SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the&nbsp;&nbsp;alleged kidnappings and sex crimes involving three juveniles near a Kansas elementary school made another court appearance on Friday.

A judge ruled 22-year-old<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=246512">&nbsp;&nbsp;Manasseh Ward</a> of Wichita, is competent to stand trial for charges that include 4 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated kidnapping, 3 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 2 counts of attempted rape, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 4p.m. January 4, 2023, a teenage girl reported being kidnapped by a man driving a blue vehicle in the 6600 block of East Boston in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

The man later identified as Ward attempted to sexually assault the girl in the car. The man let the child go and she reported the incident to a family member.

Just before 9a.m. January 5, two elementary-aged children, a boy and girl, left their home on foot in the 900 block of South Drury to head to Clark Elementary School at 650 S Apache in Wichita.

A man in a blue vehicle kidnapped the children. The suspect put both kids in his vehicle and then drove away. A short time later he dropped the boy victim off and left with the girl..

While gathering information officers were patrolling the area and located the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it. &nbsp;A brief foot pursuit occurred and officers took Ward into custody in the 6600 block of East Boston.&nbsp;

In September, police arrested Ward in connection with the alleged crimes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673003077182.png" alt="Ward-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Ward-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the&nbsp;&nbsp;alleged kidnappings and sex crimes involving three juveniles near a Kansas elementary school made another court appearance on Friday.A judge ruled 22-year-old<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=246512">&nbsp;&nbsp;Manasseh Ward</a> of Wichita, is competent to stand trial for charges that include 4 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated kidnapping, 3 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 2 counts of attempted rape, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 4p.m. January 4, 2023, a teenage girl reported being kidnapped by a man driving a blue vehicle in the 6600 block of East Boston in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.The man later identified as Ward attempted to sexually assault the girl in the car. The man let the child go and she reported the incident to a family member.Just before 9a.m. January 5, two elementary-aged children, a boy and girl, left their home on foot in the 900 block of South Drury to head to Clark Elementary School at 650 S Apache in Wichita.A man in a blue vehicle kidnapped the children. The suspect put both kids in his vehicle and then drove away. A short time later he dropped the boy victim off and left with the girl..While gathering information officers were patrolling the area and located the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it. &nbsp;A brief foot pursuit occurred and officers took Ward into custody in the 6600 block of East Boston.&nbsp;In September, police arrested Ward in connection with the alleged crimes.

Kan. man will go to trial for sex crimes near elementary school

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate president and Kansas House speaker said Tuesday they were intrigued by the potential of putting together an incentive package capable of attracting the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to a new stadium complex in Kansas.

The Kansas Legislature will be in Topeka starting June 18 to consider a tax relief bill after called into special session by Gov. Laura Kelly. There is no limit on topics lawmakers might consider, which opens the door consideration of a deal for the NFL franchise.

Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, said in a statement establishing&nbsp;a home for the Chiefs on the Kansas side of&nbsp; the state line was an opportunity that deserved “thorough conversation.”

“We have reached out to the Chiefs organization and asked them to weigh in on the possibility of using Kansas’ unique STAR bond funding tool and explore what that collaboration could hold,” the statement said.

The two GOP legislative leaders&nbsp;have discouraged lawmakers from wading into issues during the special session other than tax reform and an economic development package tied to a second professional sports franchise. Sporting Kansas City, an MLS team, is based in Kansas City, Kansas.

During final days of the 2024 regular legislative session, House and Senate members discussed the possibility of the state issuing hundreds of millions of dollars in STAR bonds to finance construction of a stadium in the Kansas City area. The bonds would be repaid through tax collections within the business district bracketing the replacement for Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

The rush to land the Chiefs has been supported by formation of a lobbying organization, Scoop and Score, affiliated with former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman of Johnson County and nearly two-dozen registered Kansas lobbyists.

Initially, the idea was to draw the Kansas City Royals to the Kansas side of the state line with Missouri. That idea surfaced after Jackson County, Missouri, voters rejected a sales tax proposal for construction of a downtown stadium for the MLB team.

However, proposed legislation floated at the Capitol did leave open the possibility of either the Chiefs or Royals relocating to Kansas.

“The rich tradition and history of the Chiefs are beloved across the entire Kansas City region and throughout Kansas,” Hawkins and Masterson said. “We’re excited that the Chiefs are open to this&nbsp; conversation and look forward to seeing what mutually beneficial opportunities might lie ahead for both the people of Kansas and the Chiefs franchise.”

The legislative leaders have communicated with Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt to tout potential of the state’s business incentives and strategic locations in Wyandotte County.

The key element of any deal would be STAR bonds, which could be used to finance construction of a stadium and related infrastructure to operate the facility. STAR bonds have been used for all sorts of Kansas economic development projects with debt repaid by collecting sales tax revenue within the bonding business district.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677183879921.png" alt="Kansas Governor Laura Kelly - courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Governor Laura Kelly - courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate president and Kansas House speaker said Tuesday they were intrigued by the potential of putting together an incentive package capable of attracting the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to a new stadium complex in Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717552705179.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Legislature will be in Topeka starting June 18 to consider a tax relief bill after called into special session by Gov. Laura Kelly. There is no limit on topics lawmakers might consider, which opens the door consideration of a deal for the NFL franchise.Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, said in a statement establishing&nbsp;a home for the Chiefs on the Kansas side of&nbsp; the state line was an opportunity that deserved “thorough conversation.”“We have reached out to the Chiefs organization and asked them to weigh in on the possibility of using Kansas’ unique STAR bond funding tool and explore what that collaboration could hold,” the statement said.The two GOP legislative leaders&nbsp;have discouraged lawmakers from wading into issues during the special session other than tax reform and an economic development package tied to a second professional sports franchise. Sporting Kansas City, an MLS team, is based in Kansas City, Kansas.During final days of the 2024 regular legislative session, House and Senate members discussed the possibility of the state issuing hundreds of millions of dollars in STAR bonds to finance construction of a stadium in the Kansas City area. The bonds would be repaid through tax collections within the business district bracketing the replacement for Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.The rush to land the Chiefs has been supported by formation of a lobbying organization, Scoop and Score, affiliated with former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman of Johnson County and nearly two-dozen registered Kansas lobbyists.Initially, the idea was to draw the Kansas City Royals to the Kansas side of the state line with Missouri. That idea surfaced after Jackson County, Missouri, voters rejected a sales tax proposal for construction of a downtown stadium for the MLB team.However, proposed legislation floated at the Capitol did leave open the possibility of either the Chiefs or Royals relocating to Kansas.“The rich tradition and history of the Chiefs are beloved across the entire Kansas City region and throughout Kansas,” Hawkins and Masterson said. “We’re excited that the Chiefs are open to this&nbsp; conversation and look forward to seeing what mutually beneficial opportunities might lie ahead for both the people of Kansas and the Chiefs franchise.”The legislative leaders have communicated with Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt to tout potential of the state’s business incentives and strategic locations in Wyandotte County.The key element of any deal would be STAR bonds, which could be used to finance construction of a stadium and related infrastructure to operate the facility. STAR bonds have been used for all sorts of Kansas economic development projects with debt repaid by collecting sales tax revenue within the bonding business district.

Kansas legislative leaders draw up play to lure Kansas City Chiefs away from Missouri

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday painted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-trial-gun-charges-delaware-cc96568ac3428802557c85876c820dec">President Joe Biden’s son Hunter</a>&nbsp;as deceptive and driven by addiction, a man whose dark habits ensnared loved ones and who knew what he was doing when he lied on federal forms to purchase a gun in 2018.

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ded.82797/gov.uscourts.ded.82797.177.2.pdf">Click here to see the </a>entire gun purchase document

Jurors also got their first look at the document at the center of the case, and Hunter Biden's attorney argued that his client did not believe he was in the throes of addiction when he stated in the paperwork that he did not have a drug problem. In the short time that he had the gun, he did nothing with it, and weapon was never even loaded, attorney Abbe Lowell said in opening statements.

“You will see that he is not guilty,” Lowell said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;has been charged with three felonies stemming from the purchase of the Colt revolver when he was, according to his memoir, addicted to crack. He has been accused of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.

The case is dredging up painful memories for the president and his family, and revealing new and highly personal details about their struggles with addiction as the 2024 election looms, all while the first lady watched from the front row of the courtroom.

Jurors will hear testimony from the president’s brother James Biden, who is close with Hunter and helped his nephew through rehab stints in the past. They will also hear how Hallie Biden, the widow of the president's late son, also became addicted to crack during a brief relationship with Hunter. Hallie took the gun from Hunter and tossed it into the garbage at a nearby market, afraid of what he might do with it. The gun was later found by someone collecting cans and eventually turned over to police.

The president was in Washington on Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-asylum-migration-immigration-mexico-border-dec5f83b468b5795479bf1f5e49799d5">announcing an immigration order</a>&nbsp;and hosting a picnic for congressional leaders before a scheduled departure for France later in the day. He will be gone the rest of the week. Jill Biden planned to meet him in Europe.

The president’s allies are worried about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hunter-laptop-ba96537a686d04dc3773552cfa13deeb">the toll the trial may take on the elder Biden</a>, who’s long been protective and deeply concerned about his only living son and his sobriety and who must now watch as those past mistakes are publicly scrutinized.

Prosecutors on Tuesday spent hours on Hunter Biden’s drug problem, using his own words and missives to show the depth of the addiction. An FBI agent read aloud messages to the jury that chronicled his desperate effort to buy drugs, email receipts for a detox facility he attended before relapsing and large sums of cash he withdrew.

They showed jurors his old laptop computer, the same one he left at a Delaware repair shop and never retrieved. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-wilmington-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-45e0fe89ff7302a2a14afdba2d91b531">2020, the contents</a>&nbsp;made their way to Republicans and were publicly leaked, revealing highly personal messages about his work and his life. He has since sued over the data breach.

And the jury heard lengthy audio excerpts of his memoir, “Beautiful Things,” in which he narrates his return to Delaware around the time of the gun purchase and his descent into drugs following the death of his brother, Beau, in 2015 from cancer. The written excerpts were displayed on a screen as the audio was played.

His sister Ashley Biden, watching from the courtroom, dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and eventually left. Jill Biden, too, was absent after lunch. She was expected in Washington with her husband.

Prosecutor Derek Hines told the jury Hunter was trying to score drugs just days after he lied on the form, which was later shown to jurors.

“No one is allowed to lie on a federal form like that, even Hunter Biden,” Hines said. “He crossed the line when he chose to buy a gun and lied about a federal background check ... the defendant’s choice to buy a gun is why we are here."

“When the defendant filled out that form, he knew he was a drug addict,” and prosecutors don't have to prove he was using the day he purchased the firearm, Hines said.

The proceedings come after the collapse of a deal with prosecutors that would have avoided the spectacle of a trial so close to the 2024 election. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty and has argued he's being unfairly targeted by the Justice Department after Republicans decried the now-defunct plea deal as special treatment for the Democratic president's son.

Lowell said the form asks whether you “are” a drug user. “It does not say ‘have you ever been,’" and he suggested the president's son did not think of himself as someone with a drug problem when he purchased the gun.

His state of mind should be considered at the time of the purchase, not “what he wrote in a book in 2021.”

Lowell also blamed Hunter's problems with the firearm on Hallie's disposal of it.

“After he bought the gun, Hunter did nothing with it," Lowell said. The gun became a problem only because of what Hallie Biden did.

If convicted, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though first-time offenders do not get anywhere near the maximum, and it’s unclear whether the judge would give him time behind bars.

The trial is unfolding just days after Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted of 34 felonies</a>&nbsp;in New York City. The two criminal cases are unrelated, but their proximity underscores how the courts have taken center stage during the 2024 campaign.

Hunter Biden also faces a trial in California in September&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-federal-tax-case-california-bb2e2eb41eb2cd30206a47c40ba6044e">on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes</a>. Both cases were to have been resolved through the deal with prosecutors last July, the culmination of a yearslong investigation into his business dealings.

But Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, questioned some unusual aspects of the deal, which included a proposed guilty plea to misdemeanor offenses to resolve the tax crimes and a diversion agreement on the gun charge, which meant as long as he stayed out of trouble for two years the case would be dismissed.

The lawyers could not come to a resolution on her questions, and the deal fell apart. Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed the top investigator, a former U.S. attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, as a special counsel in August, and a month later Hunter Biden was indicted.

Garland on Tuesday faced members of the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in Washington, which has been investigating the president and his family and whose chairman has been at the forefront of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-james-comer-impeachment-congress-17a52c24f2da5927e0665657848a1231">a stalled impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;stemming from Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717532173443.png" alt="Hunter Biden arrives at federal court, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)" />
 <figcaption>Hunter Biden arrives at federal court, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)</figcaption>
 </figure>WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday painted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-trial-gun-charges-delaware-cc96568ac3428802557c85876c820dec">President Joe Biden’s son Hunter</a>&nbsp;as deceptive and driven by addiction, a man whose dark habits ensnared loved ones and who knew what he was doing when he lied on federal forms to purchase a gun in 2018.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717531257230.png" alt="Hunter Biden is accused making a false claim on this gun purchase application by saying he was not a drug user- image U.S. Courts" />
 <figcaption>Hunter Biden is accused making a false claim on this gun purchase application by saying he was not a drug user- image U.S. Courts</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ded.82797/gov.uscourts.ded.82797.177.2.pdf">Click here to see the </a>entire gun purchase documentJurors also got their first look at the document at the center of the case, and Hunter Biden's attorney argued that his client did not believe he was in the throes of addiction when he stated in the paperwork that he did not have a drug problem. In the short time that he had the gun, he did nothing with it, and weapon was never even loaded, attorney Abbe Lowell said in opening statements.“You will see that he is not guilty,” Lowell said.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;has been charged with three felonies stemming from the purchase of the Colt revolver when he was, according to his memoir, addicted to crack. He has been accused of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.The case is dredging up painful memories for the president and his family, and revealing new and highly personal details about their struggles with addiction as the 2024 election looms, all while the first lady watched from the front row of the courtroom.Jurors will hear testimony from the president’s brother James Biden, who is close with Hunter and helped his nephew through rehab stints in the past. They will also hear how Hallie Biden, the widow of the president's late son, also became addicted to crack during a brief relationship with Hunter. Hallie took the gun from Hunter and tossed it into the garbage at a nearby market, afraid of what he might do with it. The gun was later found by someone collecting cans and eventually turned over to police.The president was in Washington on Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-asylum-migration-immigration-mexico-border-dec5f83b468b5795479bf1f5e49799d5">announcing an immigration order</a>&nbsp;and hosting a picnic for congressional leaders before a scheduled departure for France later in the day. He will be gone the rest of the week. Jill Biden planned to meet him in Europe.The president’s allies are worried about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hunter-laptop-ba96537a686d04dc3773552cfa13deeb">the toll the trial may take on the elder Biden</a>, who’s long been protective and deeply concerned about his only living son and his sobriety and who must now watch as those past mistakes are publicly scrutinized.Prosecutors on Tuesday spent hours on Hunter Biden’s drug problem, using his own words and missives to show the depth of the addiction. An FBI agent read aloud messages to the jury that chronicled his desperate effort to buy drugs, email receipts for a detox facility he attended before relapsing and large sums of cash he withdrew.They showed jurors his old laptop computer, the same one he left at a Delaware repair shop and never retrieved. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-wilmington-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-45e0fe89ff7302a2a14afdba2d91b531">2020, the contents</a>&nbsp;made their way to Republicans and were publicly leaked, revealing highly personal messages about his work and his life. He has since sued over the data breach.And the jury heard lengthy audio excerpts of his memoir, “Beautiful Things,” in which he narrates his return to Delaware around the time of the gun purchase and his descent into drugs following the death of his brother, Beau, in 2015 from cancer. The written excerpts were displayed on a screen as the audio was played.His sister Ashley Biden, watching from the courtroom, dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and eventually left. Jill Biden, too, was absent after lunch. She was expected in Washington with her husband.Prosecutor Derek Hines told the jury Hunter was trying to score drugs just days after he lied on the form, which was later shown to jurors.“No one is allowed to lie on a federal form like that, even Hunter Biden,” Hines said. “He crossed the line when he chose to buy a gun and lied about a federal background check ... the defendant’s choice to buy a gun is why we are here."“When the defendant filled out that form, he knew he was a drug addict,” and prosecutors don't have to prove he was using the day he purchased the firearm, Hines said.The proceedings come after the collapse of a deal with prosecutors that would have avoided the spectacle of a trial so close to the 2024 election. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty and has argued he's being unfairly targeted by the Justice Department after Republicans decried the now-defunct plea deal as special treatment for the Democratic president's son.Lowell said the form asks whether you “are” a drug user. “It does not say ‘have you ever been,’" and he suggested the president's son did not think of himself as someone with a drug problem when he purchased the gun.His state of mind should be considered at the time of the purchase, not “what he wrote in a book in 2021.”Lowell also blamed Hunter's problems with the firearm on Hallie's disposal of it.“After he bought the gun, Hunter did nothing with it," Lowell said. The gun became a problem only because of what Hallie Biden did.If convicted, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though first-time offenders do not get anywhere near the maximum, and it’s unclear whether the judge would give him time behind bars.The trial is unfolding just days after Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted of 34 felonies</a>&nbsp;in New York City. The two criminal cases are unrelated, but their proximity underscores how the courts have taken center stage during the 2024 campaign.Hunter Biden also faces a trial in California in September&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-federal-tax-case-california-bb2e2eb41eb2cd30206a47c40ba6044e">on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes</a>. Both cases were to have been resolved through the deal with prosecutors last July, the culmination of a yearslong investigation into his business dealings.But Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, questioned some unusual aspects of the deal, which included a proposed guilty plea to misdemeanor offenses to resolve the tax crimes and a diversion agreement on the gun charge, which meant as long as he stayed out of trouble for two years the case would be dismissed.The lawyers could not come to a resolution on her questions, and the deal fell apart. Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed the top investigator, a former U.S. attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, as a special counsel in August, and a month later Hunter Biden was indicted.Garland on Tuesday faced members of the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in Washington, which has been investigating the president and his family and whose chairman has been at the forefront of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-james-comer-impeachment-congress-17a52c24f2da5927e0665657848a1231">a stalled impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;stemming from Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

Read the firearm document at center of Hunter Biden case 

TOPEKA&nbsp;- A second Florida resident is under investigation for alleged election crimes committed in Kansas, according to a media release from the Kansas Attorney General's office.

On May 29, Nebraska authorities arrested Jamie Johnson, 47, of Dade City, Florida, for forging signatures on petitions to make "No Labels" an officially recognized political party in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;On February 6, George Andrews, 30 of Dade City, Florida, was arrested for forging signatures on petitions to make “No Labels” an officially recognized political party in Kansas.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab reviewed the allegations against Johnson before forwarding the case to Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s Office.

"As attorney general, I am determined to prosecute election fraud to the fullest extent of the law. It doesn't matter how far you run. 

We will drag you back to Kansas and prosecute you," Kobach said. "The people of Kansas deserve the most secure elections possible.

"The arrest of Johnson comes following an extensive investigation by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and intense efforts by law enforcement in Nebraska and Johnson County, Kansas,&nbsp;to track down Ms. Johnson.

Johnson is charged with multiple counts of election fraud in Johnson County District Court, including one count of election perjury and 18 counts of election forgery.&nbsp; She is currently detained in Nebraska pending extradition to Kansas and appearance in Johnson County District Court.&nbsp;

“As I have always said, my office is committed to pursuing any evidence of election crime. Kansas has strong laws to ensure the integrity of our elections, and this case demonstrates that the process works,” Schwab said.Johnson should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717530787938.png" alt="Johnson photo from an earlier arrest in Pasco Co." />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo from an earlier arrest in Pasco Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;- A second Florida resident is under investigation for alleged election crimes committed in Kansas, according to a media release from the Kansas Attorney General's office.On May 29, Nebraska authorities arrested Jamie Johnson, 47, of Dade City, Florida, for forging signatures on petitions to make "No Labels" an officially recognized political party in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;On February 6, George Andrews, 30 of Dade City, Florida, was arrested for forging signatures on petitions to make “No Labels” an officially recognized political party in Kansas.Secretary of State Scott Schwab reviewed the allegations against Johnson before forwarding the case to Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s Office."As attorney general, I am determined to prosecute election fraud to the fullest extent of the law. It doesn't matter how far you run. We will drag you back to Kansas and prosecute you," Kobach said. "The people of Kansas deserve the most secure elections possible."The arrest of Johnson comes following an extensive investigation by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and intense efforts by law enforcement in Nebraska and Johnson County, Kansas,&nbsp;to track down Ms. Johnson.Johnson is charged with multiple counts of election fraud in Johnson County District Court, including one count of election perjury and 18 counts of election forgery.&nbsp; She is currently detained in Nebraska pending extradition to Kansas and appearance in Johnson County District Court.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708380593446.png" alt="Andrews photo Pasco Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Andrews photo Pasco Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>“As I have always said, my office is committed to pursuing any evidence of election crime. Kansas has strong laws to ensure the integrity of our elections, and this case demonstrates that the process works,” Schwab said.Johnson should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

2nd Florida resident accused of election fraud in Kansas

DECATUR COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating a report of kidnapping and sexual assault in Oberlin, Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.

On June 1, the KBI was asked by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office to assist with an investigation into the report of a man’s kidnapping and sexual assault. After further investigation, KBI agents determined that several inconsistencies existed in the statements made by the reporting party.

The community can be assured that no threat exists related to this incident.

DECATUR COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating a report of kidnapping and sexual assault in Oberlin, Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.On June 1, the KBI was asked by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office to assist with an investigation into the report of a man’s kidnapping and sexual assault. After further investigation, KBI agents determined that several inconsistencies existed in the statements made by the reporting party.The community can be assured that no threat exists related to this incident.

KBI: Inconsistencies in reported NW Kansas abduction

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas couple on multiple drug allegations.

Just before 11p.m. Saturday, a Brown County deputy requested the sheriff's department K-9 Carla be deployed on a traffic stop on K-20 Highway near Falcon Road, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Carla indicated on the vehicle and based off of information gathered at the scene, a search warrant was applied for and granted for a residence located at 250 E. 8th Street in Horton.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force initiated the Search Warrant and drug related items were taken into custody as evidence. At the conclusion of the Warrant, Glenda Mendez, 49, Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Obstruction and Child Endangerment.&nbsp; 

Tyrone Mendez, 47,&nbsp; Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Child Endangerment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717443702234.png" alt="Mendez-photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Mendez-photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas couple on multiple drug allegations.Just before 11p.m. Saturday, a Brown County deputy requested the sheriff's department K-9 Carla be deployed on a traffic stop on K-20 Highway near Falcon Road, according to Sheriff John Merchant.Carla indicated on the vehicle and based off of information gathered at the scene, a search warrant was applied for and granted for a residence located at 250 E. 8th Street in Horton.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717443592502.png" alt="Mendez-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Mendez-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force initiated the Search Warrant and drug related items were taken into custody as evidence. At the conclusion of the Warrant, Glenda Mendez, 49, Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Obstruction and Child Endangerment.&nbsp; Tyrone Mendez, 47,&nbsp; Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Child Endangerment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Parents jailed after drugs, children found at Kansas home

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Judge rules that Blue Springs School District discriminated against former student by barring him from boys’ locker room

After a decade-long legal battle, a transgender man and former student of the Blue Springs School District should receive over $4 million in damages for discrimination that occurred when he was an adolescent, the Missouri’s Western District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

Judge Anthony Gabbert wrote the court’s unanimous decision, ruling that the school district discriminated against the student, identified by his initials R.M.A., on the basis of sex when it barred him from using the boys’ locker room.

A key part of the appellate court’s decision was the factor that spurred the school district’s discrimination.

Attorneys for the Blue Spring School District did not contest that R.M.A. was treated differently, according to Gabbert’s ruling, but said it was because of his “female genitalia.”

“School district employees suggested that R.M.A. had been excluded from the boys’ restrooms and locker rooms because of [the] school district’s belief that he had female genitalia,” Gabbert wrote. “[The] school district did not actually determine the nature of R.M.A.’s genitalia, however, and does not speculate, inspect or otherwise inquire as to the genitalia of other male students.”

The admission of different treatment based on assumed genitalia, Gabbert wrote, was itself discrimination on the basis of sex.

Part of the judicial proceedings included testimony from R.M.A.’s doctor, who said R.M.A. was a male for as long as she has been treating him (which began at age nine).

During his time as a student, R.M.A. received an updated birth certificate with his male gender identity.

School district employees and school board members told R.M.A.’s mother that locker-room access is determined by birth certificate. After she gave the corrected birth certificate to school district officials, R.M.A. was still denied access to boys’ restrooms and locker rooms.

The school board discussed R.M.A’s birth certificate in a closed-door meeting, according to court documents, but never gave his mother a clear answer about the policy.

“The evidence at trial… was that (Blue Springs) School District had an unwritten policy of using birth certificates to determine sex,” Gabbert wrote. “Yet, [the] school district refused to tell R.M.A.’s mother that it would honor a corrected birth certificate stating he is male because (it) wanted to keep its options open in the event R.M.A. was able to obtain a corrected birth certificate.”

R.M.A’s birth certificate was amended in December 2014, around a year after he began asking to use the locker room that aligned with his gender identity and two months after he filed a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.

R.M.A. filed the lawsuit in October 2015, starting a complicated legal process. The initial trial court dismissed his claim in 2016, saying the Missouri Human Rights Act does not protect claims on the basis of gender identity. The Missouri Supreme Court, in 2019,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article226814519.html">reversed this decision</a>&nbsp;and opened the doors for another trial.

A December 2021 jury trial awarded R.M.A. over $4.7 million in damages and legal fees, but attorneys for the Blue Springs School District asked for a “judgment notwithstanding the verdict,” a ruling that allows a judge to usurp a jury’s decision.&nbsp;

The school district argued that R.M.A. only proved that he was discriminated against “because of his female genitalia” and not on the basis of sex.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-07/judge-throws-out-a-jurys-4-million-verdict-in-favor-of-a-blue-springs-transgender-student">trial court judge sided with the school district</a>, which would have spurred another trial. But Tuesday’s decision reverses that judge’s call, returning the case back to the jury’s verdict.

There are other similar cases currently winding through Missouri’s courts, including a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/01/aclu-sues-missouri-school-district-for-transgender-bathroom-policy/">lawsuit against the Platte County School District</a>&nbsp;brought by the ACLU of Missouri.

The Blue Springs School District could not be reached for comment by time of publication.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717532352272.png" alt="An appellate court unanimously ruled Tuesday that a transgender man who formerly attended the Blue Springs School District was discriminated against when he was barred from using the boys' locker room (photo illustration by Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)." />
 <figcaption>An appellate court unanimously ruled Tuesday that a transgender man who formerly attended the Blue Springs School District was discriminated against when he was barred from using the boys' locker room (photo illustration by Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Judge rules that Blue Springs School District discriminated against former student by barring him from boys’ locker room</h2>After a decade-long legal battle, a transgender man and former student of the Blue Springs School District should receive over $4 million in damages for discrimination that occurred when he was an adolescent, the Missouri’s Western District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.Judge Anthony Gabbert wrote the court’s unanimous decision, ruling that the school district discriminated against the student, identified by his initials R.M.A., on the basis of sex when it barred him from using the boys’ locker room.A key part of the appellate court’s decision was the factor that spurred the school district’s discrimination.Attorneys for the Blue Spring School District did not contest that R.M.A. was treated differently, according to Gabbert’s ruling, but said it was because of his “female genitalia.”“School district employees suggested that R.M.A. had been excluded from the boys’ restrooms and locker rooms because of [the] school district’s belief that he had female genitalia,” Gabbert wrote. “[The] school district did not actually determine the nature of R.M.A.’s genitalia, however, and does not speculate, inspect or otherwise inquire as to the genitalia of other male students.”The admission of different treatment based on assumed genitalia, Gabbert wrote, was itself discrimination on the basis of sex.<h2>Let us know what you think...</h2>Part of the judicial proceedings included testimony from R.M.A.’s doctor, who said R.M.A. was a male for as long as she has been treating him (which began at age nine).During his time as a student, R.M.A. received an updated birth certificate with his male gender identity.School district employees and school board members told R.M.A.’s mother that locker-room access is determined by birth certificate. After she gave the corrected birth certificate to school district officials, R.M.A. was still denied access to boys’ restrooms and locker rooms.The school board discussed R.M.A’s birth certificate in a closed-door meeting, according to court documents, but never gave his mother a clear answer about the policy.“The evidence at trial… was that (Blue Springs) School District had an unwritten policy of using birth certificates to determine sex,” Gabbert wrote. “Yet, [the] school district refused to tell R.M.A.’s mother that it would honor a corrected birth certificate stating he is male because (it) wanted to keep its options open in the event R.M.A. was able to obtain a corrected birth certificate.”R.M.A’s birth certificate was amended in December 2014, around a year after he began asking to use the locker room that aligned with his gender identity and two months after he filed a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.R.M.A. filed the lawsuit in October 2015, starting a complicated legal process. The initial trial court dismissed his claim in 2016, saying the Missouri Human Rights Act does not protect claims on the basis of gender identity. The Missouri Supreme Court, in 2019,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article226814519.html">reversed this decision</a>&nbsp;and opened the doors for another trial.A December 2021 jury trial awarded R.M.A. over $4.7 million in damages and legal fees, but attorneys for the Blue Springs School District asked for a “judgment notwithstanding the verdict,” a ruling that allows a judge to usurp a jury’s decision.&nbsp;The school district argued that R.M.A. only proved that he was discriminated against “because of his female genitalia” and not on the basis of sex.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-07/judge-throws-out-a-jurys-4-million-verdict-in-favor-of-a-blue-springs-transgender-student">trial court judge sided with the school district</a>, which would have spurred another trial. But Tuesday’s decision reverses that judge’s call, returning the case back to the jury’s verdict.There are other similar cases currently winding through Missouri’s courts, including a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/01/aclu-sues-missouri-school-district-for-transgender-bathroom-policy/">lawsuit against the Platte County School District</a>&nbsp;brought by the ACLU of Missouri.The Blue Springs School District could not be reached for comment by time of publication.

Court sides with transgender student in $4 million discrimination case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland forcefully rebuked what he described as unprecedented attacks on the Justice Department Tuesday, telling Republicans who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-robert-hur-classified-documents-justice-department-edf67af3810ab877c7c195956b49b3a6">sought to hold him in contempt</a>&nbsp;that he will “not be intimidated.”

During a hearing before the the House Judiciary Committee, Garland condemned the “conspiracy theory” pushed by Donald Trump's allies that the department was behind Trump's state court prosecution in New York in which the former Republican president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">was convicted of 34 felony charges.</a>

Garland called the unsupported claim “an attack on the judicial process itself.”

And Garland pushed back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-fbi-d52b7468d93712dd86cbb8fe304d4b64">“baseless and extremely dangerous falsehoods”</a>&nbsp;being peddled about the FBI as well as threats to defund the special counsel prosecutions of former President Trump.

His appearance came as Republicans have moved to hold him in contempt for the Biden administration's refusal to hand over audio of President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, which focused on the president's handling of classified documents.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-beau-special-counsel-80eaaee6de62c0c7b455c03d39502ecb">A transcript of Biden's interview</a>&nbsp;has been made public, but the president asserted executive privilege over the audio last month to block its release. The White House has said Republican lawmakers only want the audio so they can chop it up and use it for political purposes.

The Justice Department has argued witnesses might be less likely to cooperate if they know their interviews might become public. Garland told lawmakers he would not “jeopardize the ability of our prosecutors and agents to do their jobs effectively in future investigations."

“I will not be intimidated,” Garland said. "And the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.”

Rep. Jim Jordan, the committee’s top Republican, criticized Garland in his opening statement for a broad array of what he depicted as politically motivated decisions by federal law enforcement -- including the conclusions by different special counsels that Trump criminally mishandled classified documents while Biden did not.

“Many Americans believe there’s now a double standard in our justice system. They believe that because there is,” Jordan said.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was investigated by the Justice Department but not charged in a sex trafficking inquiry, had a tense exchange early in the hearing when he demanded to know if the department would produce records related to the New York state case in which Trump was convicted last week.

Garland disputed as false allegations by Gaetz that he had “dispatched” to the Manhattan District Attorney office a Justice Department attorney who later became part of the Trump prosecution team, insisting that he had nothing to do with it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland forcefully rebuked what he described as unprecedented attacks on the Justice Department Tuesday, telling Republicans who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-robert-hur-classified-documents-justice-department-edf67af3810ab877c7c195956b49b3a6">sought to hold him in contempt</a>&nbsp;that he will “not be intimidated.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Attorney General Merrick Garland Opening Statement: &quot;I will not be intimidated and the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence and we will not back down from defending democracy.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/smgZOv9boA">pic.twitter.com/smgZOv9boA</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1798007391801262179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>During a hearing before the the House Judiciary Committee, Garland condemned the “conspiracy theory” pushed by Donald Trump's allies that the department was behind Trump's state court prosecution in New York in which the former Republican president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">was convicted of 34 felony charges.</a>Garland called the unsupported claim “an attack on the judicial process itself.”And Garland pushed back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-fbi-d52b7468d93712dd86cbb8fe304d4b64">“baseless and extremely dangerous falsehoods”</a>&nbsp;being peddled about the FBI as well as threats to defund the special counsel prosecutions of former President Trump.His appearance came as Republicans have moved to hold him in contempt for the Biden administration's refusal to hand over audio of President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, which focused on the president's handling of classified documents.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-beau-special-counsel-80eaaee6de62c0c7b455c03d39502ecb">A transcript of Biden's interview</a>&nbsp;has been made public, but the president asserted executive privilege over the audio last month to block its release. The White House has said Republican lawmakers only want the audio so they can chop it up and use it for political purposes.The Justice Department has argued witnesses might be less likely to cooperate if they know their interviews might become public. Garland told lawmakers he would not “jeopardize the ability of our prosecutors and agents to do their jobs effectively in future investigations."“I will not be intimidated,” Garland said. "And the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.”Rep. Jim Jordan, the committee’s top Republican, criticized Garland in his opening statement for a broad array of what he depicted as politically motivated decisions by federal law enforcement -- including the conclusions by different special counsels that Trump criminally mishandled classified documents while Biden did not.“Many Americans believe there’s now a double standard in our justice system. They believe that because there is,” Jordan said.Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was investigated by the Justice Department but not charged in a sex trafficking inquiry, had a tense exchange early in the hearing when he demanded to know if the department would produce records related to the New York state case in which Trump was convicted last week.Garland disputed as false allegations by Gaetz that he had “dispatched” to the Manhattan District Attorney office a Justice Department attorney who later became part of the Trump prosecution team, insisting that he had nothing to do with it.

🎥AG slams attacks on the Justice Department: I will not be intimidated

Intrigue centers on Democrats’ bid to erode GOP’s supermajorities in House, Senate

TOPEKA — Minutes from the deadline for candidates to file for the Kansas Legislature, Rep. Brenda Landwehr withdrew from the ballot after more than 25 years in the Kansas House to spend more time with family and make way for a Republican she was comfortable endorsing.

Landwehr, a Republican from northwest Wichita and the influential chair of the House’s public health committee, said the decision to retire was easier after getting to know Jill Ward, who filed to run in the 105th District’s two-person GOP primary in August and, if successful, against a Democratic nominee in November.

“I love the people and the work, but it is time to devote more of myself to my husband, kids and grandkids,” Landwehr said.

Ward successfully lobbied the Legislature this year to pass Levi’s Law to increase penalties for people found guilty of leaving the scene of a deadly collision. Her son was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

“Drafting, introducing and shepherding the bill through to being signed by the governor taught me a lot about the process and the people that make policy affecting Kansas families and businesses,” Ward said. “It ignited a passion in me to make a difference for current and future Kansans.”

On Monday, Landwehr was among 19 members of the House and 11 in the Senate who chose not to seek reelection in 2024. The list included moderate Republican Rep. Susan Concannon of Beloit, who was involved in policy initiatives on child welfare, public health and rural life. Concannon was a fervent supporter of Medicaid expansion, to the consternation of GOP leadership, and she looked “forward to celebrating its passage someday.”

Under tragic circumstances, McPherson Rep. Les Mason’s candidacy for reelection in the 73rd District was withdrawn after he suffered a brain aneurysm Friday. He was unresponsive at a Wichita hospital before passing away Monday, said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita.

McPherson Sen. Rick Wilborn, who serves as vice president of the Senate and had decided not to seek reelection, filed for Mason’s seat in the House.

“We’ve been friends for 40 years,” Wilborn said. “We have served in the Legislature together, both serving McPherson County. We have a lot of common interests. I felt compelled, on behalf of Les. I cannot fill his shoes, but I can sure run for a seat.”

Secretary of State Scott Schwab, literally, brought a gavel down on new filings at noon Monday. Despite skepticism expressed by election-fraud conspiracy theorists in Kansas and elsewhere, the GOP secretary of state said he was convinced the 2024 elections would be fair, accurate and honest.

“Yes,” he said. “Our clerks will make it so.”

Overall, 41 candidates for the House, which amounts to nearly one-third of the chamber’s 125 seats, immediately won their 2024 campaigns because none attracted an opponent. Twenty-five Republicans and 16 Democrats were among lucky victors on filing deadline day. There also were five senators who didn’t draw a primary or general election opponent, and could only be defeated by a write-in or third party candidate.

Nine state representatives decided to leave the House to seek promotions to the Senate, and several former state legislators filed in an attempt to return to the Capitol.

Democrats fielded candidates in 92 of 125 House races, and placed a Democratic candidate in every House seat — except one — that was won by Gov. Laura Kelly in 2022. That fell in line with a quest of Democrats to break the Republican’s two-thirds majority in the House, which has made it easier for the GOP to override vetoes by the Democratic governor. Kelly and other organizations have set up political-action committees for the purpose of ending the GOP supermajority in the House.

House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat running for the Kansas Senate, said Democratic candidates also were motivated by GOP lawmakers intent on diminishing abortion rights in Kansas. He said that GOP agenda existed despite rejection by Kansas voters in 2022 of a state constitutional amendment designed to reverse a court decision declaring the right to abortion was embedded in the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

“It is no accident that so many women filed this year. Women are sick and tired of being silenced, and they’re not holding back. Our candidates reflect Kansans. They’re hard working, humble and diverse,” Miller said.

In Senate District 19, Miller is involved in a five-candidate race for the open seat with two Republicans and two other Democrats. Candidate Patrick Schmidt, a Topeka Democrat who previously ran for the U.S. House, said it was clear GOP extremists in the Legislature were eager to trample reproductive rights of women in Kansas.

Schmidt said the district required a senator who would be a “champion of women’s rights” and “bring new blood to the Legislature.”

In an intriguing move, Rep. Christina Haswood, D-Lawrence, filed to challenge incumbent Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, in the 2nd District. That political tangle became more interesting with the filing of Republican David Miller, 74. He served a dozen years in the Kansas House, was chairman of the Kansas Republican Party and in 1990 was a lieutenant governor running mate to GOP gubernatorial candidate Nestor Weigand.

“Douglas County has become a one-party county and we are all paying dearly for it,” David Miller said. “We must have real tax relief. Our taxes have skyrocketed and the Legislature failed to override the governor’s tax cut veto. It seems that she and her party care more about the government’s fat checkbook than they care about the taxpayers.”

In a maneuver comparable to that of Landwehr, Louisburg Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner withdrew her candidacy for reelection in the final hour. She arrived at the secretary of state’s office to submit written notification of her decision at the same time Doug Shane, a Miami County Republican, showed up to file for her 37th District seat. Democrat Sherry Giebler of Olathe also filed in that Senate district.

“In knowing the responsibilities facing me in the near future,” Baumgardner said, “this is an appropriate decision for the constituents I’ve had the honor to serve these past 10 years.”

Eleven senators opted not to run in 2024. Combined with three resignations and one death, it meant 15 of 40 senators elected in 2020 have or will have exited by January.

Sen. Dennis Pyle, the Hiawatha Republican who irritated some peers by running as an independent candidate for governor in 2022, decided to seek another four-year term. He said he didn’t object to assertions he was a maverick who “stands for the people and doesn’t take orders from the establishment.”

In the GOP primary in Senate District 1, he faces state Rep. John Eplee, R-Atchison, and Holton Republican Craig Bowser. No Democrat filed in that district.

“I am the only candidate with Senate experience and a proven conservative record fighting for traditional family values, 2nd Amendment, life, limited government and fiscal conservatism,” Pyle said.

Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat who didn’t draw an opponent, said 34 of 40 Senate seats were contested by Democrats. Eighteen of 39 Democrats seeking Senate seats were women, she said. Currently, Republicans outnumber Democrats in the Senate 29 to 11.

A goal of Senate Democrats was to increase their caucus by recruiting candidates capable of mounting campaigns to defeat “extremist Republicans trying to turn our state into a place that isn’t welcoming and that doesn’t respect or invest in its people,” Sykes said.

Sen. David Haley, the longest-serving state senator and a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, wound up with a primary challenger. Ephren Taylor, who has worked as an organizer for the nonprofit organization Loud Light, said he entered the 4th District contest to support public schools, expand Medicaid, create a more fair tax system and bring about gun control laws.

“Our people need someone in office that is accessible, who will listen to their needs and provide them a seat at the table,” Taylor said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717523993337.png" alt=" Rep. Brenda Landwehr, left, a Wichita Republican with 25 years of experience in the Kansas House, chose not to seek reelection and endorsed GOP candidate Jill Ward, a Republican from northwest Wichita, for her 105th District seat. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Brenda Landwehr, left, a Wichita Republican with 25 years of experience in the Kansas House, chose not to seek reelection and endorsed GOP candidate Jill Ward, a Republican from northwest Wichita, for her 105th District seat. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Intrigue centers on Democrats’ bid to erode GOP’s supermajorities in House, Senate</h2>TOPEKA — Minutes from the deadline for candidates to file for the Kansas Legislature, Rep. Brenda Landwehr withdrew from the ballot after more than 25 years in the Kansas House to spend more time with family and make way for a Republican she was comfortable endorsing.Landwehr, a Republican from northwest Wichita and the influential chair of the House’s public health committee, said the decision to retire was easier after getting to know Jill Ward, who filed to run in the 105th District’s two-person GOP primary in August and, if successful, against a Democratic nominee in November.“I love the people and the work, but it is time to devote more of myself to my husband, kids and grandkids,” Landwehr said.Ward successfully lobbied the Legislature this year to pass Levi’s Law to increase penalties for people found guilty of leaving the scene of a deadly collision. Her son was killed in a hit-and-run accident.“Drafting, introducing and shepherding the bill through to being signed by the governor taught me a lot about the process and the people that make policy affecting Kansas families and businesses,” Ward said. “It ignited a passion in me to make a difference for current and future Kansans.”On Monday, Landwehr was among 19 members of the House and 11 in the Senate who chose not to seek reelection in 2024. The list included moderate Republican Rep. Susan Concannon of Beloit, who was involved in policy initiatives on child welfare, public health and rural life. Concannon was a fervent supporter of Medicaid expansion, to the consternation of GOP leadership, and she looked “forward to celebrating its passage someday.”Under tragic circumstances, McPherson Rep. Les Mason’s candidacy for reelection in the 73rd District was withdrawn after he suffered a brain aneurysm Friday. He was unresponsive at a Wichita hospital before passing away Monday, said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita.McPherson Sen. Rick Wilborn, who serves as vice president of the Senate and had decided not to seek reelection, filed for Mason’s seat in the House.“We’ve been friends for 40 years,” Wilborn said. “We have served in the Legislature together, both serving McPherson County. We have a lot of common interests. I felt compelled, on behalf of Les. I cannot fill his shoes, but I can sure run for a seat.”Secretary of State Scott Schwab, literally, brought a gavel down on new filings at noon Monday. Despite skepticism expressed by election-fraud conspiracy theorists in Kansas and elsewhere, the GOP secretary of state said he was convinced the 2024 elections would be fair, accurate and honest.“Yes,” he said. “Our clerks will make it so.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717523960711.png" alt="House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, said a strong field of Democratic candidates were recruited in a bid to end Republicans’ two-thirds majority in the Kansas House. The GOP supermajority makes it easier to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, said a strong field of Democratic candidates were recruited in a bid to end Republicans’ two-thirds majority in the Kansas House. The GOP supermajority makes it easier to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Triumphs by default</h2>Overall, 41 candidates for the House, which amounts to nearly one-third of the chamber’s 125 seats, immediately won their 2024 campaigns because none attracted an opponent. Twenty-five Republicans and 16 Democrats were among lucky victors on filing deadline day. There also were five senators who didn’t draw a primary or general election opponent, and could only be defeated by a write-in or third party candidate.Nine state representatives decided to leave the House to seek promotions to the Senate, and several former state legislators filed in an attempt to return to the Capitol.Democrats fielded candidates in 92 of 125 House races, and placed a Democratic candidate in every House seat — except one — that was won by Gov. Laura Kelly in 2022. That fell in line with a quest of Democrats to break the Republican’s two-thirds majority in the House, which has made it easier for the GOP to override vetoes by the Democratic governor. Kelly and other organizations have set up political-action committees for the purpose of ending the GOP supermajority in the House.House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat running for the Kansas Senate, said Democratic candidates also were motivated by GOP lawmakers intent on diminishing abortion rights in Kansas. He said that GOP agenda existed despite rejection by Kansas voters in 2022 of a state constitutional amendment designed to reverse a court decision declaring the right to abortion was embedded in the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights.“It is no accident that so many women filed this year. Women are sick and tired of being silenced, and they’re not holding back. Our candidates reflect Kansans. They’re hard working, humble and diverse,” Miller said.In Senate District 19, Miller is involved in a five-candidate race for the open seat with two Republicans and two other Democrats. Candidate Patrick Schmidt, a Topeka Democrat who previously ran for the U.S. House, said it was clear GOP extremists in the Legislature were eager to trample reproductive rights of women in Kansas.Schmidt said the district required a senator who would be a “champion of women’s rights” and “bring new blood to the Legislature.”In an intriguing move, Rep. Christina Haswood, D-Lawrence, filed to challenge incumbent Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, in the 2nd District. That political tangle became more interesting with the filing of Republican David Miller, 74. He served a dozen years in the Kansas House, was chairman of the Kansas Republican Party and in 1990 was a lieutenant governor running mate to GOP gubernatorial candidate Nestor Weigand.“Douglas County has become a one-party county and we are all paying dearly for it,” David Miller said. “We must have real tax relief. Our taxes have skyrocketed and the Legislature failed to override the governor’s tax cut veto. It seems that she and her party care more about the government’s fat checkbook than they care about the taxpayers.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717523903387.png" alt=" McPherson Sen. Rick Wilburn, left, signs papers Monday at the Kansas secretary of state’s office to file for the Kansas House seat vacated when McPherson Rep. Les Mason experienced a medical emergency. He passed away later Monday. To Wilburn’s left is Eddy Martinez, a Lawrence Democrat, who filed to run for the Kansas House in the 42nd District. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> McPherson Sen. Rick Wilburn, left, signs papers Monday at the Kansas secretary of state’s office to file for the Kansas House seat vacated when McPherson Rep. Les Mason experienced a medical emergency. He passed away later Monday. To Wilburn’s left is Eddy Martinez, a Lawrence Democrat, who filed to run for the Kansas House in the 42nd District. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Baumgardner’s exit</h2>In a maneuver comparable to that of Landwehr, Louisburg Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner withdrew her candidacy for reelection in the final hour. She arrived at the secretary of state’s office to submit written notification of her decision at the same time Doug Shane, a Miami County Republican, showed up to file for her 37th District seat. Democrat Sherry Giebler of Olathe also filed in that Senate district.“In knowing the responsibilities facing me in the near future,” Baumgardner said, “this is an appropriate decision for the constituents I’ve had the honor to serve these past 10 years.”Eleven senators opted not to run in 2024. Combined with three resignations and one death, it meant 15 of 40 senators elected in 2020 have or will have exited by January.Sen. Dennis Pyle, the Hiawatha Republican who irritated some peers by running as an independent candidate for governor in 2022, decided to seek another four-year term. He said he didn’t object to assertions he was a maverick who “stands for the people and doesn’t take orders from the establishment.”In the GOP primary in Senate District 1, he faces state Rep. John Eplee, R-Atchison, and Holton Republican Craig Bowser. No Democrat filed in that district.“I am the only candidate with Senate experience and a proven conservative record fighting for traditional family values, 2nd Amendment, life, limited government and fiscal conservatism,” Pyle said.Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat who didn’t draw an opponent, said 34 of 40 Senate seats were contested by Democrats. Eighteen of 39 Democrats seeking Senate seats were women, she said. Currently, Republicans outnumber Democrats in the Senate 29 to 11.A goal of Senate Democrats was to increase their caucus by recruiting candidates capable of mounting campaigns to defeat “extremist Republicans trying to turn our state into a place that isn’t welcoming and that doesn’t respect or invest in its people,” Sykes said.Sen. David Haley, the longest-serving state senator and a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, wound up with a primary challenger. Ephren Taylor, who has worked as an organizer for the nonprofit organization Loud Light, said he entered the 4th District contest to support public schools, expand Medicaid, create a more fair tax system and bring about gun control laws.“Our people need someone in office that is accessible, who will listen to their needs and provide them a seat at the table,” Taylor said.

30 Kan. legislators decline to seek reelection, dozens to win campaigns by default

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

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

On May 17, the sheriff's office received confirmation through DNA testing on the identities of the two deceased individuals as 30-year-old Monica R. Williams and 24-year-old Kevin M. Ledesma. Both had been reporteed missing and were last seen&nbsp;at a residence in the 9500 block South Hydraulic in Wichita on January 1, 2024. The sheriff's office also reported there were homicide victims.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715979738614.png" alt="Williams photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation after two bodies were located near the 300 Block of River Road in rural Sumner County, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Sheriff’s Office has identified several suspects in the case. Authorities have not reported an arrest. One of the bodies was located on May 10,&nbsp; the other on May 13.&nbsp; Both bodies were transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center for further testing and examination. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715980197399.png" alt="Kevin Ledesma-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Kevin Ledesma-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>On May 17, the sheriff's office received confirmation through DNA testing on the identities of the two deceased individuals as 30-year-old Monica R. Williams and 24-year-old Kevin M. Ledesma. Both had been reporteed missing and were last seen&nbsp;at a residence in the 9500 block South Hydraulic in Wichita on January 1, 2024. The sheriff's office also reported there were homicide victims.The circumstances in which Williams and Ledesma were killed remains under investigation by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.

Homicide: Still no arrest reported after bodies found in rural Kansas

NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres infielder&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tucupita-marcano">Tucupita Marcano</a>&nbsp;was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">Major League Baseball</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday in the game’s biggest gambling scandal in decades.

MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues and a three minor leaguers also were banned for one year for betting on big league games: pitchers Jay Groome of San Diego and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, and infielder José Rodríguez of Philadelphia. Each of those four players wagered under $1,000.

“The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century. We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people.”

Marcano was the first active major leaguer banned for life under the sport's gambling provision since New York Giants outfielder Jimmy O'Connell in 1924. Pete Rose, baseball's career hits leader, agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation concluded he bet on Cincinnati Reds games while managing the team.

Major League Rule 21, posted in every clubhouse, states betting on any baseball game in which a player, umpire, league official or team employee has no duty to perform results in a one-year suspension. Betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform results in a lifetime ban.

Marcano became the second North American athlete banned for gambling in recent months.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-jontay-porter-banned-265ad5cb703d9483347037762ee90a8f#">The NBA gave Toronto's Jontay Porter a lifetime ban in April</a>&nbsp;after concluding he disclosed confidential information to bettors and wagered on games, including on the Raptors to lose.

MLB said it was tipped off about the betting activity by a legal sports betting operator. None of the players punished played in any games on which they wagered, and all players denied to MLB they had inside information relevant to their bets or the games they gambled on – testimonies that MLB says align with the data received from the sportsbook.

In its announcement, MLB detailed the bets alleged for each player,

Marcano’s 387 baseball bets included 231 MLB-related wagers for $87,319 between Oct. 16, 2022, and last Nov. 1. Twenty-five of those bets included wagers on Pirates games while he was on the team’s major league roster. Now 24, Marcano, has not played since tearing his right ACL last July 24 and was receiving medical treatment at PNC Park last year.

Marcano bet almost exclusively on the outcomes of games and lost all of his parlay bets involving the Pirates, winning just 4.3% of all of his MLB-related bets.

Marcano made his major league debut on April 1, 2021, and has a .217 average with five homers, 34 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 149 games. He has played in both the infield and outfield.

The other four players did not bet on games involving their assigned teams.

Kelly placed 10 bets on nine major league games from Oct. 5-17, 2021, while a minor league player assigned to Houston's Triple-A Sugar Land farm team. The bets included wagers on outcomes, over/under on runs and an individual pitcher’s strikeout total. Three of the nine games involved the major league Astros. His wagers totaled $99.22 and resulted in $28.30 of winnings.

Kelly, 31, was 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 28 games this season, last pitching on Saturday at Atlanta. The former first-round draft pick appeared in 46 games over the past three seasons.

Groome, a 25-year-old who had been on a minor league injured list since mid-April, placed 32 MLB-related bets from July 22, 2020, through July 24, 2021, including 24 on the Boston Red Sox major league team while he was assigned to Boston's High-A team in Greenville, South Carolina. The sport detailed he wagered $453.74 on 30 MLB games and had a net loss of $433.54, receiving payouts on only two wagers. His betting included parlays.

Rodríguez, 23, has been at Double-A Reading this season. He placed 31 bets on baseball on Sept. 30, 2021, and from June 5 through July 30 in 2022, including 28 on MLB and three on college baseball. The total included seven involving the Chicago White Sox at the time he was assigned to their Double-A team in Birmingham, Alabama. Two of the White Sox bets involved outcomes and the others were on runs scored. He bet $749.09 on baseball, of which $724.09 was on MLB-related bets that included parlays.

Saalfrank, 26, pitched in 21 games for Arizona last year between the regular season and postseason, including three World Series games, and two this year before he was optioned to Triple-A Reno on May 1. He placed 29 baseball bets from Sept. 9 through Oct. 29 in 2021 and on March 9, 2022, including 28 on MLB and one parlay on college baseball. He placed four bets on the big league Diamondbacks while on the injured list of their Low A farm team. His baseball bets totaled $445.87 on baseball, including $444.07 on MLB, and lost $272.64 on MLB bets and $1.80 on the college wager. He won just five of 28 MLB bets, which included outcomes, runs and pitcher strikeouts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717513899838.png" alt="Marcano photo courtesy San Diego Patres" />
 <figcaption>Marcano photo courtesy San Diego Patres</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres infielder&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tucupita-marcano">Tucupita Marcano</a>&nbsp;was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">Major League Baseball</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday in the game’s biggest gambling scandal in decades.MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling.Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues and a three minor leaguers also were banned for one year for betting on big league games: pitchers Jay Groome of San Diego and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, and infielder José Rodríguez of Philadelphia. Each of those four players wagered under $1,000.“The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century. We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people.”Marcano was the first active major leaguer banned for life under the sport's gambling provision since New York Giants outfielder Jimmy O'Connell in 1924. Pete Rose, baseball's career hits leader, agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation concluded he bet on Cincinnati Reds games while managing the team.Major League Rule 21, posted in every clubhouse, states betting on any baseball game in which a player, umpire, league official or team employee has no duty to perform results in a one-year suspension. Betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform results in a lifetime ban.Marcano became the second North American athlete banned for gambling in recent months.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-jontay-porter-banned-265ad5cb703d9483347037762ee90a8f#">The NBA gave Toronto's Jontay Porter a lifetime ban in April</a>&nbsp;after concluding he disclosed confidential information to bettors and wagered on games, including on the Raptors to lose.MLB said it was tipped off about the betting activity by a legal sports betting operator. None of the players punished played in any games on which they wagered, and all players denied to MLB they had inside information relevant to their bets or the games they gambled on – testimonies that MLB says align with the data received from the sportsbook.In its announcement, MLB detailed the bets alleged for each player,Marcano’s 387 baseball bets included 231 MLB-related wagers for $87,319 between Oct. 16, 2022, and last Nov. 1. Twenty-five of those bets included wagers on Pirates games while he was on the team’s major league roster. Now 24, Marcano, has not played since tearing his right ACL last July 24 and was receiving medical treatment at PNC Park last year.Marcano bet almost exclusively on the outcomes of games and lost all of his parlay bets involving the Pirates, winning just 4.3% of all of his MLB-related bets.Marcano made his major league debut on April 1, 2021, and has a .217 average with five homers, 34 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 149 games. He has played in both the infield and outfield.The other four players did not bet on games involving their assigned teams.Kelly placed 10 bets on nine major league games from Oct. 5-17, 2021, while a minor league player assigned to Houston's Triple-A Sugar Land farm team. The bets included wagers on outcomes, over/under on runs and an individual pitcher’s strikeout total. Three of the nine games involved the major league Astros. His wagers totaled $99.22 and resulted in $28.30 of winnings.Kelly, 31, was 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 28 games this season, last pitching on Saturday at Atlanta. The former first-round draft pick appeared in 46 games over the past three seasons.Groome, a 25-year-old who had been on a minor league injured list since mid-April, placed 32 MLB-related bets from July 22, 2020, through July 24, 2021, including 24 on the Boston Red Sox major league team while he was assigned to Boston's High-A team in Greenville, South Carolina. The sport detailed he wagered $453.74 on 30 MLB games and had a net loss of $433.54, receiving payouts on only two wagers. His betting included parlays.Rodríguez, 23, has been at Double-A Reading this season. He placed 31 bets on baseball on Sept. 30, 2021, and from June 5 through July 30 in 2022, including 28 on MLB and three on college baseball. The total included seven involving the Chicago White Sox at the time he was assigned to their Double-A team in Birmingham, Alabama. Two of the White Sox bets involved outcomes and the others were on runs scored. He bet $749.09 on baseball, of which $724.09 was on MLB-related bets that included parlays.Saalfrank, 26, pitched in 21 games for Arizona last year between the regular season and postseason, including three World Series games, and two this year before he was optioned to Triple-A Reno on May 1. He placed 29 baseball bets from Sept. 9 through Oct. 29 in 2021 and on March 9, 2022, including 28 on MLB and one parlay on college baseball. He placed four bets on the big league Diamondbacks while on the injured list of their Low A farm team. His baseball bets totaled $445.87 on baseball, including $444.07 on MLB, and lost $272.64 on MLB bets and $1.80 on the college wager. He won just five of 28 MLB bets, which included outcomes, runs and pitcher strikeouts.

MLB gambling scandal: Padres infielder banned for life

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.

Just before 3:30a.m. Monday police responded to a burglary alarm at the Bomgaars Retail Store, 605 South 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson 

When officers arrived they saw a man run from the scene into a nearby wooded area. Officers pursued the subject and located him hiding in the woods. 

It was determined that an attempted burglary into the store had occurred at the front door area of the store. Officers arrested 37-year-old Joshua A. Spurlock on requested charges of attempted burglary and criminal damage to property as well as interference with law enforcement which involved attempting to flee from the officers and giving the arresting officers a false name.&nbsp;

He has previous convictions for burglary, criminal damage and criminal trespass, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717447124991.png" alt="Spurlock-photo from an earlier arrest in Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Spurlock-photo from an earlier arrest in Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.Just before 3:30a.m. Monday police responded to a burglary alarm at the Bomgaars Retail Store, 605 South 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson When officers arrived they saw a man run from the scene into a nearby wooded area. Officers pursued the subject and located him hiding in the woods. It was determined that an attempted burglary into the store had occurred at the front door area of the store. Officers arrested 37-year-old Joshua A. Spurlock on requested charges of attempted burglary and criminal damage to property as well as interference with law enforcement which involved attempting to flee from the officers and giving the arresting officers a false name.&nbsp;He has previous convictions for burglary, criminal damage and criminal trespass, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon gave officers a fake name during arrest

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The State of Kansas ended May with total tax collections at $658.9 million. That is $193.0 million, or 22.7%, below the estimate. Total tax collections are down 23.1% from May 2023.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY29udGVudC5nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeS5jb20vYXR0YWNobWVudHMvS1NPRy8yMDI0LzA2LzAzL2ZpbGVfYXR0YWNobWVudHMvMjg5NjU2OS8xMV9NYXlfUmV2ZW51ZV9GWTIwMjRfMDYtMDMtMjAyNF9GaW5hbC5wZGYiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjQwNjAzLjk1NzEyNTMxIn0.R_w7KdhIIL8j8TRwu_QQsKNEz--_jF59y_vQS-k-uQY/s/1303160919/br/243518724559-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the May 2024 revenue numbers.

“The expected shortfall in May individual income tax collections can be largely attributed to the two additional processing days in April.”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said.&nbsp;“Combined with more efficient payment processing, the Department of Revenue was able to process significantly more payments in April which would have typically been processed in May.”

Individual income tax collections were $305.2 million. That is $144.8 million, or 32.2% below the estimate, and down 30.6% from May 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $39.8 million. That is $53.2 million, or 57.2% below the estimate and down 56.3% from May 2023.

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $281.9 million, which is $4.2 million, or 1.5% above the estimate, and down $7.7 million, or 2.7%, from May 2023.

Total tax collections for FY 2024 through May are $8.977 billion which is $92.0 million or 1.0% below the estimate. &nbsp;

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The State of Kansas ended May with total tax collections at $658.9 million. That is $193.0 million, or 22.7%, below the estimate. Total tax collections are down 23.1% from May 2023.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY29udGVudC5nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeS5jb20vYXR0YWNobWVudHMvS1NPRy8yMDI0LzA2LzAzL2ZpbGVfYXR0YWNobWVudHMvMjg5NjU2OS8xMV9NYXlfUmV2ZW51ZV9GWTIwMjRfMDYtMDMtMjAyNF9GaW5hbC5wZGYiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjQwNjAzLjk1NzEyNTMxIn0.R_w7KdhIIL8j8TRwu_QQsKNEz--_jF59y_vQS-k-uQY/s/1303160919/br/243518724559-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the May 2024 revenue numbers.“The expected shortfall in May individual income tax collections can be largely attributed to the two additional processing days in April.”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said.&nbsp;“Combined with more efficient payment processing, the Department of Revenue was able to process significantly more payments in April which would have typically been processed in May.”Individual income tax collections were $305.2 million. That is $144.8 million, or 32.2% below the estimate, and down 30.6% from May 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $39.8 million. That is $53.2 million, or 57.2% below the estimate and down 56.3% from May 2023.Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $281.9 million, which is $4.2 million, or 1.5% above the estimate, and down $7.7 million, or 2.7%, from May 2023.Total tax collections for FY 2024 through May are $8.977 billion which is $92.0 million or 1.0% below the estimate. &nbsp;

Sec. of Revenue explains why Kan. tax collections were down in May

KANSAS CITY—After ten days the alligator missing from a petting zoo at a Kansas City middle school was found alive.&nbsp;&nbsp;The KC Pet Project Animal Services Division pickup up the alligator Monday afternoon.

The KC Pet Project received an anonymous tip that the missing alligator was discovered to be outside of the school, on the first day of summer school.

The alligator’s mouth was still taped shut. The KC Pet Project team quickly drove the alligator to the campus, and they are conducting an investigation on where the alligator has been since it went missing. 

The Pet Project also has a veterinarian who works with exotic pets do an exam on the animal.

On May 23,&nbsp;staff with the Kansas City Pet Project responded to Lakeview Middle School, 6720 NW 64th Street in Kansas City,  working to locate a missing alligator that was brought to the school by a petting zoo.

Lakeview Middle School did not obtain an animal shows permit from the Animal Services Division for the petting zoo, which is required per Chapter 14 of the city code.

Alligators are not allowed in Kansas City, MO per Chapter 14 of the city code. Animal Services plans to issue citations for violations of Chapter 14 of the city code to the appropriate parties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717450609456.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—After ten days the alligator missing from a petting zoo at a Kansas City middle school was found alive.&nbsp;&nbsp;The KC Pet Project Animal Services Division pickup up the alligator Monday afternoon.The KC Pet Project received an anonymous tip that the missing alligator was discovered to be outside of the school, on the first day of summer school.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717450589965.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The alligator’s mouth was still taped shut. The KC Pet Project team quickly drove the alligator to the campus, and they are conducting an investigation on where the alligator has been since it went missing. The Pet Project also has a veterinarian who works with exotic pets do an exam on the animal.On May 23,&nbsp;staff with the Kansas City Pet Project responded to Lakeview Middle School, 6720 NW 64th Street in Kansas City, working to locate a missing alligator that was brought to the school by a petting zoo.Lakeview Middle School did not obtain an animal shows permit from the Animal Services Division for the petting zoo, which is required per Chapter 14 of the city code.Alligators are not allowed in Kansas City, MO per Chapter 14 of the city code. Animal Services plans to issue citations for violations of Chapter 14 of the city code to the appropriate parties.

Alligator found 10 days after escape from KC school petting zoo

DECATUR COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting authorities in northwest Kansas with an ongoing investigation of an abduction and holding a hostage that occurred June 1.

According to Decatur County Sheriff&nbsp; David Wachendorfer, Decatur County Dispatch in Oberlin received a report from a man that he had been kidnapped and had just escaped from his captors.

The victim was located and the incident appears to be valid, according to Wachendorfer. The kidnapping occurred in Oklahoma and the victim was able to escape while passing northwest Kansas. Law enforcement are asking for the public’s assistance in watching for a blue or green older model mini van with Oklahoma plates.

The vehicle is occupied by a white male about 5-foot-6, bald, with a long brown beard and tattoos on his chest.

The second subject is a black male 5-foot-10, chubby, with a mustache, goatee and face tattoos. The suspects are to be considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp; Do not approach them.

DECATUR COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting authorities in northwest Kansas with an ongoing investigation of an abduction and holding a hostage that occurred June 1.According to Decatur County Sheriff&nbsp; David Wachendorfer, Decatur County Dispatch in Oberlin received a report from a man that he had been kidnapped and had just escaped from his captors.The victim was located and the incident appears to be valid, according to Wachendorfer. The kidnapping occurred in Oklahoma and the victim was able to escape while passing northwest Kansas. Law enforcement are asking for the public’s assistance in watching for a blue or green older model mini van with Oklahoma plates.The vehicle is occupied by a white male about 5-foot-6, bald, with a long brown beard and tattoos on his chest.The second subject is a black male 5-foot-10, chubby, with a mustache, goatee and face tattoos. The suspects are to be considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp; Do not approach them.