HARVEY COUNTY—The Harvey County Sheriff's Office has terminated the employment of two Detention Center deputies following an internal investigation into harassment claims, according to a media release.

On February 18, sheriff's office administration opened an internal investigation following notification of allegations of harassment involving two detention deputies. They were placed on administrative leave.

The actions of the individuals were direct violations of sheriff's office employment policies. No criminal charges were involved. The incident is a personnel matter, and the Sheriff's Office will not release additional information about the individuals or the incident.

HARVEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged harassment involving deputies in Harvey County.

According to a social media report, the sheriff's office administration was made aware of alleged harassment claims against two Harvey County deputies. 

The sheriff's office begun an internal investigation to gather more information. While the investigation is being conducted, the two deputies have been placed on administrative leave. 

"We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and will respond appropriately once the investigation is completed."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582804602109.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY—The Harvey County Sheriff's Office has terminated the employment of two Detention Center deputies following an internal investigation into harassment claims, according to a media release.On February 18, sheriff's office administration opened an internal investigation following notification of allegations of harassment involving two detention deputies. They were placed on administrative leave.The actions of the individuals were direct violations of sheriff's office employment policies. No criminal charges were involved. The incident is a personnel matter, and the Sheriff's Office will not release additional information about the individuals or the incident.----------HARVEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged harassment involving deputies in Harvey County.According to a social media report, the sheriff's office administration was made aware of alleged harassment claims against two Harvey County deputies. The sheriff's office begun an internal investigation to gather more information. While the investigation is being conducted, the two deputies have been placed on administrative leave. "We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and will respond appropriately once the investigation is completed."

Two Harvey Co. deputies fired for reported harassment

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday refused to dismiss three lawsuits that challenge new Republican-drawn congressional redistricting maps. 

Attorney General Derek Schmidt made the request, arguing that the state court system does not have jurisdiction to decide disputes over redistricting for federal offices. 

All three of the suits allege that the new maps impermissibly gerrymandered in violation of the Kansas Constitution. Republican lawmakers dismissed allegations of gerrymandering.

“We had hoped to resolve the unsettled constitutional questions in these unprecedented cases more quickly and efficiently by presenting them directly to the Kansas Supreme Court, Schmidt said in a statement from his office. "But today’s decision requires we resolve them the slower and potentially far more expensive way by starting in the trial courts, so that is what we will do.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643147273216.png" alt="Redistricting" />
 <figcaption>Redistricting</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday refused to dismiss three lawsuits that challenge new Republican-drawn congressional redistricting maps. Attorney General Derek Schmidt made the request, arguing that the state court system does not have jurisdiction to decide disputes over redistricting for federal offices. All three of the suits allege that the new maps impermissibly gerrymandered in violation of the Kansas Constitution. Republican lawmakers dismissed allegations of gerrymandering.“We had hoped to resolve the unsettled constitutional questions in these unprecedented cases more quickly and efficiently by presenting them directly to the Kansas Supreme Court, Schmidt said in a statement from his office. "But today’s decision requires we resolve them the slower and potentially far more expensive way by starting in the trial courts, so that is what we will do.”

Kan. court refuses to dismiss suits over redistricting maps

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement and school officials are crediting School Resource Officer Erik Clark for his actions during Friday's shooting at Olathe East High School.&nbsp; On social media, the Johnson County Sheriff's office said, "the entire Sheriff’s Office is keeping SRO Erik Clark, his family and his Olathe Police family in our prayers."

&nbsp;A male student shot and wounded&nbsp;Resource Officer Clark and Assistant Principal Kaleb Stoppel.&nbsp; The student was also shot when the officer returned fire.

Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult. He was taken into custody and remained hospitalized late Friday.&nbsp;Clark and and Stoppel were released from Overland Park Regional Medical Center.&nbsp;

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. 

Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred&nbsp; the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. 

No other students were injured. A statement from Overland Park Regional Medical Center says one of the three people wounded is in critical condition. The other two have been discharged.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. 

Authorities say all three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. 

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at Olathe East High School in suburban Kansas City.

The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. 

Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. No other students were injured. The county prosecutor’s office declined to comment Friday on potential charges.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a suspect shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. All three are expected to survive. 

Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School. No other students were injured. 

Yeldell did not immediately have any information on the sequence of the shootings. Police didn’t immediately release any information on the identity of the suspect or a motive. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting at Olathe East High School,&nbsp;14545 W 127th Street in Olathe, according to a statement from Olathe Police.

The School Resource Officer and school administrator were shot and injured. The shooting occurred in the office area Friday morning.&nbsp;

Police have a suspect in custody.&nbsp; There are no reports of injured students at this time, according to police.&nbsp; Parents are asked to go to the Family Video 12708 S Black Bob to be reunited with their students.

The district said in a tweet that Olathe East High School is currently under lockdown because of the situation.&nbsp;

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement and school officials are crediting School Resource Officer Erik Clark for his actions during Friday's shooting at Olathe East High School.&nbsp; On social media, the Johnson County Sheriff's office said, "the entire Sheriff’s Office is keeping SRO Erik Clark, his family and his Olathe Police family in our prayers."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The entire Sheriff’s Office is keeping SRO Clark, his family and his <a href="https://twitter.com/OlathePolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlathePolice</a> family in our prayers tonight 💙 <a href="https://t.co/16c59jHcVv">pic.twitter.com/16c59jHcVv</a>&mdash; Johnson Co KS Sheriff (@JOCOSHERIFF) <a href="https://twitter.com/JOCOSHERIFF/status/1499915127595937801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;A male student shot and wounded&nbsp;Resource Officer Clark and Assistant Principal Kaleb Stoppel.&nbsp; The student was also shot when the officer returned fire.Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult. He was taken into custody and remained hospitalized late Friday.&nbsp;Clark and and Stoppel were released from Overland Park Regional Medical Center.&nbsp;--------OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred&nbsp; the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646417385414.png" alt="Police on the scene of Olathe East High School Friday afternoon-photo courtesy KBMC -TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of Olathe East High School Friday afternoon-photo courtesy KBMC -TV</figcaption>
 </figure>No other students were injured. A statement from Overland Park Regional Medical Center says one of the three people wounded is in critical condition. The other two have been discharged.-----OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. No other students were injured. A statement from Overland Park Regional Medical Center says one of the three people wounded is in critical condition. The other two have been discharged.-------OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at Olathe East High School in suburban Kansas City.The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. No other students were injured. The county prosecutor’s office declined to comment Friday on potential charges.----------OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a suspect shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. All three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School. No other students were injured. Yeldell did not immediately have any information on the sequence of the shootings. Police didn’t immediately release any information on the identity of the suspect or a motive. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene.----------JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting at Olathe East High School,&nbsp;14545 W 127th Street in Olathe, according to a statement from Olathe Police.The School Resource Officer and school administrator were shot and injured. The shooting occurred in the office area Friday morning.&nbsp;Police have a suspect in custody.&nbsp; There are no reports of injured students at this time, according to police.&nbsp; Parents are asked to go to the Family Video 12708 S Black Bob to be reunited with their students.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Olathe Families: Olathe East is currently under lock down due to an active shooting situation on campus. Please know that law enforcement is on site and the building is secured. Olathe East and surrounding school buildings have been secured. We are working on reunification plans.&mdash; Olathe Public Schools (@olatheschools) <a href="https://twitter.com/olatheschools/status/1499792584159469569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The district said in a tweet that Olathe East High School is currently under lockdown because of the situation.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am praying for those injured and want to thank the brave law enforcement officers who responded quickly today. I’m thankful all students have been reported safe at this time. For the latest updates, please follow <a href="https://twitter.com/OlathePolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlathePolice</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/olatheschools?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@olatheschools</a>. <a href="https://t.co/JAFcSLbF5b">https://t.co/JAFcSLbF5b</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1499800926906953728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Sheriff IDs officer wounded in Kansas high school shooting

DOUGLAS COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) on Friday arrested a man who was formerly an officer of the Lawrence Police Department, according to a media release from the agency.

On Nov. 1, 2021, the Lawrence Police Department requested KBI assistance after they received a report that day from a female subject alleging that one of their officers, Jonathan, M. Gardner, 41, of Tonganoxie, had sexually assaulted her while he was on duty. The crime is suspected to have occurred on Jan. 1, 2017.

KBI agents initiated an investigation. The Lawrence Police Department cooperated fully with the case. Soon after Gardner was separated from employment with the Police Department, according to the KBI.

Just after 8a.m. Friday, KBI agents arrested Gardner near the intersection of Smiley Road and Highway 40. The Kansas Highway Patrol assisted with the arrest.

Gardner is being held requested charge of one count of rape, 12 counts of unlawful acts concerning computers, and 12 counts of official misconduct. The charges of official misconduct and unlawful acts with computers claim Gardner committed illegal and unauthorized searches of the Kansas Criminal Justice Information System (KCJIS), as well as internal police department public safety systems between 2017 and 2020.

Lawrence Police Chief Lockhart said, “I am appalled by the alleged conduct of Gardner. Those alleged actions are not consistent with the values of the department and, if true, Gardner violated the trust of the community he was sworn to serve. The conduct Gardner is accused of is not tolerated by the department. The department acted swiftly when notified of the allegation and is grateful to the Kansas Bureau of

Investigation for its investigation into this matter. Most importantly, I would like to extend my appreciation to the community member who possessed the courage and bravery to come forward and report this allegation to our agency.”

Gardner was booked into the Leavenworth County Jail and&nbsp; issued a $50,000 bond. He is no longer in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646425128295.png" alt="Gardner-photo Leavenworth County" />
 <figcaption>Gardner-photo Leavenworth County</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) on Friday arrested a man who was formerly an officer of the Lawrence Police Department, according to a media release from the agency.On Nov. 1, 2021, the Lawrence Police Department requested KBI assistance after they received a report that day from a female subject alleging that one of their officers, Jonathan, M. Gardner, 41, of Tonganoxie, had sexually assaulted her while he was on duty. The crime is suspected to have occurred on Jan. 1, 2017.KBI agents initiated an investigation. The Lawrence Police Department cooperated fully with the case. Soon after Gardner was separated from employment with the Police Department, according to the KBI.Just after 8a.m. Friday, KBI agents arrested Gardner near the intersection of Smiley Road and Highway 40. The Kansas Highway Patrol assisted with the arrest.Gardner is being held requested charge of one count of rape, 12 counts of unlawful acts concerning computers, and 12 counts of official misconduct. The charges of official misconduct and unlawful acts with computers claim Gardner committed illegal and unauthorized searches of the Kansas Criminal Justice Information System (KCJIS), as well as internal police department public safety systems between 2017 and 2020.Lawrence Police Chief Lockhart said, “I am appalled by the alleged conduct of Gardner. Those alleged actions are not consistent with the values of the department and, if true, Gardner violated the trust of the community he was sworn to serve. The conduct Gardner is accused of is not tolerated by the department. The department acted swiftly when notified of the allegation and is grateful to the Kansas Bureau ofInvestigation for its investigation into this matter. Most importantly, I would like to extend my appreciation to the community member who possessed the courage and bravery to come forward and report this allegation to our agency.”Gardner was booked into the Leavenworth County Jail and&nbsp; issued a $50,000 bond. He is no longer in custody.

KBI: Former Kan. officer accused of rape while on duty

Mc PHERSON, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court has denied a motion to withdraw a plea from a McPherson man convicted of murder in a case from 2012.

The state's highest court affirmed a decision from McPherson County District Court denying the motion from Dustin Smith to withdraw his plea on first degree murder. Smith was convicted in the May 2011 shooting death of 30-year-old Justin Milne whose body was found near Marion Reservoir. Smith was sentenced to life in prison without parole for 20 years.

Smith filed the motion in 2019 stating that he should be allowed to withdraw his plea because his attorney was ineffective in that he failed to "conduct a thorough investigation into his mental disease or defect." He claims that had counsel done so, there is a reasonable probability that Smith would have been found incompetent and would not have pled no contest.

The court ruled that Smith's motion was not filed within the one-year statutory time limit and denied the motion. The high court affirmed that decision.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646413966540.jpeg" alt="Smith-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Smith-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>Mc PHERSON, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court has denied a motion to withdraw a plea from a McPherson man convicted of murder in a case from 2012.The state's highest court affirmed a decision from McPherson County District Court denying the motion from Dustin Smith to withdraw his plea on first degree murder. Smith was convicted in the May 2011 shooting death of 30-year-old Justin Milne whose body was found near Marion Reservoir. Smith was sentenced to life in prison without parole for 20 years.Smith filed the motion in 2019 stating that he should be allowed to withdraw his plea because his attorney was ineffective in that he failed to "conduct a thorough investigation into his mental disease or defect." He claims that had counsel done so, there is a reasonable probability that Smith would have been found incompetent and would not have pled no contest.The court ruled that Smith's motion was not filed within the one-year statutory time limit and denied the motion. The high court affirmed that decision.

Kan. high court denies motion to change plea in murder conviction

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Kansas City police detective has been sentenced to six years in prison for fatally shooting a Black man who was backing a pickup truck into a garage in 2019. 

Eric DeValkenaere, who is white, was sentenced Friday afternoon to three years for second-degree involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run at the same time. He was convicted in November of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. 

DeValkenaere will not go to prison immediately after his sentencing, however. Judge J. Dale Youngs ruled in February that the former detective will be allowed to remain free while he appeals his conviction. DeValkenaere's attorneys had argued he was not a threat to flee.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former Kansas City police detective was to be sentenced Friday for the death of a Black man who was shot while backing a pickup truck into a garage but he will remain free on bond while his conviction is appealed.

Eric DeValkenaere, 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">was convicted</a>&nbsp;in November of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb on Dec. 3, 2019.

Prosecutors had recommended that Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs sentence DeValkenaere, who is white, to four years for involuntary manslaughter and nine years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run at the same time.

Youngs, who convicted DeValkenaere after a bench trial, ruled in February that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">he could remain free&nbsp;</a>while his conviction is appealed.

DeValkenaere’s attorney, Molly Hastings, argued the former detective was not a flight risk and noted the judge found “no evidence of malice” in DeValkenaere’s conduct.

The judge has said that he had never in 13 years on the bench allowed a defendant to remain free on bond after a conviction. But he said he did not believe it would be necessary to jail the former detective without bond to ensure he appeared at future court proceedings.

DeValkenaere has been free on $30,000 bond since he was convicted.

DeValkenaere testified during his trial that he shot Lamb as he was backing his pickup truck into a garage where he lived because Lamb pointed a gun at another detective, Troy Schwalm.

The plainclothes detectives had followed Lamb to the property to investigate an earlier report that he had chased his girlfriend in a stolen pickup truck.

Prosecutors alleged a gun found near Lamb's truck after the shooting was planted and the crime scene was staged. They also said the detectives had no reason to be on Lamb's property.

When he convicted DeValkenaere, Youngs said the detectives violated Lamb's constitutional rights because they had no probable cause to believe he had committed a crime, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property. He did not address the allegations that evidence had been planted.

DeVlakenaere was suspended from the police force after his conviction and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-2af535a9a637024a23b3530c1c20cc2e">left the force&nbsp;</a>in January. Police have not said if he was fired, resigned or retired.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619745438017.png" alt="Police on the scene of the Dec. 2019 shooting investigation photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the Dec. 2019 shooting investigation photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Kansas City police detective has been sentenced to six years in prison for fatally shooting a Black man who was backing a pickup truck into a garage in 2019. Eric DeValkenaere, who is white, was sentenced Friday afternoon to three years for second-degree involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run at the same time. He was convicted in November of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592994941014.png" alt="-DeValkenaere-photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>-DeValkenaere-photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>DeValkenaere will not go to prison immediately after his sentencing, however. Judge J. Dale Youngs ruled in February that the former detective will be allowed to remain free while he appeals his conviction. DeValkenaere's attorneys had argued he was not a threat to flee.----------KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former Kansas City police detective was to be sentenced Friday for the death of a Black man who was shot while backing a pickup truck into a garage but he will remain free on bond while his conviction is appealed.Eric DeValkenaere, 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">was convicted</a>&nbsp;in November of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb on Dec. 3, 2019.Prosecutors had recommended that Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs sentence DeValkenaere, who is white, to four years for involuntary manslaughter and nine years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run at the same time.Youngs, who convicted DeValkenaere after a bench trial, ruled in February that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">he could remain free&nbsp;</a>while his conviction is appealed.DeValkenaere’s attorney, Molly Hastings, argued the former detective was not a flight risk and noted the judge found “no evidence of malice” in DeValkenaere’s conduct.The judge has said that he had never in 13 years on the bench allowed a defendant to remain free on bond after a conviction. But he said he did not believe it would be necessary to jail the former detective without bond to ensure he appeared at future court proceedings.DeValkenaere has been free on $30,000 bond since he was convicted.DeValkenaere testified during his trial that he shot Lamb as he was backing his pickup truck into a garage where he lived because Lamb pointed a gun at another detective, Troy Schwalm.The plainclothes detectives had followed Lamb to the property to investigate an earlier report that he had chased his girlfriend in a stolen pickup truck.Prosecutors alleged a gun found near Lamb's truck after the shooting was planted and the crime scene was staged. They also said the detectives had no reason to be on Lamb's property.When he convicted DeValkenaere, Youngs said the detectives violated Lamb's constitutional rights because they had no probable cause to believe he had committed a crime, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property. He did not address the allegations that evidence had been planted.DeVlakenaere was suspended from the police force after his conviction and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-2af535a9a637024a23b3530c1c20cc2e">left the force&nbsp;</a>in January. Police have not said if he was fired, resigned or retired.

Ex-KC detective sentenced for Black man's shooting death

JOHNSON COUNTY —State and national leaders issued statements Friday after a student at Olathe East High School shot and wounded the school resource officer and a school administrator.

Just after 10:30 a.m, police and emergency crews responded to report of a shooting at the school at 127th Street and Black Bob Road.

 The campus was locked down, and police took a suspect identified as a student at the school into custody. The student was also wounded in the exchange of gunfire.

EMS transported the school resource officer and administrator to Overland Park Regional Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to Olathe Police.&nbsp; The shooting happened in the office area of the school. No other students were injured, according to police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646424883144.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting Friday at Olathe East High School" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting Friday at Olathe East High School</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —State and national leaders issued statements Friday after a student at Olathe East High School shot and wounded the school resource officer and a school administrator.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our thoughts are with the entire Olathe East High School community today. We are closely monitoring the situation on the ground &amp; are in communication with law enforcement. Parents &amp; teachers: reunification site is 12708 S Black Bob. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/OlathePolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlathePolice</a> for the latest updates.&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1499805890391822351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am praying for those injured and want to thank the brave law enforcement officers who responded quickly today. I’m thankful all students have been reported safe at this time. For the latest updates, please follow <a href="https://twitter.com/OlathePolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlathePolice</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/olatheschools?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@olatheschools</a>. <a href="https://t.co/JAFcSLbF5b">https://t.co/JAFcSLbF5b</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1499800926906953728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Prayers for everyone involved. <a href="https://t.co/uxNO1WcC2A">https://t.co/uxNO1WcC2A</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1499805964672897026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am monitoring this situation closely. My heart is with the Olathe East community. We are on standby for more information. For parents: <a href="https://twitter.com/OlathePolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlathePolice</a> has set up a reunification site at Family Video on 12708 S Black Bob Rd. <a href="https://t.co/amo82QtKO3">https://t.co/amo82QtKO3</a>&mdash; Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/1499799721359065093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Laina and I join all Kansans in lifting up and praying for everyone in the <a href="https://twitter.com/olatheschools?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@olatheschools</a> family. Thank God for our heroic officers and school officials who acted swiftly and no doubt bravely to protect students. <a href="https://t.co/QBOxf1ikkB">https://t.co/QBOxf1ikkB</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1499814785956945928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Just after 10:30 a.m, police and emergency crews responded to report of a shooting at the school at 127th Street and Black Bob Road. The campus was locked down, and police took a suspect identified as a student at the school into custody. The student was also wounded in the exchange of gunfire.EMS transported the school resource officer and administrator to Overland Park Regional Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to Olathe Police.&nbsp; The shooting happened in the office area of the school. No other students were injured, according to police.

Lawmakers react after shooting at Kansas high school

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops Friday seized the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe after a middle-of-the-night attack that set it on fire and briefly raised worldwide fears of a catastrophe in the most chilling turn yet in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Firefighters put out the blaze, and no radiation was released, U.N. and Ukrainian officials said, as Russian forces pressed on with their week-old offensive on multiple fronts and the number of refugees fleeing the country eclipsed 1.2 million.

While the vast Russian armored column threatening Kyiv remained stalled outside the capital, President Vladimir Putin’s military has launched hundreds of missiles and artillery attacks on cities and other sites around the country, and made significant gains on the ground in the south in an apparent bid to cut off Ukraine’s access to the sea.

In the atttack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in the southeastern city of Enerhodar, the chief of the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said a Russian “projectile” hit a training center, not any of the six reactors.

The attack triggered global alarm and fear of a catastrophe that could dwarf the world’s worst nuclear disaster, at Ukraine’s Chernobyl in 1986. In an emotional nighttime speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he feared an explosion that would be “the end for everyone. The end for Europe. The evacuation of Europe.”

But nuclear officials from Sweden to China said no radiation spikes had been reported, as did Grossi.

Authorities said that Russian troops had taken control of the overall site but that the plant staff continued to run it. Only one reactor was operating, running at 60% of capacity, Grossi said in the aftermath of the attack.

Two people were injured in the fire, Grossi said. Ukraine’s state nuclear plant operator Enerhoatom said three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two wounded.

In the U.S., Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the episode “underscores the recklessness with which the Russians have been perpetrating this unprovoked invasion.” At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, Ukraine’s U.N. ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, said the fire broke out as a result of Russian shelling of the plant and accused Moscow of committing “an act of nuclear terrorism.”

Without producing evidence, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed that a Ukrainian “sabotage group” had set the fire at Zaporozhizhia.

The crisis at Zaporizhzhia unfolded after Grossi earlier in the week expressed grave concern that the fighting could cause accidental damage to Ukraine’s 15 nuclear reactors at four plants around the country.

Atomic safety experts said a war fought amid nuclear reactors represents an unprecedented and highly dangerous situation.

“These plants are now in a situation that few people ever seriously contemplated when they were originally built,” said Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington. “No nuclear plant has been designed to withstand a potential threat of a full-scale military attack.”

Dr. Alex Rosen of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War said the incident was probably the result of military units overestimating the precision of their weapons, given that the prevailing winds would have carried any radioactive fallout straight toward Russia.

“Russia cannot have any interest in contaminating its own territory,” he said. He said the danger comes not just from the reactors but from the risk of enemy fire hitting storage facilities that hold spent fuel rods.

In the wake of the attack, Zelenskyy appealed again to the West to enforce a no-fly zone over his country. But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg ruled out that possibility, citing the risk of a much wider war in Europe. He said that to enforce a no-fly zone, NATO planes would have to shoot down Russian aircraft.

“We understand the desperation, but we also believe that if we did that, we would end up with something that could end in a full-fledged war in Europe,” Stoltenberg said.

The plant fire was the second time since the invasion began that concerns about a potential nuclear accident arose, following a battle at the heavily contaminated site of the now-decommissioned Chernobyl plant.

Russian forces, meanwhile, pressed their offensive in the southern part of the country. Severing Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov would deal a severe blow to its economy and could worsen an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-photo-gallery-children-c3a83cdaa77b7bfe9c3b2f3ae4d0ad03">already dire humanitarian situation.</a>

A round of talks between Russia and Ukraine yielded a tentative agreement Thursday to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-boris-johnson-technology-business-ddbace81e2e09028e0da1ec37619d148">set up safe corridors to evacuate citizens&nbsp;</a>and deliver food and medicine. But the necessary details still had to be worked out.

The U.N. human rights office said 331 civilians had been confirmed killed in the invasion but that the true number is probably much higher.

In Romania, one newly arrived refugee, Anton Kostyuchyk, struggled to hold back tears as he recounted leaving everything behind in Kyiv and sleeping in churches with his wife and three children during their journey out.

“I’m leaving my home, my country. I was born there, and I lived there,” he said. “And what now?”

Appearing on video in a message to antiwar protesters in several European cities, Zelenskyy continued to appeal for help.

“If we fall, you will fall,” he said. “And if we win, and I’m sure we’ll win, this will be the victory of the whole democratic world. This will be the victory of our freedom. This will be the victory of light over darkness, of freedom over slavery.”

Facing worldwide indignation over the invasion, Russia sought to crack down on the flow of information at home.

Putin signed a law making it a crime to intentionally spread what is deemed to be fake news. Russians could get up to 15 years in prison for disseminating information that goes against the official government line on the war.

Russian authorities also blocked all access to Facebook and Twitter and raided the offices of human rights organizations.

Inside Ukraine, frequent shelling could be heard in the center of Kyiv, though more distant than in recent days, with loud thudding every 10 minutes resonating over the rooftops.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich said battles involving airstrikes and artillery continued northwest of Kyiv, and the northeastern cities of Kharkiv and Okhtyrka came under heavy fire.

He said Ukrainian forces were still holding the northern city of Chernihiv and had prevented Russian efforts to take the important southern city of Mykolaiv. Ukrainian artillery also defended Odesa from repeated attempts by Russian ships to fire on the Black Sea port, Arestovic said. Odesa is Ukraine’s biggest port city and home to a large naval base.

The Ukrainian Navy scuttled its flagship at the shipyard where it was undergoing repairs to keep the frigate from being seized by the Russians, authorities said.

Another strategic port, Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, was “partially under siege,” and Ukrainian forces were pushing back efforts to surround the city, Arestovich said.

“The humanitarian situation is tense,” he said.

Battles have knocked out the city’s electricity, heat and water systems, as well as most phone service, officials said.

Amid the warfare, there were occasional signs of hope.

As explosions sounded on the fringes of Kyiv, Dmytro Shybalov and Anna Panasyk smiled and blushed at the civil registry office where they married Friday. They fell in love in 2015 in Donetsk amid the fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces that was a precursor to the countrywide war.

“It’s 2022 and the situation hasn’t changed,” Shybalov said. “It’s scary to think what will happen when our children will be born.”

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian firefighters on Friday extinguished a blaze at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant that was ignited by a Russian attack and no radiation was released, U.N. and Ukrainian officials said, as Russian forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">pressed their campaign&nbsp;</a>to cripple the country despite global condemnation.

The head of the United Nations’ atomic agency said that a Russian “projectile” hit a training center at the Zaporizhzhia plant. Ukrainian officials have said Russian troops took control of the overall site, but the plant’s staff are continuing to ensure its operations. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi sad that Russian forces were at the plant, but the Ukrainians were in control.

Ukraine’s state nuclear plant operator Enerhoatom said that three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two wounded in the attack. Grossi said two people were injured in the blaze that broke out.

Ukraine’s state nuclear regulator earlier said that no changes in radiation levels have been recorded so far after the plant came under attack. Grossi later said no radioactive material was released.

The attack caused worldwide concern — and evoked memories of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, at Ukraine’s Chernobyl.

The shelling of the plant came as the Russian military advanced on a strategic city on the Dnieper River near where the facility is located, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-boris-johnson-technology-business-ddbace81e2e09028e0da1ec37619d148">gained ground&nbsp;</a>in their bid to cut the country off from the sea. That move would deal a severe blow to Ukraine’s economy and could worsen an already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-wartime-imagery-849debb0f952d442ddd9a7db67706b14">dire humanitarian situation</a>.

With the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-fires-united-nations-4185db27571ff7510721e6f6a497c03f">invasion in its second week</a>, another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine yielded a tentative agreement to set up safe corridors to evacuate citizens and deliver humanitarian aid to the country, overturned by a war that has sent more than 1 million fleeing over the border and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-photo-gallery-children-c3a83cdaa77b7bfe9c3b2f3ae4d0ad03">countless others sheltering underground night after night</a>. A handful cities are without heat and at least one is struggling to get food and water.

Initial reports conflicted over whether one or two fires broke out at the plant in the city of Enerhodar. Nuclear plant spokesman Andriy Tuz told Ukrainian television overnight that shells fell directly on the facility, and set fire to reactor No. 1, which is under renovation and not operating, and to an administrative training building.

On Friday morning, officials only referenced a blaze at the training building when they said that all fires at the plant were out — which Grossi also confirmed. The regional military administration reported unspecified damage to the compartment of reactor No. 1, but said it does not affect the safety of the power unit.

The nuclear regulator said staff are studying the site to check for other damage.

Grossi confirmed Friday that the building hit was a training center and “not part of the reactor.” He said he did not know what hit the plant but called a “projectile” from Russian forces.

He said that only one reactor at the plant is operating, at about 60% capacity.

The confusion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-science-boris-johnson-business-united-nations-aaf111310ba81ec6616541c1282524cb">itself underscored the dangers&nbsp;</a>of active fighting near a nuclear power plant. It was the second time since the invasion began just over a week ago that concerns about a nuclear accident or a release of radiation materialized, following a battle at Chernobyl.

The regulator noted in a statement on Facebook the importance of maintaining the ability to cool nuclear fuel, saying the loss of such ability could lead to an accident even worse than 1986 Chernobyl disaster or the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns in Japan. It also noted that there is a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel at the site, though there was no sign that facility was hit by shelling.

Leading nuclear authorities were worried but not panicked. The assault led to phone calls between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders. The U.S. Department of Energy activated its nuclear incident response team as a precaution.

The Zaporizhzhia regional military administration said that measurements taken at 7 a.m. Friday (0500 GMT) showed radiation levels in the region “remain unchanged and do not endanger the lives and health of the population.” Nuclear officials from Sweden to China also said no radiation spikes have been reported.

“The fire at the (nuclear plant) has indeed been extinguished,” Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov announced on his Telegram channel Friday morning. His office told The Associated Press that the information came from firefighters who were allowed onto the site overnight.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council in “coming hours” to raise the issue of Russia’s attack on the plant, according to a statement from his office.

In an emotional speech in the middle of the night, Zelenskyy said he feared an explosion that would be “the end for everyone. The end for Europe. The evacuation of Europe.”

But most experts saw nothing to indicate an impending disaster.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said the fire had not affected essential equipment and that Ukraine’s nuclear regulator reported no change in radiation levels.

“The real threat to Ukrainian lives continues to be the violent invasion and bombing of their country,” the American Nuclear Society said in a statement.

Orlov, the mayor of Enerhodar, said Russian shelling stopped a few hours before dawn, and residents of the city of more than 50,000 who had stayed in shelters overnight could return home. The city awoke with no heat, however, because the shelling damaged the city’s heating supply, he said.

Loud shots and rocket fire were heard late Thursday around the plant. Later, a livestreamed security camera linked from the homepage of the plant showed what appeared to be armored vehicles rolling into the facility’s parking lot and shining spotlights on the building where the camera was mounted.

Then there were what appeared to be muzzle flashes from vehicles, followed by nearly simultaneous explosions in surrounding buildings. Smoke rose into the frame and drifted away.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces have brought their superior firepower to bear over the past few days, launching hundreds of missiles and artillery attacks on cities and other sites around the country and making significant gains in the south.

The Russians announced the capture of the southern city of Kherson, a vital Black Sea port of 280,000, and local Ukrainian officials confirmed the takeover of the government headquarters there, making it the first major city to fall since the invasion began a week ago.

Troops, meanwhile, advanced on Zaporizhzhia, a strategic city near the plant of the same name. A Russian airstrike on Thursday destroyed the power plant in Okhtyrka, leaving the northeastern city without heat or electricity, the head of the region said on Telegram.

“We are trying to figure out how to get people out of the city urgently because in a day the apartment buildings will turn into a cold stone trap without water, light or electricity,” Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said.

Heavy fighting continued on the outskirts of another strategic port, Mariupol, on the Azov Sea. The battles have knocked out the city’s electricity, heat and water systems, as well as most phone service, officials said. Food deliveries to the city were also cut.

Associated Press video from the port city showed the assault lighting up the darkening sky above deserted streets and medical teams treating civilians, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-soccer-europe-international-soccer-b9ee718472ed3e23f8c70124ef4c3318">a 16-year-old boy inside a clinic who could not be saved</a>. The child was playing soccer when he was wounded in the shelling, according to his father, who cradled the boy’s head on the gurney and cried.

Ukraine’s defense minister said Friday that the flagship of its navy has been scuttled at the shipyard where it was undergoing repairs in order to keep it from being seized by Russian forces. Oleksii Reznikov said on Facebook that the commander of the frigate Hetman Sahaidachny decided to flood the ship.

“It is hard to imagine a more difficult decision for a courageous soldier and crew,” Reznikov said.

Overall, the outnumbered, outgunned Ukrainians have put up stiff resistance, staving off the swift victory that Russia appeared to have expected. But Russia’s seizure of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 gives it a logistical advantage now in the country’s south, with shorter supply lines that smoothed the offensive there, said a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Ukrainian leaders called on the people to defend their homeland by cutting down trees, erecting barricades in the cities and attacking enemy columns from the rear. In recent days, authorities have issued weapons to civilians and taught them how to make Molotov cocktails.

“Total resistance. ... This is our Ukrainian trump card, and this is what we can do best in the world,” Oleksiy Arestovich, an aide to Zelenskyy, said in a video message, recalling guerrilla actions in Nazi-occupied Ukraine during World War II.

At the second round of talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations Thursday, Putin warned Ukraine that it must quickly accept the Kremlin’s demand for its “demilitarization” and declare itself neutral, renouncing its bid to join NATO.

The two sides said that they tentatively agreed to allow cease-fires in areas designated safe corridors, and that they would seek to work out the necessary details quickly. A Zelenskyy adviser also said a third round of talks will be held early next week.

The Pentagon set up a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-diplomacy-united-states-europe-cold-war-f9267ad236ecf4b4568a6d73337c6823">direct communication link&nbsp;</a>to Russia’s Ministry of Defense earlier this week to avoid the possibility of a miscalculation sparking conflict between Moscow and Washington, according to a U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the link had not been announced.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces pressed their attack on a crucial energy-producing Ukrainian city by shelling Europe’s largest nuclear plant early Friday, sparking a fire and raising fears that radiation could leak from the damaged power station.

The assault on the eastern city of Enerhodar and its Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant came as the invasion entered its second week with Russian forces gaining ground in their bid to cut off the country from the sea. Elsewhere, another round of talks between the two sides yielded a tentative agreement to set up safe corridors inside Ukraine to evacuate citizens and deliver humanitarian aid.

Nuclear plant spokesman Andriy Tuz told Ukrainian television that shells were falling directly on the facility and had set fire to one of its six reactors. That reactor is under renovation and not operating, but there is nuclear fuel inside, he said.

Firefighters cannot get near the flames because they are being shot at, he said, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted a plea to the Russians to stop the assault and allow fire teams inside.

“We demand that they stop the heavy weapons fire,” Tuz said in a video statement. “There is a real threat of nuclear danger in the biggest atomic energy station in Europe.”

The attack renewed fears that the invasion could result in damage to one of Ukraine’s 15 nuclear reactors and trigger another emergency like the 1986 Chernobyl accident, the world’s worst nuclear disaster, which happened about 110 kilometers (65 miles) north of the capital.

The American Nuclear Society condemned the attack but said the latest radiation levels remained within natural background levels.

“The real threat to Ukrainian lives continues to be the violent invasion and bombing of their country,” the group said in a statement from President Steven Nesbit and Executive Director and CEO Craig Piercy.

The plant’s reactor is a different type than the one used at Chernobyl, and there should be little risk if the containment vessel is not damaged and outside power can be restored, said Jon B. Wolfsthal, a former senior director for arms control and nonproliferation at the National Security Council and former special adviser to then-Vice President Joe Biden.

“Everyone needs to take a step back and not jump to conclusions,” Wolfsthal, now a senior adviser at Global Zero, said on Twitter.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was in contact with authorities in Ukraine. The agency’s director general, Mariano Grossi, urged military forces to refrain from violence near the plant.

The mayor of Enerhodar said earlier that Ukrainian forces were battling Russian troops on the city’s outskirts. Video showed flames and black smoke rising above the city of more than 50,000, with people streaming past wrecked cars, just a day after the U.N. atomic watchdog agency expressed grave concern that the fighting could cause accidental damage to Ukraine’s 15 nuclear reactors.

The Ukrainian state atomic energy company reported that a Russian military column was heading toward the nuclear plant. Loud shots and rocket fire were heard late Thursday.

“Many young men in athletic clothes and armed with Kalashnikovs have come into the city. They are breaking down doors and trying to get into the apartments of local residents,” the statement from Energoatom said.

Later, a live streamed security camera linked from the homepage of the Zaporizhzhia plant showed what appeared to be armored vehicles rolling into the facility’s parking lot and shining spotlights on the building where the camera was mounted.

There were then what appeared to be bright muzzle flashes from vehicles, followed by nearly simultaneous explosions in the surrounding buildings. Smoke then rose into the frame and drifted away.

While the huge Russian armored column threatening Kyiv appeared bogged down outside the capital, Vladimir Putin’s forces have brought their superior firepower to bear over the past few days, launching hundreds of missiles and artillery attacks on cities and other sites around the country and making significant gains in the south.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called on the West to close the skies over the country’s nuclear plants as fighting intensified. “It is a question of the security of the whole world!” he said in a statement.

The U.S. and NATO allies have ruled out creating a no-fly zone since the move would pit Russian and Western military forces against each other.

Update: Russians take control of Ukraine nuclear plant

By SCOTT CARLSON <a href="https://northplattepost.com/">North Platte Post</a>

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — The Midwest Freedom Convoy, part of the American Freedom Convoy to Washington, D.C., made its way through North Platte on Friday as it continued across Nebraska after arriving in Big Springs on Thursday. 

The group is rallying for the end of medical mandates and other things they see as government overreach. Residents covered at least four bridges that cross Interstate 80 just in the North Platte area.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c93bd9fb-22a3-4cf1-b043-633cf832524a">On Thursday and Friday, another convoy rolled east through Kansas.</a>

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 </figure>By SCOTT CARLSON <a href="https://northplattepost.com/">North Platte Post</a>NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — The Midwest Freedom Convoy, part of the American Freedom Convoy to Washington, D.C., made its way through North Platte on Friday as it continued across Nebraska after arriving in Big Springs on Thursday. The group is rallying for the end of medical mandates and other things they see as government overreach. Residents covered at least four bridges that cross Interstate 80 just in the North Platte area.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c93bd9fb-22a3-4cf1-b043-633cf832524a">On Thursday and Friday, another convoy rolled east through Kansas.</a><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnorthplattepost%2Fvideos%2F1006451723628563%2F&show_text=true&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="429" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div><figure>
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🎥 'Midwest Freedom Convoy' rolls through Nebraska to D.C.

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/03/senate-gives-preliminary-approval-to-year-round-fireworks-sales-despite-wildfire-concerns/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas senators are 
giving preliminary backing Thursday on a measure to allow certain 
retailers to sell firework year-round.

Under current Kansas law, firework vendors may sell from June 27 to July 5. Under&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb378/">Senate Bill 378</a>, seasonal retailers can sell from June 15 to July 6, and annual retailers may sell from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.

Missouri allows fireworks sales 
for seasonal retailers from June 20 to July 10 and from Dec. 20 to Jan. 
2. Missouri allows annual retailers to sell fireworks year-round.

The bill would not change the 
period during which Kansans may shoot fireworks, but supporters of the 
measure say this bill will make the state more competitive, which could 
prove critical for some businesses.

“We’re hoping especially that it 
would help those bordering counties to other states be a little bit more
 competitive if our fireworks seasons for selling is a larger period of 
time,” said Sen. Kristen O’Shea, a Topeka Republican.

The Senate gave preliminary approval but must still take a final vote.

Some local mom and pop stores have
 expressed business concerns, while farmers, ranchers and communities 
who fell victim to recent wildfires have fears more fireworks will 
inevitably lead to more fires.

Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a Sedgwick 
Republican, spoke as a representative of a rural county and a farmer in 
opposition to the bill. She said it seemed unlikely that extending the 
sales season would not result in fireworks being shot off more often.

And if more fireworks are being shot off that opens the door to a whole host of problems for farmers, she said.

“We were always concerned and 
nervous about the fact that once the Fourth of July began that our wheat
 crop could burn up,” McGinn said. “The other concern has to do with 
livestock. Many of us have cattle, we have sheep, and when all the 
mortar shells start going off in your area, it makes it very difficult 
to keep your livestock calm.”

An amendment tacked on during the 
Senate debate requires counties to opt-in, rather than having to 
opt-out, of the extended period. McGinn said her amendment would ensure 
counties with communities that may not be keen on this would not have to
 deal with opting out.

Counties also can establish a firework season different from the dates in the statute.

Sen. Elaine Bowers, a Concordia 
Republican, represents several of the counties hit by the December 
wildfires and echoed concerns fireworks could lead to more wildfires in 
drier months.

Some mom and pop stores in Sen. 
Tom Holland’s district were concerned about the impact to their business
 of allowing brick and mortar stores to sell fireworks year-round, the 
Baldwin City Democrat said.&nbsp;

“I think they have a justifiable 
concern about going to basically the brick and mortar selling fireworks 
year-round,” Holland said. “At least in my Senate district, I have a lot
 of different little groups that sell fireworks during the official 
Fourth of July period. I just wonder what will happen to those 
entities.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646407624916.png" alt="Sen. Kristen O’Shea touted a bill to make firework sales legal year round for annual retailers as an opportunity to bring Kansas border communities in line with bordering states with more lenient firework laws. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Kristen O’Shea touted a bill to make firework sales legal year round for annual retailers as an opportunity to bring Kansas border communities in line with bordering states with more lenient firework laws. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/03/senate-gives-preliminary-approval-to-year-round-fireworks-sales-despite-wildfire-concerns/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas senators are 
giving preliminary backing Thursday on a measure to allow certain 
retailers to sell firework year-round.Under current Kansas law, firework vendors may sell from June 27 to July 5. Under&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb378/">Senate Bill 378</a>, seasonal retailers can sell from June 15 to July 6, and annual retailers may sell from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.Missouri allows fireworks sales 
for seasonal retailers from June 20 to July 10 and from Dec. 20 to Jan. 
2. Missouri allows annual retailers to sell fireworks year-round.The bill would not change the 
period during which Kansans may shoot fireworks, but supporters of the 
measure say this bill will make the state more competitive, which could 
prove critical for some businesses.“We’re hoping especially that it 
would help those bordering counties to other states be a little bit more
 competitive if our fireworks seasons for selling is a larger period of 
time,” said Sen. Kristen O’Shea, a Topeka Republican.The Senate gave preliminary approval but must still take a final vote.Some local mom and pop stores have
 expressed business concerns, while farmers, ranchers and communities 
who fell victim to recent wildfires have fears more fireworks will 
inevitably lead to more fires.Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a Sedgwick 
Republican, spoke as a representative of a rural county and a farmer in 
opposition to the bill. She said it seemed unlikely that extending the 
sales season would not result in fireworks being shot off more often.And if more fireworks are being shot off that opens the door to a whole host of problems for farmers, she said.“We were always concerned and 
nervous about the fact that once the Fourth of July began that our wheat
 crop could burn up,” McGinn said. “The other concern has to do with 
livestock. Many of us have cattle, we have sheep, and when all the 
mortar shells start going off in your area, it makes it very difficult 
to keep your livestock calm.”An amendment tacked on during the 
Senate debate requires counties to opt-in, rather than having to 
opt-out, of the extended period. McGinn said her amendment would ensure 
counties with communities that may not be keen on this would not have to
 deal with opting out.Counties also can establish a firework season different from the dates in the statute.Sen. Elaine Bowers, a Concordia 
Republican, represents several of the counties hit by the December 
wildfires and echoed concerns fireworks could lead to more wildfires in 
drier months.Some mom and pop stores in Sen. 
Tom Holland’s district were concerned about the impact to their business
 of allowing brick and mortar stores to sell fireworks year-round, the 
Baldwin City Democrat said.&nbsp;“I think they have a justifiable 
concern about going to basically the brick and mortar selling fireworks 
year-round,” Holland said. “At least in my Senate district, I have a lot
 of different little groups that sell fireworks during the official 
Fourth of July period. I just wonder what will happen to those 
entities.”

Kan. Senate gives preliminary OK to year-round fireworks sales

By MARGARET MELLOTT <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/02/plant-based-meat-label-debate-results-in-house-bill-aiming-for-stricter-requirements/">Kansas Reflector</a>

While there are strict regulations on meat labeling, plant-based 
imitation products have none. The Kansas Livestock Association wants to 
change that.

<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2530/">House Bill 2530</a>
 would add new definitions to the prohibition on misbranded foods in the
 Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. This bill was brought before the Committee
 on Agriculture on Feb. 15. Any meatless food product that contains a 
“meat term” would be considered misbranded under the legislation, unless
 it the label uses the word “imitation.”

Proponents of the bill believe that companies like Impossible Foods 
and Beyond Meat are purposely trying to mislead consumers, said Aaron 
Popelka, vice president of legal and government affairs with the Kansas 
Livestock Association.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646254071156.png" alt="While holding up an image of a Beyond Meat label, Aaron Popelka, vice president of legal and government affairs with the Kansas Livestock Association, testifies in support of House Bill 2530 during a legislative hearing for the House Agriculture Committee on Feb. 15. The bill would require specific language use on labels for “imitation meats,” like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>While holding up an image of a Beyond Meat label, Aaron Popelka, vice president of legal and government affairs with the Kansas Livestock Association, testifies in support of House Bill 2530 during a legislative hearing for the House Agriculture Committee on Feb. 15. The bill would require specific language use on labels for “imitation meats,” like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARGARET MELLOTT <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/02/plant-based-meat-label-debate-results-in-house-bill-aiming-for-stricter-requirements/">Kansas Reflector</a>While there are strict regulations on meat labeling, plant-based 
imitation products have none. The Kansas Livestock Association wants to 
change that.<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2530/">House Bill 2530</a>
 would add new definitions to the prohibition on misbranded foods in the
 Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. This bill was brought before the Committee
 on Agriculture on Feb. 15. Any meatless food product that contains a 
“meat term” would be considered misbranded under the legislation, unless
 it the label uses the word “imitation.”Proponents of the bill believe that companies like Impossible Foods 
and Beyond Meat are purposely trying to mislead consumers, said Aaron 
Popelka, vice president of legal and government affairs with the Kansas 
Livestock Association.“When you look at some of the labels that they put on these things 
are very deceptive,” Popelka said. “Part of it is that they’re trying to
 sell it, but part of it is they’re trying to sell at the expense and 
confusion of consumers.”Eric Stafford, vice president of government affairs with the Kansas 
Chamber, said companies selling plant-based products are concerned with 
the environmental impact passing this bill would have.“This bill would put restrictions in place that would require our 
members to print labels specific to the state of Kansas,” Stafford said,
 representing bill opponents.Kansas is not the first state to address labeling requirements for “imitation meats.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646254153950.png" alt="Eric Stafford, vice president of government affairs with the Kansas Chamber, testifies against House Bill 2530. “I think the big hang-up is in the words ‘plant-based.’ (The proponents) feel that that’s misleading,” Stafford said. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Eric Stafford, vice president of government affairs with the Kansas Chamber, testifies against House Bill 2530. “I think the big hang-up is in the words ‘plant-based.’ (The proponents) feel that that’s misleading,” Stafford said. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>“There are states, I think 15 or so states, that have passed some 
form of labeling requirement, that our folks took the best practices of 
those states and presented it in the fall to the proponents of the bill.
 And (they were) basically told, ‘No, we can’t do it,’ ” Stafford said.In their fall proposal, the bill’s opponents used the term 
“plant-based,” which caused their proposal to be rejected. The use of 
the term “plant-based” creates consumer confusion, Popelka said.During the hearing, Rep. Kent Thompson, R-Iola, asked Stafford why 
the opponents were so adamant about the use of the term “plant-based.”“So I’m totally clear on this — you’re telling me they still like 
that level of deception, they can’t come out on their labeling and say, 
‘This is not meat,’ ” Thompson said.In response, Stafford said further discussion about the fall proposal was a “nonstarter” between the proponents and opponents.Under the already existing Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the 
consequences of violating its provisions include a fee of up to $1,000 
per day.