OVERLAND (AP) — A man has died in a workplace accident in suburban Kansas City, Kan., authorities there said.

The accident happened Thursday at Midwest Tow Turbo and Diesel in Overland Park, when a vehicle fell off a tow truck and crushed a worker underneath trying to secure it, Overland Park police said in a news release.

Police had not released the victim’s name by Friday morning, but said he was in his late 60s or early 70s.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619789504626.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal accident -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal accident -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND (AP) — A man has died in a workplace accident in suburban Kansas City, Kan., authorities there said.The accident happened Thursday at Midwest Tow Turbo and Diesel in Overland Park, when a vehicle fell off a tow truck and crushed a worker underneath trying to secure it, Overland Park police said in a news release.Police had not released the victim’s name by Friday morning, but said he was in his late 60s or early 70s.

Police: Worker crushed to death at Kansas towing business

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A big political battle is brewing over whether top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature will have the final say over how the state spends more than $4.8 billion it expects to receive from the latest federal COVID-19 relief package.

The move comes as elected officials voted Thursday to drop mask mandates in Johnson and Riley counties in coming days. The votes leave&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-coronavirus-b9da57716655c288631dd5ddb9d180f3">mask mandates in place</a>&nbsp;in just two counties — Douglas in the Lawrence area and Wyandotte County in the Kansas City, Kansas, area.

Masks have been part of an ongoing fight that has pitted Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly against the GOP-controlled Legislature.

Kelly this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-kansas-wichita-topeka-b657273a7badf35077a88aedbf03316d">vetoed&nbsp;</a>a provision in a spending bill that would have required state agencies to have their proposals for spending relief dollars vetted by the joint Legislative Budget Committee and then approved by a council of the Legislature’s top eight leaders. Six of those eight leaders are currently Republican, and five of the budget panel’s seven members currently are Republicans.

Kelly prefers to keep the system set up last year, where a task force she appointed makes recommendations on spending to the State Finance Council. The council has eight legislative leaders, and six of those leaders are currently Republicans, but the governor is the chair, calls the meetings and can veto what the lawmakers do.

The governor said in her veto message that making a change would “create confusion and slow down the ability to make meaningful investments critical to our economic recovery.”

Republican lawmakers plan to attempt to override Kelly’s veto once the Legislature reconvenes Monday to wrap up its business for the year. They will need two-thirds majorities in both chambers -- which Republicans have if none of them defect.

Rep. Kyle Hoffman, a Coldwater Republican who helped draft the budget legislation, said the change is necessary for lawmakers to “have a say” in how the money is spent.

“The State Finance Council is controlled by the governor,” he said.

But Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, saw the proposal to have only legislative leaders decide how the money is spent is “stacking the deck so only they have control.”

“That’s just a power a grab,” she said. “People don’t need that nonsense. They need us acting like adults right now. They don’t need us acting like 2-year-olds who want to take it all for ourselves.”

By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A big political battle is brewing over whether top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature will have the final say over how the state spends more than $4.8 billion it expects to receive from the latest federal COVID-19 relief package.The move comes as elected officials voted Thursday to drop mask mandates in Johnson and Riley counties in coming days. The votes leave&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-coronavirus-b9da57716655c288631dd5ddb9d180f3">mask mandates in place</a>&nbsp;in just two counties — Douglas in the Lawrence area and Wyandotte County in the Kansas City, Kansas, area.Masks have been part of an ongoing fight that has pitted Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly against the GOP-controlled Legislature.Kelly this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-kansas-wichita-topeka-b657273a7badf35077a88aedbf03316d">vetoed&nbsp;</a>a provision in a spending bill that would have required state agencies to have their proposals for spending relief dollars vetted by the joint Legislative Budget Committee and then approved by a council of the Legislature’s top eight leaders. Six of those eight leaders are currently Republican, and five of the budget panel’s seven members currently are Republicans.Kelly prefers to keep the system set up last year, where a task force she appointed makes recommendations on spending to the State Finance Council. The council has eight legislative leaders, and six of those leaders are currently Republicans, but the governor is the chair, calls the meetings and can veto what the lawmakers do.The governor said in her veto message that making a change would “create confusion and slow down the ability to make meaningful investments critical to our economic recovery.”Republican lawmakers plan to attempt to override Kelly’s veto once the Legislature reconvenes Monday to wrap up its business for the year. They will need two-thirds majorities in both chambers -- which Republicans have if none of them defect.Rep. Kyle Hoffman, a Coldwater Republican who helped draft the budget legislation, said the change is necessary for lawmakers to “have a say” in how the money is spent.“The State Finance Council is controlled by the governor,” he said.But Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, saw the proposal to have only legislative leaders decide how the money is spent is “stacking the deck so only they have control.”“That’s just a power a grab,” she said. “People don’t need that nonsense. They need us acting like adults right now. They don’t need us acting like 2-year-olds who want to take it all for ourselves.”

Battle brews in Kan. over how to spend COVID relief funds

OVERLAND PARK—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp;investigating a fight between students and parents at a Kansas middle school where one parent was run over and critically injured have a woman in custody.

Tyla Jack, 40, turned herself in at police headquarters Thursday afternoon, according to Kansas City Police. Police issued a statewide attempt to locate for her Thursday.

The incident on Tuesday afternoon started with a fight between two girls at Carl Bruce Middle School, 2100 N 18th St, Kansas City, Kansas.

 School officials broke up the fight and called the girls’ parents, who showed up on the scene and made matters worse, police said.

As the mother of one of the girls walked away to leave, a family member of the other girl ran over the woman with her car and dragged her, police said. No students were hurt in the altercation.

The woman who was hit was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries. Police said the driver who hit her later identified as Tyla Jack fled the scene. She remains jailed on requested charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery, flee and elude law enforcement, according to online jail records.

OVERLAND PARK —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fight between students and parents at a Kansas middle school where one parent was run over and critically injured issued an attempt to locate for 40-year-old&nbsp; Tyla Jack.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon and started with a fight between two girls at Carl Bruce Middle School,&nbsp;2100 N 18th St, Kansas City, Kansas.

The woman who was hit was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries. Police said the driver who hit her later identified as Tyla Jack fled the scene.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A fight involving students and parents at a Kansas middle school became a police matter when one parent was run over and critically injured in the school’s parking lot, police in Kansas City, Kansas, said.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon and started with a fight between two girls at Carl Bruce Middle School, station WDAF&nbsp;<a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/fight-ends-when-adult-hits-another-adult-with-car-outside-kansas-city-kansas-middle-school/" target="_blank">reported</a>. School officials broke up the fight and called the girls’ parents, who showed up on the scene and made matters worse, police said.

The woman who was hit was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries. Police said the driver who hit her fled the scene and had not been arrested by early Wednesday morning.

Police said they are investigating and reviewing video of the crash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619779771622.png" alt="Tyla Jack is being held in Wyandotte County" />
 <figcaption>Tyla Jack is being held in Wyandotte County</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp;investigating a fight between students and parents at a Kansas middle school where one parent was run over and critically injured have a woman in custody.Tyla Jack, 40, turned herself in at police headquarters Thursday afternoon, according to Kansas City Police. Police issued a statewide attempt to locate for her Thursday.The incident on Tuesday afternoon started with a fight between two girls at Carl Bruce Middle School, 2100 N 18th St, Kansas City, Kansas. School officials broke up the fight and called the girls’ parents, who showed up on the scene and made matters worse, police said.As the mother of one of the girls walked away to leave, a family member of the other girl ran over the woman with her car and dragged her, police said. No students were hurt in the altercation.The woman who was hit was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries. Police said the driver who hit her later identified as Tyla Jack fled the scene. She remains jailed on requested charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery, flee and elude law enforcement, according to online jail records.---------OVERLAND PARK —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fight between students and parents at a Kansas middle school where one parent was run over and critically injured issued an attempt to locate for 40-year-old&nbsp; Tyla Jack.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619698781089.png" alt="Tyla Jack photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Tyla Jack photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>The incident happened Tuesday afternoon and started with a fight between two girls at Carl Bruce Middle School,&nbsp;2100 N 18th St, Kansas City, Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619698830636.png" alt="Police believe Jack was driving this vehicle when it struck and seriously injured the mother of another student. If you have info call 816-474-TIPS." />
 <figcaption>Police believe Jack was driving this vehicle when it struck and seriously injured the mother of another student. If you have info call 816-474-TIPS.</figcaption>
 </figure> School officials broke up the fight and called the girls’ parents, who showed up on the scene and made matters worse, police said.As the mother of one of the girls walked away to leave, a family member of the other girl ran over the woman with her car and dragged her, police said. No students were hurt in the altercation.The woman who was hit was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries. Police said the driver who hit her later identified as Tyla Jack fled the scene.-------KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A fight involving students and parents at a Kansas middle school became a police matter when one parent was run over and critically injured in the school’s parking lot, police in Kansas City, Kansas, said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619622867048.png" alt="Police on the scene in the school parking lot on Tuesday -photo courtesy KMBC&nbsp; TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene in the school parking lot on Tuesday -photo courtesy KMBC&nbsp; TV</figcaption>
 </figure>The incident happened Tuesday afternoon and started with a fight between two girls at Carl Bruce Middle School, station WDAF&nbsp;<a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/fight-ends-when-adult-hits-another-adult-with-car-outside-kansas-city-kansas-middle-school/" target="_blank">reported</a>. School officials broke up the fight and called the girls’ parents, who showed up on the scene and made matters worse, police said.As the mother of one of the girls walked away to leave, a family member of the other girl ran over the woman with her car and dragged her, police said. No students were hurt in the altercation.The woman who was hit was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries. Police said the driver who hit her fled the scene and had not been arrested by early Wednesday morning.Police said they are investigating and reviewing video of the crash.

Police: Suspect in Kan. school parking lot fight turns herself in

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — A judge has rejected a motion to drop felony charges against a Kansas City police detective in the shooting death of a Black man who was killed while backing his pickup into his garage.

Eric DeValkenaere, 42, was&nbsp;<a href="ttps://apnews.com/article/kansas-police-donald-trump-mo-state-wire-kansas-city-97ef60a6995d4052c96f00f7d23a9cf2">charged last year</a>&nbsp;with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. He's accused of shooting Cameron Lamb, 26, on Dec. 3, 2019.

Jackson County Judge David Byrn denied the motion to dismiss charges on Wednesday.

DeValkenaere's attorneys argued in the motion that the detective did not act recklessly during the confrontation, which is an essential element of involuntary manslaughter.

They contended Lamb created the risks that caused the shooting by speeding through residential streets and pointing a gun at another detective.

Lamb’s relatives have disputed the police department’s version of the shooting.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker's office said in its motion the court system does not provide a way for a judge to determine before a trial that prosecutors do not have enough evidence to convict. Judges can dismiss indictments, but not for the reasons DeValkenaere’s attorneys raised, prosecutors wrote.

DeValkenaere has been an officer since September 1999 and was assigned to the investigative bureau. He has been suspended.

<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&nbsp; (AP) — A judge has rejected a motion to drop felony charges against a Kansas City police detective in the shooting death of a Black man who was killed while backing his pickup into his garage.Eric DeValkenaere, 42, was&nbsp;<a href="ttps://apnews.com/article/kansas-police-donald-trump-mo-state-wire-kansas-city-97ef60a6995d4052c96f00f7d23a9cf2">charged last year</a>&nbsp;with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. He's accused of shooting Cameron Lamb, 26, on Dec. 3, 2019.Jackson County Judge David Byrn denied the motion to dismiss charges on Wednesday.DeValkenaere's attorneys argued in the motion that the detective did not act recklessly during the confrontation, which is an essential element of involuntary manslaughter.They contended Lamb created the risks that caused the shooting by speeding through residential streets and pointing a gun at another detective.Lamb’s relatives have disputed the police department’s version of the shooting.Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker's office said in its motion the court system does not provide a way for a judge to determine before a trial that prosecutors do not have enough evidence to convict. Judges can dismiss indictments, but not for the reasons DeValkenaere’s attorneys raised, prosecutors wrote.DeValkenaere has been an officer since September 1999 and was assigned to the investigative bureau. He has been suspended.

Judge won't dismiss charges in KCPD shooting of black man

WASHINGTON (AP) — An unusual coalition of Supreme Court justices joined Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/19-863_6jgm.pdf" target="_blank">to rule in favor of an immigrant fighting deportation</a>&nbsp;in a case that the court said turned on the meaning of the shortest word, “a.”

By a 6-3 vote, the court sided with Agusto Niz-Chavez, a Guatemalan immigrant who has been in the United States since 2005. Eight years later, he received a notice to appear at a deportation hearing but this notice did not include a date or time. Two months after that, a second notice instructed him when and where to show up.

By sending notice of a deportation hearing, the government can stop the clock on immigrants hoping to show they have been in the United States for at least 10 straight years. The 10-year mark makes it easier under federal law to ask to be allowed to remain in the country.

The court was deciding whether immigration officials had to include all the relevant information in a single notice.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his majority opinion that they do, criticizing the government’s “notice by installment.”

Two other conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett, signed on, as did the court’s three liberal members, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. The case was argued in November during the Trump administration.

“Anyone who has applied for a passport, filed for Social Security benefits, or sought a license understands the government’s affinity for forms. Make a mistake or skip a page? Go back and try again, sometimes with a penalty for the trouble. But it turns out the federal government finds some of its forms frustrating too,” Gorsuch wrote.

A 1996 immigration law specifies “a notice to appear” for people the government wants to deport, Gorsuch said.

“At first blush, a notice to appear might seem to be just that — a single document containing all the information an individual needs to know about his removal hearing. But, the government says, supplying so much information in a single form is too taxing. It needs more flexibility, allowing its officials to provide information in separate mailings (as many as they wish) over time (as long as they find convenient),” he wrote.

Gorsuch acknowledged that a lot seemed to be hanging on one word, but he said the court’s role is to make sure the executive branch does not exceed the power Congress gave it.

“Interpreting the phrase ‘a notice to appear’ to require a single notice — rather than 2 or 20 documents — does just that,” he wrote.

In dissent, Justice Brett Kavanaugh — an appointee of President Donald Trump along with Gorsuch and Barrett — called Gorsuch’s conclusion “rather perplexing as a matter of statutory interpretation and common sense.”

Kavanaugh pointed out that Niz-Chavez had adequate notice because he showed up at his hearing with a lawyer. “Niz-Chavez received written notice of the charges and all the required information, including the time and place of his hearing,” Kavanaugh wrote, in an opinion that was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

Receiving the first notice without a hearing date “affords the noncitizen more time to prepare a defense. And a noncitizen suffers no prejudice from receiving notice in two documents rather than one, as Niz-Chavez’s case amply demonstrates,” Kavanaugh wrote.

It wasn’t the first time the two former law clerks to now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy and alumni of Georgetown Preparatory School in suburban Maryland have been on opposite sides of a case.

Last year, Gorsuch wrote the court’s opinion that held federal law bars workplace discrimination against LGBTQ people. Kavanaugh dissented.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An unusual coalition of Supreme Court justices joined Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/19-863_6jgm.pdf" target="_blank">to rule in favor of an immigrant fighting deportation</a>&nbsp;in a case that the court said turned on the meaning of the shortest word, “a.”By a 6-3 vote, the court sided with Agusto Niz-Chavez, a Guatemalan immigrant who has been in the United States since 2005. Eight years later, he received a notice to appear at a deportation hearing but this notice did not include a date or time. Two months after that, a second notice instructed him when and where to show up.By sending notice of a deportation hearing, the government can stop the clock on immigrants hoping to show they have been in the United States for at least 10 straight years. The 10-year mark makes it easier under federal law to ask to be allowed to remain in the country.The court was deciding whether immigration officials had to include all the relevant information in a single notice.Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his majority opinion that they do, criticizing the government’s “notice by installment.”Two other conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett, signed on, as did the court’s three liberal members, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. The case was argued in November during the Trump administration.“Anyone who has applied for a passport, filed for Social Security benefits, or sought a license understands the government’s affinity for forms. Make a mistake or skip a page? Go back and try again, sometimes with a penalty for the trouble. But it turns out the federal government finds some of its forms frustrating too,” Gorsuch wrote.A 1996 immigration law specifies “a notice to appear” for people the government wants to deport, Gorsuch said.“At first blush, a notice to appear might seem to be just that — a single document containing all the information an individual needs to know about his removal hearing. But, the government says, supplying so much information in a single form is too taxing. It needs more flexibility, allowing its officials to provide information in separate mailings (as many as they wish) over time (as long as they find convenient),” he wrote.Gorsuch acknowledged that a lot seemed to be hanging on one word, but he said the court’s role is to make sure the executive branch does not exceed the power Congress gave it.“Interpreting the phrase ‘a notice to appear’ to require a single notice — rather than 2 or 20 documents — does just that,” he wrote.In dissent, Justice Brett Kavanaugh — an appointee of President Donald Trump along with Gorsuch and Barrett — called Gorsuch’s conclusion “rather perplexing as a matter of statutory interpretation and common sense.”Kavanaugh pointed out that Niz-Chavez had adequate notice because he showed up at his hearing with a lawyer. “Niz-Chavez received written notice of the charges and all the required information, including the time and place of his hearing,” Kavanaugh wrote, in an opinion that was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.Receiving the first notice without a hearing date “affords the noncitizen more time to prepare a defense. And a noncitizen suffers no prejudice from receiving notice in two documents rather than one, as Niz-Chavez’s case amply demonstrates,” Kavanaugh wrote.It wasn’t the first time the two former law clerks to now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy and alumni of Georgetown Preparatory School in suburban Maryland have been on opposite sides of a case.Last year, Gorsuch wrote the court’s opinion that held federal law bars workplace discrimination against LGBTQ people. Kavanaugh dissented.

Supreme Court rules for immigrants in deportation case

WASHINGTON — Eligible organizations can now submit applications for 
the Internal Revenue Service's Tax Counseling for the Elderly and 
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance grant programs, allowing some 
organizations to apply for up to three years of annual funding.

Organizations can apply on <a href="http://www.grants.gov/">Grants.gov</a>
 through June 4, 2021, and can find application packages and guidelines 
on IRS.gov. In 2021, the IRS awarded 31 TCE grantees $11 million and 297
 VITA grantees $25 million. The two programs prepare millions of tax 
returns each year.

The IRS established the TCE program in 1978 to provide tax counseling
 and return preparation to persons age 60 or older and to give training 
and technical assistance to the volunteers who provide free federal 
income tax assistance within elderly communities across the nation. For 
more information visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-counseling-for-the-elderly">TCE</a> webpage on IRS.gov.

The IRS created the VITA program in 1969. In 2007, the IRS 
established the VITA Grant program to supplement VITA partners' efforts.
 VITA provides free tax filing assistance to underserved communities. 
The grant program enables VITA to extend services to underserved 
populations in the hardest-to-reach urban and non-urban areas, to 
increase the capacity of targeted taxpayers to file returns 
electronically, to enhance training of volunteers and to improve the 
accuracy rate of returns prepared at VITA sites. For more information 
visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/irs-vita-grant-program">VITA</a> webpage on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — Eligible organizations can now submit applications for 
the Internal Revenue Service's Tax Counseling for the Elderly and 
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance grant programs, allowing some 
organizations to apply for up to three years of annual funding.Organizations can apply on <a href="http://www.grants.gov/">Grants.gov</a>
 through June 4, 2021, and can find application packages and guidelines 
on IRS.gov. In 2021, the IRS awarded 31 TCE grantees $11 million and 297
 VITA grantees $25 million. The two programs prepare millions of tax 
returns each year.The IRS established the TCE program in 1978 to provide tax counseling
 and return preparation to persons age 60 or older and to give training 
and technical assistance to the volunteers who provide free federal 
income tax assistance within elderly communities across the nation. For 
more information visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-counseling-for-the-elderly">TCE</a> webpage on IRS.gov.The IRS created the VITA program in 1969. In 2007, the IRS 
established the VITA Grant program to supplement VITA partners' efforts.
 VITA provides free tax filing assistance to underserved communities. 
The grant program enables VITA to extend services to underserved 
populations in the hardest-to-reach urban and non-urban areas, to 
increase the capacity of targeted taxpayers to file returns 
electronically, to enhance training of volunteers and to improve the 
accuracy rate of returns prepared at VITA sites. For more information 
visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/irs-vita-grant-program">VITA</a> webpage on IRS.gov.<h2>More Information:</h2><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/applying-for-a-tce-grant">Applying for a TCE grant</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1101.pdf">Publication 1101, Application Package and Guidelines for Managing a TCE Program&nbsp;&nbsp;PDF</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/applying-for-a-vita-grant">Applying for a VITA grant</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4671.pdf">Publication 4671, VITA Grant Program Overview and Application Instructions&nbsp;&nbsp;PDF</a></li>
 </ul>

IRS: Organizations can get three years of funding for tax assistance programs

MONTGOMERY COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Coffeyville Police Department are conducting a death investigation at a residence in Coffeyville.

Just before 6p.m. Wednesday, April 28, the Coffeyville Police Department received a request from a citizen to check on the welfare of a resident at 1709 S. Spruce St. in Coffeyville, according to a media release from the KBI.

When Coffeyville police arrived at the home, they discovered a deceased male inside. Due to the state of decomposition, the man has not yet been positively identified.

Anyone with information related to this death investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or the Coffeyville Police Department at 620-252-6160.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday, April 30. The investigation is ongoing.&nbsp;

MONTGOMERY COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Coffeyville Police Department are conducting a death investigation at a residence in Coffeyville.Just before 6p.m. Wednesday, April 28, the Coffeyville Police Department received a request from a citizen to check on the welfare of a resident at 1709 S. Spruce St. in Coffeyville, according to a media release from the KBI.When Coffeyville police arrived at the home, they discovered a deceased male inside. Due to the state of decomposition, the man has not yet been positively identified.Anyone with information related to this death investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or the Coffeyville Police Department at 620-252-6160.An autopsy is scheduled for Friday, April 30. The investigation is ongoing.&nbsp;

KBI working to ID man found dead in Kansas home

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on felony allegations after an arrest.

On April 26, officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of North Summit Street in Arkansas City for a report of a disturbance in a vehicle traveling along the roadway, possibly involving a gun of some kind, according to a media release.

Police were unable to locate the vehicle, but were able to identify the reporting party who called 911.

That person, a 56-year-old Arkansas City man, alleged that a relative, later identified as Floyd Dale Young, 72, Joplin, Missouri, had pointed what the victim thought to be a handgun at him and then stated that he should shoot the victim.

Police eventually located Young and questioned him about the incident. He stated that he had pulled a BB gun from his back waistband because he was afraid of the victim, but denied pointing it at him.

Young provided the BB gun to an officer, who collected it as evidence. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Cowley County Jail in Winfield on a requested charge of&nbsp;felony aggravated assault.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619708630159.png" alt="Young -photo Cowley County" />
 <figcaption>Young -photo Cowley County</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on felony allegations after an arrest.On April 26, officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of North Summit Street in Arkansas City for a report of a disturbance in a vehicle traveling along the roadway, possibly involving a gun of some kind, according to a media release.Police were unable to locate the vehicle, but were able to identify the reporting party who called 911.That person, a 56-year-old Arkansas City man, alleged that a relative, later identified as Floyd Dale Young, 72, Joplin, Missouri, had pointed what the victim thought to be a handgun at him and then stated that he should shoot the victim.Police eventually located Young and questioned him about the incident. He stated that he had pulled a BB gun from his back waistband because he was afraid of the victim, but denied pointing it at him.Young provided the BB gun to an officer, who collected it as evidence. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Cowley County Jail in Winfield on a requested charge of&nbsp;felony aggravated assault.

Kan. officers arrest suspect after dispute involving a handgun

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

The mother of a murdered Salina woman offered an impassioned plea this morning for people to come forward with information on the whereabouts of the man sought in the case.

"It's been two months ago since I last got to tell Courtney I loved her and gave her a big hug. It's been two months ago since she turned around to me and gave me a hug and said 'I love you, too, mom.' Shortly after that, her life was blown apart," Taphne Speilman said during a news conference Thursday in the Salina Police Department Regional Training Center.

At approximately 11:42 a.m. on Feb. 23, Salina Fire Department EMS and Salina Police Officers were dispatched to the 700 block of N. Fourth Street for a report of the sound of gunfire and someone screaming. Upon arrival, officers located Courtney Ann Hoffman, 36, of Salina, inside a vehicle at her residence at 731 N. Fourth Street. Hoffman, who had a gunshot wound, was pronounced dead by EMS personnel.

According to information from the Salina Police Department, probable cause established from the homicide investigation led detectives to obtain from Saline County District Court a murder in the first degree warrant for Nelson Gerrod Hull III, 35, of Salina.

Detective Jeff Vaughan said this morning that based on information obtained through interviews, Hoffman was in some sort of dating relationship with Hull.

Hull remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous.

"Please be assured that the men and women of the Salina Police Department are diligently working this case and will continue to seek justice for Courtney," Salina Police Chief Brad Nelson said this morning. "We are actively seeking any information regarding the whereabouts of Hull. In addition to his acquaintances in Salina, Hull does have family members and friends in both Kansas City and the Wichita area."

Nelson said the Salina Police Department had reached out to numerous law enforcement agencies in Kansas City, Wichita, and Texas.

"We are really trying to find Nelson Hull, and it's amazing to me that we haven't yet, but I feel comfortable that we will," Nelson said.

Speilman said she didn't know why her daughter was murdered.

"I guess this individual thought that maybe her life didn't matter any more. But it did matter. It mattered to her four-year-old daughter who will never see her mother again. It mattered to her 11-year-old son who is now battling traumatic disorders. And her 16-year-old daughter who Courtney will never see walking up the steps to graduate or walking down the aisle to get married. She is missed by her brothers and her sisters, by aunts and by uncles, and by many people who totally loved her and knew that her life mattered," Speilman said.

She said Hoffman was a good person who had a lot friends and knew a lot of people.

"That is why I am here today, to reach out to each and every one of you who had some connection with Courtney, to come forth if you have any information on the individual that the Salina Police Department are looking for. It's not that bringing him in will bring Courtney back, because I know it won't. But, if we could protect any other young woman, sister, daughter, mother from the same thing happening to them, I know justice will be served then," Speilman said.

"So I am begging. I'm pleading. If you have any information at all, whether it's big. Whether it's small. Please come forth. Help our family put a closure to this horrific deal," she said.

Nelson said that anyone with information about Hull's whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Salina/Saline County Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS.

"You may receive a cash award for up to $2,500 and you are not required to provide your name," Nelson said.

On March 1, police announced that Clarence Darnyl Brown, 34, of Salina, had been arrested in connection with the Hoffman murder.

"We had information that he assisted in Mr. Hull's absconding afterwards and also certain actions that occurred that I can't go into because we're still in the process of this activity," Detective Sergeant David Villanueva said this morning.

Information about Brown's alleged involvement has been forwarded to the Saline County Attorney's Office, Villanueva said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619716577180.jpeg" alt="Taphne Speilman, mother of murder victim Courtney Ann Hoffman, pleads for people with information concerning the whereabouts of the man wanted in connection to her daughter's murder to share that information with the Salina Police Department.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Taphne Speilman, mother of murder victim Courtney Ann Hoffman, pleads for people with information concerning the whereabouts of the man wanted in connection to her daughter's murder to share that information with the Salina Police Department.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostThe mother of a murdered Salina woman offered an impassioned plea this morning for people to come forward with information on the whereabouts of the man sought in the case."It's been two months ago since I last got to tell Courtney I loved her and gave her a big hug. It's been two months ago since she turned around to me and gave me a hug and said 'I love you, too, mom.' Shortly after that, her life was blown apart," Taphne Speilman said during a news conference Thursday in the Salina Police Department Regional Training Center.At approximately 11:42 a.m. on Feb. 23, Salina Fire Department EMS and Salina Police Officers were dispatched to the 700 block of N. Fourth Street for a report of the sound of gunfire and someone screaming. Upon arrival, officers located Courtney Ann Hoffman, 36, of Salina, inside a vehicle at her residence at 731 N. Fourth Street. Hoffman, who had a gunshot wound, was pronounced dead by EMS personnel.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614522473446.jpeg" alt="Courtney Ann Hoffman -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtney Ann Hoffman -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>According to information from the Salina Police Department, probable cause established from the homicide investigation led detectives to obtain from Saline County District Court a murder in the first degree warrant for Nelson Gerrod Hull III, 35, of Salina.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614442513506.png" alt="Hull photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Hull photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Detective Jeff Vaughan said this morning that based on information obtained through interviews, Hoffman was in some sort of dating relationship with Hull.Hull remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619716928152.jpeg" alt="Salina Police Chief Brad Nelson" />
 <figcaption>Salina Police Chief Brad Nelson</figcaption>
 </figure>"Please be assured that the men and women of the Salina Police Department are diligently working this case and will continue to seek justice for Courtney," Salina Police Chief Brad Nelson said this morning. "We are actively seeking any information regarding the whereabouts of Hull. In addition to his acquaintances in Salina, Hull does have family members and friends in both Kansas City and the Wichita area."Nelson said the Salina Police Department had reached out to numerous law enforcement agencies in Kansas City, Wichita, and Texas."We are really trying to find Nelson Hull, and it's amazing to me that we haven't yet, but I feel comfortable that we will," Nelson said.Her life matteredSpeilman said she didn't know why her daughter was murdered."I guess this individual thought that maybe her life didn't matter any more. But it did matter. It mattered to her four-year-old daughter who will never see her mother again. It mattered to her 11-year-old son who is now battling traumatic disorders. And her 16-year-old daughter who Courtney will never see walking up the steps to graduate or walking down the aisle to get married. She is missed by her brothers and her sisters, by aunts and by uncles, and by many people who totally loved her and knew that her life mattered," Speilman said.She said Hoffman was a good person who had a lot friends and knew a lot of people."That is why I am here today, to reach out to each and every one of you who had some connection with Courtney, to come forth if you have any information on the individual that the Salina Police Department are looking for. It's not that bringing him in will bring Courtney back, because I know it won't. But, if we could protect any other young woman, sister, daughter, mother from the same thing happening to them, I know justice will be served then," Speilman said."So I am begging. I'm pleading. If you have any information at all, whether it's big. Whether it's small. Please come forth. Help our family put a closure to this horrific deal," she said.Nelson said that anyone with information about Hull's whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Salina/Saline County Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS."You may receive a cash award for up to $2,500 and you are not required to provide your name," Nelson said.One person already arrestedOn March 1, police announced that Clarence Darnyl Brown, 34, of Salina, had been arrested in connection with the Hoffman murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614434238089.jpeg" alt="Brown photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>"We had information that he assisted in Mr. Hull's absconding afterwards and also certain actions that occurred that I can't go into because we're still in the process of this activity," Detective Sergeant David Villanueva said this morning.Information about Brown's alleged involvement has been forwarded to the Saline County Attorney's Office, Villanueva said.

Mother of Kan. murder victim pleads for info during news conference

By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/wichita-schools-looking-recruit-back-students-after-enrollment-dips">Kansas News Service</a>

Wichita public school enrollment fell by more than 2,600 students 
this year, a 5.6% drop that has officials scrambling to reconnect with 
families and get kids back.

The enrollment drop echoes statewide
 and national trends, as many families opted for virtual schools or 
homeschooling during COVID-19 school closures and didn’t enroll at their
 local schools last fall.

Wichita recently hired two full-time 
staff members to visit preschools and daycare centers and meet with 
families whose students left the district.

They’re a little like 
college recruiters jockeying for promising athletes, said Terrell Davis,
 executive director of public affairs and special projects for the 
Wichita district.

“We’ve got star students. They’re wonderful 
kids, and we want to make sure that we’re providing them with every 
opportunity to be successful within the Wichita public schools,” Davis 
said.

“And so we’re actively engaging with those families. We’re not taking them for granted.”

The largest declines are in kindergarten, which fell by 8.6% statewide.

Kansas
 children are not required to attend preschool or kindergarten, although
 state data show that the vast majority of families send their children 
to kindergarten when they become eligible at 5 years old.

Mark 
Tallman, director of the Kansas Association of School Boards, said 
districts with larger, well-established virtual schools were better 
positioned to pick up students of all ages who wanted self-paced online 
learning programs during the pandemic.

Although virtual schools —
 such as Andover ECademy or Kansas Connections Academy in Elkhart — 
operate under the umbrella of a particular school district, they can 
serve students from anywhere in Kansas.

Some families may have 
transferred to districts or private schools that opened classrooms when 
others closed. Others may have moved because of COVID-related job 
losses, Tallman said.

“Many districts are going to be looking at 
this issue of, ‘What kids were we expecting that didn’t come back in the
 current year? Are they going to be back next year? How do we find 
them?’” he said.

The drop in pre-K and kindergarten enrollment is especially pronounced, he said.

“The
 narrative was kind of, ‘Everyone’s really frustrated with their 
schools, and so they’re just dropping out. Whereas it really appeared to
 be much more concentrated with younger students,” Tallman said.

“It
 was in some cases easier for parents to decide just to stay home with 
them, because they could or (because they) were concerned about COVID or
 whatever.”

Education funding is based largely on enrollment, but districts have some leeway to account for abnormal years.

In
 Wichita, Davis said the newly established recruitment team will contact
 families that didn’t enroll last fall to tell them about options 
available in the Wichita district, including magnet schools and the 
Education Imagine Academy online program.

The district also will 
host “Intro to Kindergarten,” a live one-hour virtual event at p.m. May 
4, to answer questions about kindergarten and explain the enrollment 
process. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.usd259.org/kindergarten" target="_blank">www.usd259.org/kindergarten</a>.

“We’re
 seeing a dip in enrollment in urban districts around the nation. Some 
have different approaches,” Davis said. “We’re one of those who’s taking
 the approach of recruiting our kids back to Wichita.”

Suzanne
 Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News 
Service. You can follow her on Twitter&nbsp;@SuzPerezICT or email her at 
perez@kmuw.org.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619646000133.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/wichita-schools-looking-recruit-back-students-after-enrollment-dips">Kansas News Service</a>Wichita public school enrollment fell by more than 2,600 students 
this year, a 5.6% drop that has officials scrambling to reconnect with 
families and get kids back.The enrollment drop echoes statewide
 and national trends, as many families opted for virtual schools or 
homeschooling during COVID-19 school closures and didn’t enroll at their
 local schools last fall.Wichita recently hired two full-time 
staff members to visit preschools and daycare centers and meet with 
families whose students left the district.They’re a little like 
college recruiters jockeying for promising athletes, said Terrell Davis,
 executive director of public affairs and special projects for the 
Wichita district.“We’ve got star students. They’re wonderful 
kids, and we want to make sure that we’re providing them with every 
opportunity to be successful within the Wichita public schools,” Davis 
said.“And so we’re actively engaging with those families. We’re not taking them for granted.”<div><div class="infogram-embed" data-id="98c11a83-fe4e-4916-aa92-a3c7e7d96ee3" data-type="interactive" data-title="Enrollment change"></div><script>!function(e,i,n,s){var t="InfogramEmbeds",d=e.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement("script");o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src="https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js",d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,"infogram-async");</script><div style="padding:8px 0;font-family:Arial!important;font-size:13px!important;line-height:15px!important;text-align:center;border-top:1px solid #dadada;margin:0 30px"><a href="https://infogram.com/98c11a83-fe4e-4916-aa92-a3c7e7d96ee3" style="color:#989898!important;text-decoration:none!important;" target="_blank">Enrollment change</a> <a href="https://infogram.com" style="color:#989898!important;text-decoration:none!important;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Infogram</a></div></div>The largest declines are in kindergarten, which fell by 8.6% statewide.Kansas
 children are not required to attend preschool or kindergarten, although
 state data show that the vast majority of families send their children 
to kindergarten when they become eligible at 5 years old.Mark 
Tallman, director of the Kansas Association of School Boards, said 
districts with larger, well-established virtual schools were better 
positioned to pick up students of all ages who wanted self-paced online 
learning programs during the pandemic.Although virtual schools —
 such as Andover ECademy or Kansas Connections Academy in Elkhart — 
operate under the umbrella of a particular school district, they can 
serve students from anywhere in Kansas.Some families may have 
transferred to districts or private schools that opened classrooms when 
others closed. Others may have moved because of COVID-related job 
losses, Tallman said.“Many districts are going to be looking at 
this issue of, ‘What kids were we expecting that didn’t come back in the
 current year? Are they going to be back next year? How do we find 
them?’” he said.The drop in pre-K and kindergarten enrollment is especially pronounced, he said.“The
 narrative was kind of, ‘Everyone’s really frustrated with their 
schools, and so they’re just dropping out. Whereas it really appeared to
 be much more concentrated with younger students,” Tallman said.“It
 was in some cases easier for parents to decide just to stay home with 
them, because they could or (because they) were concerned about COVID or
 whatever.”Education funding is based largely on enrollment, but districts have some leeway to account for abnormal years.In
 Wichita, Davis said the newly established recruitment team will contact
 families that didn’t enroll last fall to tell them about options 
available in the Wichita district, including magnet schools and the 
Education Imagine Academy online program.The district also will 
host “Intro to Kindergarten,” a live one-hour virtual event at p.m. May 
4, to answer questions about kindergarten and explain the enrollment 
process. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.usd259.org/kindergarten" target="_blank">www.usd259.org/kindergarten</a>.“We’re
 seeing a dip in enrollment in urban districts around the nation. Some 
have different approaches,” Davis said. “We’re one of those who’s taking
 the approach of recruiting our kids back to Wichita.”Suzanne
 Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News 
Service. You can follow her on Twitter&nbsp;@SuzPerezICT or email her at 
perez@kmuw.org.&nbsp;

Wichita schools try to lure students back after enrollment dips 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal accident have&nbsp;identified the victim as 21-year-old Legend Johnson of Wichita.

Shortly after midnight, police responded to a single-vehicle accident in the area of Kellogg and Washington, according to Officer Trevor Macey.

 When they arrived, they located a vehicle that had rolled over, ejecting two occupants. EMS transported Johnson to an area hospital where she later died, according to Macey.

Officers also arrested 25-year-old Tony Porter who attempted to flee the scene. During the investigation, police said, Porter became uncooperative and spat on an officer. Porter was then transported to the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility and booked on a requested charge of Simple Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer, according to Macey.

It is believed that alcohol and speed were contributing factors in the accident, according to Macey.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619712613284.png" alt="Porter was no longer in custody late Thursday morning, according to online Sedgwick County Jail records" />
 <figcaption>Porter was no longer in custody late Thursday morning, according to online Sedgwick County Jail records</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal accident have&nbsp;identified the victim as 21-year-old Legend Johnson of Wichita.Shortly after midnight, police responded to a single-vehicle accident in the area of Kellogg and Washington, according to Officer Trevor Macey.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619713012980.png" alt="Police at the scene of the fatal crash early Thursday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the fatal crash early Thursday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure> When they arrived, they located a vehicle that had rolled over, ejecting two occupants. EMS transported Johnson to an area hospital where she later died, according to Macey.Officers also arrested 25-year-old Tony Porter who attempted to flee the scene. During the investigation, police said, Porter became uncooperative and spat on an officer. Porter was then transported to the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility and booked on a requested charge of Simple Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer, according to Macey.It is believed that alcohol and speed were contributing factors in the accident, according to Macey.

Report: Kan. man spat on officer after he fled scene of fatal crash

By KEN CARPENTER Great Bend Post

GREAT BEND — Great Bend's school board members voted unanimously today to end the school district's mask mandate. Wearing a mask is now recommended but optional for all students and staff beginning tomorrow morning.

The Board made the decision at their regularly scheduled lunch meeting at the USD 428 District Education Center. Schools Superintendent Khris Thexton told the Board that parents were surveyed earlier this week about the mask issue. He said approximately 75 percent of the parents who responded were in favor of removing the masks.

Board member Deanna Essmiller told the Board that other schools have ended their mask mandates successfully.

"I like seeing that we have models, [that] communities around us that have removed masks aren't having any cases," Essmiller said. "Holy Family has removed masks now. It's been a few weeks. It makes me feel more comfortable."

Jacquie Disque, another Board member said a survey found that 196 teachers in the district supported removing masks. She pointed to the district's success in containing the spread of the virus.

"I think we've made it through Spring Break, Easter Break, Holly Ball, prom, state assessments and we've seen no increase in cases," Disque noted.

She recommended that the Board reevaluate the decision at their next meeting on May 10th or earlier if needed.

Thexton reported that only one student in the district is quarantined at this time. That student was exposed to the Covid-19 virus outside of school and did not test positive.

<a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=eagleradio-greatbendpost&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=thumbnails-a:Below%20Article%20Thumbnails:" target="_blank">by Taboola</a><a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=eagleradio-greatbendpost&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=thumbnails-a:Below%20Article%20Thumbnails:" target="_blank">Sponsored Links</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619725620466.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KEN CARPENTER Great Bend PostGREAT BEND — Great Bend's school board members voted unanimously today to end the school district's mask mandate. Wearing a mask is now recommended but optional for all students and staff beginning tomorrow morning.The Board made the decision at their regularly scheduled lunch meeting at the USD 428 District Education Center. Schools Superintendent Khris Thexton told the Board that parents were surveyed earlier this week about the mask issue. He said approximately 75 percent of the parents who responded were in favor of removing the masks.Board member Deanna Essmiller told the Board that other schools have ended their mask mandates successfully."I like seeing that we have models, [that] communities around us that have removed masks aren't having any cases," Essmiller said. "Holy Family has removed masks now. It's been a few weeks. It makes me feel more comfortable."Jacquie Disque, another Board member said a survey found that 196 teachers in the district supported removing masks. She pointed to the district's success in containing the spread of the virus."I think we've made it through Spring Break, Easter Break, Holly Ball, prom, state assessments and we've seen no increase in cases," Disque noted.She recommended that the Board reevaluate the decision at their next meeting on May 10th or earlier if needed.Thexton reported that only one student in the district is quarantined at this time. That student was exposed to the Covid-19 virus outside of school and did not test positive.<a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=eagleradio-greatbendpost&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=thumbnails-a:Below%20Article%20Thumbnails:" target="_blank">by Taboola</a><a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=eagleradio-greatbendpost&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=thumbnails-a:Below%20Article%20Thumbnails:" target="_blank">Sponsored Links</a>

Great Bend schools end mask mandate for students, staff

GRANT COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Ulysses Police Department are investigating after a Ulysses teen was shot in a park.

Just after 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, a resident who lived near the Russ Binney Park called 911 after hearing shots fired in the park, according to a media release from the KBI.

Officers responded to the park at the northeast corner of the intersection of W. Santa Fe Ave. and S. College Street., where they found a 14-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound to his face

Preliminary information indicates that six teenagers, four males and two females, were spending time in the park when a 14-year-old male was struck by a round from a handgun that one of the teens possessed.

EMS responded to the scene and transported the teen to the Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital. He was later flown to Ascension Via Christi hospital in Wichita. The teen is currently in critical condition, according to the KBI.

GRANT COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Ulysses Police Department are investigating after a Ulysses teen was shot in a park.Just after 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, a resident who lived near the Russ Binney Park called 911 after hearing shots fired in the park, according to a media release from the KBI.Officers responded to the park at the northeast corner of the intersection of W. Santa Fe Ave. and S. College Street., where they found a 14-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound to his facePreliminary information indicates that six teenagers, four males and two females, were spending time in the park when a 14-year-old male was struck by a round from a handgun that one of the teens possessed.EMS responded to the scene and transported the teen to the Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital. He was later flown to Ascension Via Christi hospital in Wichita. The teen is currently in critical condition, according to the KBI.

SW Kan. teen airlifted to hospital after shot in the face

By DAREN DUNN <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A quiet noon hour at the 14th and Main Dillons was disrupted by PETA protesters Thursday.

Three
 protesters arrived in a white rental van just before noon. Marley 
Delgado, Luis Correal and a member who wished to remain anonymous 
unloaded two wheelbarrows filled with coconuts.

Correal and the 
anonymous supporter were dressed in monkey outfits to protest Chaokoh, a
 brand that PETA says uses monkeys to inhumanely pick coconuts in 
Thailand.

PETA supporter Marley Delgado said the trio was there "urging the company to stop profiting off forced monkey labor." Delgado says a PETA Asia investigation found the coconut industry is using monkey labor to pick the coconuts and traced it back to Chaokoh. The group is asking Kroger to remove the brand from all of its stores.

The Dillons location was blindsided. The manager on duty was simply 
covering for a store that currently does not have a manager. The manager
 on duty called the local media contact, Sheila Regehr, and she began 
her journey to the store.

"Dillons supports cruel monkey labor," the trio chanted. "There's no excuse for animal abuse," they added.

Shoppers were surprised to see the disruption. One shopper who wishes
 to remain anonymous called it a waste of time. "I don't want to lose my
 fuel points!" the shopper said when asked for a name. He questioned why
 the demonstration was not at the courthouse or a distribution center.

Supporters chose the Main Street location because it faced a busy street and had a public sidewalk that entered the store.

PETA
 plans to visit more Kroger-owned stores until it joins the likes of 
28,000 other stores that have stopped profiting off cruel, forced monkey
 labor.

"The coconuts that are in Chaokoh are picked by monkeys who are stolen from their families just as babies. They're kept caged and chained their whole lives. They can sometimes have their canine teeth removed so they're unable to defend themselves. And they are forced to pick coconuts all during the harvest season," Delgado said.

None of the protesters are from Hutchinson. In fact, none of them are
 from Kansas. Delgado is from Denver, Colorado, while Correal is from 
Atlanta, Georgia. The unnamed member hails from Portland, Oregon. The 
trio arrived in Hutchinson Wednesday and purchased the ethically-sourced
 coconuts that were picked humanely, then scattered in front of the 
Dillons entrance.

Delgado confirmed the group would pick up the coconuts after the demonstration. She said the coconuts would then be donated.

About
 30 minutes into the planned one-hour demonstration, Sheila Regehr of 
Dillons showed up on the scene. She kindly asked the protesters to move 
the demonstration to a public place.

Regehr declined to comment on the situation until a proper statement could be released to the media.

Around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Regehr released the following statement:

“Kroger
 has a longstanding commitment to responsible business practices, 
including the humane treatment of animals. We have re-engaged our 
suppliers, as well as other stakeholders, on this issue to re-confirm 
they are also protecting animal welfare.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619718610651.jpeg" alt="PETA supporters showed up at the 14th and Main Dillons location Thursday to protest monkey abuse. Supporters chanted against monkey abuse carried out in Thailand by a coconut milk brand." />
 <figcaption>PETA supporters showed up at the 14th and Main Dillons location Thursday to protest monkey abuse. Supporters chanted against monkey abuse carried out in Thailand by a coconut milk brand.</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNN <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A quiet noon hour at the 14th and Main Dillons was disrupted by PETA protesters Thursday.Three
 protesters arrived in a white rental van just before noon. Marley 
Delgado, Luis Correal and a member who wished to remain anonymous 
unloaded two wheelbarrows filled with coconuts.Correal and the 
anonymous supporter were dressed in monkey outfits to protest Chaokoh, a
 brand that PETA says uses monkeys to inhumanely pick coconuts in 
Thailand.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619719018508.jpeg" alt="The coconut milk from Chaokoh is sold at Dillons on 14th and Main. This is the only product PETA organizers were protesting against." />
 <figcaption>The coconut milk from Chaokoh is sold at Dillons on 14th and Main. This is the only product PETA organizers were protesting against.</figcaption>
 </figure>PETA supporter Marley Delgado said the trio was there "urging the company to stop profiting off forced monkey labor." Delgado says a PETA Asia investigation found the coconut industry is using monkey labor to pick the coconuts and traced it back to Chaokoh. The group is asking Kroger to remove the brand from all of its stores.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619719964870.jpeg" alt="PETA members arrive at Dillons Thursday. The members arrived just before the noon hour in a white rental van." />
 <figcaption>PETA members arrive at Dillons Thursday. The members arrived just before the noon hour in a white rental van.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Dillons location was blindsided. The manager on duty was simply 
covering for a store that currently does not have a manager. The manager
 on duty called the local media contact, Sheila Regehr, and she began 
her journey to the store."Dillons supports cruel monkey labor," the trio chanted. "There's no excuse for animal abuse," they added.Shoppers were surprised to see the disruption. One shopper who wishes
 to remain anonymous called it a waste of time. "I don't want to lose my
 fuel points!" the shopper said when asked for a name. He questioned why
 the demonstration was not at the courthouse or a distribution center.Supporters chose the Main Street location because it faced a busy street and had a public sidewalk that entered the store.PETA
 plans to visit more Kroger-owned stores until it joins the likes of 
28,000 other stores that have stopped profiting off cruel, forced monkey
 labor.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619720908511.jpeg" alt="PETA protesters chant different phrases against monkey labor Thursday in front of Dillons on Main Street. Organizers said monkeys used by Chaokoh are caged and chained their whole lives." />
 <figcaption>PETA protesters chant different phrases against monkey labor Thursday in front of Dillons on Main Street. Organizers said monkeys used by Chaokoh are caged and chained their whole lives.</figcaption>
 </figure>"The coconuts that are in Chaokoh are picked by monkeys who are stolen from their families just as babies. They're kept caged and chained their whole lives. They can sometimes have their canine teeth removed so they're unable to defend themselves. And they are forced to pick coconuts all during the harvest season," Delgado said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619719935320.jpeg" alt="Luis Correal holds a sign condemning the use of monkey labor. Protesters chanted, "Dillons supports cruel monkey labor," and "There's no excuse for animal abuse," while in front of the store." />
 <figcaption>Luis Correal holds a sign condemning the use of monkey labor. Protesters chanted, "Dillons supports cruel monkey labor," and "There's no excuse for animal abuse," while in front of the store.</figcaption>
 </figure>None of the protesters are from Hutchinson. In fact, none of them are
 from Kansas. Delgado is from Denver, Colorado, while Correal is from 
Atlanta, Georgia. The unnamed member hails from Portland, Oregon. The 
trio arrived in Hutchinson Wednesday and purchased the ethically-sourced
 coconuts that were picked humanely, then scattered in front of the 
Dillons entrance.Delgado confirmed the group would pick up the coconuts after the demonstration. She said the coconuts would then be donated.About
 30 minutes into the planned one-hour demonstration, Sheila Regehr of 
Dillons showed up on the scene. She kindly asked the protesters to move 
the demonstration to a public place.Regehr declined to comment on the situation until a proper statement could be released to the media.Around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Regehr released the following statement:“Kroger
 has a longstanding commitment to responsible business practices, 
including the humane treatment of animals. We have re-engaged our 
suppliers, as well as other stakeholders, on this issue to re-confirm 
they are also protecting animal welfare.”

PETA supporters dressed as monkeys protest at Kan. Dillons

By STEPHEN KORANDA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-04-29/kris-kobach-is-back-running-for-office-setting-his-sights-on-kansas-attorney-general">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris
 Kobach kicked off a race for state attorney general Thursday, aiming 
his hardline immigration and voting policy politics at the state’s top 
legal and law enforcement office.

Kobach called the office a last 
line of defense against policies pushed by President Joe Biden and 
Democratic leaders in Congress. Kobach raised concerns about limiting 
gun rights, the federal government setting election laws and immigration
 policy.

“If the Biden administration tries to take away our 
Second Amendment rights here in Kansas, they’ll have to get through me 
first,” Kobach said at an event in Wichita announcing his run. “If the 
Biden administration tries to relocate illegal aliens to Kansas in 
violation of the standards of federal law, they’ll have to get through 
me first.”

Kobach raised the profile of the secretary of state’s 
office by bringing it to the forefront of voter security fights. That 
office typically handles administrative and election duties and flies 
under the radar.

With duties in law enforcement and representing 
the state in court, as attorney general Kobach would hold an even more 
powerful platform for pushing those issues.

Should he win the 
Republican primary and the general election — he’s got deep support 
among conservatives, and just as strong opposition from moderates and 
Democrats — he’d enter the job with a national profile rare for a state 
attorney general even rarer for a Kansas politician.

Kobach said he’d work to defend any abortion restrictions approved by state lawmakers.

“When
 the Legislature passes a law to protect the unborn or to protect our 
way of life in a manner the Left does not like, the ACLU and its allies 
inevitably sue,” Kobach said in a news release. “The attorney general 
must have the expertise and the willingness to defend our laws in 
court.”

The Kansas Supreme Court <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/04/26/717449336/kansas-supreme-court-rules-state-constitution-protects-right-to-abortionhttps://www.npr.org/2019/04/26/717449336/kansas-supreme-court-rules-state-constitution-protects-right-to-abortion" target="_blank">ruled in 2019</a>
 that the Kansas Constitution protects the right to an abortion. Voters 
will decide in the August 2022 primary, when Kobach seeks his party’s 
nomination for attorney general, whether to reverse that ruling. The<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-01-28/kansas-constitutional-amendment-saying-theres-no-right-to-abortion-is-headed-to-voters" target="_blank"> ballot measure</a> is likely to draw more anti-abortion voters to the polls.

Critics
 of the amendment say it could open the door to lawmakers approving much
 stricter abortion laws or even an outright ban. Supporters say it’s 
needed to protect regulations Kansas has already imposed on abortion.

Kobach had filed documents <a href="http://ethics.ks.gov/CFAScanned/StWide/2022ElecCycle/Treasurers/SW02KK_AT.pdf" target="_blank">late Wednesday night</a> to appoint a treasurer for his campaign. That’s the initial step for raising money for his campaign.

His latest move comes after high-profile losses for the aggressively conservative Republican —<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2018-11-07/kelly-beats-kobach-promises-shell-ditch-partisan-ways-as-governor" target="_blank"> losing the governor’s race</a> to Democrat Laura Kelly in 2018 and falling short of the Republican nomination for the<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-04/kansas-u-s-senate-race-is-set-as-marshall-beats-kobach-for-gop-nod-other-races-unsettled" target="_blank"> U.S. Senate</a> in 2020.

The attorney general’s office is slated to open up because Republican incumbent Derek Schmidt announced he’s<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2021-03-09/kansas-attorney-general-derek-schmidt-makes-his-2022-run-for-governor-offical" target="_blank"> running for governor</a>. Former Gov. Jeff Colyer is also in that race.

Kobach
 has been a lightning rod, with a dedicated base of supporters who 
helped him narrowly defeat fellow Republican then-Gov. Colyer in the 
2018 primary election. But his positions also energize opposition from 
Democrats and some Republicans.

After losing the governor’s race, some Republican groups<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-20/democrats-want-to-face-kobach-in-senate-race-but-a-gop-group-is-spending-millions-to-stop-him" target="_blank"> turned on him</a>
 during his 2020 run for the U.S. Senate. They argued nominating him 
would risk losing the office to a Democrat. Kobach ultimately lost the 
GOP primary to then-U.S.Rep.Roger Marshall.

Serving as attorney 
general would bring Kobach back into a statewide office — a potentially 
bigger stage than what he had as secretary of state. Even in that job, a
 largely record-keeping job that politicians often use as a stepping 
stone, he built a national reputation as an immigration hardliner and 
for pressing often-refuted claims about the prevalence of voter fraud.

Kobach
 pushed through the passage of a strict Kansas voting law that required 
proof of citizenship. Kobach argued it kept elections secure, but 
critics said it prevented thousands of eligible Kansans from registering
 to vote.

The law was eventually knocked down in court, and he faced<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2019-10-28/kobach-sanctioned-for-misconduct-in-voting-rights-case-but-not-found-dishonest" target="_blank"> judicial sanctions</a> for how he performed in the case. His arguments before the Kansas Supreme Court brought him chastisements from the judge.

Kobach has also been a close ally of former President Donald Trump, winning<a href="https://www.kcur.org/2018-08-06/trump-endorses-kobach-for-kansas-governor-over-republican-incumbent" target="_blank"> Trump’s 11th-hour endorsement</a> in the GOP primary for governor. Kobach also led<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2017-05-11/kansas-secretary-of-state-kobach-to-help-lead-presidential-commission-on-voter-fraud" target="_blank"> a voter fraud commission</a> created by Trump that <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/01/03/575524512/trump-dissolves-controversial-election-commission" target="_blank">Trump dissolved</a>
 after pushback from states and a lack of evidence of widespread 
cheating. Kobach defended Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud 
in the 2016 and 2020 elections. He also advised the president on 
immigration issues.

In the years following his 2018 loss to Kelly,
 Kobach served as director and general counsel for We Build The Wall — a
 501(c)4 nonprofit that was crowdsourcing millions of dollars to build a
 private border wall on the country’s southern border. All the group’s 
leaders,<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article245106375.html" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article245106375.html" target="_blank">except Kobach</a>, were later charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In October 2020, Kobach made headlines again <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2020/10/07/kobachrsquos-latest-venture-sanitizing-systems-to-fight-covid-19/43099187/" target="_blank">for peddling</a>
 a refrigerator-sized device touted as a COVID-killing machine and a 
large room sanitizer to Kansas legislators, promising an investment 
could bring hundreds of jobs to Wichita. The <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/14/kobach-teamed-up-with-wichita-businessman-to-sell-covid-killing-device-an-investigation-found-no-merit-to-their-claims/" target="_blank">efficacy of the products</a> made by Wichita-based MoJack Distributors has not been confirmed by the Environmental Protection Agency or health experts.

It’s
 still very early in the race, so there’s time for candidates to change 
their minds and run for different offices or drop their races 
altogether.

Stephen Koranda is the Statehouse reporter and news editor for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Stephen_Koranda" target="_blank">@Stephen_Koranda</a> or email him at stephenkoranda@kcur.org.&nbsp;Abigail Censky of the Kansas News Service and Nadya Faulx of KMUW contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619722041889.png" alt="Kris Kobach is running for another office, Kansas attorney general. Kansas News Service photo" />
 <figcaption>Kris Kobach is running for another office, Kansas attorney general. Kansas News Service photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHEN KORANDA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-04-29/kris-kobach-is-back-running-for-office-setting-his-sights-on-kansas-attorney-general">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris
 Kobach kicked off a race for state attorney general Thursday, aiming 
his hardline immigration and voting policy politics at the state’s top 
legal and law enforcement office.Kobach called the office a last 
line of defense against policies pushed by President Joe Biden and 
Democratic leaders in Congress. Kobach raised concerns about limiting 
gun rights, the federal government setting election laws and immigration
 policy.“If the Biden administration tries to take away our 
Second Amendment rights here in Kansas, they’ll have to get through me 
first,” Kobach said at an event in Wichita announcing his run. “If the 
Biden administration tries to relocate illegal aliens to Kansas in 
violation of the standards of federal law, they’ll have to get through 
me first.”Kobach raised the profile of the secretary of state’s 
office by bringing it to the forefront of voter security fights. That 
office typically handles administrative and election duties and flies 
under the radar.With duties in law enforcement and representing 
the state in court, as attorney general Kobach would hold an even more 
powerful platform for pushing those issues.Should he win the 
Republican primary and the general election — he’s got deep support 
among conservatives, and just as strong opposition from moderates and 
Democrats — he’d enter the job with a national profile rare for a state 
attorney general even rarer for a Kansas politician.Kobach said he’d work to defend any abortion restrictions approved by state lawmakers.“When
 the Legislature passes a law to protect the unborn or to protect our 
way of life in a manner the Left does not like, the ACLU and its allies 
inevitably sue,” Kobach said in a news release. “The attorney general 
must have the expertise and the willingness to defend our laws in 
court.”The Kansas Supreme Court <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/04/26/717449336/kansas-supreme-court-rules-state-constitution-protects-right-to-abortionhttps://www.npr.org/2019/04/26/717449336/kansas-supreme-court-rules-state-constitution-protects-right-to-abortion" target="_blank">ruled in 2019</a>
 that the Kansas Constitution protects the right to an abortion. Voters 
will decide in the August 2022 primary, when Kobach seeks his party’s 
nomination for attorney general, whether to reverse that ruling. The<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-01-28/kansas-constitutional-amendment-saying-theres-no-right-to-abortion-is-headed-to-voters" target="_blank"> ballot measure</a> is likely to draw more anti-abortion voters to the polls.Critics
 of the amendment say it could open the door to lawmakers approving much
 stricter abortion laws or even an outright ban. Supporters say it’s 
needed to protect regulations Kansas has already imposed on abortion.Kobach had filed documents <a href="http://ethics.ks.gov/CFAScanned/StWide/2022ElecCycle/Treasurers/SW02KK_AT.pdf" target="_blank">late Wednesday night</a> to appoint a treasurer for his campaign. That’s the initial step for raising money for his campaign.His latest move comes after high-profile losses for the aggressively conservative Republican —<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2018-11-07/kelly-beats-kobach-promises-shell-ditch-partisan-ways-as-governor" target="_blank"> losing the governor’s race</a> to Democrat Laura Kelly in 2018 and falling short of the Republican nomination for the<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-04/kansas-u-s-senate-race-is-set-as-marshall-beats-kobach-for-gop-nod-other-races-unsettled" target="_blank"> U.S. Senate</a> in 2020.The attorney general’s office is slated to open up because Republican incumbent Derek Schmidt announced he’s<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2021-03-09/kansas-attorney-general-derek-schmidt-makes-his-2022-run-for-governor-offical" target="_blank"> running for governor</a>. Former Gov. Jeff Colyer is also in that race.Kobach
 has been a lightning rod, with a dedicated base of supporters who 
helped him narrowly defeat fellow Republican then-Gov. Colyer in the 
2018 primary election. But his positions also energize opposition from 
Democrats and some Republicans.After losing the governor’s race, some Republican groups<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-20/democrats-want-to-face-kobach-in-senate-race-but-a-gop-group-is-spending-millions-to-stop-him" target="_blank"> turned on him</a>
 during his 2020 run for the U.S. Senate. They argued nominating him 
would risk losing the office to a Democrat. Kobach ultimately lost the 
GOP primary to then-U.S.Rep.Roger Marshall.Serving as attorney 
general would bring Kobach back into a statewide office — a potentially 
bigger stage than what he had as secretary of state. Even in that job, a
 largely record-keeping job that politicians often use as a stepping 
stone, he built a national reputation as an immigration hardliner and 
for pressing often-refuted claims about the prevalence of voter fraud.Kobach
 pushed through the passage of a strict Kansas voting law that required 
proof of citizenship. Kobach argued it kept elections secure, but 
critics said it prevented thousands of eligible Kansans from registering
 to vote.The law was eventually knocked down in court, and he faced<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2019-10-28/kobach-sanctioned-for-misconduct-in-voting-rights-case-but-not-found-dishonest" target="_blank"> judicial sanctions</a> for how he performed in the case. His arguments before the Kansas Supreme Court brought him chastisements from the judge.Kobach has also been a close ally of former President Donald Trump, winning<a href="https://www.kcur.org/2018-08-06/trump-endorses-kobach-for-kansas-governor-over-republican-incumbent" target="_blank"> Trump’s 11th-hour endorsement</a> in the GOP primary for governor. Kobach also led<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2017-05-11/kansas-secretary-of-state-kobach-to-help-lead-presidential-commission-on-voter-fraud" target="_blank"> a voter fraud commission</a> created by Trump that <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/01/03/575524512/trump-dissolves-controversial-election-commission" target="_blank">Trump dissolved</a>
 after pushback from states and a lack of evidence of widespread 
cheating. Kobach defended Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud 
in the 2016 and 2020 elections. He also advised the president on 
immigration issues.In the years following his 2018 loss to Kelly,
 Kobach served as director and general counsel for We Build The Wall — a
 501(c)4 nonprofit that was crowdsourcing millions of dollars to build a
 private border wall on the country’s southern border. All the group’s 
leaders,<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article245106375.html" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article245106375.html" target="_blank">except Kobach</a>, were later charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.In October 2020, Kobach made headlines again <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2020/10/07/kobachrsquos-latest-venture-sanitizing-systems-to-fight-covid-19/43099187/" target="_blank">for peddling</a>
 a refrigerator-sized device touted as a COVID-killing machine and a 
large room sanitizer to Kansas legislators, promising an investment 
could bring hundreds of jobs to Wichita. The <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/14/kobach-teamed-up-with-wichita-businessman-to-sell-covid-killing-device-an-investigation-found-no-merit-to-their-claims/" target="_blank">efficacy of the products</a> made by Wichita-based MoJack Distributors has not been confirmed by the Environmental Protection Agency or health experts.It’s
 still very early in the race, so there’s time for candidates to change 
their minds and run for different offices or drop their races 
altogether.Stephen Koranda is the Statehouse reporter and news editor for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Stephen_Koranda" target="_blank">@Stephen_Koranda</a> or email him at stephenkoranda@kcur.org.&nbsp;Abigail Censky of the Kansas News Service and Nadya Faulx of KMUW contributed to this report.

UPDATE: Kobach announces run for Kansas attorney general 

TOPEKA — Beginning May 12, Kansans can apply for the Federal Communication Commission’s $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit. The Benefit provides a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands.&nbsp;The discounts will be available until all funding is exhausted or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the pandemic.&nbsp; Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute $10-$50 toward the purchase price. One monthly service discount and one device discount per eligible household is allowed.

To qualify for the benefit, one member of the household must meet&nbsp;one&nbsp;of the following criteria:&nbsp;

• Qualify for the Lifeline Program • Receive free or reduced price school lunch or breakfast benefits • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current year • Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 2020 and a total 2020 income below $99,000 for single filers or $198,000 for joint filers • Meet the criteria for a participating providers exiting low-income or COVID-19 program.

TOPEKA — Beginning May 12, Kansans can apply for the Federal Communication Commission’s $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit. The Benefit provides a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands.&nbsp;The discounts will be available until all funding is exhausted or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the pandemic.&nbsp; Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute $10-$50 toward the purchase price. One monthly service discount and one device discount per eligible household is allowed.To qualify for the benefit, one member of the household must meet&nbsp;one&nbsp;of the following criteria:&nbsp;• Qualify for the Lifeline Program • Receive free or reduced price school lunch or breakfast benefits • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current year • Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 2020 and a total 2020 income below $99,000 for single filers or $198,000 for joint filers • Meet the criteria for a participating providers exiting low-income or COVID-19 program.In preparation for the program launch, 747 broadband providers nationwide have signed on to participate.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-broadband-benefit-providers#Kansas">Sixty of those companies will offer service in Kansas</a>. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting&nbsp;<a href="https://getemergencybroadband.org/" target="_blank">https://getemergencybroadband.org</a>.More information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/consumer-faq-emergency-broadband-benefit">https://www.fcc.gov/consumer-faq-emergency-broadband-benefit</a>