JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal hit and run accident that occurred just before 2:30a.m. Saturday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported an unknown vehicle was southbound on Interstate 35 just north of Santa Fe.

The vehicle struck a pedestrian identified as 27-year-old Maxwell Michael&nbsp;&nbsp;Pozek of Lenexa and didn't stop. Pozek was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Johnson County Medical Examiner's office. The KHP reported no additional details.

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal hit and run accident that occurred just before 2:30a.m. Saturday in Johnson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported an unknown vehicle was southbound on Interstate 35 just north of Santa Fe.The vehicle struck a pedestrian identified as 27-year-old Maxwell Michael&nbsp;&nbsp;Pozek of Lenexa and didn't stop. Pozek was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Johnson County Medical Examiner's office. The KHP reported no additional details.

Kansas man dies after hit-and-run accident

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three members of the Kansas Supreme Court want to make it easier for prosecutors to convict defendants of kidnapping, saying in a dissenting opinion Friday that the court should abandon a legal rule it has used for nearly 50 years in reviewing criminal cases.

The court issued&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/Opinions/122156_1.PDF">a 4-3 decision</a>&nbsp;in the case of a Finney County man convicted of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape and aggravated sodomy over a December 2018 attack on a woman in her home. While the court upheld Michael Wayne Couch's other convictions, it reversed his kidnapping conviction.

The majority invoked a rule imposed in a 1976 decision that similarly involved multiple crimes. In that earlier case, the court declared that a defendant could not be convicted of kidnapping if the actions covered by that charge are “inherent” in another crime, are “slight or inconsequential” or have no "significance independently.”

The Supreme Court in 1976 gave examples. It said a robbery on the street does not involve kidnapping, but forcing the victim into an alley does. Moving a rape victim from room to room in a house for the rapist's “convenience” is not kidnapping, but forcing the victim from a public place to a secluded one is.

According to the court's opinion, Couch broke into the home of the victim, identified only as H.D., threatened her with a knife and forced her to move throughout the house. The majority concluded that moving the victim through the house did not “facilitate” Couch's sex crimes by making them “substantially easier to commit” or helping to hide them.

But Justice Caleb Stegall said in a dissenting opinion that the 1976 rule is “difficult and cumbersome to apply” and goes against “plain and unambiguous” language in the law defining kidnapping as confining someone using force, threats or deception. He was joined in his dissent by Chief Justice Marla Luckert and Justice Evelyn Wilson, both former trial court judges.

“We have repeatedly recognized that the Legislature, not the courts, is the primary policy-making branch of the government and that it is not within our power to rewrite statutes to satisfy our policy preferences,” Stegall wrote. “In my view, vindicating these principles far outweighs continued adhearance to a wrongly decided and badly reasoned precedent.”

If a sex crime also is involved, a conviction in Kansas for aggravated kidnapping, or harming someone during a kidnapping, carries a penalty of at least 20 years in prison. Couch was sentenced to nearly 109 years in prison for all of his crimes.

The arguments among the seven justices in Kansas echoed arguments among U.S. Supreme Court members in a far different context in the Dobbs decision last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and allowing states to outlaw abortion. Five conservative justices rejected arguments that the court should uphold Roe v. Wade because it was well-settled law, protecting access to abortion for nearly 50 years.

In Friday's ruling, Kansas Justice K.J. Wall said the state's appellate courts have long relied on the 1976 decision to decide whether a kidnapping occurred. Neither side in Couch's case asked for it to be overruled, he wrote.

“And we have previously declined to reconsider precedent under similar circumstances,” Wall wrote. He was joined in the majority by Justices Dan Biles, Eric Rosen and Melissa Standridge. Rosen is a former trial court judge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691783882215.png" alt="Couch has convictions for rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated burglary and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept. of corrections. He is being held in the El Dorado Correctional Facility" />
 <figcaption>Couch has convictions for rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated burglary and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept. of corrections. He is being held in the El Dorado Correctional Facility</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three members of the Kansas Supreme Court want to make it easier for prosecutors to convict defendants of kidnapping, saying in a dissenting opinion Friday that the court should abandon a legal rule it has used for nearly 50 years in reviewing criminal cases.The court issued&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/Opinions/122156_1.PDF">a 4-3 decision</a>&nbsp;in the case of a Finney County man convicted of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape and aggravated sodomy over a December 2018 attack on a woman in her home. While the court upheld Michael Wayne Couch's other convictions, it reversed his kidnapping conviction.The majority invoked a rule imposed in a 1976 decision that similarly involved multiple crimes. In that earlier case, the court declared that a defendant could not be convicted of kidnapping if the actions covered by that charge are “inherent” in another crime, are “slight or inconsequential” or have no "significance independently.”The Supreme Court in 1976 gave examples. It said a robbery on the street does not involve kidnapping, but forcing the victim into an alley does. Moving a rape victim from room to room in a house for the rapist's “convenience” is not kidnapping, but forcing the victim from a public place to a secluded one is.According to the court's opinion, Couch broke into the home of the victim, identified only as H.D., threatened her with a knife and forced her to move throughout the house. The majority concluded that moving the victim through the house did not “facilitate” Couch's sex crimes by making them “substantially easier to commit” or helping to hide them.But Justice Caleb Stegall said in a dissenting opinion that the 1976 rule is “difficult and cumbersome to apply” and goes against “plain and unambiguous” language in the law defining kidnapping as confining someone using force, threats or deception. He was joined in his dissent by Chief Justice Marla Luckert and Justice Evelyn Wilson, both former trial court judges.“We have repeatedly recognized that the Legislature, not the courts, is the primary policy-making branch of the government and that it is not within our power to rewrite statutes to satisfy our policy preferences,” Stegall wrote. “In my view, vindicating these principles far outweighs continued adhearance to a wrongly decided and badly reasoned precedent.”If a sex crime also is involved, a conviction in Kansas for aggravated kidnapping, or harming someone during a kidnapping, carries a penalty of at least 20 years in prison. Couch was sentenced to nearly 109 years in prison for all of his crimes.The arguments among the seven justices in Kansas echoed arguments among U.S. Supreme Court members in a far different context in the Dobbs decision last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and allowing states to outlaw abortion. Five conservative justices rejected arguments that the court should uphold Roe v. Wade because it was well-settled law, protecting access to abortion for nearly 50 years.In Friday's ruling, Kansas Justice K.J. Wall said the state's appellate courts have long relied on the 1976 decision to decide whether a kidnapping occurred. Neither side in Couch's case asked for it to be overruled, he wrote.“And we have previously declined to reconsider precedent under similar circumstances,” Wall wrote. He was joined in the majority by Justices Dan Biles, Eric Rosen and Melissa Standridge. Rosen is a former trial court judge.

Kan. court's reversal of a kidnapping conviction prompts call for a new legal rule

MORGAN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a boat explosion that injured 16-people at the Millstone Marina at Lake of the Ozarks.&nbsp;

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, just after 4:30p.m. Friday, a 2000 Carver Cabin motor boat driven by Matthew J. Simcox, 41, Ofallon, was fueling at the marina gas docks.&nbsp;Gas fumes built up in the engine area and when Simcox started the vessel, a spark set off the explosion in the engine compartment.

Three passengers on the boat were ejected due to the blast. Mid-Missouri Ambulance District transported a 15-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman both from Weldon Spring to Lake Regional Hospital. Camden County Mercy EMS transported a 34-year-old woman from Ofallon to Lake Regional Hospital. A private vehicle transported Allyson J. Gaut, 18, Jamul, California and Paige A. Sery, 19, Weldon Springs, to Lake Regional Hospital.

Simcox and 11 others ranging in age from 6 to 43 were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691840851738.png" alt="Photos Missouri State Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photos Missouri State Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>MORGAN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a boat explosion that injured 16-people at the Millstone Marina at Lake of the Ozarks.&nbsp;According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, just after 4:30p.m. Friday, a 2000 Carver Cabin motor boat driven by Matthew J. Simcox, 41, Ofallon, was fueling at the marina gas docks.&nbsp;Gas fumes built up in the engine area and when Simcox started the vessel, a spark set off the explosion in the engine compartment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691840831988.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Three passengers on the boat were ejected due to the blast. Mid-Missouri Ambulance District transported a 15-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman both from Weldon Spring to Lake Regional Hospital. Camden County Mercy EMS transported a 34-year-old woman from Ofallon to Lake Regional Hospital. A private vehicle transported Allyson J. Gaut, 18, Jamul, California and Paige A. Sery, 19, Weldon Springs, to Lake Regional Hospital.Simcox and 11 others ranging in age from 6 to 43 were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

16 injured after boat explosion at Lake of the Ozarks

The lawsuit was originally filed by attorneys general in Missouri and Louisiana last year alleging the federal government colluded with social media companies to suppress free speech

By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Attorneys for the Biden administration argued this week that a district judge in Louisiana overstepped his authority by barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies to urge them to moderate information deemed harmful or misleading.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments over whether it should lift an injunction issued by a lower court in July that concluded the government wrongly pushed social media companies to suppress disfavored political views.&nbsp;

Daniel Tenny, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, made the case Thursday that the injunction hampers the government’s ability to deal with misinformation during emergencies and violates the government’s own right to speak freely.

“Plaintiffs have urged, for example, that if there were a natural disaster and there were untrue statements circulating on social media that were damaging to the public interest, the government would be powerless under the injunction to discourage social media companies from further disseminating those incorrect statements,” said Daniel Tenny of the U.S. Department of Justice.&nbsp;

The lawsuit was filed last year by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. It alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to suppress the freedom of speech.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ruled July 4 that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-limits-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms-in-censorship-case/">officials under both Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump coerced social media companies to censor content&nbsp;</a>over concerns it would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections.

Doughty, a Trump appointee, said the “widespread censorship campaign” violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment’s free speech guarantees. His order barred government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from contacting social media companies “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”

The Biden administration quickly appealed, and the 5th Circuit temporarily put the judge’s ruling on hold.

During Thursday’s hearing, judges asked Tenny directly about communications between the government and social media companies, which they said at times felt coercive.

“What appears to be in the record are these irate messages, from time to time, from high ranking government officials who say ‘you didn’t do this yet,’” ”said Judge Edith Brown Clement, an appointee of former President George W. Bush. “And so it’s like, jump, and how high.”

Judge Don Willett, a Trump appointee, said he believes it’s “perfectly fine for the government to call out publicly someone for posting or publishing something that the government believes is false or believes is dangerous.”

But the conversations at the heart of this lawsuit took place in private, Willett said, and seem to have relied on “a fairly unsubtle kind of strong arming.”

“That’s a really nice social media platform you got there,” Willett continued, “it’d be a shame if something happened to it.”

D. John Sauer, the former solicitor general of Missouri who argued Thursday on behalf of the Louisiana attorney general, equated the government’s communications with social media companies to hypothetically pressuring booksellers to create a “book burning program.”&nbsp;

“In July of 2021, you see the platform’s having resisted the White House pressure for a significant period of time, all of a sudden after public threats combined with the private pressure campaign that had lasted for months and months, you see the platform just giving in,” Sauer said.&nbsp;

The result, Sauer argued, was the deplatforming of conservative voices and the silencing of “prominent critics of the administration.”

Biden administration attorneys argued federal officials don’t have the authority to order content removed from social media platforms, accusing GOP attorneys general of misrepresenting communications with companies about public health disinformation and election conspiracies.

There is no evidence of threats by the administration, Tenny said Thursday.&nbsp;

“The district court identified no evidence suggesting that a threat accompanied any request for the removal of content,” Tenny argued in a brief asking for the injunction to be lifted.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;whole&nbsp;theory&nbsp;of&nbsp;coercion, Tenny said, “falls&nbsp;apart&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;facts.”

The lawsuit has garnered widespread attention, and attracted co-plaintiffs with long histories of spreading misinformation and debunked conspiracy theories.

That includes Jim Hoft, founder of the right-wing conspiracy website Gateway Pundit, who was added to the lawsuit in August and has built a career on promulgating conspiracies on a wide range of topics, from the 2018 Parkland school shooting to former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.

More recently, Hoft has been among the biggest purveyors of election fraud lies. He currently faces&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/28/missouri-lawsuit-isnt-the-only-defamation-case-against-far-right-site-gateway-pundit/">defamation lawsuit in St. Louis circuit court</a>&nbsp;filed by two Georgia election workers who faced death threats following Gateway Pundit’s false stories about a vote-rigging scheme.&nbsp;

Sauer cited Hoft directly during Thursday’s argument, claiming that he is “currently&nbsp;subjected&nbsp;to&nbsp;an&nbsp;ongoing&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;by&nbsp;federal&nbsp;officials&nbsp;to&nbsp;target&nbsp;the&nbsp;content&nbsp;on&nbsp;his&nbsp;website.”&nbsp;

The lawsuit also attracted support from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/06/anti-vaxxers-seek-to-intervene-in-missouri-ag-eric-schmitts-social-media-lawsuit/">presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>., who has a long history of promoting medical misinformation such as the idea that vaccines cause autism and Wi-Fi causes cancer.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578090484280.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The lawsuit was originally filed by attorneys general in Missouri and Louisiana last year alleging the federal government colluded with social media companies to suppress free speech</h2>By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Attorneys for the Biden administration argued this week that a district judge in Louisiana overstepped his authority by barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies to urge them to moderate information deemed harmful or misleading.A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments over whether it should lift an injunction issued by a lower court in July that concluded the government wrongly pushed social media companies to suppress disfavored political views.&nbsp;Daniel Tenny, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, made the case Thursday that the injunction hampers the government’s ability to deal with misinformation during emergencies and violates the government’s own right to speak freely.“Plaintiffs have urged, for example, that if there were a natural disaster and there were untrue statements circulating on social media that were damaging to the public interest, the government would be powerless under the injunction to discourage social media companies from further disseminating those incorrect statements,” said Daniel Tenny of the U.S. Department of Justice.&nbsp;The lawsuit was filed last year by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. It alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to suppress the freedom of speech.U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ruled July 4 that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-limits-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms-in-censorship-case/">officials under both Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump coerced social media companies to censor content&nbsp;</a>over concerns it would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections.Doughty, a Trump appointee, said the “widespread censorship campaign” violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment’s free speech guarantees. His order barred government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from contacting social media companies “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”The Biden administration quickly appealed, and the 5th Circuit temporarily put the judge’s ruling on hold.During Thursday’s hearing, judges asked Tenny directly about communications between the government and social media companies, which they said at times felt coercive.“What appears to be in the record are these irate messages, from time to time, from high ranking government officials who say ‘you didn’t do this yet,’” ”said Judge Edith Brown Clement, an appointee of former President George W. Bush. “And so it’s like, jump, and how high.”Judge Don Willett, a Trump appointee, said he believes it’s “perfectly fine for the government to call out publicly someone for posting or publishing something that the government believes is false or believes is dangerous.”But the conversations at the heart of this lawsuit took place in private, Willett said, and seem to have relied on “a fairly unsubtle kind of strong arming.”“That’s a really nice social media platform you got there,” Willett continued, “it’d be a shame if something happened to it.”D. John Sauer, the former solicitor general of Missouri who argued Thursday on behalf of the Louisiana attorney general, equated the government’s communications with social media companies to hypothetically pressuring booksellers to create a “book burning program.”&nbsp;“In July of 2021, you see the platform’s having resisted the White House pressure for a significant period of time, all of a sudden after public threats combined with the private pressure campaign that had lasted for months and months, you see the platform just giving in,” Sauer said.&nbsp;The result, Sauer argued, was the deplatforming of conservative voices and the silencing of “prominent critics of the administration.”Biden administration attorneys argued federal officials don’t have the authority to order content removed from social media platforms, accusing GOP attorneys general of misrepresenting communications with companies about public health disinformation and election conspiracies.There is no evidence of threats by the administration, Tenny said Thursday.&nbsp;“The district court identified no evidence suggesting that a threat accompanied any request for the removal of content,” Tenny argued in a brief asking for the injunction to be lifted.&nbsp;The&nbsp;whole&nbsp;theory&nbsp;of&nbsp;coercion, Tenny said, “falls&nbsp;apart&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;facts.”The lawsuit has garnered widespread attention, and attracted co-plaintiffs with long histories of spreading misinformation and debunked conspiracy theories.That includes Jim Hoft, founder of the right-wing conspiracy website Gateway Pundit, who was added to the lawsuit in August and has built a career on promulgating conspiracies on a wide range of topics, from the 2018 Parkland school shooting to former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.More recently, Hoft has been among the biggest purveyors of election fraud lies. He currently faces&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/28/missouri-lawsuit-isnt-the-only-defamation-case-against-far-right-site-gateway-pundit/">defamation lawsuit in St. Louis circuit court</a>&nbsp;filed by two Georgia election workers who faced death threats following Gateway Pundit’s false stories about a vote-rigging scheme.&nbsp;Sauer cited Hoft directly during Thursday’s argument, claiming that he is “currently&nbsp;subjected&nbsp;to&nbsp;an&nbsp;ongoing&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;by&nbsp;federal&nbsp;officials&nbsp;to&nbsp;target&nbsp;the&nbsp;content&nbsp;on&nbsp;his&nbsp;website.”&nbsp;The lawsuit also attracted support from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/06/anti-vaxxers-seek-to-intervene-in-missouri-ag-eric-schmitts-social-media-lawsuit/">presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>., who has a long history of promoting medical misinformation such as the idea that vaccines cause autism and Wi-Fi causes cancer.&nbsp;

Court weighs limits on Biden administration contact with social media platforms

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a second suspect in custody.

Just after 9 a.m. August 5, police responded to a report of a burglary at Crocker’s Car Care, 1001 SE 21st street, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks. Officers were notified of forced entry into the business and that motor vehicles had been stolen.

Just after 8a.m. Aug. 6., police located a person of interest in the investigation identified as Tiffany D. Woosley, 33, of Topeka, in the 1900 block of SE Pennsylvania.

As a result of the investigation , police transported Woosley to the Shawnee County Department.Corrections. She is being held on requested charges of Burglary; Non dwelling, theft; motor vehicle and criminal damage to property, according to Eubanks.

On August 8, police received information about a second person of interest in this investigation, Vashawn M. Fitzpatrick, 35, Topeka. 

With the information received the officers were able to locate him in the 5200 Block of SW 22nd Park. Officers transported Fitzpatrick to the Shawnee County Department&nbsp; for theft of a motor vehicle. Separate from this incident, he also faces charges that include possession of stolen property, felony; possession of stolen property, firearm; interference with law enforcement officer and a county warrant. He is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691413631726.png" alt="Woosley-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Woosley-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a second suspect in custody.Just after 9 a.m. August 5, police responded to a report of a burglary at Crocker’s Car Care, 1001 SE 21st street, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks. Officers were notified of forced entry into the business and that motor vehicles had been stolen.Just after 8a.m. Aug. 6., police located a person of interest in the investigation identified as Tiffany D. Woosley, 33, of Topeka, in the 1900 block of SE Pennsylvania.As a result of the investigation , police transported Woosley to the Shawnee County Department.Corrections. She is being held on requested charges of Burglary; Non dwelling, theft; motor vehicle and criminal damage to property, according to Eubanks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691624437241.png" alt=" Fitzpatrick-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption> Fitzpatrick-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On August 8, police received information about a second person of interest in this investigation, Vashawn M. Fitzpatrick, 35, Topeka. With the information received the officers were able to locate him in the 5200 Block of SW 22nd Park. Officers transported Fitzpatrick to the Shawnee County Department&nbsp; for theft of a motor vehicle. Separate from this incident, he also faces charges that include possession of stolen property, felony; possession of stolen property, firearm; interference with law enforcement officer and a county warrant. He is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

2nd suspect accused in theft of vehicles from Kan. car repair shop

LINCOLN (AP) —A Nebraska judge on Friday rejected an effort to block a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-abortion-ban-nebraska-1a88067bf403559116df7c09e004e472">ban on abortions</a>&nbsp;after 12 weeks of pregnancy and restrictions on gender-affirming surgery.

Lancaster County District Court Judge Lori Maret sided with the state and allowed a law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-health-abortion-laws-nebraska-3bd01980e0df33bc89afc3d5b0c11f93">approved by the Nebraska Legislature</a>&nbsp;earlier this year to remain in effect.

The law outlaws abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. As of Oct. 1, it also will prevent people under 19 from receiving gender-affirming surgery and restricts the use of hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland had filed a lawsuit arguing legislators violated a constitutional requirement that bills not contain more than one subject. Lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-94f1e637e2d9034f608c793bf929e888">added the abortion ban</a>&nbsp;to an existing bill dealing with gender-related care.

The attorney general contended the issues didn't violate the rule because they were both health related.

“I am grateful for the court’s thorough decision," Gov. Jim Pillen said in a statement. “I was proud to sign into law a measure that protects kids and defends the unborn, and I am pleased that it has been upheld.”

Mindy Rush Chipman, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which helped represent Planned Parenthood, said they would appeal the decision.

“State senators combined unrelated restrictions into a single bill in their rush to take away Nebraskans’ rights,” Rush Chipman said in a statement. “That tactic violated the text of the Nebraska Constitution, which plainly says that ‘no bill shall contain more than one subject.’ As a result, Nebraskans are being seriously harmed.”

Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, called the decision a “devastating blow to Nebraskans’ fundamental right to make what should be private decisions between them and their doctors.”

Richardson said the organization would continue to provide abortions before 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Legislators added the abortion restrictions to a transgender-related bill as an amendment after a separate bill to ban abortions at about six weeks failed to overcome a filibuster.

LINCOLN (AP) —A Nebraska judge on Friday rejected an effort to block a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-abortion-ban-nebraska-1a88067bf403559116df7c09e004e472">ban on abortions</a>&nbsp;after 12 weeks of pregnancy and restrictions on gender-affirming surgery.Lancaster County District Court Judge Lori Maret sided with the state and allowed a law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-health-abortion-laws-nebraska-3bd01980e0df33bc89afc3d5b0c11f93">approved by the Nebraska Legislature</a>&nbsp;earlier this year to remain in effect.The law outlaws abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. As of Oct. 1, it also will prevent people under 19 from receiving gender-affirming surgery and restricts the use of hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors.Planned Parenthood of the Heartland had filed a lawsuit arguing legislators violated a constitutional requirement that bills not contain more than one subject. Lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-94f1e637e2d9034f608c793bf929e888">added the abortion ban</a>&nbsp;to an existing bill dealing with gender-related care.The attorney general contended the issues didn't violate the rule because they were both health related.“I am grateful for the court’s thorough decision," Gov. Jim Pillen said in a statement. “I was proud to sign into law a measure that protects kids and defends the unborn, and I am pleased that it has been upheld.”Mindy Rush Chipman, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which helped represent Planned Parenthood, said they would appeal the decision.“State senators combined unrelated restrictions into a single bill in their rush to take away Nebraskans’ rights,” Rush Chipman said in a statement. “That tactic violated the text of the Nebraska Constitution, which plainly says that ‘no bill shall contain more than one subject.’ As a result, Nebraskans are being seriously harmed.”Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, called the decision a “devastating blow to Nebraskans’ fundamental right to make what should be private decisions between them and their doctors.”Richardson said the organization would continue to provide abortions before 12 weeks of pregnancy.Legislators added the abortion restrictions to a transgender-related bill as an amendment after a separate bill to ban abortions at about six weeks failed to overcome a filibuster.

Neb. judge allows abortion limits, restrictions on gender-affirming surgery

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department announced this week that a suspect has been arrested and charged in a June 5, homicide that took place in the 500 Block of Elizabeth, according to a media release.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Apprehension Task Force, assisted by officers with the KCKPD, took 38-year-old Mahir Alihodzic, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri, into custody August 8, in Kansas City, Kansas.

The shooting occurred just before 9:30 p.m June 5. Wheeler was transported to an area hospital where police reported he died the following afternoon..

The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office has charged&nbsp;Alihodzic with second-degree murder.&nbsp; Alihodzic is currently being held in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $350,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691714526560.png" alt="Alihodzic-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Alihodzic-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department announced this week that a suspect has been arrested and charged in a June 5, homicide that took place in the 500 Block of Elizabeth, according to a media release.The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Apprehension Task Force, assisted by officers with the KCKPD, took 38-year-old Mahir Alihodzic, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri, into custody August 8, in Kansas City, Kansas.The shooting occurred just before 9:30 p.m June 5. Wheeler was transported to an area hospital where police reported he died the following afternoon..The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office has charged&nbsp;Alihodzic with second-degree murder.&nbsp; Alihodzic is currently being held in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $350,000 bond.

U.S. Marshals help arrest suspect for murder of Kansas man

BY:&nbsp;SHERMAN SMITH,&nbsp;SAM BAILEY,&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;AND TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

MARION — In an unprecedented raid Friday, local law enforcement seized computers, cellphones and reporting materials from the Marion County Record office, the newspaper’s reporters, and the publisher’s home.

Eric Meyer, owner and publisher of the newspaper, said police were motivated by a confidential source who leaked sensitive documents to the newspaper, and the message was clear: “Mind your own business or we’re going to step on you.”

The city’s entire five-officer police force and two sheriff’s deputies took “everything we have,” Meyer said, and it wasn’t clear how the newspaper staff would take the weekly publication to press Tuesday night.

The raid followed news stories about a restaurant owner who kicked reporters out of a meeting last week with U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, and revelations about the restaurant owner’s lack of a driver’s license and conviction for drunken driving.

Meyer said he had never heard of police raiding a newspaper office during his 20 years at the Milwaukee Journal or 26 years teaching journalism at the University of Illinois.

“It’s going to have a chilling effect on us even tackling issues,” Meyer said, as well as “a chilling effect on people giving us information.”

The search warrant, signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar, appears to violate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000aa">federal law</a>&nbsp;that provides protections against searching and seizing materials from journalists. The law requires law enforcement to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mcguirewoods.com/news-resources/publications/media.0101.pdf">subpoena materials instead</a>. Viar didn’t respond to a request to comment for this story or explain why she would authorize a potentially illegal raid.

Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said the police raid is unprecedented in Kansas.

“An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the public’s right to know,” Bradbury said. “This cannot be allowed to stand.”

Meyer reported last week that Marion restaurant owner Kari Newell had kicked newspaper staff out of a public forum with LaTurner, whose staff was apologetic. Newell responded to Meyer’s reporting with hostile comments on her personal Facebook page.

A confidential source contacted the newspaper, Meyer said, and provided evidence that Newell had been convicted of drunken driving and continued to use her vehicle without a driver’s license. The criminal record could jeopardize her efforts to obtain a liquor license for her catering business.

A reporter with the Marion Record used a state website to verify the information provided by the source. But Meyer suspected the source was relaying information from Newell’s husband, who had filed for divorce. Meyer decided not to publish a story about the information, and he alerted police to the situation.

“We thought we were being set up,” Meyer said.

Police notified Newell, who then complained at a city council meeting that the newspaper had illegally obtained and disseminated sensitive documents, which isn’t true. Her public comments prompted the newspaper to set the record straight in a story published Thursday.

Sometime before 11 a.m. Friday, officers showed up simultaneously at Meyer’s home and the newspaper office. They presented a search warrant that alleges identity theft and unlawful use of a computer.

The search warrant identifies two pages worth of items that law enforcement officers were allowed to seize, including computer software and hardware, digital communications, cellular networks, servers and hard drives, items with passwords, utility records, and all documents and records pertaining to Newell. The warrant specifically targeted ownership of computers capable of being used to “participate in the identity theft of Kari Newell.”

Officers injured a reporter’s finger by grabbing her cellphone out of her hand, Meyer said. Officers at his home took photos of his bank account information.

He said officers told him the computers, cellphones and other devices would be sent to a lab.

“I don’t know when they’ll get it back to us,” Meyer said. “They won’t tell us.”

The seized computers, server and backup hard drive include advertisements and legal notices that were supposed to appear in the next edition of the newspaper.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” he said. “We will publish something.”

Newell, writing Friday under a changed name on her personal Facebook account, said she “foolishly” received a DUI in 2008 and “knowingly operated a vehicle without a license out of necessity.”

“Journalists have become the dirty politicians of today, twisting narrative for bias agendas, full of muddied half-truths,” Newell wrote. “We rarely get facts that aren’t baited with misleading insinuations.”

She said the “entire debacle was brought forth in an attempt to smear my name, jeopardize my licensing through ABC (state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division), harm my business, seek retaliation, and for personal leverage in an ongoing domestic court battle.”

At the law enforcement center in Marion, a staff member said only Police Chief Gideon Cody could answer questions for this story, and that Cody had gone home for the day and could not be reached by phone. The office of Attorney General Kris Kobach wasn’t available to comment on the legal controversy in Marion, which is north of Wichita in central Kansas.

Melissa Underwood, communications director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, replied by email to a question about whether the KBI was involved in the case.

“At the request of the Marion Police Department, on Tuesday, Aug. 8, we began an investigation into allegations of criminal wrongdoing in Marion, Kansas. The investigation is ongoing,” Underwood said.

Meyer, whose father worked at the newspaper from 1948 until he retired, bought the Marion County Record in 1998, preventing a sale to a corporate newspaper chain.

As a journalism professor in Illinois, Meyer said, he had graduate students from Egypt who talked about how people would come into the newspaper office and seize everything so they couldn’t publish. Those students presented a scholarly paper at a conference in Toronto about what it has done to journalism there.

“That’s basically what they’re trying to do here,” Meyer said. “The intervention is just like that repressive government of Egypt. I didn’t think it could happen in America.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691800545331.png" alt="Eric Meyer, publisher of the Marion County Record, answers questions in his newspaper office Friday after police seized computers, servers, cellphones and other items. He says he doesn’t know how they will get the newspaper out on Tuesday, but, “We will publish something.” (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Eric Meyer, publisher of the Marion County Record, answers questions in his newspaper office Friday after police seized computers, servers, cellphones and other items. He says he doesn’t know how they will get the newspaper out on Tuesday, but, “We will publish something.” (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;SHERMAN SMITH,&nbsp;SAM BAILEY,&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;AND TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>MARION — In an unprecedented raid Friday, local law enforcement seized computers, cellphones and reporting materials from the Marion County Record office, the newspaper’s reporters, and the publisher’s home.Eric Meyer, owner and publisher of the newspaper, said police were motivated by a confidential source who leaked sensitive documents to the newspaper, and the message was clear: “Mind your own business or we’re going to step on you.”The city’s entire five-officer police force and two sheriff’s deputies took “everything we have,” Meyer said, and it wasn’t clear how the newspaper staff would take the weekly publication to press Tuesday night.The raid followed news stories about a restaurant owner who kicked reporters out of a meeting last week with U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, and revelations about the restaurant owner’s lack of a driver’s license and conviction for drunken driving.Meyer said he had never heard of police raiding a newspaper office during his 20 years at the Milwaukee Journal or 26 years teaching journalism at the University of Illinois.“It’s going to have a chilling effect on us even tackling issues,” Meyer said, as well as “a chilling effect on people giving us information.”The search warrant, signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar, appears to violate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000aa">federal law</a>&nbsp;that provides protections against searching and seizing materials from journalists. The law requires law enforcement to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mcguirewoods.com/news-resources/publications/media.0101.pdf">subpoena materials instead</a>. Viar didn’t respond to a request to comment for this story or explain why she would authorize a potentially illegal raid.Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said the police raid is unprecedented in Kansas.“An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the public’s right to know,” Bradbury said. “This cannot be allowed to stand.”Meyer reported last week that Marion restaurant owner Kari Newell had kicked newspaper staff out of a public forum with LaTurner, whose staff was apologetic. Newell responded to Meyer’s reporting with hostile comments on her personal Facebook page.A confidential source contacted the newspaper, Meyer said, and provided evidence that Newell had been convicted of drunken driving and continued to use her vehicle without a driver’s license. The criminal record could jeopardize her efforts to obtain a liquor license for her catering business.A reporter with the Marion Record used a state website to verify the information provided by the source. But Meyer suspected the source was relaying information from Newell’s husband, who had filed for divorce. Meyer decided not to publish a story about the information, and he alerted police to the situation.“We thought we were being set up,” Meyer said.Police notified Newell, who then complained at a city council meeting that the newspaper had illegally obtained and disseminated sensitive documents, which isn’t true. Her public comments prompted the newspaper to set the record straight in a story published Thursday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691800477381.png" alt=" Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar signed a search warrant authorizing the police raid of the newspaper office. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar signed a search warrant authorizing the police raid of the newspaper office. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Sometime before 11 a.m. Friday, officers showed up simultaneously at Meyer’s home and the newspaper office. They presented a search warrant that alleges identity theft and unlawful use of a computer.The search warrant identifies two pages worth of items that law enforcement officers were allowed to seize, including computer software and hardware, digital communications, cellular networks, servers and hard drives, items with passwords, utility records, and all documents and records pertaining to Newell. The warrant specifically targeted ownership of computers capable of being used to “participate in the identity theft of Kari Newell.”Officers injured a reporter’s finger by grabbing her cellphone out of her hand, Meyer said. Officers at his home took photos of his bank account information.He said officers told him the computers, cellphones and other devices would be sent to a lab.“I don’t know when they’ll get it back to us,” Meyer said. “They won’t tell us.”The seized computers, server and backup hard drive include advertisements and legal notices that were supposed to appear in the next edition of the newspaper.“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” he said. “We will publish something.”Newell, writing Friday under a changed name on her personal Facebook account, said she “foolishly” received a DUI in 2008 and “knowingly operated a vehicle without a license out of necessity.”“Journalists have become the dirty politicians of today, twisting narrative for bias agendas, full of muddied half-truths,” Newell wrote. “We rarely get facts that aren’t baited with misleading insinuations.”She said the “entire debacle was brought forth in an attempt to smear my name, jeopardize my licensing through ABC (state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division), harm my business, seek retaliation, and for personal leverage in an ongoing domestic court battle.”At the law enforcement center in Marion, a staff member said only Police Chief Gideon Cody could answer questions for this story, and that Cody had gone home for the day and could not be reached by phone. The office of Attorney General Kris Kobach wasn’t available to comment on the legal controversy in Marion, which is north of Wichita in central Kansas.Melissa Underwood, communications director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, replied by email to a question about whether the KBI was involved in the case.“At the request of the Marion Police Department, on Tuesday, Aug. 8, we began an investigation into allegations of criminal wrongdoing in Marion, Kansas. The investigation is ongoing,” Underwood said.Meyer, whose father worked at the newspaper from 1948 until he retired, bought the Marion County Record in 1998, preventing a sale to a corporate newspaper chain.As a journalism professor in Illinois, Meyer said, he had graduate students from Egypt who talked about how people would come into the newspaper office and seize everything so they couldn’t publish. Those students presented a scholarly paper at a conference in Toronto about what it has done to journalism there.“That’s basically what they’re trying to do here,” Meyer said. “The intervention is just like that repressive government of Egypt. I didn’t think it could happen in America.”

Police raid Marion Co. newspaper, seizing computers, records and cellphones

MIAMI COUNTY, Kansas —Two people died in an accident just after 4a.m. Thursday in Miami County.

According to Paola Police, a vehicle was northbound in the southbound lanes of&nbsp; U.S. 69 at 327th Street. The vehicle and a southbound vehicle collided.

First responders found both drivers 58-year-old Carolyn J. Nuckles of Garnett and 49-year-old Paula E. Weers of Spring Hill deceased.&nbsp; There were no other occupants involved. The accident remains under investigation, according to the police department.

MIAMI COUNTY, Kansas —Two people died in an accident just after 4a.m. Thursday in Miami County.According to Paola Police, a vehicle was northbound in the southbound lanes of&nbsp; U.S. 69 at 327th Street. The vehicle and a southbound vehicle collided.First responders found both drivers 58-year-old Carolyn J. Nuckles of Garnett and 49-year-old Paula E. Weers of Spring Hill deceased.&nbsp; There were no other occupants involved. The accident remains under investigation, according to the police department.

Police ID two Kansas women who died in wrong-way crash

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll has risen to 80 as a result of the wildfires that decimated parts of the island of Maui this past week, officials in Hawaii said Friday.

The number of confirmed fatalities in the 9 p.m. announcement by the County of Maui increased from the previous figure of 67.

Gov. Josh Green had previously warned the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. Authorities set a curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday.

“The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely, because it’s pretty dangerous,” Green told Hawaii News Now.

Cadaver-sniffing dogs were deployed to search for the dead, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.

Blackened hulks of burned-out cars, the pavement streaked with melted and then rehardened chrome. Block after block of flattened homes and businesses. Incinerated telephone poles and elevator shafts rising from ashy lots where apartment buildings once stood. A truck bed full of glass bottles, warped into surreal shapes by the furious heat.

Anthony Garcia assessed the devastation as he stood under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">Lahaina’s</a>&nbsp;iconic banyan tree, now charred, and swept twisted branches into neat piles next to another heap filled with dead animals: cats, roosters and other birds killed by the smoke and flames. Somehow it made sense in a world turned upside-down.

“If I don’t do something, I’ll go nuts,” said Garcia, who lost everything he owned. “I’m losing my faith in God.”

Garcia and other residents were faced with widespread destruction as they took stock of their shattered homes and lives Friday resulting from the wildfires that tore through parts of Maui this week and were still short of full containment.

A new fire Friday evening triggered the evacuation of Kaanapali in West Maui, a community northeast of the area that burned earlier, the Maui Police Department announced on social media.

The fire, which was completely extinguished before 8:30 p.m., occurred in an area where a county fueling station was set up to distribute about 3,000 gallons (11,356 liters) of gasoline and 500 gallons (1,892 liters) of diesel fuel for about 400 waiting vehicles. Fuel would not be distributed on Saturday, the county said in a statement.

Attorney General Anne Lopez announced plans to conduct a comprehensive review of decision-making and standing policies impacting the response to the deadly wildfires.

“My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review,” Lopez said in a statement.

The wildfires are the state’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted development of a territory-wide emergency system with sirens that are tested monthly.

Many fire survivors said they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning giving them enough time to prepare, realizing they were in danger only when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/live-updates-maui-fire-hawaii-wildfire-162a9fcdefe648d6bcd6557af70d894f">saw flames or heard explosions</a>.

“There was no warning," said Lynn Robinson, who lost her home.

Hawaii emergency management records do no indicate warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

Fueled by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfires-climate-change-92c0930be7c28ec9ac71392a83c87582">dry summer</a>&nbsp;and strong winds from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfire-maui-dora-winds-ec23c16abfbeb6ba689f1a98263720db">passing hurricane</a>, at least three wildfires erupted on Maui, racing through parched brush covering the island.

The most serious blaze swept into Lahaina on Tuesday and left a grid of gray rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes. Associated Press journalists found the devastation included nearly every building on Front Street, the heart of historic Lahaina and the economic hub of Maui.

There was an eerie traffic jam of charred cars that didn’t escape the inferno as surviving roosters meandered through the ashes. Skeletal remains of buildings bowed under roofs that pancaked in the blaze. Palm trees were torched, boats in the harbor were scorched and the stench of burning lingered.

“It hit so quick, it was incredible,” Kyle Scharnhorst said as he surveyed his damaged apartment complex.

Summer and Gilles Gerling sought to salvage keepsakes from the ashes of their home. All they could find was the piggy bank Summer Gerling’s father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet and watches they gifted each other for their wedding. Their wedding rings were gone.

They described their fear as the strong wind whipped the smoke and flames closer, but said they were happy to have made it out alive with their two children.

“Safety was the main concern. These are all material things,” Gilles Gerling said.

The wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to disaster and risk modeling firm Karen Clark &amp; Company. The fire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-gavin-newsom-paradise-dbae2ef725b32d91ff4c612de38f01e2">2018 Camp Fire</a>&nbsp;in California, which killed at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise.

The danger on Maui was well known. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan updated in 2020 identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and several buildings at risk. The report also noted West Maui had the island’s second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.

“This may limit the population’s ability to receive, understand and take expedient action during hazard events,” the plan stated.

Maui’s firefighting efforts may have been hampered by limited staff and equipment.

Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, said there are a maximum of 65 county firefighters working at any given time with responsibility for three islands: Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

The department has about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but no off-road vehicles to thoroughly attack brush fires before they reach roads or populated areas, he said.

Maui water officials warned Kula and Lahaina residents not to drink running water, which may be contaminated even after boiling, and to only take short, lukewarm showers in well-ventilated rooms to avoid possible chemical vapor exposure.

Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University engineering professor whose team assisted with the Camp Fire and Colorado's 2021 Marshall Fire, said showering in water potentially containing hazardous waste levels of benzene is not advisable and a do-not-use order would be appropriate until analysis is complete.

Lahaina resident Lana Vierra, who filled out FEMA assistance forms Friday at a relative’s house, fled Tuesday and was eager to return, despite knowing the home where she raised five children and treasured items like baby pictures and yearbooks were gone.

“To actually stand there on your burnt grounds and get your wheels turning on how to move forward — I think it will give families that peace," she said.

Riley Curran said he fled his Front Street home after climbing up a neighboring building to get a better look. He doubts county officials could have done more due to the speed of the onrushing flames.

“It’s not that people didn’t try to do anything," Curran said. “The fire went from 0 to 100.”

Curran had seen horrendous wildfires growing up in California, but “I’ve never seen one eat an entire town in four hours.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691662929011.png" alt="mage taken from a helicopter shows the vast destruction of Lahaina, a historic town in Hawaii. Courtesy: Vince Carter/Air Maui" />
 <figcaption>mage taken from a helicopter shows the vast destruction of Lahaina, a historic town in Hawaii. Courtesy: Vince Carter/Air Maui</figcaption>
 </figure>LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll has risen to 80 as a result of the wildfires that decimated parts of the island of Maui this past week, officials in Hawaii said Friday.The number of confirmed fatalities in the 9 p.m. announcement by the County of Maui increased from the previous figure of 67.Gov. Josh Green had previously warned the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. Authorities set a curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday.“The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely, because it’s pretty dangerous,” Green told Hawaii News Now.Cadaver-sniffing dogs were deployed to search for the dead, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.Blackened hulks of burned-out cars, the pavement streaked with melted and then rehardened chrome. Block after block of flattened homes and businesses. Incinerated telephone poles and elevator shafts rising from ashy lots where apartment buildings once stood. A truck bed full of glass bottles, warped into surreal shapes by the furious heat.Anthony Garcia assessed the devastation as he stood under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">Lahaina’s</a>&nbsp;iconic banyan tree, now charred, and swept twisted branches into neat piles next to another heap filled with dead animals: cats, roosters and other birds killed by the smoke and flames. Somehow it made sense in a world turned upside-down.“If I don’t do something, I’ll go nuts,” said Garcia, who lost everything he owned. “I’m losing my faith in God.”Garcia and other residents were faced with widespread destruction as they took stock of their shattered homes and lives Friday resulting from the wildfires that tore through parts of Maui this week and were still short of full containment.A new fire Friday evening triggered the evacuation of Kaanapali in West Maui, a community northeast of the area that burned earlier, the Maui Police Department announced on social media.The fire, which was completely extinguished before 8:30 p.m., occurred in an area where a county fueling station was set up to distribute about 3,000 gallons (11,356 liters) of gasoline and 500 gallons (1,892 liters) of diesel fuel for about 400 waiting vehicles. Fuel would not be distributed on Saturday, the county said in a statement.Attorney General Anne Lopez announced plans to conduct a comprehensive review of decision-making and standing policies impacting the response to the deadly wildfires.“My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review,” Lopez said in a statement.The wildfires are the state’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted development of a territory-wide emergency system with sirens that are tested monthly.Many fire survivors said they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning giving them enough time to prepare, realizing they were in danger only when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/live-updates-maui-fire-hawaii-wildfire-162a9fcdefe648d6bcd6557af70d894f">saw flames or heard explosions</a>.“There was no warning," said Lynn Robinson, who lost her home.Hawaii emergency management records do no indicate warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.Fueled by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfires-climate-change-92c0930be7c28ec9ac71392a83c87582">dry summer</a>&nbsp;and strong winds from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfire-maui-dora-winds-ec23c16abfbeb6ba689f1a98263720db">passing hurricane</a>, at least three wildfires erupted on Maui, racing through parched brush covering the island.The most serious blaze swept into Lahaina on Tuesday and left a grid of gray rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes. Associated Press journalists found the devastation included nearly every building on Front Street, the heart of historic Lahaina and the economic hub of Maui.There was an eerie traffic jam of charred cars that didn’t escape the inferno as surviving roosters meandered through the ashes. Skeletal remains of buildings bowed under roofs that pancaked in the blaze. Palm trees were torched, boats in the harbor were scorched and the stench of burning lingered.“It hit so quick, it was incredible,” Kyle Scharnhorst said as he surveyed his damaged apartment complex.Summer and Gilles Gerling sought to salvage keepsakes from the ashes of their home. All they could find was the piggy bank Summer Gerling’s father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet and watches they gifted each other for their wedding. Their wedding rings were gone.They described their fear as the strong wind whipped the smoke and flames closer, but said they were happy to have made it out alive with their two children.“Safety was the main concern. These are all material things,” Gilles Gerling said.The wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to disaster and risk modeling firm Karen Clark &amp; Company. The fire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-gavin-newsom-paradise-dbae2ef725b32d91ff4c612de38f01e2">2018 Camp Fire</a>&nbsp;in California, which killed at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise.The danger on Maui was well known. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan updated in 2020 identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and several buildings at risk. The report also noted West Maui had the island’s second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.“This may limit the population’s ability to receive, understand and take expedient action during hazard events,” the plan stated.Maui’s firefighting efforts may have been hampered by limited staff and equipment.Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, said there are a maximum of 65 county firefighters working at any given time with responsibility for three islands: Maui, Molokai and Lanai.The department has about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but no off-road vehicles to thoroughly attack brush fires before they reach roads or populated areas, he said.Maui water officials warned Kula and Lahaina residents not to drink running water, which may be contaminated even after boiling, and to only take short, lukewarm showers in well-ventilated rooms to avoid possible chemical vapor exposure.Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University engineering professor whose team assisted with the Camp Fire and Colorado's 2021 Marshall Fire, said showering in water potentially containing hazardous waste levels of benzene is not advisable and a do-not-use order would be appropriate until analysis is complete.Lahaina resident Lana Vierra, who filled out FEMA assistance forms Friday at a relative’s house, fled Tuesday and was eager to return, despite knowing the home where she raised five children and treasured items like baby pictures and yearbooks were gone.“To actually stand there on your burnt grounds and get your wheels turning on how to move forward — I think it will give families that peace," she said.Riley Curran said he fled his Front Street home after climbing up a neighboring building to get a better look. He doubts county officials could have done more due to the speed of the onrushing flames.“It’s not that people didn’t try to do anything," Curran said. “The fire went from 0 to 100.”Curran had seen horrendous wildfires growing up in California, but “I’ve never seen one eat an entire town in four hours.”___

Death toll from Maui wildfires rises as survivors return to communities in ruins

BROWN COUNTY —The Brown County Sheriff's Office has spent many many hours investigating criminal activity and after executing search warrants involving several different states and multiple locations in Kansas they have made arrests, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

The investigation&nbsp; led to&nbsp; the discovery of many thousands of dollars of stolen property that has been recovered, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Based on&nbsp; the investigation, three individuals have been charged in Brown County District Court with charges including felony theft and&nbsp; 4 arrests have been made in Richardson County Nebraska's jurisdiction stemming from the initial investigation.

The suspects connected with this case are Zach Brown, 40, Highland who was arrested on July 31, on charges of&nbsp; 2 Counts of Felony Theft and Felony&nbsp;Parole Violation.

Brad Donahue, 45, Powhattan, was arrested on July 29, on&nbsp; charges of Felony&nbsp;Theft, Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Mark Levret, 53, Powhattan, was arrested on 8-8-2023 charges of&nbsp; Felony Theft, Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug and&nbsp;&nbsp;Paraphernalia.&nbsp; All three are in the Brown County jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691700368962.png" alt="Brown-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Brown-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —The Brown County Sheriff's Office has spent many many hours investigating criminal activity and after executing search warrants involving several different states and multiple locations in Kansas they have made arrests, according to Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691700472381.png" alt="Donahue-Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Donahue-Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation&nbsp; led to&nbsp; the discovery of many thousands of dollars of stolen property that has been recovered, according to Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691700517847.png" alt="Levret-Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Levret-Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Based on&nbsp; the investigation, three individuals have been charged in Brown County District Court with charges including felony theft and&nbsp; 4 arrests have been made in Richardson County Nebraska's jurisdiction stemming from the initial investigation.The suspects connected with this case are Zach Brown, 40, Highland who was arrested on July 31, on charges of&nbsp; 2 Counts of Felony Theft and Felony&nbsp;Parole Violation.Brad Donahue, 45, Powhattan, was arrested on July 29, on&nbsp; charges of Felony&nbsp;Theft, Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Mark Levret, 53, Powhattan, was arrested on 8-8-2023 charges of&nbsp; Felony Theft, Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug and&nbsp;&nbsp;Paraphernalia.&nbsp; All three are in the Brown County jail..

Kan. investigation uncovers stolen property, 3 arrested

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Correctional Facility (HCF) resident Matthew Rutter died Thursday, according to a media release from the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

 He was found in his cell experiencing medical distress, causing staff to initiate life-saving measures. He was shortly after pronounced deceased by emergency medical services personnel. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.

Rutter, 36, was serving a sentence for convictions in Wyandotte and Johnson County, Kansas on 2 counts of aggravated burglary and a fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is currently ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691772720381.jpeg" alt="Matthew Jeremy Rutter-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Matthew Jeremy Rutter-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Correctional Facility (HCF) resident Matthew Rutter died Thursday, according to a media release from the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He was found in his cell experiencing medical distress, causing staff to initiate life-saving measures. He was shortly after pronounced deceased by emergency medical services personnel. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.Rutter, 36, was serving a sentence for convictions in Wyandotte and Johnson County, Kansas on 2 counts of aggravated burglary and a fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.&nbsp;&nbsp;Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Inmate serving time for burglary dies in Kansas prison

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —The Kansas suspect wounded in the officer-involved shooting Thursday morning remains hospital in critical condition, according to Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens.

The shooting occurred just after 2a.m. at the end of a vehicle pursuit involving members of the Leavenworth, Kansas Police Department and domestic violence suspect 25-year-old Jonathan Heath-Taylor of Leavenworth, Kansas.

On Thursday, investigators from the Leavenworth Police Department briefed the Leavenworth County Attorney’s office on the events associated with the original domestic violence call that occurred in Leavenworth.

On Friday, police provided the initial case file to the county attorney and recommended criminal charges for Attempted 1st Degree Murder, Rape, Kidnapping and Aggravated Domestic Violence, according to Kitchens.

 The Platte County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the Officer Involved Shooting and our agency will continue to cooperate fully.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691671445584.png" alt="The Platte County Sheriff’s Office will oversee the Officer Involved Shooting Investigation and has the support of the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>The Platte County Sheriff’s Office will oversee the Officer Involved Shooting Investigation and has the support of the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —The Kansas suspect wounded in the officer-involved shooting Thursday morning remains hospital in critical condition, according to Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens.The shooting occurred just after 2a.m. at the end of a vehicle pursuit involving members of the Leavenworth, Kansas Police Department and domestic violence suspect 25-year-old Jonathan Heath-Taylor of Leavenworth, Kansas.On Thursday, investigators from the Leavenworth Police Department briefed the Leavenworth County Attorney’s office on the events associated with the original domestic violence call that occurred in Leavenworth.On Friday, police provided the initial case file to the county attorney and recommended criminal charges for Attempted 1st Degree Murder, Rape, Kidnapping and Aggravated Domestic Violence, according to Kitchens. The Platte County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the Officer Involved Shooting and our agency will continue to cooperate fully.&nbsp;

Kan. man wounded by officer faces rape, attempted murder charge

Evergy’s request to increase rates was met with animus in Wichita.

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Evergy’s request that Kansas customers pay another $218 million each year is a symptom of a system built without efficiency, an environmental advocate says.

And until Kansas regulators allow the investor-owned utility to implement its proposed suite of programs designed to bring down customers’ usage, Ashok Gupta, an economist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, says costs will keep going up.

“The root cause of high costs is that the system sits idle 50% or more of the time in order to serve the really, really hot days and really, really cold days,” Gupta said.

Evergy, which serves 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, formed from the merger of Westar and Kansas City Power &amp; Light in 2018. In April, for the first time after a five-year moratorium, it filed a request with the Kansas Corporation Commission to increase its rates for Kansas customers. Testimony from consumer, environmental and business advocates is due at the end of August. A decision is likely to come by the end of the year.

For the average customer in the Kansas City area, the requested rate increase would mean another $3.47 each month. But for the rest of the company’s Kansas territory —&nbsp;which covers most of the eastern half of the state, including Topeka, Wichita and Salina — monthly bills would rise by $14.24. Regulators don’t have to grant all of what Evergy asked for.

Evergy’s filings say most of the requested increase is to pay for upgrades it has made to the system, including replacing power lines and adding technology that can more quickly isolate the cause of a power outage to reduce its reach. Another chunk would help the company recoup the costs from its aging coal plants so it can retire them. Regulated utilities like Evergy can adjust rates to recoup the costs of adding power plants or distribution infrastructure.

But Gupta said lowering demand by making Kansas homes more energy efficient would save money in the long run by keeping Evergy from having to build more and more. Kansas is ranked 49th out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., for energy efficiency by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. It fell from 47th last year.

“As winters get colder and summers get hotter, the costs are only going to go up,” Gupta said.&nbsp;

Evergy requested permission from the Kansas Corporation Commission to institute several energy efficiency programs, such as incentives for energy-efficient appliances and weatherization. But staff of the KCC hit the brakes on the programs despite buy-in from Evergy, consumer advocates and environmentalists. They said the program was too expensive.

A year later, the effort is at a standstill. The commission has its choice of Evergy’s original proposal or a pared-down version supported by staff.

A spokesman for the commission said there is no timeline for when commissioners must decide on a program.

In the meantime, Evergy has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/16/evergy-slashes-planned-renewable-energy-additions-proposes-more-natural-gas/">delayed coal plant closures and proposed new natural gas plants</a>&nbsp;to meet demand, something environmental activists have decried.

Courtney Lewis, a spokeswoman for Evergy, said the company’s request for energy efficiency programs is still active and, if approved, would be considered in future plan updates. She said it’s a more cost-effective way to meet customers’ needs.&nbsp;

Evergy could propose another rate hike as soon as next year to meet the demand of the Panasonic plant planned in De Soto. The plant, which will produce batteries for electric vehicles, requires an amount of energy Evergy likened to a small city.

“We’re asking low-income residential customers to increase their bills by $70 a year,” said Ty Gorman, Kansas campaign representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “And, at the same time, filing a plan that doubles down on expensive coal and gas.”

Chuck Caisley, of Evergy, told a crowd in Wichita that nobody likes to see rates rise.&nbsp;

“In a time of significant inflation across the economy, an increase in electrical rates isn’t something that anybody wants, and, frankly, it’s not something that Evergy as a company wants to do,” Caisley said.

Evergy’s proposed rate hike would be the first since 2017. In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newsroom.evergy.com/2023-04-25-Evergy-Files-Kansas-First-Rate-Review-in-Five-Years-to-Recover-Investments-to-Modernize-the-Power-Grid,-Increase-Reliability-and-Enhance-Customer-Service">news release announcing the rate case filing</a>, the company pointed out that other utilities’ rates in the region have climbed, on average, 13%. Inflation has driven the costs of other goods up 20%.

But Kansas’ electric rates still remain higher than surrounding states, according to the Energy Information Administration.

And Evergy’s proposal to raise rates by almost 10% across its Kansas territory —&nbsp;aside from the Kansas City area —&nbsp;was met with frustration at a public meeting in Wichita.

“This is going to hurt us economically when it comes to being competitive with other areas of the state,” said Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple. “… It’s going to hurt us when it comes to attracting jobs, and more importantly, it’s going to hurt our citizens.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687004047927.png" alt=" Evergy headquarters in downtown Topeka, Kansas (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)." />
 <figcaption> Evergy headquarters in downtown Topeka, Kansas (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Evergy’s request to increase rates was met with animus in Wichita.</h2>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>Evergy’s request that Kansas customers pay another $218 million each year is a symptom of a system built without efficiency, an environmental advocate says.And until Kansas regulators allow the investor-owned utility to implement its proposed suite of programs designed to bring down customers’ usage, Ashok Gupta, an economist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, says costs will keep going up.“The root cause of high costs is that the system sits idle 50% or more of the time in order to serve the really, really hot days and really, really cold days,” Gupta said.Evergy, which serves 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, formed from the merger of Westar and Kansas City Power &amp; Light in 2018. In April, for the first time after a five-year moratorium, it filed a request with the Kansas Corporation Commission to increase its rates for Kansas customers. Testimony from consumer, environmental and business advocates is due at the end of August. A decision is likely to come by the end of the year.For the average customer in the Kansas City area, the requested rate increase would mean another $3.47 each month. But for the rest of the company’s Kansas territory —&nbsp;which covers most of the eastern half of the state, including Topeka, Wichita and Salina — monthly bills would rise by $14.24. Regulators don’t have to grant all of what Evergy asked for.Evergy’s filings say most of the requested increase is to pay for upgrades it has made to the system, including replacing power lines and adding technology that can more quickly isolate the cause of a power outage to reduce its reach. Another chunk would help the company recoup the costs from its aging coal plants so it can retire them. Regulated utilities like Evergy can adjust rates to recoup the costs of adding power plants or distribution infrastructure.But Gupta said lowering demand by making Kansas homes more energy efficient would save money in the long run by keeping Evergy from having to build more and more. Kansas is ranked 49th out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., for energy efficiency by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. It fell from 47th last year.“As winters get colder and summers get hotter, the costs are only going to go up,” Gupta said.&nbsp;Evergy requested permission from the Kansas Corporation Commission to institute several energy efficiency programs, such as incentives for energy-efficient appliances and weatherization. But staff of the KCC hit the brakes on the programs despite buy-in from Evergy, consumer advocates and environmentalists. They said the program was too expensive.A year later, the effort is at a standstill. The commission has its choice of Evergy’s original proposal or a pared-down version supported by staff.A spokesman for the commission said there is no timeline for when commissioners must decide on a program.In the meantime, Evergy has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/16/evergy-slashes-planned-renewable-energy-additions-proposes-more-natural-gas/">delayed coal plant closures and proposed new natural gas plants</a>&nbsp;to meet demand, something environmental activists have decried.Courtney Lewis, a spokeswoman for Evergy, said the company’s request for energy efficiency programs is still active and, if approved, would be considered in future plan updates. She said it’s a more cost-effective way to meet customers’ needs.&nbsp;Evergy could propose another rate hike as soon as next year to meet the demand of the Panasonic plant planned in De Soto. The plant, which will produce batteries for electric vehicles, requires an amount of energy Evergy likened to a small city.“We’re asking low-income residential customers to increase their bills by $70 a year,” said Ty Gorman, Kansas campaign representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “And, at the same time, filing a plan that doubles down on expensive coal and gas.”Chuck Caisley, of Evergy, told a crowd in Wichita that nobody likes to see rates rise.&nbsp;“In a time of significant inflation across the economy, an increase in electrical rates isn’t something that anybody wants, and, frankly, it’s not something that Evergy as a company wants to do,” Caisley said.<h2>Current rate increase</h2>Evergy’s proposed rate hike would be the first since 2017. In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newsroom.evergy.com/2023-04-25-Evergy-Files-Kansas-First-Rate-Review-in-Five-Years-to-Recover-Investments-to-Modernize-the-Power-Grid,-Increase-Reliability-and-Enhance-Customer-Service">news release announcing the rate case filing</a>, the company pointed out that other utilities’ rates in the region have climbed, on average, 13%. Inflation has driven the costs of other goods up 20%.But Kansas’ electric rates still remain higher than surrounding states, according to the Energy Information Administration.And Evergy’s proposal to raise rates by almost 10% across its Kansas territory —&nbsp;aside from the Kansas City area —&nbsp;was met with frustration at a public meeting in Wichita.“This is going to hurt us economically when it comes to being competitive with other areas of the state,” said Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple. “… It’s going to hurt us when it comes to attracting jobs, and more importantly, it’s going to hurt our citizens.”Whipple started to say the rate hike would hurt elderly residents on fixed incomes when he was cut off by the moderator of the meeting.“I’m getting to my question,” Whipple said.The moderator, a member of the KCC staff, replied: “OK, please do.”Whipple, frustrated: “Excuse me. Excuse me. Thank you.”“No. No, no no,” the moderator replied. “I want to give all of your constituents the opportunity to ask a question.”Whipple questioned why customers should pay for Evergy’s executive benefits.Dozens of customers expressed outrage at the proposed hike.“How are we going to fix this?” asked Shannon Thomas. “Because I’m a poverty-level mom. $15 a month is going to hurt me.”Lewis, the Evergy spokeswoman, said the utility works to keep costs low because its staff knows rate hikes can be difficult. She said the utility has a team that works with customers who need help paying their bills. The company provides face-to-face assistance and information to more than 14,000 customers each year.Dave Nickel, consumer counsel for the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board, said the agency, which represents residential and small business utility customers, is still developing its comments on Evergy’s request.But he said CURB will likely go after executive salaries, any unnecessary or exorbitant spending by Evergy on infrastructure, and the company’s requested rate of return for investments.Nickel said CURB was supporting the “time-of-use pricing” included in the rate case. Customers can opt into plans where energy is more expensive during times of peak demand, such as 4 p.m. on a hot summer day, and cheaper during non-peak times.&nbsp;Evergy is rolling out the pricing scheme in Missouri to considerable blowback. But in Kansas, customers can opt in voluntarily.Nickel, like Gupta, said implementing energy efficiency programs could help control Evergy’s prices in the long-run. The state has a policy saying utilities and regulators should work together on energy efficiency.But he said for “almost 10 years, we haven’t gotten squat.”