Kansas State Department of Education

The Kansas State Board of Education has approved new cut scores for state assessments, reaffirming the state’s commitment to maintaining high academic expectations while ensuring a more accurate and fair measure of student achievement.

Kansas introduced a new assessment in 2025, and as is standard practice, cut scores were developed accordingly. 

Kansas educators coming together to set cut scores also afforded an opportunity to address what multiple measures have shown to be a long-standing misalignment between assessment scores and actual student performance.

Through an in-depth study comparing individual state assessment results with ACT scores, AP coursework, dual credit, graduation rates and postsecondary outcomes, educators found that previous performance levels did not accurately reflect student readiness.

“This process is about accuracy, fairness and alignment, not lowering expectations,” said Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson. “Kansas educators led this process, using their professional expertise and data to set cut scores that reflect what our students truly know and can do.”

The new cut scores provide a more precise, transparent and evidence-based measure of achievement.

Cut scores are specific points on a test’s scoring scale that separate different levels of student performance. They determine the minimum score a student must achieve to be placed into a particular performance category – Limited, Basic, Proficient, Advanced.&nbsp;

2025 State Assessment Performance Level Descriptors:

Kansas State Board of Education approves new state assessment cut scores

Kansas Wesleyan is proud to announce the selection of a trio of new members to the university’s Board of Trustees. Judge Angela (Angie) Coble ’94, Bob Meyer ’73 and Teresa (Teri) Schultz ’88 began stints on the board this past month.

“These three distinguished alumni each brings gifts, talents and experiences that will help set the direction of KWU,” said Dr. Matt Thompson, KWU president. “I look forward to working with them to shape our university and the future for the students we serve.”

Angela (Angie) Coble ’94 (Salina, Kan.)&nbsp;is a judge of the Kansas Court of Appeals in Topeka but maintains her residence in Salina. After growing up in western Kansas and graduating from Stockton High School, she earned her bachelor's degree at KWU with a degree in Criminal Justice, receiving the KWU Student Hall of Fame award in 1994. She later earned her law degree from Washburn University School of Law and practiced at a local law firm before spending a decade as a research attorney for two federal judges in Wichita. She was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Gov. Laura Kelly and confirmed by the Kansas Senate to her position in 2022. Coble has served the Salina community in numerous ways, as a volunteer at local schools, church and the Smoky Hill River Festival, and on the boards of organizations such as Salina Emergency Aid/Food Bank, Salina Airport Authority, and more than a decade at Salina Family Healthcare.

Bob Meyer ’73 (Olathe, Kan.)&nbsp;is a longtime leader of the KWU Foundation who recently completed eight years on that board, including a term as chair. Meyer worked alongside KWU leadership to foster continued improvements in the KWU endowment, which is now approaching $50 million. He spent 10 years utilizing his KWU Chemistry degree, working for an environmental laboratory in Salina. He transitioned to financial advising in 1984 and has continued in that career since. In addition to his work with KWU, Meyer has served in various leadership roles in his church and with other charitable organizations. Meyer’s late wife, Karen, attended KWU. They are proud of their long connection to the university.

Teresa (Teri) Schultz ’88 (Lawrence, Kan.)&nbsp;is a patent attorney currently serving as director of licensing for the University of Kansas Center for Technology Commercialization, supporting all of KU, including the KU Medical Center. In addition to more than 12 years of experience in academic technology transfer, Schultz worked in the legal department of a pharmaceutical company for 12 years, advising the company with respect to intellectual property matters, licensing and acquisitions.&nbsp; Teri obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from Kansas Wesleyan, a M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Arizona, and a J.D. from Washburn University School of Law. Numerous family members, including both parents, are alumni of KWU, and she is related to Henry M. Mayo, the first graduate of Kansas Wesleyan (1887), through her grandmother’s side of the family.

Former Kansas Gov. William “Bill” Graves ’76 and Jerry Norton ’59 were selected as trustee emeritus members of the board.

For more information on Kansas Wesleyan, please visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kwu.edu/news">www.kwu.edu/news</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KWU announces newest members of Board of Trustees

ABILENE - Roxie Yonkey, a best-selling author from Goodland, will discuss her newest book "Historic Kansas Roadsides," at the&nbsp;Abilene Public Library&nbsp; (209 NW 4th St.) at 6:30 pm on Thursday, August 21.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Historic Kansas Roadsides" outlines a dozen Kansas road trips. Yonkey will have all her Kansas books available for purchase.&nbsp;

Usually, Yonkey begins presentations by leading "Home on the Range," the Kansas state song. She will then highlight several topics from Historic Kansas Roadsides relating to Abilene, Dickinson County and surrounding counties.

Historic Kansas Roadsides&nbsp;is Yonkey's fifth published book. She wrote the bestseller "100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die," "Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure" and the Kansas sections of&nbsp;Midwest Road Trip Adventures&nbsp;and&nbsp;Midwest State Park Adventures. 

Yonkey has written about Kansas for more than 35 years and has amassed numerous awards.

Best-selling author from Goodland to discuss Kansas road trips at Abilene library 

Volga German Sesquicentennial Action Committee

HAYS/ELLIS COUNTY — The <a href="https://ourpeopleourhome.org/">Volga German Sesquicentennial Action Committee</a> is calling on the community of Ellis County to help preserve Ellis County’s rich Volga German heritage by submitting historical photographs, documents and personal stories for a forthcoming 2026 commemorative publication.

The committee is gathering high-quality images and narratives that showcase all aspects of Volga German immigrant life, from the settlers’ arrival in the 1870s to the present day.

Organizers say contributions will celebrate 150 years of Volga German influence in the region, marking the official sesquicentennial of their arrival in western Kansas in 1876.

The public submissions can cover a broad range of subjects: 

People and family life, historic buildings and churches, cultural traditions, the German dialect spoken by descendants, recipes and foods or any other facet of Volga German life.

Personal stories and recollections are welcome in either first-person accounts or third-person narratives.

“We want to ensure this anniversary is celebrated not just with dates and facts, but with the voices and images of the families who built our communities,” said Amanda Rupp, executive director of the Ellis County Historical Society. “Preserving these family photos and stories is vital to understanding who we are as a community. It’s about capturing the everyday lives and traditions of the Volga German families that made this area their home.”

Submissions are being accepted through the project website, <a href="http://OurPeopleOurHome.org">OurPeopleOurHome.org</a> which was created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Volga Germans arrival in Ellis County.

The site’s Submission Center allows users to upload images, videos or written stories and contributors are asked to include captions or descriptions for any photographs.

Submissions will be considered for use online, on social media and in the upcoming published book.

James Bell, publications chair for the Sesquicentennial Action Committee, said that materials from beyond Ellis County are welcome as well.

“We know the region’s Volga German story extends beyond Ellis County’s borders,” Bell said. “If families in surrounding counties have a shared heritage, we encourage them to contribute their stories and photos too. The more perspectives we include, the richer this collection will be.”

For those who have old prints, slides or artifacts that aren’t yet digitized, the committee is offering scanning assistance.&nbsp;Individuals with physical photographs, letters or other documents can contact organizers via the website to arrange use of scanning equipment or other help in converting items to a digital format.

“If you have a box of old photographs or letters in the attic, we want to help you share those,” Bell said. “We have resources to safely scan and digitize these treasures so they can be part of this preservation effort. Every family keepsake has the potential to tell a story.”

Organizers emphasized that all submitted materials should be original (or submitted with permission of the owner) so that the content can be published without legal issues.

Contributors will retain ownership of their originals; the committee requests only the right to include the material in the sesquicentennial project.

The 150th anniversary celebrations are expected to span throughout 2026, honoring the legacy of the Volga German settlers who first arrived in Ellis County in 1876.

Ellis County became a hub for these immigrants in the late 1870s, when German families who had previously settled in Russia’s Volga River region came to the United States seeking new opportunities.

They established a number of local villages, such as Liebenthal, Catherine, Herzog (now Victoria) and others, that still cherish their Volga German roots.

The upcoming sesquicentennial festivities will highlight this heritage through exhibits, cultural demonstrations and gatherings of descendants.

A calendar of events for 2026 is being developed and will be published on <a href="http://OurPeopleOurHome.org">OurPeopleOurHome.org</a> website as plans are finalized.

The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia has again chosen Hays, KS to host its national conference in 2026, reflecting the area’s importance as a center of Volga German history.

The publication and events are an initiative of the Sesquicentennial Action Committee to engage the public in celebrating 150 years of Volga German contributions to the area.

Rupp said the success of the project depends on broad community participation.

“This project is truly about community collaboration,” she said. “Every photo album or family tale that gets shared brings us one step closer to preserving our history for the next generation.”

Community members can upload their materials via the Submit Materials page at <a href="https://ourpeopleourhome.org/">OurPeopleOurHome.org</a>.

Those needing assistance or more information may reach out through the site’s "Contact Us" form or call the Ellis County Historical Society.

The committee encourages early submissions as the commemorative publication will be compiled over the coming months in preparation for the 2026 festivities.

By contributing to <a href="https://ourpeopleourhome.org/">OurPeopleOurHome.org</a> local families can help paint a vibrant picture of Volga German life in Ellis County and ensure that our home and our people are remembered for generations to come.

For questions or more information email: ourpeople150yearsourhome@gmail.com.

Action Committee calling Ellis County members to support its rich history of Volga German heritage

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

On August 14, deputies with the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ryan Matthew Roth, 38, of Enterprise, Kansas on a warrant for aggravated internet trading in child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In April, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation after receiving tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.&nbsp; During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at a residence in the 500 Block of Court Street, Enterprise, Kansas. &nbsp;Additional search warrants were executed and the warrant was then issued for the arrest of Roth.&nbsp; Roth is being held on a $250,000 bond in the Dickinson County Detention Facility, according to online jail records.

Kansas man accused of trading child porn online

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Failure to appear

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;DUI; 3rd conv.; incapable of safely driving; Driving While Suspended; Duty of driver to report; Unattended veh./prop.;unkn.; Improper driving on laned roadway; No Proof Of Insurance; Transporting an open container

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Aggravated robbery; dangerous weapon; Agg. assault; w/ deadly weapon; Agg. battery; Knowingly use deadly weapon; Aggravated burglary; Dwelling for felony, theft, domestic violence, or sexually motivated crime; Crim. poss. weapon by a convicted felon

REQUESTED CHARGE: Failure to appear

NAME:&nbsp;Miller, Anthony Tramane

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Probation Violation

Saline County Jail Bookings, August 16

Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information (LMI) division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.8% in July. This is unchanged from 3.8% in June and an increase from 3.7% in July 2024. The labor force participation rate for Kansas decreased to 66.9% in July.

The unemployment rate in Saline County is up slightly from 3.6 percent in June to 3.8 percent in July. The rate in Dickinson County continues to climb from 3.7 percent in May to 4.3 percent in July.

Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 4,300 from June. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs increased by 700 over the month, while government decreased by 5,000. The largest job gains in the private sector were in trade, transportation and utilities (+1,300 jobs). The largest decrease was in leisure and hospitality&nbsp;(-900 jobs).

Since July 2024 Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 3,300. This change is due to an increase of 5,100 private sector jobs and a decrease of 1,800 government jobs.

Jobless rate up slightly in Saline County, across the region

Salina Family Healthcare Center (SFHC) is proud to announce a $1 million leadership gift from Salina Regional Health Center and the Salina Regional Health Foundation’s, Community Health Investment Program (CHIP) to the Healthy Salina, Healthy Kansas campaign. 

The contribution supports the construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility that will expand access to care for underserved populations in Salina and strengthen health services across rural Kansas.

CHIP provides grants to organizations that, like the hospital, are working to improve the health of people in north central Kansas. The Foundation established the program in 1995 and has since awarded more than $16 million in grants to area community organizations.

This major investment reflects a shared vision between two anchor healthcare institutions dedicated to improving the health and well-being of North Central Kansas communities.

“Salina Family and Salina Regional are vital partners within the health ecosystem of north central Kansas. When one grows stronger, the entire region benefits,” said Joel Phelps, President and CEO of Salina Regional Health Center. “This investment represents our commitment to a more resilient, collaborative healthcare network.”

The new facility will dramatically increase SFHC’s capacity to deliver integrated services—including medical, dental, behavioral health, vision care, and pharmacy—and further deepen its collaboration with Salina Regional through the Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency Program. 

This nationally recognized program provides physician training at SFHC, with clinical rotations at Salina Regional and other local sites. Many Smoky Hill graduates go on to serve in central and western Kansas, helping to address critical rural healthcare workforce shortages.

“The residency program is a win-win,” said Dr. Robert Kraft, CEO of SFHC. “It provides aspiring physicians with exceptional hands-on training and delivers immediate value to Salina Regional and other area healthcare providers. It’s one of the most sustainable solutions we have for growing our rural workforce.”

The Healthy Salina, Healthy Kansas campaign is part of a $55 million plan to build a modern, integrated healthcare center at 1001 Edison Place. Once completed, the facility will serve thousands more patients annually and enhance the region’s healthcare infrastructure for generations to come.

With nearly 40% of the campaign’s $10 million local fundraising goal already committed, early gifts and enthusiastic community support have built strong momentum.

Salina Family Healthcare Center welcomes individuals, businesses and foundations to join Salina Regional in making this transformative investment in community health a reality.

To learn more, schedule a tour, or get involved, please contact Maddie Chandler at fundraising@salinahealth.org.

Salina Family Healthcare Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center providing high-quality, affordable healthcare services to residents of Salina and rural Kansas. With integrated services and a commitment to health equity, SFHC also trains future providers through the Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency Program. <a href="https://salinahealth.org/">https://salinahealth.org/</a>

Salina Regional Health Center is a full-service acute care hospital dedicated to delivering outstanding health care quality and patient outcomes across north central Kansas and beyond. Affiliated with three Critical Access Hospitals located in Abilene, Concordia, and Lindsborg, Salina Regional forms the cornerstone of an integrated health system that includes more than 20 primary care and specialty clinics that provide outreach services in communities across the area. With a team of more than 2,550 skilled professionals – equipped with the latest medical technology – the system stands at the forefront of healthcare in the region providing a continuum of medical care and advanced, lifesaving services. <a href="https://www.srhc.com/">https://www.srhc.com/</a>

SFHC receives $1 million grant for new integrated healthcare center

The Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition (KBC), with support from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, awarded over $9,000 in educational scholarships to support individuals by providing lactation support in their communities.

In Kansas, nearly 90% of families choose to breastfeed. Yet, breastfeeding rates amongst communities of color and rural communities are lower than the state average.

The KBC is committed to addressing racial and geographic inequities in breastfeeding by identifying and supporting breastfeeding advocates in new and innovative ways. 

In alignment with this goal, the KBC is pleased to award $9,500 in scholarships to support 11 aspiring lactation support providers in Atchison (1), Garden City (1), Hays (1), Hutchinson (1), Kansas City (1), Lawrence (2), Salina (1), Topeka (1) and Wichita (2).

These recipients provided written statements sharing their vision and passion for helping diverse families. They were selected by the review committee for their commitment to supporting their communities by pursuing further education in the lactation field.

“Breastfeeding is important for the health and well-being of both the parent and the child. We are excited to work with these individuals to build a diverse lactation support workforce so families in Kansas can receive culturally congruent care,” said Stephanne Rupnicki, Chair of the KBC Board of Directors and Co-Founder of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Breastfeeding Coalition.

The KBC will continue to support these scholarship recipients in the pursuit of their goals. The KBC hopes to find more ways to contribute to equity in breastfeeding for all Kansans.

If you’d like more information about this topic or would like to schedule an interview with Brenda Bandy, KBC Executive Director, call:&nbsp;(785) 477-4666 or email: bbandy@ksbreastfeeding.org

The Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition is a non-profit organization that works collaboratively to promote, support, and protect breastfeeding to improve the health and well-being of Kansas families.

KBC awards over $9,000 in scholarships for lactation support to surrounding communities

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;DUI; 4th or subsequent conv.; drugs and alcohol

*No image available for&nbsp;Cole, Ethan Lane*

NAME:&nbsp;Greer, Annie Laura Love

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Probation Violation; Interf. w/LEO; obstr./resist/oppose felony warrant

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;DUI; 2nd conv.; comp. evidence of blood/breath .08+

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Use/poss. drug paraphernalia/human body; Lewd and lascivious; Exposing to person &lt;16; Poss. of marijuana

Saline County Jail Bookings, August 15

TOPEKA&nbsp; – Juan Doroteo Morales, 38, will serve life in prison for the 2021 murder of Camilo Ramirez, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced on Friday.

Saline County District Court Judge Jacob Peterson sentenced Morales on Friday.&nbsp; In May, a Saline County jury convicted Morales for first-degree, premediated murder, aggravated assault, and criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

On Aug. 23, 2021, Salina police officers responded to a 911 call of a man shot at the intersection of Iron and Front streets in Salina. First responders found Ramirez, 25, unconscious with a bullet wound to the head. They initiated live-saving measures and transported Ramirez to the hospital, where Ramirez succumbed to his injuries the following day. Investigators learned that Morales and three other individuals, Jamie Leos, Jacob Leos and Kiera Stewart, lured Ramirez to a laundromat in Salina. &nbsp;

When Ramirez and his dog walked to the meeting place near the intersection of Iron and Front Street, the four defendants – Morales, Jamie Leos, Jacob Leos and Kiera Stewart – arrived via car. Morales and Jacob exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots at Ramirez. After the shooting, the pair got back in the car and were driven away by Jamie. Ramirez’s dog was also killed in the shooting.

Stewart entered guilty pleas to second-degree intentional murder, attempted aggravated robbery, and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery on Oct. 18, 2022. Stewart testified during Morales’s trial. &nbsp;On May 16, 2025, she was sentenced to serve 187 months in prison. &nbsp;Jaime Leos entered guilty pleas to voluntary manslaughter and conspiracy to commit murder in the second degree on July 29. &nbsp;

On May 16, 2025, he was sentenced to prison for 287 months. &nbsp;Jacob Leos entered guilty pleas to intentional murder in the second degree, conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, and aggravated assault on May 2. &nbsp;On May 20, 2025, Jacob was sentenced to serve 284 months in prison. &nbsp;The Salina Police Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Life in prison for Salina man who lured victim to his death

High temperatures and breezy winds are expected to occur throughout Central Kansas this weekend and into Monday, August 18.&nbsp;

According to the US National Weather Service (Wichita, KS), heat indices are expected to reach as high as 105 in Central Kansas this weekend. Breezy conditions are anticipated to occur as well.

Hot and dry weather will remain through the weekend before chances rain return moving into next week on Monday.

Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.

For the latest forecast updates, visit the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

High temps returning this weekend with breezy conditions, rain expected on Monday  

<a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 15 - August 17

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 13 - August 15

After isolated scattered storms until Wednesday, heat indices are expected to reach back up to the 100's from Thursday and into the weekend in Central Kansas.

According to the US National Weather Service, isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms will remain possible areawide on Tuesday and over southeast Kansas till Wednesday. 

A return to triple digit heat indices is expected by Thursday and persisting through at least the weekend.

Central Kansas Weather Forecast: August 12 - August 16

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 11 - August 13

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 8 - August 10

Temperatures are ramping back up after a dropdown last week in Central Kansas.

According the US National Weather Service (Wichita, KS), heat indices throughout the Central Kansas region are expected to reach over 100 degrees. 

Areas such as Salina, Russell, Hutchinson, Wichita, Harper and Winfield are under a heat advisory for Thursday, August 7 and Friday, August 8. 

Additional areas include Emporia, Eureka, Chanute and Coffeyville for Friday

US National Weather Service (Wichita, KS) advises everyone to take precaution during these times.

Temperatures ramping back up in Central Kansas with heat indices over 100

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 6 - August 8

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 4 - August 6

Three day weather forecast Salina, August 1 - August 3

KANSAS CITY —Police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run incident &nbsp;that occurred just after 10p.m. Saturday in Kansas City.

According to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a silver Toyota Camry was &nbsp;westbound on Independence Avenue at a high rate of speed. A pedestrian was crossing Independence Avenue at Monroe from south to north in a marked crosswalk with a red traffic control signal. 

The Toyota driver failed to stop for the red traffic control signal and struck the pedestrian.

The Toyota then ran over the pedestrian and fled the scene without stopping. EMS transported the pedestrian to local hospital with life-threatening injuries and they were later &nbsp;pronounced deceased by hospital staff. 

This is Fatality #47 compared to #59 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez. Police did not release the name of the victim.

Hit-and-run: Pedestrian killed walking in marked KC crosswalk 

NEW YORK (AP) — Target and Ulta Beauty are parting ways, ending a partnership launched in 2021 that created in-store shops filled with beauty products at hundreds of the discounter's stores.

According to a joint release issued Thursday, &nbsp;the companies said they have “mutually agreed" not to renew their pact, which concludes in August 2026. Until then, the Ulta Beauty experience at Target will continue in Target stores and on Target.com, the release said.

Ulta is currently in 600 of Target's roughly 1,980 stores, according to a Target spokesperson.

“For 35 years, Ulta Beauty has revolutionized how people experience beauty — bringing together an unmatched assortment from mass to luxury — and our partnership with Target was one of many unique ways we have brought the power of beauty to guests nationwide,” said Amiee Bayer-Thomas, chief retail officer of Ulta Beauty, in a statement.

Rick Gomez, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Target, said in a statement he was committed to "offering the beauty experience consumers have come to expect from Target.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/ulta-to-open-beauty-shops-at-100-target-stores-in-2021-716c3c9d37e90778909b668ea49eeb49">The partnership was announced in 2020</a>&nbsp;and came as the coronavirus pandemic upended shopping habits and more people tried to minimize potential exposure to the virus through one-stop shopping. COVID had dampened sales of lipstick as people wore masks, but the skincare business enjoyed stronger sales.

The shops are about 1,000 square feet and carry makeup, skincare, and fragrance and operated beside existing beauty sections in Target stores. The deal was a way for both Target and Ulta to increase their customer base.

“It’s a combination of two winning retailers that have great momentum in the market that can redefine the category,” Target CEO Brian Cornell told The Associated Press back in 2020.

The announcement comes as Target is struggling to regain its footing with its shoppers who are pulling back on discretionary items and are shopping at other rivals that they believe to be lower price or offer better merchandise.

Target is slated to report its fiscal second-quarter results on Wednesday.

Target is also expected to announce a succession plan for a new CEO to replace president and CEO Brian Cornell, who took the helm in 2014.

Target and Ulta announce end of partnership launched in 2021

VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Leo XIV&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-digital-influencer-leo-7be275fe3bdee00075d650f7a2448726">surprised tens of thousands</a>&nbsp;of young people at a recent Holy Year celebration with an impromptu popemobile romp around St. Peter’s Square, it almost seemed as if some of the informal spontaneity that characterized Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy had returned to the Vatican.

But the message Leo delivered that night was all his own: In seamless English, Spanish and Italian, Leo told the young people that they were the “salt of the Earth, the light of the world.” He urged them to spread their hope, faith in Christ and their cries of peace wherever they go.

As Robert Prevost marks his 100th day as Pope Leo this weekend, the contours of his pontificate have begun to come into relief, primarily where he shows continuity with Francis and where he signals change. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that after 12 sometimes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-pope-francis-vatican-catholic-9e873fd69bf46a25f16a431a0fca6dcd">turbulent years</a>&nbsp;under Francis, a certain calm and reserve have returned to the papacy.

Leo seems eager above all to avoid polemics or making the papacy about himself, and wants instead to focus on Christ and peace.

That seems exactly what many Catholic faithful want, and may respond to what today's church needs.

“He’s been very direct and forthright … but he’s not doing spontaneous press hits,” said Kevin Hughes, chair of theology and religious studies at Leo’s alma mater, Villanova University. Leo has a different style than Francis, and that has brought relief to many, Hughes said in a telephone interview.

“Even those who really loved Pope Francis always kind of held their breath a little bit: You didn’t know what was going to come out next or what he was going to do,” Hughes said.

Leo has certainly gone out of his way in his first 100 days to try to heal divisions that deepened during Francis’ pontificate, offering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-leo-xiv-installation-mass-b210865c4f0ed422ae74702c6eea1a93">messages of unity</a>&nbsp;and avoiding controversy at almost every turn. Even his signature issue — confronting the promise and peril posed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-vision-papacy-artificial-intelligence-36d29e37a11620b594b9b7c0574cc358">artificial intelligence</a>— is something that conservatives and progressives alike agree is important. Francis' emphasis on caring for the environment and migrants often alienated conservatives.

Closer to home, Leo offered the Holy See bureaucracy a reassuring, conciliatory message after Francis’ occasionally authoritarian style rubbed some in the Vatican the wrong way.

“Popes come and go, but the Curia remains,” Leo told Vatican officials soon after his May 8 election.

Continuity with Francis is still undeniable

Leo, though, has cemented Francis’ environmental legacy by celebrating the first-ever&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-green-mass-climate-justice-4a65f5d0897016d654589439032433b3">ecologically inspired Mass.</a>&nbsp;He has furthered that legacy by giving the go-ahead for the Vatican to turn a 430-hectare (1,000-acre) field north of Rome into a vast solar farm that should generate enough electricity to meet Vatican City’s needs and turn it into the world’s first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-green-mass-climate-justice-4a65f5d0897016d654589439032433b3">carbon-neutral state.</a>

He has fine-tuned financial transparency regulations that Francis initiated, tweaked some other decrees to give them consistency and logic, and confirmed Francis in deciding to declare one of the 19th century’s most influential saints,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-honor-doctor-john-henry-newman-vatican-457b952840a1f979db3c6980ecf0e79e">John Henry Newman</a>, a “doctor” of the church.

But he hasn’t granted any sit-down, tell-all interviews or made headline-grabbing, off-the-cuff comments like his predecessor did. He hasn’t made any major appointments, including to fill his old job, or taken any big trips.

In marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki last week, he had a chance to match Francis’ novel declaration that the mere possession of nuclear weapons was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bc54b85007614cd283b3eb23f32ab6a0">“immoral.”</a>&nbsp;But he didn’t.

Compared to President Donald Trump, the other American world leader who took office in 2025 with a flurry of Sharpie-penned executive decrees, Leo has eased into his new job slowly, deliberately and quietly, almost trying not to draw attention to himself.

At 69, he seems to know that he has time on his side, and that after Francis’ revolutionary papacy, the church might need a bit of a breather. One Vatican official who knows Leo said he expects his papacy will have the effect of a “calming rain” on the church.

Maria Isabel Ibarcena Cuarite, a Peruvian member of a Catholic charismatic group, said it was precisely Leo’s quiet emphasis on church traditions, its sacraments and love of Christ, that drew her and upward of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-youth-leo-pope-pilgrims-jubilee-a988921aab57f3cfc05d5213d58b358c">1 million young people</a>&nbsp;to Rome for a special Jubilee week this month.

Ibarcena said Francis had confused young people like herself with his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and approval of blessings for same-sex couples. Such gestures went beyond what a pope was supposed to do and what the church taught, she thought.

Leo, she said, has emphasized that marriage is a sacrament between men and woman. “Francis was ambiguous, but he is firm,” she said.

From his very first appearance on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo has insisted he is first and foremost a “son of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-new-pope-leo-xiv-robert-prevost-order-st-augustine-d803636fad69fe4d4c919181fc5ad5c1">St. Augustine.</a>&nbsp;” It was a reference to the fifth century theological and devotional giant of early Christianity, St. Augustine of Hippo, who inspired the 13th century religious Augustinian order as a community of “mendicant” friars.

Like the other big mendicant orders of the early church — the Franciscans, Dominicans and Carmelites — the Augustinians spread across Christian Europe over the centuries. Today, Augustinian spirituality is rooted in a deep interior life of prayer, living in community, and journeying together in search of truth in God.

In nearly every speech or homily since his May 8 election, Leo has cited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-xiv-vatican-augustine-34a27b6bea9e3d48010acb2fbdad6046">Augustine</a>&nbsp;in one way or another.

“I see a kind of Augustinian flavor in the way that he’s presenting all these things,” said Hughes, the theology professor who is an Augustine scholar.

Leo joined the Augustinians after graduating from Augustinian-run Villanova, outside Philadelphia, and was twice elected its prior general. He has visited the Augustinian headquarters outside St. Peter's a few times since his election, and some wonder if he will invite some brothers to live with him in the Apostolic Palace to recreate the spirit of Augustinian community life there.

A missionary pope in the image of Francis

Leo is also very much a product of the Francis papacy. Francis named Prevost bishop of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/peru-pope-leo-chiclayo-vatican-prevost-0f99859e5749decadade2d24ba7811dd">Chiclayo, Peru,</a>&nbsp;in 2014 and then moved him to head one of the most important Vatican jobs in 2023 — vetting bishop nominations. In retrospect, it seems Francis had his eye on Prevost as a possible successor.

Given&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0d2ce8c37582475bb5065b16caca6c3b">Francis’ stump speech</a>&nbsp;before the 2013 conclave that elected him pope, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio essentially described Prevost in identifying the church's mission today: He said the church was "called to go outside of itself and go to the peripheries, not just geographic but also the existential peripheries.”

Prevost, who hails from Chicago, spent his adult life as a missionary in Peru, eventually becoming bishop of Chiclayo.

“He is the incarnation of the ‘unity of difference,’ because he comes from the center, but he lives in the peripheries,” said Emilce Cuda, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Cuda said during a recent conference hosted by Georgetown University that Leo encapsulated in “word and gesture” the type of missionary church Francis promoted.

That said, for all Leo owes to Bergoglio, the two didn’t necessarily get along.

Prevost has recounted that at one point when he was the Augustinian superior, the then-archbishop of Buenos Aires expressed interest in assigning an Augustinian priest to a specific job in his archdiocese.

“And I, as prior general, said ‘I understand, Your Eminence, but he’s got to do something else’ and so I transferred him somewhere else,” Prevost told parishioners in his home state of Illinois in 2024.

Prevost said he “naively” thought the Francis wouldn’t remember him after his 2013 election, and that regardless “he’ll never appoint me bishop” due to the disagreement.

Bergoglio not only made him bishop, he laid the groundwork for Prevost to succeed him as pope, the first North American pope following the first South American.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

100 days of Pope Leo XIV: A calm papacy that avoids polemics is coming into focus

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a double homicide in Kansas City, Kansas.

Just after 7p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp; 1600 block of Washington Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.

First responders located two men and one woman with gunshot wounds. One man was pronounced dead on at the scene and the other two victims were transported to a local hospital where the second man was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; The woman sustained non-life threatening injuries. 

The suspect fled prior to officers' arrival. Police have not released names of the victims.

Police: 2 men dead, woman wounded in Kansas shooting

A partisan move by Texas to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-election-2026-texas-redistricting-136cfeddc717f9fc69337bd3d39b1819">redraw its congressional maps</a>&nbsp;in an unusually timed effort to secure five more GOP seats in the U.S. House before the 2026 elections has set off a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-redistricting-gerrymandering-texas-democrats-cc0ae7f8e41528fd25a3cb11d86008f2">clamor to replicate</a>&nbsp;the effort in statehouses controlled by both parties.

So far, only California has taken steps toward redistricting.

Changing congressional maps in a bid to ensure one party’s victory over another — called gerrymandering — has typically been done more furtively. But President Donald Trump's call for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-redistricting-congress-california-27ec262acd96e2ec60636c47db1a0b0e">Texas to redraw the maps</a>&nbsp;to better ensure that Republicans retain control of the House has blown the lid off the practice. Trump is trying to avoid losing control of Congress and, with it, prospects for his policy goals in the latter part of his term.

Here is a rundown of what states are doing.

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