SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 12:05a.m. Friday in Topeka.

A vehicle was northbound in the 1400 Block of SW Wanamaker, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz. The vehicle struck the bridge. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not released the name of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742571842855.png" alt="Police on the scene early Friday- image by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene early Friday- image by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 12:05a.m. Friday in Topeka.A vehicle was northbound in the 1400 Block of SW Wanamaker, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz. The vehicle struck the bridge. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.Police have not released the name of the victim.

One dead after crash into Kansas bridge

WASHINGTON (AP) —Linda McMahon said she is preparing to relocate the Education Department’s core operations to other agencies and roll back federal regulations.

She sketched out a roadmap for executing President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">order to dismantle the agency</a>&nbsp;in an opinion piece published Friday by Fox News.

McMahon said abolishing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-trump-ab509ad5778497dfbd6d53b9eef692b5">the department</a>&nbsp;“will not happen tomorrow,” but she plans to pave the way.

“We will systematically unwind unnecessary regulations and prepare to reassign the department’s other functions to the states or other agencies,” McMahon wrote.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-secretary-linda-mcmahon-a49af0778fa7c50163619d1764f93c91">U.S. Education Department</a>, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives.

Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. Republicans said they will introduce legislation to achieve that, while Democrats have quickly lined up to oppose the idea.

The order says the education secretary will, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities."

It offers no detail on how that work will be carried out or where it will be targeted, though the White House said the agency will retain certain critical functions.

Trump said his administration will close the department beyond its "core necessities," preserving its responsibilities for Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants and money for children with disabilities.

The White House said earlier Thursday the department will continue to manage federal student loans, but the order appears to say the opposite. It says the Education Department doesn't have the staff to oversee its $1.6 trillion loan portfolio and “must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America's students.”

At a signing ceremony, Trump blamed the department for America’s lagging academic performance and said states will do a better job.

Already, Trump's Republican administration has been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">slashed in half</a>, and there have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">deep cuts</a>&nbsp;to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she will remove red tape and empower states to decide what’s best for their schools. But she promised to continue essential services and work with states and Congress "to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”

Part of her job will be exploring which agencies can take on the Education Department's various roles, she said.

“The Department of Justice already has a civil rights office, and I think that there is an opportunity to discuss with Attorney General Bondi about locating some of our civil rights work there,” McMahon told reporters after the signing.

The measure was celebrated by groups that have long called for an end to the department.

"For decades, it has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a failing system — one that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence, all while student achievement stagnates and America falls further behind," said Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation.

Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-closure-c7cddd1dbf310dadcd70e003d62a6df0">fundamentally unequal</a>&nbsp;education system.

“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.

Opponents are already gearing up for legal challenges, including Democracy Forward, a public interest litigation group. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the order a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”

Margaret Spellings, who served as education secretary under Republican President George W. Bush, questioned whether whether the department will be able to accomplish its remaining missions, and whether it will ultimately improve schools.

“Will it distract us from the ability to focus urgently on student achievement, or will people be figuring out how to run the train?" she asked.

Spellings said schools have always been run by local and state officials, and rejected the idea that the Education Department and federal government have been holding them back.

Currently, much of the agency’s work revolves around managing money — both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also is key in overseeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campus-antisemitism-investigation-trump-23855f8bc5597f4f94a816b6e46b0eac">civil rights enforcement</a>.

The Trump administration has not addressed the fate of other department operations, like its support for for technical education and adult learning, grants for rural schools and after-school programs, and a federal work-study program that provides employment to students with financial need.

States and districts already control local schools, including curriculum, but some conservatives have pushed to cut strings attached to federal money and provide it to states as “block grants” to be used at their discretion.

Block granting has raised questions about vital funding sources including Title I, the largest source of federal money to America’s K-12 schools. Families of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-iep-disability-civil-rights-trump-85a6687d9ef1f5236f2637924d66a560">children with disabilities</a>&nbsp;have despaired over what could come of the federal department's work protecting their rights.

Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for low-income schools.

Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents’ groups demand more authority over their children’s schooling.

In his platform, Trump promised to close the department “and send it back to the states, where it belongs.” Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of “radicals, zealots and Marxists” who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.

Even as Trump moves to dismantle the department, he has leaned on it to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Office for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education money to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-3-19-2025">transgender athletes participating in women's sports</a>, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, dismissed Trump's claim that he's returning education to the states. She said he is actually “trying to exert ever more control over local schools and dictate what they can and cannot teach.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742573578411.png" alt="On Thursday, President Trump signed an Executive Order to Dismantle Department of Education" />
 <figcaption>On Thursday, President Trump signed an Executive Order to Dismantle Department of Education</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Linda McMahon said she is preparing to relocate the Education Department’s core operations to other agencies and roll back federal regulations.She sketched out a roadmap for executing President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">order to dismantle the agency</a>&nbsp;in an opinion piece published Friday by Fox News.McMahon said abolishing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-trump-ab509ad5778497dfbd6d53b9eef692b5">the department</a>&nbsp;“will not happen tomorrow,” but she plans to pave the way.“We will systematically unwind unnecessary regulations and prepare to reassign the department’s other functions to the states or other agencies,” McMahon wrote.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-secretary-linda-mcmahon-a49af0778fa7c50163619d1764f93c91">U.S. Education Department</a>, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives.Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. Republicans said they will introduce legislation to achieve that, while Democrats have quickly lined up to oppose the idea.The order says the education secretary will, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities."It offers no detail on how that work will be carried out or where it will be targeted, though the White House said the agency will retain certain critical functions.Trump said his administration will close the department beyond its "core necessities," preserving its responsibilities for Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants and money for children with disabilities.The White House said earlier Thursday the department will continue to manage federal student loans, but the order appears to say the opposite. It says the Education Department doesn't have the staff to oversee its $1.6 trillion loan portfolio and “must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America's students.”At a signing ceremony, Trump blamed the department for America’s lagging academic performance and said states will do a better job.“It’s doing us no good," he said.Already, Trump's Republican administration has been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">slashed in half</a>, and there have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">deep cuts</a>&nbsp;to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she will remove red tape and empower states to decide what’s best for their schools. But she promised to continue essential services and work with states and Congress "to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”Part of her job will be exploring which agencies can take on the Education Department's various roles, she said.“The Department of Justice already has a civil rights office, and I think that there is an opportunity to discuss with Attorney General Bondi about locating some of our civil rights work there,” McMahon told reporters after the signing.The measure was celebrated by groups that have long called for an end to the department."For decades, it has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a failing system — one that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence, all while student achievement stagnates and America falls further behind," said Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation.Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-closure-c7cddd1dbf310dadcd70e003d62a6df0">fundamentally unequal</a>&nbsp;education system.“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.Opponents are already gearing up for legal challenges, including Democracy Forward, a public interest litigation group. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the order a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”Margaret Spellings, who served as education secretary under Republican President George W. Bush, questioned whether whether the department will be able to accomplish its remaining missions, and whether it will ultimately improve schools.“Will it distract us from the ability to focus urgently on student achievement, or will people be figuring out how to run the train?" she asked.Spellings said schools have always been run by local and state officials, and rejected the idea that the Education Department and federal government have been holding them back.Currently, much of the agency’s work revolves around managing money — both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also is key in overseeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campus-antisemitism-investigation-trump-23855f8bc5597f4f94a816b6e46b0eac">civil rights enforcement</a>.The Trump administration has not addressed the fate of other department operations, like its support for for technical education and adult learning, grants for rural schools and after-school programs, and a federal work-study program that provides employment to students with financial need.States and districts already control local schools, including curriculum, but some conservatives have pushed to cut strings attached to federal money and provide it to states as “block grants” to be used at their discretion.Block granting has raised questions about vital funding sources including Title I, the largest source of federal money to America’s K-12 schools. Families of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-iep-disability-civil-rights-trump-85a6687d9ef1f5236f2637924d66a560">children with disabilities</a>&nbsp;have despaired over what could come of the federal department's work protecting their rights.Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for low-income schools.Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents’ groups demand more authority over their children’s schooling.In his platform, Trump promised to close the department “and send it back to the states, where it belongs.” Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of “radicals, zealots and Marxists” who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.Even as Trump moves to dismantle the department, he has leaned on it to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Office for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education money to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-3-19-2025">transgender athletes participating in women's sports</a>, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, dismissed Trump's claim that he's returning education to the states. She said he is actually “trying to exert ever more control over local schools and dictate what they can and cannot teach.”

Education Secretary says she’ll ‘unwind’ regulations

RENO COUNTY —One person and a pet died in house fire on Friday.

Just before 4a.m. the Hutchinson Fire Department received a call of a house fire in the 200 Block of West 15th in Hutchinson, according to a media release. Dispatch advised of possible victims inside the home. First arriving crews found a 1 and one half story home that was fully on fire with multiple exposures that consisted of residential homes. 

Crews initiated a defensive attack and worked to prevent the fire from spreading. Two nearby homes sustained moderate damage and were saved. 

 The fire was considered controlled 90 minutes after arrival. One victim and a dog died in the fire.

 Hutchinson Structural Collapse personnel brought in special equipment to shore up a load bearing wall and secure a chimney before personnel were allowed into the home to remove the victim and continue work to put the fire out.

Hutchinson Public Works Department brought in a loader to assist in removal of debris. The home is a complete loss.&nbsp; The 2 other homes were also occupied at the time of the fire. No firefighter injuries were reported. 

The HFD fire investigator and the State Fire Marshal are currently investigating to determine cause and origin.  A medical examiner from Wichita has also been brought in to assist.&nbsp; The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742552892095.jpeg" alt="Photo Hutchinson Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Hutchinson Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —One person and a pet died in house fire on Friday.Just before 4a.m. the Hutchinson Fire Department received a call of a house fire in the 200 Block of West 15th in Hutchinson, according to a media release. Dispatch advised of possible victims inside the home. First arriving crews found a 1 and one half story home that was fully on fire with multiple exposures that consisted of residential homes. Crews initiated a defensive attack and worked to prevent the fire from spreading. Two nearby homes sustained moderate damage and were saved. The fire was considered controlled 90 minutes after arrival. One victim and a dog died in the fire. Hutchinson Structural Collapse personnel brought in special equipment to shore up a load bearing wall and secure a chimney before personnel were allowed into the home to remove the victim and continue work to put the fire out.Hutchinson Public Works Department brought in a loader to assist in removal of debris. The home is a complete loss.&nbsp; The 2 other homes were also occupied at the time of the fire. No firefighter injuries were reported. The HFD fire investigator and the State Fire Marshal are currently investigating to determine cause and origin. A medical examiner from Wichita has also been brought in to assist.&nbsp; The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

One person and a dog killed in Kansas house fire

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Rep. Sean Tarwater prayed Thursday for his House colleagues who support a satanic plot to make a mockery of his faith.

Tarwater, who identified himself as a devout Catholic, said he stayed silent earlier in the week during a committee hearing on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hr6016/" target="_blank">House Resolution 6016</a>, which denounces&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/16/afraid-of-letting-satan-loose-in-the-kansas-statehouse-then-check-your-religion-at-the-door-too/">the Satanic Grotto’s plans to hold a black mass</a>&nbsp;on March 28 at the Statehouse. Tarwater, R-Stillwell, said he was afraid of what he might say if he spoke up during the hearing.

“I was simply dumbfounded by what I heard from some of those that are on the committee,” Tarwater said. “My blood was boiling, and I was deeply emotional. It was a terrible afternoon. The excuses that were made to support the black mass were plentiful and were nothing but an attempt to veil support for the mockery of Catholic religion.”

The House approved the resolution Thursday by a voice vote after members debated the balance between respecting First Amendment protections for offensive speech — and their own right to respond.

The Satanic Grotto’s plans, which include desecration of a Bible and communion wafers, caused an uproar in the Catholic community. Gov. Laura Kelly demanded the group&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/12/kansas-satanists-plan-to-defy-governor-with-therapeutic-blasphemy-in-black-mass-at-statehouse/">hold the black mass outside the Capitol</a>, which the group’s president agreed to do after initially intending to defy her. Legislative leadership also&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/18/kansas-legislators-archbishop-take-action-against-satanists-and-their-planned-black-mass/">modified rules designed to limit protests at the Statehouse</a>, and an archbishop filed a civil lawsuit accusing the group of stealing consecrated hosts to use during the black mass.

The House adopted the resolution to make a statement, although it carries no legal weight, that it considers the black mass to be “a despicable, blasphemous and offensive sacrilege to not only Catholics but all people of goodwill.” Seventy-five members sponsored the resolution, which also calls for “all Kansans to promote unity, mutual respect and the values that uphold our identity as one nation under God.”

Allegations that the Satanic Grotto has committed a crime are based on assumptions about what the group means when it says the black mass will include the destruction of a communion wafer.

Rep. Silas Miller, D-Wichita, said during Thursday’s debate in the House that you can buy communion wafers on Amazon for $7.

“The satanists did this specifically to get your attention, and it worked,” Miller said. “And sadly, we’re still missing the point.”

Tarwater said he could handle being offended and that the resolution wasn’t going to stop the satanists: “It’s going to happen, unfortunately.”

He closed his mournful-sounding speech by quoting Bible verse from Luke 23:34.

“What eats at me the most is that I fear for the souls of those that are going to be involved with this black mass, and especially for those that are supporting the black mass in this room and on that committee,” Tarwater said. “And from my souls and my friends and colleagues, I’ve been sitting over there and listening and praying for all of you: ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’ ”

Rep. Tobias Schlingensiepen, a Topeka Democrat and pastor, said he supported the resolution because it doesn’t forbid the Satanic Grotto from protesting.

“I do take exception when a group willfully tries to bait and offend the believers of other faiths in things that are sacred to them,” Schlingensiepen said.

He said he also would denounce the use of Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist symbols “in order to somehow poke fun at them.”

“That said, I want to make an additional point. As a Christian, I will say this: I personally wish that we took the substance of our faith as seriously as we do the abuse of its symbols,” Schlingensiepen said.

He said the Legislature too often has departed from the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount.

“If you’re truly Christian, and I can only speak for my side of or my portion of that spectrum, than to be taking care of the poor, taking care of the marginalized, is a fundamental Christian commitment,” Schlingensiepen said.

Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, said legislators talk about a lot of subjects, “and I cannot think of one any better than our faith an our beliefs.”

“Do we show love all the time the way it needs to be seen? Probably not,” Rahjes said. “But I think all of us, at one time or the other, when we’ve been on this floor this year, have said a little prayer for our colleague who maybe we don’t agree with. We may have said, ‘Bless their heart,’ under our voice.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742559990940.png" alt="Rep. Sean Tarwater, seen outside a March 18, 2025, closed meeting of House Republicans, prayed for colleagues who support the Satanic Grotto’s plans to hold a black mass at the Statehouse. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Sean Tarwater, seen outside a March 18, 2025, closed meeting of House Republicans, prayed for colleagues who support the Satanic Grotto’s plans to hold a black mass at the Statehouse. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Rep. Sean Tarwater prayed Thursday for his House colleagues who support a satanic plot to make a mockery of his faith.Tarwater, who identified himself as a devout Catholic, said he stayed silent earlier in the week during a committee hearing on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hr6016/" target="_blank">House Resolution 6016</a>, which denounces&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/16/afraid-of-letting-satan-loose-in-the-kansas-statehouse-then-check-your-religion-at-the-door-too/">the Satanic Grotto’s plans to hold a black mass</a>&nbsp;on March 28 at the Statehouse. Tarwater, R-Stillwell, said he was afraid of what he might say if he spoke up during the hearing.“I was simply dumbfounded by what I heard from some of those that are on the committee,” Tarwater said. “My blood was boiling, and I was deeply emotional. It was a terrible afternoon. The excuses that were made to support the black mass were plentiful and were nothing but an attempt to veil support for the mockery of Catholic religion.”The House approved the resolution Thursday by a voice vote after members debated the balance between respecting First Amendment protections for offensive speech — and their own right to respond.The Satanic Grotto’s plans, which include desecration of a Bible and communion wafers, caused an uproar in the Catholic community. Gov. Laura Kelly demanded the group&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/12/kansas-satanists-plan-to-defy-governor-with-therapeutic-blasphemy-in-black-mass-at-statehouse/">hold the black mass outside the Capitol</a>, which the group’s president agreed to do after initially intending to defy her. Legislative leadership also&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/18/kansas-legislators-archbishop-take-action-against-satanists-and-their-planned-black-mass/">modified rules designed to limit protests at the Statehouse</a>, and an archbishop filed a civil lawsuit accusing the group of stealing consecrated hosts to use during the black mass.The House adopted the resolution to make a statement, although it carries no legal weight, that it considers the black mass to be “a despicable, blasphemous and offensive sacrilege to not only Catholics but all people of goodwill.” Seventy-five members sponsored the resolution, which also calls for “all Kansans to promote unity, mutual respect and the values that uphold our identity as one nation under God.”Allegations that the Satanic Grotto has committed a crime are based on assumptions about what the group means when it says the black mass will include the destruction of a communion wafer.Rep. Silas Miller, D-Wichita, said during Thursday’s debate in the House that you can buy communion wafers on Amazon for $7.“The satanists did this specifically to get your attention, and it worked,” Miller said. “And sadly, we’re still missing the point.”Tarwater said he could handle being offended and that the resolution wasn’t going to stop the satanists: “It’s going to happen, unfortunately.”He closed his mournful-sounding speech by quoting Bible verse from Luke 23:34.“What eats at me the most is that I fear for the souls of those that are going to be involved with this black mass, and especially for those that are supporting the black mass in this room and on that committee,” Tarwater said. “And from my souls and my friends and colleagues, I’ve been sitting over there and listening and praying for all of you: ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’ ”Rep. Tobias Schlingensiepen, a Topeka Democrat and pastor, said he supported the resolution because it doesn’t forbid the Satanic Grotto from protesting.“I do take exception when a group willfully tries to bait and offend the believers of other faiths in things that are sacred to them,” Schlingensiepen said.He said he also would denounce the use of Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist symbols “in order to somehow poke fun at them.”“That said, I want to make an additional point. As a Christian, I will say this: I personally wish that we took the substance of our faith as seriously as we do the abuse of its symbols,” Schlingensiepen said.He said the Legislature too often has departed from the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount.“If you’re truly Christian, and I can only speak for my side of or my portion of that spectrum, than to be taking care of the poor, taking care of the marginalized, is a fundamental Christian commitment,” Schlingensiepen said.Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, said legislators talk about a lot of subjects, “and I cannot think of one any better than our faith an our beliefs.”“Do we show love all the time the way it needs to be seen? Probably not,” Rahjes said. “But I think all of us, at one time or the other, when we’ve been on this floor this year, have said a little prayer for our colleague who maybe we don’t agree with. We may have said, ‘Bless their heart,’ under our voice.”

Kan. House denounces satanic black mass as ‘despicable, blasphemous and offensive sacrilege’

RENO COUNTY —A juvenile died in an accident just after 7:30p.m. Thursday in Reno County.

The Reno County Sheriff's office reported the accident involved a 2000 Dodge Dakota with three occupants just west of the Turon city limits on Sun City Road. The vehicle collided with a bridge rail and continued past the bridge&nbsp;

Two occupants had minor to no injuries. The 3rd occupant, a juvenile, was found to be deceased at the scene, according to the Sheriff's office.

Reno County EMS and Reno County Fire District 7 were also dispatched to the accident. The sheriff's office did not release the names of those involved.. This accident is still under investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

RENO COUNTY —A juvenile died in an accident just after 7:30p.m. Thursday in Reno County.The Reno County Sheriff's office reported the accident involved a 2000 Dodge Dakota with three occupants just west of the Turon city limits on Sun City Road. The vehicle collided with a bridge rail and continued past the bridge&nbsp;Two occupants had minor to no injuries. The 3rd occupant, a juvenile, was found to be deceased at the scene, according to the Sheriff's office.Reno County EMS and Reno County Fire District 7 were also dispatched to the accident. The sheriff's office did not release the names of those involved.. This accident is still under investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kan. juvenile dead after pickup crash into bridge rail

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating a fatal gun fight have two suspects in custody in connection with the crime and continue asking the public for help to locate a third.

The Wichita Police Department is asking for information on the whereabouts of 20-year-old Jerry Johnson.&nbsp; The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office charged Johnson in reference to his involvement to a homicide that occurred on February 11.

Just before 6p.m. Feb. 11, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.

Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified males dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.

An 18-year-old identified as Sergio Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that Clement and 21-year-old Alan Griffin, Jr. were involved in the fatal shooting of Roach. As a result, both were arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact investigators at 316-268-4407, Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111, or See Something Say Something at 316-519-2282.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating a fatal gun fight have two suspects in custody in connection with the crime and continue asking the public for help to locate a third.The Wichita Police Department is asking for information on the whereabouts of 20-year-old Jerry Johnson.&nbsp; The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office charged Johnson in reference to his involvement to a homicide that occurred on February 11.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739989718610.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 6p.m. Feb. 11, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified males dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.An 18-year-old identified as Sergio Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that Clement and 21-year-old Alan Griffin, Jr. were involved in the fatal shooting of Roach. As a result, both were arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact investigators at 316-268-4407, Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111, or See Something Say Something at 316-519-2282.

Search continues for suspect in deadly Kansas gun fight

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 22-year-old Dayteonna&nbsp;Thompson, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a disturbance at an apartment in the 600 block of E Minor Drive in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.

On arrival officers were directed to an apartment unit where they located two adult women inside with unknown injuries. One of the women was alert and talking with what appeared to be minor injuries and another was unresponsive with significant injuries.

Based on preliminary information obtained by the initial responding officers, additional responding officers were able to locate a male subject of interest and take him into custody, for further investigation, a short distance away within the apartment complex.

Initial officers rendered aid to the injured victims and called for EMS who transported both the victims to the hospital for treatment. The female victim with significant injuries later identified as Thompson was pronounced&nbsp; deceased at the hospital. The second woman was treated for what is believed to be non life threatening injuries.

Based on preliminary information it is believed the male subject of interest is known to the women.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 22-year-old Dayteonna&nbsp;Thompson, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a disturbance at an apartment in the 600 block of E Minor Drive in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.On arrival officers were directed to an apartment unit where they located two adult women inside with unknown injuries. One of the women was alert and talking with what appeared to be minor injuries and another was unresponsive with significant injuries.Based on preliminary information obtained by the initial responding officers, additional responding officers were able to locate a male subject of interest and take him into custody, for further investigation, a short distance away within the apartment complex.Initial officers rendered aid to the injured victims and called for EMS who transported both the victims to the hospital for treatment. The female victim with significant injuries later identified as Thompson was pronounced&nbsp; deceased at the hospital. The second woman was treated for what is believed to be non life threatening injuries.Based on preliminary information it is believed the male subject of interest is known to the women.

Police ID woman who died in KC apartment disturbance

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Authorities at Wichita State University are investigating after a bomb threat at 17th and Yale, near campus, according to an alert sent by the school late Thursday.&nbsp; &nbsp; 

The school sent an all-clear alert later. Police released no additional details.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Authorities at Wichita State University are investigating after a bomb threat at 17th and Yale, near campus, according to an alert sent by the school late Thursday.&nbsp; &nbsp; The school sent an all-clear alert later. Police released no additional details.

All clear after bomb threat at Wichita State University

DOUGLAS COUNTY—The search continues for the&nbsp;driver who fled from an attempted vehicle stop Wednesday night leading to a pursuit through a Lawrence, Kansas, neighborhood before the driver struck a concrete barrier at Sixth Street and Schwarz Road, according to a social media report from the Douglas County Sheriff.

Just before 10p.m. Wednesday, a Douglas County Sheriff's deputy recognized the driver as someone with outstanding warrants and attempted to stop the vehicle near West Seventh Street and Lawrence Avenue before the driver fled in a 2004 Cadillac DeVille.&nbsp;

Striking the barrier deflated a tire on the vehicle, and the driver ran from the scene through backyards between residences in the 500 block of Schwarz Road. Lawrence police officers assisted deputies in searching the area, including using a drone and K-9.

Law enforcement did not locate the suspect. Deputies did identify the suspect and planned to submit an affidavit to prosecutors related to charges for felony fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement related to the pursuit.

Deputies took one passenger in the DeVille, a 21-year-old Lawrence man, into custody on warrants outside of Douglas County.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release the name of the suspects.

DOUGLAS COUNTY—The search continues for the&nbsp;driver who fled from an attempted vehicle stop Wednesday night leading to a pursuit through a Lawrence, Kansas, neighborhood before the driver struck a concrete barrier at Sixth Street and Schwarz Road, according to a social media report from the Douglas County Sheriff.Just before 10p.m. Wednesday, a Douglas County Sheriff's deputy recognized the driver as someone with outstanding warrants and attempted to stop the vehicle near West Seventh Street and Lawrence Avenue before the driver fled in a 2004 Cadillac DeVille.&nbsp;Striking the barrier deflated a tire on the vehicle, and the driver ran from the scene through backyards between residences in the 500 block of Schwarz Road. Lawrence police officers assisted deputies in searching the area, including using a drone and K-9.Law enforcement did not locate the suspect. Deputies did identify the suspect and planned to submit an affidavit to prosecutors related to charges for felony fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement related to the pursuit.Deputies took one passenger in the DeVille, a 21-year-old Lawrence man, into custody on warrants outside of Douglas County.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release the name of the suspects.

Kansas suspect at large after running from police chase, crash

WASHINGTON —The Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict in Middle East, pursue its nuclear program, and support its terrorist proxies.&nbsp; Iran’s oil exports are enabled by a network of illicit shipping facilitators in multiple jurisdictions who, through obfuscation and deception, load and transport Iranian oil for sale to buyers in Asia, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of State.

On Thursday, the United States announced it is taking action under National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-2, President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign on Iran.&nbsp; This action marks the fourth round of sanctions targeting Iranian oil sales to stop the flow of revenue the regime uses to fund their destabilizing activities.&nbsp; The Department of State is imposing sanctions on one entity engaged in the acquisition of Iranian petroleum.&nbsp; This target is being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13846, which authorizes and reimposes certain sanctions with respect to Iran.&nbsp; In a separate action, the Department of the Treasury is imposing sanctions on 19 entities and vessels pursuant to E.O. 13902, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors.

Specifically, the Department of State is taking action against a crude oil and petroleum products storage terminal in the port of Huizhou in China.&nbsp; The terminal received and stored Iranian-origin crude oil onboard a blocked tanker.&nbsp; Crude oil and petroleum products terminals based in China serve as the gateway for Iranian petroleum products to enter the Chinese market.&nbsp; As China is the largest importer of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products, terminals in China play a critical role in supporting Iran’s efforts to maintain revenues from its energy exports and fuel its destabilizing activities.

The Department is designating the following entity pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran:

As a result of today’s sanctions-related actions, and in accordance with E.O. 13846, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).&nbsp; Additionally, all entities and individuals that have ownership, either directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.

All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt.&nbsp; These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.

WASHINGTON —The Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict in Middle East, pursue its nuclear program, and support its terrorist proxies.&nbsp; Iran’s oil exports are enabled by a network of illicit shipping facilitators in multiple jurisdictions who, through obfuscation and deception, load and transport Iranian oil for sale to buyers in Asia, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of State.On Thursday, the United States announced it is taking action under National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-2, President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign on Iran.&nbsp; This action marks the fourth round of sanctions targeting Iranian oil sales to stop the flow of revenue the regime uses to fund their destabilizing activities.&nbsp; The Department of State is imposing sanctions on one entity engaged in the acquisition of Iranian petroleum.&nbsp; This target is being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13846, which authorizes and reimposes certain sanctions with respect to Iran.&nbsp; In a separate action, the Department of the Treasury is imposing sanctions on 19 entities and vessels pursuant to E.O. 13902, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors.Specifically, the Department of State is taking action against a crude oil and petroleum products storage terminal in the port of Huizhou in China.&nbsp; The terminal received and stored Iranian-origin crude oil onboard a blocked tanker.&nbsp; Crude oil and petroleum products terminals based in China serve as the gateway for Iranian petroleum products to enter the Chinese market.&nbsp; As China is the largest importer of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products, terminals in China play a critical role in supporting Iran’s efforts to maintain revenues from its energy exports and fuel its destabilizing activities.The Department is designating the following entity pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran:<ul>
 <li>HUAYING HUIZHOU DAYA BAY PETROCHEMICAL TERMINAL STORAGE CO., LTD (HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL)&nbsp;knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the acquisition of crude oil from Iran in late January 2025, when the U.S.-designated tanker, formerly SPIRIT OF CASPER, also known as NICHOLA, offloaded approximately one million barrels of Iranian-origin crude oil at the Huaying Daya Bay terminal, a China-based petroleum products storage terminal that is owned and operated by HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL.</li><li>NICHOLA, which was added to the SDN List in October 2024 in connection with transporting multiple shipments of Iranian oil to China-based refineries, loaded Iranian-origin petroleum in December 2024, when it engaged in a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer in the eastern outer port limits near Singapore with U.S.-designated SALINA, an Iran-flagged tanker associated with the U.S.-designated NATIONAL IRANIAN TANKER COMPANY (NITC). At the time of the transfer, SALINA was laden with petroleum from Kharg Island, Iran, which it had loaded a month earlier in November 2024.</li><li>Several days before the NICHOLA arrived at the Huaying terminal, multiple sources reported that the vessel was laden with Iranian-origin petroleum. On January 22, 2025, HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL received NICHOLA at its petroleum products berth, where the vessel subsequently discharged approximately one million barrels of Iranian crude oil.&nbsp; Since March 2021, HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL has received at least nine shipments of Iranian petroleum at its terminal facility, seven of which came from the U.S.-designated NATIONAL IRANIAN OIL COMPANY).</li>
 </ul>SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONSAs a result of today’s sanctions-related actions, and in accordance with E.O. 13846, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).&nbsp; Additionally, all entities and individuals that have ownership, either directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt.&nbsp; These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.

U.S. sanctions additional entities that trade in Iran’s oil exports

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man who was shot by police this week after he struck a patrol car while attempting to flee law enforcement is facing multiple charges, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2548/BEEBE-Complaint-RED">Robert Beebe, 35, faces</a>&nbsp;Resisting a Lawful Stop, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Tampering with a Motor Vehicle, according&nbsp; to Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2549/BEEBE-PC-RED">According to court records</a>, Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers were following a black Infiniti Tuesday evening that had previously eluded them. Troopers followed the vehicle until it reached state line. The passenger of the Infiniti bailed from the vehicle and was taken into custody. The driver of the Infiniti, later identified as Beebe was observed driving in a careless manner, according to Kansas City police helicopter footage. The driver drove into oncoming traffic and failed to stop at multiple traffic control devices.&nbsp;

The Infiniti then pulled into a parking lot on the 1600 block of Jefferson Street. A patrol vehicle attempted to conduct a car check of the vehicle. Witnesses, one of whom was participating in a police ride-along, said the officers identified themselves during the car check and requested the defendant to exit the vehicle. The defendant then hit the police car as he backed out and he revved its engine as if to strike the vehicle again. A witness said he believed the Infiniti was driving in the direction of an officer. Police fired at the vehicle, hitting Beebe who was transported to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries.&nbsp;

A stolen firearm was recovered from the Infiniti’s front driver side floorboard, loaded with live rounds. Beebe is currently on probation for Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance. He&nbsp;is being held on a $50,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742379426063.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man who was shot by police this week after he struck a patrol car while attempting to flee law enforcement is facing multiple charges, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2548/BEEBE-Complaint-RED">Robert Beebe, 35, faces</a>&nbsp;Resisting a Lawful Stop, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Tampering with a Motor Vehicle, according&nbsp; to Johnson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742508983473.png" alt="Beebe photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Beebe photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2549/BEEBE-PC-RED">According to court records</a>, Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers were following a black Infiniti Tuesday evening that had previously eluded them. Troopers followed the vehicle until it reached state line. The passenger of the Infiniti bailed from the vehicle and was taken into custody. The driver of the Infiniti, later identified as Beebe was observed driving in a careless manner, according to Kansas City police helicopter footage. The driver drove into oncoming traffic and failed to stop at multiple traffic control devices.&nbsp;The Infiniti then pulled into a parking lot on the 1600 block of Jefferson Street. A patrol vehicle attempted to conduct a car check of the vehicle. Witnesses, one of whom was participating in a police ride-along, said the officers identified themselves during the car check and requested the defendant to exit the vehicle. The defendant then hit the police car as he backed out and he revved its engine as if to strike the vehicle again. A witness said he believed the Infiniti was driving in the direction of an officer. Police fired at the vehicle, hitting Beebe who was transported to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries.&nbsp;A stolen firearm was recovered from the Infiniti’s front driver side floorboard, loaded with live rounds. Beebe is currently on probation for Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance. He&nbsp;is being held on a $50,000 bond.

Man shot by KCPD after striking patrol vehicle moved from hospital to jail

MORTON COUNTY —Three new cases of measles have been confirmed in Morton County, linked to a previous case identified in Stevens County last week, according to a statement from the Morton County Health Department.

Early symptoms of measles are a fever of more than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes. Usually, one to four days after these early symptoms, a red rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.&nbsp;Measles symptoms typically develop 10-14 days after exposure. Symptoms can develop as soon as seven days and as long as 21 days after exposure, according to the Kansas Department of Health.

Measles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus. Measles is spread through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing. Measles can be spread from an infected person to others from four days before, to four days after the rash appears.

Because measles is a highly infectious disease, it is very important for anyone exposed and experiencing symptoms to isolate from others with the exception of visiting a health care provider.

The best way to prevent measles is to get the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends children get their first dose at 12 to 15 months of age, and a second dose at age 4 to 6 years. Infants ages 6 through 11 months old should get the MMR vaccination if traveling outside the United States. Adults are protected from measles if they have had at least one dose of the MMR vaccine, were born before 1957, or have evidence of immunity from a blood test.

If an individual has known exposure to someone with measles and they are not immune through vaccination or prior infection, they are recommended to:

Per K.A.R. 28-1-2, measles is a four-hour reportable disease. If a health care provider, laboratory or hospital suspects, tests, or diagnoses an individual with measles, KDHE should be notified immediately. KDHE will work with the health care provider on testing recommendations. Teachers and school administrators are also required by law to report suspected cases to KDHE. &nbsp;

Measles cases rarely occur in Kansas and are usually associated with international travel.

For questions, call the Stevens County Health Department at 620-544-7177 or KDHE Epidemiology Hotline at 877-427-7317 (option 5).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741908329913.png" alt="CDC image" />
 <figcaption>CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>MORTON COUNTY —Three new cases of measles have been confirmed in Morton County, linked to a previous case identified in Stevens County last week, according to a statement from the Morton County Health Department.Early symptoms of measles are a fever of more than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes. Usually, one to four days after these early symptoms, a red rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.&nbsp;Measles symptoms typically develop 10-14 days after exposure. Symptoms can develop as soon as seven days and as long as 21 days after exposure, according to the Kansas Department of Health.Measles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus. Measles is spread through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing. Measles can be spread from an infected person to others from four days before, to four days after the rash appears.Because measles is a highly infectious disease, it is very important for anyone exposed and experiencing symptoms to isolate from others with the exception of visiting a health care provider.The best way to prevent measles is to get the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends children get their first dose at 12 to 15 months of age, and a second dose at age 4 to 6 years. Infants ages 6 through 11 months old should get the MMR vaccination if traveling outside the United States. Adults are protected from measles if they have had at least one dose of the MMR vaccine, were born before 1957, or have evidence of immunity from a blood test.If an individual has known exposure to someone with measles and they are not immune through vaccination or prior infection, they are recommended to:<ul>
 <li>Consult with a health care provider to determine if post-exposure prophylaxis is recommended.</li><li>Exclude themselves from public settings for 21 days from the last time they were exposed unless symptoms develop.</li><li>If&nbsp;symptoms&nbsp;develop, individuals should notify their local health department and stay away from public areas until four days after the rash appeared.</li><li>Individuals seeking health care are advised to call ahead to their health care provider and let them know their symptoms and exposure concerns. This will help limit exposure within the healthcare setting.</li>
 </ul>Per K.A.R. 28-1-2, measles is a four-hour reportable disease. If a health care provider, laboratory or hospital suspects, tests, or diagnoses an individual with measles, KDHE should be notified immediately. KDHE will work with the health care provider on testing recommendations. Teachers and school administrators are also required by law to report suspected cases to KDHE. &nbsp;Measles cases rarely occur in Kansas and are usually associated with international travel.For questions, call the Stevens County Health Department at 620-544-7177 or KDHE Epidemiology Hotline at 877-427-7317 (option 5).

More measles cases reported in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — An American man who was abducted more than two years ago while traveling through Afghanistan as a tourist has been released by the Taliban in a deal with the Trump administration that Qatari negotiators helped broker, the State Department said Thursday.

George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-american-detainee-prisoner-exchange-e201170029067fbd8c9ef5861af0930e">the third American detainee</a>&nbsp;to be released by the Taliban since January. He was seized by the Taliban's intelligence services in December 2022 and was designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained the following year.

In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Glezmann was on his way back to the United States to be reunited with his wife, Aleksandra, and praised Qatar for “steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts” that he said were “instrumental in securing George’s release.”

“George’s release is a positive and constructive step," Rubio said. “It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will continue his tireless work to free ALL Americans unjustly detained around the world.”

Glezmann was being accompanied back to the U.S., through Qatar's capital, Doha, by Adam Boehler, who has been handling hostage issues for President Donald Trump's administration. The Taliban disclosed earlier Thursday that Boehler had met with a delegation that included Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Glezmann, 66, was in Afghanistan as a tourist at the time of his abduction and has visited more than 100 countries as part of his passion for exploring different cultures, according to a profile on the website of the Foley Foundation, an organization that advocates for the release of Americans detained by foreign countries.

The release of Glezmann is part of what the Taliban has previously described as the “normalization" of ties between the U.S. and Afghanistan following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-kabul-milley-taliban-biden-620fd2ca8187389da38ddcf3f9466fbd">the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan</a>&nbsp;in 2021. Most countries still don’t recognize the Taliban’s rule.

Glezmann's release follows a separate deal, arranged in January in the final days of the Biden administration and also mediated by the Qataris, that secured the releases of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty.

The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul said at the time that those two U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two life terms in 2008 after being convicted under U.S. narco-terrorism laws for securing heroin and opium that he knew was bound for the U.S.

Unlike in that arrangement, the U.S. did not give up any prisoner to secure Glezmann’s release, which was done as a goodwill gesture, according to an official briefed on the matter who insisted on anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.

On Thursday, Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed Glezmann's release on “humanitarian grounds." In a statement, it said the “Islamic Emirate again reaffirms its longstanding position that dialogue, understanding and diplomacy provide effective avenues for resolving all issues.”

President Joe Biden contemplated before he left office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taliban-afghanistan-detainees-ryan-corbett-biden-trump-7a62e24dda83867f83386e08ff2e60df">an earlier proposal</a>&nbsp;that would have involved the release of Glezmann and other Americans for Muhammad Rahim, one of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

But Biden told families during a call in January that he would not support trading Rahim unless the Taliban released Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company and vanished in 2022.

The FBI and Habibi's family have said they believe Habibi was taken by Taliban forces, but the Taliban has denied holding him. Representatives for Habibi on Thursday cited what they said was “overwhelming evidence” that he was arrested by the Taliban after his home was searched by people identifying themselves as part of the Taliban's security service.

"We are confident that the Trump Administration will hold firm that my brother needs to be released for relations with the U.S. to move forward," one of Habibi’s brothers, Ahmad, said in a statement. “We have reason to be confident Mahmood is alive and in Taliban custody, despite their hollow denials of holding him. My brother is an innocent man who has been held away from his wife, young daughter, and elderly parents for 953 days.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742485943294.png" alt="In this handout photo released by Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, George Glezmann, center, poses with Adam Boehler, second left, and Zalmay Khalilzad, second right, and Qatari diplomats in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, March 20, 2025, before departing to Doha, Qatar. (Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)" />
 <figcaption>In this handout photo released by Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, George Glezmann, center, poses with Adam Boehler, second left, and Zalmay Khalilzad, second right, and Qatari diplomats in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, March 20, 2025, before departing to Doha, Qatar. (Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — An American man who was abducted more than two years ago while traveling through Afghanistan as a tourist has been released by the Taliban in a deal with the Trump administration that Qatari negotiators helped broker, the State Department said Thursday.George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-american-detainee-prisoner-exchange-e201170029067fbd8c9ef5861af0930e">the third American detainee</a>&nbsp;to be released by the Taliban since January. He was seized by the Taliban's intelligence services in December 2022 and was designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained the following year.In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Glezmann was on his way back to the United States to be reunited with his wife, Aleksandra, and praised Qatar for “steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts” that he said were “instrumental in securing George’s release.”“George’s release is a positive and constructive step," Rubio said. “It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will continue his tireless work to free ALL Americans unjustly detained around the world.”Glezmann was being accompanied back to the U.S., through Qatar's capital, Doha, by Adam Boehler, who has been handling hostage issues for President Donald Trump's administration. The Taliban disclosed earlier Thursday that Boehler had met with a delegation that included Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.Glezmann, 66, was in Afghanistan as a tourist at the time of his abduction and has visited more than 100 countries as part of his passion for exploring different cultures, according to a profile on the website of the Foley Foundation, an organization that advocates for the release of Americans detained by foreign countries.The release of Glezmann is part of what the Taliban has previously described as the “normalization" of ties between the U.S. and Afghanistan following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-kabul-milley-taliban-biden-620fd2ca8187389da38ddcf3f9466fbd">the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan</a>&nbsp;in 2021. Most countries still don’t recognize the Taliban’s rule.Glezmann's release follows a separate deal, arranged in January in the final days of the Biden administration and also mediated by the Qataris, that secured the releases of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty.The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul said at the time that those two U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two life terms in 2008 after being convicted under U.S. narco-terrorism laws for securing heroin and opium that he knew was bound for the U.S.Unlike in that arrangement, the U.S. did not give up any prisoner to secure Glezmann’s release, which was done as a goodwill gesture, according to an official briefed on the matter who insisted on anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.On Thursday, Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed Glezmann's release on “humanitarian grounds." In a statement, it said the “Islamic Emirate again reaffirms its longstanding position that dialogue, understanding and diplomacy provide effective avenues for resolving all issues.”President Joe Biden contemplated before he left office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taliban-afghanistan-detainees-ryan-corbett-biden-trump-7a62e24dda83867f83386e08ff2e60df">an earlier proposal</a>&nbsp;that would have involved the release of Glezmann and other Americans for Muhammad Rahim, one of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.But Biden told families during a call in January that he would not support trading Rahim unless the Taliban released Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company and vanished in 2022.The FBI and Habibi's family have said they believe Habibi was taken by Taliban forces, but the Taliban has denied holding him. Representatives for Habibi on Thursday cited what they said was “overwhelming evidence” that he was arrested by the Taliban after his home was searched by people identifying themselves as part of the Taliban's security service."We are confident that the Trump Administration will hold firm that my brother needs to be released for relations with the U.S. to move forward," one of Habibi’s brothers, Ahmad, said in a statement. “We have reason to be confident Mahmood is alive and in Taliban custody, despite their hollow denials of holding him. My brother is an innocent man who has been held away from his wife, young daughter, and elderly parents for 953 days.”

Taliban frees American abducted in Afghanistan 2 years ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that's been a longtime target of conservatives.

Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979.

And the White House says the department would not close completely right now. It is to retain certain critical functions, like managing federal student loans and Pell grants.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below.

President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department, advancing a campaign promise to eliminate an agency that's been a longtime target of conservatives.

A White House fact sheet said the order would direct Secretary Linda McMahon "to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely."

Trump's action will make the department much smaller than it is today, but it will continue managing federal student loans and Pell grants, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. Other critical department duties such as enforcement of civil rights will remain, she said, but she did not say how they will be fulfilled.

"The great responsibility of education, educating our nation's students will return to the states," Leavitt told reporters.

Already, Trump's Republican administration has been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being slashed in half, and there have been deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation's academic progress.

Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in an American education system that is fundamentally unequal.

"This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump," NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.

Democrats said the order will be fought in the courts and in Congress, and they urged Republicans to join them in opposition.

Trump's order is "dangerous and illegal" and will disproportionately hurt low-income students, students of color and those with disabilities, said Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

The department "was founded in part to guarantee the enforcement of students' civil rights," Scott said. "Champions of public school segregation objected, and campaigned for a return to 'states' rights.'"

Supporters of Trump's vision for education welcomed the order.

"No more bloated bureaucracy dictating what kids learn or stifling innovation with red tape," Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, said on social media. "States, communities, and parents can take the reins — tailoring education to what actually works for their kids."

The White House has not spelled out formally which department functions could be handed off to other departments or eliminated altogether. At her confirmation hearing, McMahon said she would preserve core initiatives, including Title I money for low-income schools and Pell grants for low-income college students. The goal of the administration, she said, would be "a better functioning" department.

The department sends billions of dollars a year to schools and oversees $1.6 trillion in federal student loans.

Currently, much of the agency's work revolves around managing money — both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also is key in overseeing civil rights enforcement.

States and districts already control local schools, including curriculum, but some conservatives have pushed to cut strings attached to federal money and provide it to states as "block grants" to be used at their discretion. Block granting has raised questions about vital funding sources including Title I, the largest source of federal money to America's K-12 schools. Families of children with disabilities have despaired over what could come of the federal department's work protecting their rights.

Colleges and universities are more reliant on money from Washington, through research grants along with federal financial aid that helps students pay their tuition.

Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes taxpayer money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents' groups demand more authority over their children's schooling.

In his platform, Trump promised to close the department "and send it back to the states, where it belongs." Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of "radicals, zealots and Marxists" who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.

Even as Trump moves to dismantle the department, he has leaned on it to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Office for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education money to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on transgender athletes participating in women's sports, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, dismissed Trump's claim that he's returning education to the states. She said he is actually "trying to exert ever more control over local schools and dictate what they can and cannot teach."

Even some of Trump's allies have questioned his power to close the agency without action from Congress, and there are doubts about its political popularity. The House considered an amendment to close the agency in 2023, but 60 Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it.

During Trump's first term, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sought to dramatically reduce the agency's budget and asked Congress to bundle all K-12 funding into block grants that give states more flexibility in how they spend federal money. That move was rejected, with pushback from some Republicans.

Leavitt is one of three administration officials named in a lawsuit by The Associated Press on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that's been a longtime target of conservatives.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump Signs Executive Order to Dismantle Department of Education <a href="https://t.co/sFLAgaskte">pic.twitter.com/sFLAgaskte</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1902823818319564838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979.And the White House says the department would not close completely right now. It is to retain certain critical functions, like managing federal student loans and Pell grants.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below.WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department, advancing a campaign promise to eliminate an agency that's been a longtime target of conservatives.Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979.A White House fact sheet said the order would direct Secretary Linda McMahon "to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely."Trump's action will make the department much smaller than it is today, but it will continue managing federal student loans and Pell grants, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. Other critical department duties such as enforcement of civil rights will remain, she said, but she did not say how they will be fulfilled."The great responsibility of education, educating our nation's students will return to the states," Leavitt told reporters.Already, Trump's Republican administration has been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being slashed in half, and there have been deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation's academic progress.Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in an American education system that is fundamentally unequal."This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump," NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.Democrats said the order will be fought in the courts and in Congress, and they urged Republicans to join them in opposition.Trump's order is "dangerous and illegal" and will disproportionately hurt low-income students, students of color and those with disabilities, said Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.The department "was founded in part to guarantee the enforcement of students' civil rights," Scott said. "Champions of public school segregation objected, and campaigned for a return to 'states' rights.'"Supporters of Trump's vision for education welcomed the order."No more bloated bureaucracy dictating what kids learn or stifling innovation with red tape," Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, said on social media. "States, communities, and parents can take the reins — tailoring education to what actually works for their kids."The White House has not spelled out formally which department functions could be handed off to other departments or eliminated altogether. At her confirmation hearing, McMahon said she would preserve core initiatives, including Title I money for low-income schools and Pell grants for low-income college students. The goal of the administration, she said, would be "a better functioning" department.The department sends billions of dollars a year to schools and oversees $1.6 trillion in federal student loans.Currently, much of the agency's work revolves around managing money — both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also is key in overseeing civil rights enforcement.States and districts already control local schools, including curriculum, but some conservatives have pushed to cut strings attached to federal money and provide it to states as "block grants" to be used at their discretion. Block granting has raised questions about vital funding sources including Title I, the largest source of federal money to America's K-12 schools. Families of children with disabilities have despaired over what could come of the federal department's work protecting their rights.Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for low-income schools.Colleges and universities are more reliant on money from Washington, through research grants along with federal financial aid that helps students pay their tuition.Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes taxpayer money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents' groups demand more authority over their children's schooling.In his platform, Trump promised to close the department "and send it back to the states, where it belongs." Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of "radicals, zealots and Marxists" who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.Even as Trump moves to dismantle the department, he has leaned on it to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Office for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education money to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on transgender athletes participating in women's sports, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, dismissed Trump's claim that he's returning education to the states. She said he is actually "trying to exert ever more control over local schools and dictate what they can and cannot teach."Even some of Trump's allies have questioned his power to close the agency without action from Congress, and there are doubts about its political popularity. The House considered an amendment to close the agency in 2023, but 60 Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it.During Trump's first term, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sought to dramatically reduce the agency's budget and asked Congress to bundle all K-12 funding into block grants that give states more flexibility in how they spend federal money. That move was rejected, with pushback from some Republicans.Leavitt is one of three administration officials named in a lawsuit by The Associated Press on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.___The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

🎥Trump signs orders to dismantle the U.S. Education Department

TREGO COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 8:30a.m. Thursday in Trego County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported 2011 Toyota 4-Runner driven by Deborah K&nbsp;Nagorka, 63, Glendale, Arizona, was westbound on Interstate 70 ten miles west of WaKeeney.

The driver lost control of the SUV when it struck a patch of ice. The vehicle enter the median, rolled across eastbound lanes of the Interstate and came to rest on its top in the south ditch.

Nagorka was pronounced dead at the scene. Eagle Med transported a passenger Anthony R&nbsp; Nagorka, 63, Glendale, Arizona, to Hays Medical Center. Both were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

TREGO COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 8:30a.m. Thursday in Trego County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported 2011 Toyota 4-Runner driven by Deborah K&nbsp;Nagorka, 63, Glendale, Arizona, was westbound on Interstate 70 ten miles west of WaKeeney.The driver lost control of the SUV when it struck a patch of ice. The vehicle enter the median, rolled across eastbound lanes of the Interstate and came to rest on its top in the south ditch.Nagorka was pronounced dead at the scene. Eagle Med transported a passenger Anthony R&nbsp; Nagorka, 63, Glendale, Arizona, to Hays Medical Center. Both were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Driver dies after SUV struck ice on Kan. highway and rolled

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/wyatte-grantham-philips">WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner abruptly resigned from his top post at the U.S. passenger railroad this week.

Wednesday’s announcement signaled that the leadership change came down to Amtrak maintaining support from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a statement, Gardner said he was stepping down “to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration.”

A successor for Gardner was not immediately named.

Gardner’s departure also arrives just weeks after billionaire Elon Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elon-musk-says-post-office-amtrak-should-be-privatized-2025-03-05/" target="_blank">floated</a>&nbsp;the idea of privatizing Amtrak, as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-postal-service-doge-agreement-daf3bf54fa0718908791fcb368b4d9d8">U.S. Postal Service</a>, at a Morgan Stanley tech conference earlier this month.

Musk, who has been at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-lawsuits-9f6cb9e7f695ee3ad7fa97743a6bf2de">forefront of the Trump administration’s</a>&nbsp;aggressive push to downsize the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/05/business/musk-usps-amtrak-privatization/index.html" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;called Amtrak “kind of embarrassing” — while comparing the U.S. carrier to passenger rails seen in other countries, such as bullet trains in China.

When reached for comment on Thursday, the Transportation Department did not provide further details specific to Gardner’s resignation. A statement from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took aim at Amtrak’s Washington D.C. operations — calling on Amtrak’s leadership to “clean up Union Station” and “rid of our nation’s treasures of homelessness and crime.”

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Reuters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-passenger-railroad-amtrak-ceo-abruptly-steps-down-2025-03-19/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that Gardner was asked to step down at the request of Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-amtrak-7036ffa8c0c64118b9deed5a979d94e2">previously sought</a>&nbsp;to cut Amtrak’s budget in his first term.

When reached Thursday, Amtrak declined to comment on whether Gardner was asked to resign. But in Wednesday’s announcement, the Amtrak board stated that it looked forward to “working with President Trump and Secretary Duffy as we build the world-class passenger rail system this country deserves.”

Gardner first got his start with Amtrak as an intern back in the 90s. He later returned and worked at the rail service for the past 16 years, holding the title of CEO since January 2022.

Amtrak struggled during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — with the railroad seeing plummeting ridership as people across the country stopped traveling and stayed home. But passenger numbers have recently rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.

For the 2024 fiscal year, Amtrak reported an all-time&nbsp;<a href="https://media.amtrak.com/2024/12/amtrak-sets-all-time-ridership-record-in-fiscal-year-2024/" target="_blank">ridership record</a>&nbsp;of 32.8 million customer trips. That’s up 15% from 2023 — and surpasses Amtrak’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-lifestyle-health-business-coronavirus-pandemic-d924a925609b179dfc6ec5e7f4f02e16">previous record</a>&nbsp;of 32.4 million passengers in 2019.

Ticket revenue for the 2024 fiscal year totaled $2.5 billion, a 9% jump from 2023. And Amtrak posted an adjusted operated loss of $705.2 million, also a 9% improvement year-over-year.

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/wyatte-grantham-philips">WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner abruptly resigned from his top post at the U.S. passenger railroad this week.Wednesday’s announcement signaled that the leadership change came down to Amtrak maintaining support from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a statement, Gardner said he was stepping down “to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration.”A successor for Gardner was not immediately named.Gardner’s departure also arrives just weeks after billionaire Elon Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elon-musk-says-post-office-amtrak-should-be-privatized-2025-03-05/" target="_blank">floated</a>&nbsp;the idea of privatizing Amtrak, as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-postal-service-doge-agreement-daf3bf54fa0718908791fcb368b4d9d8">U.S. Postal Service</a>, at a Morgan Stanley tech conference earlier this month.Musk, who has been at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-lawsuits-9f6cb9e7f695ee3ad7fa97743a6bf2de">forefront of the Trump administration’s</a>&nbsp;aggressive push to downsize the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/05/business/musk-usps-amtrak-privatization/index.html" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;called Amtrak “kind of embarrassing” — while comparing the U.S. carrier to passenger rails seen in other countries, such as bullet trains in China.When reached for comment on Thursday, the Transportation Department did not provide further details specific to Gardner’s resignation. A statement from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took aim at Amtrak’s Washington D.C. operations — calling on Amtrak’s leadership to “clean up Union Station” and “rid of our nation’s treasures of homelessness and crime.”Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Reuters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-passenger-railroad-amtrak-ceo-abruptly-steps-down-2025-03-19/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that Gardner was asked to step down at the request of Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-amtrak-7036ffa8c0c64118b9deed5a979d94e2">previously sought</a>&nbsp;to cut Amtrak’s budget in his first term.When reached Thursday, Amtrak declined to comment on whether Gardner was asked to resign. But in Wednesday’s announcement, the Amtrak board stated that it looked forward to “working with President Trump and Secretary Duffy as we build the world-class passenger rail system this country deserves.”Gardner first got his start with Amtrak as an intern back in the 90s. He later returned and worked at the rail service for the past 16 years, holding the title of CEO since January 2022.Amtrak struggled during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — with the railroad seeing plummeting ridership as people across the country stopped traveling and stayed home. But passenger numbers have recently rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.For the 2024 fiscal year, Amtrak reported an all-time&nbsp;<a href="https://media.amtrak.com/2024/12/amtrak-sets-all-time-ridership-record-in-fiscal-year-2024/" target="_blank">ridership record</a>&nbsp;of 32.8 million customer trips. That’s up 15% from 2023 — and surpasses Amtrak’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-lifestyle-health-business-coronavirus-pandemic-d924a925609b179dfc6ec5e7f4f02e16">previous record</a>&nbsp;of 32.4 million passengers in 2019.Ticket revenue for the 2024 fiscal year totaled $2.5 billion, a 9% jump from 2023. And Amtrak posted an adjusted operated loss of $705.2 million, also a 9% improvement year-over-year.