SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal gunfight and have made two arrests.

Just after noon January 5, police were dispatched to a shooting at a home in the 2300 block of North Piatt in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Officers arrived on the scene and located 43-year-old Mareo Dupree with a gunshot wound to his torso and he was conscious and breathing. 

While officers were investigating, 47-year-old Jamar White arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his upper body. EMS transported Dupree was to an area hospital where he later died, according to Ditch.

The investigation revealed that there had been a feud over a drug debt between White and the occupants of the residence including Dupree and&nbsp;30-year-old Darries Mitchell.

White drove by the residence a couple of times firing rounds at the house before an exchange of gunfire occurred between Mitchell and White.

Police arrested Mitchell on a requested charge of Aggravated Battery and White on a requested charge of 1st Degree Murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673361937461.png" alt="White-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>White-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal gunfight and have made two arrests.Just after noon January 5, police were dispatched to a shooting at a home in the 2300 block of North Piatt in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.Officers arrived on the scene and located 43-year-old Mareo Dupree with a gunshot wound to his torso and he was conscious and breathing. While officers were investigating, 47-year-old Jamar White arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his upper body. EMS transported Dupree was to an area hospital where he later died, according to Ditch.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673362007556.png" alt="Mitchell-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Mitchell-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation revealed that there had been a feud over a drug debt between White and the occupants of the residence including Dupree and&nbsp;30-year-old Darries Mitchell.White drove by the residence a couple of times firing rounds at the house before an exchange of gunfire occurred between Mitchell and White.Police arrested Mitchell on a requested charge of Aggravated Battery and White on a requested charge of 1st Degree Murder.

Police: 2 jailed after fatal Kansas drug debt gunfight

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;began their tenure in the majority Monday by passing a bill that would rescind nearly $71 billion that Congress had provided the IRS, fulfilling a campaign promise even though the legislation is unlikely to advance further.

Democrats had beefed up the IRS over the next decade to help offset the cost of top health and environmental priorities they passed last year and to replenish an agency struggling to provide basic services to taxpayers and ensure fairness in tax compliance.

The money is on top of what Congress provides the IRS annually through the appropriations process and immediately became a magnet for GOP campaign ads in the fall claiming that the boost would lead to an army of IRS agents harassing hard-working Americans.

The bill to rescind the money passed the House on a party-line vote of 221-210. The Democratic-controlled Senate has vowed to ignore it.

Shortly before the vote, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected that rescinding the extra IRS funding would increase deficits over the coming decade by more than $114 billion. That created an awkward moment for Republicans, who have been saying that addressing deficits would be one of their top concerns in the majority. It offered an early example of how the GOP's bold promises on the campaign trail could get tangled in the messy reality of governing.

Still, the CBO's projection didn't appear to dampen Republican support. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., said the extra IRS funding Democrats provided last year was for one purpose.

“To go after small businesses, hard-working Americans to try to raise money for reckless spending, reckless spending that has caused $31 trillion in debt in this nation," Duncan said.

Duncan and other GOP lawmakers routinely say the extra funding will be used to hire 87,000 new agents to target Americans, but that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-irs-agents-inflation-reduction-act-871970314297">misleading</a>. The number is based on a Treasury Department plan saying that many IRS employees would be hired over the next decade if it got the money. But those employees will not all be hired at the same time, they will not all be auditors and many will be replacing some 50,000 employees who are expected to quit or retire in coming years.

“This debate about IRS lends itself to be the most dishonest, demagogic rhetoric that I have seen in the Congress at any point in time," said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

Charles Rettig, the former commissioner of the IRS, said in a final message to the agency in November that the additional money would help in many areas, not just beefing up tax enforcement. He said the investments would make it “even less likely for honest taxpayers to hear from the IRS or receive an audit letter.”

Additional funding for the agency has been politically controversial since 2013, when the IRS under the Obama administration was found to have used inappropriate criteria to review tea party groups and other organizations applying for tax-exempt status.

In the ensuing years, the IRS was mostly on the losing end of congressional funding fights, even as a subsequent 2017 report found that both conservative and liberal groups were chosen for scrutiny.

In April, Rettig told lawmakers the agency’s budget has decreased by more than 15% over the past decade when accounting for inflation and said the number of full-time employees — 79,000 in the last fiscal year — was close to 1974 levels.

But Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., and other Republicans weren't buying the argument that the funding would be focused on auditing the wealthy.

“This is meant to nickel-and-dime, audit and harass America's small businesses and families, who they know cannot afford the legal fees to fight this army," Malliotakis said.

Sen. Ron Wyden, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said a decade of Republican-led budget cuts gutted the IRS.

“The only way that House Republicans could make it any more obvious that they’re doing a favor for wealthy tax cheats is by coming out and saying it in exactly those words," Wyden said. “This bill is going nowhere in the Senate.”

And the White House said President Joe Biden would veto the bill if it gets to his desk, saying that the wealthiest 1% of Americans hide about 20% of their income so they don't have to pay taxes on it, shifting more of the tax burden to the middle class.

"With their first economic legislation of the new Congress, House Republicans are making clear that their top economic priority is to allow the rich and multibillion-dollar corporations to skip out on their taxes, while making life harder for ordinary, middle-class families that pay the taxes they owe," the White House said.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;began their tenure in the majority Monday by passing a bill that would rescind nearly $71 billion that Congress had provided the IRS, fulfilling a campaign promise even though the legislation is unlikely to advance further.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 House Republicans just voted unanimously to repeal the Democrats&#39; army of 87,000 IRS agents 🚨 This was our very first act of the new Congress, because government should work for you, not against you. Promises made. Promises kept.&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1612640200081002496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Democrats had beefed up the IRS over the next decade to help offset the cost of top health and environmental priorities they passed last year and to replenish an agency struggling to provide basic services to taxpayers and ensure fairness in tax compliance.The money is on top of what Congress provides the IRS annually through the appropriations process and immediately became a magnet for GOP campaign ads in the fall claiming that the boost would lead to an army of IRS agents harassing hard-working Americans.The bill to rescind the money passed the House on a party-line vote of 221-210. The Democratic-controlled Senate has vowed to ignore it.Shortly before the vote, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected that rescinding the extra IRS funding would increase deficits over the coming decade by more than $114 billion. That created an awkward moment for Republicans, who have been saying that addressing deficits would be one of their top concerns in the majority. It offered an early example of how the GOP's bold promises on the campaign trail could get tangled in the messy reality of governing.Still, the CBO's projection didn't appear to dampen Republican support. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., said the extra IRS funding Democrats provided last year was for one purpose.“To go after small businesses, hard-working Americans to try to raise money for reckless spending, reckless spending that has caused $31 trillion in debt in this nation," Duncan said.Duncan and other GOP lawmakers routinely say the extra funding will be used to hire 87,000 new agents to target Americans, but that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-irs-agents-inflation-reduction-act-871970314297">misleading</a>. The number is based on a Treasury Department plan saying that many IRS employees would be hired over the next decade if it got the money. But those employees will not all be hired at the same time, they will not all be auditors and many will be replacing some 50,000 employees who are expected to quit or retire in coming years.“This debate about IRS lends itself to be the most dishonest, demagogic rhetoric that I have seen in the Congress at any point in time," said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.Charles Rettig, the former commissioner of the IRS, said in a final message to the agency in November that the additional money would help in many areas, not just beefing up tax enforcement. He said the investments would make it “even less likely for honest taxpayers to hear from the IRS or receive an audit letter.”Additional funding for the agency has been politically controversial since 2013, when the IRS under the Obama administration was found to have used inappropriate criteria to review tea party groups and other organizations applying for tax-exempt status.In the ensuing years, the IRS was mostly on the losing end of congressional funding fights, even as a subsequent 2017 report found that both conservative and liberal groups were chosen for scrutiny.In April, Rettig told lawmakers the agency’s budget has decreased by more than 15% over the past decade when accounting for inflation and said the number of full-time employees — 79,000 in the last fiscal year — was close to 1974 levels.But Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., and other Republicans weren't buying the argument that the funding would be focused on auditing the wealthy.“This is meant to nickel-and-dime, audit and harass America's small businesses and families, who they know cannot afford the legal fees to fight this army," Malliotakis said.Sen. Ron Wyden, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said a decade of Republican-led budget cuts gutted the IRS.“The only way that House Republicans could make it any more obvious that they’re doing a favor for wealthy tax cheats is by coming out and saying it in exactly those words," Wyden said. “This bill is going nowhere in the Senate.”And the White House said President Joe Biden would veto the bill if it gets to his desk, saying that the wealthiest 1% of Americans hide about 20% of their income so they don't have to pay taxes on it, shifting more of the tax burden to the middle class."With their first economic legislation of the new Congress, House Republicans are making clear that their top economic priority is to allow the rich and multibillion-dollar corporations to skip out on their taxes, while making life harder for ordinary, middle-class families that pay the taxes they owe," the White House said.

House GOP kicks off majority with vote to slash IRS funding

By MARK MCCORMICK <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/10/documentary-explores-how-1965-wichita-plane-crash-left-families-like-mine-locked-in-a-moment/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>

After a fully fueled KC-135 military tanker crashed into what was 
then a segregated Wichita neighborhood, my sister Chan chose not to 
believe our 5-year-old cousin, Tracy Randolph, had died in the fiery 
1965 disaster.

Chandra McCormick, weeks from her 12th birthday, watched soap operas 
with our great-grandmother, Jessie Pearl Holloway, whom we called Big 
Mama. Chan borrowed a common storyline from the shows and told herself 
Tracy had just lost her memory. When her amnesia lifted, Tracy would 
come home.

But that Saturday morning crash — still considered Kansas’ deadliest 
air disaster — killed 30 people, including Tracy, our grandmother Mary 
Daniels (we called her Little Mama), our uncle C.L. Daniels and our 
cousin Clyde Holloway.

Documentarians Kevin Harrison, Riccardo Harris and Kenneth Hawkins 
want to re-examine the grief of survivors from that Jan. 16 morning — 
people either carrying that grief and continuing to live, or those who 
coped by existing because living felt impossible.

Interviewing them convinced me that I needed to look no further than 
my childhood household for various expressions of grief, though my 
mother and my aunt almost never spoke of it.

The tanker had just left McConnell Air Force Base outside Wichita but
 struggled to climb. As a crash seemed imminent, the crew began dumping 
fuel, but the plane dived into a vacant lot. A cascade of 32,000 gallons
 of jet fuel and fire incinerated a dozen homes.

The entire crew died. The crash gouged a crater 15 feet deep. The 
emotional trauma ran deeper. Several children died, as did an entire 
family. The accident left others homeless.

A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/wichita-airplane-crash-1965/19104">Kansas Historical Society article</a>
 praised the initial disaster response but said “that help started to 
wane.” It described the temporary survivor housing as “rundown and 
unsafe.”

It described the legal settlements as “disappointing.”

“One family received just $400,” the article said, while the average 
settlement stood at $13,000, minus the 20% that went to attorney fees. 
Many survivors wondered whether the payouts would have been more 
substantial had they been white.

Segregation, according to D.W. Carter, author of “Mayday Over 
Wichita,” forced Black people into a small area, boosting the death 
toll. Wichita then ranked as one of the nation’s most segregated cities.

The documentary intends to excavate all this ground.

“My interest in this story increased as I learned more about the 
victims,” said Harris, who is my cousin and executive director of GEAR 
UP at Wichita State University. I attended KU with both him and Harrison
 in the late 1980s. “I hope the unheard voices of the victims — those 
who died and those left behind — can finally be heard and understood.”

Harrison, an assistant professor for the Cohen Honor College at WSU, 
said previous books and films about the crash didn’t sufficiently 
examine survivors’ emotions.

“Every rung of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html">Maslow’s ladder</a>
 expresses the desire to be heard and understood,” Harrison said, 
referring to the model of basic human needs. “This project was an 
opportunity to give a voice to the voiceless.”

Harrison said previous projects identified victims’ names and addresses. He intends to dig deeper.

“Stories give us power,” he said. “I want to explore real emotion.”

A $10,000 Kansas Humanities Council grant funds the project, along 
with a partnership with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Robert Weems Jr., a 
professor of Business History at WSU serves as project consultant. They 
plan to screen the film at the park near the crash site this spring.

I wasn’t born until 1967. Still, the crash never seemed far away.

I was an adult, for example, before learning from my sister that my 
aunt Laura Faust, Tracy’s mother, doted over every boy-child in the 
family, but never had much to do with the girls, who likely reminded her
 too much of Tracy. Much of what I know, my sister shared.

Chan shared a particularly cruel story about witnesses claiming to 
have seen a child, engulfed in flames, running from one of the homes and
 collapsing. Someone asked our aunt if that child was Tracy.

“She didn’t,” Chan said. “She just closed her eyes and lowered her head.”

When loved ones die, ”what ifs” and our memories can act as 
comforting counterweights when pain starts to circle. But with a child, 
the what ifs must seem gargantuan because of what the child never had a 
chance to become. My aunt suffered quietly, dying at 65.

My sister planned to visit our grandmother’s house that morning but overslept.

She awoke to my aunt leaving to drop Tracy at Little Mama’s. Chan 
started walking there later, but along the way, the ground shook and 
black smoke filled the air. Where our grandmother’s house stood, she saw
 a lake of fire.

“I was numb,” she said. “It didn’t seem real.”

The grief stricken can find themselves locked in a moment, compressing a traumatizing incident into perhaps its worst instant.

A child might do what my sister did, create a magical narrative as a means of coping.

An adult might do what my aunt Laura did — hold it in, withdraw, and 
struggle through life existing because she couldn’t peel back enough of 
the grief to really live.

People grieve differently, doing their best to move from one moment to the next and secure some semblance of safety and control.

In 1965’s segregated Wichita, neither our family nor our neighbors — however we grieved — really had much of either.

Mark McCormick is the former executive director of The Kansas African American Museum, a member of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and deputy executive director at the ACLU of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673368130234.png" alt="Mark McCormick’s aunt Laura Faust, left, and his mother are shown in a new documentary about the crash of a fuel tanker into a Wichita neighborhood. McCormick’s 5-year-old cousin, Tracy Randolph (inset) was among those killed. (Riccardo Harris, Mark McCormick)" />
 <figcaption>Mark McCormick’s aunt Laura Faust, left, and his mother are shown in a new documentary about the crash of a fuel tanker into a Wichita neighborhood. McCormick’s 5-year-old cousin, Tracy Randolph (inset) was among those killed. (Riccardo Harris, Mark McCormick)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARK MCCORMICK <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/10/documentary-explores-how-1965-wichita-plane-crash-left-families-like-mine-locked-in-a-moment/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>After a fully fueled KC-135 military tanker crashed into what was 
then a segregated Wichita neighborhood, my sister Chan chose not to 
believe our 5-year-old cousin, Tracy Randolph, had died in the fiery 
1965 disaster.Chandra McCormick, weeks from her 12th birthday, watched soap operas 
with our great-grandmother, Jessie Pearl Holloway, whom we called Big 
Mama. Chan borrowed a common storyline from the shows and told herself 
Tracy had just lost her memory. When her amnesia lifted, Tracy would 
come home.But that Saturday morning crash — still considered Kansas’ deadliest 
air disaster — killed 30 people, including Tracy, our grandmother Mary 
Daniels (we called her Little Mama), our uncle C.L. Daniels and our 
cousin Clyde Holloway.Documentarians Kevin Harrison, Riccardo Harris and Kenneth Hawkins 
want to re-examine the grief of survivors from that Jan. 16 morning — 
people either carrying that grief and continuing to live, or those who 
coped by existing because living felt impossible.Interviewing them convinced me that I needed to look no further than 
my childhood household for various expressions of grief, though my 
mother and my aunt almost never spoke of it.The tanker had just left McConnell Air Force Base outside Wichita but
 struggled to climb. As a crash seemed imminent, the crew began dumping 
fuel, but the plane dived into a vacant lot. A cascade of 32,000 gallons
 of jet fuel and fire incinerated a dozen homes.The entire crew died. The crash gouged a crater 15 feet deep. The 
emotional trauma ran deeper. Several children died, as did an entire 
family. The accident left others homeless.A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/wichita-airplane-crash-1965/19104">Kansas Historical Society article</a>
 praised the initial disaster response but said “that help started to 
wane.” It described the temporary survivor housing as “rundown and 
unsafe.”It described the legal settlements as “disappointing.”“One family received just $400,” the article said, while the average 
settlement stood at $13,000, minus the 20% that went to attorney fees. 
Many survivors wondered whether the payouts would have been more 
substantial had they been white.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673368222699.png" alt="Mark McCormick’s sister, Chanda (left), visits Santa Claus with cousin Tracy Randolph. (Mark McCormick)" />
 <figcaption>Mark McCormick’s sister, Chanda (left), visits Santa Claus with cousin Tracy Randolph. (Mark McCormick)</figcaption>
 </figure>Segregation, according to D.W. Carter, author of “Mayday Over 
Wichita,” forced Black people into a small area, boosting the death 
toll. Wichita then ranked as one of the nation’s most segregated cities.The documentary intends to excavate all this ground.“My interest in this story increased as I learned more about the 
victims,” said Harris, who is my cousin and executive director of GEAR 
UP at Wichita State University. I attended KU with both him and Harrison
 in the late 1980s. “I hope the unheard voices of the victims — those 
who died and those left behind — can finally be heard and understood.”Harrison, an assistant professor for the Cohen Honor College at WSU, 
said previous books and films about the crash didn’t sufficiently 
examine survivors’ emotions.“Every rung of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html">Maslow’s ladder</a>
 expresses the desire to be heard and understood,” Harrison said, 
referring to the model of basic human needs. “This project was an 
opportunity to give a voice to the voiceless.”Harrison said previous projects identified victims’ names and addresses. He intends to dig deeper.“Stories give us power,” he said. “I want to explore real emotion.”A $10,000 Kansas Humanities Council grant funds the project, along 
with a partnership with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Robert Weems Jr., a 
professor of Business History at WSU serves as project consultant. They 
plan to screen the film at the park near the crash site this spring.I wasn’t born until 1967. Still, the crash never seemed far away.I was an adult, for example, before learning from my sister that my 
aunt Laura Faust, Tracy’s mother, doted over every boy-child in the 
family, but never had much to do with the girls, who likely reminded her
 too much of Tracy. Much of what I know, my sister shared.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673368265033.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Chan shared a particularly cruel story about witnesses claiming to 
have seen a child, engulfed in flames, running from one of the homes and
 collapsing. Someone asked our aunt if that child was Tracy.Horrified, I asked how she replied.“She didn’t,” Chan said. “She just closed her eyes and lowered her head.”When loved ones die, ”what ifs” and our memories can act as 
comforting counterweights when pain starts to circle. But with a child, 
the what ifs must seem gargantuan because of what the child never had a 
chance to become. My aunt suffered quietly, dying at 65.My sister planned to visit our grandmother’s house that morning but overslept.She awoke to my aunt leaving to drop Tracy at Little Mama’s. Chan 
started walking there later, but along the way, the ground shook and 
black smoke filled the air. Where our grandmother’s house stood, she saw
 a lake of fire.“I was numb,” she said. “It didn’t seem real.”The grief stricken can find themselves locked in a moment, compressing a traumatizing incident into perhaps its worst instant.A child might do what my sister did, create a magical narrative as a means of coping.An adult might do what my aunt Laura did — hold it in, withdraw, and 
struggle through life existing because she couldn’t peel back enough of 
the grief to really live.People grieve differently, doing their best to move from one moment to the next and secure some semblance of safety and control.In 1965’s segregated Wichita, neither our family nor our neighbors — however we grieved — really had much of either.Mark McCormick is the former executive director of The Kansas African American Museum, a member of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and deputy executive director at the ACLU of Kansas.

Documentary explores 1965 Wichita plane crash, Kansas' deadliest

TOPEKA (AP) —Governor Laura Kelly and other statewide elected officials took their oaths of office Monday. The ceremony caps a big political comeback for new Attorney General Kris Kobach. He has built a national reputation by advocating strict immigration and election laws

Kobach and his family marked his return to public office in what, as a former law professor, he called “a role that will suit me well.”

Kobach lost a congressional race in 2004 before winning the first of two terms as Kansas secretary of state in 2010. He was the first prominent Kansas elected official to endorse Donald Trump's bid for president in 2016 and served as vice chairman of a short-lived Trump commission on voter fraud.

His unsuccessful 2018 and 2020 races crashed his political career and left many Republicans believing that he couldn't win a statewide race. But many GOP leaders and activists said his 2022 campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-presidential-immigration-3ec99db94c0d772465d3a7ccf015ccc6">was better organized and more focused,</a>&nbsp;generating less drama or outrage.

The more combative Kobach could return: He's promised to file lawsuits to challenge Biden administration policies.

He's already identified as potential targets&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-texas-new-mexico-wildlife-birds-1dba73f652f3e454774d6799d09a257a">a listing of the lesser prairie chicken</a>&nbsp;as a threatened species and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-arizona-state-government-donald-trump-8d46b14c20cb0effcb52ace48220dcce">an expansion of waters covered</a>&nbsp;by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

Kobach said Monday that the attorney general's office also will examine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-medication-d5fc3d5990dced69b0bf93a4760250fe">a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule</a>&nbsp;allowing more pharmacies to dispense abortion medications. Kobach is a strong abortion opponent, while Kelly supports abortion rights.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673288617339.png" alt="&nbsp;Kris Kobach and his family are introducted at the ceremony Monday at the Capitol-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Kris Kobach and his family are introducted at the ceremony Monday at the Capitol-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA (AP) —Governor Laura Kelly and other statewide elected officials took their oaths of office Monday. The ceremony caps a big political comeback for new Attorney General Kris Kobach. He has built a national reputation by advocating strict immigration and election lawsKobach and his family marked his return to public office in what, as a former law professor, he called “a role that will suit me well.”Kobach lost a congressional race in 2004 before winning the first of two terms as Kansas secretary of state in 2010. He was the first prominent Kansas elected official to endorse Donald Trump's bid for president in 2016 and served as vice chairman of a short-lived Trump commission on voter fraud.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673290599543.png" alt="Kobach during the oath of office on Monday afternoon-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Kobach during the oath of office on Monday afternoon-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>His unsuccessful 2018 and 2020 races crashed his political career and left many Republicans believing that he couldn't win a statewide race. But many GOP leaders and activists said his 2022 campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-presidential-immigration-3ec99db94c0d772465d3a7ccf015ccc6">was better organized and more focused,</a>&nbsp;generating less drama or outrage.The more combative Kobach could return: He's promised to file lawsuits to challenge Biden administration policies.He's already identified as potential targets&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-texas-new-mexico-wildlife-birds-1dba73f652f3e454774d6799d09a257a">a listing of the lesser prairie chicken</a>&nbsp;as a threatened species and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-arizona-state-government-donald-trump-8d46b14c20cb0effcb52ace48220dcce">an expansion of waters covered</a>&nbsp;by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations.Kobach said Monday that the attorney general's office also will examine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-medication-d5fc3d5990dced69b0bf93a4760250fe">a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule</a>&nbsp;allowing more pharmacies to dispense abortion medications. Kobach is a strong abortion opponent, while Kelly supports abortion rights.

More combative Kris Kobach takes over as Kan. attorney general

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and USD 384 are investigating alleged theft in Riley County.

On Friday, officers filed a report for theft at Randolph Middle School, 2 Ram Way, in Randolph, according to the Riley County County Police Department activity report. 

The Blue Valley School District and Thermal Comfort Air reported a known male suspect stole a check the school had written to Thermal Comfort Air and cashed it. The estimated total loss is approximately $45,300. Police released no additional information early Monday.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and USD 384 are investigating alleged theft in Riley County.On Friday, officers filed a report for theft at Randolph Middle School, 2 Ram Way, in Randolph, according to the Riley County County Police Department activity report. The Blue Valley School District and Thermal Comfort Air reported a known male suspect stole a check the school had written to Thermal Comfort Air and cashed it. The estimated total loss is approximately $45,300. Police released no additional information early Monday.

Police: Suspect stole $45,000 check written by Kan. school district

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/new-order-puts-keystone-pipeline-cleanup-under-epa-oversight/">Kansas Reflector</a>

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tcenergy.com/incident/milepost-14-incident/">Owners of the Keystone oil pipeline</a>&nbsp;must
 complete their cleanup of a massive spill in northern Kansas under 
oversight of the federal government, the Environmental Protection Agency
 announced Monday.

The EPA and TC Energy, which operates the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/20/drone-no-fly-zone-issued-over-keystone-oil-spill-site-in-kansas/">Keystone pipeline</a>, signed a cleanup agreement last week, according to a news release from the EPA.

It requires TC Energy to “recover oil and oil-contaminated soil and 
vegetation and contain the further spread of oil in Mill Creek.”

“All work required under the order … will be completed under EPA oversight,” the release said.

In a statement, the company said it appreciated the EPA’s “willingness to work cooperatively.”

“We share the EPA’s prioritization of safety and mitigating risk to 
the environment, and we are committed to complying with the agreement as
 we progress our response, recovery and remediation,” the company said.

The Keystone pipeline, which carries oil from Canada to Illinois and 
Texas, spilled 14,000 barrels — or 588,000 gallons —&nbsp;of oil near 
Washington, a small town along the Kansas-Nebraska border. The spill, 
which took place in December, is the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/13/keystone-pipeline-has-history-of-spills-warnings-and-fines-kansas-spill-is-largest-yet/">largest in the pipeline’s history of numerous spills and violations</a>.

As of Jan. 2, TC Energy reported it had recovered almost 12,000 
barrels of oil from Mill Creek and surrounding areas. Crews responding 
to the spill will&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/03/crews-will-reroute-mill-creek-after-massive-keystone-pipeline-spill-in-kansas/">temporarily reroute Mill Creek</a>&nbsp;to accommodate cleanup.

In its release, the EPA said the spill “resulted in vegetation 
staining near the pipeline rupture, caused a visible sheen on the water 
and significantly affected fish and wildlife.”

In the hours after the spill, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/09/regulators-order-keystone-pipeline-to-investigate-after-14000-barrels-spill-in-kansas/">ordered TC Energy to shut down the pipeline and investigate the cause of the rupture</a>. The branch of the pipeline that was affected resumed operations in late December.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673362197220.png" alt="Efforts are underway to clean up the largest spill in the Keystone pipeline’s history, which happened near Washington, Kansas. The pipeline’s owner announced Mill Creek will be temporarily rerouted to help with cleanup (TC Energy)." />
 <figcaption>Efforts are underway to clean up the largest spill in the Keystone pipeline’s history, which happened near Washington, Kansas. The pipeline’s owner announced Mill Creek will be temporarily rerouted to help with cleanup (TC Energy).</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/new-order-puts-keystone-pipeline-cleanup-under-epa-oversight/">Kansas Reflector</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.tcenergy.com/incident/milepost-14-incident/">Owners of the Keystone oil pipeline</a>&nbsp;must
 complete their cleanup of a massive spill in northern Kansas under 
oversight of the federal government, the Environmental Protection Agency
 announced Monday.The EPA and TC Energy, which operates the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/20/drone-no-fly-zone-issued-over-keystone-oil-spill-site-in-kansas/">Keystone pipeline</a>, signed a cleanup agreement last week, according to a news release from the EPA.It requires TC Energy to “recover oil and oil-contaminated soil and 
vegetation and contain the further spread of oil in Mill Creek.”“All work required under the order … will be completed under EPA oversight,” the release said.In a statement, the company said it appreciated the EPA’s “willingness to work cooperatively.”“We share the EPA’s prioritization of safety and mitigating risk to 
the environment, and we are committed to complying with the agreement as
 we progress our response, recovery and remediation,” the company said.The Keystone pipeline, which carries oil from Canada to Illinois and 
Texas, spilled 14,000 barrels — or 588,000 gallons —&nbsp;of oil near 
Washington, a small town along the Kansas-Nebraska border. The spill, 
which took place in December, is the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/13/keystone-pipeline-has-history-of-spills-warnings-and-fines-kansas-spill-is-largest-yet/">largest in the pipeline’s history of numerous spills and violations</a>.As of Jan. 2, TC Energy reported it had recovered almost 12,000 
barrels of oil from Mill Creek and surrounding areas. Crews responding 
to the spill will&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/03/crews-will-reroute-mill-creek-after-massive-keystone-pipeline-spill-in-kansas/">temporarily reroute Mill Creek</a>&nbsp;to accommodate cleanup.In its release, the EPA said the spill “resulted in vegetation 
staining near the pipeline rupture, caused a visible sheen on the water 
and significantly affected fish and wildlife.”In the hours after the spill, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/09/regulators-order-keystone-pipeline-to-investigate-after-14000-barrels-spill-in-kansas/">ordered TC Energy to shut down the pipeline and investigate the cause of the rupture</a>. The branch of the pipeline that was affected resumed operations in late December..

New order puts Keystone pipeline cleanup under EPA oversight

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly and Lieutenant Governor David Toland were sworn into office in a ceremony outside the Kansas State Capitol on Monday. The Kelly Administration now begins its second term in office.&nbsp;

<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Inaugural-Address-FINAL-FOR-PRESS.pdf">Click here to read</a> Gov. Kelly's&nbsp;Inaugural Address

Governor Kelly first became the 48th&nbsp;governor of Kansas on January 14, 2019, pledging to rebuild Kansas by reaching across the aisle. Since then, she has worked with a bipartisan group of legislators to fully fund schools, axe the sales tax on food, close the Bank of KDOT, and recruit the largest economic development project in state history.&nbsp;

Governor Kelly began her second term by celebrating the Kansas spirit of “neighbor-helping-neighbor” and calling on the state’s elected leaders to embody the same civility and unity.&nbsp;

“We’re often told that there’s&nbsp;‘a fork in the road’&nbsp;and you&nbsp;have to&nbsp;make a choice - you can either go right or you can go left. I believe that’s a false choice.  I believe the best&nbsp;choice&nbsp;is right down&nbsp;the middle of that road,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp; &nbsp;

“Because the middle of the road&nbsp;is&nbsp;where left and right come together; where well-intentioned people who hold different positions find common ground.  Nobody gets everything they&nbsp;want,&nbsp;everyone gets something they want, and progress is made.&nbsp;That’s how life works. It’s how government should work too.”&nbsp;

Governor Kelly also shared her vision for her second term.&nbsp;

“Our North Star is this: To make Kansas the best place in America to raise a family,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“Where you can see opportunity for yourself, for your children, and for your grandchildren.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673298695086.png" alt="Photo courtesy Governor Kelly's office" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Governor Kelly's office</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly and Lieutenant Governor David Toland were sworn into office in a ceremony outside the Kansas State Capitol on Monday. The Kelly Administration now begins its second term in office.&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Inaugural-Address-FINAL-FOR-PRESS.pdf">Click here to read</a> Gov. Kelly's&nbsp;Inaugural AddressGovernor Kelly first became the 48th&nbsp;governor of Kansas on January 14, 2019, pledging to rebuild Kansas by reaching across the aisle. Since then, she has worked with a bipartisan group of legislators to fully fund schools, axe the sales tax on food, close the Bank of KDOT, and recruit the largest economic development project in state history.&nbsp;Governor Kelly began her second term by celebrating the Kansas spirit of “neighbor-helping-neighbor” and calling on the state’s elected leaders to embody the same civility and unity.&nbsp;“We’re often told that there’s&nbsp;‘a fork in the road’&nbsp;and you&nbsp;have to&nbsp;make a choice - you can either go right or you can go left. I believe that’s a false choice.  I believe the best&nbsp;choice&nbsp;is right down&nbsp;the middle of that road,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp; &nbsp;“Because the middle of the road&nbsp;is&nbsp;where left and right come together; where well-intentioned people who hold different positions find common ground.  Nobody gets everything they&nbsp;want,&nbsp;everyone gets something they want, and progress is made.&nbsp;That’s how life works. It’s how government should work too.”&nbsp;Governor Kelly also shared her vision for her second term.&nbsp;“Our North Star is this: To make Kansas the best place in America to raise a family,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“Where you can see opportunity for yourself, for your children, and for your grandchildren.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas Gov. urges civility: Read Kelly's 2023 inaugural address

GEARY COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 7p.m. Monday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Chevy Cruze driven by Kelly E. Clements, 32, Fort Riley, was eastbound in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 just outside of Marshall Army Airfield and struck a 2017 Hyundai Elantra driven by Gary T. May, 76, Milford, head-on.

Clements was pronounced dead at the scene and she was transported to Johnson's Funeral Home. EMS transported May and a passenger in the Hyundai Donna E. May, 72, Milford, to the Stormont Flint Hills where she died. Clements was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

All westbound traffic on Interstate 70 near Fort Riley in Geary county were shut down for several hours due to the to the crash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673318786501.png" alt="First responders on the scene Monday night -image courtesy KanDrive" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene Monday night -image courtesy KanDrive</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 7p.m. Monday in Geary County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Chevy Cruze driven by Kelly E. Clements, 32, Fort Riley, was eastbound in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 just outside of Marshall Army Airfield and struck a 2017 Hyundai Elantra driven by Gary T. May, 76, Milford, head-on.Clements was pronounced dead at the scene and she was transported to Johnson's Funeral Home. EMS transported May and a passenger in the Hyundai Donna E. May, 72, Milford, to the Stormont Flint Hills where she died. Clements was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.All westbound traffic on Interstate 70 near Fort Riley in Geary county were shut down for several hours due to the to the crash.

2 Kan. women dead after wrong-way, head-on I-70 crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and on Monday, released security camera images asking for help to ID a suspect.

Just before 2a.m. Saturday, December 31, 2022, deputies were dispatched to a business inmthe 5300 block of SW Topeka Boulevard for a disturbance, according to deputy Abigail Christian.

A physical altercation began near the entrance of the business and continued into the parking lot. During the fight, multiple gunshots were fired and one person was struck. That person was taken to a local hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries.

Anyone with information on the individual pictured is asked to contact the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office (785-251-2200) or Shawnee County Crime Stoppers (785-234-0007 www.p3tips.com)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673301016811.png" alt="image Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>image Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and on Monday, released security camera images asking for help to ID a suspect.Just before 2a.m. Saturday, December 31, 2022, deputies were dispatched to a business inmthe 5300 block of SW Topeka Boulevard for a disturbance, according to deputy Abigail Christian.A physical altercation began near the entrance of the business and continued into the parking lot. During the fight, multiple gunshots were fired and one person was struck. That person was taken to a local hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries.Anyone with information on the individual pictured is asked to contact the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office (785-251-2200) or Shawnee County Crime Stoppers (785-234-0007 www.p3tips.com)

Sheriff asks for help to ID New Year's Eve shooting suspect

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is reviewing a batch of potentially classified documents found in the Washington office space of President Joe Biden's former institute, the White House said Monday.

Special counsel to the president Richard Sauber said “a small number of documents with classified markings” were discovered as Biden's personal attorneys were clearing out the offices of the Penn Biden Center, where the president kept an office after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his 2020 presidential campaign in 2019. The documents were found on Nov. 2, 2022, in a “locked closet” in the office, Sauber said.

Sauber said the attorneys immediately alerted the White House Counsel's office, who notified the National Archives and Records Administration — which took custody of the documents the next day.

“Since that discovery, the President’s personal attorneys have cooperated with the Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives,” Sauber said.

A person who is familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly said Attorney General Merrick Garland asked U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch to review the matter after the Archives referred the issue to the department. Lausch is one of the few U.S. attorneys to be held over from former President Donald Trump's administration.

Irrespective of the Justice Department review, the revelation that Biden potentially mishandled classified or presidential records could prove to be a political headache for the president, who called Trump's decision to keep hundreds of such records at his private club in Florida&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-taiwan-biden-government-and-politics-mar-a-lago-2474104aa0fd9ffaa8de33538813c84e">“irresponsible."</a>

Trump weighed in Monday on his social media site, asking, “When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?”

The revelation comes as Republicans have taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration.

It also may complicate the Justice Department's consideration on whether to bring charges against Trump, who has launched a repeat bid for the White House in 2024 and has repeatedly claimed that the department's inquiry of his own conduct amounted to “corruption."

The National Archives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Spokespeople for Garland and Lausch declined to comment.

Rep. James Comer, the new GOP chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Monday that the revelation raised questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the Trump probe.

“Is the White House going to be raided tonight? Are they going to raid the Bidens?” he asked reporters. “This is further concern that there’s a two-tier justice system within the DOJ with how they treat Republicans versus Democrats, certainly how they treat the former president versus the current president.”

His Democratic counterpart, Rep. Jamie Raskin, said Biden's attorneys “appear to have taken immediate and proper action.”

“I have confidence that the Attorney General took the appropriate steps to ensure the careful review of the circumstances surrounding the possession and discovery of these documents and make an impartial decision about any further action that may be needed,” he added.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, said Monday that the American public deserved to know earlier about the revelation of classified documents.

“They knew about this a week before the election, maybe the American people should have known that,” Jordan told reporters. “They certainly knew about the the raid on Mar-a-Lago 91 days before this election, but nice if on November 2, the country would have known that there were classified documents at the Biden Center.”

Jordan is among House Republicans pushing for the creation of a “select subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal government” within the Judiciary Committee.

Votes on creating that committee are expected as soon as this week, setting up a showdown between Republicans and the prosecutors leading various federal investigations, including the ones into Trump.

It wasn't immediately clear why the White House didn't disclose the discovery of the documents or the DOJ review sooner. CBS was first to report Monday on the discovery of the potentially classified documents.

The Justice Department for months has been investigating the retention of roughly 300 documents that were marked as classified and were recovered from the Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago">Florida estate.</a>&nbsp;In that instance, prosecutors say, representatives of Trump resisted requests to give back the full stash of classified documents and failed to fully comply with a subpoena that sought their return.

FBI agents in August served a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago property, removing 15 boxes of records.

That investigation is being led by special counsel Jack Smith. Prosecutors have interviewed an array of Trump associates and have been using a grand jury to hear evidence.

It is not clear when a decision when will be made on whether Trump, or anyone else, should be charged.

The think tank, formally known as the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and continues to operate independently of the Biden administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673315316984.png" alt="The revelation comes as Republicans have taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The revelation comes as Republicans have taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is reviewing a batch of potentially classified documents found in the Washington office space of President Joe Biden's former institute, the White House said Monday.Special counsel to the president Richard Sauber said “a small number of documents with classified markings” were discovered as Biden's personal attorneys were clearing out the offices of the Penn Biden Center, where the president kept an office after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his 2020 presidential campaign in 2019. The documents were found on Nov. 2, 2022, in a “locked closet” in the office, Sauber said.Sauber said the attorneys immediately alerted the White House Counsel's office, who notified the National Archives and Records Administration — which took custody of the documents the next day.“Since that discovery, the President’s personal attorneys have cooperated with the Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives,” Sauber said.A person who is familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly said Attorney General Merrick Garland asked U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch to review the matter after the Archives referred the issue to the department. Lausch is one of the few U.S. attorneys to be held over from former President Donald Trump's administration.Irrespective of the Justice Department review, the revelation that Biden potentially mishandled classified or presidential records could prove to be a political headache for the president, who called Trump's decision to keep hundreds of such records at his private club in Florida&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-taiwan-biden-government-and-politics-mar-a-lago-2474104aa0fd9ffaa8de33538813c84e">“irresponsible."</a>Trump weighed in Monday on his social media site, asking, “When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?”The revelation comes as Republicans have taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration.It also may complicate the Justice Department's consideration on whether to bring charges against Trump, who has launched a repeat bid for the White House in 2024 and has repeatedly claimed that the department's inquiry of his own conduct amounted to “corruption."The National Archives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Spokespeople for Garland and Lausch declined to comment.Rep. James Comer, the new GOP chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Monday that the revelation raised questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the Trump probe.“Is the White House going to be raided tonight? Are they going to raid the Bidens?” he asked reporters. “This is further concern that there’s a two-tier justice system within the DOJ with how they treat Republicans versus Democrats, certainly how they treat the former president versus the current president.”His Democratic counterpart, Rep. Jamie Raskin, said Biden's attorneys “appear to have taken immediate and proper action.”“I have confidence that the Attorney General took the appropriate steps to ensure the careful review of the circumstances surrounding the possession and discovery of these documents and make an impartial decision about any further action that may be needed,” he added.Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, said Monday that the American public deserved to know earlier about the revelation of classified documents.“They knew about this a week before the election, maybe the American people should have known that,” Jordan told reporters. “They certainly knew about the the raid on Mar-a-Lago 91 days before this election, but nice if on November 2, the country would have known that there were classified documents at the Biden Center.”Jordan is among House Republicans pushing for the creation of a “select subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal government” within the Judiciary Committee.Votes on creating that committee are expected as soon as this week, setting up a showdown between Republicans and the prosecutors leading various federal investigations, including the ones into Trump.It wasn't immediately clear why the White House didn't disclose the discovery of the documents or the DOJ review sooner. CBS was first to report Monday on the discovery of the potentially classified documents.The Justice Department for months has been investigating the retention of roughly 300 documents that were marked as classified and were recovered from the Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago">Florida estate.</a>&nbsp;In that instance, prosecutors say, representatives of Trump resisted requests to give back the full stash of classified documents and failed to fully comply with a subpoena that sought their return.FBI agents in August served a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago property, removing 15 boxes of records.That investigation is being led by special counsel Jack Smith. Prosecutors have interviewed an array of Trump associates and have been using a grand jury to hear evidence.It is not clear when a decision when will be made on whether Trump, or anyone else, should be charged.The think tank, formally known as the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and continues to operate independently of the Biden administration.--------------

Classified docs from Biden's time as vice president discovered 

MARION COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating missing and injured Alpacas.

According to a statement from the Marion County Sheriff, on Sunday night, several Alpacas were shot in the 800 block of Old Mill Road north of Peabody.&nbsp; Five Alpacas are still missing. 

If you have any information regarding this incident, please call Deputy Miles at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 620-382-2144

MARION COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating missing and injured Alpacas.According to a statement from the Marion County Sheriff, on Sunday night, several Alpacas were shot in the 800 block of Old Mill Road north of Peabody.&nbsp; Five Alpacas are still missing. If you have any information regarding this incident, please call Deputy Miles at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 620-382-2144

Marion County Sheriff: Alpacas shot, several animals missing

KANSAS CITY —A &nbsp;Jackson County judge Thursday ordered Issac Fisher to serve consecutive sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of multiple felonies in connection with three fatal shootings and the wounding of a 4-year-old child in 2018, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.

The judge ordered Fisher to serve two life without the possibility of parole sentences and a third life sentence. The judge set those sentences to run consecutively. The prosecutor had asked that setting the sentences to run consecutively would recognize each victim separately.

In addition, the judge set other sentences for other convictions -- six Armed Criminal Actions, three Burglary 1st Degrees, three Unlawful Use of Weapon and two Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Those were set to run concurrently to the life sentences. &nbsp;A Jackson County jury convicted Fisher, dob: 3/16/1983, of those charges.

According to court records, police were first called to the 9000 block of Kentucky Avenue in Kansas City about 9:24 a.m. on a reported shooting. A woman reported her daughter-in-law had been shot by her son, the defendant. Witnesses at the residence told police that the defendant had arrived there and had argued with the first victim. Then the witness stated she heard four to five gunshots and found the victim on the bathroom floor suffering from gunshot wounds. The defendant was seen leaving the room holding a handgun. A short time later, police in Raytown located a vehicle reportedly taken from the first crime scene on Kentucky Avenue. A witness on Laurel Avenue in Raytown told police that her finance's brother was the defendant. He had come to the residence and kicked in the door before taking a second vehicle, a white Chevrolet Traverse. About 9:37 a.m. Sunday, police in Raytown responded to the 5700 block of Elm, where they found another victim suffering from gunshot wounds. That victim was reported to be the step-brother of the defendant. A 4-year-old girl also had been shot, while a 1-year-old was present but did not sustain injuries. A witness stated the suspect in the shooting was seen leaving the residence carrying a rifle over his shoulder. He fled in a white Traverse. And at 10;28 a.m., Kansas City police responded to a shooting near 112th and Eastern. The victim found there by police was reportedly a cousin of the defendant. While still alive, the victim told a witness that a man named "Big" had shot him. The defendant goes by the nickname "Big." &nbsp;Police located the white Traverse behind a nearby residence. Ballistics of shell casings at three homicide scenes matched.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666807024992.png" alt="Fisher-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Fisher-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A &nbsp;Jackson County judge Thursday ordered Issac Fisher to serve consecutive sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of multiple felonies in connection with three fatal shootings and the wounding of a 4-year-old child in 2018, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.The judge ordered Fisher to serve two life without the possibility of parole sentences and a third life sentence. The judge set those sentences to run consecutively. The prosecutor had asked that setting the sentences to run consecutively would recognize each victim separately.In addition, the judge set other sentences for other convictions -- six Armed Criminal Actions, three Burglary 1st Degrees, three Unlawful Use of Weapon and two Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Those were set to run concurrently to the life sentences. &nbsp;A Jackson County jury convicted Fisher, dob: 3/16/1983, of those charges.According to court records, police were first called to the 9000 block of Kentucky Avenue in Kansas City about 9:24 a.m. on a reported shooting. A woman reported her daughter-in-law had been shot by her son, the defendant. Witnesses at the residence told police that the defendant had arrived there and had argued with the first victim. Then the witness stated she heard four to five gunshots and found the victim on the bathroom floor suffering from gunshot wounds. The defendant was seen leaving the room holding a handgun. A short time later, police in Raytown located a vehicle reportedly taken from the first crime scene on Kentucky Avenue. A witness on Laurel Avenue in Raytown told police that her finance's brother was the defendant. He had come to the residence and kicked in the door before taking a second vehicle, a white Chevrolet Traverse. About 9:37 a.m. Sunday, police in Raytown responded to the 5700 block of Elm, where they found another victim suffering from gunshot wounds. That victim was reported to be the step-brother of the defendant. A 4-year-old girl also had been shot, while a 1-year-old was present but did not sustain injuries. A witness stated the suspect in the shooting was seen leaving the residence carrying a rifle over his shoulder. He fled in a white Traverse. And at 10;28 a.m., Kansas City police responded to a shooting near 112th and Eastern. The victim found there by police was reportedly a cousin of the defendant. While still alive, the victim told a witness that a man named "Big" had shot him. The defendant goes by the nickname "Big." &nbsp;Police located the white Traverse behind a nearby residence. Ballistics of shell casings at three homicide scenes matched.&nbsp;

Kansas City man sentenced for murder of 3 family members

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/09/kansas-chambers-legislative-script-dives-into-tax-regulation-workforce-and-legal-issues/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Chamber’s wish list for the legislative session that opened Monday&nbsp; features corporate and individual income tax cuts, a 
blockade on local government bans on plastic bags and regulatory changes
 to deliver regionally competitive energy costs.

The organization proposed lawmakers help fill gaps in the state’s 
workforce with a tax credit for companies hiring apprentices. If the 
Kansas Chamber could wave a magic wand, it would eliminate a state ban 
on retailers passing credit card fees to consumers, slash the state’s 
general sales tax of 6.5% and declare the legislative branch — not the 
judicial branch — the final authority on funding of K-12 education.

Other policy goals: support reforms to help people with criminal 
records land a job, amend the workers’ compensation system to limit 
pain-and-suffering damage awards to injured workers and give parents 
more opportunity to direct state tax dollars to private school education
 of their children.

“Our regulatory climate has improved and our employment laws are 
among the best in the nation,” said Alan Cobb, president of the Kansas 
Chamber. “Unfortunately, the work is not done. Actions taken by other 
states have made them more attractive to investment and to workers. We 
must act to become competitive.”

The Kansas Chamber, which has a political action committee that 
invests primarily in conservative Republican candidates, maintains a 
steady presence in the Capitol. The objective is to provide traction for
 “pro-business” legislation through direct lobbying, testimony on bills,
 drafting of legislation and behind-the-scenes negotiation on public 
policy. Generally, the organization embraces principles of free 
enterprise, small government, economic development and job creation. The
 bottom line: Lower the cost of doing business in Kansas.

Cobb and Eric Stafford, the Kansas Chamber’s top lobbyist, sat down 
with the Kansas Reflector podcast to walk through key elements of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansaschamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Legislative-Agenda.pdf">the organization’s 2023 legislative agenda</a>.

“We need to become more competitive. We need to grow. We need to 
attract more business investment. We need to attract individuals here. 
And, it’s not just necessarily income taxes. We’re the sixth highest 
cellphone tax burden in the nation?” Stafford said.

Polling by the Kansas Chamber showed seven of 10 chief executive 
officers of businesses believed the property tax burden in Kansas was 
too high.

Some states made use of large state revenue surpluses by lowering 
income tax rates, but Kansas has not taken that step. The organization 
intends to pressure the Legislature to curtail both the individual 
income tax burden on Kansans by adopting a flat rate. The Kansas Chamber
 is working on legislation would earmark projected growth in state 
revenue for buying down state income taxes.

In addition, the Kansas Chamber proposed an across-the-board 
reduction of the state’s 6.5% sales tax. On Jan. 1, a law adopted by the
 2022 Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly reduced the state sales tax on 
groceries from 6.5% to 4%. General purchases of goods is still tied to 
the 6.5% state rate and whatever percentage was imposed by cities or 
counties. The average total sales tax in Kansas is 8.4%, but in some 
jurisdictions it tops 10%.

“We are either seventh or eighth highest in combined … state and 
local tax rate in the country. I mean, it’s good to be in the top 10 
generally. That’s not one of them,” Cobb said.

Stafford said there was reason to be optimistic about the Legislature
 and Kelly reaching compromise on a broad tax bill that included the 
immediate elimination of sales tax on food.

“It’s a very realistic possibility it could happen,” he said, “but I 
also think it’ll be part of the bigger tax conversation. You know, 
Governor Kelly ran on commercials that she’s in the middle of the road. 
Well, you know, there’s going to be a time where&nbsp;the art of compromise 
isn’t getting only what you want. It’s giving up some things that you 
might not be crazy about.”

Stafford said there would likely be bipartisan support for adopting 
tax credits for businesses that participated in registered 
apprenticeship programs in traditional trades as well as education, 
information technology or health care. Under the Kansas Chamber’s 
proposal, the state would offer tax credits of $1,250 per apprentice up 
to 10 at each company.

The Kansas Chamber’s policy agenda waded into K-12 public education 
to include deploying state tax dollars for schools operating outside of 
the public education system. It’s controversial because some lawmakers 
believe a voucher-like system drained the best students and more 
resources from public schools, while proponents point to the need for 
educational alternatives best suited for the student.

“We need better students,” Cobb said. “We don’t care whether they’re 
homeschooled, private schools,&nbsp;parochial schools, religious schools or 
public schools. We need all of them to succeed. Competition works 
everywhere. We’re all of the above. It’s not terribly complicated.”

In addition, the Kansas Chamber would like the Legislature to be the 
final authority on determining appropriate levels of state funding of 
K-12 schools. In the past, the Kansas Supreme Court has found state aid 
to schools unconstitutional. Rulings have prompted increases in state 
aid to public education.

Stafford said the Kansas Supreme Court’s decision to strike down caps
 on pain-and-suffering awards to injured workers was bad public policy. 
The constitution ought to be amended to allow the Legislature to adopt 
award limits for noneconomic damages, he said.

“The Legislature felt it was the best public policy for the state to 
have that in place. And our Supreme Court came in and said, ‘Nope, those
 are unconstitutional. You can’t do that.’ We do support reinstating 
caps on economic damages. About the only approach that we have left at 
this point is a constitutional amendment.”

Cobb said the Kansas Chamber would support legislative efforts to do 
away with the penalty of five days in jail for a first offense for 
driving a vehicle on a suspended license.

“Driving while suspended. Five days in jail. We got to change that. I
 mean, five days in jail if you’re convicted of&nbsp;driving while 
suspended?” he said.

Stafford said the organization had long opposed a patchwork of 
regulations by cities and counties regarding use of plastic bags 
commonly used in retail stores. This year, however, the agenda was 
widened to include opposition to local units of government forbidding 
sale of dogs and cats at retail stores, he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673281651332.png" alt="Kansas Chamber president Alan Cobb, right, and Kansas Chamber lobbyist Eric Stafford outline for a Kansas Reflector podcast key pieces of the business organization’s 2023 agenda ahead of the new session of the Kansas Legislature starting Monday. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Chamber president Alan Cobb, right, and Kansas Chamber lobbyist Eric Stafford outline for a Kansas Reflector podcast key pieces of the business organization’s 2023 agenda ahead of the new session of the Kansas Legislature starting Monday. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/09/kansas-chambers-legislative-script-dives-into-tax-regulation-workforce-and-legal-issues/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Chamber’s wish list for the legislative session that opened Monday&nbsp; features corporate and individual income tax cuts, a 
blockade on local government bans on plastic bags and regulatory changes
 to deliver regionally competitive energy costs.The organization proposed lawmakers help fill gaps in the state’s 
workforce with a tax credit for companies hiring apprentices. If the 
Kansas Chamber could wave a magic wand, it would eliminate a state ban 
on retailers passing credit card fees to consumers, slash the state’s 
general sales tax of 6.5% and declare the legislative branch — not the 
judicial branch — the final authority on funding of K-12 education.Other policy goals: support reforms to help people with criminal 
records land a job, amend the workers’ compensation system to limit 
pain-and-suffering damage awards to injured workers and give parents 
more opportunity to direct state tax dollars to private school education
 of their children.“Our regulatory climate has improved and our employment laws are 
among the best in the nation,” said Alan Cobb, president of the Kansas 
Chamber. “Unfortunately, the work is not done. Actions taken by other 
states have made them more attractive to investment and to workers. We 
must act to become competitive.”The Kansas Chamber, which has a political action committee that 
invests primarily in conservative Republican candidates, maintains a 
steady presence in the Capitol. The objective is to provide traction for
 “pro-business” legislation through direct lobbying, testimony on bills,
 drafting of legislation and behind-the-scenes negotiation on public 
policy. Generally, the organization embraces principles of free 
enterprise, small government, economic development and job creation. The
 bottom line: Lower the cost of doing business in Kansas.Cobb and Eric Stafford, the Kansas Chamber’s top lobbyist, sat down 
with the Kansas Reflector podcast to walk through key elements of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansaschamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Legislative-Agenda.pdf">the organization’s 2023 legislative agenda</a>.“We need to become more competitive. We need to grow. We need to 
attract more business investment. We need to attract individuals here. 
And, it’s not just necessarily income taxes. We’re the sixth highest 
cellphone tax burden in the nation?” Stafford said.<h2>Taxation theme</h2>Polling by the Kansas Chamber showed seven of 10 chief executive 
officers of businesses believed the property tax burden in Kansas was 
too high.Some states made use of large state revenue surpluses by lowering 
income tax rates, but Kansas has not taken that step. The organization 
intends to pressure the Legislature to curtail both the individual 
income tax burden on Kansans by adopting a flat rate. The Kansas Chamber
 is working on legislation would earmark projected growth in state 
revenue for buying down state income taxes.In addition, the Kansas Chamber proposed an across-the-board 
reduction of the state’s 6.5% sales tax. On Jan. 1, a law adopted by the
 2022 Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly reduced the state sales tax on 
groceries from 6.5% to 4%. General purchases of goods is still tied to 
the 6.5% state rate and whatever percentage was imposed by cities or 
counties. The average total sales tax in Kansas is 8.4%, but in some 
jurisdictions it tops 10%.“We are either seventh or eighth highest in combined … state and 
local tax rate in the country. I mean, it’s good to be in the top 10 
generally. That’s not one of them,” Cobb said.Stafford said there was reason to be optimistic about the Legislature
 and Kelly reaching compromise on a broad tax bill that included the 
immediate elimination of sales tax on food.“It’s a very realistic possibility it could happen,” he said, “but I 
also think it’ll be part of the bigger tax conversation. You know, 
Governor Kelly ran on commercials that she’s in the middle of the road. 
Well, you know, there’s going to be a time where&nbsp;the art of compromise 
isn’t getting only what you want. It’s giving up some things that you 
might not be crazy about.”Stafford said there would likely be bipartisan support for adopting 
tax credits for businesses that participated in registered 
apprenticeship programs in traditional trades as well as education, 
information technology or health care. Under the Kansas Chamber’s 
proposal, the state would offer tax credits of $1,250 per apprentice up 
to 10 at each company.<h2>K-12 education</h2>The Kansas Chamber’s policy agenda waded into K-12 public education 
to include deploying state tax dollars for schools operating outside of 
the public education system. It’s controversial because some lawmakers 
believe a voucher-like system drained the best students and more 
resources from public schools, while proponents point to the need for 
educational alternatives best suited for the student.“We need better students,” Cobb said. “We don’t care whether they’re 
homeschooled, private schools,&nbsp;parochial schools, religious schools or 
public schools. We need all of them to succeed. Competition works 
everywhere. We’re all of the above. It’s not terribly complicated.”In addition, the Kansas Chamber would like the Legislature to be the 
final authority on determining appropriate levels of state funding of 
K-12 schools. In the past, the Kansas Supreme Court has found state aid 
to schools unconstitutional. Rulings have prompted increases in state 
aid to public education.Stafford said the Kansas Supreme Court’s decision to strike down caps
 on pain-and-suffering awards to injured workers was bad public policy. 
The constitution ought to be amended to allow the Legislature to adopt 
award limits for noneconomic damages, he said.“The Legislature felt it was the best public policy for the state to 
have that in place. And our Supreme Court came in and said, ‘Nope, those
 are unconstitutional. You can’t do that.’ We do support reinstating 
caps on economic damages. About the only approach that we have left at 
this point is a constitutional amendment.”Cobb said the Kansas Chamber would support legislative efforts to do 
away with the penalty of five days in jail for a first offense for 
driving a vehicle on a suspended license.“Driving while suspended. Five days in jail. We got to change that. I
 mean, five days in jail if you’re convicted of&nbsp;driving while 
suspended?” he said.Stafford said the organization had long opposed a patchwork of 
regulations by cities and counties regarding use of plastic bags 
commonly used in retail stores. This year, however, the agenda was 
widened to include opposition to local units of government forbidding 
sale of dogs and cats at retail stores, he said.

Kansas Chamber's agenda focuses on tax, regulation, workforce

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on Drug allegations.

On Friday, the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 1900 Block of SE Illinois Avenue in Topeka, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.

While conducting the search warrant, officers located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

As a result 53-year-old Lloyd Townsend and 33-year-old Sean Coble were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

Townsend is being held on requested charges that include Distribution of methamphetamine within 1000’ of a school and Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute within 1000’ of a school

Sean Coble is jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673099282972.png" alt="Coble-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Coble-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on Drug allegations.On Friday, the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 1900 Block of SE Illinois Avenue in Topeka, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.While conducting the search warrant, officers located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673099216822.png" alt="Townsend-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Townsend-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>As a result 53-year-old Lloyd Townsend and 33-year-old Sean Coble were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.Townsend is being held on requested charges that include Distribution of methamphetamine within 1000’ of a school and Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute within 1000’ of a schoolSean Coble is jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police: Kansas man allegedly sold meth near school

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

A Salina shoe store is out more than $5,000 after 175 pairs of HEYDUDE shoes were stolen from a storage building behind the business.

On Saturday, an employee of Brown's Shoe Fit, 2150 Planet Avenue, who was attempting to put Christmas decorations into a storage building behind the business, discovered that someone had switched the lock on the building. That led to the discovery that 175 pairs of HEYDUDE shoes had been stolen from the building, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning.

The theft occurred sometime between Nov. 21 and Saturday. Total loss was estimated at $5,250, Forrester said.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA Salina shoe store is out more than $5,000 after 175 pairs of HEYDUDE shoes were stolen from a storage building behind the business.On Saturday, an employee of Brown's Shoe Fit, 2150 Planet Avenue, who was attempting to put Christmas decorations into a storage building behind the business, discovered that someone had switched the lock on the building. That led to the discovery that 175 pairs of HEYDUDE shoes had been stolen from the building, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning.The theft occurred sometime between Nov. 21 and Saturday. Total loss was estimated at $5,250, Forrester said.

Kansas shoe store reports 175 pairs of shoes missing

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend homicide have identified the victim as 45-year-old Shawn A. Carter of Topeka.

Just before 9a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1300 Block of SE Madison in Topeka, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks.

First responders found Carter suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Police released no additional details Monday afternoon and have not reported an arrest.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend homicide.

First responders found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. Police released no additional details and have not reported an arrest.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend homicide have identified the victim as 45-year-old Shawn A. Carter of Topeka.Just before 9a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1300 Block of SE Madison in Topeka, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks.First responders found Carter suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Police released no additional details Monday afternoon and have not reported an arrest.---------------SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend homicide.Just before 9a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1300 Block of SE Madison in Topeka, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks.First responders found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. Police released no additional details and have not reported an arrest.

Police ID 45-year-old Kan. man who died in weekend shooting

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Doctors who treated Damar Hamlin said the Bills safety was moved to a hospital in Buffalo on Monday, an uplifting sign of the remarkable progress he has made a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Bills-damar-hamlin-collapse-what-happened-d73a76f2f7f736b652e95896dfaa0900">going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated</a>&nbsp;on the field during a game in Cincinnati.

Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in the morning and flown to Buffalo, where he will continue his recovery.

“I can confirm that he is doing well. And this is the beginning of the next stage of his recovery,” Dr. William Knight said.

Doctors said Hamlin has been walking since Friday, and eating regular food and undergoing therapy. They said he was on a normal or even accelerated trajectory in his recovery from cardiac arrest, which is considered a life-threatening event, and that normal recovery can be measured from weeks to months.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672714269393.png" alt="Damar Hamlin photo courtesy Buffalo Bills" />
 <figcaption>Damar Hamlin photo courtesy Buffalo Bills</figcaption>
 </figure>ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Doctors who treated Damar Hamlin said the Bills safety was moved to a hospital in Buffalo on Monday, an uplifting sign of the remarkable progress he has made a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Bills-damar-hamlin-collapse-what-happened-d73a76f2f7f736b652e95896dfaa0900">going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated</a>&nbsp;on the field during a game in Cincinnati.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">An amazing update. ❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/Do1P1nKQWI">pic.twitter.com/Do1P1nKQWI</a>&mdash; Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) <a href="https://twitter.com/BuffaloBills/status/1612542457383718912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in the morning and flown to Buffalo, where he will continue his recovery.“I can confirm that he is doing well. And this is the beginning of the next stage of his recovery,” Dr. William Knight said.Doctors said Hamlin has been walking since Friday, and eating regular food and undergoing therapy. They said he was on a normal or even accelerated trajectory in his recovery from cardiac arrest, which is considered a life-threatening event, and that normal recovery can be measured from weeks to months.“We continue to be ecstatic about his recovery,” Dr. Timothy Pritts said.Hamlin’s return comes a day after he cheered on the Bills from his hospital bed during their regular season-ending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-england-patriots-buffalo-bills-miami-dolphins-york-jets-nfl-25243cdf2ceb3780419859fc39537ef4">35-23 win</a>&nbsp;over the New England Patriots. The game proved to be a cathartic outpouring of support for the Bills and Hamlin.Hamlin was so excited watching teammate Nyheim Hines return the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown that “he jumped up and down, got out of his chair, set every alarm off in the ICU in the process,” Pritts said with a laugh.Pritts said it was still premature to comment on the potential cause of Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.The Bills wore No. 3 Hamlin patches on their jerseys Sunday and honored their teammate by raising three fingers in the closing minutes, while tight end Dawson Knox celebrated his touchdown by forming his hands into the shape of a heart. Fans joined in, with many holding up red heart and No. 3 signs.“Watching the world come together around me on Sunday was truly an amazing feeling,” Hamlin said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/HamlinIsland/status/1612546415787384837?s=20&amp;t=ZRcRcD8Go886siarMcqHxA" target="_blank">tweet</a>&nbsp;announcing he was heading home to Buffalo, “with a lot of love in my heart.“The same love you all have shown me is the same love that I plan to put back into the world n more.”The 24-year-old from the Pittsburgh area has made significant progress in his recovery since spending his first two days at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center under sedation and breathing through a ventilator.He was awakened on Wednesday night and was eventually able to grip people’s hands. By Friday, Hamlin was able to breathe on his own and even addressed the team by videoconference, in which he told the Bills, “Love you boys.”The last update from doctors came on Saturday, when they described Hamlin’s neurological function as “excellent,” though he remained listed in critical condition.Later that day, Hamlin tweeted: “Putting love into the world comes back 3xs as much… thankful for everyone who has reached out and prayed. This will make me stronger on the road to recovery, keep praying for me!”The NFL will showed support for Hamlin during all Week 18 games by including a pregame moment of support, painting Hamlin’s No. 3 on the 30-yard line and pregame shirts with “Love for Damar 3.”Hamlin’s heart stopped on Monday night after making what appeared to be a routine tackle in the first quarter against the Bengals. The game was initially suspended before officially being canceled later in the week.News of Hamlin’s discharge from the hospital in Cincinnati was greeted with enthusiasm.“That’s unbelievable,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said.“I mean, just think about it — that was one week, not even a week ago. There’s no one in this room that would have expected he’d be in Buffalo,” he added. “God is great. He works miracles. This is certainly a miracle, there’s no question. ... And just an amazing moment for Damar.”___