GOODHOPE, Mo. (AP) — Four people in rural Missouri died when an explosion that could be heard 10 miles away occurred at a house.

The explosion happened Saturday night near the unincorporated town of Goodhope. Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase said the home was undergoing renovations and a propane leak was found. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri Fire Marshal's Office and local officials continue investigating.

Names of those killed have not been released.

Degase said the explosion was unusual because it didn't cause a fire,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ky3.com/2024/05/19/propane-leak-causes-explosion-killing-four-douglas-county-house/">KYTV-TV</a>&nbsp;reported. An official with the fire marshal's office described it as a “flash” that happened so quickly the house didn't burn.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716217028482.png" alt="Photo courtesy KYTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KYTV</figcaption>
 </figure>GOODHOPE, Mo. (AP) — Four people in rural Missouri died when an explosion that could be heard 10 miles away occurred at a house.The explosion happened Saturday night near the unincorporated town of Goodhope. Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase said the home was undergoing renovations and a propane leak was found. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri Fire Marshal's Office and local officials continue investigating.Names of those killed have not been released.Degase said the explosion was unusual because it didn't cause a fire,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ky3.com/2024/05/19/propane-leak-causes-explosion-killing-four-douglas-county-house/">KYTV-TV</a>&nbsp;reported. An official with the fire marshal's office described it as a “flash” that happened so quickly the house didn't burn.

Four killed in southwest Missouri house explosion 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Agriculture Committee Friday released the draft bill text of the long-awaited $1.5 trillion farm bill, which is likely to face opposition in the Senate from Democrats because of disagreements over federal anti-hunger programs and climate change requirements.

The chair of the committee, GOP Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania, said in a statement that the bill, which will set farm, nutrition, commodity and conservation policy for the next five years, is a “product of extensive feedback from stakeholders and all Members of the House, and is responsive to the needs of farm country through the incorporation of hundreds of bipartisan policies.”

The legislation funds programs across 12 titles for five years.

It would boost rural farming, promote a new global market for farmers to sell their products abroad, require new reporting requirements for the foreign purchase of farmland, increase funding for specialty crops and expand eligibility for disaster assistance, among other initiatives.

“The markup is one step in a greater House process, that should not be compromised by misleading arguments, false narratives, or edicts from the Senate,” Thompson said.

The House Agriculture Committee plans to mark up the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/discussion_draft_ffns.pdf">942-page bill</a>&nbsp;on Thursday. It is expected to cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years. A title-by-title summary can be found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/detailed_summary_final.pdf">here</a>.

In a statement, the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. David Scott of Georgia, slammed the draft bill for “taking food out of the mouths of America’s hungry children, restricting farmers from receiving the climate-smart conservation funding they so desperately need, and barring the USDA from providing financial assistance to farmers in times of crisis.”

Scott warned that the current draft bill is unlikely to pass the House. Although Republicans have a slim majority, any piece of legislation will have to be bipartisan in order to make it through the Senate, which Democrats control.

The current farm bill extension expires Sept. 30.

On the Senate side, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat who leads the Committee on Agriculture, released Democrats’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/dem/press/release/chairwoman-stabenow-unveils-the-rural-prosperity-and-food-security-act">own proposal</a>&nbsp;in early May. Among other things, it would boost eligibility for nutrition programs for low-income people like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Stabenow made public a summary of the bill, but not legislative text.

Scott and Stabenow released a joint statement Tuesday following a meeting with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democrats on the House Agriculture committee. They advocated for Republicans to craft a bipartisan farm bill.

“House Republicans are undermining this goal by proposing policies that split the broad, bipartisan coalition that has always been the foundation of a successful farm bill,” they wrote.

“We need a farm bill that holds the coalition together and upholds the historic tradition of providing food assistance to our most vulnerable Americans while keeping our commitment to our farmers battling the effects of the climate crisis every day,” they continued.

The House bill has a few provisions that Democrats oppose.

One would remove climate-smart policy requirements for about $13 billion in conservation projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. Another&nbsp; would limit future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, the formula that calculates benefits for SNAP. “The economic impact of the SNAP cuts alone would be staggering,” Scott said.

A freeze in the Thrifty Food Plan would result in a roughly $30 billion SNAP cut over the next decade,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/chair-thompsons-plan-would-cut-snap-benefits-and-ignore-scientific">according</a>&nbsp;to the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. There are more than 41 million people who use SNAP benefits,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/key-statistics-and-research/#:~:text=The%20Supplemental%20Nutrition%20Assistance%20Program,fiscal%20year%20(FY)%202022.&amp;text=Download%20chart%20data%20in%20Excel,41.2%20million%20participants%20per%20month.">according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.&nbsp;</a>

However, the House farm bill would remove the ban on low-income Americans who have a drug conviction felony from obtaining SNAP benefits.

Environmental groups are also opposing the draft of the farm bill, raising concerns about reallocating IRA money and including a bill relating to how states regulate animal practices.

A watchdog group that focuses on government and corporate accountability in water, food and corporate overreach, Food &amp; Water Watch Managing Director of Policy and Litigation Mitch Jones said in a statement that the draft bill would gut important climate-smart provisions.

“Some of leadership’s more dangerous proposals would take us backwards on animal welfare, and climate-smart agriculture,” Jones said. “It’s time Congress put the culture wars aside and got back to work on a Farm Bill that puts consumers, farmers, and the environment above politicking and Big Ag handouts.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716210763832.png" alt=" Doug Goyings, a fifth-generation farmer in northwestern Ohio, received a USDA Rural Energy for America Program grant in 2023 to install a 288-panel solar array (seen at left) at his family grain farm, meeting 100 percent of the farm’s energy needs and saving money that he can re-invest back into the operation. (Mark McCann/USDA)" />
 <figcaption> Doug Goyings, a fifth-generation farmer in northwestern Ohio, received a USDA Rural Energy for America Program grant in 2023 to install a 288-panel solar array (seen at left) at his family grain farm, meeting 100 percent of the farm’s energy needs and saving money that he can re-invest back into the operation. (Mark McCann/USDA)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Agriculture Committee Friday released the draft bill text of the long-awaited $1.5 trillion farm bill, which is likely to face opposition in the Senate from Democrats because of disagreements over federal anti-hunger programs and climate change requirements.The chair of the committee, GOP Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania, said in a statement that the bill, which will set farm, nutrition, commodity and conservation policy for the next five years, is a “product of extensive feedback from stakeholders and all Members of the House, and is responsive to the needs of farm country through the incorporation of hundreds of bipartisan policies.”The legislation funds programs across 12 titles for five years.It would boost rural farming, promote a new global market for farmers to sell their products abroad, require new reporting requirements for the foreign purchase of farmland, increase funding for specialty crops and expand eligibility for disaster assistance, among other initiatives.“The markup is one step in a greater House process, that should not be compromised by misleading arguments, false narratives, or edicts from the Senate,” Thompson said.The House Agriculture Committee plans to mark up the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/discussion_draft_ffns.pdf">942-page bill</a>&nbsp;on Thursday. It is expected to cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years. A title-by-title summary can be found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/detailed_summary_final.pdf">here</a>.In a statement, the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. David Scott of Georgia, slammed the draft bill for “taking food out of the mouths of America’s hungry children, restricting farmers from receiving the climate-smart conservation funding they so desperately need, and barring the USDA from providing financial assistance to farmers in times of crisis.”Scott warned that the current draft bill is unlikely to pass the House. Although Republicans have a slim majority, any piece of legislation will have to be bipartisan in order to make it through the Senate, which Democrats control.The current farm bill extension expires Sept. 30.On the Senate side, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat who leads the Committee on Agriculture, released Democrats’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/dem/press/release/chairwoman-stabenow-unveils-the-rural-prosperity-and-food-security-act">own proposal</a>&nbsp;in early May. Among other things, it would boost eligibility for nutrition programs for low-income people like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Stabenow made public a summary of the bill, but not legislative text.Scott and Stabenow released a joint statement Tuesday following a meeting with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democrats on the House Agriculture committee. They advocated for Republicans to craft a bipartisan farm bill.“House Republicans are undermining this goal by proposing policies that split the broad, bipartisan coalition that has always been the foundation of a successful farm bill,” they wrote.“We need a farm bill that holds the coalition together and upholds the historic tradition of providing food assistance to our most vulnerable Americans while keeping our commitment to our farmers battling the effects of the climate crisis every day,” they continued.The House bill has a few provisions that Democrats oppose.One would remove climate-smart policy requirements for about $13 billion in conservation projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. Another&nbsp; would limit future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, the formula that calculates benefits for SNAP. “The economic impact of the SNAP cuts alone would be staggering,” Scott said.A freeze in the Thrifty Food Plan would result in a roughly $30 billion SNAP cut over the next decade,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/chair-thompsons-plan-would-cut-snap-benefits-and-ignore-scientific">according</a>&nbsp;to the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. There are more than 41 million people who use SNAP benefits,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/key-statistics-and-research/#:~:text=The%20Supplemental%20Nutrition%20Assistance%20Program,fiscal%20year%20(FY)%202022.&amp;text=Download%20chart%20data%20in%20Excel,41.2%20million%20participants%20per%20month.">according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.&nbsp;</a>However, the House farm bill would remove the ban on low-income Americans who have a drug conviction felony from obtaining SNAP benefits.Environmental groups are also opposing the draft of the farm bill, raising concerns about reallocating IRA money and including a bill relating to how states regulate animal practices.A watchdog group that focuses on government and corporate accountability in water, food and corporate overreach, Food &amp; Water Watch Managing Director of Policy and Litigation Mitch Jones said in a statement that the draft bill would gut important climate-smart provisions.“Some of leadership’s more dangerous proposals would take us backwards on animal welfare, and climate-smart agriculture,” Jones said. “It’s time Congress put the culture wars aside and got back to work on a Farm Bill that puts consumers, farmers, and the environment above politicking and Big Ag handouts.”

Farm bill text released in U.S. House, setting up fight with Senate

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation after two bodies were located near the 300 Block of River Road in rural Sumner County, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Sheriff’s Office has identified several suspects in the case. Authorities have not reported an arrest.

 One of the bodies was located on May 10,&nbsp; the other on May 13.&nbsp; Both bodies were transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center for further testing and examination. &nbsp;

On Friday, the sheriff's office received confirmation through DNA testing on the identities of the two deceased individuals as 30-year-old Monica R. Williams and 24-year-old Kevin M. Ledesma. Both had been reporteed missing and were last seen&nbsp;at a residence in the 9500 block South Hydraulic in Wichita on January 1, 2024. The sheriff's office also reported there were homicide victims.

The circumstances in which Williams and Ledesma were killed remains under investigation by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715979738614.png" alt="Williams photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation after two bodies were located near the 300 Block of River Road in rural Sumner County, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Sheriff’s Office has identified several suspects in the case. Authorities have not reported an arrest. One of the bodies was located on May 10,&nbsp; the other on May 13.&nbsp; Both bodies were transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center for further testing and examination. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715980197399.png" alt="Kevin Ledesma-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Kevin Ledesma-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>On Friday, the sheriff's office received confirmation through DNA testing on the identities of the two deceased individuals as 30-year-old Monica R. Williams and 24-year-old Kevin M. Ledesma. Both had been reporteed missing and were last seen&nbsp;at a residence in the 9500 block South Hydraulic in Wichita on January 1, 2024. The sheriff's office also reported there were homicide victims.The circumstances in which Williams and Ledesma were killed remains under investigation by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.

Police ID suspects after 2 bodies found in rural Kansas homicide

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection days after shuttering dozens of restaurants.

The seafood chain has been struggling with rising lease and labor costs in recent years and also promotions like its iconic all-you-can-eat shrimp deal that backfired.

Demand for one such recent promotion overwhelmed restaurants,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2023/11/27/red-lobster-endless-shrimp-earnings-report/71723659007/">reportedly</a>&nbsp;contributing to millions in losses.

The seafood restaurant chain said in a court filing late Sunday that it has more than 100,000 creditors and estimated assets between $1 billion and $10 billion. The company's estimated liabilities are between $1 billion and $10 billion.

The bankruptcy petition is signed by CEO Jonathan Tibus, a corporate restructuring specialist who took the top post at Red Lobster in March.

Restaurant liquidator TAGeX Brands announced last week that it would be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-lobster-closures-endless-shrimp-bankruptcy-c0cad9fde7d39e479674ea497ac9a36f">auctioning</a>&nbsp;off the equipment of over 50 Red Lobster locations that were recently closed. The store closures span across more than 20 states — reducing Red Lobster’s presence in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tagexbrands.com/red-lobster/">cities like</a>&nbsp;Denver, San Antonio, Indianapolis and Sacramento, California.

Maintaining stability at the Florida chain has been problematic due to multiple ownership changes over its 56-year history. Earlier this year, Red Lobster co-owner Thai Union Group, one of the world’s largest seafood suppliers, announced its intention to exit its minority investment in the dining chain.

Thai Union first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-6e252dbd4ff84eb1b44ba97809ca49ee">invested in Red Lobster in 2016</a>&nbsp;and upped its stake in 2020. At the time of the January announcement on its plans to divest, CEO Thiraphong Chansiri said the COVID-19 pandemic, industry headwinds and rising operating costs had hit the dining chain hard and caused “prolonged negative financial contributions to Thai Union and its shareholders.”

For the first nine months of 2023, the Thailand company reported a $19 million share of loss from Red Lobster.

Red Lobster’s roots date back to 1968, when the first restaurant <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-9b65b21164c445ac89e134f2165efecf">opened</a>&nbsp;in Lakeland, Florida. The chain expanded rapidly since then and runs more than 700 locations worldwide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715638363133.jpeg" alt="Sign on the entrance to the Red Lobster Restaurant in Salina, Kansas-photo by Nathan King" />
 <figcaption>Sign on the entrance to the Red Lobster Restaurant in Salina, Kansas-photo by Nathan King</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection days after shuttering dozens of restaurants.The seafood chain has been struggling with rising lease and labor costs in recent years and also promotions like its iconic all-you-can-eat shrimp deal that backfired.Demand for one such recent promotion overwhelmed restaurants,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2023/11/27/red-lobster-endless-shrimp-earnings-report/71723659007/">reportedly</a>&nbsp;contributing to millions in losses.The seafood restaurant chain said in a court filing late Sunday that it has more than 100,000 creditors and estimated assets between $1 billion and $10 billion. The company's estimated liabilities are between $1 billion and $10 billion.The bankruptcy petition is signed by CEO Jonathan Tibus, a corporate restructuring specialist who took the top post at Red Lobster in March.Restaurant liquidator TAGeX Brands announced last week that it would be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-lobster-closures-endless-shrimp-bankruptcy-c0cad9fde7d39e479674ea497ac9a36f">auctioning</a>&nbsp;off the equipment of over 50 Red Lobster locations that were recently closed. The store closures span across more than 20 states — reducing Red Lobster’s presence in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tagexbrands.com/red-lobster/">cities like</a>&nbsp;Denver, San Antonio, Indianapolis and Sacramento, California.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715638338504.jpeg" alt="Red Lobster in Salina, Kansas -photo by Nathan King" />
 <figcaption>Red Lobster in Salina, Kansas -photo by Nathan King</figcaption>
 </figure>Maintaining stability at the Florida chain has been problematic due to multiple ownership changes over its 56-year history. Earlier this year, Red Lobster co-owner Thai Union Group, one of the world’s largest seafood suppliers, announced its intention to exit its minority investment in the dining chain.Thai Union first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-6e252dbd4ff84eb1b44ba97809ca49ee">invested in Red Lobster in 2016</a>&nbsp;and upped its stake in 2020. At the time of the January announcement on its plans to divest, CEO Thiraphong Chansiri said the COVID-19 pandemic, industry headwinds and rising operating costs had hit the dining chain hard and caused “prolonged negative financial contributions to Thai Union and its shareholders.”For the first nine months of 2023, the Thailand company reported a $19 million share of loss from Red Lobster.Red Lobster’s roots date back to 1968, when the first restaurant <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-9b65b21164c445ac89e134f2165efecf">opened</a>&nbsp;in Lakeland, Florida. The chain expanded rapidly since then and runs more than 700 locations worldwide.

Red Lobster files for bankruptcy days after unlimited shrimp deal

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 2p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to 34th and Wyoming on a recovered stolen auto, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

  Call was later upgraded to a shooting. First responders found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three subjects were questioned.&nbsp;

Police indicated that a preliminary investigation found a fight broke out among multiple individuals. Several individuals fired shots before the victim was hit. Three suspects were taken into custody.

Detectives and crime scene investigators said they continue to speak with witnesses as they continue to process the scene. Anyone with information about the incident should report it to KCPD at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716088530027.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 2p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to 34th and Wyoming on a recovered stolen auto, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'. Call was later upgraded to a shooting. First responders found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three subjects were questioned.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716119122322.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Police indicated that a preliminary investigation found a fight broke out among multiple individuals. Several individuals fired shots before the victim was hit. Three suspects were taken into custody.Detectives and crime scene investigators said they continue to speak with witnesses as they continue to process the scene. Anyone with information about the incident should report it to KCPD at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Police investigate deadly shooting at KC apartment complex

RUSSELL COUNTY — Spring thunderstorms brought flooding rain, large hail and extreme winds Sunday afternoon and evening across Kansas. There are no injuries reported.

The storms started tracking across the state just after 2p.m. and prompted numerous watches and tornado warnings.

Just before 5p.m. the Salina Airport recorded winds of of 100 miles per hour. Heavy rain caused flooding over Highway 14 in Ellsworth County.

The storms in Harvey and Sedgwick counties produced 80-90mph winds that caused structural damage, downed power lines, and turned over semis, according to the National Weather Service.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Russell experienced golf ball-sized hail and 82 mph wind gusts as a tornado-warned storm passed through the area causing significant damage across the community.&nbsp; Power was out in most of the community and at least three structures were leveled, according to a report on the city's social media page. Power lines are down and trees are blocking roadways in Russell and many communities across the region.

Newton USD 373 canceled school for Monday at Chisholm Middle School due to weather damage.&nbsp;Unified School District 407, Russell also cancelled classes due to weather related issues.

There were over 18,000 residents in Hutchinson without power Sunday night according to the Evergy outage map, after a severe thunderstorm with 86 mile per hour winds, measured at 7:40p.m. at the Hutchinson Airport.

The storm caused significant damage in Burrton, with Highway 50 shut down between Yoder Road and the Harvey County line Sunday night due to a chemical leak. Haven Road was also closed due to power poles down east of town.&nbsp;Burrton residents were temporarily asked to shelter in place due to a the possible chemical leak at the damaged oil facility west of the city. The alert was issued just after 9 p.m and lifted at approximately 11 p.m. 

Several damaged buildings were reported throughout Harvey county.

Other roadways in Harvey were closed as of Sunday night due to flooding, tree damage or power line damage include:

· North Burmac Road from U.S. 50 to Northwest 24th Street

· Southwest 36th Street between Halstead Road and Old Settlers Road

· North Spring Lake Road from U.S. 50 to West First Street

· North Golden Prairie Road from U.S. 50 to Northwest 24th Street

· North River Park Road from U.S. 50 to West First Street

Power outages were numerous throughout Harvey county. Evergy reported more than 10,000 customers affected in Harvey County, and Butler Electric reported 98 customers without power.

Harvey County issued a verbal disaster declaration due to the weather damage. Disaster declarations aid with coordination of resources if needed.

Haven Police reported that there is damage to various structures throughout that city. The Senior Center is open for those who need power as of Sunday night, but if you don't have to get out, travel is not recommended until at least sunrise.

According to the Evergy&nbsp;<a href="https://outagemap.evergy.com/" target="_blank">outage map</a>, at least 20,000 people living in and around Overland Park, Kansas, had experienced a power outage. About 20,000 people in and around Kansas City, Missouri, also were without power.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716159390070.jpeg" alt="Halstead and Pleasent Hill Road Outside Salina looking west at 5:35 p.m. on Sunday May 19." />
 <figcaption>Halstead and Pleasent Hill Road Outside Salina looking west at 5:35 p.m. on Sunday May 19.</figcaption>
 </figure>RUSSELL COUNTY — Spring thunderstorms brought flooding rain, large hail and extreme winds Sunday afternoon and evening across Kansas. There are no injuries reported.The storms started tracking across the state just after 2p.m. and prompted numerous watches and tornado warnings.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716165740455.png" alt="Photo city of Russell" />
 <figcaption>Photo city of Russell</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 5p.m. the Salina Airport recorded winds of of 100 miles per hour. Heavy rain caused flooding over Highway 14 in Ellsworth County.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At 5:55PM, quarter to golf ball sized hail was reported in Salina. A 100 mph measured wind gust was just reported at Salina Airport at 6PM. Get into shelter now if you are in Salina! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a>&mdash; NWS Wichita (@NWSWichita) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSWichita/status/1792331022694338766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716162978638.png" alt="Drivers parking under the overpass at I-70 and I-135 in Salina during the storm-image KanDrive camera" />
 <figcaption>Drivers parking under the overpass at I-70 and I-135 in Salina during the storm-image KanDrive camera</figcaption>
 </figure>The storms in Harvey and Sedgwick counties produced 80-90mph winds that caused structural damage, downed power lines, and turned over semis, according to the National Weather Service.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716168322617.png" alt="Storm damage photo city of Russell" />
 <figcaption>Storm damage photo city of Russell</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Russell experienced golf ball-sized hail and 82 mph wind gusts as a tornado-warned storm passed through the area causing significant damage across the community.&nbsp; Power was out in most of the community and at least three structures were leveled, according to a report on the city's social media page. Power lines are down and trees are blocking roadways in Russell and many communities across the region.Newton USD 373 canceled school for Monday at Chisholm Middle School due to weather damage.&nbsp;Unified School District 407, Russell also cancelled classes due to weather related issues.There were over 18,000 residents in Hutchinson without power Sunday night according to the Evergy outage map, after a severe thunderstorm with 86 mile per hour winds, measured at 7:40p.m. at the Hutchinson Airport.The storm caused significant damage in Burrton, with Highway 50 shut down between Yoder Road and the Harvey County line Sunday night due to a chemical leak. Haven Road was also closed due to power poles down east of town.&nbsp;Burrton residents were temporarily asked to shelter in place due to a the possible chemical leak at the damaged oil facility west of the city. The alert was issued just after 9 p.m and lifted at approximately 11 p.m. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716198838451.png" alt="Photo Harvey County Emergency Management" />
 <figcaption>Photo Harvey County Emergency Management</figcaption>
 </figure>Several damaged buildings were reported throughout Harvey county.Other roadways in Harvey were closed as of Sunday night due to flooding, tree damage or power line damage include:· North Burmac Road from U.S. 50 to Northwest 24th Street· Southwest 36th Street between Halstead Road and Old Settlers Road· North Spring Lake Road from U.S. 50 to West First Street· North Golden Prairie Road from U.S. 50 to Northwest 24th Street· North River Park Road from U.S. 50 to West First StreetPower outages were numerous throughout Harvey county. Evergy reported more than 10,000 customers affected in Harvey County, and Butler Electric reported 98 customers without power.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716202728350.png" alt="-Photo Harvey County Emergency Management" />
 <figcaption>-Photo Harvey County Emergency Management</figcaption>
 </figure>Harvey County issued a verbal disaster declaration due to the weather damage. Disaster declarations aid with coordination of resources if needed.Haven Police reported that there is damage to various structures throughout that city. The Senior Center is open for those who need power as of Sunday night, but if you don't have to get out, travel is not recommended until at least sunrise.According to the Evergy&nbsp;<a href="https://outagemap.evergy.com/" target="_blank">outage map</a>, at least 20,000 people living in and around Overland Park, Kansas, had experienced a power outage. About 20,000 people in and around Kansas City, Missouri, also were without power.

Sunday storms brought hail, flooding rain and 100mph winds

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Joe Biden's national security adviser met early Sunday with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss what the kingdom described as the “semi-final” version of a wide-ranging security agreement between the countries.

The announcement by the state-run Saudi Press Agency comes as the strategic deal had been upended after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel</a>&nbsp;that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage back to the Gaza Strip.

In the time since, a punishing Israeli airstrike campaign and ground offensive there has killed over 35,000 Palestinians, endangering the security deal that had included Saudi Arabia diplomatically recognizing Israel for the first time since its founding in 1948.

Saudi state media released no images of Jake Sullivan and Prince Mohammed meeting in Dhahran, a city in the kingdom's far east that's home to its state-run oil giant, the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. known as Saudi Aramco.

“The semi-final version of the draft strategic agreements between the kingdom and the United States of America, which are almost being finalized — and what is being worked on between the two sides in the Palestinian issue to find a credible path — were discussed,” the statement released after the talks said.

That included “a two-state solution that meets the aspirations and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” and “the situation in Gaza and the need to stop the war there and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid,” the statement added.

Saudi Arabia has long called for an independent Palestinian state to be created along Israel's 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital. However, that likely may be untenable for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government hinges on support from hard-liners who oppose a two-state solution and support Israeli settlements on lands Palestinians want for that state.

The White House issued a statement early Monday after Sullivan traveled to Israel and met with Netanyahu, saying the Saudi talks “focused on a comprehensive vision for an integrated Middle East region.” The statement did not elaborate, other than to call the talks “constructive.”

Saudi Arabia has long relied — like other Gulf Arab nations — on the U.S. to be the security guarantor for the wider Middle East as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-tanker-seizures-us-uk-navy-revolutionary-guard-a8996a3dccccc82f8fa8d8bf263c9cfb">tensions over Iran’s nuclear program in recent years have spilled over into a series of attacks.</a>&nbsp;The proposal now being discussed likely would deepen that, and also reportedly includes access to advanced weapons and possibly trade deals as well.

Saudi Arabia has also pushed for nuclear cooperation in the deal that includes America allowing it to enrich uranium in the kingdom — something that worries nonproliferation experts, as spinning centrifuges opens the door to a possible weapons program. Prince Mohammed has said the kingdom would pursue a nuclear weapon if Iran had one.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-iaea-nuclear-program-143e3e3c015dbf9c17316ad60ff989da">Iran in recent weeks has increasingly threatened it could do so</a>.

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York meanwhile confirmed that Tehran held indirect talks with U.S. officials in Oman last week. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted the mission as describing the talks as “an ongoing process.”

“The negotiations have not been the first and will not be the last of their kind,” the mission said, according to IRNA.

Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has been the site of U.S.-Iran talks in the past, including under Biden despite the tensions between the two nations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716170126757.png" alt="File photo Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from a meeting with Sec. of State Blinken in 2023-photo U.S. Dept. of State" />
 <figcaption>File photo Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from a meeting with Sec. of State Blinken in 2023-photo U.S. Dept. of State</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Joe Biden's national security adviser met early Sunday with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss what the kingdom described as the “semi-final” version of a wide-ranging security agreement between the countries.The announcement by the state-run Saudi Press Agency comes as the strategic deal had been upended after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel</a>&nbsp;that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage back to the Gaza Strip.In the time since, a punishing Israeli airstrike campaign and ground offensive there has killed over 35,000 Palestinians, endangering the security deal that had included Saudi Arabia diplomatically recognizing Israel for the first time since its founding in 1948.Saudi state media released no images of Jake Sullivan and Prince Mohammed meeting in Dhahran, a city in the kingdom's far east that's home to its state-run oil giant, the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. known as Saudi Aramco.“The semi-final version of the draft strategic agreements between the kingdom and the United States of America, which are almost being finalized — and what is being worked on between the two sides in the Palestinian issue to find a credible path — were discussed,” the statement released after the talks said.That included “a two-state solution that meets the aspirations and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” and “the situation in Gaza and the need to stop the war there and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid,” the statement added.Saudi Arabia has long called for an independent Palestinian state to be created along Israel's 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital. However, that likely may be untenable for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government hinges on support from hard-liners who oppose a two-state solution and support Israeli settlements on lands Palestinians want for that state.The White House issued a statement early Monday after Sullivan traveled to Israel and met with Netanyahu, saying the Saudi talks “focused on a comprehensive vision for an integrated Middle East region.” The statement did not elaborate, other than to call the talks “constructive.”Saudi Arabia has long relied — like other Gulf Arab nations — on the U.S. to be the security guarantor for the wider Middle East as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-tanker-seizures-us-uk-navy-revolutionary-guard-a8996a3dccccc82f8fa8d8bf263c9cfb">tensions over Iran’s nuclear program in recent years have spilled over into a series of attacks.</a>&nbsp;The proposal now being discussed likely would deepen that, and also reportedly includes access to advanced weapons and possibly trade deals as well.Saudi Arabia has also pushed for nuclear cooperation in the deal that includes America allowing it to enrich uranium in the kingdom — something that worries nonproliferation experts, as spinning centrifuges opens the door to a possible weapons program. Prince Mohammed has said the kingdom would pursue a nuclear weapon if Iran had one.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-iaea-nuclear-program-143e3e3c015dbf9c17316ad60ff989da">Iran in recent weeks has increasingly threatened it could do so</a>.Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York meanwhile confirmed that Tehran held indirect talks with U.S. officials in Oman last week. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted the mission as describing the talks as “an ongoing process.”“The negotiations have not been the first and will not be the last of their kind,” the mission said, according to IRNA.Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has been the site of U.S.-Iran talks in the past, including under Biden despite the tensions between the two nations.

US meets with Saudi Crown Prince to discuss peace in Middle East 

WOODSON COUNTY—A woman is recovering after an apparent accident in Woodson County.

Just before 3a.m. May 17, a 65-year-old woman fell into the water at the Eastside Spillway of the Toronto Lake Dam, according to the Woodson County Sheriff's office.

Multiple 911 calls were made to the Woodson and Wilson County dispatch centers, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.

Just after 4p.m., rescue crews found the woman alive one mile into Wilson County on Decatur Road. She was transported to the incident command center near the Toronto Dam for initial medical assessment by Woodson County EMS and then taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.

WOODSON COUNTY—A woman is recovering after an apparent accident in Woodson County.Just before 3a.m. May 17, a 65-year-old woman fell into the water at the Eastside Spillway of the Toronto Lake Dam, according to the Woodson County Sheriff's office.Multiple 911 calls were made to the Woodson and Wilson County dispatch centers, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.Just after 4p.m., rescue crews found the woman alive one mile into Wilson County on Decatur Road. She was transported to the incident command center near the Toronto Dam for initial medical assessment by Woodson County EMS and then taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.

 Woman rescued after falling into Kansas lake spillway

TOPEKA– A Kansas woman was sentenced to&nbsp; 20 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple charges related to drug trafficking, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, a federal jury convicted Theresa Hight, 60, of Topeka, of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance. 

The jury found Hight not guilty of one count of distribution and posses with the intent to distribute controlled substances.

Three additional co-defendants pled guilty in the case. Shelli Lynn Zarazua, 59, of Topeka pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. On May 1, 2024, Zarazua was sentenced to 120 months in prison.

Anabell Madrigal, 58, of Chula Vista, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and on April 24, 2024, was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

Allen Joseph Baker, 45, of Topeka pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and on May 1, 2024, was sentenced to 105 months in prison.

In March 2021, law enforcement officers received information that a courier was scheduled to drop off illegal narcotics at Hight’s residence in Topeka. While conducting surveillance, officers observed Madrigal arrive at the house. After a short time inside, Madrigal, Zarazua, Hight, and Baker all left in separate vehicles. Officers conducted traffic stops on each of the suspects. They found a pound of methamphetamine on Baker’s person as well as 17 bundles of methamphetamine in his vehicle. Hight had an ounce of methamphetamine and digital scales. 

Officers discovered three bundles of cash concealed in the panels of Madrigal’s vehicle. The total weight delivered on this occasion was approximately 20 pounds. Officers learned this was the second delivery which occurred at Hight’s residence.

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715891161331.png" alt="Hight has a dozen previous convictions that include forgery, ID theft and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections-" />
 <figcaption>Hight has a dozen previous convictions that include forgery, ID theft and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections-</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA– A Kansas woman was sentenced to&nbsp; 20 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple charges related to drug trafficking, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, a federal jury convicted Theresa Hight, 60, of Topeka, of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance. The jury found Hight not guilty of one count of distribution and posses with the intent to distribute controlled substances.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715891543438.png" alt="Zarazua-from a previous arrest in Chase Co." />
 <figcaption>Zarazua-from a previous arrest in Chase Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Three additional co-defendants pled guilty in the case. Shelli Lynn Zarazua, 59, of Topeka pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. On May 1, 2024, Zarazua was sentenced to 120 months in prison.Anabell Madrigal, 58, of Chula Vista, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and on April 24, 2024, was sentenced to 24 months in prison.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715891328064.png" alt="Baker photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Baker photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>Allen Joseph Baker, 45, of Topeka pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and on May 1, 2024, was sentenced to 105 months in prison.In March 2021, law enforcement officers received information that a courier was scheduled to drop off illegal narcotics at Hight’s residence in Topeka. While conducting surveillance, officers observed Madrigal arrive at the house. After a short time inside, Madrigal, Zarazua, Hight, and Baker all left in separate vehicles. Officers conducted traffic stops on each of the suspects. They found a pound of methamphetamine on Baker’s person as well as 17 bundles of methamphetamine in his vehicle. Hight had an ounce of methamphetamine and digital scales. Officers discovered three bundles of cash concealed in the panels of Madrigal’s vehicle. The total weight delivered on this occasion was approximately 20 pounds. Officers learned this was the second delivery which occurred at Hight’s residence.The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.

Prison for members of Kansas meth sales ring

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City father and son have been indicted by a federal grand jury for selling firearms without a license, illegally possessing firearms, and drug trafficking, according to the United State's Attorney.

Nathan Caldwell, Sr., also known as “Prince Bossalinie,” 52, and Nathan Caldwell, Jr., 32, were charged in a 29-count indictment that was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, May 7. That indictment was unsealed and made public upon their arrest and initial court appearances.

The federal indictment alleges the Caldwells have aided and abetted each other to engage in the business of dealing in firearms, although they are not licensed dealers, since Dec. 20, 2023.

Nathan Caldwell, Sr., is also charged with 10 counts of being a felon in possession of firearms, eight counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of distributing cocaine, one count of distributing marijuana, and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Nathan Caldwell, Jr., is also charged with three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and three counts of distributing marijuana.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

Nathan Caldwell, Sr., has two prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and prior felony convictions for aiding a felon, attempted aggravated assault, attempted possession of cocaine, conspiracy to commit robbery, and possessing cocaine.

Nathan Caldwell, Jr., has a prior felony conviction for assault.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716153098128.png" alt="Nathan Caldwell, Jr. -Photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Nathan Caldwell, Jr. -Photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City father and son have been indicted by a federal grand jury for selling firearms without a license, illegally possessing firearms, and drug trafficking, according to the United State's Attorney.Nathan Caldwell, Sr., also known as “Prince Bossalinie,” 52, and Nathan Caldwell, Jr., 32, were charged in a 29-count indictment that was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, May 7. That indictment was unsealed and made public upon their arrest and initial court appearances.The federal indictment alleges the Caldwells have aided and abetted each other to engage in the business of dealing in firearms, although they are not licensed dealers, since Dec. 20, 2023.Nathan Caldwell, Sr., is also charged with 10 counts of being a felon in possession of firearms, eight counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of distributing cocaine, one count of distributing marijuana, and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.Nathan Caldwell, Jr., is also charged with three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and three counts of distributing marijuana.Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.Nathan Caldwell, Sr., has two prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and prior felony convictions for aiding a felon, attempted aggravated assault, attempted possession of cocaine, conspiracy to commit robbery, and possessing cocaine.Nathan Caldwell, Jr., has a prior felony conviction for assault.The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Kansas City father and son accused of illegally selling guns

Kansas Republican Jerry Moran among top 10 bipartisan senators

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the most bipartisan members of Congress last year, according to a newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.

The least bipartisan House lawmaker was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, while Alabama’s Katie Britt, a Republican freshman, placed last among senators.

The latest&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-Bipartisan-Index.html">ranking</a>&nbsp;of the most bipartisan lawmakers comes amid one of the least productive Congresses in the nation’s history and just months before nearly all House lawmakers and about one-third of the Senate face voters at the polls in November.

Maria Cancian, dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy, wrote in a statement announcing the new rankings that “while there is much room for improvement, I am encouraged to see some progress on cross-party collaboration.”

“In these deeply divided times, and with an increasing amount of misleading information online, we need tools like the Bipartisan Index more than ever — an evidence-based and nonpartisan approach for measuring how well policymakers work across the aisle to get things done,” Cancian wrote.

Lugar Center Policy Director Dan Diller wrote that it was “especially disheartening that all eight new Senators who took office in January 2023 ranked in the bottom 30 percent of Senate scores.”

“Bipartisan cooperation on legislation in 2023 was deficient by historical standards, though there were some marginal improvements in scores from the previous Congress,” Diller wrote.

The website with the rankings states that the “Bipartisan Index is intended to fill a hole in the information available to the public about the performance of Members of Congress.”

The Lugar Center, founded by the late U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, “is a platform for informed debate and analysis of global issues, including nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global food security, foreign assistance effectiveness and global development, energy security, and enhancing bipartisan governance,” according to its website.

The rankings take into consideration “the frequency with which a member of Congress sponsors bills that are co-sponsored by at least one member of the opposing party” and “the frequency with which a member co-sponsors bills introduced by members of the opposite Party.”

The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University wrote on their website that their “aim in publishing this Index is not to promote a specific legislative agenda, as is the case for many indexes, but solely the promotion of a bipartisan approach to governance.”

“The credibility of the Index is derived from the objectivity of its methodology; Index scores are computed formulaically from publically available data,” it states. “The Index requires no subjective assessment of specific legislative items.”

The least bipartisan House lawmakers following Jordan were New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Missouri Democrat Cori Bush, New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman and Missouri Republican Eric Burlison.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, ranked 423, but will likely be excluded from future scores since he has now occupied one of the top two leadership posts for at least six months.

The least bipartisan senators following Britt were Missouri Republican Eric Schmitt, Washington state Democrat Patty Murray, Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson and Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton.

Sean Ross, spokesperson for Britt, wrote in a statement that the ranking is “absurd.”

“Senator Britt has cosponsored 68 pieces of legislation sponsored by Democrats, as well as dozens and dozens of bipartisan pieces of legislation led by Republican sponsors,” Ross wrote.

“The bipartisan efforts she is helping lead span a wide range of important topics to Alabamians, including maternal mortality research and maternal care; youth mental health and social media usage; the fentanyl crisis; affordable insulin access; affordable rural housing; telehealth services; agriculture; domestic manufacturing and supply chains; fair trade; work force development; wildlife conservation; supporting law enforcement; and consumer protections.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716140421905.png" alt="-Senator Moran questioning Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on May 15" />
 <figcaption>-Senator Moran questioning Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on May 15</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kansas Republican Jerry Moran among top 10 bipartisan senators</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the most bipartisan members of Congress last year, according to a newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.The least bipartisan House lawmaker was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, while Alabama’s Katie Britt, a Republican freshman, placed last among senators.The latest&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-Bipartisan-Index.html">ranking</a>&nbsp;of the most bipartisan lawmakers comes amid one of the least productive Congresses in the nation’s history and just months before nearly all House lawmakers and about one-third of the Senate face voters at the polls in November.Maria Cancian, dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy, wrote in a statement announcing the new rankings that “while there is much room for improvement, I am encouraged to see some progress on cross-party collaboration.”“In these deeply divided times, and with an increasing amount of misleading information online, we need tools like the Bipartisan Index more than ever — an evidence-based and nonpartisan approach for measuring how well policymakers work across the aisle to get things done,” Cancian wrote.Lugar Center Policy Director Dan Diller wrote that it was “especially disheartening that all eight new Senators who took office in January 2023 ranked in the bottom 30 percent of Senate scores.”“Bipartisan cooperation on legislation in 2023 was deficient by historical standards, though there were some marginal improvements in scores from the previous Congress,” Diller wrote.The website with the rankings states that the “Bipartisan Index is intended to fill a hole in the information available to the public about the performance of Members of Congress.”The Lugar Center, founded by the late U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, “is a platform for informed debate and analysis of global issues, including nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global food security, foreign assistance effectiveness and global development, energy security, and enhancing bipartisan governance,” according to its website.The rankings take into consideration “the frequency with which a member of Congress sponsors bills that are co-sponsored by at least one member of the opposing party” and “the frequency with which a member co-sponsors bills introduced by members of the opposite Party.”<h2>Who is the most bipartisan?</h2>The top 10 senators were:<ul>
 <li>Collins</li><li>Michigan Democrat Gary Peters</li><li>New Hampshire Democrat Maggie Hassan</li><li>West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin</li><li>Texas Republican John Cornyn</li><li>Nevada Democrat Jacky Rosen</li><li>Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski</li><li>Kansas Republican Jerry Moran</li><li>Indiana Republican Todd Young</li><li>Montana Democrat Jon Tester</li>
 </ul>The top 10 House lawmakers were:<ul>
 <li>Fitzpatrick</li><li>New York Republican Marcus Molinaro</li><li>New Hampshire Democrat Chris Pappas</li><li>New York Republican Mike Lawler</li><li>North Carolina Democrat Don Davis</li><li>Puerto Rico Republican Delegate Jenniffer González-Colón</li><li>Nevada Democrat Susie Lee</li><li>Nebraska Republican Don Bacon</li><li>New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer</li><li>Iowa Republican Zach Nunn</li>
 </ul>The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University wrote on their website that their “aim in publishing this Index is not to promote a specific legislative agenda, as is the case for many indexes, but solely the promotion of a bipartisan approach to governance.”“The credibility of the Index is derived from the objectivity of its methodology; Index scores are computed formulaically from publically available data,” it states. “The Index requires no subjective assessment of specific legislative items.”The least bipartisan House lawmakers following Jordan were New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Missouri Democrat Cori Bush, New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman and Missouri Republican Eric Burlison.House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, ranked 423, but will likely be excluded from future scores since he has now occupied one of the top two leadership posts for at least six months.The least bipartisan senators following Britt were Missouri Republican Eric Schmitt, Washington state Democrat Patty Murray, Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson and Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton.Sean Ross, spokesperson for Britt, wrote in a statement that the ranking is “absurd.”“Senator Britt has cosponsored 68 pieces of legislation sponsored by Democrats, as well as dozens and dozens of bipartisan pieces of legislation led by Republican sponsors,” Ross wrote.“The bipartisan efforts she is helping lead span a wide range of important topics to Alabamians, including maternal mortality research and maternal care; youth mental health and social media usage; the fentanyl crisis; affordable insulin access; affordable rural housing; telehealth services; agriculture; domestic manufacturing and supply chains; fair trade; work force development; wildlife conservation; supporting law enforcement; and consumer protections.”

New list rates the most bipartisan members of Congress — and the least

A long-planned series of Catholic pilgrimages has begun across the United States this weekend, with pilgrims embarking on four routes before converging on Indianapolis in two months for a major gathering focusing on Eucharistic rites and devotions.

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is beginning with Masses and other events in California, Connecticut, Minnesota and Texas. A small group of pilgrims plan to walk entire routes, but most participants are expected to take part for smaller segments.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org/">Each route</a>&nbsp;goes along country roads and through city centers, with multiple stops at parishes, shrines and other sites.

Although it was forged amid a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-religion-maryland-baltimore-9543775a53024d45c818b32062814927">recent debate</a>&nbsp;among bishops over whether to refuse Communion to U.S. politicians who don’t oppose abortion, the pilgrimage is a revival of a historic Catholic tradition that faded by the mid-20th century.

Each procession is being led by a priest holding a monstrance — typically a sunburst-patterned vessel that displays the host, or bread wafer consecrated by a priest at Mass.

The Catholic Church teaches the “whole Christ is truly present — body, blood, soul, and divinity — under the appearances of bread and wine,” according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. As a result, the consecrated host becomes an object of devotion.

“The Eucharist is actually Jesus, so for us to walk with Jesus is actually a witness to our faith in a prayerful action for unity, for peace," said Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress, the umbrella organization for the events.

The four lengthy pilgrimages appear to be unprecedented, Glemkowski said.

“It’s hard in a 2,000-year-old church to do something for the first time, but a procession this long, with this many people in it, may be the first time this has been attempted in the history of the Catholic Church,” Glemkowski said.

Some pilgrims were embarking Sunday from the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota. Others planned to embark from a cathedral in Brownsville, Texas, or cross San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

In New Haven, Connecticut, commemorations began with a Saturday night Mass and a mini-procession around St. Mary's Church, which is the burial site of the 19th century founder of the Knights of Columbus fraternal organization, the Rev. Michael McGivney. After an all-night vigil of prayer and adoration, pilgrims were bringing the host to another New Haven church and later to a boat to carry it to the city of Bridgeport and the next leg of the pilgrimage.

The pilgrimage amounts to an effort to revive a type of mass devotion that was once more common in past generations of Catholicism in the U.S. and beyond.

The pilgrimages — and the concluding National Eucharistic Congress, expected to draw tens of thousands to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in July — is being funded by private donors, sponsors and ticket sales, Glemkowski said. The budget for the National Eucharistic Revival — which is actually a three-year process that has included parish activities as well as the pilgrimages and congress — is about $23 million, with $14 million of that for the congress, he said.

There have been nine previous U.S. gatherings under the name of the National Eucharistic Congress — but none since 1941.

“We just kind of lost track of this tradition,” Glemkowski said. “We’re bringing it back in a way that fits this time.”

Glemkowski said the pilgrimage is not a march and would avoid politics. “That message of unity and peace and just focus on Christ is paramount,” he said.

The idea for these pilgrimages sprang from deliberations among U.S. bishops.

Their 2021 document, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church,” arose amid debate over whether bishops should withhold Communion from Catholic politicians who supported abortion rights. The document ultimately did not directly address that, though it called on Catholics to examine whether they align with church teachings and said bishops have a “special responsibility” to respond to "public actions at variance with the visible Communion of the church and the moral law.”

At the same time, the document reflected bishops’ worries that many Catholics don’t know or accept the church’s teachings about the significance of the sacrament, though surveys have given mixed results on that question.

Timothy Kelly, professor of history at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, said it's an open question how many participants the pilgrimage will draw. His 2009 book, “The Transformation of American Catholicism," documents the rise and decline of stadium-sized devotional activities such as Eucharistic adoration in 20th century Pittsburgh.

Many early 20th century Catholics were from immigrant communities, and they often gathered at times of flood, war or other crises. “A lot of times in the older demonstrations, the message seemed to be outward toward the broader community — the Catholics bearing witness to their presence and their faith, but also saying, ‘We’re here and we matter.’”

But participation began dropping sharply by the 1950s. “What happened was the laity stopped being interested in it,” Kelly said.

The Eucharistic pilgrimage, he said, appears to be attracting the most interest in Catholic media sympathetic with other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-church-shift-orthodoxy-tradition-7638fa2013a593f8cb07483ffc8ed487">efforts to revive older traditions</a>, such as the Latin Mass.

“Which makes me curious, how well does this resonate within the broader Catholic community?” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716140777349.png" alt="&nbsp;Map shows each of the four unique routes of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Map shows each of the four unique routes of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By PETER SMITH Associated PressA long-planned series of Catholic pilgrimages has begun across the United States this weekend, with pilgrims embarking on four routes before converging on Indianapolis in two months for a major gathering focusing on Eucharistic rites and devotions.The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is beginning with Masses and other events in California, Connecticut, Minnesota and Texas. A small group of pilgrims plan to walk entire routes, but most participants are expected to take part for smaller segments.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org/">Each route</a>&nbsp;goes along country roads and through city centers, with multiple stops at parishes, shrines and other sites.Although it was forged amid a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-religion-maryland-baltimore-9543775a53024d45c818b32062814927">recent debate</a>&nbsp;among bishops over whether to refuse Communion to U.S. politicians who don’t oppose abortion, the pilgrimage is a revival of a historic Catholic tradition that faded by the mid-20th century.Each procession is being led by a priest holding a monstrance — typically a sunburst-patterned vessel that displays the host, or bread wafer consecrated by a priest at Mass.The Catholic Church teaches the “whole Christ is truly present — body, blood, soul, and divinity — under the appearances of bread and wine,” according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. As a result, the consecrated host becomes an object of devotion.“The Eucharist is actually Jesus, so for us to walk with Jesus is actually a witness to our faith in a prayerful action for unity, for peace," said Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress, the umbrella organization for the events.The four lengthy pilgrimages appear to be unprecedented, Glemkowski said.“It’s hard in a 2,000-year-old church to do something for the first time, but a procession this long, with this many people in it, may be the first time this has been attempted in the history of the Catholic Church,” Glemkowski said.Some pilgrims were embarking Sunday from the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota. Others planned to embark from a cathedral in Brownsville, Texas, or cross San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.In New Haven, Connecticut, commemorations began with a Saturday night Mass and a mini-procession around St. Mary's Church, which is the burial site of the 19th century founder of the Knights of Columbus fraternal organization, the Rev. Michael McGivney. After an all-night vigil of prayer and adoration, pilgrims were bringing the host to another New Haven church and later to a boat to carry it to the city of Bridgeport and the next leg of the pilgrimage.The pilgrimage amounts to an effort to revive a type of mass devotion that was once more common in past generations of Catholicism in the U.S. and beyond.The pilgrimages — and the concluding National Eucharistic Congress, expected to draw tens of thousands to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in July — is being funded by private donors, sponsors and ticket sales, Glemkowski said. The budget for the National Eucharistic Revival — which is actually a three-year process that has included parish activities as well as the pilgrimages and congress — is about $23 million, with $14 million of that for the congress, he said.There have been nine previous U.S. gatherings under the name of the National Eucharistic Congress — but none since 1941.“We just kind of lost track of this tradition,” Glemkowski said. “We’re bringing it back in a way that fits this time.”Glemkowski said the pilgrimage is not a march and would avoid politics. “That message of unity and peace and just focus on Christ is paramount,” he said.The idea for these pilgrimages sprang from deliberations among U.S. bishops.Their 2021 document, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church,” arose amid debate over whether bishops should withhold Communion from Catholic politicians who supported abortion rights. The document ultimately did not directly address that, though it called on Catholics to examine whether they align with church teachings and said bishops have a “special responsibility” to respond to "public actions at variance with the visible Communion of the church and the moral law.”At the same time, the document reflected bishops’ worries that many Catholics don’t know or accept the church’s teachings about the significance of the sacrament, though surveys have given mixed results on that question.Timothy Kelly, professor of history at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, said it's an open question how many participants the pilgrimage will draw. His 2009 book, “The Transformation of American Catholicism," documents the rise and decline of stadium-sized devotional activities such as Eucharistic adoration in 20th century Pittsburgh.Many early 20th century Catholics were from immigrant communities, and they often gathered at times of flood, war or other crises. “A lot of times in the older demonstrations, the message seemed to be outward toward the broader community — the Catholics bearing witness to their presence and their faith, but also saying, ‘We’re here and we matter.’”But participation began dropping sharply by the 1950s. “What happened was the laity stopped being interested in it,” Kelly said.The Eucharistic pilgrimage, he said, appears to be attracting the most interest in Catholic media sympathetic with other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-church-shift-orthodoxy-tradition-7638fa2013a593f8cb07483ffc8ed487">efforts to revive older traditions</a>, such as the Latin Mass.“Which makes me curious, how well does this resonate within the broader Catholic community?” he said.

Series of Catholic pilgrimages has begun across the United States

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a registered Kansas offender on new alleged violations.

Just before 9a.m. May 15,&nbsp;the Osage County Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotic search warrant in the 1200 block of Laing Street in Osage City, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

Shawna M. Valentine, 41, of Osage City was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility requested charges of&nbsp;Distribution of methamphetamine, Distribution of drug paraphernalia and Unlawful distribution of controlled substances using a communication facility.

She has previous convictions for heroin distribution and for violating the registered offender act. She has been listed as a registered drug offender since since September of 2016, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715622949041.png" alt="Valentine-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Valentine-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a registered Kansas offender on new alleged violations.Just before 9a.m. May 15,&nbsp;the Osage County Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotic search warrant in the 1200 block of Laing Street in Osage City, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.Shawna M. Valentine, 41, of Osage City was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility requested charges of&nbsp;Distribution of methamphetamine, Distribution of drug paraphernalia and Unlawful distribution of controlled substances using a communication facility.She has previous convictions for heroin distribution and for violating the registered offender act. She has been listed as a registered drug offender since since September of 2016, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Registered Kansas offender caught selling  methamphetamine

TOPEKA —On Tuesday, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced a lawsuit against the Biden administration and their new interpretation of Title IX. 

"This new interpretation poses numerous issues, and in the eyes of constitutional law, it is outright illegal," Kobach wrote on social media.

&nbsp;The new regulation seeks to clarify Title IX, a landmark 1972 sex discrimination law originally passed to address women’s rights and applied to schools and colleges receiving federal money. The rules spell out that Title IX bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, too.

The Biden administration’s new rules broadly protect against discrimination based on sex, but they don’t offer guidance around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-athletes-sports-ban-2f6cf412d306e73e68efa2377fb5081a">transgender athletes</a>. Most of the states challenging the regulation have laws restricting what teams transgender athletes can play on.

Lawsuits also have been filed in federal courts in Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota , Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Kentucky.&nbsp;

TOPEKA —On Tuesday, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced a lawsuit against the Biden administration and their new interpretation of Title IX. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">ICYMI: On Tuesday, my office announced a lawsuit against the current administration and their new interpretation of Title IX. This new interpretation poses numerous issues, and in the eyes of constitutional law, it is outright illegal. <a href="https://t.co/K0WkAZIOvg">pic.twitter.com/K0WkAZIOvg</a>&mdash; Kansas AG&#39;s Office (@KSAGOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSAGOffice/status/1791113954925670558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"This new interpretation poses numerous issues, and in the eyes of constitutional law, it is outright illegal," Kobach wrote on social media.&nbsp;The new regulation seeks to clarify Title IX, a landmark 1972 sex discrimination law originally passed to address women’s rights and applied to schools and colleges receiving federal money. The rules spell out that Title IX bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, too.The Biden administration’s new rules broadly protect against discrimination based on sex, but they don’t offer guidance around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-athletes-sports-ban-2f6cf412d306e73e68efa2377fb5081a">transgender athletes</a>. Most of the states challenging the regulation have laws restricting what teams transgender athletes can play on.Lawsuits also have been filed in federal courts in Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota , Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Kentucky.&nbsp;

🎥Kansas AG on lawsuit against Biden's new Title IX rules

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/aj-dome/">AJ DOME</a>&nbsp;Kansas Reflector

MANHATTAN — The number of tornadoes in Kansas to date has surpassed last year’s amount.

So far, 40 tornadoes have touched down in the state. For 2023, a total of 39 tornadoes were reported across Kansas.

Kansas State University assistant state climatologist Matt Sittel wrote in his April climate summary that 37 tornadoes were reported that month across the state. In his May 1-7 summary, Sittel said three more tornadoes were reported in the first week of this month.

A tornado was reported in Kearny County in southwest Kansas on May 3. Two more tornadoes were noted on May 6, one in Riley County and one in Chautauqua County. No injuries were reported with those three twisters.

Sittel said April was an “active month” for severe weather, with a total of 37 tornado reports, 14 of those on April 27.

The strongest tornado to strike Kansas so far this year was April 30 in Westmoreland. The Pottawatomie County community was hit by an EF-3 tornado, with winds estimated at 140 mph. Ann Miller, 58, died when her home was destroyed by the storm. She was a lifelong Pottawatomie County resident and long-time employee of the county health department.

The Westmoreland twister destroyed 22 homes and damaged several other structures, including the Pottawatomie County noxious weed building and two of the county public works department’s three-sided sheds. Recycling in Pottawatomie County was suspended because of storm damage, and most of the county’s chemical sprayers were mangled. The chemicals themselves were spared. Additionally, the extension office building lost some windows and part of its roof, and at least 30 county vehicles were damaged.

Westmoreland city officials said they were working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Small Business Association and insurance companies to determine a loss total from the April 30 storm. City council president Wade Purvis said during a May 9 meeting that the cleanup stage is “essentially over” and the recovery phase is underway.

Sittel said other modes of severe weather were observed in April, including a report of a three-inch hailstone April 25 in Sherman County. In total, 104 hail reports were tallied for the month, including 32 on April 25.

Two days later saw the highest number of high wind reports at 24. The fastest wind gust happened on April 18, when an anemometer recorded an 87 mph gust in Saint Marys.

For the first week of May, 74 reports of hail greater than one inch were tallied. Three-inch-sized hailstones fell on both May 1 and May 6. The largest stone measured 4.5 inches and fell in Gove County on May 1. The highest wind gust was also measured on May 1. A Kansas Mesonet instrument tower five miles north of Plainville in Rooks County recorded an 83 mph gust. No damage was reported with the peak gust.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service office in Dodge City are forecasting the potential for scattered thunderstorms across the southwestern portion of the state through the end of the week. Temperatures may also rise to 90 degrees across parts of Kansas on Monday because of increased moisture in the region.

NWS Dodge City scientists wrote in their forecast discussion Tuesday that next week is the “stormiest time of year climatologically” for central and southwest Kansas. The last 10 days of May are traditionally the peak of the severe weather season, which can extend into June.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715990328092.png" alt=" Storm chasers watch rotating clouds hovering over Gove and Ness counties May 1 in western Kansas. This year’s number of tornadoes in the state is now at 40. (AJ Dome)" />
 <figcaption> Storm chasers watch rotating clouds hovering over Gove and Ness counties May 1 in western Kansas. This year’s number of tornadoes in the state is now at 40. (AJ Dome)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/aj-dome/">AJ DOME</a>&nbsp;Kansas ReflectorMANHATTAN — The number of tornadoes in Kansas to date has surpassed last year’s amount.So far, 40 tornadoes have touched down in the state. For 2023, a total of 39 tornadoes were reported across Kansas.Kansas State University assistant state climatologist Matt Sittel wrote in his April climate summary that 37 tornadoes were reported that month across the state. In his May 1-7 summary, Sittel said three more tornadoes were reported in the first week of this month.A tornado was reported in Kearny County in southwest Kansas on May 3. Two more tornadoes were noted on May 6, one in Riley County and one in Chautauqua County. No injuries were reported with those three twisters.Sittel said April was an “active month” for severe weather, with a total of 37 tornado reports, 14 of those on April 27.The strongest tornado to strike Kansas so far this year was April 30 in Westmoreland. The Pottawatomie County community was hit by an EF-3 tornado, with winds estimated at 140 mph. Ann Miller, 58, died when her home was destroyed by the storm. She was a lifelong Pottawatomie County resident and long-time employee of the county health department.The Westmoreland twister destroyed 22 homes and damaged several other structures, including the Pottawatomie County noxious weed building and two of the county public works department’s three-sided sheds. Recycling in Pottawatomie County was suspended because of storm damage, and most of the county’s chemical sprayers were mangled. The chemicals themselves were spared. Additionally, the extension office building lost some windows and part of its roof, and at least 30 county vehicles were damaged.Westmoreland city officials said they were working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Small Business Association and insurance companies to determine a loss total from the April 30 storm. City council president Wade Purvis said during a May 9 meeting that the cleanup stage is “essentially over” and the recovery phase is underway.Sittel said other modes of severe weather were observed in April, including a report of a three-inch hailstone April 25 in Sherman County. In total, 104 hail reports were tallied for the month, including 32 on April 25.Two days later saw the highest number of high wind reports at 24. The fastest wind gust happened on April 18, when an anemometer recorded an 87 mph gust in Saint Marys.For the first week of May, 74 reports of hail greater than one inch were tallied. Three-inch-sized hailstones fell on both May 1 and May 6. The largest stone measured 4.5 inches and fell in Gove County on May 1. The highest wind gust was also measured on May 1. A Kansas Mesonet instrument tower five miles north of Plainville in Rooks County recorded an 83 mph gust. No damage was reported with the peak gust.Meteorologists with the National Weather Service office in Dodge City are forecasting the potential for scattered thunderstorms across the southwestern portion of the state through the end of the week. Temperatures may also rise to 90 degrees across parts of Kansas on Monday because of increased moisture in the region.NWS Dodge City scientists wrote in their forecast discussion Tuesday that next week is the “stormiest time of year climatologically” for central and southwest Kansas. The last 10 days of May are traditionally the peak of the severe weather season, which can extend into June.

Kansas tornado count of 40 this year surpasses 2023 total

OSBORNE COUNTY —A Kansas pilot avoided injury in an accident that occurred just before 9p.m. Saturday in Osborne County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1991 Air Tractor crop sprayer piloted by Garrett Handley, 24,&nbsp; Palco, lost power at west 230th drive just off U.S. 281 ten miles South of Osborne.

As the pilot attempted an emergency landing the wing struck a tree branch causing the aircraft to spin into the north ditch and&nbsp; strike a second tree.

Handley was not injured.&nbsp; The cause of the crash is remains under investigation.

OSBORNE COUNTY —A Kansas pilot avoided injury in an accident that occurred just before 9p.m. Saturday in Osborne County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1991 Air Tractor crop sprayer piloted by Garrett Handley, 24,&nbsp; Palco, lost power at west 230th drive just off U.S. 281 ten miles South of Osborne.As the pilot attempted an emergency landing the wing struck a tree branch causing the aircraft to spin into the north ditch and&nbsp; strike a second tree.Handley was not injured.&nbsp; The cause of the crash is remains under investigation.

Kan. crop sprayer makes emergency landing, strikes trees

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;hit an oil tanker in the Red Sea with a ballistic missile early Saturday, damaging the Panama-flagged, Greek-owned vessel in their latest assault over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip</a>, officials said.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;hit an oil tanker in the Red Sea with a ballistic missile early Saturday, damaging the Panama-flagged, Greek-owned vessel in their latest assault over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip</a>, officials said.Though the Houthis did not immediately claim the assault, it comes as they claimed to have shot down another U.S. military’s MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen and have launched other attacks on shipping, disrupting trade on a key maritime route leading to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.The attack around 1 a.m. struck the oil tanker Wind, which recently docked in Russia and was bound for China, the U.S. military’s Central Command said. Both China and Russia maintain ties over military equipment and oil to Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor.The missile strike “caused flooding which resulted in the of loss propulsion and steering,” Central Command said on the social platform X. “The crew of M/T Wind was able to restore propulsion and steering, and no casualties were reported. M/T Wind resumed its course under its own power.”The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center and the private security firm Ambrey similarly acknowledged the attack earlier Saturday. Ambrey said it caused a fire aboard the Wind.It can take the Houthis hours — or even days — to claim their attacks.The Houthis have launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, demanding Israel ends the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.The Houthis have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebel-attack-israel-hamas-war-bf077f026a9f177ec87f4131d695cafc">launched more than 50 attacks</a>&nbsp;on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration.Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden still remains low because of the threat, however.The Houthis claimed that they shot down the Reaper on Thursday with a surface-to-air missile. They described the drone as “carrying out hostile actions” in Yemen’s Marib province, which remains held by allies of Yemen’s exiled, internationally recognized government.Since the Houthis seized the country’s north and its capital, Sanaa, in 2014, the U.S. military has previously lost at least five drones to the rebels.Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land.