states" target="_blank">released a final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;extending federal protections for LGBTQ+ students.The updated regulations took effect Aug. 1, but a slew of GOP-led states challenged the measure. The legal battles have created a policy patchwork and weakened the administration’s vision for the final rule.The updated regulations&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-roll-back-betsy-devos-title-ix-rules" target="_blank">roll back Title IX changes</a>&nbsp;made under the Trump administration and then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.Trump vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qU5EDho3qs" target="_blank">terminate the updated regulations</a>&nbsp;on his first day back in office if reelected.<h2>Student debt and higher education&nbsp;</h2>Harris has repeatedly touted the administration’s record on student loan forgiveness, including nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/biden-harris-administration-approves-additional-12-billion-student-debt" target="_blank">$170 billion</a>&nbsp;in student debt relief for almost 5 million borrowers.The administration’s most recent student loan repayment initiative came to a grinding halt in August after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bidens-newest-student-loan-repayment-plan-temporarily-blocked-supreme-court" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked</a>&nbsp;the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan.Although little is mentioned about education in Harris’&nbsp;<a href="https://kamalaharris.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Policy_Book_Economic-Opportunity.pdf" target="_blank">extensive economic plan</a>, the proposal makes clear that the veep will “continue working to end the unreasonable burden of student loan debt and fight to make higher education more affordable, so that college can be a ticket to the middle class.”She also plans to cut four-year degree requirements for half a million federal jobs.Trump — who dubbed the Biden-Harris administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-political-rally-racine-wisconsin-june-18-2024/" target="_blank">student loan forgiveness efforts</a>&nbsp;as “not even legal” — sought to repeal the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program during his administration.His education platform also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-the-american-academy" target="_blank">calls for endowing</a>&nbsp;the “American Academy,” a free, online university.Trump said he will endow the new institution through the “billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments.”

Education: Where do Harris and Trump stand?

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman was injured in a fire at her apartment in Olathe.

Around 9:30 pm firefighters responded to a kitchen fire in a unit at the&nbsp; Bristol Pointe Apartment Homes, 533 North Somerset Terrace, according to a social media report from Olathe Fire Deparatment.

Johnson County Med Act transported&nbsp; woman with non-life threatening burns was taken to an area burn center.&nbsp; She was burned by hot oil while cooking.

"Every fire reminds us to check our home’s smoke alarms by pressing the test button. And, replace any alarm that is 10 years of age or older."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728986519197.png" alt="Image from Olathe Fire Department video" />
 <figcaption>Image from Olathe Fire Department video</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman was injured in a fire at her apartment in Olathe.Around 9:30 pm firefighters responded to a kitchen fire in a unit at the&nbsp; Bristol Pointe Apartment Homes, 533 North Somerset Terrace, according to a social media report from Olathe Fire Deparatment.Johnson County Med Act transported&nbsp; woman with non-life threatening burns was taken to an area burn center.&nbsp; She was burned by hot oil while cooking."Every fire reminds us to check our home’s smoke alarms by pressing the test button. And, replace any alarm that is 10 years of age or older."

Kan. woman hospitalized after burned by hot oil fire

Zach Wendling <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA —&nbsp;Four secretaries of state and a federal agency director in cybersecurity described their work Wednesday as a line of defense in upholding election integrity and security ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, in explaining the reason for Wednesday’s summit, asked simply, “Why not?” He said the Midwest states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota have demonstrated that elections can be safe, smooth and secure.

“Election security is not static. Election security is not a one-and-done deal. Election security is dynamic,” Evnen said at the news conference. “If you’re going to continue to address these dynamic challenges to elections, then you do so in a dynamic fashion.”

The ‘imperative’ of election confidence

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unomaha.edu/ncite/index.php" target="_blank">National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center</a>, or NCITE, headquartered at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, hosted the event.

Evnen’s three counterparts from Iowa (Paul Pate), Missouri (Jay Ashcroft) and South Dakota (Monae Johnson) joined the event, which Evnen said he expects to be repeated in future years. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab participated in other summit events, including briefings on NCITE research, but was unable to attend the news conference, officials said.

Pate, who is in his fourth term as Iowa’s secretary of state, said he has seen elections evolve and become “more aggressive” in the past two decades, particularly through technology.

Yet election confidence remains essential, Pate said, and secretaries of state are doing everything they can to uphold integrity and security.

“It’s imperative that Americans, and Iowans, have confidence in those election results because the day after the election, if they don’t believe that that’s their governor or their senator or their president, our Republic has fallen without a single bullet being fired,” Pate said. “That’s not acceptable, so we’re going to continue to be vigilant and do what we can on our front.”

Director Jen Easterly of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency</a>, said CISA stands “shoulder to shoulder” with election officials nationwide. She said she has “tremendous confidence” in U.S. elections.

Easterly said CISA was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">established in 2018</a>&nbsp;from a previous U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency in part due to foreign attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election and after election infrastructure was designated as “critical” infrastructure.

The agency helps state and local election officials to prepare for any threats, including ransomware,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nonhazardous-material-found-in-envelope-sent-to-ne-secretary-of-states-office-caution-urged/" target="_blank">physical threats</a>&nbsp;and threats from foreign adversaries (such as Russia, Iran and China). Some of the support the agency provides, Easterly said, are security assessments, hypothetical scenario training and training for de-escalation and anti-active shooter incidents.

“At the end of the day, we know that elections will be safe. They will be secure. They will be free. They will be fair. But there will be things that go wrong,” Easterly said. “The good news is these disruptions, while problematic, will not affect how votes are counted and how votes are cast.”

Evnen said some of the ways that Nebraska has partnered with CISA in the past two years have included weekly scans of all 93 Nebraska county election websites for vulnerabilities, giving local officials “.gov” emails and website addresses and setting up internal protocols for day-to-day security.

“These are important steps we’re taking across Nebraska to ensure that our cyberinfrastructure is protected,” Evnen said.

Pate said those steps are national standards as officials “plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

All five secretaries of state who partnered with NCITE this week are elected Republicans, and Ashcroft said the officials don’t serve just Republicans or Democrats or&nbsp; Libertarians or any other third parties in their respective states.

He said if officials do their job well, they are the basketball ref or linesman of a football game who “no one notices.”

The secretaries of state and Easterly invited more people to get involved in the election process, such as serving as poll workers or watchers, and for anyone who has questions to ask.

“We run elections for the people of the states,” Ashcroft explained. “We run elections for our government because it is how ‘we the people’ decide that our Republic will move forward.”

Ashcroft added that no matter who wins or loses, or which issues pass or fail, “at the end of the day, the American people can drink their beverage of choice and either celebrate or commiserate, but know that they were a part of the decision, that their votes counted and that the votes made a difference.”

The election officials noted that it is typical for “official” results not to be finalized for up to a week after Election Day, but they said that’s due in part due to the need to process provisional ballots, as well as conducting the “checks and balances” needed to ensure accurate results, particularly in close races, or possibly hand-count some ballots.

But for the most part, the secretaries of state said of their jurisdictions, most election results are typically available within a few hours of polls closing on Election Day.

“I believe in getting quick results out, my colleagues do, but we all believe in getting it right, and we believe in making sure that every American, no matter where Uncle Sam has sent them, has the right to participate in our elections,” Ashcroft said, indicating overseas voters.

Johnson, from South Dakota, said the “greatest unease” about the general election is the period between when polls close and when results are finalized. She said officials are workshopping scenarios with public safety teams to ensure that post-election events proceed smoothly and on time.

“Protecting the voting process and its facilitators is a collaborative process, and we have full faith in our state’s ability to overcome any disruptions,” Johnson said.

Gina Ligon, director of NCITE at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said the center, which includes 38 partner universities, is working on four projects, such as tracking threats to election workers through federal charges and possible threats from emerging technologies.

Ligon said the federal charges are the “tip of the iceberg” as federal charges are a “really high bar,” while other NCITE research includes threats or violence specifically against election officials in swing states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia.

Those states have seen the largest spikes in data in recent years, Ligon said.

That project is extending to Nebraska, partially with the competitiveness of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District for president. There are currently no federal charges, according to Ligon.

Other research, out of the University of Arkansas, includes interviews of election workers who have faced threats of violence. Initial research has indicated women don’t always report when they are victims of violence, Ligon said, and that people don’t understand when they cross First Amendment protections from anger to prohibited threats.

“As much as people say this is nothing new&nbsp;— ‘we’ve experienced this for a long time’ — our data just doesn’t support that,” Ligon said.

As of this time, Easterly said, there have been no specific election threats from terrorists, though she noted federal authorities thwarted the apparent plans of an&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/oklahoma-city-man-faces-charges-related-to-planned-election-day-terrorist-attack-authorities-say/" target="_blank">Oklahoma City man</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday and charged him with allegedly plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day in support of ISIS.

“If there are other things that we are seeing from the terrorist landscape, we will ensure that election officials are apprised of that immediately,” Easterly said.

Easterly said the period between Election Day on Nov. 5 and the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 will be critical. She said foreign adversaries will try to create a “wedge” and attempt to “shred our institutions” or sow discord as each milestone of certification and validation passes.

“That’s why it’s up to all of us as Americans — as the secretary (Ashcroft) said, ‘We the people’ — these elections are for us,” Easterly said. “It’s up to all of us to do our part in protecting and preserving our democracy.”

Nebraska Examiner, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729007505031.png" alt=" Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, at podium, leads a news conference Oct. 9, 2024, in Omaha on election security and integrity. Behind him, from left, are Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, Director Jen Easterly of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Director Gina Ligon of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, at podium, leads a news conference Oct. 9, 2024, in Omaha on election security and integrity. Behind him, from left, are Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, Director Jen Easterly of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Director Gina Ligon of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA —&nbsp;Four secretaries of state and a federal agency director in cybersecurity described their work Wednesday as a line of defense in upholding election integrity and security ahead of the Nov. 5 election.Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, in explaining the reason for Wednesday’s summit, asked simply, “Why not?” He said the Midwest states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota have demonstrated that elections can be safe, smooth and secure.“Election security is not static. Election security is not a one-and-done deal. Election security is dynamic,” Evnen said at the news conference. “If you’re going to continue to address these dynamic challenges to elections, then you do so in a dynamic fashion.”<h2>The ‘imperative’ of election confidence</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unomaha.edu/ncite/index.php" target="_blank">National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center</a>, or NCITE, headquartered at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, hosted the event.Evnen’s three counterparts from Iowa (Paul Pate), Missouri (Jay Ashcroft) and South Dakota (Monae Johnson) joined the event, which Evnen said he expects to be repeated in future years. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab participated in other summit events, including briefings on NCITE research, but was unable to attend the news conference, officials said.Pate, who is in his fourth term as Iowa’s secretary of state, said he has seen elections evolve and become “more aggressive” in the past two decades, particularly through technology.Yet election confidence remains essential, Pate said, and secretaries of state are doing everything they can to uphold integrity and security.“It’s imperative that Americans, and Iowans, have confidence in those election results because the day after the election, if they don’t believe that that’s their governor or their senator or their president, our Republic has fallen without a single bullet being fired,” Pate said. “That’s not acceptable, so we’re going to continue to be vigilant and do what we can on our front.”Director Jen Easterly of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency</a>, said CISA stands “shoulder to shoulder” with election officials nationwide. She said she has “tremendous confidence” in U.S. elections.Easterly said CISA was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">established in 2018</a>&nbsp;from a previous U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency in part due to foreign attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election and after election infrastructure was designated as “critical” infrastructure.<h2>Security protocols and training</h2>The agency helps state and local election officials to prepare for any threats, including ransomware,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nonhazardous-material-found-in-envelope-sent-to-ne-secretary-of-states-office-caution-urged/" target="_blank">physical threats</a>&nbsp;and threats from foreign adversaries (such as Russia, Iran and China). Some of the support the agency provides, Easterly said, are security assessments, hypothetical scenario training and training for de-escalation and anti-active shooter incidents.“At the end of the day, we know that elections will be safe. They will be secure. They will be free. They will be fair. But there will be things that go wrong,” Easterly said. “The good news is these disruptions, while problematic, will not affect how votes are counted and how votes are cast.”Evnen said some of the ways that Nebraska has partnered with CISA in the past two years have included weekly scans of all 93 Nebraska county election websites for vulnerabilities, giving local officials “.gov” emails and website addresses and setting up internal protocols for day-to-day security.“These are important steps we’re taking across Nebraska to ensure that our cyberinfrastructure is protected,” Evnen said.Pate said those steps are national standards as officials “plan for the worst and hope for the best.”<h2>Elections for ‘we the people’</h2>All five secretaries of state who partnered with NCITE this week are elected Republicans, and Ashcroft said the officials don’t serve just Republicans or Democrats or&nbsp; Libertarians or any other third parties in their respective states.He said if officials do their job well, they are the basketball ref or linesman of a football game who “no one notices.”The secretaries of state and Easterly invited more people to get involved in the election process, such as serving as poll workers or watchers, and for anyone who has questions to ask.“We run elections for the people of the states,” Ashcroft explained. “We run elections for our government because it is how ‘we the people’ decide that our Republic will move forward.”Ashcroft added that no matter who wins or loses, or which issues pass or fail, “at the end of the day, the American people can drink their beverage of choice and either celebrate or commiserate, but know that they were a part of the decision, that their votes counted and that the votes made a difference.”The election officials noted that it is typical for “official” results not to be finalized for up to a week after Election Day, but they said that’s due in part due to the need to process provisional ballots, as well as conducting the “checks and balances” needed to ensure accurate results, particularly in close races, or possibly hand-count some ballots.But for the most part, the secretaries of state said of their jurisdictions, most election results are typically available within a few hours of polls closing on Election Day.“I believe in getting quick results out, my colleagues do, but we all believe in getting it right, and we believe in making sure that every American, no matter where Uncle Sam has sent them, has the right to participate in our elections,” Ashcroft said, indicating overseas voters.Johnson, from South Dakota, said the “greatest unease” about the general election is the period between when polls close and when results are finalized. She said officials are workshopping scenarios with public safety teams to ensure that post-election events proceed smoothly and on time.“Protecting the voting process and its facilitators is a collaborative process, and we have full faith in our state’s ability to overcome any disruptions,” Johnson said.<h2>NCITE research</h2>Gina Ligon, director of NCITE at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said the center, which includes 38 partner universities, is working on four projects, such as tracking threats to election workers through federal charges and possible threats from emerging technologies.Ligon said the federal charges are the “tip of the iceberg” as federal charges are a “really high bar,” while other NCITE research includes threats or violence specifically against election officials in swing states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia.Those states have seen the largest spikes in data in recent years, Ligon said.That project is extending to Nebraska, partially with the competitiveness of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District for president. There are currently no federal charges, according to Ligon.Other research, out of the University of Arkansas, includes interviews of election workers who have faced threats of violence. Initial research has indicated women don’t always report when they are victims of violence, Ligon said, and that people don’t understand when they cross First Amendment protections from anger to prohibited threats.“As much as people say this is nothing new&nbsp;— ‘we’ve experienced this for a long time’ — our data just doesn’t support that,” Ligon said.<h2>‘It’s up to all of us’</h2>As of this time, Easterly said, there have been no specific election threats from terrorists, though she noted federal authorities thwarted the apparent plans of an&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/oklahoma-city-man-faces-charges-related-to-planned-election-day-terrorist-attack-authorities-say/" target="_blank">Oklahoma City man</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday and charged him with allegedly plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day in support of ISIS.“If there are other things that we are seeing from the terrorist landscape, we will ensure that election officials are apprised of that immediately,” Easterly said.Easterly said the period between Election Day on Nov. 5 and the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 will be critical. She said foreign adversaries will try to create a “wedge” and attempt to “shred our institutions” or sow discord as each milestone of certification and validation passes.“That’s why it’s up to all of us as Americans — as the secretary (Ashcroft) said, ‘We the people’ — these elections are for us,” Easterly said. “It’s up to all of us to do our part in protecting and preserving our democracy.”Nebraska Examiner, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

Midwest secretaries of state host election security and integrity summit

JOHNSON COUNTY —Members of Kansas Task Force 2 are on their way home from hurricane response duty.

While in Florida, the task force teams&nbsp; performed search and rescue efforts with one squad utilizing a boat and another squad using ATV’s, according to a social media report from the Kansas Fire Marshal's office.

Historic flooding remains a concern in the area where Task Force 2 was assigned for their search and rescue efforts. Being unfamiliar with the area, flood concerns are taken seriously so search and rescue operations are not jeopardized.

The Task Force was able to provide some true Kansas hospitality as they helped cook camp breakfast for members of various task forces. This type of teamwork is a great way to build rapport not only for KS-TF2, but also with other task force teams in the same area.

In the field during disaster response, work areas are not the normal office setting many back home enjoy while in the office. For Randy Hill, former Kansas State Fire Marshal Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator and current contractor with the Kansas State Fire Marshal, that means setting up an office in the back of one of the Kansas State Fire Marshal trailers. 

Task Force members adapt and work with what they have so assignments can be completed in safe and timely manners. Kansas Task Force 2 members also assisted Florida-Task Force 7 with getting their new boat built and ready for service so they can continue their search and rescue efforts. 

"Kansas Task Force 2 members have stepped up to the call and delivered professional, meaningful, and much needed assistance to Florida. One of the reasons that is possible is training they receive and their compassion about Search and Rescue response."&nbsp;

&nbsp;On Sunday, Kansas Task Force 2 was notified&nbsp; that they were going to be demobilized and released from their deployment. They began the two-day drive home back to Kansas on Monday.&nbsp; Last week, the Olathe Fire Department welcomed home a portion of Kansas Task Force 1 from their hurricane response duty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728954907312.png" alt="Photos Office of Kansaas Fire Marshal" />
 <figcaption>Photos Office of Kansaas Fire Marshal</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Members of Kansas Task Force 2 are on their way home from hurricane response duty.While in Florida, the task force teams&nbsp; performed search and rescue efforts with one squad utilizing a boat and another squad using ATV’s, according to a social media report from the Kansas Fire Marshal's office.Historic flooding remains a concern in the area where Task Force 2 was assigned for their search and rescue efforts. Being unfamiliar with the area, flood concerns are taken seriously so search and rescue operations are not jeopardized.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728954961719.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Task Force was able to provide some true Kansas hospitality as they helped cook camp breakfast for members of various task forces. This type of teamwork is a great way to build rapport not only for KS-TF2, but also with other task force teams in the same area.In the field during disaster response, work areas are not the normal office setting many back home enjoy while in the office. For Randy Hill, former Kansas State Fire Marshal Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator and current contractor with the Kansas State Fire Marshal, that means setting up an office in the back of one of the Kansas State Fire Marshal trailers. Task Force members adapt and work with what they have so assignments can be completed in safe and timely manners. Kansas Task Force 2 members also assisted Florida-Task Force 7 with getting their new boat built and ready for service so they can continue their search and rescue efforts. "Kansas Task Force 2 members have stepped up to the call and delivered professional, meaningful, and much needed assistance to Florida. One of the reasons that is possible is training they receive and their compassion about Search and Rescue response."&nbsp;&nbsp;On Sunday, Kansas Task Force 2 was notified&nbsp; that they were going to be demobilized and released from their deployment. They began the two-day drive home back to Kansas on Monday.&nbsp; Last week, the Olathe Fire Department welcomed home a portion of Kansas Task Force 1 from their hurricane response duty.

Kansas Task Force 2 on the way home from hurricane Milton response

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a burglary and asking the public for help to identify suspects.

Just before 10:30p.m. October 10, police responded to a report of an auto burglary in the parking lot of a hotel near Midland Drive and Renner Road, in the city of Shawnee.

 The suspects arrived in a newer gray four-door BMW sedan with an unknown license plate. If you have any information or recognize the suspects, please call 913-742-6776.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728927199041.png" alt="Photo Shawnee Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Shawnee Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a burglary and asking the public for help to identify suspects.Just before 10:30p.m. October 10, police responded to a report of an auto burglary in the parking lot of a hotel near Midland Drive and Renner Road, in the city of Shawnee. The suspects arrived in a newer gray four-door BMW sedan with an unknown license plate. If you have any information or recognize the suspects, please call 913-742-6776.

Police ask for help to ID suspects in burglary near Kan. hotel

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two deputies were injured and a suspect is dead following a traffic stop and gun fight early Monday in Callaway County, Missouri.

The preliminary investigation revealed Jonathan A. Beason, 37, of Medina, Texas, was fatally shot after exchanging gunfire with Callaway County Deputies on a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route DD / Route J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

 Beason was located deceased on scene, and a firearm was recovered on scene by Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control investigators.

One deputy is out of surgery and the other was slated for surgery late Monday, according to the Callaway County Sheriff. Both will need extensive time to recover. "Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers."

Just after 3:30a.m. Monday, a Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route&nbsp;DD&nbsp;/ Route&nbsp;J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A second deputy arrived shortly afterward to assist.

During the stop, deputies identified the driver, a 37-year-old man from Texas, as the sole occupant of the vehicle. Callaway County Joint Communications (CCJC) informed the deputies that the driver had multiple felony warrants from out of state. When deputies attempted to take the driver into custody, they notified CCJC that the driver was resisting arrest.

Moments later, deputies reported shots fired. Both deputies were struck by gunfire. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton Police Department, and Columbia Police Department quickly responded to provide assistance. 

The injured deputies were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) to lead the investigation.

"We ask the public to keep both deputies in their thoughts during this difficult time. One deputy is currently in serious condition and undergoing surgery, while the other is in stable condition."

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two deputies were injured and a suspect is dead following a traffic stop and gun fight early Monday in Callaway County, Missouri.The preliminary investigation revealed Jonathan A. Beason, 37, of Medina, Texas, was fatally shot after exchanging gunfire with Callaway County Deputies on a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route DD / Route J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Beason was located deceased on scene, and a firearm was recovered on scene by Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control investigators.One deputy is out of surgery and the other was slated for surgery late Monday, according to the Callaway County Sheriff. Both will need extensive time to recover. "Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers."-------CALLAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two deputies were injured and a suspect is dead following a traffic stop and gun fight early Monday in Callaway County, Missouri.Just after 3:30a.m. Monday, a Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route&nbsp;DD&nbsp;/ Route&nbsp;J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A second deputy arrived shortly afterward to assist.During the stop, deputies identified the driver, a 37-year-old man from Texas, as the sole occupant of the vehicle. Callaway County Joint Communications (CCJC) informed the deputies that the driver had multiple felony warrants from out of state. When deputies attempted to take the driver into custody, they notified CCJC that the driver was resisting arrest.Moments later, deputies reported shots fired. Both deputies were struck by gunfire. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton Police Department, and Columbia Police Department quickly responded to provide assistance. The injured deputies were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) to lead the investigation."We ask the public to keep both deputies in their thoughts during this difficult time. One deputy is currently in serious condition and undergoing surgery, while the other is in stable condition."

Deputies injured after I-70 traffic stop gunfight are recovering

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 37-year-old&nbsp;DeAnthony Guthrie.

Just after 5:30p.m. Sunday patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the parking lot of a convenience store at 35th and Cleveland, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found Guthrie in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS.

Emergency medical personnel pronounced him deceased at the scene, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. This is being investigated as a homicide.

Detectives are woking to determine the events that led up to the shooting and interviewing witnesses. Police have not released any suspect details or reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728902794443.png" alt="POlice on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>POlice on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 37-year-old&nbsp;DeAnthony Guthrie.Just after 5:30p.m. Sunday patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the parking lot of a convenience store at 35th and Cleveland, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found Guthrie in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS.Emergency medical personnel pronounced him deceased at the scene, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. This is being investigated as a homicide.Detectives are woking to determine the events that led up to the shooting and interviewing witnesses. Police have not released any suspect details or reported an arrest.

Police ID man killed in KC convenience store parking lot

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — A Minnesota horticulture teacher remained the reigning champion Monday of an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California where his massive gourds have won the top prize four years in a row.

Travis Gienger, of Anoka, Minnesota, beat his closest competitor by 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) to clinch the victory at the 51st World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.

His winning gourd came in at 2,471 pounds (1,121 kilograms), falling short of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-giant-pumpkin-world-record-dbe2b22743e332998c204f2191b2a46f">the world record</a>&nbsp;he set last year with a pumpkin weighing 2,749 pounds (1,247 kilograms).

Gienger, 44, said that as he has done in the past, he focused on having healthy soil and well-fed plants but that a cold fall with record-breaking rain likely impacted his pumpkin's growth.

“We had really, really tough weather and somehow, some way, I kept on working," Gienger said. “I had to work for this one, and we got it done at the end, but it wasn’t by much.”

Gienger and his family drove his gargantuan gourd for 35 hours to California.

He said the giant pumpkin's next stop will be in Southern California, where a team of professional carvers will do a 3D carve on it at a Halloween event.

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — A Minnesota horticulture teacher remained the reigning champion Monday of an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California where his massive gourds have won the top prize four years in a row.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCNGInews%2Fvideos%2F1526534047969471%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=1" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Travis Gienger, of Anoka, Minnesota, beat his closest competitor by 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) to clinch the victory at the 51st World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.His winning gourd came in at 2,471 pounds (1,121 kilograms), falling short of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-giant-pumpkin-world-record-dbe2b22743e332998c204f2191b2a46f">the world record</a>&nbsp;he set last year with a pumpkin weighing 2,749 pounds (1,247 kilograms).Gienger, 44, said that as he has done in the past, he focused on having healthy soil and well-fed plants but that a cold fall with record-breaking rain likely impacted his pumpkin's growth.“We had really, really tough weather and somehow, some way, I kept on working," Gienger said. “I had to work for this one, and we got it done at the end, but it wasn’t by much.”<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhalfmoonbaypumpkinweighoff%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0pB3gCkVjLZSsMku5iv7Zt5ij3DJg5zho4M5n7cGkfVqmXauFYEJg3TKxijrt9nKQl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="684" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Gienger and his family drove his gargantuan gourd for 35 hours to California.He said the giant pumpkin's next stop will be in Southern California, where a team of professional carvers will do a 3D carve on it at a Halloween event.

Pumpkin weighing 2,471 pounds wins 2024 world championship

JOHNSON COUNTY&nbsp; — A 16-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in connection to a&nbsp;deadly shooting at Olathe’s Black Bob Park&nbsp;in 2022.

The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office says Jacobi Epting, who was 14 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and attempted aggravated robbery.

A court filing says&nbsp;Epting and other teens took masks and a gun&nbsp;with them when they went to Black Bob Park to buy drugs from Cardino.

The document also said one of the teenagers told investigators she believed the other teenagers planned to steal the marijuana from Cardino.

Olathe police responded to&nbsp;Black Bob Park&nbsp;on May after someone heard gunfire. Officers found Cardino’s body. He’d been shot multiple times.

The teenagers went to the park to buy marijuana, according to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.

On Jan. 3, 2023, Epting was waived to adult status and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Marco Cardino

The two other teenagers were 13 at the time of Cardino’s death. They are each serving sentences in a juvenile correctional facility. Each teenager will remain in custody until they reach the age of 22 and a half. If either teenager fails to comply with the terms of their sentence, each would serve a 12-year sentence in prison.

JOHNSON COUNTY&nbsp; — A 16-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in connection to a&nbsp;deadly shooting at Olathe’s Black Bob Park&nbsp;in 2022.The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office says Jacobi Epting, who was 14 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and attempted aggravated robbery.A court filing says&nbsp;Epting and other teens took masks and a gun&nbsp;with them when they went to Black Bob Park to buy drugs from Cardino.The document also said one of the teenagers told investigators she believed the other teenagers planned to steal the marijuana from Cardino.Olathe police responded to&nbsp;Black Bob Park&nbsp;on May after someone heard gunfire. Officers found Cardino’s body. He’d been shot multiple times.The teenagers went to the park to buy marijuana, according to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.On Jan. 3, 2023, Epting was waived to adult status and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Marco CardinoThe two other teenagers were 13 at the time of Cardino’s death. They are each serving sentences in a juvenile correctional facility. Each teenager will remain in custody until they reach the age of 22 and a half. If either teenager fails to comply with the terms of their sentence, each would serve a 12-year sentence in prison.Sentencing is set for December 27.

Kansas teen enters plea deal in marijuana sale killing

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Police investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting have identified the man who died as 27-year-old Jonathan Macias of Sedgwick County, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

Just after 7a.m.&nbsp; Saturday, Sedgwick County 911 received a call from a man stating that he was armed and going to shoot people. Law Enforcement from multiple agencies responded to this call and contacted a man later identified as Macias who appeared to be wearing body armor, according to Colonel Keith Allen with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.

Law enforcement tried to deescalate the situation over the next hour&nbsp; but Macias got into a vehicle and drove up and down the streets in the neighborhood on the northwest edge of Wichita.

After approximately one hour of attempting negotiations with Macias, there was an officer involved shooting. Deputies and police from multiple agencies were inolved.&nbsp; Sedgwick County EMS pronounced Macias&nbsp; deceased at the scene of the incident.

In December, police arrested Macias on requested charges of Domestic battery, battery on a law enforcement officer, failure to stop at an injury accident and failure to appear, according to Sedgwick County booking records. He was released by a court order, according to online arrest records.&nbsp; The Associated Press contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728936452904.png" alt="Macias photo from a December arrest" />
 <figcaption>Macias photo from a December arrest</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Police investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting have identified the man who died as 27-year-old Jonathan Macias of Sedgwick County, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.Just after 7a.m.&nbsp; Saturday, Sedgwick County 911 received a call from a man stating that he was armed and going to shoot people. Law Enforcement from multiple agencies responded to this call and contacted a man later identified as Macias who appeared to be wearing body armor, according to Colonel Keith Allen with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.Law enforcement tried to deescalate the situation over the next hour&nbsp; but Macias got into a vehicle and drove up and down the streets in the neighborhood on the northwest edge of Wichita.After approximately one hour of attempting negotiations with Macias, there was an officer involved shooting. Deputies and police from multiple agencies were inolved.&nbsp; Sedgwick County EMS pronounced Macias&nbsp; deceased at the scene of the incident.In December, police arrested Macias on requested charges of Domestic battery, battery on a law enforcement officer, failure to stop at an injury accident and failure to appear, according to Sedgwick County booking records. He was released by a court order, according to online arrest records.&nbsp; The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Man who died in Kan. officer shooting was jailed in December

KINGMAN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 10a.m. Monday in Kingman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Silverado driven by Michael&nbsp;McCoy, 42, Kingman, was eastbound on NE 50th Street four miles north of U.S. 54.

 The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at the Kansas 14 intersection. The pickup struck a northbound 2014 Toyota Sequoia driven by Gayle&nbsp; Thornbro, 66, Norwich. After impact the Toyota came to rest upright in the field northeast of the intersection.

Thornbro was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Livingston Funeral Home. EMS transported McCoy and a passenger in the Chevy Jennifer Travis, 41, Cunningham, to Wesley Medical Center. Thornbro and Travis were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

KINGMAN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 10a.m. Monday in Kingman County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Silverado driven by Michael&nbsp;McCoy, 42, Kingman, was eastbound on NE 50th Street four miles north of U.S. 54. The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at the Kansas 14 intersection. The pickup struck a northbound 2014 Toyota Sequoia driven by Gayle&nbsp; Thornbro, 66, Norwich. After impact the Toyota came to rest upright in the field northeast of the intersection.Thornbro was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Livingston Funeral Home. EMS transported McCoy and a passenger in the Chevy Jennifer Travis, 41, Cunningham, to Wesley Medical Center. Thornbro and Travis were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman dead after pickup, SUV crash

NEW YORK (AP) — Lilly Ledbetter, a former Alabama factory manager whose lawsuit against her employer made her an icon of the equal pay movement and led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pay-equity-ledbetter-women-2564198d081a0d62ec9cc55a48803fb3">landmark wage discrimination legislation</a>, has died at 86.

Ledbetter's discovery that she was earning less than her male counterparts for doing the same job at a Goodyear Tire &amp; Rubber Co. plant in Alabama led to her lawsuit, which ultimately failed when the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that she had filed her complaint too late. The court ruled that workers must file lawsuits within six months of first receiving a discriminatory paycheck — in Ledbetter's case, years before she learned about the disparity through an anonymous letter.

Two years later, former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pay-equity-ledbetter-women-2564198d081a0d62ec9cc55a48803fb3">President Barack Obama</a>&nbsp;signed into the law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gave workers the right to sue within 180 days of receiving each discriminatory paycheck, not just the first one.

Ledbetter died Saturday night after a brief illness surrounded by loved ones, according to a brief statement from her family and an obituary sent by the team behind a film about her life. She is survived by her two children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Ledbetter continued campaigning for equal pay policies for the rest of her life. Last week, she was awarded the Future Is Female Lifetime Achievement Award by Advertising Week, and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lillymovie.com/">film about her life starring Patricia Clarkson</a>&nbsp;premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

“She lost her case and she never saw a dime but she was a tireless advocate for all of us,” said Deborah Vagins, director of Equal Pay Today and the national campaign director of Equal Rights Advocates.

“Every now then, once in a generation, you meet these people who sacrifice everything for something even if it never benefits them,” added Vagins, who met Ledbetter and introduced her to then Sen.-Obama soon after the Supreme Court ruling galvanized the movement for what would become the Ledbetter Act.

“She sparked a movement and changed the face of pay equity forever,” she said.

In January, President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pay-equity-ledbetter-women-2564198d081a0d62ec9cc55a48803fb3">marked the 15th anniversary of the law named after Ledbetter</a>&nbsp;with new measures to help close the gender wage gap, including a new rule barring the federal government from considering a person’s current or past pay when determining their salary.

But Ledbetter and other advocates have long campaigned for the more comprehensive the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, including by protecting workers from retaliation for discussing their pay.

In a statement on Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris pledged to “continue to fight for the Paycheck Fairness Act — to honor Lilly’s legacy, and continue building a more fair and equitable future for women, and all Americans.” Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/congress-9062366d20f4af3e2c94e17f1f86db1f">lawmakers largely oppose the law</a>&nbsp;as redundant and conducive to frivolous lawsuits.

Obama also praised Ledbetter's legacy said in statement that “this grandmother from Alabama kept on fighting until the day I signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law — my first as president.” Biden said in a statement that “it was an honor to stand with Lilly as the bill that bears her name was made law” when he was vice president.

Also among those paying tribute to Ledbetter was Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Benioff/status/1845680105663643842">said on the social media platform X</a>&nbsp;that she "forever changed my understanding with the simple but powerful phrase, ‘Equal pay for equal work.’”

The team behind the film, “LILLY,” issued&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DBFhGKyvyPj/">a statement of condolence on social media</a>. In her own statement, Clarkson said “portraying Lilly Ledbetter was the privilege of my lifetime.”

The sense of urgency among advocates deepened after an&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.pdf">annual report</a>&nbsp;from the Census Bureau last month found that the gender wage gap between men and women widened for the first time 20 years. In 2023, women working full time earned 83 cents on the dollar compared with men, down from 84 cents in 2022. Even before then, advocates had been frustrated that wage gap improvement had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/equal-pay-day-gender-wage-gap-pay-gap-women-889af690259722284241539984855758">mostly stalled for the last 20 years</a>&nbsp;despite women making gains in the C-suite and earning college degrees at a faster rate than men. Experts say the reasons for the enduring gap are multifaceted, including the overrepresentation of women in lower-paying industries and the weak childcare system that pushes many women to step back from their careers in their peak earnings years.

In 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, Ledbetter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/opinion/lilly-ledbetter-metoo-equal-pay.html">wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times</a>&nbsp;detailing the harassment she faced as a manager at the Goodyear factory and drawing a link between workplace sexual harassment and pay discrimination.

Ledbetter had worked at the plant in Gadsden, Alabama, for 19 years when she received an anonymous note saying she was being paid significantly less than three male colleagues.

Two years before she was set for retirement, she filed a lawsuit in 1999 and initially won $3.8 million in backpay and damages from a federal court. She never received the money after eventually losing her case before the Supreme Court. But a dissenting opinion from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who stated that the “ball is in Congress' court,” inspired Ledbetter to keep up the fight for better laws.

At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z89V1dJJ-yY">the Forbes Women's Summit in 2021</a>, Ledbetter said one of the achievements she was most proud of was that the Ledbetter act passed with bipartisan support.

The law named set an important precedent “for ensuring that we don’t just have the promise of equal pay on the books but we have a way to enforce the law,” said Emily Martin, chief program officer at the National Women’s Law Center, which worked closely with Ledbetter.

“She is really an inspiration in showing us how a loss does not mean you can’t win,” Martin said. “We know her name because she lost, and she lost big, and she kept coming back from it and kept working until the day she died to change that loss into real gains for women across the country.”

Associated Press Writer Kaitlyn Huamani in Los Angeles contributed to this story.

The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/standards-for-working-with-outside-groups/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at&nbsp;<a href="http://ap.org/">AP.org</a>.

NEW YORK (AP) — Lilly Ledbetter, a former Alabama factory manager whose lawsuit against her employer made her an icon of the equal pay movement and led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pay-equity-ledbetter-women-2564198d081a0d62ec9cc55a48803fb3">landmark wage discrimination legislation</a>, has died at 86.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Lilly Ledbetter never set out to be a trailblazer or a household name. She just wanted to be paid the same as a man for her hard work. But this grandmother from Alabama kept on fighting until the day I signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law – my first as president.… <a href="https://t.co/Z4ZxsDbIU5">pic.twitter.com/Z4ZxsDbIU5</a>&mdash; Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1845616323092472209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ledbetter's discovery that she was earning less than her male counterparts for doing the same job at a Goodyear Tire &amp; Rubber Co. plant in Alabama led to her lawsuit, which ultimately failed when the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that she had filed her complaint too late. The court ruled that workers must file lawsuits within six months of first receiving a discriminatory paycheck — in Ledbetter's case, years before she learned about the disparity through an anonymous letter.Two years later, former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pay-equity-ledbetter-women-2564198d081a0d62ec9cc55a48803fb3">President Barack Obama</a>&nbsp;signed into the law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gave workers the right to sue within 180 days of receiving each discriminatory paycheck, not just the first one.Ledbetter died Saturday night after a brief illness surrounded by loved ones, according to a brief statement from her family and an obituary sent by the team behind a film about her life. She is survived by her two children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.Ledbetter continued campaigning for equal pay policies for the rest of her life. Last week, she was awarded the Future Is Female Lifetime Achievement Award by Advertising Week, and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lillymovie.com/">film about her life starring Patricia Clarkson</a>&nbsp;premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.“She lost her case and she never saw a dime but she was a tireless advocate for all of us,” said Deborah Vagins, director of Equal Pay Today and the national campaign director of Equal Rights Advocates.“Every now then, once in a generation, you meet these people who sacrifice everything for something even if it never benefits them,” added Vagins, who met Ledbetter and introduced her to then Sen.-Obama soon after the Supreme Court ruling galvanized the movement for what would become the Ledbetter Act.“She sparked a movement and changed the face of pay equity forever,” she said.In January, President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pay-equity-ledbetter-women-2564198d081a0d62ec9cc55a48803fb3">marked the 15th anniversary of the law named after Ledbetter</a>&nbsp;with new measures to help close the gender wage gap, including a new rule barring the federal government from considering a person’s current or past pay when determining their salary.But Ledbetter and other advocates have long campaigned for the more comprehensive the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, including by protecting workers from retaliation for discussing their pay.In a statement on Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris pledged to “continue to fight for the Paycheck Fairness Act — to honor Lilly’s legacy, and continue building a more fair and equitable future for women, and all Americans.” Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/congress-9062366d20f4af3e2c94e17f1f86db1f">lawmakers largely oppose the law</a>&nbsp;as redundant and conducive to frivolous lawsuits.Obama also praised Ledbetter's legacy said in statement that “this grandmother from Alabama kept on fighting until the day I signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law — my first as president.” Biden said in a statement that “it was an honor to stand with Lilly as the bill that bears her name was made law” when he was vice president.Also among those paying tribute to Ledbetter was Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Benioff/status/1845680105663643842">said on the social media platform X</a>&nbsp;that she "forever changed my understanding with the simple but powerful phrase, ‘Equal pay for equal work.’”The team behind the film, “LILLY,” issued&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DBFhGKyvyPj/">a statement of condolence on social media</a>. In her own statement, Clarkson said “portraying Lilly Ledbetter was the privilege of my lifetime.”The sense of urgency among advocates deepened after an&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.pdf">annual report</a>&nbsp;from the Census Bureau last month found that the gender wage gap between men and women widened for the first time 20 years. In 2023, women working full time earned 83 cents on the dollar compared with men, down from 84 cents in 2022. Even before then, advocates had been frustrated that wage gap improvement had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/equal-pay-day-gender-wage-gap-pay-gap-women-889af690259722284241539984855758">mostly stalled for the last 20 years</a>&nbsp;despite women making gains in the C-suite and earning college degrees at a faster rate than men. Experts say the reasons for the enduring gap are multifaceted, including the overrepresentation of women in lower-paying industries and the weak childcare system that pushes many women to step back from their careers in their peak earnings years.In 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, Ledbetter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/opinion/lilly-ledbetter-metoo-equal-pay.html">wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times</a>&nbsp;detailing the harassment she faced as a manager at the Goodyear factory and drawing a link between workplace sexual harassment and pay discrimination.Ledbetter had worked at the plant in Gadsden, Alabama, for 19 years when she received an anonymous note saying she was being paid significantly less than three male colleagues.Two years before she was set for retirement, she filed a lawsuit in 1999 and initially won $3.8 million in backpay and damages from a federal court. She never received the money after eventually losing her case before the Supreme Court. But a dissenting opinion from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who stated that the “ball is in Congress' court,” inspired Ledbetter to keep up the fight for better laws.At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z89V1dJJ-yY">the Forbes Women's Summit in 2021</a>, Ledbetter said one of the achievements she was most proud of was that the Ledbetter act passed with bipartisan support.The law named set an important precedent “for ensuring that we don’t just have the promise of equal pay on the books but we have a way to enforce the law,” said Emily Martin, chief program officer at the National Women’s Law Center, which worked closely with Ledbetter.“She is really an inspiration in showing us how a loss does not mean you can’t win,” Martin said. “We know her name because she lost, and she lost big, and she kept coming back from it and kept working until the day she died to change that loss into real gains for women across the country.”______Associated Press Writer Kaitlyn Huamani in Los Angeles contributed to this story.______The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/standards-for-working-with-outside-groups/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at&nbsp;<a href="http://ap.org/">AP.org</a>.

Lilly Ledbetter, an icon of the fight for equal pay, has died at 86

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

Just after 2:30p.m. October 9, a Sheriff's K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at Main Street and Topeka Avenue in Carbondale for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp;

 During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.

Leroy K. Spurgeon, 55, of Livonia, Missouri was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728643951725.png" alt="Spurgeon photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Spurgeon photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 2:30p.m. October 9, a Sheriff's K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at Main Street and Topeka Avenue in Carbondale for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp; During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.Leroy K. Spurgeon, 55, of Livonia, Missouri was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of selling methamphetamine

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An Indiana man was found guilty of killing a Nickerson, Kansas, man and injuring his family in Louisville, Kentucky in 2022.

Michael Hurley, 35, was on probation in Indiana for drug-related charges at the time of the crash, according to court documents detailing his criminal history.

He admitted to officers that he was doing drugs before the July 5, 2022 accident that fatally injured Trey Jones and critically injured Amy and Ava Jones. On Monday, Hurley was convicted of one count of murder, three counts of assault and one count of driving under the influence. At sentencing, he could get up to 70 years in prison.&nbsp;

Ava Jones remains on scholarship at the University of Iowa, though she&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/3b59ae88-485c-4271-a63b-4092b55dc260">announced earlier this spring that she is no longer going to attempt to return to basketball</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657123638963.jpeg" alt="Michael Hurley-photo Louisville Metro Department of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Michael Hurley-photo Louisville Metro Department of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An Indiana man was found guilty of killing a Nickerson, Kansas, man and injuring his family in Louisville, Kentucky in 2022.Michael Hurley, 35, was on probation in Indiana for drug-related charges at the time of the crash, according to court documents detailing his criminal history.He admitted to officers that he was doing drugs before the July 5, 2022 accident that fatally injured Trey Jones and critically injured Amy and Ava Jones. On Monday, Hurley was convicted of one count of murder, three counts of assault and one count of driving under the influence. At sentencing, he could get up to 70 years in prison.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660247623254.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ava Jones remains on scholarship at the University of Iowa, though she&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/3b59ae88-485c-4271-a63b-4092b55dc260">announced earlier this spring that she is no longer going to attempt to return to basketball</a>.&nbsp;