LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for allegedly selling drugs near Emporia State University.

During the investigation, officers were able to purchase cocaine, marijuana and LSD from a suspect identified as 20-year-old Caden Hunt, according to Emporia Police Captain Mattis.

 Officers and detectives then served a search warrant at the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity located at 1309 Sylvan Street near the Emporia State University campus. Detectives found more cocaine, marijuana, and LSD along with a firearm.

Police arrested Hunt&nbsp;and booked him into the Lyon County Jail on requested charges of four counts of Distribution of Cocaine, one count of Distribution of LSD, one count of Distribution of marijuana, one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, LSD and marijuana along with criminal possession of a firearm. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701296394092.png" alt="Hunt-photo Lyon County" />
 <figcaption>Hunt-photo Lyon County</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for allegedly selling drugs near Emporia State University.During the investigation, officers were able to purchase cocaine, marijuana and LSD from a suspect identified as 20-year-old Caden Hunt, according to Emporia Police Captain Mattis. Officers and detectives then served a search warrant at the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity located at 1309 Sylvan Street near the Emporia State University campus. Detectives found more cocaine, marijuana, and LSD along with a firearm.Police arrested Hunt&nbsp;and booked him into the Lyon County Jail on requested charges of four counts of Distribution of Cocaine, one count of Distribution of LSD, one count of Distribution of marijuana, one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, LSD and marijuana along with criminal possession of a firearm.

Police found cocaine, LSD and firearm at fraternity house

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy warship sailing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait shot down a drone launched from Yemen on Wednesday, the U.S. military said, in the latest in a string of threats from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

U.S. Central Command said the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, downed the drone — an Iranian-made KAS-04 — which was launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen and was heading toward the warship.

The ship was operating in the the southern Red Sea and was moving toward the strait. At the time of the morning shootdown, the Carney was escorting the USNS Supply, a Military Sealift Command fast combat supply ship, as well as another U.S. flagged and crewed ship carrying military equipment to the region. There were no injuries to U.S. personnel and no damage to the ships, the command said in a statement.

The shootdown came a day after a Iranian drone flew within 1,500 yards (1,370 meters) of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier as it was conducting flight operations in international waters.

Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said that drone “violated safety precautions” by not staying more than 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometers) from the ship. The drone ignored multiple warnings but eventually turned away.

“This unsafe, unprofessional, and irresponsible behavior by Iran risks U.S. and partner nation lives and needs to cease immediately,” Cooper said.

Iranian state television earlier aired footage from the drone that trailed the carrier, which included data suggesting it filmed the vessel in the Persian Gulf’s narrow mouth, the Strait of Hormuz, this weekend.

Aircraft can be seen on the Eisenhower’s deck in the footage. Iranian drone surveillance has become common when American aircraft carriers enter the Gulf.

Earlier this month, another Navy destroyer, the USS Thomas Hudner,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-yemen-houthi-drone-red-sea-3f7cc856f608d0e963e82effbac328f6" target="_blank">shot down a drone</a>&nbsp;that was heading toward the ship as it sailed in the southern Red Sea. It also was near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and it shot down the drone over the water.

The Red Sea, stretching from Egypt’s Suez Canal to the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, is a key trade route for global shipping and energy supplies. The U.S. Navy has stationed multiple ships in the sea since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, which has heightened tensions in the region.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy warship sailing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait shot down a drone launched from Yemen on Wednesday, the U.S. military said, in the latest in a string of threats from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.U.S. Central Command said the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, downed the drone — an Iranian-made KAS-04 — which was launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen and was heading toward the warship.The ship was operating in the the southern Red Sea and was moving toward the strait. At the time of the morning shootdown, the Carney was escorting the USNS Supply, a Military Sealift Command fast combat supply ship, as well as another U.S. flagged and crewed ship carrying military equipment to the region. There were no injuries to U.S. personnel and no damage to the ships, the command said in a statement.The shootdown came a day after a Iranian drone flew within 1,500 yards (1,370 meters) of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier as it was conducting flight operations in international waters.Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said that drone “violated safety precautions” by not staying more than 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometers) from the ship. The drone ignored multiple warnings but eventually turned away.“This unsafe, unprofessional, and irresponsible behavior by Iran risks U.S. and partner nation lives and needs to cease immediately,” Cooper said.Iranian state television earlier aired footage from the drone that trailed the carrier, which included data suggesting it filmed the vessel in the Persian Gulf’s narrow mouth, the Strait of Hormuz, this weekend.Aircraft can be seen on the Eisenhower’s deck in the footage. Iranian drone surveillance has become common when American aircraft carriers enter the Gulf.Earlier this month, another Navy destroyer, the USS Thomas Hudner,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-yemen-houthi-drone-red-sea-3f7cc856f608d0e963e82effbac328f6" target="_blank">shot down a drone</a>&nbsp;that was heading toward the ship as it sailed in the southern Red Sea. It also was near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and it shot down the drone over the water.The Red Sea, stretching from Egypt’s Suez Canal to the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, is a key trade route for global shipping and energy supplies. The U.S. Navy has stationed multiple ships in the sea since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, which has heightened tensions in the region.<h2>___</h2>

US warship in Red Sea shoots down Iranian-produced drone

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City.

According to KCPD Captain Corey Carlisle, a&nbsp;Honda Accord was eastbound on 23rd Street at a high rate of speed. At 23rd and Stark, the Honda attempted to go around a stopped school bus. 

While going around the school bus, the driver of the Honda over corrected, causing the Honda to go into a slide. The Honda slid across the center median and into the path of an westbound Ford Fusion. The Ford struck the Honda, causing the Honda to be redirected into a ditch located on the north side of 23rd. 

The unrestrained driver and sole occupant of the Honda was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. 

The restrained driver and sole occupant of the Ford received non-life-threatening injuries from the collision. 

23rd Street Trafficway was closed to all traffic for approximately three hours.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the man who died.

 This is Fatality #94 compared to #79 at this time last year, according to Carlisle. The accident remains under investigation.

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City.According to KCPD Captain Corey Carlisle, a&nbsp;Honda Accord was eastbound on 23rd Street at a high rate of speed. At 23rd and Stark, the Honda attempted to go around a stopped school bus. While going around the school bus, the driver of the Honda over corrected, causing the Honda to go into a slide. The Honda slid across the center median and into the path of an westbound Ford Fusion. The Ford struck the Honda, causing the Honda to be redirected into a ditch located on the north side of 23rd. The unrestrained driver and sole occupant of the Honda was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The restrained driver and sole occupant of the Ford received non-life-threatening injuries from the collision. 23rd Street Trafficway was closed to all traffic for approximately three hours.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the man who died. This is Fatality #94 compared to #79 at this time last year, according to Carlisle. The accident remains under investigation.

Man dead after car avoids KC-area school bus, slides into another car

NEW YORK (AP) —Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the diplomat with the thick glasses and gravelly voice who dominated foreign policy as the United States extricated itself from Vietnam and broke down barriers with China, died Wednesday, his consulting firm said. He was 100.

With his gruff yet commanding presence and behind-the-scenes manipulation of power, Kissinger exerted uncommon influence on global affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, earning both vilification and the Nobel Peace Prize. Decades later, his name still provoked impassioned debate over foreign policy landmarks long past.

Kissinger’s power grew during the turmoil of Watergate, when the politically attuned diplomat assumed a role akin to co-president to the weakened Nixon.

“No doubt my vanity was piqued,” Kissinger later wrote of his expanding influence. “But the dominant emotion was a premonition of catastrophe.”

A Jew who fled Nazi Germany with his family in his teens, Kissinger in his later years cultivated the reputation of respected statesman, giving speeches, offering advice to Republicans and Democrats alike and managing a global consulting business. He turned up in President Donald Trump’s White House on multiple occasions. But Nixon-era documents and tapes, as they trickled out over the years, brought revelations — many in Kissinger’s own words — that sometimes cast him in a harsh light.

Never without his detractors, Kissinger after he left government was dogged by critics who argued that he should be called to account for his policies on Southeast Asia and support of repressive regimes in Latin America.

For eight restless years — first as national security adviser, later as secretary of state, and for a time in the middle holding both titles — Kissinger ranged across the breadth of major foreign policy issues. He conducted the first “shuttle diplomacy” in the quest for Middle East peace. He used secret channels to pursue ties between the United States and China, ending decades of isolation and mutual hostility.

He initiated the Paris negotiations that ultimately provided a face-saving means — a “decent interval,” he called it — to get the United States out of a costly war in Vietnam. Two years later, Saigon fell to the communists.

And he pursued a policy of detente with the Soviet Union that led to arms control agreements and raised the possibility that the tensions of the Cold War and its nuclear threat did not have to last forever.

At age 99, he was still out on tour for his book on leadership. Asked in July 2022 interview with ABC whether he wished he could take back any of his decisions, Kissinger demurred, saying: “I’ve been thinking about these problems all my life. It’s my hobby as well as my occupation. And so the recommendations I made were the best of which I was then capable.”

Even then, he had mixed thoughts on Nixon’s record, saying “his foreign policy has held up and he was quite effective in domestic policy” while allowing that the disgraced president had “permitted himself to be involved in a number of steps that were inappropriate for a president.”

As Kissinger turned 100 in May 2023, his son David wrote in The Washington Post that his father’s centenary “might have an air of inevitability for anyone familiar with his force of character and love of historical symbolism. Not only has he outlived most of his peers, eminent detractors and students, but he has also remained indefatigably active throughout his 90s.”

Asked during a CBS interview in the leadup to his 100th birthday about those who view his conduct of foreign policy over the years as a kind of “criminality,” Kissinger was nothing but dismissive.

“That’s a reflection of their ignorance,” Kissinger said. “It wasn’t conceived that way. It wasn’t conducted that way.”

Kissinger was a practitioner of realpolitik — using diplomacy to achieve practical objectives rather than advance lofty ideals. Supporters said his pragmatic bent served U.S. interests; critics saw a Machiavellian approach that ran counter to democratic ideals.

He was castigated for authorizing telephone wiretaps of reporters and his own National Security Council staff to plug news leaks in Nixon’s White House. He was denounced on college campuses for the bombing and allied invasion of Cambodia in April 1970, intended to destroy North Vietnamese supply lines to communist forces in South Vietnam.

That “incursion,” as Nixon and Kissinger called it, was blamed by some for contributing to Cambodia’s fall into the hands of Khmer Rouge insurgents who later slaughtered some 2 million Cambodians.

Kissinger, for his part, made it his mission to debunk what he referred to in 2007 as a “prevalent myth” — that he and Nixon had settled in 1972 for peace terms that had been available in 1969 and thus had needlessly prolonged the Vietnam War at the cost of tens of thousands of American lives.

He insisted that the only way to speed up the withdrawal would have been to agree to Hanoi’s demands that the U.S. overthrow the South Vietnamese government and replace it with communist-dominated leadership.

Pudgy and messy, Kissinger incongruously acquired a reputation as a ladies’ man in the staid Nixon administration. Kissinger, who had divorced his first wife in 1964, called women “a diversion, a hobby.” Jill St. John was a frequent companion. But it turned out his real love interest was Nancy Maginnes, a researcher for Nelson Rockefeller whom he married in 1974.

In a 1972 poll of Playboy Club Bunnies, the man dubbed “Super-K” by Newsweek finished first as “the man I would most like to go out on a date with.”

Kissinger’s explanation: “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.”

Yet Kissinger was reviled by many Americans for his conduct of wartime diplomacy. He was still a lightning rod decades later: In 2015, an appearance by the 91-year-old Kissinger before the Senate Armed Services Committee was disrupted by protesters demanding his arrest for war crimes and calling out his actions in Southeast Asia, Chile and beyond.

Heinz Alfred Kissinger was born in the Bavarian city of Fuerth on May 27, 1923, the son of a schoolteacher. His family left Nazi Germany in 1938 and settled in Manhattan, where Heinz changed his name to Henry.

Kissinger had two children, Elizabeth and David, from his first marriage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701312233277.png" alt="For eight restless years — first as national security adviser, later as secretary of state, and for a time in the middle holding both titles — Kissinger ranged across the breadth of major foreign policy issues-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>For eight restless years — first as national security adviser, later as secretary of state, and for a time in the middle holding both titles — Kissinger ranged across the breadth of major foreign policy issues-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the diplomat with the thick glasses and gravelly voice who dominated foreign policy as the United States extricated itself from Vietnam and broke down barriers with China, died Wednesday, his consulting firm said. He was 100.With his gruff yet commanding presence and behind-the-scenes manipulation of power, Kissinger exerted uncommon influence on global affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, earning both vilification and the Nobel Peace Prize. Decades later, his name still provoked impassioned debate over foreign policy landmarks long past.Kissinger’s power grew during the turmoil of Watergate, when the politically attuned diplomat assumed a role akin to co-president to the weakened Nixon.“No doubt my vanity was piqued,” Kissinger later wrote of his expanding influence. “But the dominant emotion was a premonition of catastrophe.”A Jew who fled Nazi Germany with his family in his teens, Kissinger in his later years cultivated the reputation of respected statesman, giving speeches, offering advice to Republicans and Democrats alike and managing a global consulting business. He turned up in President Donald Trump’s White House on multiple occasions. But Nixon-era documents and tapes, as they trickled out over the years, brought revelations — many in Kissinger’s own words — that sometimes cast him in a harsh light.Never without his detractors, Kissinger after he left government was dogged by critics who argued that he should be called to account for his policies on Southeast Asia and support of repressive regimes in Latin America.For eight restless years — first as national security adviser, later as secretary of state, and for a time in the middle holding both titles — Kissinger ranged across the breadth of major foreign policy issues. He conducted the first “shuttle diplomacy” in the quest for Middle East peace. He used secret channels to pursue ties between the United States and China, ending decades of isolation and mutual hostility.He initiated the Paris negotiations that ultimately provided a face-saving means — a “decent interval,” he called it — to get the United States out of a costly war in Vietnam. Two years later, Saigon fell to the communists.And he pursued a policy of detente with the Soviet Union that led to arms control agreements and raised the possibility that the tensions of the Cold War and its nuclear threat did not have to last forever.At age 99, he was still out on tour for his book on leadership. Asked in July 2022 interview with ABC whether he wished he could take back any of his decisions, Kissinger demurred, saying: “I’ve been thinking about these problems all my life. It’s my hobby as well as my occupation. And so the recommendations I made were the best of which I was then capable.”Even then, he had mixed thoughts on Nixon’s record, saying “his foreign policy has held up and he was quite effective in domestic policy” while allowing that the disgraced president had “permitted himself to be involved in a number of steps that were inappropriate for a president.”As Kissinger turned 100 in May 2023, his son David wrote in The Washington Post that his father’s centenary “might have an air of inevitability for anyone familiar with his force of character and love of historical symbolism. Not only has he outlived most of his peers, eminent detractors and students, but he has also remained indefatigably active throughout his 90s.”Asked during a CBS interview in the leadup to his 100th birthday about those who view his conduct of foreign policy over the years as a kind of “criminality,” Kissinger was nothing but dismissive.“That’s a reflection of their ignorance,” Kissinger said. “It wasn’t conceived that way. It wasn’t conducted that way.”Kissinger was a practitioner of realpolitik — using diplomacy to achieve practical objectives rather than advance lofty ideals. Supporters said his pragmatic bent served U.S. interests; critics saw a Machiavellian approach that ran counter to democratic ideals.He was castigated for authorizing telephone wiretaps of reporters and his own National Security Council staff to plug news leaks in Nixon’s White House. He was denounced on college campuses for the bombing and allied invasion of Cambodia in April 1970, intended to destroy North Vietnamese supply lines to communist forces in South Vietnam.That “incursion,” as Nixon and Kissinger called it, was blamed by some for contributing to Cambodia’s fall into the hands of Khmer Rouge insurgents who later slaughtered some 2 million Cambodians.Kissinger, for his part, made it his mission to debunk what he referred to in 2007 as a “prevalent myth” — that he and Nixon had settled in 1972 for peace terms that had been available in 1969 and thus had needlessly prolonged the Vietnam War at the cost of tens of thousands of American lives.He insisted that the only way to speed up the withdrawal would have been to agree to Hanoi’s demands that the U.S. overthrow the South Vietnamese government and replace it with communist-dominated leadership.Pudgy and messy, Kissinger incongruously acquired a reputation as a ladies’ man in the staid Nixon administration. Kissinger, who had divorced his first wife in 1964, called women “a diversion, a hobby.” Jill St. John was a frequent companion. But it turned out his real love interest was Nancy Maginnes, a researcher for Nelson Rockefeller whom he married in 1974.In a 1972 poll of Playboy Club Bunnies, the man dubbed “Super-K” by Newsweek finished first as “the man I would most like to go out on a date with.”Kissinger’s explanation: “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.”Yet Kissinger was reviled by many Americans for his conduct of wartime diplomacy. He was still a lightning rod decades later: In 2015, an appearance by the 91-year-old Kissinger before the Senate Armed Services Committee was disrupted by protesters demanding his arrest for war crimes and calling out his actions in Southeast Asia, Chile and beyond.Heinz Alfred Kissinger was born in the Bavarian city of Fuerth on May 27, 1923, the son of a schoolteacher. His family left Nazi Germany in 1938 and settled in Manhattan, where Heinz changed his name to Henry.Kissinger had two children, Elizabeth and David, from his first marriage.

Henry Kissinger, American diplomat, Nobel winner, dead at 100

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Daryl Hall has accused his longtime music partner John Oates of committing the “ultimate partnership betrayal” by planning to sell his share of the Hall &amp; Oates duo's joint venture without the other's permission, Hall said in a court declaration supporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hall-oates-lawsuit-42fb0a9ec7252414d4d1b2a592b021d9">his lawsuit to keep the transaction paused</a>.

In the declaration filed Wednesday in a Nashville chancery court, Hall also lamented the deterioration of his relationship with and trust in his musical partner of more than a half-century. The joint venture in question includes Hall &amp; Oates trademarks, personal name and likeness rights, record royalty income and website and social media assets, the declaration states.

A judge has issued a temporarily restraining order blocking the sale of Oates' share of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-music-arts-and-entertainment-7415d6f92abc4c788339e88671c76dcc">Whole Oats Enterprises LLP</a>&nbsp;to Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC while legal proceedings and a previously initiated arbitration continue.

A court hearing is scheduled Thursday in the case. Hall is seeking further court action to keep the transaction on hold.

“While falsely contending over the last several months that the Oates Trust wanted to maintain ownership in WOE, John Oates and the Co-Trustees engaged in the ultimate partnership betrayal," Hall said in a declaration. "They surreptitiously sought to sell half of the WOE assets without obtaining my written approval.”

Derek Crownover, an attorney representing Oates, has previously said the musician's "team will work toward a resolution that makes sense for all involved, but for now we plan to let the facts, law and courts play this one out.”

He said Wednesday that the legal team will file a declaration by Oates soon as well.

A Nashville chancery court judge issued the temporary restraining order on Nov. 16, the same day Hall filed his lawsuit, writing that Oates and others involved in his trust can’t move to close the sale of their share until an arbitrator in a separately filed case weighs in on the deal, or until the judge’s order expires — typically within 15 days, unless a judge extends the deadline. Hall's declaration was initially filed in the arbitration case.

The lawsuit contends that Hall opened an arbitration process on Nov. 9 against Oates and the other defendants in the lawsuit, Oates’ wife, Aimee Oates, and Richard Flynn, in their roles as co-trustees of Oates’ trust. Hall was seeking an order preventing them from selling their part in Whole Oats Enterprises to Primary Wave Music.

Primary Wave has already owned “significant interest” in Hall and Oates’ song catalog for more than 15 years.

The lawsuit says Oates’ team entered into a letter of intent with Primary Wave Music for the sale, and alleges further that the letter makes clear that the music duo’s business agreement was disclosed to Primary Wave Music in violation of a confidentiality provision. Additionally, Hall said in his declaration he would not approve such a sale and doesn't agree with Primary Wave's business model.

Hall said he was blindsided by Oates’ plan to sell his part of Whole Oates Enterprises.

“I am deeply troubled by the deterioration of my relationship with, and trust in, John Oates,” Hall said in the declaration.

Hall said in his declaration that the ordeal has unfolded while he's been on tour throughout the U.S. West Coast, Japan and Manila. Hall said he believes Oates timed the sale “to create the most harm to me.”

Hall accused Oates of becoming “adversarial and aggressive instead of professional and courteous” toward him in the last several years. As part of a proposed “global divorce,” Hall said he was entertaining Oates' idea to dissolve their touring entity and a separate partnership related to their musical compositions and publishing, while Hall raised the idea of dissolving Whole Oats Enterprises.

Daryl Hall and John Oates got their start as Temple University students before signing with Atlantic Records in 1972. In the decades since, they have achieved six platinum albums and many more Top 10 singles with their unique approach to blue-eyed soul. Hall &amp; Oates was inducted into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and the duo's latest album, “Home for Christmas,” was released in 2006. The pair continued to perform as of last year.

“We have this incredibly good problem of having so many hits,” Oates told The Associated Press in 2021, just before resuming a national tour that had been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Believe me, it’s not a chore to play those songs because they are really great.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701307096018.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Daryl Hall has accused his longtime music partner John Oates of committing the “ultimate partnership betrayal” by planning to sell his share of the Hall &amp; Oates duo's joint venture without the other's permission, Hall said in a court declaration supporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hall-oates-lawsuit-42fb0a9ec7252414d4d1b2a592b021d9">his lawsuit to keep the transaction paused</a>.In the declaration filed Wednesday in a Nashville chancery court, Hall also lamented the deterioration of his relationship with and trust in his musical partner of more than a half-century. The joint venture in question includes Hall &amp; Oates trademarks, personal name and likeness rights, record royalty income and website and social media assets, the declaration states.A judge has issued a temporarily restraining order blocking the sale of Oates' share of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-music-arts-and-entertainment-7415d6f92abc4c788339e88671c76dcc">Whole Oats Enterprises LLP</a>&nbsp;to Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC while legal proceedings and a previously initiated arbitration continue.A court hearing is scheduled Thursday in the case. Hall is seeking further court action to keep the transaction on hold.“While falsely contending over the last several months that the Oates Trust wanted to maintain ownership in WOE, John Oates and the Co-Trustees engaged in the ultimate partnership betrayal," Hall said in a declaration. "They surreptitiously sought to sell half of the WOE assets without obtaining my written approval.”Derek Crownover, an attorney representing Oates, has previously said the musician's "team will work toward a resolution that makes sense for all involved, but for now we plan to let the facts, law and courts play this one out.”He said Wednesday that the legal team will file a declaration by Oates soon as well.A Nashville chancery court judge issued the temporary restraining order on Nov. 16, the same day Hall filed his lawsuit, writing that Oates and others involved in his trust can’t move to close the sale of their share until an arbitrator in a separately filed case weighs in on the deal, or until the judge’s order expires — typically within 15 days, unless a judge extends the deadline. Hall's declaration was initially filed in the arbitration case.The lawsuit contends that Hall opened an arbitration process on Nov. 9 against Oates and the other defendants in the lawsuit, Oates’ wife, Aimee Oates, and Richard Flynn, in their roles as co-trustees of Oates’ trust. Hall was seeking an order preventing them from selling their part in Whole Oats Enterprises to Primary Wave Music.Primary Wave has already owned “significant interest” in Hall and Oates’ song catalog for more than 15 years.The lawsuit says Oates’ team entered into a letter of intent with Primary Wave Music for the sale, and alleges further that the letter makes clear that the music duo’s business agreement was disclosed to Primary Wave Music in violation of a confidentiality provision. Additionally, Hall said in his declaration he would not approve such a sale and doesn't agree with Primary Wave's business model.Hall said he was blindsided by Oates’ plan to sell his part of Whole Oates Enterprises.“I am deeply troubled by the deterioration of my relationship with, and trust in, John Oates,” Hall said in the declaration.Hall said in his declaration that the ordeal has unfolded while he's been on tour throughout the U.S. West Coast, Japan and Manila. Hall said he believes Oates timed the sale “to create the most harm to me.”Hall accused Oates of becoming “adversarial and aggressive instead of professional and courteous” toward him in the last several years. As part of a proposed “global divorce,” Hall said he was entertaining Oates' idea to dissolve their touring entity and a separate partnership related to their musical compositions and publishing, while Hall raised the idea of dissolving Whole Oats Enterprises.Daryl Hall and John Oates got their start as Temple University students before signing with Atlantic Records in 1972. In the decades since, they have achieved six platinum albums and many more Top 10 singles with their unique approach to blue-eyed soul. Hall &amp; Oates was inducted into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and the duo's latest album, “Home for Christmas,” was released in 2006. The pair continued to perform as of last year.“We have this incredibly good problem of having so many hits,” Oates told The Associated Press in 2021, just before resuming a national tour that had been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Believe me, it’s not a chore to play those songs because they are really great.”

Daryl Hall accuses John Oates of 'ultimate partnership betrayal' 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man who was rescued from a pond by deputies after a chase.

Just before 10 p.m. Monday, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop near the intersection of SW Montara Parkway and SW Greenview Drive on a maroon Toyota Tacoma that was reported stolen out of Topeka, according to Sheriff's Lt. Scott Wanamaker.

 After stopping for a brief moment the suspect vehicle fled from the stop location initiating a pursuit. The pursuit ended on south 75 Highway between 69th and 65th after a successful Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) was performed by the pursuing deputy.

The driver 29-year-old Brandon W Clements fled the vehicle on foot into a tree covered area and ran into a pond. Clements was not able to get himself out of the pond which resulted in deputies having to rescue him from it.

 Once Clements was rescued, AMR paramedics were summoned to the scene for treatment due to the cold conditions, and cold water Clements was exposed too. Clements was transported to a local hospital where he is being treated for this exposure.

He is facing multiple requested charges including felony flee and elude, felony interference with law enforcement, felony possession of stolen property, possession of opiate, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving, driving without a license, speeding and not signaling a turn.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701262158257.png" alt="Clements as seen in a Sept. booking photo from Shawnee County where he was held on requested charges that included flee or attempt to elude&nbsp; police." />
 <figcaption>Clements as seen in a Sept. booking photo from Shawnee County where he was held on requested charges that included flee or attempt to elude&nbsp; police.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man who was rescued from a pond by deputies after a chase.Just before 10 p.m. Monday, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop near the intersection of SW Montara Parkway and SW Greenview Drive on a maroon Toyota Tacoma that was reported stolen out of Topeka, according to Sheriff's Lt. Scott Wanamaker. After stopping for a brief moment the suspect vehicle fled from the stop location initiating a pursuit. The pursuit ended on south 75 Highway between 69th and 65th after a successful Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) was performed by the pursuing deputy.The driver 29-year-old Brandon W Clements fled the vehicle on foot into a tree covered area and ran into a pond. Clements was not able to get himself out of the pond which resulted in deputies having to rescue him from it. Once Clements was rescued, AMR paramedics were summoned to the scene for treatment due to the cold conditions, and cold water Clements was exposed too. Clements was transported to a local hospital where he is being treated for this exposure.He is facing multiple requested charges including felony flee and elude, felony interference with law enforcement, felony possession of stolen property, possession of opiate, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving, driving without a license, speeding and not signaling a turn.

Kan. deputies rescue stolen truck suspect who jumped in icy pond

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas released 16 hostages late Wednesday in the last swap for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel under the current&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Gaza truce,</a>&nbsp;as international mediators raced to seal another extension to allow further exchanges and prolong the halt of Israel’s air and ground offensive.

The Israeli military said a group of 10 Israeli women and children and four Thai nationals had been freed by Hamas and exited Gaza. Earlier, two Russian-Israeli women were freed by Hamas in a separate release. Israel was set to free 30 Palestinian prisoners in return.

Among the hostages exchanged for the Palestinian prisoners was 49-year-old Liat Atzili, an American-Israeli dual national.

Negotiators were working down to the wire to hammer out details for a further extension of the truce beyond its deadline of early Thursday. The talks appear to be growing tougher as most of the women and children held by Hamas are freed, and the militants are expected to seek greater releases in return for freeing men and soldiers.

International pressure has mounted for the cease-fire to continue as long as possible after nearly eight weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground campaign in Gaza that has killed thousands of Palestinians, uprooted three quarters of the population of 2.3 million and led to a humanitarian crisis. Israel has welcomed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostage-gaza-freed-israel-captive-408f65fcc1b8f016f3735cd5022163eb">release of dozens of hostages</a>&nbsp;in recent days and says it will maintain the truce if Hamas keeps freeing captives.

Still, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored on Wednesday that Israel will resume its campaign to eliminate Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for 16 years and orchestrated the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">deadly attack on Israel that triggered the war</a>

“After this phase of returning our abductees is exhausted, will Israel return to fighting? So my answer is an unequivocal yes,” he said. “There is no way we are not going back to fighting until the end.”

He spoke ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-nato-ukraine-russia-balkans-blinken-69ecd14aed1962e1283965cc80879234">a visit to the region planned this week</a>&nbsp;by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to press for further extensions of the truce and hostage releases.

In the West Bank, Israeli troops killed two Palestinian boys — an 8-year-old an a 15-year-old — during a raid on the town of Jenin, Palestinian health officials said. Security footage showed a group of boys in the street who start to run, except for one who falls to the ground, bleeding.

The Israeli military said its troops fired on people who threw explosives at them but did not specify it was referring to the boys, who are not seen throwing anything. Separately, the military said its troops killed two Islamic Jihad militants during the raid.

So far, the Israeli onslaught in Gaza seems to have had little effect on Hamas’ rule, evidenced by its ability to conduct complex negotiations, enforce the cease-fire among other armed groups, and orchestrate the release of hostages. Hamas leaders, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-leader-gaza-war-sinwar-7359ae98217aa11aa7c20c2780d5d350">Yehya Sinwar,</a>&nbsp;have likely relocated to the south.

With Israeli troops holding much of northern Gaza, a ground invasion south will likely bring an escalating cost in Palestinian lives and destruction.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">Most of Gaza’s population is now crammed into the south.</a>&nbsp;The truce has brought them relief from bombardment, but the days of calm have been taken up in a frenzied rush to obtain supplies to feed their families as aid enters in greater, but still insufficient, amounts.

United States, Israel’s main ally, has shown greater reticence over the impact of the war in Gaza. The Biden administration has told Israel that if it launches an offensive in the south,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-displacement-south-operation-biden-788b05c51b5582b39aeb2466b7825525">it must operate with far greater precision</a>.

The plight of the captives and shock from the Oct. 7 attack have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-palestinians-war-mood-0cebcbcf0550ee08c0d757334f69851d">galvanized Israeli support for the war</a>. But Netanyahu is under pressure to bring the hostages home and could find it difficult to resume the offensive if there’s a prospect for more releases.

Since the initial truce began on Friday, both sides have been releasing women and children in their exchanges. After Friday’s releases, Gaza militants still hold around 20 women, according to Israeli officials. IF the truce continues at the current rate, they would be out in a few days.

After that, keeping the truce going depends on tougher negotiations over the release of around 126 men Israel says are held captive – including several dozen soldiers.

For men — and especially soldiers — Hamas is expected to push for comparable releases of Palestinian men or prominent detainees, a deal Israel may resist.

An Israeli official involved in hostage negotiations said talks on a further extension for release of civilian males and soldiers were still preliminary, and a deal would not be considered until all the women and children are out. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing.

With Wednesday's releases, a total of 73 Israelis, including dual nationals, have been freed during the six-day truce, most of whom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostage-gaza-freed-israel-captive-408f65fcc1b8f016f3735cd5022163eb">appear physically well but shaken</a>. Another 24 hostages — 23 Thais and one Filipino — have also been released. Before the cease-fire, Hamas released four hostages, and the Israeli army rescued one. Two others were found dead in Gaza.

So far, most of the 180 Palestinians freed from Israeli prisons have been teenagers accused of throwing stones and firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces. Several were women convicted by Israeli military courts of attempting to attack soldiers.

Palestinians have celebrated the release of people they see as having resisted Israel’s decades-long military occupation of lands they want for a future state.

The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, in which it killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants kidnapped some 240 people back into Gaza, including babies, children, women, soldiers, older adults and Thai farm laborers.

Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza have killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza</a>, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The toll is likely much higher, as officials have only sporadically updated the count since Nov. 11 due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-health-ministry-gaza-hamas-fe30cbc76479fa437d5f5a0e96c36e52">the breakdown of services in the north</a>. The ministry says thousands more people are missing and feared dead under the rubble.

Israel says 77 of its soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive. It claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.

For Palestinians in Gaza, the truce’s calm has been overwhelmed by the search for aid and by horror as they see the extent of destruction.

In the north, residents described entire residential blocks leveled to the ground in Gaza City and surrounding areas. The smell of decomposing bodies trapped under collapsed buildings fills the air, said Mohmmed Mattar, a 29-year-old resident of Gaza City who along with other volunteers searches for the dead under rubble or left in the streets.

They have found and buried 46 so far during the truce, he said. Most were unidentified. More bodies remain inside rubble but can’t be reached without heavy equipment, or are left on streets that are unapproachable because of Israeli troops nearby, Mattar said.

In the south, the truce has allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-truce-red-cross-crescent-14cd8cae0f6e064484167c66bbcecf8f">more aid to be delivered</a>&nbsp;from Egypt, up to 200 trucks a day. But aid officials say it is not enough, given that most now depend on outside aid. Overwhelmed U.N.-run shelters house more than 1 million displaced people, with many sleeping outside in cold, rainy weather.

At a distribution center in Rafah, large crowds line daily up for newly arrived bags of flour. But supplies run out quickly before many can get their share.

“We’ve been searching for bread for our children,” said one woman in line, Nawal Abu Namous. “Every day, we come here … we spend money on transportation to get here, just to go home with nothing.”

Some markets and shops have reopened, but prices for the few items in stock have skyrocketed. Winter clothes are unavailable. One clothes shop owner in Deir al-Balah told The Associated Press that he hates opening his doors in the morning, knowing he’ll spend most of the day apologizing to customers for not having winter items.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said some 111,000 people have respiratory infections and 75,000 have diarrhea, more than half of them under 5 years old. “More people could die from disease than bombings.”

“We are fed up,” said Omar al-Darawi, who works at the overwhelmed Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in central Gaza. “We want this war to stop.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701295331170.png" alt="49-year-old&nbsp; Liat Atzili Beinin photo courtesy Hostages and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>49-year-old&nbsp; Liat Atzili Beinin photo courtesy Hostages and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas released 16 hostages late Wednesday in the last swap for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel under the current&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Gaza truce,</a>&nbsp;as international mediators raced to seal another extension to allow further exchanges and prolong the halt of Israel’s air and ground offensive.The Israeli military said a group of 10 Israeli women and children and four Thai nationals had been freed by Hamas and exited Gaza. Earlier, two Russian-Israeli women were freed by Hamas in a separate release. Israel was set to free 30 Palestinian prisoners in return.Among the hostages exchanged for the Palestinian prisoners was 49-year-old Liat Atzili, an American-Israeli dual national.Negotiators were working down to the wire to hammer out details for a further extension of the truce beyond its deadline of early Thursday. The talks appear to be growing tougher as most of the women and children held by Hamas are freed, and the militants are expected to seek greater releases in return for freeing men and soldiers.International pressure has mounted for the cease-fire to continue as long as possible after nearly eight weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground campaign in Gaza that has killed thousands of Palestinians, uprooted three quarters of the population of 2.3 million and led to a humanitarian crisis. Israel has welcomed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostage-gaza-freed-israel-captive-408f65fcc1b8f016f3735cd5022163eb">release of dozens of hostages</a>&nbsp;in recent days and says it will maintain the truce if Hamas keeps freeing captives.Still, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored on Wednesday that Israel will resume its campaign to eliminate Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for 16 years and orchestrated the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">deadly attack on Israel that triggered the war</a>“After this phase of returning our abductees is exhausted, will Israel return to fighting? So my answer is an unequivocal yes,” he said. “There is no way we are not going back to fighting until the end.”He spoke ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-nato-ukraine-russia-balkans-blinken-69ecd14aed1962e1283965cc80879234">a visit to the region planned this week</a>&nbsp;by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to press for further extensions of the truce and hostage releases.In the West Bank, Israeli troops killed two Palestinian boys — an 8-year-old an a 15-year-old — during a raid on the town of Jenin, Palestinian health officials said. Security footage showed a group of boys in the street who start to run, except for one who falls to the ground, bleeding.The Israeli military said its troops fired on people who threw explosives at them but did not specify it was referring to the boys, who are not seen throwing anything. Separately, the military said its troops killed two Islamic Jihad militants during the raid.So far, the Israeli onslaught in Gaza seems to have had little effect on Hamas’ rule, evidenced by its ability to conduct complex negotiations, enforce the cease-fire among other armed groups, and orchestrate the release of hostages. Hamas leaders, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-leader-gaza-war-sinwar-7359ae98217aa11aa7c20c2780d5d350">Yehya Sinwar,</a>&nbsp;have likely relocated to the south.With Israeli troops holding much of northern Gaza, a ground invasion south will likely bring an escalating cost in Palestinian lives and destruction.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">Most of Gaza’s population is now crammed into the south.</a>&nbsp;The truce has brought them relief from bombardment, but the days of calm have been taken up in a frenzied rush to obtain supplies to feed their families as aid enters in greater, but still insufficient, amounts.United States, Israel’s main ally, has shown greater reticence over the impact of the war in Gaza. The Biden administration has told Israel that if it launches an offensive in the south,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-displacement-south-operation-biden-788b05c51b5582b39aeb2466b7825525">it must operate with far greater precision</a>.ISRAEL’S HOSTAGE DILEMMAThe plight of the captives and shock from the Oct. 7 attack have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-palestinians-war-mood-0cebcbcf0550ee08c0d757334f69851d">galvanized Israeli support for the war</a>. But Netanyahu is under pressure to bring the hostages home and could find it difficult to resume the offensive if there’s a prospect for more releases.Since the initial truce began on Friday, both sides have been releasing women and children in their exchanges. After Friday’s releases, Gaza militants still hold around 20 women, according to Israeli officials. IF the truce continues at the current rate, they would be out in a few days.After that, keeping the truce going depends on tougher negotiations over the release of around 126 men Israel says are held captive – including several dozen soldiers.For men — and especially soldiers — Hamas is expected to push for comparable releases of Palestinian men or prominent detainees, a deal Israel may resist.An Israeli official involved in hostage negotiations said talks on a further extension for release of civilian males and soldiers were still preliminary, and a deal would not be considered until all the women and children are out. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing.With Wednesday's releases, a total of 73 Israelis, including dual nationals, have been freed during the six-day truce, most of whom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostage-gaza-freed-israel-captive-408f65fcc1b8f016f3735cd5022163eb">appear physically well but shaken</a>. Another 24 hostages — 23 Thais and one Filipino — have also been released. Before the cease-fire, Hamas released four hostages, and the Israeli army rescued one. Two others were found dead in Gaza.So far, most of the 180 Palestinians freed from Israeli prisons have been teenagers accused of throwing stones and firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces. Several were women convicted by Israeli military courts of attempting to attack soldiers.Palestinians have celebrated the release of people they see as having resisted Israel’s decades-long military occupation of lands they want for a future state.The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, in which it killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants kidnapped some 240 people back into Gaza, including babies, children, women, soldiers, older adults and Thai farm laborers.Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza have killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza</a>, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.The toll is likely much higher, as officials have only sporadically updated the count since Nov. 11 due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-health-ministry-gaza-hamas-fe30cbc76479fa437d5f5a0e96c36e52">the breakdown of services in the north</a>. The ministry says thousands more people are missing and feared dead under the rubble.Israel says 77 of its soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive. It claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.TENSE CALM IN GAZAFor Palestinians in Gaza, the truce’s calm has been overwhelmed by the search for aid and by horror as they see the extent of destruction.In the north, residents described entire residential blocks leveled to the ground in Gaza City and surrounding areas. The smell of decomposing bodies trapped under collapsed buildings fills the air, said Mohmmed Mattar, a 29-year-old resident of Gaza City who along with other volunteers searches for the dead under rubble or left in the streets.They have found and buried 46 so far during the truce, he said. Most were unidentified. More bodies remain inside rubble but can’t be reached without heavy equipment, or are left on streets that are unapproachable because of Israeli troops nearby, Mattar said.In the south, the truce has allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-truce-red-cross-crescent-14cd8cae0f6e064484167c66bbcecf8f">more aid to be delivered</a>&nbsp;from Egypt, up to 200 trucks a day. But aid officials say it is not enough, given that most now depend on outside aid. Overwhelmed U.N.-run shelters house more than 1 million displaced people, with many sleeping outside in cold, rainy weather.At a distribution center in Rafah, large crowds line daily up for newly arrived bags of flour. But supplies run out quickly before many can get their share.“We’ve been searching for bread for our children,” said one woman in line, Nawal Abu Namous. “Every day, we come here … we spend money on transportation to get here, just to go home with nothing.”Some markets and shops have reopened, but prices for the few items in stock have skyrocketed. Winter clothes are unavailable. One clothes shop owner in Deir al-Balah told The Associated Press that he hates opening his doors in the morning, knowing he’ll spend most of the day apologizing to customers for not having winter items.The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said some 111,000 people have respiratory infections and 75,000 have diarrhea, more than half of them under 5 years old. “More people could die from disease than bombings.”“We are fed up,” said Omar al-Darawi, who works at the overwhelmed Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in central Gaza. “We want this war to stop.”______

Sixth hostage release includes American woman

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Christmas Tree in front of the White House fell down during high winds but later was hoisted back upright, and its lighting ceremony will go ahead as scheduled.

The tree, a 40-foot-tall&nbsp; Norway spruce from West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest, had been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/whho/learn/news/national-christmas-tree-replaced-in-president-s-park-in-time-for-this-year-s-lighting.htm">planted just two weeks ago</a>&nbsp;on the White House Ellipse, an area known as President's Park. According to the National Park Service, it fell over around 1 p.m. Tuesday during heavy wind gusts that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisit/conditions.htm">reached as high at 46 mph</a>&nbsp;at nearby Reagan National Airport.

NPS spokeswoman Jasmine Shanti said in an email that after “replacing a snapped cable,” the tree was back upright by 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The lighting of the tree is an annual White House holiday tradition with a countdown and musical performances. This year's tree is a new one, replacing an older tree that, according to the NPS, developed a fungal disease known as needle cast, which caused its needles to turn brown and fall off.

None of the 58 smaller trees that surround the National Christmas Tree was damaged. About 20 ornaments fell from the tree but did not break. The NPS announced Wednesday that crews are “installing concrete blocks and additional cables to further secure the tree.”

The annual tree-lighting ceremony will take place as scheduled Thursday at 6 p.m., the NPS said, with musical performances featuring Dionne Warwick and St. Vincent.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701293648285.png" alt="In this image made from video, the National Christmas Tree hangs from a crane in front of the White House as a crew works to lift it back up after it fell, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, amid high winter winds. (AP Video)" />
 <figcaption>In this image made from video, the National Christmas Tree hangs from a crane in front of the White House as a crew works to lift it back up after it fell, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, amid high winter winds. (AP Video)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Christmas Tree in front of the White House fell down during high winds but later was hoisted back upright, and its lighting ceremony will go ahead as scheduled.The tree, a 40-foot-tall&nbsp; Norway spruce from West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest, had been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/whho/learn/news/national-christmas-tree-replaced-in-president-s-park-in-time-for-this-year-s-lighting.htm">planted just two weeks ago</a>&nbsp;on the White House Ellipse, an area known as President's Park. According to the National Park Service, it fell over around 1 p.m. Tuesday during heavy wind gusts that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisit/conditions.htm">reached as high at 46 mph</a>&nbsp;at nearby Reagan National Airport.NPS spokeswoman Jasmine Shanti said in an email that after “replacing a snapped cable,” the tree was back upright by 6 p.m. Tuesday.The lighting of the tree is an annual White House holiday tradition with a countdown and musical performances. This year's tree is a new one, replacing an older tree that, according to the NPS, developed a fungal disease known as needle cast, which caused its needles to turn brown and fall off.None of the 58 smaller trees that surround the National Christmas Tree was damaged. About 20 ornaments fell from the tree but did not break. The NPS announced Wednesday that crews are “installing concrete blocks and additional cables to further secure the tree.”The annual tree-lighting ceremony will take place as scheduled Thursday at 6 p.m., the NPS said, with musical performances featuring Dionne Warwick and St. Vincent.___

National Christmas tree secured after it blew down in the wind

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a Wednesday house fire in Topeka.

Just after 4a.m. crews responded to report of a fire at a 2-story home at 715 West 16th Street, according to department spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

Residents were able to escape the fire before crews arrived. Investigators determine the fire caused approximately $5,000.00 damage. The home had working smoke detectors, according to investigators. There were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701276019519.png" alt="Wednesday morning fire at a home in Topeka -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday morning fire at a home in Topeka -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a Wednesday house fire in Topeka.Just after 4a.m. crews responded to report of a fire at a 2-story home at 715 West 16th Street, according to department spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.Residents were able to escape the fire before crews arrived. Investigators determine the fire caused approximately $5,000.00 damage. The home had working smoke detectors, according to investigators. There were no injuries reported.

Smoke detectors helped save family from Kan. house fire

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley moved one step closer Tuesday to becoming the next Social Security commissioner, a role that would become increasingly difficult as the program inches closer to insolvency during the next decade.

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee voted 17-10 to send O’Malley’s nomination to the floor, though it’s not clear how soon the entire chamber will vote on confirmation. All the panel’s Democrats and Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted to advance his nomination.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said he was backing O’Malley because he’s the “right person for the job at the right time.”

“I base my support for Martin O’Malley on the fact that every single time we have talked, he has emphasized one matter and one matter only, and that is service above politics,” Wyden said.

Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, the panel’s top Republican, opposed O’Malley’s nomination, citing President Joe Biden’s decision to remove former Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul before his term was set to expire in January 2025.

The Senate confirmed Saul, nominated by former President Donald Trump, in June 2019 following a 77-16 vote.

“When the Biden administration removed the last Senate confirmed commissioner prior to the completion of his six-year term, I expressed strong concern that this decision politicized the SSA to the detriment of Social Security beneficiaries,” Crapo said.

Future administrations could follow that precedent, Crapo said, limiting how long a Social Security commissioner has to implement change.

“Although I will not be voting in favor of Gov. O’Malley’s nomination today, we do share the goal of getting the Social Security Administration back on track so that it can provide the public with the level of service they expect and deserve,” Crapo said.

The White House said in a statement about the firing released in July 2021 that “Since taking office, Commissioner Saul has undermined and politicized Social Security disability benefits, terminated the agency’s telework policy that was utilized by up to 25 percent of the agency’s workforce, not repaired SSA’s relationships with relevant Federal employee unions including in the context of COVID-19 workplace safety planning, reduced due process protections for benefits appeals hearings, and taken other actions that run contrary to the mission of the agency and the President’s policy agenda,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/andrew-saul-social-security-/2021/07/09/c18a34fa-df99-11eb-a501-0e69b5d012e5_story.html">according to</a>&nbsp;the Washington Post.

Tillis supported O’Malley’s nomination in committee, saying he believes the former governor has “a very systematic method” of using data and analytics that “will serve him well in the Social Security Administration.”

Tillis noted that Congress will have to address the structure of the program within the next decade and that O’Malley would be in a good position to inform lawmakers as they draft legislation.

“We have a moral obligation to make sure the Social Security safety net exists. We have a moral obligation to recognize that at current course and speed, we’re going to break our promise seven to 10 years from now if we don’t figure out how to fix it,” Tillis said.

O’Malley: ‘urgent crisis’ in customer service

The latest Social Security trustees report,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/social-security-trustees-predict-benefit-cuts-2033-without-congressional-action">released in March</a>, said the program would be able to pay 100% of retirement benefits from the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund until 2033. After that, the program would be able to pay 77% of those benefits.

The date was one year earlier than previously expected.

While O’Malley would not be in “a position to change the structure of the Social Security system,” Tillis said he believes the former governor “will have the insight once he gets in there to understand that Congress needs to act.”

“And we need an expert there to help advise us on the best way to actually make sure that that promise gets fulfilled,” Tillis said.

O’Malley said during his confirmation hearing in early November that Social Security faces an “urgent crisis” addressing shortcomings in customer service and another problem on “the horizon with regard to solvency.”

But, he noted that Congress is in charge of setting the policy that determines how Social Security is structured and providing the funding to ensure a sufficient number of employees available to help people having issues with their Social Security.

“The truth is, today the Social Security Administration is serving 50% more customers and beneficiaries on the same staffing it had 20 years ago in 1995,” O’Malley said.

City councilman, mayor, governor, banjo player

O’Malley was a member of the Baltimore City Council from 1991 through December 1999, when he became the city’s mayor.

He would hold that job until January 2007, when he was sworn in as Maryland’s governor, a role he held for the maximum two four-year terms.

O’Malley would often play with his band,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.omalleysmarch.com/">O’Malley’s March</a>, during his time as governor and once&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MartinOMalley/status/471103802607538177">played the banjo</a>&nbsp;outside the Maryland State House in Annapolis.

“I love that as governor of MD I can still play street music in Annapolis,” he posted on Twitter with a photo of himself playing the instrument in a t-shirt, cargo shorts and flip-flops.

O’Malley ran for the Democratic nomination for president in the 2016 primary, though he withdrew from the race after the Iowa caucuses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701257420445.png" alt=" Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, nominee for Social Security commissioner, July 19, 2023 (Photo courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor of Maryland)." />
 <figcaption> Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, nominee for Social Security commissioner, July 19, 2023 (Photo courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor of Maryland).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley moved one step closer Tuesday to becoming the next Social Security commissioner, a role that would become increasingly difficult as the program inches closer to insolvency during the next decade.The U.S. Senate Finance Committee voted 17-10 to send O’Malley’s nomination to the floor, though it’s not clear how soon the entire chamber will vote on confirmation. All the panel’s Democrats and Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted to advance his nomination.Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said he was backing O’Malley because he’s the “right person for the job at the right time.”“I base my support for Martin O’Malley on the fact that every single time we have talked, he has emphasized one matter and one matter only, and that is service above politics,” Wyden said.Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, the panel’s top Republican, opposed O’Malley’s nomination, citing President Joe Biden’s decision to remove former Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul before his term was set to expire in January 2025.The Senate confirmed Saul, nominated by former President Donald Trump, in June 2019 following a 77-16 vote.“When the Biden administration removed the last Senate confirmed commissioner prior to the completion of his six-year term, I expressed strong concern that this decision politicized the SSA to the detriment of Social Security beneficiaries,” Crapo said.Future administrations could follow that precedent, Crapo said, limiting how long a Social Security commissioner has to implement change.“Although I will not be voting in favor of Gov. O’Malley’s nomination today, we do share the goal of getting the Social Security Administration back on track so that it can provide the public with the level of service they expect and deserve,” Crapo said.The White House said in a statement about the firing released in July 2021 that “Since taking office, Commissioner Saul has undermined and politicized Social Security disability benefits, terminated the agency’s telework policy that was utilized by up to 25 percent of the agency’s workforce, not repaired SSA’s relationships with relevant Federal employee unions including in the context of COVID-19 workplace safety planning, reduced due process protections for benefits appeals hearings, and taken other actions that run contrary to the mission of the agency and the President’s policy agenda,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/andrew-saul-social-security-/2021/07/09/c18a34fa-df99-11eb-a501-0e69b5d012e5_story.html">according to</a>&nbsp;the Washington Post.Tillis supported O’Malley’s nomination in committee, saying he believes the former governor has “a very systematic method” of using data and analytics that “will serve him well in the Social Security Administration.”Tillis noted that Congress will have to address the structure of the program within the next decade and that O’Malley would be in a good position to inform lawmakers as they draft legislation.“We have a moral obligation to make sure the Social Security safety net exists. We have a moral obligation to recognize that at current course and speed, we’re going to break our promise seven to 10 years from now if we don’t figure out how to fix it,” Tillis said.<h2>O’Malley: ‘urgent crisis’ in customer service</h2>The latest Social Security trustees report,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/social-security-trustees-predict-benefit-cuts-2033-without-congressional-action">released in March</a>, said the program would be able to pay 100% of retirement benefits from the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund until 2033. After that, the program would be able to pay 77% of those benefits.The date was one year earlier than previously expected.While O’Malley would not be in “a position to change the structure of the Social Security system,” Tillis said he believes the former governor “will have the insight once he gets in there to understand that Congress needs to act.”“And we need an expert there to help advise us on the best way to actually make sure that that promise gets fulfilled,” Tillis said.O’Malley said during his confirmation hearing in early November that Social Security faces an “urgent crisis” addressing shortcomings in customer service and another problem on “the horizon with regard to solvency.”But, he noted that Congress is in charge of setting the policy that determines how Social Security is structured and providing the funding to ensure a sufficient number of employees available to help people having issues with their Social Security.“The truth is, today the Social Security Administration is serving 50% more customers and beneficiaries on the same staffing it had 20 years ago in 1995,” O’Malley said.<h2>City councilman, mayor, governor, banjo player</h2>O’Malley was a member of the Baltimore City Council from 1991 through December 1999, when he became the city’s mayor.He would hold that job until January 2007, when he was sworn in as Maryland’s governor, a role he held for the maximum two four-year terms.O’Malley would often play with his band,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.omalleysmarch.com/">O’Malley’s March</a>, during his time as governor and once&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MartinOMalley/status/471103802607538177">played the banjo</a>&nbsp;outside the Maryland State House in Annapolis.“I love that as governor of MD I can still play street music in Annapolis,” he posted on Twitter with a photo of himself playing the instrument in a t-shirt, cargo shorts and flip-flops.O’Malley ran for the Democratic nomination for president in the 2016 primary, though he withdrew from the race after the Iowa caucuses.

U.S. Senate panel advances nominee to lead Social Security

NEWTON, Kan. —The propane hazard in Newton has been mitigated and crews turned the buildings back over to business owners and cleared the road, according to Newton Fire and EMS.

On Wednesday morning, fire crews responded to&nbsp;a leak from a 500-gallon propane tank at Forest Products, in the 700 block of South Spencer. 

The road was closed and firefighters begun evacuating about a 1/2-mile radius around the site.

NEWTON, Kan. — Newton Fire crews are working a leak from a 500-gallon propane tank at Forest Products, in the 700 block of South Spencer. 

The road has been closed, and firefighters have begun evacuating about a 1/2-mile radius around the site.

Check the Post for additional detail as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701278659531.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Newton Fire" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Newton Fire</figcaption>
 </figure>NEWTON, Kan. —The propane hazard in Newton has been mitigated and crews turned the buildings back over to business owners and cleared the road, according to Newton Fire and EMS.On Wednesday morning, fire crews responded to&nbsp;a leak from a 500-gallon propane tank at Forest Products, in the 700 block of South Spencer. The road was closed and firefighters begun evacuating about a 1/2-mile radius around the site.There are no reports of injury.-----------NEWTON, Kan. — Newton Fire crews are working a leak from a 500-gallon propane tank at Forest Products, in the 700 block of South Spencer. The road has been closed, and firefighters have begun evacuating about a 1/2-mile radius around the site.Check the Post for additional detail as they become available.

Propane leak briefly caused evacuations in Newton 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a late night arrest at Tecumseh Park.

Just before 12:30a.m. Tuesday, a sheriff's deputy made contact with the occupants of a blue 2005 Chevrolet Impala found parked after park hours at the boat ramp in the 4400 block of NE Seward Avenue, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson.

 During the investigation, a K9 Unit was utilized and illegal narcotics were located.

Deputies arrested Steven K. Schuster, 31, of Topeka, was arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of felon in possession of a firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of park rules. 

Deputies also arrested Jasmine L. Brown, 40, of Topeka on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of park rules.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701192076409.png" alt="Brown photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a late night arrest at Tecumseh Park.Just before 12:30a.m. Tuesday, a sheriff's deputy made contact with the occupants of a blue 2005 Chevrolet Impala found parked after park hours at the boat ramp in the 4400 block of NE Seward Avenue, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson. During the investigation, a K9 Unit was utilized and illegal narcotics were located.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701192147133.png" alt="Schuster-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Schuster-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies arrested Steven K. Schuster, 31, of Topeka, was arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of felon in possession of a firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of park rules. Deputies also arrested Jasmine L. Brown, 40, of Topeka on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of park rules.

Deputies catch Kan. felon, friend with drugs at rural park

TOKYO (AP) — A U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed during a training mission Wednesday off of the country's southern coast, killing at least one of the eight crew members, the Japanese coast guard said.

The cause of the crash and the status of the seven others on board were not immediately known, Japanese coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said.

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement that the CV-22B Osprey belonged to the 353rd Special Operations Wing assigned to Yokota Air Base. The crash occurred “while performing a routine training mission off the shore of Yakushima Island,” the command said.

While the U.S. Marine Corps flies most of the Ospreys based in Japan, the Air Force also has some deployed there.

Air Force Special Operations Command said search and rescue operations were underway. A U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the crash could not provide further information on the crew's condition pending notification of next of kin.

The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but during flight can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane.

Ospreys have had a number of accidents in the past, including in Japan, where they are deployed at U.S. and Japanese military bases. In Okinawa, where about half of the 50,000 American troops are based, Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters Wednesday that he would ask the U.S. military to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan.

Ogawa said the coast guard received an emergency call Wednesday afternoon from a fishing boat near the crash site off Yakushima, an island south of Kagoshima on the southern main island of Kyushu.

Coast guard aircraft and patrol boats found one person, identified only as male, who was later pronounced dead by a doctor at a nearby port, Ogawa said. They also found gray debris believed to be from the aircraft and an empty inflatable life raft in an area about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) off the eastern coast of Yakushima, he said.

The coast guard said it planned to continue searching through the night.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Osprey disappeared from radar a few minutes before the coast guard received the emergency call. The aircraft requested an emergency landing at the Yakushima airport about five minutes before it was lost from radar, NHK public television and other news outlets reported.

NHK quoted a Yakushima resident as saying he saw the aircraft turned upside down, with fire coming from one of its engines, and then an explosion before it fell to the sea.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he planned to seek a further explanation from the U.S. military, but he declined to say whether he would seek a temporary suspension of Osprey operations in Japan.

Ogawa said the aircraft had departed from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture and crashed on its way to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.

Japanese Vice Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa said it had attempted an emergency sea landing and quoted the U.S. military as saying its pilot “did everything possible until the last minute."

Yokota Air Base is home to U.S. Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force. Six CV-22 Ospreys have been deployed at Yokota, including the one that crashed.

In December 2016, a U.S. Marine Corps Osprey&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b5db3444ee9a4ef48387c4bc029f1ea0">crashed off the Okinawa coast</a>, injuring two of the five crew members and triggering complaints from local residents about the U.S. bases in Okinawa and the Osprey's safety record.

TOKYO (AP) — A U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed during a training mission Wednesday off of the country's southern coast, killing at least one of the eight crew members, the Japanese coast guard said.The cause of the crash and the status of the seven others on board were not immediately known, Japanese coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said.U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement that the CV-22B Osprey belonged to the 353rd Special Operations Wing assigned to Yokota Air Base. The crash occurred “while performing a routine training mission off the shore of Yakushima Island,” the command said.While the U.S. Marine Corps flies most of the Ospreys based in Japan, the Air Force also has some deployed there.Air Force Special Operations Command said search and rescue operations were underway. A U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the crash could not provide further information on the crew's condition pending notification of next of kin.The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but during flight can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane.Ospreys have had a number of accidents in the past, including in Japan, where they are deployed at U.S. and Japanese military bases. In Okinawa, where about half of the 50,000 American troops are based, Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters Wednesday that he would ask the U.S. military to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan.Ogawa said the coast guard received an emergency call Wednesday afternoon from a fishing boat near the crash site off Yakushima, an island south of Kagoshima on the southern main island of Kyushu.Coast guard aircraft and patrol boats found one person, identified only as male, who was later pronounced dead by a doctor at a nearby port, Ogawa said. They also found gray debris believed to be from the aircraft and an empty inflatable life raft in an area about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) off the eastern coast of Yakushima, he said.The coast guard said it planned to continue searching through the night.Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Osprey disappeared from radar a few minutes before the coast guard received the emergency call. The aircraft requested an emergency landing at the Yakushima airport about five minutes before it was lost from radar, NHK public television and other news outlets reported.NHK quoted a Yakushima resident as saying he saw the aircraft turned upside down, with fire coming from one of its engines, and then an explosion before it fell to the sea.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he planned to seek a further explanation from the U.S. military, but he declined to say whether he would seek a temporary suspension of Osprey operations in Japan.Ogawa said the aircraft had departed from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture and crashed on its way to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.Japanese Vice Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa said it had attempted an emergency sea landing and quoted the U.S. military as saying its pilot “did everything possible until the last minute."Yokota Air Base is home to U.S. Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force. Six CV-22 Ospreys have been deployed at Yokota, including the one that crashed.In December 2016, a U.S. Marine Corps Osprey&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b5db3444ee9a4ef48387c4bc029f1ea0">crashed off the Okinawa coast</a>, injuring two of the five crew members and triggering complaints from local residents about the U.S. bases in Okinawa and the Osprey's safety record.

U.S. Air Force investigating deadly Osprey crash off Japan

Timeline may slip as local, state technology networks brought online

By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert said Tuesday the information system used by more than 100 district courts in Kansas crippled in an early October cyberattack could be restored by the end of December.

The judicial branch disclosed the disruption in 104 of 105 counties — Johnson County operates on an independent network — following the Oct. 12 incident. Subsequently, Supreme Court justices said the system depended on to electronically file documents and to process court cases was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/11/21/kansas-court-officials-confirm-details-of-evil-criminal-international-cyberattack/">undermined by sophisticated international criminals</a>. The judicial branch didn’t release an update of what information was stolen or whether perpetrators sought a ransom.

The state set up secure computer access last week at the Judicial Center in Topeka to provide the public appointment-only opportunities to&nbsp; search district court case information. A separate service center was established to address needs of district courts until the Kansas eCourt case management system was operational.

Luckert said the timeline outlined in the recovery plan was subject to change.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662999292005.png" alt="Chief Justice Marla Luckert says information systems compromised in an October cyberattack would start to be restored in December. photo Blaise Mesa / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Chief Justice Marla Luckert says information systems compromised in an October cyberattack would start to be restored in December. photo Blaise Mesa / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Timeline may slip as local, state technology networks brought online</h2>By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert said Tuesday the information system used by more than 100 district courts in Kansas crippled in an early October cyberattack could be restored by the end of December.The judicial branch disclosed the disruption in 104 of 105 counties — Johnson County operates on an independent network — following the Oct. 12 incident. Subsequently, Supreme Court justices said the system depended on to electronically file documents and to process court cases was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/11/21/kansas-court-officials-confirm-details-of-evil-criminal-international-cyberattack/">undermined by sophisticated international criminals</a>. The judicial branch didn’t release an update of what information was stolen or whether perpetrators sought a ransom.The state set up secure computer access last week at the Judicial Center in Topeka to provide the public appointment-only opportunities to&nbsp; search district court case information. A separate service center was established to address needs of district courts until the Kansas eCourt case management system was operational.Luckert said the timeline outlined in the recovery plan was subject to change.“To help us prepare our recovery timeline, we sought input from cybersecurity incident recovery experts,” she said. “While we believe our estimate is realistic, we must be prepared for fluctuations as we move forward with our plan.”Johnson County processes cases on a standalone case management system, but the populous county has been scheduled to join the Kansas eCourt system in 2024.The judicial branch plans to relaunch Kansas eCourt and the Kansas Courts eFiling system for district courts before turning on the District Court Public Access Portal providing the general public access to case information. The online portal would typically be used to process electronic payment of fines, fees and other costs.The efiling and case management systems used by the Supreme Court and the Kansas Court of Appeals would be brought back online after securing operations of district court systems, officials said.