BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities arrested a suspect in the 1980 homicide of 23-year-old Mary Robin Walter, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

The suspect, Steven L. Hanks, 68, Burden, Kansas, is being held on a $500,000 bond and is expect to make his first court appearance Friday.&nbsp; Authorities&nbsp; arrested him Thursday at Oxford in Sumner County.  Hanks has previous convictions in 1983 for rape, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Just before 7p.m. January 24, 1980, the Barton Co. Sheriff’s Office received a call from an individual reporting a homicide at the Nelson Trailer Park, RR1 Lot 9, according to Bellendir.&nbsp;

The location of the incident was at that time was near the intersection of SW. 40th Ave. and Anchor Way adjacent to the Great Bend Municipal Airport complex. The trailer park no longer exists.

&nbsp;This was about 10 years before there was a 911 system or locator addresses in Barton County.&nbsp;

Deputies and investigators located the body of&nbsp; Mary Robin Walter who had been shot multiple times. She was married with one child and a nursing student at Barton County Community College.

Hanks was a person of interest in the case, according to Belendir.

Over the years, numerous detectives have looked at the case and were not able to obtain information that would assist in prosecution.

In April 2022, while recovering from Covid, Detective Sgt. Adam Hales of the Barton County Sheriff’s Office reopened the Mary Robin Walter homicide case.

 After taking a fresh look at the case, it became evident that some information had been initially overlooked and some had been added at a later date. This was unknown to the original investigators. 

After reviewing the case with Sgt. Hales, Bellendir directed that the other two detectives, Detective Alex Lomas, Detective Bryan Volkel as well as patrol Sgt. Travis Doze be assigned to the case as time allowed. 

Lieutenant David Paden supervised the operation. The Sheriff’s office tracked down numerous individuals that had been involved in the case in the 1980s and many interviews were conducted as far away as the Pacific Northwest. Several meetings were held with the KBI who assisted with this investigation.

In October of this year, new evidence was obtained that allowed the Sheriff’s Office to submit the case to Barton County Attorney Levi Morris for review. After approximately four weeks of review, Morris obtained an arrest warrant for murder in the 2nd degree for Hanks arrest.&nbsp; He was a neighbor to the victim at the time.

At 42-years and 10 months, Bellendir believes this is the oldest homicide arrest in the State of Kansas, it may be one the oldest homicides cleared by arrest in the United States. This also clears the last known homicide in a non-incorporated area under the jurisdiction of the Barton County Sheriff’s Office.

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities have arrested a&nbsp;suspect in&nbsp;the 1980 homicide of&nbsp;Mary Robin Walter, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir. The suspect, Steven L. Hanks, age 68, Burden, Kansas, is being transported to Barton County at this time.&nbsp;Hanks was arrested at Oxford in Sumner County.&nbsp; Hanks has previous convictions in 1983 for rape, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated battery&nbsp;

The Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Barton County Attorney’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of&nbsp;Investigation will release more information on the case Friday morning.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670608379475.png" alt="Mary Robin Walter-photo courtesy Barton Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Mary Robin Walter-photo courtesy Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities arrested a suspect in the 1980 homicide of 23-year-old Mary Robin Walter, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.The suspect, Steven L. Hanks, 68, Burden, Kansas, is being held on a $500,000 bond and is expect to make his first court appearance Friday.&nbsp; Authorities&nbsp; arrested him Thursday at Oxford in Sumner County. Hanks has previous convictions in 1983 for rape, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670609613326.jpeg" alt="Hanks-photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Hanks-photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 7p.m. January 24, 1980, the Barton Co. Sheriff’s Office received a call from an individual reporting a homicide at the Nelson Trailer Park, RR1 Lot 9, according to Bellendir.&nbsp;The location of the incident was at that time was near the intersection of SW. 40th Ave. and Anchor Way adjacent to the Great Bend Municipal Airport complex. The trailer park no longer exists.&nbsp;This was about 10 years before there was a 911 system or locator addresses in Barton County.&nbsp;Deputies and investigators located the body of&nbsp; Mary Robin Walter who had been shot multiple times. She was married with one child and a nursing student at Barton County Community College.Hanks was a person of interest in the case, according to Belendir.Over the years, numerous detectives have looked at the case and were not able to obtain information that would assist in prosecution.In April 2022, while recovering from Covid, Detective Sgt. Adam Hales of the Barton County Sheriff’s Office reopened the Mary Robin Walter homicide case. After taking a fresh look at the case, it became evident that some information had been initially overlooked and some had been added at a later date. This was unknown to the original investigators. After reviewing the case with Sgt. Hales, Bellendir directed that the other two detectives, Detective Alex Lomas, Detective Bryan Volkel as well as patrol Sgt. Travis Doze be assigned to the case as time allowed. Lieutenant David Paden supervised the operation. The Sheriff’s office tracked down numerous individuals that had been involved in the case in the 1980s and many interviews were conducted as far away as the Pacific Northwest. Several meetings were held with the KBI who assisted with this investigation.In October of this year, new evidence was obtained that allowed the Sheriff’s Office to submit the case to Barton County Attorney Levi Morris for review. After approximately four weeks of review, Morris obtained an arrest warrant for murder in the 2nd degree for Hanks arrest.&nbsp; He was a neighbor to the victim at the time.At 42-years and 10 months, Bellendir believes this is the oldest homicide arrest in the State of Kansas, it may be one the oldest homicides cleared by arrest in the United States. This also clears the last known homicide in a non-incorporated area under the jurisdiction of the Barton County Sheriff’s Office.----------BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities have arrested a&nbsp;suspect in&nbsp;the 1980 homicide of&nbsp;Mary Robin Walter, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir. The suspect, Steven L. Hanks, age 68, Burden, Kansas, is being transported to Barton County at this time.&nbsp;Hanks was arrested at Oxford in Sumner County.&nbsp; Hanks has previous convictions in 1983 for rape, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated battery&nbsp; The Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Barton County Attorney’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of&nbsp;Investigation will release more information on the case Friday morning.&nbsp;

Sheriff updates details of arrest in Kan. cold case homicide

By JOHN HANNA, HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, and JOSH FUNK

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise Thursday.

Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.

The company on Thursday estimated the spill's size at about 14,000 barrels and said the affected pipeline segment had been "isolated" and the oil contained at the site with booms, or barriers. It did not say how the spill occurred.

"People are sometimes not aware of of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens," said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club's state chapter.

Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada's oil sands would worsen climate change, and President Joe Biden's cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company to pull the plug last year.

In 2019, the Keystone pipeline leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons (1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota.

Janet Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that campaigned against the Keystone XL, said there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it began service in 2010. She said federal studies have shown the type of heavy tar sands oil the pipeline carries can be especially difficult to clean up in water because it tends to sink.

"All oil spills are difficult, but tar sands in particular are very toxic and very difficult, so I'm awfully concerned," said Kleeb, who is also the Nebraska Democratic Party's chair.

But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there were no known effects yet on drinking water wells or the public, and the oil didn't move from the creek to larger waterways. Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there were no evacuations ordered because the break occurred in rural pastureland.

TC Energy said it had set up environmental monitoring at the site, including around-the-clock air quality monitoring.

"Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment," a company statement said.

Oil prices briefly surged at midday Thursday amid news of the spill, with the cost of a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests anxiety in the market over immediate supply.

A U.S. Energy Information Administration spokesperson said the Keystone pipeline moves about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, where it can connect to another pipeline to the Gulf Coast. That's compared to the total of 3.5 million to 4 million barrels of Canadian oil imported into the U.S. every day.

Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill's location, it's possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.

"It's something to keep an eye on," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. "It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days."

The spill was 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Washington, the county seat of about 1,100 residents. Paul Stewart, an area farmer, said part of it was contained on his land using yellow booms and a dam of dirt. The spill occurred in Mill Creek, which flows into the Little Blue River.

The Little Blue feeds the Big Blue River, which flows into Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, home of Kansas State University. The EPA said the oil did not affect the Little Blue.

Dan Thalmann, publisher and editor of The Washington County News, a weekly publication, said crews were creating a rock path to the creek because recent rains made fields too soft to move in heavy machinery.

"Gosh, the traffic past my house is unbelievable — trucks after trucks after trucks," said Stewart, who took down an electric fence he'd finished putting up Wednesday, fearing it might be knocked down and dragged into a field.

Chris Pannbacker said the pipeline runs through her family's farm. She and her husband drove north of their farmhouse and across a bridge over Mill Creek.

"We looked at it from both sides, and it was black on both sides," said Pannbacker, a reporter for the Marysville Advocate newspaper.

Junior Roop, the sexton of a cemetery near the spill site, said people could smell the oil in town.

"It was about like driving by a refinery," he said.

Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. AP Business Writer Cathy Bussewitz contributed reporting from New York.

Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna

By JOHN HANNA, HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, and JOSH FUNKTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise Thursday.Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.The company on Thursday estimated the spill's size at about 14,000 barrels and said the affected pipeline segment had been "isolated" and the oil contained at the site with booms, or barriers. It did not say how the spill occurred."People are sometimes not aware of of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens," said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club's state chapter.Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada's oil sands would worsen climate change, and President Joe Biden's cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company to pull the plug last year.In 2019, the Keystone pipeline leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons (1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota.Janet Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that campaigned against the Keystone XL, said there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it began service in 2010. She said federal studies have shown the type of heavy tar sands oil the pipeline carries can be especially difficult to clean up in water because it tends to sink."All oil spills are difficult, but tar sands in particular are very toxic and very difficult, so I'm awfully concerned," said Kleeb, who is also the Nebraska Democratic Party's chair.But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there were no known effects yet on drinking water wells or the public, and the oil didn't move from the creek to larger waterways. Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there were no evacuations ordered because the break occurred in rural pastureland.TC Energy said it had set up environmental monitoring at the site, including around-the-clock air quality monitoring."Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment," a company statement said.Oil prices briefly surged at midday Thursday amid news of the spill, with the cost of a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests anxiety in the market over immediate supply.A U.S. Energy Information Administration spokesperson said the Keystone pipeline moves about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, where it can connect to another pipeline to the Gulf Coast. That's compared to the total of 3.5 million to 4 million barrels of Canadian oil imported into the U.S. every day.Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill's location, it's possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said."It's something to keep an eye on," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. "It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days."The spill was 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Washington, the county seat of about 1,100 residents. Paul Stewart, an area farmer, said part of it was contained on his land using yellow booms and a dam of dirt. The spill occurred in Mill Creek, which flows into the Little Blue River.The Little Blue feeds the Big Blue River, which flows into Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, home of Kansas State University. The EPA said the oil did not affect the Little Blue.Dan Thalmann, publisher and editor of The Washington County News, a weekly publication, said crews were creating a rock path to the creek because recent rains made fields too soft to move in heavy machinery."Gosh, the traffic past my house is unbelievable — trucks after trucks after trucks," said Stewart, who took down an electric fence he'd finished putting up Wednesday, fearing it might be knocked down and dragged into a field.Chris Pannbacker said the pipeline runs through her family's farm. She and her husband drove north of their farmhouse and across a bridge over Mill Creek."We looked at it from both sides, and it was black on both sides," said Pannbacker, a reporter for the Marysville Advocate newspaper.Junior Roop, the sexton of a cemetery near the spill site, said people could smell the oil in town."It was about like driving by a refinery," he said.____Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. AP Business Writer Cathy Bussewitz contributed reporting from New York.___Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna

Oil spill in rural Kan. creek that shut down pipeline is contained

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas teen died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Thursday in Sedgwick County.

According to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick, a Cadillac SUV driven by a 52-year-old woman from Derby was southbound on Rock Road and turning east onto 39th Street.

The SUV struck a northbound Kawasaki motorcycle driven by 18-year-old&nbsp;Brandon Koziar of Derby.

Koziar was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Blick. The driver of the Cadillac SUV was uninjured.&nbsp; The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670601322303.png" alt="The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas teen died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Thursday in Sedgwick County.According to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick, a Cadillac SUV driven by a 52-year-old woman from Derby was southbound on Rock Road and turning east onto 39th Street.The SUV struck a northbound Kawasaki motorcycle driven by 18-year-old&nbsp;Brandon Koziar of Derby.Koziar was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Blick. The driver of the Cadillac SUV was uninjured.&nbsp; The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.

Sheriff: Kansas teen dies after SUV, motorcycle crash

KANSAS CITY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and asking for help to identify suspects.

&nbsp;On Thursday, police released images of persons of interest in a homicide that occurred shortly after midnight on November 13, outside Club Nereidas, 48 Kansas Avenue, Kansas and Berger near the Kansas/Missouri state line.

Outside the club, police found they found&nbsp; 38-year-old Apolonio O. Enriquez of Kansas City inside a vehicle with a life-threatening gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he later died.

The suspects may have left the scene in a black, four-door sedan, according to Kansas City, Kansas police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670596410119.png" alt="images KCK Police" />
 <figcaption>images KCK Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and asking for help to identify suspects.&nbsp;On Thursday, police released images of persons of interest in a homicide that occurred shortly after midnight on November 13, outside Club Nereidas, 48 Kansas Avenue, Kansas and Berger near the Kansas/Missouri state line.Outside the club, police found they found&nbsp; 38-year-old Apolonio O. Enriquez of Kansas City inside a vehicle with a life-threatening gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he later died.The suspects may have left the scene in a black, four-door sedan, according to Kansas City, Kansas police.

Police working to ID suspects in homicide outside Kan. nightclub

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday that she now has registered as an independent, but she does not plan to caucus with Republicans, ensuring Democrats will retain their narrow voting majority in the Senate.

Sinema has modeled her political approach on the renegade style of the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and has frustrated Democratic colleagues at times with her overtures to Republicans and opposition to Democratic priorities Rather than assailing the Democratic Party in her statement, she said she was “declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”

While unusual for a sitting senator to switch party affiliation, the move appears to hold more impact on Sinema’s own political brand than the operations of the Senate.

In a video explaining her decision, she said: “Registering as an independent and showing up to work with the title of independent is a reflection of who I’ve always been. ... Nothing’s going to change for me.’’

The first-term senator wrote in The Arizona Republic that she came into office pledging “to be independent and work with anyone to achieve lasting results. I committed I would not demonize people I disagreed with, engage in name-calling, or get distracted by political drama. I promised I would never bend to party pressure.”

She wrote that her approach is “rare in Washington and has upset partisans in both parties” but “has delivered lasting results for Arizona.” Sinema also said that she has “never fit perfectly in either national party.”

While bold and to some extent rare to have a senator switch party affiliation, the move appears to hold more impact on Sinema’s own political brand than the operations of the Senate.

Before Sinema's announcement, Democrats were set to hold a 51-49 edge in the new Senate come January after the victory Tuesday by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia's runoff election. Until then, the Senate will remain even, with Vice President Kamala Harris the tiebreaking vote for Democrats.

Sinema told Politico in an interview that she will not caucus with Republicans and that she plans to keep voting as she has since winning election to the Senate in 2018 after three House terms.

She is expected to maintain her committee assignments through the Democratic majority, according to a Senate Democratic aide. Two current independents, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, caucus with Democrats and gain their committee seniority through the Democrats.

She is facing reelection in 2024 and is likely to be matched against a well-funded primary challenger after angering much of the Democratic base by blocking or watering down progressive priorities such as a minimum wage increase and President Joe Biden’s big social spending initiatives. She has not said whether she plans to seek another term.

Sinema’s most prominent potential primary challenger is Rep. Ruben Gallego, who has a long history of feuding with her.

The senator wrote that she was joining "the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”

Sinema bemoaned “the national parties' rigid partisanship” and said “pressures in both parties pull leaders to the edges — allowing the loudest, most extreme voices to determine their respective parties’ priorities, and expecting the rest of us to fall in line.”

“In catering to the fringes, neither party has demonstrated much tolerance for diversity of thought. Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress,” she wrote.

She added: “My approach is rare in Washington, and has upset partisans in both parties."

Along with West Virginia's Joe Manchin, she has been one of two moderate Democrats in the 50-50 Senate, and her willingness to buck the rest of her party has at times limited the ambitions of Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Sinema is a staunch defender of the filibuster, a Senate rule effectively requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation in the 100-member Senate. Many Democrats, including Biden, say the filibuster leads to gridlock by giving a minority of lawmakers the ability to veto.

Last January, leaders of the Arizona Democratic Party voted to censure Sinema, citing “her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy″ — namely her refusal to go along with fellow Democrats to alter the Senate rule so they could overcome Republican opposition to a voting rights bill.

While that rebuke was symbolic, it came only a few years since Sinema was heralded for bringing the Arizona Senate seat back into the Democratic fold for the first time in a generation. The move also previewed the persistent opposition that Sinema was likely face within her own party in 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670587177855.png" alt="Senator Krysten Sinema-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Senator Krysten Sinema-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday that she now has registered as an independent, but she does not plan to caucus with Republicans, ensuring Democrats will retain their narrow voting majority in the Senate.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">In a natural extension of my service since I was first elected to Congress, I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington and formally registering as an Arizona Independent. 1/3 <a href="https://t.co/jUQHAeuxym">pic.twitter.com/jUQHAeuxym</a>&mdash; Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1601170136781664256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>Sinema has modeled her political approach on the renegade style of the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and has frustrated Democratic colleagues at times with her overtures to Republicans and opposition to Democratic priorities Rather than assailing the Democratic Party in her statement, she said she was “declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”While unusual for a sitting senator to switch party affiliation, the move appears to hold more impact on Sinema’s own political brand than the operations of the Senate.In a video explaining her decision, she said: “Registering as an independent and showing up to work with the title of independent is a reflection of who I’ve always been. ... Nothing’s going to change for me.’’The first-term senator wrote in The Arizona Republic that she came into office pledging “to be independent and work with anyone to achieve lasting results. I committed I would not demonize people I disagreed with, engage in name-calling, or get distracted by political drama. I promised I would never bend to party pressure.”She wrote that her approach is “rare in Washington and has upset partisans in both parties” but “has delivered lasting results for Arizona.” Sinema also said that she has “never fit perfectly in either national party.”While bold and to some extent rare to have a senator switch party affiliation, the move appears to hold more impact on Sinema’s own political brand than the operations of the Senate.Before Sinema's announcement, Democrats were set to hold a 51-49 edge in the new Senate come January after the victory Tuesday by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia's runoff election. Until then, the Senate will remain even, with Vice President Kamala Harris the tiebreaking vote for Democrats.Sinema told Politico in an interview that she will not caucus with Republicans and that she plans to keep voting as she has since winning election to the Senate in 2018 after three House terms.She is expected to maintain her committee assignments through the Democratic majority, according to a Senate Democratic aide. Two current independents, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, caucus with Democrats and gain their committee seniority through the Democrats.She is facing reelection in 2024 and is likely to be matched against a well-funded primary challenger after angering much of the Democratic base by blocking or watering down progressive priorities such as a minimum wage increase and President Joe Biden’s big social spending initiatives. She has not said whether she plans to seek another term.Sinema’s most prominent potential primary challenger is Rep. Ruben Gallego, who has a long history of feuding with her.The senator wrote that she was joining "the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”Sinema bemoaned “the national parties' rigid partisanship” and said “pressures in both parties pull leaders to the edges — allowing the loudest, most extreme voices to determine their respective parties’ priorities, and expecting the rest of us to fall in line.”“In catering to the fringes, neither party has demonstrated much tolerance for diversity of thought. Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress,” she wrote.She added: “My approach is rare in Washington, and has upset partisans in both parties."Along with West Virginia's Joe Manchin, she has been one of two moderate Democrats in the 50-50 Senate, and her willingness to buck the rest of her party has at times limited the ambitions of Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.Sinema is a staunch defender of the filibuster, a Senate rule effectively requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation in the 100-member Senate. Many Democrats, including Biden, say the filibuster leads to gridlock by giving a minority of lawmakers the ability to veto.Last January, leaders of the Arizona Democratic Party voted to censure Sinema, citing “her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy″ — namely her refusal to go along with fellow Democrats to alter the Senate rule so they could overcome Republican opposition to a voting rights bill.While that rebuke was symbolic, it came only a few years since Sinema was heralded for bringing the Arizona Senate seat back into the Democratic fold for the first time in a generation. The move also previewed the persistent opposition that Sinema was likely face within her own party in 2024.

U.S. Senate scrambled; Kyrsten Sinema quits Democrats

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brittney Griner returned to the United States early Friday, nearly 10 months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">the basketball star’s detention</a>&nbsp;in Russia made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm.

Griner's status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women's basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community heightened concerns for her and brought tremendous attention to the case. Russia's invasion of Ukraine after her arrest complicated matters further.

The deal announced Thursday that saw Griner exchanged for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/viktor-bout-russian-arms-dealer-brittney-griner-2afb6b2096e40e5c6b6b1fd26b4fbba0">notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>&nbsp;achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden. But the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-prisons-antony-blinken-united-states-government-and-politics-975a9e0cccd5d6a8ee74925f9eb3f352">failed to win freedom</a>&nbsp;for another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.

Biden’s authorization to release Bout, the Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” underscored the heightened urgency that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case on drug charges and her subsequent transfer to a penal colony.

Griner,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-wnba-dunk-talent-good-c42a6465a3f3afcd2987ae0f12a6ad61">a two-time Olympic gold medalist</a>&nbsp;and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star, was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.

“So happy to have Brittney back on U.S. soil. Welcome home BG!” tweeted Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.

The WNBA star, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. The U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.

Griner pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case. She was sentenced to nine years.

She acknowledged in court that she possessed canisters with cannabis oil but said she had no criminal intent and accidentally packed them. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday's swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu Dhabi and Bout had been flown home.

Biden spoke by phone with Griner. U.S. officials said she would be offered specialized medical services and counseling.

In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.

Bout was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A plane believed to be carrying Brittney Griner landed in the United States early Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">nearly 10 months after the basketball star was detained in Russia</a>&nbsp;and became the most high-profile American jailed abroad.

Griner was exchanged for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/viktor-bout-russian-arms-dealer-brittney-griner-2afb6b2096e40e5c6b6b1fd26b4fbba0">notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>. A plane believed to be carrying her touched down at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.

The deal achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden — but failed to win freedom for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bbf0c7e3029fea40d604b11fd271533f">another American, Paul Whelan</a>, who has been jailed for nearly four years.

Griner, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at an airport there after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.

Griner is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-wnba-dunk-talent-good-c42a6465a3f3afcd2987ae0f12a6ad61">two-time Olympic gold medalist</a>, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu Dhabi and Bout had been flown home.

Following Griner’s arrest at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February, she pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case.

She acknowledged in court that she possessed canisters with cannabis oil but said she had no criminal intent and she accidentally packed them. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670583590715.png" alt="In this image made from video provided by Russian Federal Security Service, WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner sits in the plane as she flies to Abu Dhabi to be exchanged for Russian citizen Viktor Bout, in Russia, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. (Russian Federal Security Service via AP)" />
 <figcaption>In this image made from video provided by Russian Federal Security Service, WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner sits in the plane as she flies to Abu Dhabi to be exchanged for Russian citizen Viktor Bout, in Russia, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. (Russian Federal Security Service via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brittney Griner returned to the United States early Friday, nearly 10 months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">the basketball star’s detention</a>&nbsp;in Russia made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm.Griner's status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women's basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community heightened concerns for her and brought tremendous attention to the case. Russia's invasion of Ukraine after her arrest complicated matters further.The deal announced Thursday that saw Griner exchanged for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/viktor-bout-russian-arms-dealer-brittney-griner-2afb6b2096e40e5c6b6b1fd26b4fbba0">notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>&nbsp;achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden. But the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-prisons-antony-blinken-united-states-government-and-politics-975a9e0cccd5d6a8ee74925f9eb3f352">failed to win freedom</a>&nbsp;for another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.Biden’s authorization to release Bout, the Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” underscored the heightened urgency that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case on drug charges and her subsequent transfer to a penal colony.Griner,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-wnba-dunk-talent-good-c42a6465a3f3afcd2987ae0f12a6ad61">a two-time Olympic gold medalist</a>&nbsp;and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star, was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.“So happy to have Brittney back on U.S. soil. Welcome home BG!” tweeted Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.The WNBA star, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. The U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.Griner pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case. She was sentenced to nine years.She acknowledged in court that she possessed canisters with cannabis oil but said she had no criminal intent and accidentally packed them. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday's swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu Dhabi and Bout had been flown home.Biden spoke by phone with Griner. U.S. officials said she would be offered specialized medical services and counseling.In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.Bout was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.___SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A plane believed to be carrying Brittney Griner landed in the United States early Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">nearly 10 months after the basketball star was detained in Russia</a>&nbsp;and became the most high-profile American jailed abroad.Griner was exchanged for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/viktor-bout-russian-arms-dealer-brittney-griner-2afb6b2096e40e5c6b6b1fd26b4fbba0">notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>. A plane believed to be carrying her touched down at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.The deal achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden — but failed to win freedom for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bbf0c7e3029fea40d604b11fd271533f">another American, Paul Whelan</a>, who has been jailed for nearly four years.Biden’s authorization to release Bout, the Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” underscored the heightened urgency that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case on drug charges and her subsequent transfer to a penal colony.Griner, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at an airport there after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.Griner is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-wnba-dunk-talent-good-c42a6465a3f3afcd2987ae0f12a6ad61">two-time Olympic gold medalist</a>, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu Dhabi and Bout had been flown home.Biden spoke by phone with Griner. U.S. officials said she would be offered specialized medical services and counseling.In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.Bout was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.Following Griner’s arrest at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February, she pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case.She acknowledged in court that she possessed canisters with cannabis oil but said she had no criminal intent and she accidentally packed them. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.___

Brittney Griner back home in US after Russian prisoner swap

GEARY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.

On Wednesday, the Junction City Police Department’s Drug Task Force with assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Special Operations Division, served a search warrant in the 600 block of West 4th Street, according to a media release.&nbsp; As a result of this warrant, over 2,500 counterfeit prescription pills believed to be fentanyl and over 13 grams of Crack Cocaine were seized.

Police arrested&nbsp;Justin A. West 35, and Juan J. Castro 49, both of Junction City on requested charges of&nbsp;charges of possession with the intent to distribute as well as no drug tax stamp.

The pills that were seized were counterfeit Oxycodone M30 tablets. These pills are known on the street as “Dirty 30s” and according to the DEA, over 60% of these counterfeit pills contain a lethal amount of Fentanyl.

JCPD reminds everyone to only consume medications that were prescribed by your doctor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670555360645.png" alt="West-photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>West-photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.On Wednesday, the Junction City Police Department’s Drug Task Force with assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Special Operations Division, served a search warrant in the 600 block of West 4th Street, according to a media release.&nbsp; As a result of this warrant, over 2,500 counterfeit prescription pills believed to be fentanyl and over 13 grams of Crack Cocaine were seized.Police arrested&nbsp;Justin A. West 35, and Juan J. Castro 49, both of Junction City on requested charges of&nbsp;charges of possession with the intent to distribute as well as no drug tax stamp.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670555293170.png" alt="Castro-photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Castro-photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The pills that were seized were counterfeit Oxycodone M30 tablets. These pills are known on the street as “Dirty 30s” and according to the DEA, over 60% of these counterfeit pills contain a lethal amount of Fentanyl.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581438940073.png" alt="Counterfeit Oxycodone" />
 <figcaption>Counterfeit Oxycodone</figcaption>
 </figure>JCPD reminds everyone to only consume medications that were prescribed by your doctor.

Police: 2,500 fentanyl pills, cocaine seized from 2 Kan. dealers

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. regulators on Thursday cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than age 5.

The Food and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-updated-bivalent-covid-19-vaccines-children-down-6-months">Drug Administration’s decision</a> aims to better protect the littlest kids from severe COVID-19 at a time when children’s hospitals already are packed with tots suffering from a variety of respiratory illnesses.

Omicron-targeted booster shots made by Moderna and rival Pfizer already were open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-daaf1a4e5223d3b1251c4606b422ee0d">everyone 5 and older.</a>

The FDA now has cleared their use in tots starting at age 6 months -- but just who is eligible depends on what vaccinations they’ve already had, and which kind. Few youngsters have gotten the full primary series since shots for the littlest kids&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-rochelle-walensky-222bc528985a897c2a2d6173cd3659a9">began in June.</a>

--Children under age 6 who’ve already gotten two original doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine can get a single booster of Moderna’s updated formula if it’s been at least two months since their last shot.

--Pfizer’s vaccine requires three initial doses for tots under age 5 -- and those who haven’t finished that vaccination series will get the original formula for the first two shots and the omicron-targeted version for their third shot.

--Children under 5 who already got all three Pfizer doses aren’t yet eligible for an updated booster. Data expected next month should help the FDA determine if and when those tots need the omicron-targeted booster.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to sign off soon, the final step for shots to begin.

Just 3% of tots under 2 and nearly 5% of those 2 to 4 have gotten their primary doses so far, according to the CDC.

“Vaccines remain the best defense against the most devastating consequences of disease caused by the currently circulating omicron variant,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said in a statement.

The updated vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are combination shots, containing half the original vaccine and half tweaked to match the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron strains that until recently were dominant. Now BA.5 descendants are responsible for most COVID-19 cases.

The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-cac663e28e4d6e44800f57c8ad50c707">last month</a>&nbsp;released the first real-world data showing that an updated booster, using either company’s version, does offer added protection to adults. The analysis found the greatest benefit was in people who’d never had a prior booster, just two doses of the original COVID-19 vaccine -- but that even those who’d had a summertime dose were more protected than if they’d skipped the newest shot.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635537216378.png" alt="The FDA now has cleared their use in tots starting at age 6 months -- but just who is eligible depends on what vaccinations they’ve already had.-Photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>The FDA now has cleared their use in tots starting at age 6 months -- but just who is eligible depends on what vaccinations they’ve already had.-Photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARDWASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. regulators on Thursday cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than age 5.The Food and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-updated-bivalent-covid-19-vaccines-children-down-6-months">Drug Administration’s decision</a> aims to better protect the littlest kids from severe COVID-19 at a time when children’s hospitals already are packed with tots suffering from a variety of respiratory illnesses.Omicron-targeted booster shots made by Moderna and rival Pfizer already were open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-daaf1a4e5223d3b1251c4606b422ee0d">everyone 5 and older.</a>The FDA now has cleared their use in tots starting at age 6 months -- but just who is eligible depends on what vaccinations they’ve already had, and which kind. Few youngsters have gotten the full primary series since shots for the littlest kids&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-rochelle-walensky-222bc528985a897c2a2d6173cd3659a9">began in June.</a>The FDA decided that:--Children under age 6 who’ve already gotten two original doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine can get a single booster of Moderna’s updated formula if it’s been at least two months since their last shot.--Pfizer’s vaccine requires three initial doses for tots under age 5 -- and those who haven’t finished that vaccination series will get the original formula for the first two shots and the omicron-targeted version for their third shot.--Children under 5 who already got all three Pfizer doses aren’t yet eligible for an updated booster. Data expected next month should help the FDA determine if and when those tots need the omicron-targeted booster.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to sign off soon, the final step for shots to begin.Just 3% of tots under 2 and nearly 5% of those 2 to 4 have gotten their primary doses so far, according to the CDC.“Vaccines remain the best defense against the most devastating consequences of disease caused by the currently circulating omicron variant,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said in a statement.The updated vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are combination shots, containing half the original vaccine and half tweaked to match the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron strains that until recently were dominant. Now BA.5 descendants are responsible for most COVID-19 cases.The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-cac663e28e4d6e44800f57c8ad50c707">last month</a>&nbsp;released the first real-world data showing that an updated booster, using either company’s version, does offer added protection to adults. The analysis found the greatest benefit was in people who’d never had a prior booster, just two doses of the original COVID-19 vaccine -- but that even those who’d had a summertime dose were more protected than if they’d skipped the newest shot.—-

FDA clears updated COVID-19 vaccines for kids under age 5

The Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Barton County Attorney’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of&nbsp;Investigation will release more information on the case Friday morning.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670609613326.jpeg" alt="Hanks- photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Hanks- photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities have arrested a&nbsp;suspect in&nbsp;the 1980 homicide of&nbsp;Mary Robin Walter, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir. The suspect, Steven L. Hanks, age 68, Burden, Kansas, is being transported to Barton County at this time.&nbsp;Hanks was arrested at Oxford in Sumner County.&nbsp; Hanks has previous convictions in 1983 for rape, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated battery&nbsp; The Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Barton County Attorney’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of&nbsp;Investigation will release more information on the case Friday morning.&nbsp;

Sheriff: Kansas felon arrested in 1980 cold case homicide

KANSAS CITY – A criminal complaint was filed Thursday in Federal Court charging two individuals with escaping confinement and a third individual with assisting them, according to the United State's Attorney.

Trevor Scott Sparks, 33, Kansas City and Sergio Perez Martinez, 43, Panorama City, CA, were charged in a two-count criminal complaint with escape from confinement and aiding or assisting in escape from confinement. 

A third individual, Steven Lydell Williams, Sr., 64, Kansas City, was also charged in the complaint with a single count of aiding or assisting in the escape.

&nbsp;Sparks and Perez Martinez, who escaped from the Cass County jail south of Kansas City, remain at large. 

Williams, Sr. is scheduled to made his initial appearance before a federal Magistrate Judge Thursday afternoon and will remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing next week where the United States will argue for his continued pretrial detention pending resolution of the charge.

Anyone with information regarding the two escaped individuals are urged to contact law enforcement or the TIPS hotline at (816) 474-TIPS, 1-800-Call-FBI or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftips.fbi.gov%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1nE_5SYQNMe-WqIpjNI6DQFjGDwc6XyqzoaiTDHRpYh0FW1nkCGbo7DCg&amp;h=AT3OxKHHDB74mLcbJE754ptru7MMpAdUwruXaSgaJKN6dIORTvEoT4dPVVgeuTdugKvw68tTWHQheMi83N8d5zwnwKTj_h6QmyprS4eapzqdEI5gzPXNXy7WjDeNVfnGmorfxG0&amp;__tn__=R]-R&amp;c[0]=AT2kLmGFUWn6ReA7ClYTffnK3NSRKpYG3PdhTmYQGzgeO6d4Dz4yGBcKXpp9--tE46P5BseH2KrRx1JNs384cmEnawU3yuzxuafCj1i0absEgNvewRUtZfO085NxJHAy4rn6GJ1OGxU2r1JitqWqQtZEyUN-YSc_8s_BTSiL8HZU_7neQHxhEkLiL7snWy-Rmr19vyvqIAt_" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>&nbsp;if they wish to remain anonymous. The U.S. Marshals is offering a $5,000 reward for each individual for tips that lead to their capture.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670413662559.png" alt="Perez-Martinez-photo Cass Co." />
 <figcaption>Perez-Martinez-photo Cass Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A criminal complaint was filed Thursday in Federal Court charging two individuals with escaping confinement and a third individual with assisting them, according to the United State's Attorney.Trevor Scott Sparks, 33, Kansas City and Sergio Perez Martinez, 43, Panorama City, CA, were charged in a two-count criminal complaint with escape from confinement and aiding or assisting in escape from confinement. A third individual, Steven Lydell Williams, Sr., 64, Kansas City, was also charged in the complaint with a single count of aiding or assisting in the escape.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670413683995.png" alt="Sparks-photo Cass Co." />
 <figcaption>Sparks-photo Cass Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Sparks and Perez Martinez, who escaped from the Cass County jail south of Kansas City, remain at large. Williams, Sr. is scheduled to made his initial appearance before a federal Magistrate Judge Thursday afternoon and will remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing next week where the United States will argue for his continued pretrial detention pending resolution of the charge.Anyone with information regarding the two escaped individuals are urged to contact law enforcement or the TIPS hotline at (816) 474-TIPS, 1-800-Call-FBI or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftips.fbi.gov%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1nE_5SYQNMe-WqIpjNI6DQFjGDwc6XyqzoaiTDHRpYh0FW1nkCGbo7DCg&amp;h=AT3OxKHHDB74mLcbJE754ptru7MMpAdUwruXaSgaJKN6dIORTvEoT4dPVVgeuTdugKvw68tTWHQheMi83N8d5zwnwKTj_h6QmyprS4eapzqdEI5gzPXNXy7WjDeNVfnGmorfxG0&amp;__tn__=R]-R&amp;c[0]=AT2kLmGFUWn6ReA7ClYTffnK3NSRKpYG3PdhTmYQGzgeO6d4Dz4yGBcKXpp9--tE46P5BseH2KrRx1JNs384cmEnawU3yuzxuafCj1i0absEgNvewRUtZfO085NxJHAy4rn6GJ1OGxU2r1JitqWqQtZEyUN-YSc_8s_BTSiL8HZU_7neQHxhEkLiL7snWy-Rmr19vyvqIAt_" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>&nbsp;if they wish to remain anonymous. The U.S. Marshals is offering a $5,000 reward for each individual for tips that lead to their capture.&nbsp;

Man charged with helping KC-area inmates escape from jail

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a man whose body was found in rural Sumner County made her first court appearance Wednesday.

Tehya Turner, 19 of Haysville, is charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder, burglary, and a misdemeanor count of theft, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.

On November 29, police were contacted by a 69-year-old man who reported 41-year-old Brent Boone, of Wichita, missing under unusual circumstances, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Boone was last seen on November 24, 2022, at 9:30 pm at his residence in the 1300 block of N. Pershing in Wichita before leaving in a vehicle with two individuals – identified as 31-year-old Saul Chavez Valenciana and 19- year-old Tehya Turner, both of Wichita. 

It is believed that an altercation occurred inside the car, during which Boone was killed.

On November 30, follow-up investigation led officers to a crime scene in the 9300 block of S. Pattie in Haysville, where they began processing evidence. Police located the vehicle on December 1, near 21st and Ridge, abandoned, according to Ditch.

Further investigation led officers to a rural area Southwest of Clearwater, one mile west of N Clearwater Road and 140th Ave N, where a body was located. At this time, it is believed to be Boone, according to Ditch.

Police took Turner into custody on Dec. 2, and are actively searching for Saul Chavez&nbsp;Valenciana in connection to this case. 

Turner is being held on a one million dollar bond, according to the district attorney's office. Attorneys in the case are due to discuss it further on Dec. 19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670173983028.png" alt="Turner-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Turner-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a man whose body was found in rural Sumner County made her first court appearance Wednesday.Tehya Turner, 19 of Haysville, is charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder, burglary, and a misdemeanor count of theft, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.On November 29, police were contacted by a 69-year-old man who reported 41-year-old Brent Boone, of Wichita, missing under unusual circumstances, according to Officer Chad Ditch.Boone was last seen on November 24, 2022, at 9:30 pm at his residence in the 1300 block of N. Pershing in Wichita before leaving in a vehicle with two individuals – identified as 31-year-old Saul Chavez Valenciana and 19- year-old Tehya Turner, both of Wichita. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670023341610.png" alt="Valenciana-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Valenciana-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>It is believed that an altercation occurred inside the car, during which Boone was killed.On November 30, follow-up investigation led officers to a crime scene in the 9300 block of S. Pattie in Haysville, where they began processing evidence. Police located the vehicle on December 1, near 21st and Ridge, abandoned, according to Ditch.Further investigation led officers to a rural area Southwest of Clearwater, one mile west of N Clearwater Road and 140th Ave N, where a body was located. At this time, it is believed to be Boone, according to Ditch.Police took Turner into custody on Dec. 2, and are actively searching for Saul Chavez&nbsp;Valenciana in connection to this case. Turner is being held on a one million dollar bond, according to the district attorney's office. Attorneys in the case are due to discuss it further on Dec. 19.

Woman held on $1M bond after man's body found in rural Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal crash on Sunday have positively identified the victims as&nbsp; 16-year-old Michael Tolan Jr. and 18-year-old Eric Gonzales-Del Real both of Topeka, according to the Shawnee County Coroner.

According to Police Lt. Michael Hren, two vehicles collided at 6th and Madison. After impact, the car traveled over the bridge onto Interstate 70. Gonzalez-Real was pronounced deceased at scene. First responders transported Tolan, Jr. to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Just after 10:30a.m. Monday, police reported he had also died.

Police released no additional details Thursday afternoon.

SHAWNEE COUNTY(WIBW)—A second person has died from injuries accident just before 2:30 pm Sunday in Shawnee County.

According to Police Lt. Michael Hren, two vehicles collided at 6th and Madison. After impact, the car traveled over the bridge onto Interstate 70. One person was pronounced deceased at scene. First responders transported another person to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Just after 10:30a.m. Monday, police reported that person had also died.

Police asked the public to avoid the area of SE 6th and Madison as well as westbound Interstate 70 at 10th Street.

Just before 5a.m. Monday, Police Lt. Kerry Connell reported all roads in the area were open.&nbsp; Police have not reported names of the victims or additional details of the accident.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 2:30 pm Sunday in Shawnee County.

According to Police Lt. Michael Hren, two vehicles collided at 6th and Madison. After impact, the car traveled over the bridge onto Interstate 70. One person was pronounced deceased at scene. First responders transported another person to the hospital with life threatening injuries. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670238218069.png" alt="Photo by Lane Gillespie courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Lane Gillespie courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal crash on Sunday have positively identified the victims as&nbsp; 16-year-old Michael Tolan Jr. and 18-year-old Eric Gonzales-Del Real both of Topeka, according to the Shawnee County Coroner.According to Police Lt. Michael Hren, two vehicles collided at 6th and Madison. After impact, the car traveled over the bridge onto Interstate 70. Gonzalez-Real was pronounced deceased at scene. First responders transported Tolan, Jr. to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Just after 10:30a.m. Monday, police reported he had also died.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670238098086.png" alt="Photo by Lane Gillespie courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Lane Gillespie courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Police released no additional details Thursday afternoon.------------SHAWNEE COUNTY(WIBW)—A second person has died from injuries accident just before 2:30 pm Sunday in Shawnee County.According to Police Lt. Michael Hren, two vehicles collided at 6th and Madison. After impact, the car traveled over the bridge onto Interstate 70. One person was pronounced deceased at scene. First responders transported another person to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Just after 10:30a.m. Monday, police reported that person had also died.Police asked the public to avoid the area of SE 6th and Madison as well as westbound Interstate 70 at 10th Street.Just before 5a.m. Monday, Police Lt. Kerry Connell reported all roads in the area were open.&nbsp; Police have not reported names of the victims or additional details of the accident.---------SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 2:30 pm Sunday in Shawnee County.According to Police Lt. Michael Hren, two vehicles collided at 6th and Madison. After impact, the car traveled over the bridge onto Interstate 70. One person was pronounced deceased at scene. First responders transported another person to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Police asked the public to avoid the area of SE 6th and Madison as well as westbound Interstate 70 at 10th Street.Just before 5a.m. Monday, Police Lt. Kerry Connell reported all roads in the area were open.&nbsp; Police have not reported names of the victims or additional details of the accident.

Police ID Kan. teens who died in crash that sent car over bridge

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The ACLU of Missouri is suing a suburban Kansas City school district over its policy of automatically removing any challenged library material before it is reviewed.

The ACLU argues in a federal lawsuit filed this week that the Independence School District's current policy violates students' First Amendment rights because it “restricts their access to ideas and information for an improper purpose and without any prior notice.”

Under the current policy, a library material is automatically removed after it is challenged. A committee then evaluates the material and the school board votes on whether to keep it, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article269669086.html#storylink=cpy">reported</a>.

The district said in a statement Wednesday that it stands by the policy, which it said was "thoughtful, well-considered, and calculated to balance and protect the rights of all students and their parents.”

The district said its policy is nearly identical to policies used by numerous public school districts in Missouri.

“The District will vigorously defend against this lawsuit,” the statement said. "It is unfortunate that the District will be required to expend taxpayer funds to defend against the ACLU’s latest unfounded complaint.”

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of four parents in the district, comes after a parent in April challenged the children’s book “Cats vs. Robots #1: This Is War” because it includes a nonbinary character. The book was removed from shelves while a committee reviewed it, and the school board then voted to permanently remove it from elementary school libraries.

The book, with themes about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, is marketed toward children ages 8 through 12. Only three pages of the 307-page book discuss the character being nonbinary, the ACLU’s suit says.

The current policy also doesn't provide an appeal process, which the ACLU argues violates students' rights “because it restricts their access to ideas and information for an improper purpose and without any prior notice.”

The lawsuit comes as efforts to remove books in school and public libraries increase across the country.

The ACLU’s lawsuit says 138 school districts in 32 states removed more than 2,500 books during the 2021-22 school year. And 41% of all books banned nationwide during the school year contained LGBTQ characters while 40% of book removals included important characters of color and 21% of the banned books directly addressed issues of race and racism, according to the suit.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The ACLU of Missouri is suing a suburban Kansas City school district over its policy of automatically removing any challenged library material before it is reviewed.The ACLU argues in a federal lawsuit filed this week that the Independence School District's current policy violates students' First Amendment rights because it “restricts their access to ideas and information for an improper purpose and without any prior notice.”Under the current policy, a library material is automatically removed after it is challenged. A committee then evaluates the material and the school board votes on whether to keep it, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article269669086.html#storylink=cpy">reported</a>.The district said in a statement Wednesday that it stands by the policy, which it said was "thoughtful, well-considered, and calculated to balance and protect the rights of all students and their parents.”The district said its policy is nearly identical to policies used by numerous public school districts in Missouri.“The District will vigorously defend against this lawsuit,” the statement said. "It is unfortunate that the District will be required to expend taxpayer funds to defend against the ACLU’s latest unfounded complaint.”The lawsuit, filed on behalf of four parents in the district, comes after a parent in April challenged the children’s book “Cats vs. Robots #1: This Is War” because it includes a nonbinary character. The book was removed from shelves while a committee reviewed it, and the school board then voted to permanently remove it from elementary school libraries.The book, with themes about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, is marketed toward children ages 8 through 12. Only three pages of the 307-page book discuss the character being nonbinary, the ACLU’s suit says.The current policy also doesn't provide an appeal process, which the ACLU argues violates students' rights “because it restricts their access to ideas and information for an improper purpose and without any prior notice.”The lawsuit comes as efforts to remove books in school and public libraries increase across the country.The ACLU’s lawsuit says 138 school districts in 32 states removed more than 2,500 books during the 2021-22 school year. And 41% of all books banned nationwide during the school year contained LGBTQ characters while 40% of book removals included important characters of color and 21% of the banned books directly addressed issues of race and racism, according to the suit.

ACLU sues KC-area school district over book removal policy

By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise on Thursday.

Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.

The company said in a news release that the pipeline segment where the spill occurred had been “isolated” and that the company was using booms, or barriers, to keep the spilled oil from moving downstream. It didn't say how much oil was spilled or what caused the spill.

“People are sometimes not aware of of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens,” said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club's state chapter.

Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada's oil sands would make climate change worse, and President Joe Biden's cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">to pull the plug last year.</a>

In 2019, the Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons</a>&nbsp;(1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.

Janet Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that campaigned against the Keystone XL, said there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it went into service in 2010. She said federal studies have shown that the type of heavy tar sands oil the pipeline carries can be especially difficult to clean up in water because it tends to sink.

“All oil spills are difficult, but tar sands in particular are very toxic and very difficult, so I’m awfully concerned,” said Kleeb, who is also the Nebraska Democratic Party's chair.

But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there were no known effects yet on drinking water wells or the public. Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture.

Keystone said in its statement: “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment through the deployment of booms downstream as we work to contain and prevent further migration of the release.”

There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill in Kansas began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.

A U.S. Energy Information Administration spokesperson said the Keystone pipeline moves about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, where it can connect to another pipeline to the Gulf Coast. That’s compared to the total of 3.5 million to 4 million barrels of Canadian oil imported into the U.S. every day.

Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.

“It’s something to keep an eye on, but not necessarily an immediate impact for now,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”

The spill was 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Washington, the county seat of about 1,100 residents. Paul Stewart, an area farmer, said part of it was contained on his land using yellow booms and a dam of dirt. The spill occurred in Mill Creek, which flows into the Little Blue River. That river feeds the Big Blue River, which flows into Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, home of Kansas State University.

Dan Thalmann, the publisher and editor of The Washington County News, a weekly publication, said crews were creating a rock path to the creek because recent rains made the fields too soft to move heavy machinery over them.

“Gosh, the traffic past my house is unbelievable — trucks after trucks after trucks,” said Stewart, who took down an electric fence he'd finished putting up Wednesday, fearing that heavy equipment might knock it down and drag it into a field.

Chris Pannbacker said the pipeline runs through her family's farm. She and her husband drove north of the family's farmhouse and across a bridge over Mill Creek.

“We looked at it from both sides, and it was black on both sides,” said Pannbacker, who also is a reporter for the Marysville Advocate newspaper.

Junior Roop, the sexton of a cemetery near the site of the spill, said people could smell the oil in town.

“It was about like driving by a refinery,” he said.

“Much of the oil through Keystone gets exported, so we expect little to no impact on domestic gasoline prices,” said Andrew Gross, spokesman for AAA. “Any spike in reaction will likely subside quickly as other news takes over.”

Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture. He didn’t know the name of the creek or what body of water it flows into.

He said the pipeline operator hasn’t disclosed how much oil was discharged and that it could take a day and a half to get that data.

He said he hadn’t been to the site but is supporting investigators with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The Kansas department's spokesman, Matt Lara, said it was sending a team to the site but had no information. The EPA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment and officials with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration didn’t immediately respond to questions about the oil spill Thursday.

“Everyone is in their fact-finding process,” Hubbard said.

There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.

The Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">in 2019 leaked</a>&nbsp;an estimated 383,000 gallons (1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670525599435.png" alt="Oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.- Photo courtesy TC Energy&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.- Photo courtesy TC Energy&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise on Thursday.Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.The company said in a news release that the pipeline segment where the spill occurred had been “isolated” and that the company was using booms, or barriers, to keep the spilled oil from moving downstream. It didn't say how much oil was spilled or what caused the spill.“People are sometimes not aware of of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens,” said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club's state chapter.Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada's oil sands would make climate change worse, and President Joe Biden's cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">to pull the plug last year.</a>In 2019, the Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons</a>&nbsp;(1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.Janet Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that campaigned against the Keystone XL, said there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it went into service in 2010. She said federal studies have shown that the type of heavy tar sands oil the pipeline carries can be especially difficult to clean up in water because it tends to sink.“All oil spills are difficult, but tar sands in particular are very toxic and very difficult, so I’m awfully concerned,” said Kleeb, who is also the Nebraska Democratic Party's chair.But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there were no known effects yet on drinking water wells or the public. Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture.Keystone said in its statement: “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment through the deployment of booms downstream as we work to contain and prevent further migration of the release.”There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill in Kansas began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.A U.S. Energy Information Administration spokesperson said the Keystone pipeline moves about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, where it can connect to another pipeline to the Gulf Coast. That’s compared to the total of 3.5 million to 4 million barrels of Canadian oil imported into the U.S. every day.Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.“It’s something to keep an eye on, but not necessarily an immediate impact for now,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”The spill was 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Washington, the county seat of about 1,100 residents. Paul Stewart, an area farmer, said part of it was contained on his land using yellow booms and a dam of dirt. The spill occurred in Mill Creek, which flows into the Little Blue River. That river feeds the Big Blue River, which flows into Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, home of Kansas State University.Dan Thalmann, the publisher and editor of The Washington County News, a weekly publication, said crews were creating a rock path to the creek because recent rains made the fields too soft to move heavy machinery over them.“Gosh, the traffic past my house is unbelievable — trucks after trucks after trucks,” said Stewart, who took down an electric fence he'd finished putting up Wednesday, fearing that heavy equipment might knock it down and drag it into a field.Chris Pannbacker said the pipeline runs through her family's farm. She and her husband drove north of the family's farmhouse and across a bridge over Mill Creek.“We looked at it from both sides, and it was black on both sides,” said Pannbacker, who also is a reporter for the Marysville Advocate newspaper.Junior Roop, the sexton of a cemetery near the site of the spill, said people could smell the oil in town.“It was about like driving by a refinery,” he said.------------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise on Thursday.Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.The company said in a news release that the pipeline segment where the spill occurred had been “isolated” and that the company was using booms, or barriers, to keep the spilled oil from moving downstream. It didn't say how much oil was spilled or what caused the spill.Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada's oil sands would make climate change worse, and President Joe Biden's cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">to pull the plug last year.</a>In 2019, the Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons</a>&nbsp;(1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill in Kansas began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.“It’s something to keep an eye on, but not necessarily an immediate impact for now,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.“Much of the oil through Keystone gets exported, so we expect little to no impact on domestic gasoline prices,” said Andrew Gross, spokesman for AAA. “Any spike in reaction will likely subside quickly as other news takes over.”Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture. He didn’t know the name of the creek or what body of water it flows into.He said the pipeline operator hasn’t disclosed how much oil was discharged and that it could take a day and a half to get that data.He said he hadn’t been to the site but is supporting investigators with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.Keystone said in its statement: “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment through the deployment of booms downstream as we work to contain and prevent further migration of the release.”The Kansas department's spokesman, Matt Lara, said it was sending a team to the site but had no information. The EPA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment and officials with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration didn’t immediately respond to questions about the oil spill Thursday.“Everyone is in their fact-finding process,” Hubbard said.-------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise on Thursday.Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.The company said in a news release that the pipeline segment where the spill occurred had been “isolated” and that the company was using booms, or barriers, to keep the spilled oil from moving downstream. It didn't say how much oil was spilled or what caused the spill.There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.“It’s something to keep an eye on, but not necessarily an immediate impact for now,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.“Much of the oil through Keystone gets exported, so we expect little to no impact on domestic gasoline prices,” said Andrew Gross, spokesman for AAA. “Any spike in reaction will likely subside quickly as other news takes over.”Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture. He didn’t know the name of the creek or what body of water it flows into.He said the pipeline operator hasn’t disclosed how much oil was discharged and that it could take a day and a half to get that data.He said he hadn’t been to the site but is supporting investigators with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.The Kansas department's spokesman, Matt Lara, said it was sending a team to the site but had no information. The EPA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment and officials with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration didn’t immediately respond to questions about the oil spill Thursday.“Everyone is in their fact-finding process,” Hubbard said.The Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">in 2019 leaked</a>&nbsp;an estimated 383,000 gallons (1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.