During public comment on Monday's City Commission meeting, many residents voiced their opinions and concerns regarding the animal shelter.

Members of the public stated they want <a href="https://www.prairiepaws.org/">Prairie Paws</a>,&nbsp;a private animal shelter with locations in Manhattan, Ottawa and Emporia to have oversight on daily operations.

In a previous interview with CEO of Prairie Paws and former Salina Animal Shelter Director, Vanessa Cowie stated she is not opposed to possibly operating the shelter.&nbsp;

<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/1cd46ca0-51c2-46d7-8c71-c40cdc8f3423">Click here to see the full interview: Prairie Paws CEO discusses formula of success, possible oversight of Salina Animal Shelter</a>

When a private animal shelter operates a city-owned facility, there is a partnership with local government and not a complete takeover.&nbsp;

"We will not force our way into a community," said Cowie. "They have to want it, as much as we want it or it won't succeed and that's true of every relationship."

The City would need to approve that an Request for Proposal (RFP) be published and therefore, Prairie Paws would be given the opportunity to respond.

"There is enough evidence we would respond," Cowie said. "It is a good fit for us and we would be interested in submitting a proposal."

Mayor, Mike Hoppock said there are numerous amounts of options that are available for a partnership, other than Prairie Paws.

"We need to get information and make decisions based on facts and what's out there," Hoppock said.

Hoppock stated a study session about a possible partnership and to review those options, would take place in two weeks from March 9.

Furthermore, Cowie stated the City would need to trust them in operations at the shelter, which is the reason Prairie Paws leases a city-owned facility.

For example, the City of Manhattan hired Prairie Paws to operate their shelter under a contract.

"We don't want our city government to feel forced into an agreement they don't have faith in," said Cowie.

City Manager, Jacob Wood stated Commissioners have not given any direction as to their decision.

"We are not doing anything until the Commission provides direction and they have not provided direction one way or another," said Wood.

Commission to convene on possible change of oversight for animal shelter in coming weeks

SALINE COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 5p.m.&nbsp; Monday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Ford Edge driven by&nbsp;Debra A.&nbsp;Houghton, 71, Tipton, was westbound on West Ash Street approaching North Broadway.. The sunlight blinded the driver causing the SUV to strike a northbound 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by Lorina K..&nbsp;Kuhn, 40, Minneapolis.

EMS transported&nbsp;Houghton to Salina Regional Health Center. Kuhn was not injured. Both driver were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman hospitalized after SUVs collide

One person is hospitalized after several shots were fired at a Salina neighborhood.

According to the Salina Police Department, they are&nbsp;currently investigating the incident which occurred in the 1100 block of W. Republic just before 5:00 pm on Monday.

Several shots were fired during the incident, and one individual suffered non-life threatening injuries who is being treated at Salina Regional Health Center.&nbsp; 

One individual is currently in custody and further details will be provided by SPD.

Investigation ongoing: One person hospitalized after several shots fired at Salina neighborhood

Local government agencies are informing the public about scams that have surfaced amongst the public.

The 28th Judicial District Pretrial Services has received information of scammers making phone calls to family members of those who are incarcerated. The agency will only contact family members if given their information by the person in custody to verify information. 

If the 28th Judicial District Pretrial Services is contacting family, it is to verify information only, and will NOT be asking for payment in any way, shape, or form.

Moreover, the Saline County Treasurer’s Office has been notified of a scam message claiming vehicle tags or plates will be suspended due to unpaid parking tickets. 

This message is fraudulent and NOT legitimate.

The Treasurer’s Office does not send texts or emails threatening suspension for parking tickets, and will never request payment through suspicious links or messages.

Do not click the link or provide personal or payment information.

If you have questions about your vehicle registration, please contact the Saline County Vehicle Registration Office directly at 785-309-5865.

Local government agencies warn public of recent scams 

English-Speaking Union, Kansas City Branch

The Kansas City Branch of the English-Speaking Union is excited to announce the winners of its 42nd annual Shakespeare Competition held on March 1. 

Tristan Jenkins, a senior from Olathe South High School, Olathe, Kansas, won First Place in the ESU Kansas City Branch Shakespeare Competition.

Harper Wright, a senior from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, Overland Park, won Second Place, and Mac Sheforgen, a senior from Salina Central High School, was the Third Place winner. David Tate Hastings and Skyler Smith were sponsoring teachers at Olathe South High School, Kim Spillman was the sponsoring teacher at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, and Barbara Hilt and Alice Hilt sponsored the competition at Salina Central High School.

Prior to the Branch Competition, over 60 students participated in preliminary competitions at nine high schools and one homeschool co-op in the Kansas City Branch's region, which is the entire State of Kansas and western Missouri.

Jenkins impressed the judges with his performance of the character King Richard from a monologue in Shakespeare's play Richard II, and his recitation of one of Shakespeare's sonnets. The ESU will reimburse expenses up to $350 for Jenkins to travel to New York and the ESU Kansas City Branch will reimburse travel expenses of both Jenkins and his parents up to an additional $1,500. As the winner of the Kansas City Branch Competition, Jenkins has also been awarded a full scholarship to Shakespeare Exploration, a summer camp sponsored by the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival.

The Kansas City Branch Competition was held at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library. The judges for the Branch Competition were Sidonie Garrett, Executive Artistic Director of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, who has directed over 20 of Shakespeare's plays; Chioma Anyanwu, who has worked at nearly every theatre in Kansas City as a professional director and actor, including major roles in Shakespeare’s plays; and Mark Robbins, a founding member of the Kansas City Actors Theatre, who has more than 170 professional directing and acting roles to his credit, including title roles in productions of Shakespeare's plays.

From Saturday, April 25 to Monday, April 27, 2026, Branch Champions from across the country will gather in New York City for an unforgettable weekend of inspiration, learning, and performance. The weekend will culminate with the Final Competition at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater.

The 2026 prizes for the National Competition are as follows:

1st Place National Winner: A full scholarship to attend the British American Drama Academy Mid-Summer Conservatory Program at Oxford, England.

2nd Place National Winner: A full scholarship to attend the American Shakespeare Center Theatre Camp in Staunton, VA.

Four previous ESU Kansas City Branch winners have placed in the top-ten finals of the ESU National Shakespeare Competition, two previous Kansas City Branch winners won First Place in the National Competition, one previous winner won Second Place, and one previous winner won Third Place in the National Finals.

The English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition is a performance-based education program in which high school students nationwide read, analyze, perform, and recite Shakespeare’s works. Through the program, students develop communication skills and an appreciation of the power of language and literature. In the Competition’s three progressive levels, students perform in their own schools, at ESU Branch community competitions, and at the National Shakespeare Competition in New York City. Since 1983, more than 400,000 young Americans of all backgrounds have taken advantage of this opportunity to bring the timeless works of Shakespeare to life and learn to express his words with understanding, feeling, and clarity.

Founded in 1920, the English-Speaking Union of the United States is a national membership organization with more than 4,000 members organized in 65 Branches across the country. ESU members and volunteers are the pillars of our educational and cultural programs as they work in their local communities to carry the ESU mission forward. The English-Speaking Union of the United States shares fellowship with more than 50 independent ESUs around the world, including the English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth in London.

For 100 years, the ESU educational and cultural programs have enriched the lives of students, teachers, English language learners and ESU members. 

For additional information about the English-Speaking Union, please visit <a href="https://www.esuus.org/">www.esuus.org</a> or visit<a href="https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/"> www.esuus.org/kansascity</a> for more information about the ESU Kansas City Branch.

Central High School senior wins third in Shakespeare Competition

A Salina man jumps from the third floor of a motel window before arrest.

According to the Salina Police Department (SPD) on Sunday at around 8:00 am, officers went to Value Inn (1640 W Crawford) searching for a male suspect with a warrant out of Saline County for Felony Robbery.

The suspect was in a room on the third floor. When officers approached, an individual in the adjoining room came out and advised them of someone jumping out from their window.

Officers then exited the motel and located the suspect in area with severe injuries he sustained to his legs.

SPD took 43-year old, Mark Marvin into custody and transported him to Salina Regional Health Center for his injuries.

He will be booked into the Saline County Jail for Felony Obstruction and his warrant.

Police: Suspect jumps from third floor of motel before arrest

Law enforcement located an explosive device at Indian Rock Park on Sunday afternoon.

According to the Salina Police Department (SPD) on Sunday at around 3:30 pm, a parent and their child in the area of Indian Rock Park found to what appeared to be a homemade device that had a fuse attached on it and powder residue.

SPD was contacted and officers responded to the scene, securing off the area. The&nbsp;Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit from Riley County arrived to the scene and found the device had been ignited, but failed to explode.

The device was dismantled and therefore rendered neutral.

SPD did not state of any possible suspects at this time.

Law enforcement locate explosive device at Salina park

Following is recent booking activity for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/Sheriff-Office/Online-search/Booking-Activities">Saline County Jail</a>, 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 CHARGES:&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit; Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body; Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant

NAME:&nbsp;Esparza-Perez,Cassandra Chantel

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Defective wipers/obstructed windshield; Ignition interlock device; Operate a car without a required device; No Proof Of Insurance

Saline County Jail Bookings, March 9

A Kansas Senate bill that would eventually eliminate property taxes in the state is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday.

The Kansas Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs will hold a hearing on Senate Bill 488 at 9:30 a.m. on March 10. The measure is titled the Kansas Property Tax Freedom Act of 2026.

The proposal would phase out property taxes over several years. Under the bill, local governments would be limited to 50% of their 2025 mill levy in tax year 2026 and 25% of the 2025 levy in 2027. Beginning in 2028, property taxes on real and personal property would be prohibited under the plan.

To replace lost revenue, the legislation would establish a “Kansas fair share purchase surcharge” beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Purchases of $20 or more would carry a flat $1.60 surcharge, while purchases under $20 would be charged 7.6% of the purchase price.

Revenue from the surcharge would be distributed primarily to local governments and schools, with 48% allocated to school districts and 35% to counties, cities and other local taxing entities. Additional funds would support the state general fund and a reserve fund intended to stabilize revenue and potentially provide taxpayer rebates if the balance exceeds $500 million.

The bill also outlines exemptions from the surcharge, including groceries eligible for SNAP, prescription drugs, motor fuel, utilities, child care services and K-12 tuition.

Even if approved by lawmakers, the plan would only take effect if Kansas voters pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting property taxes during a statewide election.

Kansas 'Property Tax Freedom Act' set for legislative hearing

The Saline County Sheriff's Office has released Salina's Most Wanted list for March 2026.&nbsp;

The current number arrested is&nbsp;3,968.&nbsp;

All photos provided are courtesy of the Saline County Sheriff's Office.&nbsp;All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.&nbsp;

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony FTA / Agg. DV / DV

NAME:&nbsp;Bowser, Greg Lewis&nbsp;

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony / Crim. Threat / DV Batt. / Theft / Intimidation of Witness/Victim

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony / Poss. Opiate / Felon in Poss. Of Weapon / Crim. Use of Weapon x2 / Agg. Weapon Viol. By Felon / Poss. Para.

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony FTA / Poss Opiate

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony / Poss Meth / Poss Para

NAME:&nbsp;Greer, Annie Laura Love

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony PV / Theft x3 / Interfere w/ LEO x2

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony / Att Distribution of Methamphetamine / Paraphernalia / Possess Hydrocodone / Possess Marijuana / Use of cell phone in\ Felony / No drug tax stamp

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony / Forgery / Att. Forgery / Theft / Att. Theft

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony PV / Poss. Opiate

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony / Criminal Threat / DV

NAME:&nbsp;Lopez Ramirez, Jorge Javier

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony PV / Poss. Opiate / DV

NAME:&nbsp;Martinez, Aaliyah Nichole

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony PV / Flee &amp; Elude

NAME:&nbsp;Martinez, Amanda Nicole

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony PV / Poss Opiate

NAME:&nbsp;McMillin, Shane Douglas

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony PV / Flee &amp; Elude x2 / Poss. Opiate

&nbsp;NAME:&nbsp;Owens, Ashley Renee

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony FTA / Poss Opiates

NAME:&nbsp;Peterson, Guage Michaels

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony / Interfere w/ LEO / Theft x2 / FTA x2

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony PV / Poss. Opiate / Interfere w/ LEO

NAME:&nbsp;Stebbins, Christopher Joel

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony PV / Burglary / Theft / Crim. Damage to Property

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Felony / Theft

Saline County Sheriff's Office Most Wanted — March 2026

<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>

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&nbsp;the&nbsp;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>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, March 9 - March 11

Saline County Emergency Management

The National Weather Service in Wichita reports that multiple rounds of thunderstorms are expected to move through Kansas today, with a higher risk of severe weather developing later this afternoon and evening.

A few storms may develop during the morning and early afternoon hours. 

These storms could produce wind gusts up to 50 mph, dime-size hail, and periods of heavy rainfall.

The main concern for Saline County arrives later today. 

Forecasters expect a second round of storms to redevelop across central Kansas during the afternoon and evening before moving southeast through the night. These storms could bring damaging winds up to 70 mph, hail as large as golf balls, heavy rainfall, and the possibility of a strong tornado.

Storms may begin impacting the area after 4 p.m. and could continue into the overnight hours.

Residents are encouraged to monitor weather conditions throughout the day and make preparations now in case warnings are issued.

- Have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, especially if storms occur overnight.

- Review your shelter plan. The safest place during a tornado is a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.

- Secure outdoor items such as patio furniture and trash cans that could blow away in strong winds.

- Charge phones and devices so you can receive warnings and updates.

- Avoid travel during severe storms if possible.

<a href="https://files.constantcontact.com/55d47694801/09190bda-a7e3-40e0-b04b-c5f2b3aa3999.pdf?rdr=true">Click here to see the severe weather packet for more details on this weather report.</a>

Multiple rounds of t-storms expected in central Kansas 

Three day weather forecast Salina, March 6 - March 8

Three day weather forecast Salina, March 4 - March 6

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>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, March 2 - March 4

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 27 - March 1

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 25 - February 27

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 23 - February 25

According to the US National Weather Service, light snow will impact much of the central Kansas area Friday evening.&nbsp;Between 1-2 inches of snow is expected across central Kansas, with locally higher amounts possible.&nbsp;

Salina is in the area where it could receive 1 - 2 inches of snow. 

Use extra caution if traveling tonight as slick spots are possible, especially on elevated surfaces.

Additionally, wind chills are are expected to be in the single digits across central Kansas. 

Salina's chills could get as low as 5, with a 23 degree low temperature.

Stay updated with local weather on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NWSWichita">US National Weather Service Wichita Kansas</a>&nbsp;Facebook page.

Single digit wind chills, light snow across central Kansas Friday evening 

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 20 - February 22

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH &nbsp;Associated Press

A man who initially faced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7cb29dc9956d325103df9bf766a0c407">murder charge</a>&nbsp;for opening fire following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-d9f4466b69cbb2dfe0f007414aebe730">Kansas City Chiefs’ 2024 Super Bowl win</a>&nbsp;was sentenced Monday to two years in prison in a case prosecutors said was complicated by the state's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-stand-your-ground-law-fc7b0658055e285079430dd9ae6d602d">self-defense laws.</a>

Dominic Miller, who pleaded guilty to a weapons charge as part of a plea deal, was among at least six people to start shooting in the melee that sent players, city officials and hundreds of fans scrambling for cover, according to court records.

The gunfire erupted outside Kansas City’s historic Union Station as the celebration that drew an estimated 1 million fans was concluding.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-dj-victim-d96b8631a92af6682b77577c2c4e98c8">Lisa Lopez-Galvan</a>, the host of a local radio show, was killed while watching the rally with her family. About two dozen other people, many of them children, were wounded but survived.

All told, 12 people brandished firearms, with the guns found at the scene including at least two AR-style rifles, according to court records.

“Under Missouri’s self-defense and defense-of-others doctrines, we must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any charged defendant was the initial aggressor or did not act in lawful self-defense or defense of others to overcome justification,” the Jackson County prosecutor's office said in a written statement.

An email seeking comment was sent to Miller's attorney.

The second-degree murder charge Miller initially faced carried a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

But Missouri is among more than 30 states that have adopted some version of stand-your-ground laws over the past two decades. While earlier laws allowed people to use force to protect themselves in their homes, the stand-your-ground principle provides even broader self-defense rights regardless of the location.

Police and prosecutors have said the shooting barrage started when one group of people confronted another for staring at them.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-celebration-shooting-charges-7cb29dc9956d325103df9bf766a0c407">Lyndell Mays</a>&nbsp;is accused of being the first person to start firing. After that, a 15-year-old began to shoot toward Mays and hit Miller, who also admitted firing several shots.

Authorities initially said ballistics linked the bullet that killed Galvan to a handgun Miller admitted firing, but prosecutors said in their latest statement that there wasn't enough evidence to confirm his shot caused Galvan's death. The statement said Galvan's family was consulted and that they understood the legal challenges.

“The greatest justice would be having Lisa back, but since that is not possible, accountability still matters,” the family said in a statement released through the prosecutor's office. “We also share the hope expressed in court that change can come from this and that people recognize the importance of making better choices.”

Mays, meanwhile, is scheduled to stand trial next year on charges that include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-celebration-shooting-charges-7cb29dc9956d325103df9bf766a0c407">second-degree murder</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-charge-ac4527e5290fccb3d20d9d7f69233040">The 15-year-old involved was sentenced</a>&nbsp;previously to a state facility for youths.

Plea deal for shooter at Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally 

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp; Sheriff Tim Morse reports on March 5, 2026, around 

Just after 10:00 a.m. March 5 a, Sheriff's Deputies and Detectives along with the Holton Police Department served a search warrant at 627 W. 3rd&nbsp;Street in the City of Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The search warrant was issued in reference to an ongoing drug investigation that was initiated by the Sheriff’s Office earlier this year.&nbsp; The following individuals were arrested at the residence:

Gabriel Joaquin Mendez, 32, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement, conspiracy; possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC, and use of communication facility; in the commission of a felony drug violation.

Ruta Lee Mendez, 60, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC and &nbsp;possession of a controlled substance.

Grace Naomi Place, 25, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: 3 jailed after meth was sold from Kansas home

BARTON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Barton County Sheriff's Office requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Barton County man.

The whereabouts of 87-year-old Ronald Base, of Barton County, are unknown and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.

Base is likely driving a gray 2010 Dodge Dakota bearing Kansas tag 5736ACK. He was last seen south of Great Bend on Monday, March 9, at approximately 3:40 p.m. Base has Alzheimers, and is believed to be traveling to Culver, Kansas.

Base is a white male who is around 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes, and was last seen wearing gray pants, gray shirt, a red and gray flannel jacket, and black shoes.

If you see Ronald Base, or his vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Barton County Sheriff's Office at (620) 793-1920.

KBI: Silver Alert for missing Kansas man

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alexander Butterfield, the White House aide who inadvertently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/richard-nixon">hastened Richard Nixon’s resignation</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/john-dean-richard-nixon-government-and-politics-crime-c7a7b99cca7c685cfc239f5e08b53378">the Watergate scandal</a>&nbsp;when he revealed that the president had bugged the Oval Office and Cabinet Room and routinely recorded his conversations, has died. He was 99.

His death was confirmed to The Associated Press by his wife, Kim, and John Dean, who served as White House counsel to Nixon during the Watergate scandal and went on to, along with Butterfield, help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-nixon-trump-immunity-watergate-54d4c3737d6951b219d66708e1ef259d">expose the wrongdoing</a>.

“He had the heavy responsibility of revealing something he was sworn to secrecy on, which is the installation of the Nixon taping system,” Dean said. “He stood up and told the truth.”

As a deputy assistant to the president, Butterfield oversaw the taping system connected to voice-activated listening devices that had been secretly placed in four locations, including Nixon’s office in the Executive Office Building and the presidential retreat at Camp David.

Butterfield later said that, besides himself and the president, he believed that only White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman, a Haldeman assistant and a handful of Secret Service agents knew about the taping system.

“Everything was taped … as long as the president was in attendance,” Butterfield told Watergate investigators when testifying under oath during a preliminary interview.

The tapes would expose Nixon’s role in the cover-up that followed the burglary in 1972 at the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate building. To avoid impeachment by the House, Nixon resigned on Aug. 9, 1974, less than a month after the Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender the relevant tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor.

Butterfield believed he’d had a hand in the president’s fate. “I didn’t like to be the cause of that, but I felt that I was, in a lot of ways,” he said in a 2008 oral history for the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.

Butterfield, a college friend of Haldeman’s at UCLA who had contacted his friend to ask about opportunities in the new Nixon administration, served as a deputy assistant to Nixon from 1969 to 1973. In that capacity, he worked under Haldeman and, among other duties, was secretary to the Cabinet and helped oversee White House operations.

The Air Force veteran had left the White House to become administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration when Senate committee staffers privately questioned him on July 13, 1973, during their investigation of the Watergate break-in. A routine question about the possibility of a taping system had been prompted by former White House counsel John Dean’s testimony that he believed a conversation he had had with Nixon may have been recorded.

When Butterfield acknowledged that a taping system indeed existed, he was brought before a public hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities. The public revelation on July 16, 1973, of a taping system designed to record all the president’s conversations stunned Nixon friends and foes alike. The tapes promised Watergate investigators a rich vein of evidence in their quest to determine what Nixon and others knew about the break-in — a great deal, as it turned out.

Efforts by investigators to gain access to the tapes sparked a yearlong legal battle that was resolved in July 1974 when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Nixon had to give them up.

The thousands of hours of tapes made public over the years — they are now controlled by the National Archives — provide a unique, if often unflattering, view of Nixon. His words exposed a bad temper, vulgar language, bigoted racial and religious views, and unvarnished opinions about national and international figures.

“I just thought, ‘When they hear those tapes …’ I mean, I knew what was on these tapes … they’re dynamite,” Butterfield told the Nixon Library. “I guess I didn’t foresee that the president might be put out of office or impeached, but I thought it would be a perilous few years for him. I guess I couldn’t conceive of (Nixon) being forced out of office. It had never happened before.”

Butterfield later said he believed that Nixon’s successor, President Gerald Ford, fired him as FAA administrator in 1975 as part of an agreement worked out between the Nixon and Ford staff members. He said he had heard from White House friends that he had been targeted shortly after his testimony to the Senate committee.

After leaving the FAA, Butterfield worked as a business executive in California. He earned a master’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, in 1994.

Alexander Porter Butterfield was born on April 6, 1926, in Pensacola, Florida.

He left UCLA to join the Navy and later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1956 and a master’s degree from George Washington University in 1967.

In 1948, he joined the Air Force and served as an instructor at a base near Las Vegas during the Korean War and later served in Germany. In Washington, he was a military assistant to the special assistant of the defense secretary in 1965 and 1966 and later served as senior military representative of the U.S. and representative for the commander-in-chief, Pacific Forces, Australia. He retired at the rank of colonel after 20 years in the Air Force.

Butterfield was unsparing in his criticism of the former president in later years. While he commended Nixon’s achievements in foreign affairs, he considered his former boss “not an honest man” and “a crook” and believed that Nixon knew about the Watergate break-in before it occurred and was the architect of the ensuing cover-up.

Butterfield found himself “cheering … just cheering” the day Nixon resigned, he told the Nixon Library, because “justice had prevailed.”

“I didn’t think that it would for a while,” he said. “This guy was the ringleader.”

Daniel, the primary writer of this obituary, retired from The Associated Press in 2023.

Nixon aide who disclosed Watergate tapes dies at 99

WILSON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a man connected to a weekend homicide in Coyville, Kansas.

Just after 7p.m. on Sunday, deputies from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to 2105 2nd&nbsp;Street in Coyville, after gunfire was reported.

Upon arrival deputies located Lucas R. Pickell, 37, of Fredonia, just outside a fifth-wheel RV on the property. Pickell had suffered a gunshot wound and died at the scene.

Witnesses were interviewed and evidence was examined and collected. Preliminary information indicates Pickell had been using drugs in the RV with a male subject and two female subjects. During the incident, 52-year-old William “Bud” Wescott, of Coyville, is suspected to have shot Pickell.

Wescott was arrested on requested of second-degree murder at the scene and booked into the Wilson County Jail.

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