The unofficial results for the 2025 Saline County general election, revealed new elects and re-elects.

ORIGINAL: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/21d0ca6a-d1f4-4427-93ab-38a8018970c4">Unofficial results for 2025 Saline County election</a>

According to the 2025 General Election unofficial final results, incumbents Commissioner Dr. Trent Davis (3,156) and Mayor Greg Lenkiewicz (2,875) were elected for Salina City Commission as the top two voters. New elect, Doug Rempp finished third with 2,709 votes.

Both Davis and Lenkiewicz will be guaranteed a 4-year term, as Rempp will be guaranteed a 2-year term.

Incumbent, Bill Longbine finished 6th in the race with 2,370 and will no longer serve as Commissioner, once the Commission updates.

Three seats were up for election for the USD 305 School Board and&nbsp;Amy Freelove, Dana Johnson and Gabe Grant (incumbent) were elected.

Freelove had the most votes with&nbsp;4,206. Johnson with&nbsp;3,956 and Grant with&nbsp;3,754.

Incumbent, Bonnie Schamberger finished 4th with&nbsp;3,405 and will no longer be on the school board, once the board updates.

On Thursday, November 13,&nbsp;the Saline County Commission will set a&nbsp;Canvass meeting to review the ballots.&nbsp;

Click <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/21d0ca6a-d1f4-4427-93ab-38a8018970c4">here</a>&nbsp;to view the full unofficial results of the 2025 Saline County General Election.

Salina Post will provide the final results once published by Saline County.

UPDATE: Unofficial results reveal new elects and re-elects after 2025 Saline County general election

TOPEKA — The former CEO and founder of the Beneficient investment firm that was granted a unique bank charter on orders of the Kansas Legislature was arrested and jailed Tuesday following indictment for an alleged scheme to loot more than $150 million from a company forced into bankruptcy.

Brad Heppner, who was taken into custody at his home by the Irving Police Department in Texas, was indicted in federal court in New York on counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, making false statements to auditors, and falsification of records. Prosecutors say he misled investors and auditors, and they said he obstructed an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

He has for years been at the center of a flurry of civil lawsuits alleging financial misconduct. The criminal case was worked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with the SEC.

“Heppner abused his role as a public company executive to loot the company and to funnel money into his own pockets,” said Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. “When executives like Heppner lie and cheat to enrich themselves at the expense of everyday investors, they corrupt the integrity of our public markets.”

Interest in Heppner’s business activities has been relevant to Kansans because Beneficient, the company he founded, has held a Kansas banking license since 2021.

Heppner was accused in the indictment, unsealed Tuesday, of misappropriating at least $150 million from the publicly traded, now-bankrupt GWG Holdings through a series of self-serving transactions tied to Beneficient and Highland Consolidated Limited Partnership. He was simultaneously chairman of GWG and Beneficient, and secretly controlled HCLP, according to the indictment.

“Though Heppner repeatedly described HCLP as an independent entity, it was, in fact, a shell company controlled by Heppner and operated for his benefit,” the indictment said. “Once Heppner exhausted his ability to siphon GWG’s assets for himself, he separated himself from GWG. GWG filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter, causing losses exceeding $1 billion to thousands of investors and bondholders.”

Financial damage resulting from the catastrophe at GWG primarily fell on retail investors, “many of them retirees,” the indictment says.

The indictment says Heppner used the money for personal expenses, including $40 million for renovation of a Dallas mansion and a ranch in Montalba, Texas. He allegedly spent $10 million on upkeep, expansion and IT services on those properties as well as $10 million to cover credit card debt and private aviation expenditures. He purportedly used $20 million to pay tax expenses and bought jewelry valued at more than $500,000.

The indictment seeks to force Heppner to surrender ill-gotten cash as well as the properties in Dallas and Montalba.

Heppner, 59, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the fraud, false statement and false record counts. The conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

In June, Heppner resigned from Dallas-headquartered Beneficient rather than cooperate with an audit committee looking into financial irregularities. In 2021, Heppner left GWG and structurally separated Beneficient from GWG. GWG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2022.

Dan Callahan, a spokesperson representing Beneficient, issued a company statement in wake of the indictment: “Beneficient parted ways with Mr. Heppner earlier this year, immediately after learning facts related to his alleged fraud on the company and others. Beneficient will continue to pursue its own claims against Mr. Heppner on behalf of its shareholders. Beneficient has and continues to cooperate with the government’s investigation of Mr. Heppner.”

Heppner was the face of Beneficient before and after it landed a Kansas banking charter for a Beneficient subsidiary. Legislation that guaranteed Beneficient received the charter was championed by Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican now in the midst of a campaign for governor. Masterson made the motion in support of the charter during a 2021 interim legislative committee hearing. The legislation was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

While lobbying Kansas legislators in pursuit of a bank charter, Heppner allegedly continued with the covert effort to hide the funneling of $150 million from GWG to Beneficient and to HCLP.

Beneficient made financial contributions to the campaigns of Republicans and Democrats in Kansas. It’s unclear whether those donations were made with cash Heppner allegedly transferred from GWG.

David Herndon, the Kansas state banking commissioner, opposed the charter for Beneficient and repeatedly urged the Legislature to repeal the law allowing Beneficient to anchor its asset-swap business to Kansas.

The business linked to the state charter was designed to allow Beneficient to work with investors to cash out or trade for stock their illiquid assets, including venture capital and private equity. To entice Kansas to deliver the charter, Beneficient agreed to funnel money into a Kansas foundation that was to help revitalize Hesston and support economic development in other rural communities. Heppner grew up in Kansas.

Former Beneficient CEO who acquired unique Kansas bank charter indicted on fraud charges

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 CHARGE:&nbsp;Violation of protection order; Unknown circumstance

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs Unknown severity

REQUESTED CHARGE: Probation Violation

NAME:&nbsp;Uebelher, Christopher Joseph

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Probation Violation

Saline County Jail Bookings, November 5

HAYS - The Kansas Highway Patrol&nbsp;(KHP)&nbsp;held a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 22 commemorating the recent completion of a&nbsp;KHP&nbsp;aircraft hangar facility at the Hays Regional Airport.

This 6,800 square foot hangar facility was completed in May 2025 and includes hangar space, offices for the trooper pilots, and a conference room for training and flight planning. This project was a collaborative effort between the City of Hays and&nbsp;KHP, where the city managed construction and&nbsp;KHP&nbsp;assumed ownership of the facility at a cost of $1.7 million. The hangar will house multiple law enforcement aircraft and serve as a staging location for joint agency air support operations within the region. Hays is a strategic location for&nbsp;KHP’s&nbsp;Air Support Unit. In conjunction with aircraft bases in Wichita and Topeka, the Hays base affords statewide coverage.

“We would like to extend our appreciation to those who committed so much of their time and talent to making this partnership a reality,” said Colonel Erik Smith,&nbsp;KHP&nbsp;Superintendent. “The project is a model for interagency and intergovernmental cooperation.”

“Regional airports such as Hays provide vital and critical resources to local communities that reach far beyond air travel, especially when assisting with emergency response. These efforts often go unnoticed,” said Jamie Salter, Hays Regional Airport Director. “The collaborative nature of this project highlights the importance of partnership between governmental agencies to best service our communities.”

“The capabilities that&nbsp;KHP&nbsp;provides to local law enforcement is critical to rural communities like Hays,” said State Representative Ken Rahjes (Agra, Kansas). “We are grateful for the service of State Troopers in Western Kansas.”

KHP&nbsp;is the only entity in Kansas operating tactical law enforcement aircraft, providing vital support to local public safety agencies. The agency acquired its first aircraft in 1961 to patrol state highways and first established an aircraft base in Hays in 1979. In 2024,&nbsp;KHP&nbsp;flight crews in Hays were requested to assist local law enforcement agencies with numerous missions, including 17 manhunts, 23 vehicle pursuits, 19 searches for missing or endangered people, and three hazardous weather events involving endangered motorists.

KHP celebrates completion of aircraft hangar facility at Hays airport

<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 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, November 5 - November 7

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/category/obituaries">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners.

Salina Post obituary policy (subject to change)

Salina Post understands the importance of honoring the deceased and welcomes all submissions of obituaries with a full summary of their life, survivors, services, website of the funeral home and a photo.

Salina Post accepts all obituaries&nbsp;free of charge&nbsp;and you can email all obituaries:&nbsp;<a href="https://newstips@salinapost.com/">newstips@salinapost.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nicolas.fierro@eaglemedia.com">nicolas.fierro@eaglemedia.com</a>&nbsp;and will be posted on the website within 24 business hours.

If you have an issue outside of business hours, if your obituary has not been published within 24 business hours, or if have any questions, please email:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://newstips@salinapost.com/">newstips@salinapost.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nicolas.fierro@eaglemedia.com">nicolas.fierro@eaglemedia.com</a>

Recent obituaries and service times

Precincts Reporting 27 of 27

Precincts Reporting 34 of 34

Precincts Reporting 1 of 1&nbsp;

Precincts Reporting 10 of 10

Unexpired Term Position #2 USD 307 &amp; #5

Unofficial results for 2025 Saline County election

A two-vehicle crash results in a Salina woman being hospitalized.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) a 2014 Honda Accord driven by Tashayla Francois (30) of Salina, was at the stop sign of the I-135 Southbound ramp and Schilling Road. A 2014 Buick Encore operated by Susana Torres (33) of Salina, was heading westbound on Schilling.

Reportedly, Francois pulled out from the stop sign and struck Torres.

After the crash, Francois was medically transported to Salina Regional Health Center for a suspected minor injury she sustained.

Torres was not hospitalized and there were no reports of any injuries she suffered.

There were no reports of any passengers that were in the vehicles.

Two-vehicle crash results in Salina woman hospitalized

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with law enforcement agencies nationwide safely disposed and&nbsp;removed 571,054 pounds of unneeded/expired medications at 4,317 collection sites on October 25th, during the 29th&nbsp;National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.&nbsp;

<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/39c35fdf-5857-4dae-acfc-6666c2824fc7">The Saline County Sheriff's Office</a> participated in the national event by collecting and safely disposing of tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs that are unneeded, unwanted or expired at various locations in Salina.

“Take Back Day not only provides community members with a safe place to dispose of unneeded prescription medications, but it also serves as a conversation starter for families,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “We encourage you to use this opportunity to open dialogue with your friends and family about the consequences that can come from prescription misuse and abuse.”

Since its inception in 2010, more than 20 million pounds of medication have been collected at DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The removal of these medications from homes nationwide helps prevent prescription drug misuse and reduces the potential for accidental overdoses and poisonings.&nbsp;

For those unable to participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are nearly 16,500 pharmacies, hospitals and businesses, in addition to numerous police departments, that offer safe medication disposal year-round. For information on permanent drop-off locations, please visit DEA’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dea.gov/everyday-takeback-day">Every Day is Take Back Day</a>&nbsp;website.

Complete results for DEA’s fall National Prescription Drug Take Back Day are available at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.dea.gov/TakeBackDay">www.dea.gov/TakeBackDay</a>.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day results in over 500,000 pounds of unneeded medications safely disposed

With election day up and running across various locations in Saline County, polls will be closing at 7:00 pm.

Salina Post will be providing updates on the results for the 2025 general election.

Saline County has also provided a link to view the unofficial results and you can click <a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/2024-general-election-click-here-for-unofficial-results-0">here</a>&nbsp;to learn more.

Election day 2025: Stay updated with results on Salina Post

BENNINGTON - The Bennington Senior Center will be hosting a a dine-in or carry out dinner fundraiser for the upkeep of their facility.

On Saturday, November 15 from&nbsp;4:30 pm - 7:00 pm the Bennington Senior Center (409 N Nelson, Bennington, KS) will serve homemade chicken &amp; noodles with mashed potatoes and dessert.

People can dine-in or have a carry out option, and all donations will be allocated towards maintaining the Senior Center in good operating condition.

Bennington Senior Center holding homemade chicken & noodles fundraiser for upkeep of their facility

Three day weather forecast Salina, November 3 - November 5

Three day weather forecast Salina, October 31 - November 2

Three day weather forecast Salina, October 29 - October 31

Three day weather forecast Salina, October 27 - October 29

Four day weather forecast Salina, October 24 - October 27

The US National Weather Service has announced events of showers and thunderstorms are expected to return this weekend in Salina and throughout Central Kansas.

Accordingly, showers and thunderstorms will overspread the area starting Thursday night, with the greatest coverage in southern Kansas. Temperatures will drop into the upper 40s and 50s throughout the area.

Forecast depicts that showers and thunderstorms are likely to occur throughout the span of this weekend, and into Monday, October 27.

Showers and thunderstorms expected to return to Salina this weekend

Three day weather forecast Salina, October 22 - October 24

Three day weather forecast Salina, October 20 - October 22

Three day weather forecast Salina, October 17 - October 19

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced yet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-strike-drug-smugglers-caribbean-44e98087294f015dc77e17025ecbb5e8">another deadly strike on a boat</a>&nbsp;accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, coming the same day an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-hegseth-drugs-boat-strikes-6c3316b2852723e26c39dc701bba9d52">aircraft carrier began heading to the region</a>&nbsp;in a new expansion of military firepower.

The attack Tuesday killed two people aboard the vessel, Hegseth said,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">bringing the death toll</a>&nbsp;from the Trump administration’s campaign in South American waters up to at least 66 people in at least 16 strikes.

President Donald Trump has justified the strikes by saying the United States is in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">“armed conflict” with drug cartels</a>&nbsp;and claiming the boats are operated by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-foreign-terrorist-organizations-eb35567b69fc66f13f7f79fb90906a50">foreign terror organizations</a>. The administration has not provided evidence or more details.

“We will find and terminate EVERY vessel with the intention of trafficking drugs to America to poison our citizens,” Hegseth posted while on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-south-korea-hegseth-military-1ab1d56e81073bde4661ea72959885f2">trip to Asia</a>.

Lawmakers from both parties have pressed the Trump administration for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-boat-strikes-trump-cartels-democrats-briefing-40cd5b30897ba97de824af7b76f22b46">more information on who is being targeted</a>&nbsp;and the legal justification for the strikes given that Congress has not authorized military action. United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-us-military-strikes-south-america-ed0ce092af5ad2c64b34ed51f8ab59cc">called for the U.S. to halt the attacks</a>&nbsp;and “prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.”

The latest strike comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carriers-trump-venezuela-middle-east-a458b9c4f1a5690e19d7c532dd6b7fd7">USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier</a>&nbsp;has left the Mediterranean Sea on its way to the Caribbean after Hegseth ordered it to the region more than a week ago. It will join an already robust buildup of American planes, ships and thousands of troops in Latin America.

A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ship movements, confirmed that the Ford and the destroyer USS Bainbridge crossed through the Straits of Gibraltar and into the Atlantic on Tuesday.

The Ford originally deployed with five destroyers, but it’s not clear if all of them will go to the Caribbean. Two of the other destroyers in the Ford’s strike group, the USS Winston Churchill and the USS Mahan, are in the Mediterranean now, with the Mahan in port at Rota, Spain.

The other two destroyers, the USS Forrest Sherman and the USS Mitchener, are in the Red Sea, the official said.

With the strikes and military assets in the region expanding, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charged with narcoterrorism</a>&nbsp;in the United States, has said the U.S. government is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-warship-maduro-uss-gerald-ford-21cc3ac03f755a657c0541667246c007">“fabricating” a war</a>&nbsp;against him.

During a interview that aired Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Trump was asked if the U.S. was going to war with Venezuela. He responded: “I doubt it. I don’t think so. But they’ve been treating us very badly, not only on drugs.”

Norah O’Donnell, in the interview conducted Friday, also asked Trump if Maduro’s days were numbered.

“I would say yeah. I think so, yeah,” the president said. Trump would not say whether or not he would order&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-peacemaker-wars-legacy-7017f99ef27c15aac727928395c853c1">land strikes in Venezuela</a>.

In the latest strike, a video Hegseth posted to social media has a gray box obscuring a boat that appears in the water before it’s blown up. The footage then cuts to the vessel engulfed by flames.

🎥US military kills 2 in new strike on drug-running boat

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;power to unilaterally impose far-reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">tariffs</a>&nbsp;is coming before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a pivotal test of executive power with trillion-dollar implications for the global economy.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/live.aspx">Click here to listen to the live oral argument&nbsp;</a>

The Republican administration is trying to defend the tariffs central to Trump’s economic agenda after lower courts ruled the emergency law he invoked doesn’t give him near-limitless power to set and change duties on imports.

The Constitution says Congress has the power to levy tariffs. But the Trump administration argues that in emergency situations the president can regulate importation taxes like tariffs. Trump has called the case one of the most important in the country’s history and said a ruling against him would be “catastrophic” for the economy.

The challengers argue the 1977 emergency-powers law Trump used doesn’t even mention tariffs, and no president before has used it to impose them. A collection of small businesses say the uncertainty is driving them to the brink of bankruptcy.

The case centers on two sets of tariffs. The first came in February on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carney-canada-trump-tariff-ad-81450969892ac525d4ce21942f3fe973">imports from Canada</a>, China and Mexico after Trump declared a national emergency over drug trafficking. The second involves the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on most countries that Trump announced in April.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed over the tariffs, and the court will hear suits filed by Democratic-leaning states and small businesses focused on everything from plumbing supplies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-terry-cycling-lawsui-supreme-court-b3215d8ca2edfb40b58ad374bd580d1f">women’s cycling apparel.</a>

Lower courts have struck down the bulk of his tariffs as an illegal use of emergency power, but the nation’s highest court may see it differently.

Trump helped shape the conservative-majority court, naming three of the justices in his first term. The justices have so far been reluctant to check his extraordinary flex of executive power, handing him a series of wins on its emergency docket.

Still, those have been short-term orders — little of Trump’s wide-ranging conservative agenda has been fully argued before the nation’s highest court. That means the outcome could set the tone for wider legal pushback against his policies.

The justices have been skeptical of executive power claims before, such as when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-7c44eedbf32bec35fc638e9953db2aeb">then-President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;tried to forgive $400 billion in student loans under a different law dealing with national emergencies. The Supreme Court found the law didn’t clearly give him the power to enact a program with such a big economic impact, a legal principle known as the major questions doctrine.

The challengers say Trump’s tariffs should get the same treatment, since they’ll have a much greater economic effect, raising some $3 trillion over the next decade. The government, on the other hand, says the tariffs are different because they’re a major part of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-foreign-policy-21337d2c11e629da3f187cdeb381d58b">approach to foreign affairs</a>, an area where the courts should not be second-guessing the president.

The challengers are also trying to channel the conservative justices’ skepticism about whether the Constitution allows other parts of the government to use powers reserved for Congress, a concept known as the nondelegation doctrine. Trump’s interpretation of the law could mean anyone who can “regulate” can also impose taxes, they say.

The Justice Department counters that legal principle is for governmental agencies, not for the president.

If he eventually loses at the high court, Trump could impose tariffs under other laws, but those have more limitations on the speed and severity with which he could act. The aftermath of a ruling against him also could be complicated, if the government must issue refunds for the tariffs that had collected $195 billion in revenue as of September.

🎧History: Supreme Court oral arguments on Trump tariffs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;has entered its 36th day, breaking the record as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-longest-trump-democrats-senate-filibuster-1f147746aab58daffd8a8cb578df0b81">longest ever</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/government-shutdown-photos-trump-congress-fa2b017fa487ec2e7e732319087092cd">disrupting the lives</a>&nbsp;of millions of Americans with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-aid-snap-health-care-government-shutdown-41f4bb2b838c738e0d56e620bf396c8f">federal program cuts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-flights-delays-shutdown-538fcee7931eefed1acc50b104a67d1f">flight delays</a>&nbsp;and federal workers nationwide left&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/furlough-federal-workers-unemployment-government-shutdown-e0c73357aab61c7a6162cfb26c659c03">without paychecks</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has refused to negotiate with Democrats over their demands to salvage expiring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">health insurance subsidies</a>&nbsp;until they agree to reopen the government. But skeptical Democrats question whether the Republican president will keep his word, particularly after the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-government-shutdown-court-order-b354aa0b596dcb8bfc6dc59a3382e811">restricted SNAP food aid</a>, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-lawsuits-deadline-4af8b0dec6cd31cddd023cc99c131b73">court orders</a>&nbsp;to ensure funds are available to prevent hunger.

Trump, whose first term at the White House set the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">previous government shutdown record</a>, is set to meet early Wednesday for breakfast with GOP senators. But no talks have been scheduled with the Democrats.

“Why is this happening? We’re in a shutdown because our colleagues are unwilling to come to the table to talk about one simple thing: health care premiums,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in a late evening speech.

“Stop this mess, come to the table, negotiate it,” she said.

With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-government-business-normal-cebf7f8d2ff64a98328460d4a0a8deb3">Trump largely on the sidelines</a>, talks have intensified among a loose coalition of centrist senators trying to negotiate an end to the stalemate. Expectations are high that the logjam would break once election results were fully tallied in Tuesday’s off-year races that were widely watched as a gauge of voter sentiment over Trump’s second term in the White House. Democrats swept key contests for governor in Virginia and New Jersey, and New York City mayor, certain to shake up the political assessments.

But earlier in the afternoon, Senate Democrats left an hours-long private meeting stone-faced, with no certain path forward.

“We’re exploring all the options,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;said afterward.

Trump’s approach to this shutdown stands in marked contrast to his first term, when the government was partially closed for 35 days over his demands for funds to build&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-2cb11c3652bb4f18a760216bf53b58ed">the U.S.-Mexico border wall</a>. At that time, he met publicly and negotiated with congressional leaders, but unable to secure the funds, he relented in 2019.

This time, it’s not just Trump declining to engage in talks. The congressional leaders are at a standoff and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson,</a>&nbsp;R-La., sent lawmakers home in September after they approved their own funding bill, refusing further negotiations.

In the meantime, food aid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">child care funds</a>&nbsp;and countless other government services are being seriously interrupted and hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed or expected to come to work without pay.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted there could be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-air-traffic-controllers-duffy-delays-9afedfa9e5000510c77465808404c830">chaos in the skies</a>&nbsp;next week if air traffic controllers miss another paycheck. Labor unions put pressure on lawmakers to reopen the government.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this has been not only the longest shutdown but also “the most severe shutdown on record.”

The Republican leader has urged the Democrats to accept his overtures to vote on the health care issue and keep negotiating a solution once the government reopens, arguing that no one wins politically from the standoff.

Central to any endgame will be a series of agreements that would need to be upheld not only by the Senate, but also the House, and the White House, which is not at all certain in Washington.

First of all, senators from both parties, particularly the powerful members of the Appropriations Committee, are pushing to ensure the normal government funding process in Congress can be put back on track.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., along with several Democrats, including Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Chris Coons of Delaware, are among those working behind the scenes.

“The pace of talks have increased,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who has been involved in conversations.

Among the goals is guaranteeing upcoming votes on a smaller package of bills where there is already widespread bipartisan agreement to fund various aspects of government, like agricultural programs and military construction projects at bases.

“I certainly think that three-bill package is primed to do a lot of good things for the American people,” said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who has also been in talks.

More difficult, a substantial number of senators also want some resolution to the standoff over the funding for the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end.

With insurance premium notices being sent, millions of Americans are experiencing sticker shock on skyrocketing prices. The loss of enhanced federal subsidies, which were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and come in the form of tax credits, are expected to leave many people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aca-credits-health-care-subsidies-government-shutdown-7f7a3609bf78dd7e43be9a041a090220">unable to buy health insurance.</a>

Republicans are reluctant to fund the health care program, also known as Obamacare, without reforms, but negotiating a compromise with Democrats is expected to take time, if a deal can be reached at all.

Thune has promised Democrats at least a vote on their preferred health care proposal, on a date certain, as part of any deal to reopen government. But that’s not enough for some senators, who see the health care deadlock as part of their broader concerns with Trump’s direction for the country.

The White House says its position remains unchanged and that Democrats must vote to fund the government before talks over health care can begin. White House officials are in close contact with GOP senators who have been quietly speaking with key Senate Democrats, according to a senior White House official. The official was granted anonymity to discuss administration strategy.

Trump’s demands to end the filibuster fall flat

The president has been pushing the senators to nuke the filibuster — the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation — as a way to reopen the government.

The GOP senators have panned Trump’s demands to end the filibuster, in a rare public break with the president. Thune and others argue the Senate rule, while infuriating at times, ensures the minority party can be a check on the administration, which is important when power shifts in Washington.

But in the current Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority, 53-47, Democrats have been able to block the House-passed bill that would fund the government, having voted more than a dozen times against.

Trump has said that doing away with the filibuster would be one way the Republicans could bypass the Democrats and end the shutdown on their own. Republican senators are trying to avoid that outcome.

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Seung Min Kim and Matt Brown contributed to this report.

 Government shutdown now the longest on record as fallout spreads nationwide

RENO COUNTY —Voters in Hutchinson overwhelmingly rejected USD 308's $109 million dollar bond issue for facility upgrades, a middle school redesign and athletic field relocation.&nbsp;If approved, the district’s mill levy would have risen from about 52 to 57 mills, according to the school district.

Voters in Russell, Wellington, Rock Hills and St. John Hudson also rejected school bond issues on Tuesday.

Voters in Oakley, Goodland, Arkansas City and Mulvane all approved their school bond issues.

Voters reject $109M school bond issue in Hutchinson

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations including homicide after a standoff at a home in Kansas City, Kansas.

Just after 8:30a.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to an armed disturbance at a home in the 1400 block of Oakland Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.

The reporting party told officers an armed subject entered his home and was inside holding his adult son against his will at gunpoint. 

Police negotiators were able to have the victim released from the residence. Just before 2 p.m. the Kansas City, Kansas polic Special Operations Unit made entry in the residence and took the suspect into custody without incident. The suspect is being held on numerous requested felony charges and was wanted in connection with a homicide from Kansas City, Missouri.

Murder suspect arrested after standoff at Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats dominated the first major Election Day since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;returned to the White House.

And while a debate about the future of the Democratic Party may have only just begun, there are signs that the economy — specifically, Trump’s inability to deliver the economic turnaround he promised last fall — may be a real problem for Trump’s GOP heading into next year’s higher-stakes midterm elections.

Democrats on Tuesday won governor’s races in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-first-female-governor-earlesears-spanberger-01f9854a94fdab6e5719096664ee9be1">Virginia</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mikie-sherrill-jack-ciattarelli-new-jersey-governor-44af948914dd2c6fbe7bb0687c54f99d">New Jersey</a>, the only states electing new chief executives this year. They also swept a trio of state Supreme Court contests in swing-state Pennsylvania and ballots measures from Colorado to Maine.

Trump was largely absent from the campaign trail, but GOP candidates closely aligned themselves with the president, betting that his big win last year could provide a path to victory this time. They were wrong.

Democrats are hoping the off-year romp offers a new winning playbook, but some caution may be warranted. Tuesday’s elections were limited to a handful of states, most of which lean blue, and the party that holds the White House typically struggles in off-year elections.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Washington may be more excited than Democrats that a self-described democratic socialist will become New York City’s next mayor.

Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger will become Virginia’s next governor — and its first female chief executive — while Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey governor’s office by running campaigns focused largely on the economy, public safety and health care.

Early results showed Democrats outperforming their margins from four years ago in fast-growing suburbs, rural areas and even places with high concentrations of military voters.

The Democrats won by actively distancing themselves from some of the Democratic Party’s far-left policies and emphasized what Spanberger described in her victory speech as “pragmatism over partisanship.”

A growing collection of Democratic leaders believe the moderate approach holds the key to the party’s revival after the GOP won the White House and both congressional chambers last year.

Above all, the Democrats in both states focused on rising costs such as groceries, energy and health care, which Trump has struggled to control.

In addition to tacking to the middle on economic issues, Spanberger and Sherrill downplayed their support for progressive priorities, including LGBTQ rights and resistance against Trump’s attack on American institutions. Spanberger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-spanberger-sherrill-virginia-new-jersey-trump-5869ac164d05f00f4ca07d7919e3960b">rarely even mentioned Trump’s name</a>&nbsp;on the campaign trail.

Both also have resumes that appealed to the middle.

Spanberger is a former CIA case officer who spent years abroad working undercover, while Sherrill spent a decade as an active-duty helicopter pilot for the Navy before entering Congress. Both played up their public safety backgrounds as a direct response to the GOP’s attack that Democrats are soft on crime.

Trump and his Republican allies have been especially focused on immigration, crime and conservative cultural issues.

But voters who decided Tuesday’s top elections were more concerned about the economy, jobs and costs of living. That’s according to the AP Voter Poll, an expansive survey of more than 17,000 voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City suggesting that many voters felt they can’t get ahead financially in today’s economy.

Ironically, the same economic anxieties helped propel Trump to the White House just one year ago. Now, the economic concerns appear to be undermining his party’s political goals in 2025 — and could be more problematic for the GOP in next year’s midterm elections, which will decide the balance of power for Trump’s final two years in office.

That’s even as Trump regularly brags about stock prices booming and boasted about leading a new renaissance of American manufacturing.

About half of Virginia voters said the economy was the most important issue facing their state while most New Jersey voters said either taxes or the economy were the top issue in their state. Just over half of New York City voters said cost of living was their top concern.

It was unclear whether kitchen table concerns weighing so heavily on voters might help break the impasse that has prompted the government shutdown, which has spanned more than a month.

This was the first election since Trump’s return to the presidency and voters rejected candidates and causes aligned with his Republican Party from Virginia and Pennsylvania to Maine and New Jersey. It was, in fact, difficult to point to any significant victory for Trump’s party.

They also expressed strong feelings about the direction of the country under his leadership.

About 6 in 10 voters in Virginia and New Jersey said they are “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the country today, according to the AP Voter Poll. Just one-third said they are “enthusiastic” or “satisfied.”

In a sign of the extent of the GOP’s struggles, Republicans lost the Virginia attorney general’s race to Democrat Jay Jones, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-attorney-general-race-ce4caf21a7b3f6a819363653c83a2830">forced to apologize</a>&nbsp;after text messages surfaced weeks before Election Day in which he depicted the murder of political opponents.

Fearing a bad night, Trump tried to distance himself from the election results.

The president endorsed Ciattarelli in New Jersey but held only a pair of tele-town halls on his behalf, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-jersey-virginia-governors-dd89da11b680ab562d385ae972c340be">one Monday night</a>. Trump also did a Monday night tele-town hall for Virginia Republican candidates, but he focused mostly in favor of the GOP candidate for attorney general, who also lost.

Despite Trump’s distance, his policies — including his “big, beautiful” budget bill and his massive cuts to the federal workforce — played a central role in Virginia, New Jersey and even New York City’s mayoral contest. And the Republicans in each refused to distance themselves from the president or his agenda.

The results left the president ducking blame.

“TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,” according to pollsters, he posted on his social media account.

Trump planned to have breakfast Wednesday at the White House with Senate Republicans who have so far opposed his calls to end the shutdown by abandoning the legislative filibuster, the 60-vote minimum needed to pass most major legislation though the Senate.

A new star for Democrats (and Republicans) in New York City

Moderates won in Virginia and New Jersey. But it was a self-described democratic socialist who cruised to victory in New York City.

Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state legislator who backs radical changes to address economic inequality, will serve as the next mayor of the nation’s largest city.

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