CLAY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities spent most late Sunday and early Monday searching for a suspect in the woods&nbsp;approximately 30 miles northeast of Kansas City.

On Monday, the Excelsior Springs Fire Department executed a rope rescue of the injured man who had fallen down a 30+ foot ravine,&nbsp; according to the Excelsior Springs Police.

On Sunday the man had fled from officers into a tree line. Despite officers searching for an extended period of time, they were unable to locate him due to the dark and heavily wooded nature of the search area. 

At first light, officers returned and resumed their search, eventually locating him. Medical aid was immediately called for and, just before the rain and lightening rolled in on Monday. the man was successfully rescued. 

The suspect sustain serious injuries. He was being treated at an area hospital. The police department thanked the fire crews for their hard work.&nbsp; Police did not release details on what charges the man might face when he is released from the hospital.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690242690740.png" alt="photo courtesy Excelsior Springs Police" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Excelsior Springs Police</figcaption>
 </figure>CLAY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities spent most late Sunday and early Monday searching for a suspect in the woods&nbsp;approximately 30 miles northeast of Kansas City.On Monday, the Excelsior Springs Fire Department executed a rope rescue of the injured man who had fallen down a 30+ foot ravine,&nbsp; according to the Excelsior Springs Police.On Sunday the man had fled from officers into a tree line. Despite officers searching for an extended period of time, they were unable to locate him due to the dark and heavily wooded nature of the search area. At first light, officers returned and resumed their search, eventually locating him. Medical aid was immediately called for and, just before the rain and lightening rolled in on Monday. the man was successfully rescued. The suspect sustain serious injuries. He was being treated at an area hospital. The police department thanked the fire crews for their hard work.&nbsp; Police did not release details on what charges the man might face when he is released from the hospital.

Wanted man injured after falling 30 feet into ravine near Kansas City

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern sea, South Korea’s military said Tuesday, adding to a recent streak in weapons testing that is apparently in protest of the U.S. sending major naval assets to South Korea in a show of force.

In its third round of launches since last week, North Korea fired the missiles just before midnight from an area near its capital, Pyongyang, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It said both missiles traveled around 400 kilometers (248 miles) before landing in waters off the Korean Peninsula’s eastern coast.

Its statement called North Korea’s missile launches a “grave provocation” that threatens regional peace and stability.

The launches came hours after South Korea’s navy said a nuclear-propelled U.S. submarine — the USS Annapolis — arrived at a port on Jeju Island. That underscored the allies' efforts to boost the visibility of U.S. strategic assets in the region to intimidate the North.

Last week, the USS Kentucky became the first U.S. nuclear-armed submarine to come to South Korea since the 1980s. North Korea reacted to its arrival by test-firing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missiles-us-nuclear-submarine-9a915fab65631ad2094f78e0d1d942cf">ballistic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missiles-us-submarine-travis-king-c9fd009a622f1823b823b623ca04c218">cruise missiles</a>&nbsp;last week in apparent demonstrations that it could make nuclear strikes on South Korea and deployed U.S. naval vessels.

Also on Monday, the American-led U.N. Command said it has started “a conversation” with North Korea about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-us-citizen-crossed-border-e4aaa883901052e65f5c400c8279438b">U.S. soldier who ran into the North</a>&nbsp;last week across one of the world’s most heavily fortified borders.

Andrew Harrison, a British lieutenant general who is deputy commander at the U.N. Command, which oversees implementation of the 1953 armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, declined to comment about the state of the inquiry to North Korea or say what the command knows about Pvt. Travis King’s condition.

“I am in life an optimist, and I remain optimistic,” Harrison said during a news conference in Seoul.

In Washington, State Deptartment spokesman Matthew Miller said North Korea had only “acknowledged” receiving the U.N. message last week and had not provided any information or commented further since then.

“There have been no new contacts since last week,” Miller said, adding that North Korea also had not responded to messages sent by U.S. civilian or military officials.

North Korea has remained publicly silent about King, who crossed the border during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-us-soldier-travis-king-tourist-witness-92f96befe0b2b8d2e7d016d645d21180">a tour of Panmunjom</a>&nbsp;while he was supposed to be heading to Fort Bliss, Texas, following his release from prison in South Korea on an assault conviction.

The U.S. still has not been able to ascertain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-us-soldier-travis-king-3abebaf8aa599c92c92621b98dacb30a">King’s condition</a>, a senior administration official said Monday in Washington. Asked if U.S. officials had a better understanding of whether King intended to defect, the official said they still had “no indication about what was going on in his mind that day.” The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Analysts say North Korea may wait weeks or even months to provide meaningful information about King to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-us-soldier-travis-king-11a0429e279d498f8c3aa9c10f818b32">maximize leverage</a>&nbsp;and add urgency to U.S. efforts to secure his release. Some say North Korea may try to wrest concessions from Washington, such as tying his release to the United States cutting back its military activities with South Korea.

King’s crossing came at a time of high tensions in the Korean Peninsula, where the pace of both North Korea’s weapons demonstrations and the United States’ combined military exercises have intensified in a tit-for-tat cycle.

In between the ballistic and cruise missile launches last week, North Korea’s defense minister also issued a veiled threat, saying the Kentucky’s docking in South Korea could be grounds for the North to use a nuclear weapon against it. North Korea has used similar rhetoric before, but the statement underscored how strained relations are now.

The United States and South Korea have expanded their combined military exercises and increased regional deployments of U.S. aircraft and ships, including bombers, aircraft carriers and submarines to counter the nuclear threats posed by North Korea, which has test-fired around 100 missiles since the start of 2022.

The Annapolis, whose main mission is destroying enemy ships and submarines, is powered by a nuclear reactor but is armed with conventional weapons. The sub mainly docked at Jeju to load supplies, but Jang Do Young, a spokesperson for South Korea’s navy, said the U.S. and South Korean militaries were discussing whether to arrange training involving the vessel.

The Koreas are still technically at war since a peace treaty was never signed.

Their armistice becomes 70 years old Thursday, an anniversary South Korea will mark with solemn ceremonies honoring the dead that will involve invited foreign war veterans.

North Korea, which celebrates the date as victory day for the “great Fatherland Liberation War,” plans huge festivities that will likely include a military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, where leader Kim Jong Un may showcase his nuclear-capable missiles designed to target regional rivals and the United States.

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Monday that a Chinese delegation led by Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the standing committee of the country’s National People’s Congress, would attend the celebrations.

Visits by foreign guests to North Korea have been extremely rare since the start of the pandemic, which prompted the North to seal its borders to protect its poor healthcare system. North Korea since last year has been gradually reopening trade with China in an apparent effort to salvage a crippled economy damaged further by the pandemic-related border controls.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667483523229.png" alt="A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage is seen at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea Nov. 3, 2022. North Korea (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)" />
 <figcaption>A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage is seen at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea Nov. 3, 2022. North Korea (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern sea, South Korea’s military said Tuesday, adding to a recent streak in weapons testing that is apparently in protest of the U.S. sending major naval assets to South Korea in a show of force.In its third round of launches since last week, North Korea fired the missiles just before midnight from an area near its capital, Pyongyang, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It said both missiles traveled around 400 kilometers (248 miles) before landing in waters off the Korean Peninsula’s eastern coast.Its statement called North Korea’s missile launches a “grave provocation” that threatens regional peace and stability.The launches came hours after South Korea’s navy said a nuclear-propelled U.S. submarine — the USS Annapolis — arrived at a port on Jeju Island. That underscored the allies' efforts to boost the visibility of U.S. strategic assets in the region to intimidate the North.Last week, the USS Kentucky became the first U.S. nuclear-armed submarine to come to South Korea since the 1980s. North Korea reacted to its arrival by test-firing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missiles-us-nuclear-submarine-9a915fab65631ad2094f78e0d1d942cf">ballistic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missiles-us-submarine-travis-king-c9fd009a622f1823b823b623ca04c218">cruise missiles</a>&nbsp;last week in apparent demonstrations that it could make nuclear strikes on South Korea and deployed U.S. naval vessels.Also on Monday, the American-led U.N. Command said it has started “a conversation” with North Korea about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-us-citizen-crossed-border-e4aaa883901052e65f5c400c8279438b">U.S. soldier who ran into the North</a>&nbsp;last week across one of the world’s most heavily fortified borders.Andrew Harrison, a British lieutenant general who is deputy commander at the U.N. Command, which oversees implementation of the 1953 armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, declined to comment about the state of the inquiry to North Korea or say what the command knows about Pvt. Travis King’s condition.“I am in life an optimist, and I remain optimistic,” Harrison said during a news conference in Seoul.In Washington, State Deptartment spokesman Matthew Miller said North Korea had only “acknowledged” receiving the U.N. message last week and had not provided any information or commented further since then.“There have been no new contacts since last week,” Miller said, adding that North Korea also had not responded to messages sent by U.S. civilian or military officials.North Korea has remained publicly silent about King, who crossed the border during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-us-soldier-travis-king-tourist-witness-92f96befe0b2b8d2e7d016d645d21180">a tour of Panmunjom</a>&nbsp;while he was supposed to be heading to Fort Bliss, Texas, following his release from prison in South Korea on an assault conviction.The U.S. still has not been able to ascertain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-us-soldier-travis-king-3abebaf8aa599c92c92621b98dacb30a">King’s condition</a>, a senior administration official said Monday in Washington. Asked if U.S. officials had a better understanding of whether King intended to defect, the official said they still had “no indication about what was going on in his mind that day.” The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.Analysts say North Korea may wait weeks or even months to provide meaningful information about King to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-us-soldier-travis-king-11a0429e279d498f8c3aa9c10f818b32">maximize leverage</a>&nbsp;and add urgency to U.S. efforts to secure his release. Some say North Korea may try to wrest concessions from Washington, such as tying his release to the United States cutting back its military activities with South Korea.King’s crossing came at a time of high tensions in the Korean Peninsula, where the pace of both North Korea’s weapons demonstrations and the United States’ combined military exercises have intensified in a tit-for-tat cycle.In between the ballistic and cruise missile launches last week, North Korea’s defense minister also issued a veiled threat, saying the Kentucky’s docking in South Korea could be grounds for the North to use a nuclear weapon against it. North Korea has used similar rhetoric before, but the statement underscored how strained relations are now.The United States and South Korea have expanded their combined military exercises and increased regional deployments of U.S. aircraft and ships, including bombers, aircraft carriers and submarines to counter the nuclear threats posed by North Korea, which has test-fired around 100 missiles since the start of 2022.The Annapolis, whose main mission is destroying enemy ships and submarines, is powered by a nuclear reactor but is armed with conventional weapons. The sub mainly docked at Jeju to load supplies, but Jang Do Young, a spokesperson for South Korea’s navy, said the U.S. and South Korean militaries were discussing whether to arrange training involving the vessel.The Koreas are still technically at war since a peace treaty was never signed.Their armistice becomes 70 years old Thursday, an anniversary South Korea will mark with solemn ceremonies honoring the dead that will involve invited foreign war veterans.North Korea, which celebrates the date as victory day for the “great Fatherland Liberation War,” plans huge festivities that will likely include a military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, where leader Kim Jong Un may showcase his nuclear-capable missiles designed to target regional rivals and the United States.North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Monday that a Chinese delegation led by Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the standing committee of the country’s National People’s Congress, would attend the celebrations.Visits by foreign guests to North Korea have been extremely rare since the start of the pandemic, which prompted the North to seal its borders to protect its poor healthcare system. North Korea since last year has been gradually reopening trade with China in an apparent effort to salvage a crippled economy damaged further by the pandemic-related border controls.

New tensions between North Korea and the United States

BUTLER COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal hit and.run that occurred just before 7p.m. Monday in Butler County.

The KHP reported a 2015 Freightliner semi driven by Clinton Wyatt, 55,&nbsp;Bettendorf, Iowa, was southbound on Interstate 35 near Eldorado.&nbsp;

The semi struck a pedestrian identified as&nbsp;Eduardo Garcia Guzman, 31, New London, Iowa, who was picking up triangles behind his vehicle which was parked on the shoulder. The semi did not stop.

Guzman was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Preferred Mortuary Service. The KHP released no additional details.

BUTLER COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal hit and.run that occurred just before 7p.m. Monday in Butler County.The KHP reported a 2015 Freightliner semi driven by Clinton Wyatt, 55,&nbsp;Bettendorf, Iowa, was southbound on Interstate 35 near Eldorado.&nbsp;The semi struck a pedestrian identified as&nbsp;Eduardo Garcia Guzman, 31, New London, Iowa, who was picking up triangles behind his vehicle which was parked on the shoulder. The semi did not stop.Guzman was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Preferred Mortuary Service. The KHP released no additional details.

Man dies after hit-and-run on the Kansas Turnpike

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man who led deputies on a high-speed chase.

Just after 2p.m. July 20, a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a black Mustang southeast of Holton&nbsp; for allegedly exceeding the speed limit excessively, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 The driver of the vehicle later identified as 25-year-old Brennen Michael Bosh of Valley Falls, failed to stop and continued eastbound on K-16 Highway at speeds over 100 mph, according to Morse. The deputy lost sight of the Mustang near Valley Falls and discontinued the pursuit.&nbsp; A KHP helicopter assisted in trying to locate the suspect. 

On Friday, with the assistance of the Valley Falls Police Department and further investigation, deputies arrested Bosh in Valley Falls and booked him into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of felony fleeing and eluding law enforcement, and reckless driving. Deputies from Jefferson County assisted with the arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690036434921.png" alt="Bosh-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Bosh-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man who led deputies on a high-speed chase.Just after 2p.m. July 20, a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a black Mustang southeast of Holton&nbsp; for allegedly exceeding the speed limit excessively, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The driver of the vehicle later identified as 25-year-old Brennen Michael Bosh of Valley Falls, failed to stop and continued eastbound on K-16 Highway at speeds over 100 mph, according to Morse. The deputy lost sight of the Mustang near Valley Falls and discontinued the pursuit.&nbsp; A KHP helicopter assisted in trying to locate the suspect. On Friday, with the assistance of the Valley Falls Police Department and further investigation, deputies arrested Bosh in Valley Falls and booked him into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of felony fleeing and eluding law enforcement, and reckless driving. Deputies from Jefferson County assisted with the arrest.

Sheriff: Kansas man arrested day after 100mph chase

SEDGWICK COUNTY—With triple-digit temperatures in the forecast, it perfect weather for water parks.

However, Splash&nbsp; Aqua Park,&nbsp;860 W Steeple Bay Parkway, in Wichita's Crossgate District is closed indefinitely after vandals destroyed the park over the weekend.

Splash Aqua Park is a series of inflatable slides, runways, jumping pillows, and bouncers all connected together and floating in a large, clean and refreshing lake, according to the park's web site.

On social media, the the park wrote, "We have no words… other than we are absolutely heartbroken and so angry! We were vandalized again, only this time they destroyed the park."

"We are doing everything we can to figure out what the rest of our season looks like, so please be patient while we navigate this horrible situation."

"We will continue posting updates as we get more information."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690228842304.png" alt="photo courtesy&nbsp; Splash Aqua Park" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy&nbsp; Splash Aqua Park</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—With triple-digit temperatures in the forecast, it perfect weather for water parks.However, Splash&nbsp; Aqua Park,&nbsp;860 W Steeple Bay Parkway, in Wichita's Crossgate District is closed indefinitely after vandals destroyed the park over the weekend.Splash Aqua Park is a series of inflatable slides, runways, jumping pillows, and bouncers all connected together and floating in a large, clean and refreshing lake, according to the park's web site.On social media, the the park wrote, "We have no words… other than we are absolutely heartbroken and so angry! We were vandalized again, only this time they destroyed the park.""We are doing everything we can to figure out what the rest of our season looks like, so please be patient while we navigate this horrible situation.""We will continue posting updates as we get more information."

Vandalism closes Wichita water park again

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department on Monday sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buoys-texas-immigration-rio-grande-mexico-522e45febd880de1453460370043a25f">a newly installed floating barrier</a>&nbsp;on the Rio Grande that is the Republican's latest aggressive tactic to try to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.

The lawsuit asks a federal judge in Austin to force Texas to remove a roughly 1,000-foot (305-meter) line of bright orange, wrecking ball-sized buoys that the Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-buoy-barrier-migrants-6a807c66a5781448801ac7fc0be46083">says raises humanitarian and environmental concerns</a>. The suit claims that Texas unlawfully installed the barrier without permission between the border cities of Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Mexico.

The buoys are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-border-buoys-wire-abbott-5f138e354e88fc319f46c55344d7335c">the latest escalation of Texas’ border security operation</a>&nbsp;that also includes razor-wire fencing, arresting migrants on trespassing charges and sending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/migrants-los-angeles-california-texas-immigration-abbott-3fdb47985b34cd8301b61251b590778c">busloads of asylum-seekers</a>&nbsp;to Democratic-led cities in other states. Critics have long questioned the effectiveness of the two-year operation, known as Operation Lone Star. A state trooper's account this month that some of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-border-razor-wire-fainting-7aa811baf2708b89a0316804c3f2e35e">the measures injured migrants</a>&nbsp;has put the mission under intensifying new scrutiny.

In anticipation of the lawsuit, Abbott sent President Joe Biden a letter earlier Monday that defended Texas’ right to install the barrier. He accused Biden of putting migrants at risk by not doing more to deter them from making the journey to the U.S.

“Texas will see you in court, Mr. President,” Abbott wrote.

The Biden administration has said illegal border crossings have declined significantly since new immigration restrictions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">took effect in May</a>. In June, the first full month since the new polices took effect, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said migrant encounters were down 30% from the month prior and were at the lowest levels since Biden's first full month in office.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Abbott's policies as a whole have made it difficult for U.S. Border Patrol agents to access Rio Grande.

“Those are unlawful actions that are not helpful and is undermining what the president has put forward and is trying to do," she said.

In a letter last week, the Justice Department gave Texas until Monday to commit to removing the barrier or face a lawsuit. The letter said the buoy wall “poses a risk to navigation, as well as public safety, in the Rio Grande River, and it presents humanitarian concerns.”

The state deployed the buoys&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-border-buoys-wire-abbott-5f138e354e88fc319f46c55344d7335c">without notifying</a>&nbsp;the International Boundary and Water Commission or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mexico's secretary of state asked the federal government to intervene, saying the barrier violates international treaties.

The lawsuit is not the first time the Biden administration has sued Texas overs it actions on the border.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2021 accused the state of usurping and even interfering with the federal government’s responsibility to enforce immigration laws after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-55e31af32734aa443a43f23104c56dad">Abbott empowered state troopers orders to stop vehicles</a>&nbsp;carrying migrants on the basis that they could increase the spread of COVID-19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690239152931.png" alt="Photo Texas Department of Public Safety" />
 <figcaption>Photo Texas Department of Public Safety</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department on Monday sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buoys-texas-immigration-rio-grande-mexico-522e45febd880de1453460370043a25f">a newly installed floating barrier</a>&nbsp;on the Rio Grande that is the Republican's latest aggressive tactic to try to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.The lawsuit asks a federal judge in Austin to force Texas to remove a roughly 1,000-foot (305-meter) line of bright orange, wrecking ball-sized buoys that the Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-buoy-barrier-migrants-6a807c66a5781448801ac7fc0be46083">says raises humanitarian and environmental concerns</a>. The suit claims that Texas unlawfully installed the barrier without permission between the border cities of Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Mexico.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden&#39;s Dept. of Justice threatened to sue Texas over the marine barriers we deployed on the Rio Grande. Mr. President, Texas will see you in court. Texas will fully utilize our sovereign authority to deal with the humanitarian crisis Biden created at our border. <a href="https://t.co/hlnHahwDi8">pic.twitter.com/hlnHahwDi8</a>&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1683494430429282307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The buoys are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-border-buoys-wire-abbott-5f138e354e88fc319f46c55344d7335c">the latest escalation of Texas’ border security operation</a>&nbsp;that also includes razor-wire fencing, arresting migrants on trespassing charges and sending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/migrants-los-angeles-california-texas-immigration-abbott-3fdb47985b34cd8301b61251b590778c">busloads of asylum-seekers</a>&nbsp;to Democratic-led cities in other states. Critics have long questioned the effectiveness of the two-year operation, known as Operation Lone Star. A state trooper's account this month that some of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-border-razor-wire-fainting-7aa811baf2708b89a0316804c3f2e35e">the measures injured migrants</a>&nbsp;has put the mission under intensifying new scrutiny.In anticipation of the lawsuit, Abbott sent President Joe Biden a letter earlier Monday that defended Texas’ right to install the barrier. He accused Biden of putting migrants at risk by not doing more to deter them from making the journey to the U.S.“Texas will see you in court, Mr. President,” Abbott wrote.The Biden administration has said illegal border crossings have declined significantly since new immigration restrictions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">took effect in May</a>. In June, the first full month since the new polices took effect, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said migrant encounters were down 30% from the month prior and were at the lowest levels since Biden's first full month in office.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Abbott's policies as a whole have made it difficult for U.S. Border Patrol agents to access Rio Grande.“Those are unlawful actions that are not helpful and is undermining what the president has put forward and is trying to do," she said.In a letter last week, the Justice Department gave Texas until Monday to commit to removing the barrier or face a lawsuit. The letter said the buoy wall “poses a risk to navigation, as well as public safety, in the Rio Grande River, and it presents humanitarian concerns.”The state deployed the buoys&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-border-buoys-wire-abbott-5f138e354e88fc319f46c55344d7335c">without notifying</a>&nbsp;the International Boundary and Water Commission or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mexico's secretary of state asked the federal government to intervene, saying the barrier violates international treaties.The lawsuit is not the first time the Biden administration has sued Texas overs it actions on the border.U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2021 accused the state of usurping and even interfering with the federal government’s responsibility to enforce immigration laws after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-texas-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-55e31af32734aa443a43f23104c56dad">Abbott empowered state troopers orders to stop vehicles</a>&nbsp;carrying migrants on the basis that they could increase the spread of COVID-19.___

Biden admin. sues Texas gov. over buoy barrier meant to stop migrants

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced a new collaborative initiative on Monday to combat fentanyl in Kansas called the Joint Fentanyl Impact Team (JFIT).&nbsp;

The objective of JFIT is to identify and disrupt fentanyl trafficking and distribution networks, and remove this deadly drug from Kansas streets. 

The team is comprised of KBI special agents, KHP troopers, and HSI agents experienced in complex narcotics investigations. Team members are embedded alongside federal, state and local law enforcement officers operating all across Kansas. This task force will allow for increased coordination of intelligence, personnel, and resources.

One component of JFIT’s strategy is the introduction of the KBI’s new K-9 unit. With funding assistance from Midwest HIDTA and the Wichita Metro Crime Commission, four K-9 officers were recently trained and certified in detecting illegal drugs, including fentanyl. These are the first fentanyl-detecting K-9 officers in Kansas. They will work closely with this narcotics team to interrupt all methods of fentanyl movement into Kansas. This will include intercepting drugs coming into the state through the mail, on our roadways and railways, and flown in by air.

JFIT was formed as the enforcement component of Attorney General Kris Kobach’s strategy to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths.

"When I campaigned for attorney general, I promised to utilize our resources to fight against fentanyl. This task force and these dogs will be powerful weapons in our arsenal," said Attorney General Kobach.

The task force has implemented several proactive strategies to address the dangers inflicted on Kansans by fentanyl manufacturers and dealers.

“Drug trafficking investigations are especially successful when we collaborate with our state and local law enforcement partners,” said Taekuk Cho, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Kansas City. “This cooperative approach by the Joint Fentanyl Impact Team ensures that the best resources are being used to put an end to&nbsp;drug trafficking operations in our community.”

“The Kansas Highway Patrol and law enforcement agencies across this state are doing everything they can to keep dangerous and deadly drugs out of your community,” added KHP Colonel Erik Smith.

“It is our hope that these targeted enforcement efforts reduce the growing number of fentanyl deaths, but we must recognize that we won’t be able to enforce our way out of this crisis,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “To make real progress, we must increase awareness about how lethal fentanyl is, and how any street drug or pill can contain this poison.”

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced a new collaborative initiative on Monday to combat fentanyl in Kansas called the Joint Fentanyl Impact Team (JFIT).&nbsp;The objective of JFIT is to identify and disrupt fentanyl trafficking and distribution networks, and remove this deadly drug from Kansas streets. The team is comprised of KBI special agents, KHP troopers, and HSI agents experienced in complex narcotics investigations. Team members are embedded alongside federal, state and local law enforcement officers operating all across Kansas. This task force will allow for increased coordination of intelligence, personnel, and resources.One component of JFIT’s strategy is the introduction of the KBI’s new K-9 unit. With funding assistance from Midwest HIDTA and the Wichita Metro Crime Commission, four K-9 officers were recently trained and certified in detecting illegal drugs, including fentanyl. These are the first fentanyl-detecting K-9 officers in Kansas. They will work closely with this narcotics team to interrupt all methods of fentanyl movement into Kansas. This will include intercepting drugs coming into the state through the mail, on our roadways and railways, and flown in by air.JFIT was formed as the enforcement component of Attorney General Kris Kobach’s strategy to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths."When I campaigned for attorney general, I promised to utilize our resources to fight against fentanyl. This task force and these dogs will be powerful weapons in our arsenal," said Attorney General Kobach.The task force has implemented several proactive strategies to address the dangers inflicted on Kansans by fentanyl manufacturers and dealers.“Drug trafficking investigations are especially successful when we collaborate with our state and local law enforcement partners,” said Taekuk Cho, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Kansas City. “This cooperative approach by the Joint Fentanyl Impact Team ensures that the best resources are being used to put an end to&nbsp;drug trafficking operations in our community.”“The Kansas Highway Patrol and law enforcement agencies across this state are doing everything they can to keep dangerous and deadly drugs out of your community,” added KHP Colonel Erik Smith.“It is our hope that these targeted enforcement efforts reduce the growing number of fentanyl deaths, but we must recognize that we won’t be able to enforce our way out of this crisis,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “To make real progress, we must increase awareness about how lethal fentanyl is, and how any street drug or pill can contain this poison.”

Law enforcement joint effort to fight fentanyl distribution in Kansas

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Kansas liberal arts college to focus on student access, academic expansion

TOPEKA — McPherson College secured endowment pledges to meet requirements of a $500 million challenge donation from an anonymous donor who committed another half a billion dollars to the small liberal arts college in Kansas.

The agreement with the benefactor allowed the large donation to be paid out over time or upon the donor’s death to give the college access to $1 billion. A majority of smaller matching gifts made to meet the challenge were estate commitments.

“Now, the work begins to build a bridge to our future endowment,” said Michael Schneider, the college’s president. “We need to carefully plan how the income from the endowment is deployed to reimagine and construct the campus of the future, build a much-needed rural health pipeline in Kansas, create a center for the future of automotive engineering and work to make college more affordable for all our students.”

“I am incredibly grateful to our anonymous donor for giving us an unprecedented opportunity — and responsibility — to build and implement our strategic vision of becoming a destination learning community,” he said.

Schneider affirmed the initial $500 million double-match had been secured during a meeting with about 200 faculty, staff and others. News of the second $500 million gift from the unnamed donor also was announced Friday in McPherson.

In November, the anonymous donor promised to deliver $2 for every $1 raised by McPherson College up to a maximum gift of $500 million. The college had to meet that mark by June 30. Under that scenario, the college’s endowment would grow by $750 million.

The supplemental commitment of $500 million would grow the endowment by at least $1.25 billion.

The McPherson College’s board of trustees voted to name the college’s endowment for the late John Ward and John Burkholder, where were graduates and faculty at the college. Ward graduated in 1950 and taught at McPherson College and University of Nebraska. Burkholder earned a degree in 1949 and taught biology for nearly 40 years at McPherson College.

The college’s agenda included expansion of the student debt project. It’s a partnership with local businesses to provide 25 cents for every dollar a student contributed to their education. The dramatic expansion of the college’s endowment would finance a building master plan.

In addition, administrators intend to create the Kansas Center for Rural and Community Health to provide&nbsp; practitioners with the latest technology and techniques. The college features a unique four-year program in antique automobile restoration. One objective would be to create a national center on engineering design and mobility.

McPherson College was founded in the 1880s and enrolls about 850 students.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690224136804.png" alt=" Michael Schneider, president of McPherson College, said the college had secured commitments for $250 million to secure a $500 million donation. The anonymous benefactor of the Kansas liberal arts college also pledged another $500 million to the endowment. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from McPherson College video)" />
 <figcaption> Michael Schneider, president of McPherson College, said the college had secured commitments for $250 million to secure a $500 million donation. The anonymous benefactor of the Kansas liberal arts college also pledged another $500 million to the endowment. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from McPherson College video)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Kansas liberal arts college to focus on student access, academic expansion</h2>TOPEKA — McPherson College secured endowment pledges to meet requirements of a $500 million challenge donation from an anonymous donor who committed another half a billion dollars to the small liberal arts college in Kansas.The agreement with the benefactor allowed the large donation to be paid out over time or upon the donor’s death to give the college access to $1 billion. A majority of smaller matching gifts made to meet the challenge were estate commitments.“Now, the work begins to build a bridge to our future endowment,” said Michael Schneider, the college’s president. “We need to carefully plan how the income from the endowment is deployed to reimagine and construct the campus of the future, build a much-needed rural health pipeline in Kansas, create a center for the future of automotive engineering and work to make college more affordable for all our students.”“I am incredibly grateful to our anonymous donor for giving us an unprecedented opportunity — and responsibility — to build and implement our strategic vision of becoming a destination learning community,” he said.Schneider affirmed the initial $500 million double-match had been secured during a meeting with about 200 faculty, staff and others. News of the second $500 million gift from the unnamed donor also was announced Friday in McPherson.In November, the anonymous donor promised to deliver $2 for every $1 raised by McPherson College up to a maximum gift of $500 million. The college had to meet that mark by June 30. Under that scenario, the college’s endowment would grow by $750 million.The supplemental commitment of $500 million would grow the endowment by at least $1.25 billion.The McPherson College’s board of trustees voted to name the college’s endowment for the late John Ward and John Burkholder, where were graduates and faculty at the college. Ward graduated in 1950 and taught at McPherson College and University of Nebraska. Burkholder earned a degree in 1949 and taught biology for nearly 40 years at McPherson College.The college’s agenda included expansion of the student debt project. It’s a partnership with local businesses to provide 25 cents for every dollar a student contributed to their education. The dramatic expansion of the college’s endowment would finance a building master plan.In addition, administrators intend to create the Kansas Center for Rural and Community Health to provide&nbsp; practitioners with the latest technology and techniques. The college features a unique four-year program in antique automobile restoration. One objective would be to create a national center on engineering design and mobility.McPherson College was founded in the 1880s and enrolls about 850 students.

Gift of $1 billion to McPherson College sparking extraordinary educational journey

By NATE KING Salina Post

A quick-thinking Saline County Sheriff's deputy is to thank for rescuing two Saline County residents from a house fire in rural southern Saline County.&nbsp;

Shortly after midnight on July 23, a Saline County deputy was sent to 1122 E. Bethel Circle to reports of an ongoing house fire, according to a media release. When the deputy arrived, he immediately saw the occupants of the home, Daniel and Debra Byarlay, both 68, on the roof of their home.&nbsp;

"The couple escaped through an upstairs window because there was a fire down below," according to Sheriff Roger Soldan.

While Saline County Rural Fire District #2 was on its way, the deputy acted fast to get the couple off the roof.&nbsp;He forced his way into the Byarlay's garage, where he located a ladder.

"The ladder wasn't tall enough to get to the roof, so he used his patrol car to push a disabled vehicle, a pickup in the driveway, underneath the eaves of the house," Soldan said. " He placed the ladder in the bed of the pickup and was able to reach the roof of the house."&nbsp;

The 26-year-old deputy, who has not yet been named, helped move both Daniel and Debra safely off the roof and away from the fire.&nbsp;

The Byarlays were transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of smoke inhalation. Daniel was released, Debra was transferred to Ascension Via Christi.

Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, Sheriff Soldan did say the deputy noticed that electrical power to the home was out at the time of his arrival.

"West Star Energy had been working to restore the power down the road so there could have been a power surge or somehow power related," Soldan said.

Along with over $200,000 in property damage, the Byarlays also lost five dogs, five cats, and a chinchilla.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690217411313.jpeg" alt="Photo Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Photo Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING Salina PostA quick-thinking Saline County Sheriff's deputy is to thank for rescuing two Saline County residents from a house fire in rural southern Saline County.&nbsp;Shortly after midnight on July 23, a Saline County deputy was sent to 1122 E. Bethel Circle to reports of an ongoing house fire, according to a media release. When the deputy arrived, he immediately saw the occupants of the home, Daniel and Debra Byarlay, both 68, on the roof of their home.&nbsp;"The couple escaped through an upstairs window because there was a fire down below," according to Sheriff Roger Soldan.While Saline County Rural Fire District #2 was on its way, the deputy acted fast to get the couple off the roof.&nbsp;He forced his way into the Byarlay's garage, where he located a ladder."The ladder wasn't tall enough to get to the roof, so he used his patrol car to push a disabled vehicle, a pickup in the driveway, underneath the eaves of the house," Soldan said. " He placed the ladder in the bed of the pickup and was able to reach the roof of the house."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690217591573.jpeg" alt="The ladder and pickup truck that was used to get the Byarlays off the roof and in medical care.-Photo&nbsp;Saline County Sheriff's Office.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The ladder and pickup truck that was used to get the Byarlays off the roof and in medical care.-Photo&nbsp;Saline County Sheriff's Office.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The 26-year-old deputy, who has not yet been named, helped move both Daniel and Debra safely off the roof and away from the fire.&nbsp;The Byarlays were transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of smoke inhalation. Daniel was released, Debra was transferred to Ascension Via Christi.Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, Sheriff Soldan did say the deputy noticed that electrical power to the home was out at the time of his arrival."West Star Energy had been working to restore the power down the road so there could have been a power surge or somehow power related," Soldan said.Along with over $200,000 in property damage, the Byarlays also lost five dogs, five cats, and a chinchilla.

Kansas deputy rescues couple from roof of burning home

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on child sex charges.

Just before 6a.m. Saturday, police booked 23-year-old Elijah McCray and&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=741489">38-year-old Sinora Wilson</a>&nbsp;into the Sedgwick County jail on requested charges of aggravated human trafficking involving a minor, according to online jail records.

They were arrested at a motel in the 8500 Block of Kellogg in Wichita, according to the daily arrest report.

Sinora is also being for an alleged parole violation and possession of drug paraphernalia. McCray, who is no longer in custody, faces a contempt of court charges. Police released no additional details over the weekend.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690216983893.png" alt="McCray-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>McCray-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on child sex charges.Just before 6a.m. Saturday, police booked 23-year-old Elijah McCray and&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=741489">38-year-old Sinora Wilson</a>&nbsp;into the Sedgwick County jail on requested charges of aggravated human trafficking involving a minor, according to online jail records.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690216964441.png" alt="Wilson-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Wilson-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>They were arrested at a motel in the 8500 Block of Kellogg in Wichita, according to the daily arrest report.Sinora is also being for an alleged parole violation and possession of drug paraphernalia. McCray, who is no longer in custody, faces a contempt of court charges. Police released no additional details over the weekend.

Two jailed in Kansas for alleged human trafficking involving minor

YELLOWSTONE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly bear encounter near Yellowstone.&nbsp;

About 8 a.m. Saturday, game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife &amp; Parks were notified that a hiker had found a woman deceased on the trail, about 8 miles west of West Yellowstone, according to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amie Adamson, 47, of Derby, Kansas was identified as the victim, according to her family.

She was believed to be alone during the encounter, and no bear spray or firearms were found at the scene.&nbsp;

Fish Wildlife and Parks wardens and bear specialists, along with staff from other agencies, found that Adamson had wounds consistent with a bear attack. 

They also found tracks from an adult grizzly bear and at least one cub near the site. They did not see any bears or signs of a day bed or animal carcass during the investigation. 

The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CusterGallatinNationalForest?__cft__[0]=AZUxBKfXHO7Fsxh6bB5uE8XuCdiAkUQ9W4VUzeKS_3PwHLG0ekEbqjS7Bmi3KY1bu1T9aqdh4mEDWOG0_E0ryPgRTCqgASdbIbALRVR92yzyYLP_-l6N-HeXXYwkbGSbMQCT8h_2_cLa72BzoV7BiAo4B4nvla06Z4KVXq0eBUSmHmd0uTB0c2kAg5-xrc_bn4A&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Custer Gallatin National Forest</a> implemented an emergency closure of the area as a safety precaution. FWP bear specialists and game wardens notified residents and visitors nearby of the bear activity and the U.S. Forest Service closure.

They then began conducting capture operations due to the incident’s proximity to residences, campgrounds and a high-use OHV trail system. No bears have been captured to date. FWP staff also searched the area from an aircraft and did not locate any bears.&nbsp;

In June, a bear attacked and killed a man at a campsite in central Arizona. That victim, 66-year-old Steven Jackson of Tucson, was at his campsite when the bear attack him in the morning, according to a media release from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s office.

On Sunday, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CusterGallatinNationalForest?__cft__[0]=AZWPeq8ILnzI3ZsZE9RcgldAf3GtDN5Hqzyb7yB9PZOdzOG-Wt9XtfWfCLoEDWiHw880XJBBGpDXGntDYB-Aq6tPQ73qdxm3lraRDYEaTMoPuW20W7FUhB6WIcOp8qATPdUSxrkppFFaOLhI587Tg9R7sk8v1991zYQCST9JbNrlfEYSOjebjLkyFWj-wf2l3AkweCZ3iTv2RyT42fLB7XCB&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Custer Gallatin National Forest</a>&nbsp;in Montana issued an emergency closure of the Buttermilk area for human safety..Generally, the Buttermilk Area Closure is located about 8 miles west of West Yellowstone.

 It follows the Continental Divide Trail, Forest Service Trail #116, from the trailhead near Targhee Pass on Highway 20 south to the confluence with Cream Creek Road, Forest Service Road #1703 and Road 484. The area closure follows these roads to the east and north back to the Forest Service boundary just south of Highway 20 and to the west to connect with the Continental Divide Trail #116.

Bears can be found throughout Montana. In recent years, grizzly bear populations have expanded. Those venturing into the outdoors should “Be Bear Aware” by following precautionary step that include: Carry and know how to use bear spray; Travel in groups whenever possible and plan to be out in the daylight hour; Avoid carcass sites and concentrations of ravens and other scavengers; Watch for signs of bears such as bear scat, diggings, torn-up logs and turned over rocks, and partly consumed animal carcasses; Make noise, especially near streams or in thick forest where hearing and visibility are limited, to alert bears to your presence and Don't approach a bear.

<a href="https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear?fbclid=IwAR0bAeovbe1CgGK-8_n_ZlUfooQhjzsVLDKnzfi20js151jSMMtX8x7ZnJ0">Click here to learn</a> more about bears in the wild.

On Saturday, a woman was found deceased on the Buttermilk Trail west of West Yellowstone following an apparent bear encounter, according to the&nbsp;Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.&nbsp; Investigators confirmed grizzly bear tracks at the scene.&nbsp;Amie Adamson, 47, of Derby, Kansas was identified as the victim, according to her family.

Neighbors tried to help by making noises. But the bear was able to drag Jackson several yards in the campsite in the Groom Creek area about 100 miles&nbsp; north of Phoenix.&nbsp;A neighbor then shot and killed the bear, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

YELLOWSTONE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly bear encounter near Yellowstone.&nbsp;About 8 a.m. Saturday, game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife &amp; Parks were notified that a hiker had found a woman deceased on the trail, about 8 miles west of West Yellowstone, according to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amie Adamson, 47, of Derby, Kansas was identified as the victim, according to her family.She was believed to be alone during the encounter, and no bear spray or firearms were found at the scene.&nbsp;Fish Wildlife and Parks wardens and bear specialists, along with staff from other agencies, found that Adamson had wounds consistent with a bear attack. They also found tracks from an adult grizzly bear and at least one cub near the site. They did not see any bears or signs of a day bed or animal carcass during the investigation. The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CusterGallatinNationalForest?__cft__[0]=AZUxBKfXHO7Fsxh6bB5uE8XuCdiAkUQ9W4VUzeKS_3PwHLG0ekEbqjS7Bmi3KY1bu1T9aqdh4mEDWOG0_E0ryPgRTCqgASdbIbALRVR92yzyYLP_-l6N-HeXXYwkbGSbMQCT8h_2_cLa72BzoV7BiAo4B4nvla06Z4KVXq0eBUSmHmd0uTB0c2kAg5-xrc_bn4A&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Custer Gallatin National Forest</a> implemented an emergency closure of the area as a safety precaution. FWP bear specialists and game wardens notified residents and visitors nearby of the bear activity and the U.S. Forest Service closure. They then began conducting capture operations due to the incident’s proximity to residences, campgrounds and a high-use OHV trail system. No bears have been captured to date. FWP staff also searched the area from an aircraft and did not locate any bears.&nbsp;In June, a bear attacked and killed a man at a campsite in central Arizona. That victim, 66-year-old Steven Jackson of Tucson, was at his campsite when the bear attack him in the morning, according to a media release from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s office.On Sunday, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CusterGallatinNationalForest?__cft__[0]=AZWPeq8ILnzI3ZsZE9RcgldAf3GtDN5Hqzyb7yB9PZOdzOG-Wt9XtfWfCLoEDWiHw880XJBBGpDXGntDYB-Aq6tPQ73qdxm3lraRDYEaTMoPuW20W7FUhB6WIcOp8qATPdUSxrkppFFaOLhI587Tg9R7sk8v1991zYQCST9JbNrlfEYSOjebjLkyFWj-wf2l3AkweCZ3iTv2RyT42fLB7XCB&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Custer Gallatin National Forest</a>&nbsp;in Montana issued an emergency closure of the Buttermilk area for human safety..Generally, the Buttermilk Area Closure is located about 8 miles west of West Yellowstone. It follows the Continental Divide Trail, Forest Service Trail #116, from the trailhead near Targhee Pass on Highway 20 south to the confluence with Cream Creek Road, Forest Service Road #1703 and Road 484. The area closure follows these roads to the east and north back to the Forest Service boundary just south of Highway 20 and to the west to connect with the Continental Divide Trail #116.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690206200389.png" alt="Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks" />
 <figcaption>Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks</figcaption>
 </figure>Bears can be found throughout Montana. In recent years, grizzly bear populations have expanded. Those venturing into the outdoors should “Be Bear Aware” by following precautionary step that include: Carry and know how to use bear spray; Travel in groups whenever possible and plan to be out in the daylight hour; Avoid carcass sites and concentrations of ravens and other scavengers; Watch for signs of bears such as bear scat, diggings, torn-up logs and turned over rocks, and partly consumed animal carcasses; Make noise, especially near streams or in thick forest where hearing and visibility are limited, to alert bears to your presence and Don't approach a bear. <a href="https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear?fbclid=IwAR0bAeovbe1CgGK-8_n_ZlUfooQhjzsVLDKnzfi20js151jSMMtX8x7ZnJ0">Click here to learn</a> more about bears in the wild.-------------YELLOWSTONE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly bear encounter near Yellowstone.&nbsp;On Saturday, a woman was found deceased on the Buttermilk Trail west of West Yellowstone following an apparent bear encounter, according to the&nbsp;Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.&nbsp; Investigators confirmed grizzly bear tracks at the scene.&nbsp;Amie Adamson, 47, of Derby, Kansas was identified as the victim, according to her family.In June, a bear attacked and killed a man at a campsite in central Arizona. That victim, 66-year-old Steven Jackson of Tucson, was at his campsite when the bear attack him in the morning, according to a media release from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s office.Neighbors tried to help by making noises. But the bear was able to drag Jackson several yards in the campsite in the Groom Creek area about 100 miles&nbsp; north of Phoenix.&nbsp;A neighbor then shot and killed the bear, according to the Sheriff’s Office.On Sunday, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CusterGallatinNationalForest?__cft__[0]=AZWPeq8ILnzI3ZsZE9RcgldAf3GtDN5Hqzyb7yB9PZOdzOG-Wt9XtfWfCLoEDWiHw880XJBBGpDXGntDYB-Aq6tPQ73qdxm3lraRDYEaTMoPuW20W7FUhB6WIcOp8qATPdUSxrkppFFaOLhI587Tg9R7sk8v1991zYQCST9JbNrlfEYSOjebjLkyFWj-wf2l3AkweCZ3iTv2RyT42fLB7XCB&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Custer Gallatin National Forest</a>&nbsp;in Montana issued an emergency closure of the Buttermilk area for human safety..Generally, the Buttermilk Area Closure is located about 8 miles west of West Yellowstone. It follows the Continental Divide Trail, Forest Service Trail #116, from the trailhead near Targhee Pass on Highway 20 south to the confluence with Cream Creek Road, Forest Service Road #1703 and Road 484. The area closure follows these roads to the east and north back to the Forest Service boundary just south of Highway 20 and to the west to connect with the Continental Divide Trail #116.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690206200389.png" alt="Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks" />
 <figcaption>Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks</figcaption>
 </figure>Bears can be found throughout Montana. In recent years, grizzly bear populations have expanded. Those venturing into the outdoors should “Be Bear Aware” by following precautionary step that include: Carry and know how to use bear spray; Travel in groups whenever possible and plan to be out in the daylight hour; Avoid carcass sites and concentrations of ravens and other scavengers; Watch for signs of bears such as bear scat, diggings, torn-up logs and turned over rocks, and partly consumed animal carcasses; Make noise, especially near streams or in thick forest where hearing and visibility are limited, to alert bears to your presence and Don't approach a bear. <a href="https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear?fbclid=IwAR0bAeovbe1CgGK-8_n_ZlUfooQhjzsVLDKnzfi20js151jSMMtX8x7ZnJ0">Click here to learn</a> more about bears in the wild.

Kan. woman was hiking alone during fatal bear encounter near Yellowstone

NEW YORK (AP) — The clock is ticking. As the deadline to reach a new contract nears, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba" target="_blank">potential UPS strike</a>&nbsp;feels closer than ever.

Negotiations broke down earlier this month and unionized workers have been holding rallies and practice pickets across the country. The Teamsters, which represent more than half of the company’s workforce,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-teamsters-labor-contract-talks-strike-6cb8662aed18d4ef2700d77f6ccac5ea" target="_blank">will resume talks</a>&nbsp;with UPS on Tuesday.

That leaves less than a week to come to an agreement before the current contract expires on Monday, July 31. The union has authorized a strike and Sean M. O’Brien, a fiery leader elected last year to lead the union, has vowed to do so if their demands aren’t met.

“We’re sending a message... all 340,000 of our members are united and ready to fight,” O’Brien told The Associated Press at a practice picket Friday in Atlanta, where UPS is based.

UPS’s unionized workers still seethe about a contract they feel was forced on them in 2018, and say that the company delivers millions more packages every day than it did just five years ago. The Teamsters are calling for better pay, particularly for part-time employees, and improved working conditions.

UPS has maintained that it already offers “industry-leading pay and benefits,” but says it’s prepared to increase that compensation. In a Friday update, the company said it aimed “quickly to finalize a fair deal that provides certainty for our customers, our employees and businesses across the country.”

If negotiations are unsuccessful the deliveries that Americans have come to rely on, particularly since the pandemic began in 2020, could be vastly disrupted. Such an impasse hasn’t been seen since 1997, well before delivery of everyday items from dog food to prescription drugs became the norm, when a walkout by 185,000 workers crippled UPS. Here’s what you need to know.

Much on the union’s demands comes down to better pay and improved working conditions.

Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were before the pandemic. The company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecast another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.

The Teamsters say frontline UPS workers deserve some of that windfall. A sticking point in negotiations has been wage increases for part-time workers, who make a minimum of $16.20 an hour.

“People want their packages yesterday with the emergence of the e-commerce. So it’s a very demanding job,” O’Brien said, pushing back on the salary statistics that UPS shares. “Everybody doesn’t realize what it takes to get these packages on the truck. And a lot of our part timers... work for poverty wages.”

In addition to addressing part-time pay, the union wants to eliminate a contract provision that created two separate hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. Driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, is also in the mix.

Before contract talks broke down on July 5, with both sides blaming each other for walking away from the bargaining table, tentative agreements were made on several issues — including installing air conditioning in more trucks. UPS said it would add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024. Existing vehicles wouldn’t get that upgrade, but the union said they will have other additions like fans and air vents.

The union also said it has reached tentative agreements to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a full holiday for the first time, end unwanted overtime on drivers’ days off and get rid of the two-tier wage system for drivers who work weekends and earn less money.

COULD A STRIKE BE AVOIDED? CAN THE GOVERNMENT INTERVENE?

The strike can be avoided if UPS and the Teamsters agree to a new contract before the July 31 deadline. There’s also a possibility of government intervention.

O’Brien said Sunday that he has asked the White House on numerous occasions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-teamsters-biden-delivery-cb586d2f6160a92cda9318d6290ac8ea" target="_blank">not to intervene</a>&nbsp;if workers end up going on strike. Last year, President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-strikes-congress-d2ae4d3aecb27f176418518d977e69e1" target="_blank">intervened to avert a railroad strike</a>&nbsp;to avoid disrupting the nation’s supply chain, and workers had accept an agreement that wasn’t broadly supported by union members.

The 24 million packages UPS ships on an average day amounts to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. As UPS puts it, that’s the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product.

Higher prices and long wait times are all but certain if there is an impasse. A strike also threatens to extend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-china-business-united-states-8d5fffd96a46d0690d843f5e1de410fe" target="_blank">lingering supply chain troubles</a>.

“Something’s got to give,” Thomas Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee, told The Associated Press. “The python can’t swallow the alligator, and that’s going to be felt by all of us.”

UPS said this month that it will temporarily begin training nonunion employees in the U.S. to step in should there be a strike.

Beyond shipping and supply implications, a union win at UPS could have significance for organized labor across industries. UPS’s contract talks arrive amid other prominent labor campaigns at Apple, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s and other companies — as well as the current&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-hollywood-strikes-affect-fans-b7d9f908207629dd3c30e65a77666d8f" target="_blank">writers and actors’ strikes</a>&nbsp;seen in Hollywood.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686070070872.png" alt="If negotiations are unsuccessful the deliveries that Americans have come to rely on, particularly since the pandemic began in 2020, could be vastly disrupted.-file photo" />
 <figcaption>If negotiations are unsuccessful the deliveries that Americans have come to rely on, particularly since the pandemic began in 2020, could be vastly disrupted.-file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The clock is ticking. As the deadline to reach a new contract nears, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba" target="_blank">potential UPS strike</a>&nbsp;feels closer than ever.Negotiations broke down earlier this month and unionized workers have been holding rallies and practice pickets across the country. The Teamsters, which represent more than half of the company’s workforce,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-teamsters-labor-contract-talks-strike-6cb8662aed18d4ef2700d77f6ccac5ea" target="_blank">will resume talks</a>&nbsp;with UPS on Tuesday.That leaves less than a week to come to an agreement before the current contract expires on Monday, July 31. The union has authorized a strike and Sean M. O’Brien, a fiery leader elected last year to lead the union, has vowed to do so if their demands aren’t met.“We’re sending a message... all 340,000 of our members are united and ready to fight,” O’Brien told The Associated Press at a practice picket Friday in Atlanta, where UPS is based.UPS’s unionized workers still seethe about a contract they feel was forced on them in 2018, and say that the company delivers millions more packages every day than it did just five years ago. The Teamsters are calling for better pay, particularly for part-time employees, and improved working conditions.UPS has maintained that it already offers “industry-leading pay and benefits,” but says it’s prepared to increase that compensation. In a Friday update, the company said it aimed “quickly to finalize a fair deal that provides certainty for our customers, our employees and businesses across the country.”If negotiations are unsuccessful the deliveries that Americans have come to rely on, particularly since the pandemic began in 2020, could be vastly disrupted. Such an impasse hasn’t been seen since 1997, well before delivery of everyday items from dog food to prescription drugs became the norm, when a walkout by 185,000 workers crippled UPS. Here’s what you need to know.<h2>WHAT ARE THE TEAMSTERS ASKING FOR?</h2>Much on the union’s demands comes down to better pay and improved working conditions.Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were before the pandemic. The company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecast another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.The Teamsters say frontline UPS workers deserve some of that windfall. A sticking point in negotiations has been wage increases for part-time workers, who make a minimum of $16.20 an hour.“People want their packages yesterday with the emergence of the e-commerce. So it’s a very demanding job,” O’Brien said, pushing back on the salary statistics that UPS shares. “Everybody doesn’t realize what it takes to get these packages on the truck. And a lot of our part timers... work for poverty wages.”In addition to addressing part-time pay, the union wants to eliminate a contract provision that created two separate hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. Driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, is also in the mix.<h2>HAS UPS AGREED TO ANY DEMANDS?</h2>Before contract talks broke down on July 5, with both sides blaming each other for walking away from the bargaining table, tentative agreements were made on several issues — including installing air conditioning in more trucks. UPS said it would add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024. Existing vehicles wouldn’t get that upgrade, but the union said they will have other additions like fans and air vents.The union also said it has reached tentative agreements to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a full holiday for the first time, end unwanted overtime on drivers’ days off and get rid of the two-tier wage system for drivers who work weekends and earn less money.<h2>COULD A STRIKE BE AVOIDED? CAN THE GOVERNMENT INTERVENE?</h2>The strike can be avoided if UPS and the Teamsters agree to a new contract before the July 31 deadline. There’s also a possibility of government intervention.O’Brien said Sunday that he has asked the White House on numerous occasions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-teamsters-biden-delivery-cb586d2f6160a92cda9318d6290ac8ea" target="_blank">not to intervene</a>&nbsp;if workers end up going on strike. Last year, President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-strikes-congress-d2ae4d3aecb27f176418518d977e69e1" target="_blank">intervened to avert a railroad strike</a>&nbsp;to avoid disrupting the nation’s supply chain, and workers had accept an agreement that wasn’t broadly supported by union members.<h2>WHAT IMPACT WOULD A STRIKE HAVE?</h2>The 24 million packages UPS ships on an average day amounts to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. As UPS puts it, that’s the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product.Higher prices and long wait times are all but certain if there is an impasse. A strike also threatens to extend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-china-business-united-states-8d5fffd96a46d0690d843f5e1de410fe" target="_blank">lingering supply chain troubles</a>.“Something’s got to give,” Thomas Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee, told The Associated Press. “The python can’t swallow the alligator, and that’s going to be felt by all of us.”UPS said this month that it will temporarily begin training nonunion employees in the U.S. to step in should there be a strike.Beyond shipping and supply implications, a union win at UPS could have significance for organized labor across industries. UPS’s contract talks arrive amid other prominent labor campaigns at Apple, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s and other companies — as well as the current&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-hollywood-strikes-affect-fans-b7d9f908207629dd3c30e65a77666d8f" target="_blank">writers and actors’ strikes</a>&nbsp;seen in Hollywood.

Decision week: UPS workers poised for biggest U.S. strike in 60 years

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A driver involved in a fatal crash just before&nbsp;8p.m. Thursday in Sedgwick County is accused of driving under the influence.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Dodge Journey driven by Caleb T. Faron, 18, Bel Aire,&nbsp; was northbound on Interstate 135 just north of 13th Street in the #3 lane moving to the #4 lane.

Faron failed to see a 2011 Hyundai Sonata driven by Uriel&nbsp;Orosco, 31, Wichita, slowing down in lane 4 with emergency hazard lights activated.

After impact, the Hyundai rotated counterclockwise and came to rest in the #4 lane against the KDOT bridge wall. The Dodge overturned and came to rest in the #3 lane.&nbsp;

Orosco was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Forensics Science Center. EMS transported a passenger in the Hyundia identified as Nallely Medrano Meraz, 28, Wichita, to Wesley Medical Center. 

Faron was not injured and just before 11p.m. Thursday, he was booked into the Sedgwick County jail on a requested charge that included driving under the influence and marijuana possession, according to online jail records.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody.

 Orosco was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were also two children in the Hyundai; juvenile record is protected data.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689934377266.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the crash photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the crash photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A driver involved in a fatal crash just before&nbsp;8p.m. Thursday in Sedgwick County is accused of driving under the influence.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Dodge Journey driven by Caleb T. Faron, 18, Bel Aire,&nbsp; was northbound on Interstate 135 just north of 13th Street in the #3 lane moving to the #4 lane.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690035440176.png" alt="Faron in the only photo available from Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Faron in the only photo available from Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Faron failed to see a 2011 Hyundai Sonata driven by Uriel&nbsp;Orosco, 31, Wichita, slowing down in lane 4 with emergency hazard lights activated.The Dodge rear-ended the Hyundai.After impact, the Hyundai rotated counterclockwise and came to rest in the #4 lane against the KDOT bridge wall. The Dodge overturned and came to rest in the #3 lane.&nbsp;Orosco was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Forensics Science Center. EMS transported a passenger in the Hyundia identified as Nallely Medrano Meraz, 28, Wichita, to Wesley Medical Center. Faron was not injured and just before 11p.m. Thursday, he was booked into the Sedgwick County jail on a requested charge that included driving under the influence and marijuana possession, according to online jail records.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody. Orosco was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were also two children in the Hyundai; juvenile record is protected data.

Kansas teen accused of DUI in crash that killed man, injured woman

By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate committee approved legislation that would update how the federal government prepares for and then responds to pandemics and natural disasters.

The broadly bipartisan legislation moved through the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee following a 17-3 vote after members adopted two bipartisan amendments.

Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Braun of Indiana and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama voted against moving the bill to the Senate floor. Oklahoma GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin voted present.

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the committee, said the COVID-19 pandemic showed Congress that the existing Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act was “far from perfect.”

Congress originally established the law in 2006, following the federal government’s “failures” in responding to Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Cassidy said.

“Although mistakes were made during COVID-19, we did learn some tough lessons and we hope this legislation is here to make sure that future generations are not forced to learn on the fly should another crisis occur,” Cassidy said.

“We’re updating the playbook and we’re ensuring that our framework remains flexible to address those future threats — a future Hurricane Katrina for example,” he added.

The legislation, Cassidy said, would increase accountability and transparency in how the federal government helps state and local governments prepare for and respond to public health emergencies.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the committee’s chair, said during the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/s-2333-pandemic-and-all-hazards-preparedness-and-response-act">hearing</a>&nbsp;the bill would help the federal government better prepare for future pandemics and natural disasters as well as possible biological, chemical or nuclear threats.

“I think it is fair to say that while all of our public health people worked tirelessly and did everything they could to protect the American people, it would be an understatement to say we were tragically unprepared to respond to that crisis,” Sanders said.

The 107-page&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/pahpara_text.pdf">bill</a>&nbsp;has several sections, including a reauthorization of the Hospital Preparedness Program, an update of the National Health Security Strategy and updates to the Annual Threat-Based Review for the Strategic National Stockpile, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/pahpara_section_by_section2.pdf">summary</a>.

The bill, Sanders said, would require companies to tell the U.S. Food and Drug Administration if there’s a spike in demand for any of their products that they are unable to meet, like a shortage of children’s Tylenol.

The measure would also expand emergency medical services in rural areas, Sanders said.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2333/text?s=4&amp;r=2&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22S.+2333%22%5D%7D">bill</a>&nbsp;is co-sponsored in the Senate by Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey, Utah Republican Mitt Romney, Sanders and Cassidy.

The HELP Committee adopted two amendments to the bill, one from North Carolina Republican Sen. Ted Budd and New Hampshire Democrat Maggie Hassan as well as a second amendment from Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper and Budd.

The Budd-Hassan amendment would strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile, which purchases and stores personal protective equipment, vaccines and pharmaceuticals, among other critical supplies. The amendment implements some recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office.

The Hickenlooper-Budd amendment would establish an emerging pathogen preparedness program at the FDA that would allow the agency to respond faster during a future pandemic.

“This new team will allow FDA to dedicate the necessary manpower to be able to quickly evaluate and … clear the many countermeasures that would come before them during a pandemic,” Hickenlooper said. “Getting these countermeasures to the public fast in a time of crisis will save lives.”

The FDA had requested the authority from Congress, he said.

Cassidy spoke out against the amendment, saying he was unsure why the FDA would need Congress to establish a new program for emerging threats since it already has “an office of counterterrorism and emerging threats.”

The HELP Committee also rejected several amendments.

A majority of the panel did not agree to add a proposal from Tuberville that would have required any new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directors nominated by the president to get Senate approval immediately, moving up the timetable from January 2025.

Braun and Budd had an amendment rejected that would have prevented the secretary of the Health and Human Services Department from declaring a public health emergency on gun violence.

The panel rejected several amendments from Paul, including one that would have divided the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases within the National Institutes of Health up into three different agencies.

Paul unsuccessfully proposed another amendment that would have barred federal funding from going to gain of function research in China.

Paul defined that as “any research project that may be reasonably anticipated to confer attributes to influenza, MERS, or SARS viruses such that the virus would have enhanced pathogenicity or transmissibility in mammals.”

Sanders said Paul’s concerns about that type of research are important and pledged to work with the Kentucky Republican on the issue moving forward, though he said the bill itself gets at the issue.

“I worked with ranking member Cassidy to include a provision in this bill to make sure that any country, including China, that is deemed dangerous by our intelligence community would not be able to receive medical research dollars from the U.S. government for a minimum of five years,” Sanders said.

Paul’s amendment on gain of function research, Sanders said, could have jeopardized international collaborations on medical research.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617126228958.jpeg" alt="The legislation would increase accountability and transparency in how the federal government helps state and local governments prepare for and respond to public health emergencies." />
 <figcaption>The legislation would increase accountability and transparency in how the federal government helps state and local governments prepare for and respond to public health emergencies.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate committee approved legislation that would update how the federal government prepares for and then responds to pandemics and natural disasters.The broadly bipartisan legislation moved through the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee following a 17-3 vote after members adopted two bipartisan amendments.Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Braun of Indiana and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama voted against moving the bill to the Senate floor. Oklahoma GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin voted present.Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the committee, said the COVID-19 pandemic showed Congress that the existing Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act was “far from perfect.”Congress originally established the law in 2006, following the federal government’s “failures” in responding to Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Cassidy said.“Although mistakes were made during COVID-19, we did learn some tough lessons and we hope this legislation is here to make sure that future generations are not forced to learn on the fly should another crisis occur,” Cassidy said.“We’re updating the playbook and we’re ensuring that our framework remains flexible to address those future threats — a future Hurricane Katrina for example,” he added.The legislation, Cassidy said, would increase accountability and transparency in how the federal government helps state and local governments prepare for and respond to public health emergencies.<h2>‘Tragically unprepared’</h2>Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the committee’s chair, said during the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/s-2333-pandemic-and-all-hazards-preparedness-and-response-act">hearing</a>&nbsp;the bill would help the federal government better prepare for future pandemics and natural disasters as well as possible biological, chemical or nuclear threats.“I think it is fair to say that while all of our public health people worked tirelessly and did everything they could to protect the American people, it would be an understatement to say we were tragically unprepared to respond to that crisis,” Sanders said.The 107-page&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/pahpara_text.pdf">bill</a>&nbsp;has several sections, including a reauthorization of the Hospital Preparedness Program, an update of the National Health Security Strategy and updates to the Annual Threat-Based Review for the Strategic National Stockpile, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/pahpara_section_by_section2.pdf">summary</a>.The bill, Sanders said, would require companies to tell the U.S. Food and Drug Administration if there’s a spike in demand for any of their products that they are unable to meet, like a shortage of children’s Tylenol.The measure would also expand emergency medical services in rural areas, Sanders said.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2333/text?s=4&amp;r=2&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22S.+2333%22%5D%7D">bill</a>&nbsp;is co-sponsored in the Senate by Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey, Utah Republican Mitt Romney, Sanders and Cassidy.<h2>National stockpile</h2>The HELP Committee adopted two amendments to the bill, one from North Carolina Republican Sen. Ted Budd and New Hampshire Democrat Maggie Hassan as well as a second amendment from Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper and Budd.The Budd-Hassan amendment would strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile, which purchases and stores personal protective equipment, vaccines and pharmaceuticals, among other critical supplies. The amendment implements some recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office.The Hickenlooper-Budd amendment would establish an emerging pathogen preparedness program at the FDA that would allow the agency to respond faster during a future pandemic.“This new team will allow FDA to dedicate the necessary manpower to be able to quickly evaluate and … clear the many countermeasures that would come before them during a pandemic,” Hickenlooper said. “Getting these countermeasures to the public fast in a time of crisis will save lives.”The FDA had requested the authority from Congress, he said.Cassidy spoke out against the amendment, saying he was unsure why the FDA would need Congress to establish a new program for emerging threats since it already has “an office of counterterrorism and emerging threats.”<h2>Tuberville amendment</h2>The HELP Committee also rejected several amendments.A majority of the panel did not agree to add a proposal from Tuberville that would have required any new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directors nominated by the president to get Senate approval immediately, moving up the timetable from January 2025.Braun and Budd had an amendment rejected that would have prevented the secretary of the Health and Human Services Department from declaring a public health emergency on gun violence.The panel rejected several amendments from Paul, including one that would have divided the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases within the National Institutes of Health up into three different agencies.Paul unsuccessfully proposed another amendment that would have barred federal funding from going to gain of function research in China.Paul defined that as “any research project that may be reasonably anticipated to confer attributes to influenza, MERS, or SARS viruses such that the virus would have enhanced pathogenicity or transmissibility in mammals.”Sanders said Paul’s concerns about that type of research are important and pledged to work with the Kentucky Republican on the issue moving forward, though he said the bill itself gets at the issue.“I worked with ranking member Cassidy to include a provision in this bill to make sure that any country, including China, that is deemed dangerous by our intelligence community would not be able to receive medical research dollars from the U.S. government for a minimum of five years,” Sanders said.Paul’s amendment on gain of function research, Sanders said, could have jeopardized international collaborations on medical research.

U.S. Senate panel OKs bill to help form better pandemic response

DELEWARE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend drowning that took the life of a Kansas man.

According to a media release from the Grand River Dam Authority, a 1979 Mastercraft driven by 47-year-old Daniel Siebert of Wichita was in the back of<a href="https://grda.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/GRDA-Grand-Lake-Map-and-Rules-Brochure-2019.pdf"> Duck Creek portion of Grand Lake</a> in northeast Oklahoma Saturday evening.&nbsp;

Witnesses reported Siebert fell out of and was struck by the boat. He was the only&nbsp; person on board. He did not resurface. First responders worked to stop the boat. Just after 7:30a.m. Sunday divers recovered his body.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690160840200.png" alt="Image courtesy Grand River Dam Authority" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Grand River Dam Authority</figcaption>
 </figure>DELEWARE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend drowning that took the life of a Kansas man.According to a media release from the Grand River Dam Authority, a 1979 Mastercraft driven by 47-year-old Daniel Siebert of Wichita was in the back of<a href="https://grda.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/GRDA-Grand-Lake-Map-and-Rules-Brochure-2019.pdf"> Duck Creek portion of Grand Lake</a> in northeast Oklahoma Saturday evening.&nbsp;Witnesses reported Siebert fell out of and was struck by the boat. He was the only&nbsp; person on board. He did not resurface. First responders worked to stop the boat. Just after 7:30a.m. Sunday divers recovered his body.

Body of Kansas man recovered after fall from boat 

DENVER (AP) — An 18-year-old from suburban Denver who allegedly planned to go to Iraq to fight for the Islamic State group was arrested last week as he tried to board a flight to Turkey.

Davin Daniel Meyer of Castle Rock, who was arrested Friday, has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Colorado announced late Monday.

Meyer's lawyer did not immediately return a telephone message or email seeking comment.

According to his arrest affidavit, law enforcement began investigating him in June 2022 when someone who knew him contacted the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. The person said they were concerned because, after following white supremacist ideology, Meyer, then 17, had turned to Islam and was frequently watching and listening to “radical Islamic sermons online." The FBI was notified by the sheriff's office, it said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690157195054.png" alt="Davin Daniel Meyer -photo courtesy FBI" />
 <figcaption>Davin Daniel Meyer -photo courtesy FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — An 18-year-old from suburban Denver who allegedly planned to go to Iraq to fight for the Islamic State group was arrested last week as he tried to board a flight to Turkey.Davin Daniel Meyer of Castle Rock, who was arrested Friday, has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Colorado announced late Monday.Meyer's lawyer did not immediately return a telephone message or email seeking comment.According to his arrest affidavit, law enforcement began investigating him in June 2022 when someone who knew him contacted the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. The person said they were concerned because, after following white supremacist ideology, Meyer, then 17, had turned to Islam and was frequently watching and listening to “radical Islamic sermons online." The FBI was notified by the sheriff's office, it said.The person, who was not identified in the document, said Meyer said “he wanted to die in his early twenties for Allah."“In October 2022, the individual informed the FBI that Meyer had stated that if he could not go to the Middle East, he planned to get fertilizer and build a bomb in the United States,” the arrest affidavit said.The document noted that Meyer had previously undergone mental health treatment and has been diagnosed with conditions including autism spectrum disorder and major depressive disorder.Soon after he turned 18 in November, Meyer began communicating online with someone he thought was an Islamic State facilitator but was actually a paid FBI informant, the document said. The following month, that person introduced Meyer to another informant who claimed to be an Islamic State travel facilitator, who met with Meyer three times to talk about his plan to pay and prepare for traveling to join the Islamic State.Meyer talked about problems finding a job that would allow him to follow his religious practices, such as not having to interact with women or listen to music, it said. After his mother offered to pay for an apartment for him and cover some living expenses for him, he decided to use that money to pay for his trip and buy gear that he needed to become a fighter, the document said.Concerned that his mother would worry about him, he talked about leaving a note on the counter saying he had left by his own choice.Meyer bought a ticket for July 14 to travel to Ankara, Turkey, where he believed he would meet with Islamic State members and travel on to Iraq to become a fighter, the arrest affidavit said.That day, he “repeatedly expressed anxiety and hesitation” to one of the informants, but he also “repeatedly expressed determination to go through with his plans,” it said.Meyer was arrested after showing his boarding pass to the gate agent and walking down the jet bridge to the plane, the arrest affidavit said.