SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Oscar-winner&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gene-hackman">Gene Hackman</a>, his wife and one of their dogs were apparently dead for some time before a maintenance worker discovered their bodies at the couple's Santa Fe home, investigators said.

Hackman, 95, was found dead Wednesday in an entryway, and his 65-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa, was found in a bathroom next to a space heater, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office detectives wrote in a search warrant affidavit. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on a countertop near Arakawa.

Denise Avila, a sheriff's office spokesperson, said there was no indication they had been shot or had any wounds.

The New Mexico Gas Co. tested the gas lines in and around the home after the bodies were discovered, according to the warrant. At the time, it didn’t find any signs of problems and the Fire Department found no signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning. A detective wrote that there were no obvious signs of a gas leak, but he noted that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide might not show signs of poisoning.

The gruff but beloved Hackman was among the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-obituary-dies-a76fbe0cd6594393acaeea1c2710706d">most accomplished actors</a>&nbsp;of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-notable-film-roles-1890bba6ab8e42029365f98dd5715c3a">dramas, comedies and action films</a>&nbsp;from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.

“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-actor-appreciation-d58ad4491bbe11be4750fe6661947c48">brilliant acting career</a>, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa," his daughters and granddaughter said in a statement Thursday. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”

Worker found bodies of Hackman and his wife

According to the search warrant affidavit, a maintenance worker reported that the home’s front door was open when he arrived to do routine work Wednesday, and he called police after finding the bodies.

But in a 911 call, the maintenance worker said he was unable to get inside when the operator asked whether the people in the house were breathing.

“I have no idea,” the subdivision’s caretaker said. “I am not inside the house. It’s closed. It’s locked. I can’t go in. But I can see she’s laying down on the floor from the window.”

He and another worker later told authorities that they rarely saw the homeowners and their last contact with them had been about two weeks ago.

Hackman appeared to have fallen, a deputy observed. A cane was nearby.

A dead German shepherd was found in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, police said. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said during a press conference Thursday that the dog was found in a kennel. Two healthy dogs were found on the property — one inside and one outside.

“There was no indication of a struggle," Mendoza said. “There was no indication of anything that was missing from the home or disturbed, you know, that would be indication that there was a crime that had occurred.”

Results of autopsies conducted on both bodies are not available yet, sheriff’s officials said, noting that carbon monoxide and toxicology test results are pending.

The search warrant affidavit suggests that police appear to have a working theory that “some kind of gas poisoning” happened, but that they don't know yet and aren’t ruling anything out, Loyola Marymount University law professor Laurie Levenson said.

“They don’t have clear evidence that it’s any type of homicide, but they’re asking for blunt instruments or other weapons that could be used,” said Levenson, who has no connection to the investigation. “It doesn’t also look like some kind of planned double-suicide.”

William &amp; Mary Law School professor Jeffrey Bellin said the request for a search warrant was somewhat unusual because investigators who file one usually believe a specific crime was committed. In this case, no alleged crime was mentioned, Bellin said.

Police tend to overstate what they know, but this is the opposite, said Bellin, who also isn't tied to the investigation.

“It just struck me as very careful in a way that search warrant affidavits often are not,” he said.

Hackman routinely showed up on Hollywood lists of greatest American actors of the 20th century. He could play virtually any kind of role, from comic book villain Lex Luthor in “Superman” to a coach finding redemption in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-sports-hoosiers-7bcee7d0694f1daee94057ac7ec33430">sentimental favorite “Hoosiers.”</a>

Hackman was a five-time Oscar nominee who won best actor in a leading role for “The French Connection” in 1972 and best actor in a supporting role for “Unforgiven” two decades later. His death comes just four days before this year’s ceremony.

Tributes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-dies-reaction-tribute-39bdbad1428a2fb9cb61c9e916283816">quickly poured in</a>&nbsp;from Hollywood.

“There was no finer actor than Gene," actor-director Clint Eastwood, Hackman’s “Unforgiven” co-star, said in a statement. “Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much.”

Hackman met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist who grew up in Hawaii, when she was working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s. They soon moved in together and relocated to Santa Fe by the end of the decade.

Their Southwestern-style ranch on Old Sunset Trail sits on a hill in a gated community with views of the Rocky Mountains. The sprawling four-bedroom home on 6 acres (2.4 hectares) was built in 1997 and had an estimated market value of a little over $4 million, according to Santa Fe County property tax records.

Hackman and his wife also owned a more modest home next door.

Hackman also co-wrote three novels, starting with the swashbuckler, “Wake of the Perdido Star,” with Daniel Lenihan in 1999, according to publisher Simon &amp; Schuster. He then penned two by himself, concluding with “Pursuit" in 2013, about a female police officer on the tail of a predator.

In his first couple of decades in New Mexico, Hackman was often seen around the historic state capital, known as an artist enclave, tourism destination and retreat for celebrities.

He served on the board of trustees for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum from 1997-2004, the museum said in a statement.

In recent years, he was far less visible, though even the most mundane outings caught the attention of the press. There were articles about him attending a show at a performing arts center in 2018, as well as pumping gas, doing yard work and getting a chicken sandwich at Wendy's in 2023.

Aside from appearances at awards shows, he was rarely seen in the Hollywood social circuit and retired from acting about 20 years ago. His was the rare Hollywood retirement that actually lasted.

Hackman had three children from a previous marriage. He and Arakawa had no children together but were known for having German shepherds.

This story was updated to correct Arakawa's age. Authorities initially listed her as 63 years old, but records show she was 65. It was also corrected to show that Hackman spoke to Empire magazine in 2009, not 2020.

Melley reported from London. Associated Press writers Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona; Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles; Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix; Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Sylvia Hui in London and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Oscar-winner&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gene-hackman">Gene Hackman</a>, his wife and their dog were found dead in different rooms of their Santa Fe home and had apparently been dead for some time, according to investigators.

Hackman, 95, was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom and his 63-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa, was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office detectives wrote in a search warrant. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on a countertop near Arakawa.

Denise Avila, a sheriff's office spokesperson, said there was no indication that any of them had been shot or had other types of wounds.

The New Mexico Gas Co. is working with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department in the investigation, spokesperson Tim Korte told The Associated Press.

The utility tested the gas lines in and around the home after the bodies were discovered, according to the warrant. At the time, it didn't find any signs of problems. A detective noted that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide may not show signs of poisoning, but also noted there were no obvious signs of a gas leak.

The Associated Press left email and phone messages Thursday for sheriff’s officials seeking more details. A spokesperson for the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, which runs the state’s medical examiner operations, declined to comment on whether the cause and manner of deaths had been determined.

A worker reported that the home's front door was open when he arrived for routine maintenance and that he called police after finding the bodies. Two workers told police that they rarely saw the homeowners and that their last contact with them had been about two weeks earlier.

A dead German shepherd was found in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, police said. Two healthy dogs were found on the property.

The gruff-but-beloved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-obituary-dies-a76fbe0cd6594393acaeea1c2710706d">Hackman was among the best actors</a>&nbsp;of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.

He routinely showed up on Hollywood list of greatest American actors of the 20th century. He could play virtually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-notable-film-roles-1890bba6ab8e42029365f98dd5715c3a">any kind of role</a>, from comic book villain Lex Luthor in “Superman” to a coach finding redemption in the sentimental favorite “Hoosiers.”

Hackman was a five-time Oscar nominee who won for “The French Connection” in 1972 and “Unforgiven” two decades later. His death comes just four days before this year’s ceremony.

“The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity," director Francis Ford Coppola posted on Instagram.

Hackman met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist who grew up in Hawaii, when she was working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s, the New York Times reported in 1989. They soon moved in together, and by the end of the decade had decamped to Santa Fe.

Their Southwestern-style ranch on Old Sunset Trail sits on a hill in a gated community with views of the Rocky Mountains. The 8,700 square-foot (808 square-meter), four-bedroom home on six acres was built in 1997 and had an estimated market value of a little over $4 million, according to Santa Fe County property tax records.

Hackman and his wife also owned a more modest 2,000 square-foot (186 square-meter) home next door that was built in 2000.

In his first couple decades in New Mexico, Hackman was often seen around the historic state capital, which known as an artist enclave, tourism destination and retreat for celebrities.

He served as a board member of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in the 1990s, according to the local paper, The New Mexican.

In recent years, he was far less visible, though even the most mundane outings caught the attention of the press. The Independent wrote about him attending a show at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in 2018. The New York Post reported on him pumping gas, doing yard work and getting a chicken sandwich at Wendy's in 2023.

Hackman told the film magazine&nbsp;<a href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/gene-hackman-archive-interview-retirement-acting-novels/">Empire</a>&nbsp;in 2020 that he and Arakawa liked to watch DVDs she rented.

"We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce,” he said.

An email sent to his publicist was not immediately returned early Thursday.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Oscar-winning actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gene-hackman">Gene Hackman</a>, his wife and their dog were found dead in their New Mexico home, authorities said Thursday.

Foul play was not suspected, but authorities did not release circumstances of their deaths and said an investigation was ongoing.

Hackman, 95, Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog were all dead when deputies entered their home to check on their welfare around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Avila said.

The gruff-but-beloved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-obituary-dies-a76fbe0cd6594393acaeea1c2710706d">Hackman was among the finest actors</a>&nbsp;of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.

He was a five-time Oscar nominee who won for “The French Connection” in 1972 and “Unforgiven” two decades later. His death comes just four days before this year’s ceremony.

Hackman met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist who grew up in Hawaii, when she was working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s, the New York Times reported in 1989. They soon moved in together, and by the end of the decade had bought their home in Santa Fe.

The large Southwestern-style ranch in a gated community just outside New Mexico’s capital city sits on a hill with views of the Rocky Mountains.

Hackman was often seen around town and served as a board member of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in the 1990s, according to the local paper, The New Mexican.

Aside from appearances at awards shows, he was rarely seen in the Hollywood social circuit and retired about 20 years ago. His was the rare Hollywood retirement that actually lasted.

Hackman had three children from a previous marriage, but he and Arakawa had no children together. In 1999 they had adopted three German shepherds, according to the Baltimore Sun.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gene Hackman, the prolific Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry’s most respected and honored performers, has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-found-dead-f6c106e92987aeaaab7b35c1b956a5c8">found dead</a>&nbsp;along with his wife at their home. He was 95.

Hackman was a frequent and versatile presence on screen from the 1960s until his retirement. His dozens of films included the Academy Award favorites “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven,” a breakout performance in “Bonnie and Clyde,” a classic bit of farce in “Young Frankenstein,” a turn as the comic book villain Lex Luthor in “Superman” and the title character in Wes Anderson’s 2001 “The Royal Tenenbaums."

He seemed capable of any kind of role — whether an uptight buffoon in “Birdcage,” a college coach finding redemption in the sentimental favorite “Hoosiers” or a secretive surveillance expert in Francis Ford Coppola’s Watergate-era release “The Conversation.”

Although self-effacing and unfashionable, Hackman held special status within Hollywood — heir to Spencer Tracy as an every man, actor’s actor, curmudgeon and reluctant celebrity. He embodied the ethos of doing his job, doing it very well, and letting others worry about his image. Beyond the obligatory appearances at awards ceremonies, he was rarely seen on the social circuit and made no secret of his disdain for the business side of show business.

“Actors tend to be shy people,” he told Film Comment in 1988. “There is perhaps a component of hostility in that shyness, and to reach a point where you don’t deal with others in a hostile or angry way, you choose this medium for yourself ... Then you can express yourself and get this wonderful feedback.”

He was an early retiree — essentially done, by choice, with movies by his mid-70s — and a late bloomer. Hackman was 35 when cast for “Bonnie and Clyde” and past 40 when he won his first Oscar, as the rules-bending New York City detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in the 1971 thriller about tracking down Manhattan drug smugglers, "The French Connection."

Jackie Gleason, Steve McQueen and Peter Boyle were among the actors considered for Doyle. Hackman was a minor star at the time, seemingly without the flamboyant personality that the role demanded. The actor himself feared that he was miscast. A couple of weeks of nighttime patrols of Harlem in police cars helped reassure him.

One of the first scenes of "The French Connection" required Hackman to slap around a suspect. The actor realized he had failed to achieve the intensity that the scene required, and asked director William Friedkin for another chance. The scene was filmed at the end of the shooting, by which time Hackman had immersed himself in the loose-cannon character of Popeye Doyle. Friedkin would recall needing 37 takes to get the scene right.

“I had to arouse an anger in Gene that was lying dormant, I felt, within him — that he was sort of ashamed of and didn’t really want to revisit,” Friedkin told the Los Angeles Review of Books in 2012.

The most famous sequence was dangerously realistic: A car chase in which Det. Doyle speeds under elevated subway tracks, his brown Pontiac (driven by a stuntman) screeching into areas that the filmmakers had not received permits for. When Doyle crashes into a white Ford, it wasn’t a stuntman driving the other car, but a New York City resident who didn’t know a movie was being made.

Hackman also resisted the role which brought him his second Oscar. When Clint Eastwood first offered him Little Bill Daggett, the corrupt town boss in "Unforgiven," Hackman turned it down. But he realized that Eastwood was planning to make a different kind of Western, a critique, not a celebration of violence. The film won him the Academy Award as best supporting actor of 1992.

“To his credit, and my joy, he talked me into it,” Hackman said of Eastwood during an interview with the American Film Institute.

Hackman played super-villain Lex Luthor opposite Christopher Reeve in director Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman,” a film that established the prototype for the modern superhero movie. He also starred in two sequels.

Eugene Allen Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, and grew up in Danville, Illinois, where his father worked as a pressman for the Commercial-News. His parents fought repeatedly, and his father often used his fists on Gene to take out his rage. The boy found refuge in movie houses, identifying with such screen rebels as Errol Flynn and James Cagney as his role models.

When Gene was 13, his father waved goodbye and drove off, never to return. The abandonment was a lasting injury to Gene. His mother had become an alcoholic and was constantly at odds with her mother, with whom the shattered family lived (Gene had a younger brother, actor Richard Hackman). At 16, he "suddenly got the itch to get out." Lying about his age, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines. In his early 30s, before his film career took off, his mother died in a fire started by her own cigarette.

"Dysfunctional families have sired a lot of pretty good actors," he observed ironically during a 2001 interview with The New York Times.

His brawling and resistance to authority led to his being demoted from corporal three times. His taste of show business came when he conquered his mic fright and became disc jockey and news announcer on his unit's radio station.

Sheriff updates mysterious death of Gene Hackman, wife and dog

WASHINGTON (AP) —A planned meeting of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration committee to recommend the makeup of seasonal flu shots for the 2025-2026 influenza season was abruptly canceled Wednesday.

That’s according to Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.

If the meeting originally set for March 13 is not rescheduled promptly, it could delay production and distribution of shots to protect Americans against the disease, another official said.

Flu sickens millions and causes between 6,300 and 52,000 deaths each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I don’t understand who did this or why it was done,” Offit said in an email.

In the absence of the U.S. panel’s recommendation, officials would turn to the World Health Organization to determine which strains to include in the next season’s shots, he added

WASHINGTON (AP) —A planned meeting of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration committee to recommend the makeup of seasonal flu shots for the 2025-2026 influenza season was abruptly canceled Wednesday.That’s according to Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.If the meeting originally set for March 13 is not rescheduled promptly, it could delay production and distribution of shots to protect Americans against the disease, another official said.Flu sickens millions and causes between 6,300 and 52,000 deaths each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“I don’t understand who did this or why it was done,” Offit said in an email.In the absence of the U.S. panel’s recommendation, officials would turn to the World Health Organization to determine which strains to include in the next season’s shots, he added

FDA flu shot meeting is abruptly canceled

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Two former leaders of a Kansas foster care provider have entered plea negotiations to avoid trial for allegedly bilking the organization out of millions of dollars, federal court records show.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/11/federal-grand-jury-indicts-former-kansas-foster-care-officials-on-fraud-charges/">grand jury indicted</a>&nbsp;former Saint Francis Ministries CEO Robert “Father Bobby” Smith and William Whymark, the organization’s former IT director, in November 2022 on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering with damages totaling at least $4.7 million.

A Feb. 25 court filing in the federal case shows “the parties are presently involved in plea negotiations and anticipate resolving this case without a trial.” The filing asks the court to authorize&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/probation-and-pretrial-services/presentence-investigations" target="_blank">a presentence investigation report</a>, which a court officer prepares when a defendant pleads guilty in order to help the judge determine the appropriate sentence.

The report “would materially facilitate the parties’ ongoing plea negotiations by allowing them to quickly and efficiently identify areas of potential agreement, while simultaneously isolating any disputed loss issues that may truly require litigation,” the joint court filing said.

Under the charges included in the indictment, they could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, plus fines and restitution.

Denny Marlin, spokesman for Saint Francis Ministries, said the organization wouldn’t comment “out of respect for the criminal justice system” and “to ensure we do not compromise the integrity of the legal process.”

“We look forward to its resolution and remain focused on our mission of providing healing and hope to children and families,” Marlin said.

Kansas Reflector&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/04/kansas-agency-serving-3100-foster-children-accused-of-rampant-financial-mismanagement/">first reported</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/15/kansas-based-foster-care-providers-financial-turmoil-cubs-tickets-amplify-concerns-in-nebraska/">allegations of misconduct</a>&nbsp;by Smith and Whymark shortly after they left Saint Francis Ministries in November 2020. An&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/20/kansas-foster-care-leader-charged-469k-to-credit-cards-hid-financial-losses/">internal investigation</a>&nbsp;revealed excessive billing for IT services and charges by Smith for lavish personal expenses.

In 2022, Saint Francis sued Smith, Whymark and former general counsel David Shaffer, accusing them of operating a scheme to enrich themselves through fraudulent billing. The lawsuit identified Shaffer and Whymark as brothers.

The former employees denied the claims, and Smith countersued Saint Francis employees for defamation because of reporting by Kansas Reflector.

Saint Francis hired Smith, an Episcopal priest ordained in 2014 by the Diocese of Chicago, as president and CEO in 2014. From 2017 to 2020, according to the state lawsuit, Smith charged $442,276.17 on Saint Francis Ministries credit cards, “a significant portion of which funded lavish meals, entertainment, travel and gifts for him and his family.” Smith also paid a travel agency $57,125.43, “a majority of which had no legitimate business purpose or was grossly excessive,” the lawsuit said.

Shaffer for at least eight months billed Saint Francis both through his Chicago law firm and in his individual capacity, which the lawsuit characterizes as legal malpractice. From 2015 to 2019, Shaffer billed more than $1 million in legal fees to his law firm, and from 2018 to 2020 an additional $500,000 in payments to himself. Smith approved the “grossly excessive” invoices, the lawsuit said, including invoices for legal work unrelated to Saint Francis and $4,000 for moving and storage expenses for office furniture at his Chicago law firm.

Whymark wasn’t qualified to provide IT services, but Smith hired him as chief information officer and signed off on more than $11 million for services provided by Whymark’s IT company. The lawsuit said those services were “grossly deficient and overpriced.”

Whymark’s company outsourced work to build a content management system that wouldn’t function. In the fall of 2019, while Saint Francis was undergoing a financial audit, the system crashed and destroyed financial data. Whymark then wiped the hard drives, according to the lawsuit, and the organization spent an estimated $3.2 million to repair Whymark’s IT work.

At the time, Saint Francis Ministries was the largest foster care provider in Kansas, serving more than 3,000 foster kids.

By January 2020, the IT costs combined with a severely underbid contract to provide foster care services in Nebraska placed Saint Francis in financial peril. The organization survived in part by receiving a $10 million Payment Protection Program loan, which it wasn’t eligible for and never repaid, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, the Kansas Department for Children and Families awarded new foster care contracts and replaced Saint Francis as the provider for the Wichita region. Saint Francis continues to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/pages/mapfostercare.aspx" target="_blank">provide foster care services</a>&nbsp;for much of central and western Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660235188905.png" alt="&nbsp;Former Saint Francis Ministries CEO Robert “Father Bobby” Smith and William Whymark, who oversaw IT services, have entered into plea negotiations to settle federal charges that involve wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering, a court filing shows. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Former Saint Francis Ministries CEO Robert “Father Bobby” Smith and William Whymark, who oversaw IT services, have entered into plea negotiations to settle federal charges that involve wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering, a court filing shows. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Two former leaders of a Kansas foster care provider have entered plea negotiations to avoid trial for allegedly bilking the organization out of millions of dollars, federal court records show.A&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/11/federal-grand-jury-indicts-former-kansas-foster-care-officials-on-fraud-charges/">grand jury indicted</a>&nbsp;former Saint Francis Ministries CEO Robert “Father Bobby” Smith and William Whymark, the organization’s former IT director, in November 2022 on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering with damages totaling at least $4.7 million.A Feb. 25 court filing in the federal case shows “the parties are presently involved in plea negotiations and anticipate resolving this case without a trial.” The filing asks the court to authorize&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/probation-and-pretrial-services/presentence-investigations" target="_blank">a presentence investigation report</a>, which a court officer prepares when a defendant pleads guilty in order to help the judge determine the appropriate sentence.The report “would materially facilitate the parties’ ongoing plea negotiations by allowing them to quickly and efficiently identify areas of potential agreement, while simultaneously isolating any disputed loss issues that may truly require litigation,” the joint court filing said.Under the charges included in the indictment, they could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, plus fines and restitution.Denny Marlin, spokesman for Saint Francis Ministries, said the organization wouldn’t comment “out of respect for the criminal justice system” and “to ensure we do not compromise the integrity of the legal process.”“We look forward to its resolution and remain focused on our mission of providing healing and hope to children and families,” Marlin said.Kansas Reflector&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/04/kansas-agency-serving-3100-foster-children-accused-of-rampant-financial-mismanagement/">first reported</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/15/kansas-based-foster-care-providers-financial-turmoil-cubs-tickets-amplify-concerns-in-nebraska/">allegations of misconduct</a>&nbsp;by Smith and Whymark shortly after they left Saint Francis Ministries in November 2020. An&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/20/kansas-foster-care-leader-charged-469k-to-credit-cards-hid-financial-losses/">internal investigation</a>&nbsp;revealed excessive billing for IT services and charges by Smith for lavish personal expenses.In 2022, Saint Francis sued Smith, Whymark and former general counsel David Shaffer, accusing them of operating a scheme to enrich themselves through fraudulent billing. The lawsuit identified Shaffer and Whymark as brothers.The former employees denied the claims, and Smith countersued Saint Francis employees for defamation because of reporting by Kansas Reflector.Saint Francis hired Smith, an Episcopal priest ordained in 2014 by the Diocese of Chicago, as president and CEO in 2014. From 2017 to 2020, according to the state lawsuit, Smith charged $442,276.17 on Saint Francis Ministries credit cards, “a significant portion of which funded lavish meals, entertainment, travel and gifts for him and his family.” Smith also paid a travel agency $57,125.43, “a majority of which had no legitimate business purpose or was grossly excessive,” the lawsuit said.Shaffer for at least eight months billed Saint Francis both through his Chicago law firm and in his individual capacity, which the lawsuit characterizes as legal malpractice. From 2015 to 2019, Shaffer billed more than $1 million in legal fees to his law firm, and from 2018 to 2020 an additional $500,000 in payments to himself. Smith approved the “grossly excessive” invoices, the lawsuit said, including invoices for legal work unrelated to Saint Francis and $4,000 for moving and storage expenses for office furniture at his Chicago law firm.Whymark wasn’t qualified to provide IT services, but Smith hired him as chief information officer and signed off on more than $11 million for services provided by Whymark’s IT company. The lawsuit said those services were “grossly deficient and overpriced.”Whymark’s company outsourced work to build a content management system that wouldn’t function. In the fall of 2019, while Saint Francis was undergoing a financial audit, the system crashed and destroyed financial data. Whymark then wiped the hard drives, according to the lawsuit, and the organization spent an estimated $3.2 million to repair Whymark’s IT work.At the time, Saint Francis Ministries was the largest foster care provider in Kansas, serving more than 3,000 foster kids.By January 2020, the IT costs combined with a severely underbid contract to provide foster care services in Nebraska placed Saint Francis in financial peril. The organization survived in part by receiving a $10 million Payment Protection Program loan, which it wasn’t eligible for and never repaid, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Last year, the Kansas Department for Children and Families awarded new foster care contracts and replaced Saint Francis as the provider for the Wichita region. Saint Francis continues to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/pages/mapfostercare.aspx" target="_blank">provide foster care services</a>&nbsp;for much of central and western Kansas.

Former leaders of Kan. foster care provider negotiating plea deal in federal fraud case

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michael-phillis">MICHAEL PHILLIS</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jennifer-mcdermott">JENNIFER MCDERMOTT</a> Associated Press

President Donald Trump began dismantling his predecessor’s climate change and renewable energy policies on his first day in office, declaring a national energy emergency to speed up fossil fuel development – a policy he has summed up as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-election-climate-pollution-oil-gas-clean-energy-f6ad39e23613396a7536fb1dc25fca62">“drill, baby, drill.”</a>

The declaration calls on the federal government to make it easier for companies to build oil and gas projects, in part by weakening environmental reviews, with the goal of lowering prices and selling to international markets.

Democrats say that’s a sham. They point out that the U.S. is producing more oil and natural gas than any other country and the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act boosted renewable energy at a critical time, creating jobs and addressing the climate change threat –&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-warming-hot-record-2024-disasters-12f899f071fcdbd051ad49a872611e92">2024 was Earth’s hottest year on record</a>&nbsp;amid the hottest 10-year stretch on record.

“It would also set a horrible precedent, that a president of either party can invent a sham emergency and then grab away from Congress powers that Congress has” in the Constitution, said Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.

Kaine spoke Wednesday in support of a Senate resolution from Democrats to terminate Trump’s declaration that later failed on a party-line 52-47 vote.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already made the U.S. an even friendlier environment for fossil fuels. Congress is helping, too, with the House voting to repeal a Biden administration-era methane fee on oil and gas producers.

In addition, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-endangerment-finding-zeldin-trump-climate-change-4b34246d5ca798154af08560fd94f7b9">has urged the White House to reconsider</a>&nbsp;a finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public, a fundamental Obama-era document that underpins the agency’s power to regulate planet-warming emissions, according to four people who were briefed on the matter but spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the recommendation is not public.

Here are some ways the Trump administration has moved to advance fossil fuels:

The Biden administration last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lng-exports-biden-europe-climate-russia-24a7730a3b8449273fec73824ce26001">paused evaluations of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals</a>. That pleased environmentalists concerned that a big surge in exports would contribute to planet-warming emissions. The pause didn’t stop projects already under construction, but it delayed consideration of new projects.

On Tuesday, oil and gas giant Shell said global LNG demand is forecast to rise by around 60% by 2040.

The United States is expected to play a major role in meeting that demand, with its export capacity expected to double before 2030, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“I think investors have become much more comfortable that they can move towards final investment decisions without the concerns that they had over the last four years about potential roadblocks,” said Christopher Treanor, an energy and environmental attorney at the law firm Akin.

Trump has opened more land for oil and gas lease sales, shifting away from Biden’s efforts to protect environmentally sensitive areas like Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuge and to prevent large swaths of ocean from being available for offshore drilling, including major areas off coasts in the Pacific, Atlantic and parts of Alaska.

Environmental groups are suing to stop Trump’s moves.

Expanding the area available for companies to lease and drill doesn’t necessarily mean that more oil and gas will be produced. When leases were made available in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, for example, only smaller companies bid and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-arctic-refuge-oil-lease-sale-efb6ec0b74fe0e38cd1c20c212741771">there were no buyers for a second lease sale</a>.

Army Corps appears ready to help projects sidestep the Clean Water Act

The Army Corps of Engineers marked hundreds of Clean Water Act permits for fast-tracking, citing Trump’s order on energy, then removed that notation in its database. The agency said it needed to review active permit applications before publishing which ones will be fast-tracked.

“They don’t seem to be backing off,” said Tom Pelton, spokesman with the Environmental Integrity Project. “They are just going to refine the list.”

Many of the permit applications that had been listed for expediting are for fossil fuel projects, but some others have nothing to do with energy, including a housing subdivision proposed by Chevron in southern California, according to the Environmental Integrity Project.

David Bookbinder, the organization’s director of law and policy, said the Trump administration is using the “pretext of a national energy emergency” to ask a federal agency to circumvent environmental protections to justify building more fossil fuel power plants. Bookbinder said there’s no shortage of energy.

Pat Parenteau, professor emeritus at Vermont Law &amp; Graduate School, said Trump’s policy changes aren’t nearly as important as the deep cuts to the federal government that eliminate vital expertise. At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, for example, Trump said the head of the EPA should axe roughly two-thirds of its employees.

“I think they are going to accomplish what no other administration has been able to do in terms of crippling the institutional capacity of the federal government to protect public health, to conserve national resources to save endangered species,” he said. “That is where we are going to see long-term, permanent damage.”

Trump’s energy emergency calls, for example, for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-climate-change-oil-whales-turtles-9d068d755e8ac4060fd7381178d87421">undermining Endangered Species Act protections</a>&nbsp;to ensure fast energy development, even assembling a rarely used committee — the so-called “God Squad” — that could have authority to dismiss significant threats to species. That move was coupled with recent deep cuts to the Fish &amp; Wildlife Service, which administers the law.

Parenteau said some species are likely to go extinct.

Trump also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wind-energy-offshore-turbines-trump-executive-order-995a744c3c1a2eddb30cacf50b681f13">targeted wind energy</a>&nbsp;with an order to temporarily halt offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pause federal approvals, permits and loans for projects both onshore and offshore.

In another order, he listed domestic energy resources that could help ensure a reliable, diversified and affordable supply of energy. Solar, wind and battery storage were omitted, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/renewable-energy-climate-solar-wind-fossil-fuels-2718fce0ed37232dc25dbf46fff87955">solar is the fastest-growing source of electricity generation</a>&nbsp;in the United States. Trump has vowed to end tax credits for renewables as well, which would push up prices.

Substantially slowing renewables could leave the U.S. wedded to coal and gas for far longer as coal plants are extended and new gas plants are built, said David Shepheard, partner and energy expert at the global consultant Baringa.

Shepheard said the U.S. is facing unprecedented growth in electricity demand largely to meet needs from data centers and artificial intelligence, and increasingly the deck is stacked against renewables to meet it.

A Baringa analysis found Trump’s policies will drive up emissions and put the agreed-upon international climate threshold further out of reach.

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michael-phillis">MICHAEL PHILLIS</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jennifer-mcdermott">JENNIFER MCDERMOTT</a> Associated PressPresident Donald Trump began dismantling his predecessor’s climate change and renewable energy policies on his first day in office, declaring a national energy emergency to speed up fossil fuel development – a policy he has summed up as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-election-climate-pollution-oil-gas-clean-energy-f6ad39e23613396a7536fb1dc25fca62">“drill, baby, drill.”</a>The declaration calls on the federal government to make it easier for companies to build oil and gas projects, in part by weakening environmental reviews, with the goal of lowering prices and selling to international markets.Democrats say that’s a sham. They point out that the U.S. is producing more oil and natural gas than any other country and the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act boosted renewable energy at a critical time, creating jobs and addressing the climate change threat –&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-warming-hot-record-2024-disasters-12f899f071fcdbd051ad49a872611e92">2024 was Earth’s hottest year on record</a>&nbsp;amid the hottest 10-year stretch on record.“It would also set a horrible precedent, that a president of either party can invent a sham emergency and then grab away from Congress powers that Congress has” in the Constitution, said Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.Kaine spoke Wednesday in support of a Senate resolution from Democrats to terminate Trump’s declaration that later failed on a party-line 52-47 vote.Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already made the U.S. an even friendlier environment for fossil fuels. Congress is helping, too, with the House voting to repeal a Biden administration-era methane fee on oil and gas producers.In addition, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-endangerment-finding-zeldin-trump-climate-change-4b34246d5ca798154af08560fd94f7b9">has urged the White House to reconsider</a>&nbsp;a finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public, a fundamental Obama-era document that underpins the agency’s power to regulate planet-warming emissions, according to four people who were briefed on the matter but spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the recommendation is not public.Here are some ways the Trump administration has moved to advance fossil fuels:The Biden administration last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lng-exports-biden-europe-climate-russia-24a7730a3b8449273fec73824ce26001">paused evaluations of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals</a>. That pleased environmentalists concerned that a big surge in exports would contribute to planet-warming emissions. The pause didn’t stop projects already under construction, but it delayed consideration of new projects.Trump reversed that pause.On Tuesday, oil and gas giant Shell said global LNG demand is forecast to rise by around 60% by 2040.The United States is expected to play a major role in meeting that demand, with its export capacity expected to double before 2030, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.“I think investors have become much more comfortable that they can move towards final investment decisions without the concerns that they had over the last four years about potential roadblocks,” said Christopher Treanor, an energy and environmental attorney at the law firm Akin.<h2>Drilling expansion</h2>Trump has opened more land for oil and gas lease sales, shifting away from Biden’s efforts to protect environmentally sensitive areas like Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuge and to prevent large swaths of ocean from being available for offshore drilling, including major areas off coasts in the Pacific, Atlantic and parts of Alaska.Environmental groups are suing to stop Trump’s moves.Expanding the area available for companies to lease and drill doesn’t necessarily mean that more oil and gas will be produced. When leases were made available in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, for example, only smaller companies bid and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-arctic-refuge-oil-lease-sale-efb6ec0b74fe0e38cd1c20c212741771">there were no buyers for a second lease sale</a>.<h2>Army Corps appears ready to help projects sidestep the Clean Water Act</h2>The Army Corps of Engineers marked hundreds of Clean Water Act permits for fast-tracking, citing Trump’s order on energy, then removed that notation in its database. The agency said it needed to review active permit applications before publishing which ones will be fast-tracked.“They don’t seem to be backing off,” said Tom Pelton, spokesman with the Environmental Integrity Project. “They are just going to refine the list.”Many of the permit applications that had been listed for expediting are for fossil fuel projects, but some others have nothing to do with energy, including a housing subdivision proposed by Chevron in southern California, according to the Environmental Integrity Project.David Bookbinder, the organization’s director of law and policy, said the Trump administration is using the “pretext of a national energy emergency” to ask a federal agency to circumvent environmental protections to justify building more fossil fuel power plants. Bookbinder said there’s no shortage of energy.<h2>Slashing the federal workforce</h2>Pat Parenteau, professor emeritus at Vermont Law &amp; Graduate School, said Trump’s policy changes aren’t nearly as important as the deep cuts to the federal government that eliminate vital expertise. At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, for example, Trump said the head of the EPA should axe roughly two-thirds of its employees.“I think they are going to accomplish what no other administration has been able to do in terms of crippling the institutional capacity of the federal government to protect public health, to conserve national resources to save endangered species,” he said. “That is where we are going to see long-term, permanent damage.”Trump’s energy emergency calls, for example, for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-climate-change-oil-whales-turtles-9d068d755e8ac4060fd7381178d87421">undermining Endangered Species Act protections</a>&nbsp;to ensure fast energy development, even assembling a rarely used committee — the so-called “God Squad” — that could have authority to dismiss significant threats to species. That move was coupled with recent deep cuts to the Fish &amp; Wildlife Service, which administers the law.Parenteau said some species are likely to go extinct.<h2>Executive orders take aim at renewables</h2>Trump also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wind-energy-offshore-turbines-trump-executive-order-995a744c3c1a2eddb30cacf50b681f13">targeted wind energy</a>&nbsp;with an order to temporarily halt offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pause federal approvals, permits and loans for projects both onshore and offshore.In another order, he listed domestic energy resources that could help ensure a reliable, diversified and affordable supply of energy. Solar, wind and battery storage were omitted, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/renewable-energy-climate-solar-wind-fossil-fuels-2718fce0ed37232dc25dbf46fff87955">solar is the fastest-growing source of electricity generation</a>&nbsp;in the United States. Trump has vowed to end tax credits for renewables as well, which would push up prices.Substantially slowing renewables could leave the U.S. wedded to coal and gas for far longer as coal plants are extended and new gas plants are built, said David Shepheard, partner and energy expert at the global consultant Baringa.Shepheard said the U.S. is facing unprecedented growth in electricity demand largely to meet needs from data centers and artificial intelligence, and increasingly the deck is stacked against renewables to meet it.A Baringa analysis found Trump’s policies will drive up emissions and put the agreed-upon international climate threshold further out of reach.<h2>___</h2>

'Drill baby drill':  Dems target Trump's energy emergency

&nbsp;WASHINGTON —Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a stop Thursday to visit President Trump in the Oval Office.

A photo of the visit, taken by Special Assistant to the President Margo Martin, appeared on her social media account. “The GOAT of kicking @buttkicker7 meets the GOAT of Presidents @realDonaldTrump," Martin wrote. The White House has not released details on Butker’s visit.

Butker, who supported Trump's Presidential campaign and that of Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, is outspoken about his views against abortion.

Butker first made what he called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-college-conservative-commencement-harrison-butker-a40b881fe41ac489853fb67e58ed20d1">a “very intentional" foray</a>&nbsp;into politics in May, when he delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harrison-butker-chiefs-homemaker-nfl-5466d7b3560f640c825107df9694b07b">a controversial commencement address</a>&nbsp;at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas. The three-time Super Bowl champion said, among other things, that most of the women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having children, and that some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.”

Butker visited the White House and President Biden in 2024 after the Chiefs Super Bowl win.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740672708575.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;WASHINGTON —Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a stop Thursday to visit President Trump in the Oval Office.A photo of the visit, taken by Special Assistant to the President Margo Martin, appeared on her social media account. “The GOAT of kicking @buttkicker7 meets the GOAT of Presidents @realDonaldTrump," Martin wrote. The White House has not released details on Butker’s visit.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">You never know who you’re going to see at the White House! Great meeting Harrison Butker <a href="https://twitter.com/buttkicker7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@buttkicker7</a> today! 🏈🐐 <a href="https://t.co/pov8iYvGFL">pic.twitter.com/pov8iYvGFL</a>&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1895161582650310764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Butker, who supported Trump's Presidential campaign and that of Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, is outspoken about his views against abortion.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Donald J. Trump and Harrison Butker <a href="https://t.co/OonyaPiSWb">pic.twitter.com/OonyaPiSWb</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1895222057329438887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Butker first made what he called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-college-conservative-commencement-harrison-butker-a40b881fe41ac489853fb67e58ed20d1">a “very intentional" foray</a>&nbsp;into politics in May, when he delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harrison-butker-chiefs-homemaker-nfl-5466d7b3560f640c825107df9694b07b">a controversial commencement address</a>&nbsp;at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas. The three-time Super Bowl champion said, among other things, that most of the women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having children, and that some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.”Butker visited the White House and President Biden in 2024 after the Chiefs Super Bowl win.-The AP contributed to this report

Chiefs kicker visits President Trump in the Oval Office

The Kansas State Fair has announced that the Ludacris concert has been moved to Friday, Sept. 12.&nbsp; This is one night earlier that previously announced.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The State Fair said that tickets purchased online through the State Fair Etix site remain valid.&nbsp; Those with printed tickets purchased at the State Fair office will receive a reissued ticket with the correct date.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Refunds will be available through Etix until Friday, March 15, for those unable to attend on the new date.&nbsp; Contact Etix by phone or email to request a refund:• Phone - 800-514-3859• Email -&nbsp;support@etix.com&nbsp;

For additional questions, please contact the State Fair Ticket office at 620-669-3618 and leave a message for the ticketing staff.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you haven't purchased your ticket yet, here are your options:&nbsp;• Nex-Tech Grandstand Reserved Seating: $40/$55•&nbsp;Kansas Star Casino Track Party Pit: $75•&nbsp;Kansas Star Casino VIP Deck – Standing: $100

Remember to only purchase tickets through Etix.&nbsp; They're the only authorized seller for Kansas State Fair concerts.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740674996935.jpeg" alt="Ludacris to perform at Kansas State Fair on Sept. 13" />
 <figcaption>Ludacris to perform at Kansas State Fair on Sept. 13</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas State Fair has announced that the Ludacris concert has been moved to Friday, Sept. 12.&nbsp; This is one night earlier that previously announced.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740676292630.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The State Fair said that tickets purchased online through the State Fair Etix site remain valid.&nbsp; Those with printed tickets purchased at the State Fair office will receive a reissued ticket with the correct date.&nbsp;&nbsp;Refunds will be available through Etix until Friday, March 15, for those unable to attend on the new date.&nbsp; Contact Etix by phone or email to request a refund:• Phone - 800-514-3859• Email -&nbsp;support@etix.com&nbsp;For additional questions, please contact the State Fair Ticket office at 620-669-3618 and leave a message for the ticketing staff.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you haven't purchased your ticket yet, here are your options:&nbsp;• Nex-Tech Grandstand Reserved Seating: $40/$55•&nbsp;Kansas Star Casino Track Party Pit: $75•&nbsp;Kansas Star Casino VIP Deck – Standing: $100Remember to only purchase tickets through Etix.&nbsp; They're the only authorized seller for Kansas State Fair concerts.&nbsp;

Kansas State Fair moves Ludacris performance

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a June 4, homicide is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on Thursday afternoon

In January, Judge Quentin Pittman ruled 23-year-old Jeremiah Walker will stand trial for second-degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Walker is charged for the death of&nbsp;27-year-old Quentin Gordon.

Just after 9:30p.m. June 4, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call reporting a shooting in the 4800 block of East Funston.

First responders found Gordon suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

&nbsp;Preliminary findings suggest that Gordon was involved in an argument with another individual when the shooting occurred, indicating that this was not a random act of violence, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

On June 6, police asked for help to locate Anjaliyah S. Orange and Walker as they may have information about the homicide.&nbsp;On June 12, Wichita Police Homicide investigators arrested Walker.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717697125559.png" alt="On June 6, police asked for help to locate&nbsp;Anjaliyah S. Orange and Walker in connection with the crime.-photos Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>On June 6, police asked for help to locate&nbsp;Anjaliyah S. Orange and Walker in connection with the crime.-photos Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a June 4, homicide is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on Thursday afternoonIn January, Judge Quentin Pittman ruled 23-year-old Jeremiah Walker will stand trial for second-degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Walker is charged for the death of&nbsp;27-year-old Quentin Gordon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718212493808.png" alt="Walker photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Walker photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 9:30p.m. June 4, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call reporting a shooting in the 4800 block of East Funston.First responders found Gordon suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;Preliminary findings suggest that Gordon was involved in an argument with another individual when the shooting occurred, indicating that this was not a random act of violence, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.On June 6, police asked for help to locate Anjaliyah S. Orange and Walker as they may have information about the homicide.&nbsp;On June 12, Wichita Police Homicide investigators arrested Walker.

Plea hearing for Kan. murder suspect captured after 6 day search 

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order mandating price transparency for all health care costs.

The order requires hospitals to post online the rates for some of their most common services, from MRI scans to caesarean section deliveries. Trump has long sought to address the secrecy that often surprises patients with treatment invoices.

The president calls the transparency requirement “one of the biggest things that can happen to reducing costs in health care.”

Trump issued a similar rule during the last year of his first term in office, but President Joe Biden did little to enforce it.

Hospitals and insurers had strongly opposed the rule, and many had not complied.

“It’s been unpopular in some circles because people make less money,” Trump said during a signing event in the Oval Office. “But it’s great for the patient. It’s great for the people in our country.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order mandating price transparency for all health care costs.The order requires hospitals to post online the rates for some of their most common services, from MRI scans to caesarean section deliveries. Trump has long sought to address the secrecy that often surprises patients with treatment invoices.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> for your steadfast leadership in issuing an executive order that mandates clear, accurate, and actionable healthcare pricing. This executive order will empower patients with the knowledge they need to make informed health decisions. At <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HHSgov</a>, we are fulfilling… <a href="https://t.co/HKmbgCa7rs">pic.twitter.com/HKmbgCa7rs</a>&mdash; Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1894562386708672863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The president calls the transparency requirement “one of the biggest things that can happen to reducing costs in health care.”Trump issued a similar rule during the last year of his first term in office, but President Joe Biden did little to enforce it.Hospitals and insurers had strongly opposed the rule, and many had not complied.“It’s been unpopular in some circles because people make less money,” Trump said during a signing event in the Oval Office. “But it’s great for the patient. It’s great for the people in our country.”

Trump order mandates price transparency rules for hospitals

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a deadly shooting that occurred on Wednesday inside an apartment in the&nbsp; Meadows Apartments, 7600 block of Halsey in Lenexa, according to a media release.

One person died and EMS transported another person to an area hospital.

Police did not have anyone in custody and are still investigating the circumstances.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740618887096.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a deadly shooting that occurred on Wednesday inside an apartment in the&nbsp; Meadows Apartments, 7600 block of Halsey in Lenexa, according to a media release.One person died and EMS transported another person to an area hospital.Police did not have anyone in custody and are still investigating the circumstances.&nbsp;

One dead after shooting inside Kansas apartment 

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a deadly knife attack in southwest Kansas and asking the public for help with information.

Just after 9p.m. Tuesday, police were called to a medical emergency in the 500 block of Sunnyside in Dodge City, according to a media release.

First responders found 33-year-old Cody Holt suffering from multiple stab wounds. Emergency crews attempted to render aid to Holt. He was pronounced dead on the scene. 

This is an active investigation, and we are asking the public to provide any information. If you saw or know anything about this case, please either call the police department at 620-225-8126 or dispatch at 620-227-4646. If you would like to remain anonymous, you can submit a tip to our tip 411 app, Facebook messenger or our CrimeWatch page at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dodgecitypd.org%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3ep8Y3QakIw1uSvR_XXIvWCR8KJa3W5-VlGwdG_7-OLRkcikIdTiQuWCo_aem_SqfdRDXPL2UPVltOloMF1g&amp;h=AT2IdKrtQQPtasAMmzExb_mJm1P9jHUO96Q5eqiibKp1tB0SRPTY4rTOSmIQgS--U6t_nW6re7Z_BKj1x3nR2hCQES_0RQRy1AUvBumA2AEW8uTi5PZfA3dEl7HGux23TMyVKOE&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1CK3Wokhk1c8GV3HuFXyYM5mwztKvMg7zUuE4PlC8gedo8xH4YRir69I-t7fA8qo1K1s-X-P9KxvIjXl6ZPawC_0XXodu_jx5sc5dnwLGl7Op2UI7I3lYzanK5iyCReEBPqDVgxHtsg2_p1YL4e92CIZngC0l-OAdZlXfZ1W90bxX-asx4hDtXjEOHLmE6AVSzolFeh6LaFGlbUEymco9UhL0" target="_blank">www.dodgecitypd.org</a><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dodgecitypd.org%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR20S2DkkiWAufXZw553v0P3aQy2YayPJC9Z4bcpFDZtkjFk8ikAS6muHno_aem_ewSs25RSSnn9jYWDwqR0sw&amp;h=AT2IdKrtQQPtasAMmzExb_mJm1P9jHUO96Q5eqiibKp1tB0SRPTY4rTOSmIQgS--U6t_nW6re7Z_BKj1x3nR2hCQES_0RQRy1AUvBumA2AEW8uTi5PZfA3dEl7HGux23TMyVKOE&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1CK3Wokhk1c8GV3HuFXyYM5mwztKvMg7zUuE4PlC8gedo8xH4YRir69I-t7fA8qo1K1s-X-P9KxvIjXl6ZPawC_0XXodu_jx5sc5dnwLGl7Op2UI7I3lYzanK5iyCReEBPqDVgxHtsg2_p1YL4e92CIZngC0l-OAdZlXfZ1W90bxX-asx4hDtXjEOHLmE6AVSzolFeh6LaFGlbUEymco9UhL0" target="_blank">.</a>

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a deadly knife attack in southwest Kansas and asking the public for help with information.Just after 9p.m. Tuesday, police were called to a medical emergency in the 500 block of Sunnyside in Dodge City, according to a media release.First responders found 33-year-old Cody Holt suffering from multiple stab wounds. Emergency crews attempted to render aid to Holt. He was pronounced dead on the scene. This is an active investigation, and we are asking the public to provide any information. If you saw or know anything about this case, please either call the police department at 620-225-8126 or dispatch at 620-227-4646. If you would like to remain anonymous, you can submit a tip to our tip 411 app, Facebook messenger or our CrimeWatch page at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dodgecitypd.org%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3ep8Y3QakIw1uSvR_XXIvWCR8KJa3W5-VlGwdG_7-OLRkcikIdTiQuWCo_aem_SqfdRDXPL2UPVltOloMF1g&amp;h=AT2IdKrtQQPtasAMmzExb_mJm1P9jHUO96Q5eqiibKp1tB0SRPTY4rTOSmIQgS--U6t_nW6re7Z_BKj1x3nR2hCQES_0RQRy1AUvBumA2AEW8uTi5PZfA3dEl7HGux23TMyVKOE&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1CK3Wokhk1c8GV3HuFXyYM5mwztKvMg7zUuE4PlC8gedo8xH4YRir69I-t7fA8qo1K1s-X-P9KxvIjXl6ZPawC_0XXodu_jx5sc5dnwLGl7Op2UI7I3lYzanK5iyCReEBPqDVgxHtsg2_p1YL4e92CIZngC0l-OAdZlXfZ1W90bxX-asx4hDtXjEOHLmE6AVSzolFeh6LaFGlbUEymco9UhL0" target="_blank">www.dodgecitypd.org</a><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dodgecitypd.org%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR20S2DkkiWAufXZw553v0P3aQy2YayPJC9Z4bcpFDZtkjFk8ikAS6muHno_aem_ewSs25RSSnn9jYWDwqR0sw&amp;h=AT2IdKrtQQPtasAMmzExb_mJm1P9jHUO96Q5eqiibKp1tB0SRPTY4rTOSmIQgS--U6t_nW6re7Z_BKj1x3nR2hCQES_0RQRy1AUvBumA2AEW8uTi5PZfA3dEl7HGux23TMyVKOE&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1CK3Wokhk1c8GV3HuFXyYM5mwztKvMg7zUuE4PlC8gedo8xH4YRir69I-t7fA8qo1K1s-X-P9KxvIjXl6ZPawC_0XXodu_jx5sc5dnwLGl7Op2UI7I3lYzanK5iyCReEBPqDVgxHtsg2_p1YL4e92CIZngC0l-OAdZlXfZ1W90bxX-asx4hDtXjEOHLmE6AVSzolFeh6LaFGlbUEymco9UhL0" target="_blank">.</a>

Police investigating deadly SW Kansas knife attack

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an armed robbery have a suspect in custody.

Just before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to an armed robbery in a parking lot near Shawnee Mission Parkway and Riley Street in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy. Two armed men approached the victim, and forcibly took their vehicle. 

 During the process of the robbery, one of the suspects fired a warning shot into the air, and physically assaulted the victim. An Overland Park Police Officer located the stolen vehicle, leading to a brief pursuit. The vehicle crossed into Missouri on eastbound Interstate 435 Highway, where a neighboring jurisdiction resumed the pursuit. One of the suspects was ultimately arrested in Lee's Summit, Missouri. The collaborative efforts of the Lee's Summit Police Department, the Missouri Highway Patrol, and the Kansas City Police Department Helicopter Unit led to the arrest.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an armed robbery have a suspect in custody.Just before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to an armed robbery in a parking lot near Shawnee Mission Parkway and Riley Street in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy. Two armed men approached the victim, and forcibly took their vehicle. During the process of the robbery, one of the suspects fired a warning shot into the air, and physically assaulted the victim. An Overland Park Police Officer located the stolen vehicle, leading to a brief pursuit. The vehicle crossed into Missouri on eastbound Interstate 435 Highway, where a neighboring jurisdiction resumed the pursuit. One of the suspects was ultimately arrested in Lee's Summit, Missouri. The collaborative efforts of the Lee's Summit Police Department, the Missouri Highway Patrol, and the Kansas City Police Department Helicopter Unit led to the arrest.---------------

Kansas carjacking suspect arrested in Missouri

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said it is eliminating more than 90% of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-musk-foreign-aid-firings-a3af8ce6ef17878b718c8e2ed3bf98e4">U.S. Agency for International Development’s</a>&nbsp;foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance around the world, putting numbers on its plans to eliminate the majority of U.S. development and humanitarian help abroad.

The cuts detailed by the administration would leave few surviving USAID projects for advocates to try to save in what are ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/funding-freeze-usaid-trump-d592d015249934827e023c65e644c51a">court battles with the administration</a>.

The Trump administration outlined its plans in both an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press and filings in one of those federal lawsuits Wednesday.

The Supreme Court intervened in that case late Wednesday and temporarily blocked a court order requiring the administration to release billions of dollars in foreign aid by midnight.

Wednesday's disclosures also give an idea of the scale of the administration's retreat from U.S. aid and development assistance overseas, and from decades of U.S. policy that foreign aid helps U.S. interests by stabilizing other countries and economies and building alliances.

The memo said officials were “clearing significant waste stemming from decades of institutional drift.” More changes are planned in how USAID and the State Department deliver foreign assistance, it said, “to use taxpayer dollars wisely to advance American interests.”

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and ally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;have hit foreign aid harder and faster than almost any other target in their push to cut the size of the federal government. Both men say USAID projects advance a liberal agenda and are a waste of money.

Trump on Jan. 20 ordered what he said would be a 90-day program-by-program review of which foreign assistance programs deserved to continue, and cut off all foreign assistance funds almost overnight.

The funding freeze has stopped thousands of U.S.-funded programs abroad, and the administration and Musk's Department of Government Efficiency teams have pulled the majority of USAID staff off the job through forced leave and firings.

Widely successful USAID programs credited with containing outbreaks of Ebola and other threats and saving more than 20 million lives in Africa through HIV and AIDS treatment are among those still cut off from agency funds, USAID officials and officials with partner organizations say. Meanwhile, formal notifications of program cancellations are rolling out.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738896794184.jpeg" alt="Democrat lawmakers protest USAID cuts -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Democrat lawmakers protest USAID cuts -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said it is eliminating more than 90% of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-musk-foreign-aid-firings-a3af8ce6ef17878b718c8e2ed3bf98e4">U.S. Agency for International Development’s</a>&nbsp;foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance around the world, putting numbers on its plans to eliminate the majority of U.S. development and humanitarian help abroad.The cuts detailed by the administration would leave few surviving USAID projects for advocates to try to save in what are ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/funding-freeze-usaid-trump-d592d015249934827e023c65e644c51a">court battles with the administration</a>.The Trump administration outlined its plans in both an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press and filings in one of those federal lawsuits Wednesday.The Supreme Court intervened in that case late Wednesday and temporarily blocked a court order requiring the administration to release billions of dollars in foreign aid by midnight.Wednesday's disclosures also give an idea of the scale of the administration's retreat from U.S. aid and development assistance overseas, and from decades of U.S. policy that foreign aid helps U.S. interests by stabilizing other countries and economies and building alliances.The memo said officials were “clearing significant waste stemming from decades of institutional drift.” More changes are planned in how USAID and the State Department deliver foreign assistance, it said, “to use taxpayer dollars wisely to advance American interests.”President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and ally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;have hit foreign aid harder and faster than almost any other target in their push to cut the size of the federal government. Both men say USAID projects advance a liberal agenda and are a waste of money.Trump on Jan. 20 ordered what he said would be a 90-day program-by-program review of which foreign assistance programs deserved to continue, and cut off all foreign assistance funds almost overnight.The funding freeze has stopped thousands of U.S.-funded programs abroad, and the administration and Musk's Department of Government Efficiency teams have pulled the majority of USAID staff off the job through forced leave and firings.Widely successful USAID programs credited with containing outbreaks of Ebola and other threats and saving more than 20 million lives in Africa through HIV and AIDS treatment are among those still cut off from agency funds, USAID officials and officials with partner organizations say. Meanwhile, formal notifications of program cancellations are rolling out.In the federal court filings Wednesday, nonprofits owed money on contracts with USAID describe both Trump political appointees and members of Musk's teams terminating USAID's contracts around the world at breakneck speed, without time for any meaningful review, they say."'There are MANY more terminations coming, so please gear up!''' a USAID official wrote staff Monday, in an email quoted by lawyers for the nonprofits in the filings.The nonprofits, among thousands of contractors, owed billions of dollars in payment since the freeze began, called the en masse contract terminations a maneuver to get around complying with the order to lift the funding freeze temporarily.So did a Democratic lawmaker.The administration was attempting to "blow through Congress and the courts by announcing the completion of their sham ‘review’ of foreign aid and the immediate termination of thousands of aid programs all over the world,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.A coalition representing major U.S. and global businesses and nongovernmental organizations and former officials expressed shock at the move. “The American people deserve a transparent accounting of what will be lost — on counterterror, global health, food security, and competition,” the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition said.The State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had reviewed the terminations.In all, the Trump administration said it will eliminate 5,800 of 6,200 multiyear USAID contract awards, for a cut of $54 billion. Another 4,100 of 9,100 State Department grants were being eliminated, for a cut of $4.4 billion.The State Department memo, which was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, described the administration as spurred by a federal court order that gave officials until the end of the day Wednesday to lift the Trump administration’s monthlong block on foreign aid funding.“In response, State and USAID moved rapidly,” targeting USAID and State Department foreign aid programs in vast numbers for contract terminations, the memo said.Trump administration officials — after repeated warnings from the federal judge in the case — also said Wednesday they were finally beginning to send out their first or any payments after more than a month with no known spending. Officials were processing a few million dollars of back payments, officials said, owed to U.S. and international organizations and companies.But U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali's order to unfreeze billions of dollars by midnight Wednesday will remain on hold until the Supreme Court has a chance to weigh in more fully, according to the brief order signed by Chief Justice John Roberts.Ali had ordered the federal government to comply with his decision temporarily blocking a freeze on foreign aid, ruling in a lawsuit filed by nonprofit groups and businesses. An appellate panel refused the administration’s request to intervene before the high court weighed in.The plaintiffs have until noon Friday to respond, Roberts said.The administration has filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court in one other case so far, arguing that a lower court was wrong to reinstate the head of a federal watchdog agency after Trump fired him.___Associated Press writers Gary Fields in Washington and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.