IOLA, Kansas—Nine people including 8 women inmates from the Topeka Correctional Facility (TCF) were injured in an accident just before 1a.m. Thursday in Allen County.

The TCF inmates had just finished their 3-11 p.m. shift at the Russell Stover plant in Iola and were returning to Topeka, according to David Thompson with the Kansas Department of Corrections.

The&nbsp; transport bus carrying 21 inmates&nbsp;&nbsp;turned onto Highway 169 and collided with a semi.&nbsp; The bus driver was seriously injured and transported to a Kansas City area hospital.

Eight inmates ere injured including 3 with bone fractures. All eight are expected to recover, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

The 13 other residents reported no injuries and were transported back to the worksite. As a precautionary measure, they were sent to a local hospital for assessment.

KDOC continues to work with law enforcement to determine the cause of the accident.

The Topeka Correctional Facility is the only correctional facility for female adults operated by the Kansas Department of Corrections. The current population is 762 women.

IOLA, Kansas—Nine people including 8 women inmates from the Topeka Correctional Facility (TCF) were injured in an accident just before 1a.m. Thursday in Allen County.The TCF inmates had just finished their 3-11 p.m. shift at the Russell Stover plant in Iola and were returning to Topeka, according to David Thompson with the Kansas Department of Corrections.The&nbsp; transport bus carrying 21 inmates&nbsp;&nbsp;turned onto Highway 169 and collided with a semi.&nbsp; The bus driver was seriously injured and transported to a Kansas City area hospital.Eight inmates ere injured including 3 with bone fractures. All eight are expected to recover, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.The 13 other residents reported no injuries and were transported back to the worksite. As a precautionary measure, they were sent to a local hospital for assessment.KDOC continues to work with law enforcement to determine the cause of the accident.The Topeka Correctional Facility is the only correctional facility for female adults operated by the Kansas Department of Corrections. The current population is 762 women.

Kan. women inmates injured in bus, semi crash leaving job site

By ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice and Department of Education&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/ocr-questionsandanswers-tvi-20230814.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">jointly released guidance&nbsp;</a>this week&nbsp;to colleges and universities about how to consider race in admissions decisions, following the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/06/29/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-use-of-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions/">Supreme Court’s summer decision</a>&nbsp;that struck down affirmative action in higher education.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, on a call with reporters, said higher education institutions can continue to participate in targeted outreach programs in underserved communities as a way to recruit students from a diverse background.

“Remember, nothing in the court’s decision denied the value of diversity in education,” he said.

Cardona said in the coming weeks, the agency will issue a report that outlines comprehensive strategies for colleges and universities to “lawfully cultivate diverse applicant pools and achieve (a) diverse student body.”

“These resources provide some clarity about the admissions practices for achieving racial diversity that remain lawful,” Cardona said.

On June 29, in a 6-3 decision, the conservative bloc of the Supreme Court ruled that the admissions processes at Harvard University and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ncnewsline.com/2023/06/29/unc-leaders-faculty-and-political-leaders-react-to-u-s-supreme-court-decision-on-admissions/">the University of North Carolina</a>&nbsp;violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment because those institutions considered race in acceptances.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-20230814.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">guidance</a>&nbsp;acknowledges that following the Supreme Court’s decision,&nbsp; higher institutions may have to redouble “efforts to recruit and retain talented students from underserved communities, including those with large numbers of students of color.” Some of those efforts might also include a “greater focus on fostering a sense of belonging for students currently enrolled,” according to the guidance.

Colleges and universities can also partner with school districts in underserved communities by “supporting improved access to high quality advanced courses, and investing time and resources into programs that identify and nurture students’ potential.” By doing so, “colleges and universities can ensure that more students will be prepared to apply to colleges and universities, gain admission, succeed, and graduate,” the department said.

Associate Attorney General of the United States Vanita Gupta said on the call with reporters that the Supreme Court’s decision “should not be used as an excuse to turn away from long-standing efforts to make those institutions more inclusive.”

“On the top line issue of considering race and admissions, colleges and universities can and should continue to ensure that their doors are open to those students of all backgrounds, including students of color, who possess the characteristics necessary to succeed and contribute on college campuses and in the world,” Gupta said.

The guidance clarifies that the court’s decision does not prevent higher education institutions from reviewing data on race and ethnicity, but that “institutions should ensure that the racial demographics of the applicant pool do not influence admissions decisions.”

The top Democrat on the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee, Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, said in a statement that Monday’s guidance “can serve as a resource to help colleges and universities understand the Court’s decision as they commit to pursue diverse campuses.”

He added that the Department of Education should also investigate “how race unjustly permeates many other policies and practices in our educational system.”

“This is important because race-conscious admissions policies were able to provide a counterbalance to factors — such as inequitable K-12 schools, racially biased admissions tests, and developmental and legacy admissions — that have discriminatory impact against students of color,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1569013305712.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice and Department of Education&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/ocr-questionsandanswers-tvi-20230814.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">jointly released guidance&nbsp;</a>this week&nbsp;to colleges and universities about how to consider race in admissions decisions, following the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/06/29/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-use-of-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions/">Supreme Court’s summer decision</a>&nbsp;that struck down affirmative action in higher education.Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, on a call with reporters, said higher education institutions can continue to participate in targeted outreach programs in underserved communities as a way to recruit students from a diverse background.“Remember, nothing in the court’s decision denied the value of diversity in education,” he said.Cardona said in the coming weeks, the agency will issue a report that outlines comprehensive strategies for colleges and universities to “lawfully cultivate diverse applicant pools and achieve (a) diverse student body.”“These resources provide some clarity about the admissions practices for achieving racial diversity that remain lawful,” Cardona said.On June 29, in a 6-3 decision, the conservative bloc of the Supreme Court ruled that the admissions processes at Harvard University and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ncnewsline.com/2023/06/29/unc-leaders-faculty-and-political-leaders-react-to-u-s-supreme-court-decision-on-admissions/">the University of North Carolina</a>&nbsp;violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment because those institutions considered race in acceptances.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-20230814.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">guidance</a>&nbsp;acknowledges that following the Supreme Court’s decision,&nbsp; higher institutions may have to redouble “efforts to recruit and retain talented students from underserved communities, including those with large numbers of students of color.” Some of those efforts might also include a “greater focus on fostering a sense of belonging for students currently enrolled,” according to the guidance.Colleges and universities can also partner with school districts in underserved communities by “supporting improved access to high quality advanced courses, and investing time and resources into programs that identify and nurture students’ potential.” By doing so, “colleges and universities can ensure that more students will be prepared to apply to colleges and universities, gain admission, succeed, and graduate,” the department said.Associate Attorney General of the United States Vanita Gupta said on the call with reporters that the Supreme Court’s decision “should not be used as an excuse to turn away from long-standing efforts to make those institutions more inclusive.”“On the top line issue of considering race and admissions, colleges and universities can and should continue to ensure that their doors are open to those students of all backgrounds, including students of color, who possess the characteristics necessary to succeed and contribute on college campuses and in the world,” Gupta said.The guidance clarifies that the court’s decision does not prevent higher education institutions from reviewing data on race and ethnicity, but that “institutions should ensure that the racial demographics of the applicant pool do not influence admissions decisions.”The top Democrat on the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee, Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, said in a statement that Monday’s guidance “can serve as a resource to help colleges and universities understand the Court’s decision as they commit to pursue diverse campuses.”He added that the Department of Education should also investigate “how race unjustly permeates many other policies and practices in our educational system.”“This is important because race-conscious admissions policies were able to provide a counterbalance to factors — such as inequitable K-12 schools, racially biased admissions tests, and developmental and legacy admissions — that have discriminatory impact against students of color,” he said.

Biden administration provides guidance on diversity in college admissions 

BUTLER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating one of their own for alleged child sex crimes.

On Tuesday, the El Dorado Police Department with the assistance of Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children's Task Force and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation reported by way of a cyber tip, received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), alleging the sexual exploitation of children through the use of electronic devices, according to a media release from El Dorado Police. This investigation led to the arrest of<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=742109"> 38-year-old Joel Womochil</a> of El Dorado, and requested charges have been submitted through the Butler County District Court.&nbsp;

Womochil resigned as Burns police chief last week and the city is searching for a new police chief, according to the mayor's office. The El Dorado Police Department is dedicated to investigating these crimes to aid in the protection of children in our community. We are pleased to announce that the El Dorado Police Department is now an affiliate with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force. This will greatly benefit the community in addressing this particular heinous crime. Cyber tips can be made&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missingkids.org/?fbclid=IwAR0wNcuj449euF80f6rMkqx3d-HDnEA7kovoMv_-hGkb8GNkJcM6IoMS_vk" target="_blank">https://www.missingkids.org/</a>&nbsp;or via phone at 1-800-843-5678 Or you can contact El Dorado Crime Stoppers through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/community/mobile/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR34oVDTu0OKxJF6M4KrrXReaPAmVACTm6v5G_ewC77wkRuXd25OiEodsmo" target="_blank">https://www.p3tips.com/co</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692237873123.png" alt="Womochil is in custody in Sedgwick County-photo El Dorado Police." />
 <figcaption>Womochil is in custody in Sedgwick County-photo El Dorado Police.</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating one of their own for alleged child sex crimes.On Tuesday, the El Dorado Police Department with the assistance of Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children's Task Force and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation reported by way of a cyber tip, received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), alleging the sexual exploitation of children through the use of electronic devices, according to a media release from El Dorado Police. This investigation led to the arrest of<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=742109"> 38-year-old Joel Womochil</a> of El Dorado, and requested charges have been submitted through the Butler County District Court.&nbsp;Womochil resigned as Burns police chief last week and the city is searching for a new police chief, according to the mayor's office. The El Dorado Police Department is dedicated to investigating these crimes to aid in the protection of children in our community. We are pleased to announce that the El Dorado Police Department is now an affiliate with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force. This will greatly benefit the community in addressing this particular heinous crime. Cyber tips can be made&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missingkids.org/?fbclid=IwAR0wNcuj449euF80f6rMkqx3d-HDnEA7kovoMv_-hGkb8GNkJcM6IoMS_vk" target="_blank">https://www.missingkids.org/</a>&nbsp;or via phone at 1-800-843-5678 Or you can contact El Dorado Crime Stoppers through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/community/mobile/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR34oVDTu0OKxJF6M4KrrXReaPAmVACTm6v5G_ewC77wkRuXd25OiEodsmo" target="_blank">https://www.p3tips.com/co</a>

Kansas police chief resigns and is accused of child sex crimes

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

The July 16, storm that moved through Great Bend caused plenty of damage to individual homes. To entities with several properties, expenses grew exponentially. At Monday's USD 428 Board of Education meeting, Great Bend Superintendent Khris Thexton said, so far, the district is estimating at least $1.3 million in damages.

"I guess if there's a silver lining to this situation, I think we got our increase in premium covered," he said, "except they'll probably get us again next year, along with everybody else."

The brunt of the costs is tied to the roof at Lincoln Elementary on the west side of town. A new HVAC unit was recently installed on the roof and the exterior metal casing was damaged. The soft roofing material was also damaged by the softball-size hail, and the current estimate for replacement is $1.1 million. Assistant Superintendent John Popp said he did not think it would be quite that high.

"When you start thinking about our capital outlay, we've got seven-plus buildings," he said. "If it takes a million dollars just to replace an elementary roof, our middle school is twice that size. That's a lot of money that comes out of our capital outlay that we would have to replace all those roofs."

The district's hail and wind damage deductible is $25,000. Estimates on Park Elementary's roof came in at $134,000, and a roof repair at the middle school is $40,000. Temporary roof repair costs came in at $18,000, other structural repairs cost $1,800, and spoiled food at the central kitchen cost $675.

Many of the district's vehicles were parked at the Education Center on Patton Road and suffered intensive damage. That estimate sits at $25,000.

"We're saying $25,000 as an estimate," Popp said. "I think that's way low. There are a lot of brand-new vehicles that have softball size dents in them. I'm thinking that's going to be a lot higher."

USD 428 will also pay an estimated $4,700 for additional employee hours for cleanup. Board President Jacquie Disque thanked the many employees that were cleaning up at district properties immediately after the storm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692204488309.jpeg" alt="The July 16 storm over Great Bend peeled back a section of roof on Park Elementary School on the east side of town. On the west side, Lincoln Elementary's roof suffered even more damage." />
 <figcaption>The July 16 storm over Great Bend peeled back a section of roof on Park Elementary School on the east side of town. On the west side, Lincoln Elementary's roof suffered even more damage.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThe July 16, storm that moved through Great Bend caused plenty of damage to individual homes. To entities with several properties, expenses grew exponentially. At Monday's USD 428 Board of Education meeting, Great Bend Superintendent Khris Thexton said, so far, the district is estimating at least $1.3 million in damages."I guess if there's a silver lining to this situation, I think we got our increase in premium covered," he said, "except they'll probably get us again next year, along with everybody else."The brunt of the costs is tied to the roof at Lincoln Elementary on the west side of town. A new HVAC unit was recently installed on the roof and the exterior metal casing was damaged. The soft roofing material was also damaged by the softball-size hail, and the current estimate for replacement is $1.1 million. Assistant Superintendent John Popp said he did not think it would be quite that high."When you start thinking about our capital outlay, we've got seven-plus buildings," he said. "If it takes a million dollars just to replace an elementary roof, our middle school is twice that size. That's a lot of money that comes out of our capital outlay that we would have to replace all those roofs."The district's hail and wind damage deductible is $25,000. Estimates on Park Elementary's roof came in at $134,000, and a roof repair at the middle school is $40,000. Temporary roof repair costs came in at $18,000, other structural repairs cost $1,800, and spoiled food at the central kitchen cost $675.Many of the district's vehicles were parked at the Education Center on Patton Road and suffered intensive damage. That estimate sits at $25,000."We're saying $25,000 as an estimate," Popp said. "I think that's way low. There are a lot of brand-new vehicles that have softball size dents in them. I'm thinking that's going to be a lot higher."USD 428 will also pay an estimated $4,700 for additional employee hours for cleanup. Board President Jacquie Disque thanked the many employees that were cleaning up at district properties immediately after the storm.

Great Bend schools deal with more than $1M in July 16 storm damage

COFFEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a phone scam.

According to police a Burlington, Kansas woman&nbsp; was scammed out of $1,100 August 8.

 She received a call from someone posing as David Thirolf with PayPal. The man told her someone had taken money from her account but he could help her get it back and catch the thief. 

He told her to purchase prepaid cards and give him the information on the back of them. 

She went to Dollar General and Family Dollar and purchased one Gamestop card at each store. 

The victim claims she only gave Thirolf information off one card, but when police checked the cards, all the money was gone from both cards.

COFFEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a phone scam.According to police a Burlington, Kansas woman&nbsp; was scammed out of $1,100 August 8. She received a call from someone posing as David Thirolf with PayPal. The man told her someone had taken money from her account but he could help her get it back and catch the thief. He told her to purchase prepaid cards and give him the information on the back of them. She went to Dollar General and Family Dollar and purchased one Gamestop card at each store. The victim claims she only gave Thirolf information off one card, but when police checked the cards, all the money was gone from both cards.

Police: Kansas woman lost $1,100 in Paypal scam

KANSAS CITY– A man popularly known as Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday for robbing several financial institutions and laundering the proceeds through area casinos, according to the United State's Attorney.

Xaviar Michael Babudar, 29, was charged in a 19-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Babudar on May 24, 2023, and includes additional charges.

Babudar, who lived a nomadic existence at various locations around the Kansas City metropolitan area, enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, attending most games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing. According to the indictment, Babudar’s ability to attend these games and sustain this lifestyle was funded by his perpetration of a string of bank and credit union robberies throughout 2022. Babudar laundered the robbery proceeds through area casinos, and used the robbery proceeds to attend numerous Chiefs home and away games. He also placed various wagers on the outcomes of Chiefs games. During this time, the indictment says, Babudar did not report any wages earned in the states of Missouri or Kansas.

The indictment charges Babudar with three counts of armed bank robbery, one count of bank theft, 11 counts of money laundering, and four counts of transporting stolen property across state lines.

Babudar allegedly stole $70,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022. He then carried this money to Missouri, depositing it in two separate transactions into his personal savings account.

Babudar allegedly stole $170,860 from the Omaha, Nebraska, branch of First National Bank of Omaha on April 28, 2022. Omaha police officers recovered $163,560 following the theft.

Babudar allegedly stole $303,845 from the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of First Class Community Credit Union on July 13, 2022. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees open the bank vault. He carried this money back to Missouri, and the next day deposited $23,000 into his savings account. He used some of the proceeds to make various casino chip purchases over the next three months at casinos in Missouri and Illinois, then cashed out his winnings and deposited them into his savings account.

Babudar allegedly stole $125,900 from the Nashville, Tennessee, branch of The Tennessee Credit Union on Nov. 17, 2022. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, climbed over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees take him to the bank vault. A few days later, he used some of the stolen money to purchase $20,000 in casino chips in multiple transactions from a local casino.

Babudar allegedly stole $25,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of First Interstate Bank on Nov. 30, 2022. Following two unsuccessful robberies of the Wings Financial Credit Union in Savage, Minn., and the Royal Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minn., on Nov. 29, 2022, the indictment says, Babudar returned to Clive, Iowa. The Great Western Bank that he had robbed on March 2, 2022, had become a branch of First Interstate Bank. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and ordered the bank employees at gunpoint to open the bank vault. Babudar then carried the stolen money back to Missouri, where he deposited a portion of it into his personal checking account.

Babudar was charged in Tulsa County, Okla., with the robbery of the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar was released on bond in February 2023.

Months earlier, the indictment says, Babudar had placed two winning bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000 should that occur. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $55,000 should that occur. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed Babudar a $100,000 check in early March 2023.

Days later, the indictment says, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled from Oklahoma. Babudar evaded law enforcement until his arrest in Sacramento on July 7, 2023. He remains detained in federal custody without bond.

Following Babudar’s arrest in Oklahoma last December, FBI investigators began reviewing bank records, casino transaction records, and sensitive financial reporting to determine the breadth and scope of additional potential criminal activities. According to the affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Babudar purchased and redeemed more than $1 million in chips from various casinos in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois between April and December 2022. Investigators also reviewed previously unsolved bank robberies throughout the Midwest during that time frame. Babudar’s cell phone was placed in the same cities and locations for these previously unsolved bank robberies and attempted robberies, the affidavit says.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689010403536.png" alt="Babudar from an earlier arrest in Tulsa County" />
 <figcaption>Babudar from an earlier arrest in Tulsa County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A man popularly known as Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday for robbing several financial institutions and laundering the proceeds through area casinos, according to the United State's Attorney.Xaviar Michael Babudar, 29, was charged in a 19-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Babudar on May 24, 2023, and includes additional charges.Babudar, who lived a nomadic existence at various locations around the Kansas City metropolitan area, enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, attending most games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing. According to the indictment, Babudar’s ability to attend these games and sustain this lifestyle was funded by his perpetration of a string of bank and credit union robberies throughout 2022. Babudar laundered the robbery proceeds through area casinos, and used the robbery proceeds to attend numerous Chiefs home and away games. He also placed various wagers on the outcomes of Chiefs games. During this time, the indictment says, Babudar did not report any wages earned in the states of Missouri or Kansas.The indictment charges Babudar with three counts of armed bank robbery, one count of bank theft, 11 counts of money laundering, and four counts of transporting stolen property across state lines.Babudar allegedly stole $70,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022. He then carried this money to Missouri, depositing it in two separate transactions into his personal savings account.Babudar allegedly stole $170,860 from the Omaha, Nebraska, branch of First National Bank of Omaha on April 28, 2022. Omaha police officers recovered $163,560 following the theft.Babudar allegedly stole $303,845 from the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of First Class Community Credit Union on July 13, 2022. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees open the bank vault. He carried this money back to Missouri, and the next day deposited $23,000 into his savings account. He used some of the proceeds to make various casino chip purchases over the next three months at casinos in Missouri and Illinois, then cashed out his winnings and deposited them into his savings account.Babudar allegedly stole $125,900 from the Nashville, Tennessee, branch of The Tennessee Credit Union on Nov. 17, 2022. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, climbed over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees take him to the bank vault. A few days later, he used some of the stolen money to purchase $20,000 in casino chips in multiple transactions from a local casino.Babudar allegedly stole $25,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of First Interstate Bank on Nov. 30, 2022. Following two unsuccessful robberies of the Wings Financial Credit Union in Savage, Minn., and the Royal Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minn., on Nov. 29, 2022, the indictment says, Babudar returned to Clive, Iowa. The Great Western Bank that he had robbed on March 2, 2022, had become a branch of First Interstate Bank. In the course of this robbery, Babudar allegedly brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and ordered the bank employees at gunpoint to open the bank vault. Babudar then carried the stolen money back to Missouri, where he deposited a portion of it into his personal checking account.Babudar was charged in Tulsa County, Okla., with the robbery of the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar was released on bond in February 2023.Months earlier, the indictment says, Babudar had placed two winning bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000 should that occur. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $55,000 should that occur. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed Babudar a $100,000 check in early March 2023.Days later, the indictment says, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled from Oklahoma. Babudar evaded law enforcement until his arrest in Sacramento on July 7, 2023. He remains detained in federal custody without bond.Following Babudar’s arrest in Oklahoma last December, FBI investigators began reviewing bank records, casino transaction records, and sensitive financial reporting to determine the breadth and scope of additional potential criminal activities. According to the affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Babudar purchased and redeemed more than $1 million in chips from various casinos in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois between April and December 2022. Investigators also reviewed previously unsolved bank robberies throughout the Midwest during that time frame. Babudar’s cell phone was placed in the same cities and locations for these previously unsolved bank robberies and attempted robberies, the affidavit says.

KC Chiefs ‘Superfan’ indicted for thousands in bank robberies

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Mail-order access to a drug used in the most common form of abortion in the U.S. would end under a federal appeals court ruling issued Wednesday that cannot take effect until the Supreme Court weighs in.

The decision by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-appeals-court-341bc44446e4b99071f0d8edb81ad4b8">three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in New Orleans overturned part of a lower court ruling that would have revoked the Food and Drug Administration’s 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. But it left intact part of the ruling that would end the availability of the drug by mail, allow it to be used through only the seventh week of pregnancy rather than the 10th, and require that it be administered in the presence of a physician.

Those restrictions won’t take effect right away because the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">previously intervened</a>&nbsp;to keep the drug available during the legal fight.

The panel’s ruling would reverse changes the FDA made in 2016 and 2021 that eased some conditions for administering the drug.

“In loosening mifepristone’s safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it,” Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod wrote for the panel. She was joined by Judge Cory Wilson. Judge James Ho dissented, arguing to fully uphold a Texas-based federal judge’s April ruling that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoke the drug’s approval</a>, which the FDA granted in 2000.

President Joe Biden's administration said it would appeal, with Vice President Kamala Harris decrying the potential effect on abortion rights, as well as on the availability of other medications.

“It endangers our entire system of drug approval and regulation by undermining the independent, expert judgment of the FDA,” Harris' statement said.

Abortion rights advocates said the ruling poses a major threat to abortion availability following last year's Supreme Court ruling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the nationwide right to abortion.

"If the Supreme Court affirms this decision, it will prevent patients from receiving their medication in the mail in all 50 states in the nation," Jennifer Dalven of the American Civil Liberties Union said during an online news conference. “That means that patients will have to travel often hundreds of miles, especially if they’re coming from a state that has banned abortion, for the sole purpose of picking up a pill.”

Abortion opponents hailed the ruling, although they, too, might appeal to seek full revocation of the FDA's approval of the drug.

“Chemical Abortion Pills take one life almost every time, an innocent child, and exposes women to all kinds of known problems,” said a statement from the anti-abortion Students for Life of America.

Erin Hawley, an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which filed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">Texas lawsuit</a>, said her organization had not yet decided whether to appeal to the Supreme Court to try to get mifepristone's approval fully revoked. The conservative Christian legal group was also involved in the Mississippi case that led to the June 2002 Supreme Court ruling that has allowed states to ban abortion.

An attorney for drugmaker Danco Laboratories, which argued in favor of upholding the FDA approval and revisions, did not respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. Drugmaker GenBioPro, which was not part of the lawsuit, noted that the ruling would keep its generic mifepristone available, subject to the restrictions.

There is virtually no precedent for a U.S. court overturning the approval of a drug that the FDA has deemed safe and effective. While new drug safety issues often emerge after FDA approval, the agency is required to monitor medicines on the market, evaluate emerging issues and take action to protect U.S. patients. Congress delegated that responsibility to the FDA — not the courts— more than a century ago.

However, during a May 17 hearing, the 5th Circuit panel pushed back frequently against assertions that U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s April 7 ruling was unprecedented and unwarranted.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">Kacsmaryk,</a>&nbsp;Ho and Wilson are all appointees of former President Donald Trump. Elrod was appointed to the 5th Circuit by former President George W. Bush. All of the judges have a history of supporting abortion restrictions.

Elrod’s opinion said the full revocation of FDA’s approval of the drug was likely barred by legal time limits. Ho argued that the approval violated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comstock-act-abortion-pills-dbf61e25f6f23cd3772c597dd6d4e337">the 19th century Comstock Act.</a>&nbsp;He also said the FDA gave the green light to mifepristone under a law that allows approval for drugs that treat serious or life threatening illness. “Pregnancy is not an illness,” Ho wrote.

Mifepristone is one of two pills used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">medication abortions</a>. The other drug, misoprostol, is also used to treat other medical conditions. Health care providers have said they could switch to misoprostol if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain. Misoprostol is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="At issue is a Texas-based federal judge’s April ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoking the drug’s approval</a>, which was granted more than 20 years ago by the Food and Drug Administration-AP photo" />
 <figcaption>At issue is a Texas-based federal judge’s April ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoking the drug’s approval</a>, which was granted more than 20 years ago by the Food and Drug Administration-AP photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Mail-order access to a drug used in the most common form of abortion in the U.S. would end under a federal appeals court ruling issued Wednesday that cannot take effect until the Supreme Court weighs in.The decision by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-appeals-court-341bc44446e4b99071f0d8edb81ad4b8">three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in New Orleans overturned part of a lower court ruling that would have revoked the Food and Drug Administration’s 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. But it left intact part of the ruling that would end the availability of the drug by mail, allow it to be used through only the seventh week of pregnancy rather than the 10th, and require that it be administered in the presence of a physician.Those restrictions won’t take effect right away because the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">previously intervened</a>&nbsp;to keep the drug available during the legal fight.The panel’s ruling would reverse changes the FDA made in 2016 and 2021 that eased some conditions for administering the drug.“In loosening mifepristone’s safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it,” Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod wrote for the panel. She was joined by Judge Cory Wilson. Judge James Ho dissented, arguing to fully uphold a Texas-based federal judge’s April ruling that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoke the drug’s approval</a>, which the FDA granted in 2000.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mifepristone is approved by the FDA as safe and effective. <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to make decisions about her own health care. Read my full statement: <a href="https://t.co/GAWz375gWe">pic.twitter.com/GAWz375gWe</a>&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1691936314201874448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden's administration said it would appeal, with Vice President Kamala Harris decrying the potential effect on abortion rights, as well as on the availability of other medications.“It endangers our entire system of drug approval and regulation by undermining the independent, expert judgment of the FDA,” Harris' statement said.Abortion rights advocates said the ruling poses a major threat to abortion availability following last year's Supreme Court ruling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the nationwide right to abortion."If the Supreme Court affirms this decision, it will prevent patients from receiving their medication in the mail in all 50 states in the nation," Jennifer Dalven of the American Civil Liberties Union said during an online news conference. “That means that patients will have to travel often hundreds of miles, especially if they’re coming from a state that has banned abortion, for the sole purpose of picking up a pill.”Abortion opponents hailed the ruling, although they, too, might appeal to seek full revocation of the FDA's approval of the drug.“Chemical Abortion Pills take one life almost every time, an innocent child, and exposes women to all kinds of known problems,” said a statement from the anti-abortion Students for Life of America.Erin Hawley, an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which filed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">Texas lawsuit</a>, said her organization had not yet decided whether to appeal to the Supreme Court to try to get mifepristone's approval fully revoked. The conservative Christian legal group was also involved in the Mississippi case that led to the June 2002 Supreme Court ruling that has allowed states to ban abortion.An attorney for drugmaker Danco Laboratories, which argued in favor of upholding the FDA approval and revisions, did not respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. Drugmaker GenBioPro, which was not part of the lawsuit, noted that the ruling would keep its generic mifepristone available, subject to the restrictions.There is virtually no precedent for a U.S. court overturning the approval of a drug that the FDA has deemed safe and effective. While new drug safety issues often emerge after FDA approval, the agency is required to monitor medicines on the market, evaluate emerging issues and take action to protect U.S. patients. Congress delegated that responsibility to the FDA — not the courts— more than a century ago.However, during a May 17 hearing, the 5th Circuit panel pushed back frequently against assertions that U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s April 7 ruling was unprecedented and unwarranted.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">Kacsmaryk,</a>&nbsp;Ho and Wilson are all appointees of former President Donald Trump. Elrod was appointed to the 5th Circuit by former President George W. Bush. All of the judges have a history of supporting abortion restrictions.Elrod’s opinion said the full revocation of FDA’s approval of the drug was likely barred by legal time limits. Ho argued that the approval violated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comstock-act-abortion-pills-dbf61e25f6f23cd3772c597dd6d4e337">the 19th century Comstock Act.</a>&nbsp;He also said the FDA gave the green light to mifepristone under a law that allows approval for drugs that treat serious or life threatening illness. “Pregnancy is not an illness,” Ho wrote.Mifepristone is one of two pills used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">medication abortions</a>. The other drug, misoprostol, is also used to treat other medical conditions. Health care providers have said they could switch to misoprostol if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain. Misoprostol is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.

US appeals court backs abortion pill restrictions

JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire at a restaurant in Johnson County.

Just before 10p.m. Wednesday, crews from Overland Park and Lenexa fire departments responded to a building fire at the Q39 restaurant at College Blvd. and Antioch, according to a media release.

Smoke was coming from the roof of the single story commercial building as crews arrived. Everyone was reported out safely.

Firefighters realized the fire was coming from a gas appliance in the kitchen area. They shut gas off to the building, extinguished the fire and checked to make sure the fire had not extended into the structure.

It took fire crews approximately 15 minutes to bring the fire under control. There were no injuries. The damage was contained to the kitchen area. However, the suppression system and sprinkler system activated which will require clean up and repair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692272979341.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire at a restaurant in Johnson County.Just before 10p.m. Wednesday, crews from Overland Park and Lenexa fire departments responded to a building fire at the Q39 restaurant at College Blvd. and Antioch, according to a media release.Smoke was coming from the roof of the single story commercial building as crews arrived. Everyone was reported out safely.Firefighters realized the fire was coming from a gas appliance in the kitchen area. They shut gas off to the building, extinguished the fire and checked to make sure the fire had not extended into the structure.It took fire crews approximately 15 minutes to bring the fire under control. There were no injuries. The damage was contained to the kitchen area. However, the suppression system and sprinkler system activated which will require clean up and repair.

Cause of fire at KC-area BBQ restaurant under investigation

JOHNSON COUNTY —A woman involved in chase and deadly exchange of gunfire that left a Kansas police officer and her accomplice dead is now facing a murder charges.

On Wednesday, the Johnson County attorney's office charged 32-year-old Angela Cothran of&nbsp; Portland, Tennessee, with first degree murder in the death of Fairway Police officer Johan Oswald.

Cothran was originally charges with aggravated battery, fleeing law enforcement, felony theft and reckless driving.&nbsp;&nbsp;She remains jailed on a $1 million bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp; She is due back in court September 20.

Just after 7:30 a.m August 6, police responded to a stolen vehicle call at the QuikTrip at 95th Street and Interstate 35, according to a media release from Lenexa Police.

 Officers located that car and the suspect in the stolen vehicle struck one of Lenexa police department's patrol vehicles and drove away.

Police pursued the suspect northbound on Interstate 35 until the suspects left the vehicle and ran to a QuikTrip in the 4700 Block of Lamar Avenue in Mission.

Police from multiple agencies were trying to arrest the suspects when gunfire broke out. A suspect later identified as 40-year-old&nbsp;Shannon Wayne Marshall of Ashland City, Tennessee was shot and killed and&nbsp; Fairway Kansas police officer Jonah Oswald was shot, hospitalized and died on August 7.

The other suspect later identified as&nbsp; Cothran was arrested.

Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor. She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691521167515.png" alt="Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor.-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor.-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A woman involved in chase and deadly exchange of gunfire that left a Kansas police officer and her accomplice dead is now facing a murder charges.On Wednesday, the Johnson County attorney's office charged 32-year-old Angela Cothran of&nbsp; Portland, Tennessee, with first degree murder in the death of Fairway Police officer Johan Oswald.Cothran was originally charges with aggravated battery, fleeing law enforcement, felony theft and reckless driving.&nbsp;&nbsp;She remains jailed on a $1 million bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp; She is due back in court September 20.Just after 7:30 a.m August 6, police responded to a stolen vehicle call at the QuikTrip at 95th Street and Interstate 35, according to a media release from Lenexa Police. Officers located that car and the suspect in the stolen vehicle struck one of Lenexa police department's patrol vehicles and drove away.Police pursued the suspect northbound on Interstate 35 until the suspects left the vehicle and ran to a QuikTrip in the 4700 Block of Lamar Avenue in Mission.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691356366635.png" alt="Police on the scene near the shooting&nbsp; on Sunday-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene near the shooting&nbsp; on Sunday-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Police from multiple agencies were trying to arrest the suspects when gunfire broke out. A suspect later identified as 40-year-old&nbsp;Shannon Wayne Marshall of Ashland City, Tennessee was shot and killed and&nbsp; Fairway Kansas police officer Jonah Oswald was shot, hospitalized and died on August 7.The other suspect later identified as&nbsp; Cothran was arrested.Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor. She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry.&nbsp;

Sex offender now charged with murder in Kan. officer's shooting death 

MARION, Kansas (AP) — A police raid that drew national attention to a small Kansas newspaper over threats to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">press freedoms</a>&nbsp;wasn’t supported by evidence, a prosecutor said Wednesday, as the paper’s staff scrambled to print its first weekly edition since their cellphones and computers were seized.

(click below to watch comments from White House on the&nbsp; case)

Forced to rewrite stories and reproduce ads from scratch, the four-person newsroom toiled overnight to print Wednesday's edition, with a defiant front-page headline that read: “SEIZED … but not silenced.” Under the 2-inch-tall (5-centimeter) typeface, they published stories on the raid and the influx of support the weekly newspaper has since received.

On Wednesday, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey said his review of police seizures from the Marion County Record offices and the publisher's home found “insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized."

“As a result, I have submitted a proposed order asking the court to release the evidence seized. I have asked local law enforcement to return the material seized to the owners of the property,” Ensey said in a news release.

But in a statement released along with the county attorney's, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it still is examining whether the newspaper violated state laws. A warrant for the raid, signed by a local judge, suggested the raid was over whether the paper improperly used a local restaurant owner's personal information to access her state driving record online. Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer has said the paper did nothing illegal.

In Topeka, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a conservative Republican who oversees the KBI, said its “principal interest” remains the computer access allegations. He told reporters he didn't understand the KBI's role to include "an evaluation of constitutional claims about the raid."

The KBI said it would continue its work without examining any evidence seized last Friday. Once the state investigators finish, Kobach said, the county attorney will decide whether to prosecute.

Meyer said that the county sheriff's office, which had been storing the items for the police, released them Wednesday afternoon to a computer forensics firm from the Kansas City area hired by the newspaper's attorney. It is reviewing their files and programs to see whether materials on the devices have been copied, Meyer said.

“You cannot let bullies win,” Meyer said. “We have a staff that’s very experienced, including myself, and we’re not going to take crap.”

Meyer has said that the stress from the raid of his home caused the death Saturday of his 98-year-old mother, Joan, the paper’s co-owner.

Last week's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">police raid</a>&nbsp;put the town into the center of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">a national debate about press freedom</a>, with watchdog groups condemning the department's actions. Meyer said he believes the raid was carried out because the newspaper was investigating why the police chief left his previous post as an officer in Kansas City, Missouri.

Police Chief Gideon Cody left the Missouri department earlier this year and began the job in Marion in June. He has not responded to interview requests, and he did not reply to an email seeking comment about Wednesday's developments.

Meyer said police seized a computer tower and cellphone belonging to a reporter who wasn’t part of the effort to check on the business owner’s background — but who was looking into Cody's background.

Asked if the newspaper’s investigation of Cody may have had anything to do with the decision to raid it, Bernie Rhodes, the newspaper's attorney, responded: “I think it is a remarkable coincidence if it didn’t.”

Meyer's family has long published the newspaper in the town of about 1,900 among rolling hills about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, an area that once was a sea of tall prairie grass. It's known for its aggresive coverage of local politics, and some residents have accused it of driving businesses away, something Meyer dismisses.

Dennis Calvert, a 67-year-old Wichita resident and U.S. Navy nuclear submarine veteran, drove more than an hour to get a copy of Wednesday's edition and sign up for a six-month subscription.

Asked about the role of local journalists, he said, “It'd be equal to, how important is your doctor if you're going into surgery?”

At one point, a couple visiting from Arizona stopped at the front desk to buy a subscription, just to show their support, said Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, who was helping at the paper. Many others from around the country have purchased subscriptions since the raids. An office manager told Bradbury that she’s having a hard time keeping up with demand.

Even the White House weighed in. “This administration has been vocal about the importance of the freedom of press, here and around the globe,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at her daily briefing on Wednesday. “That is the core value when you think about our democracy, when you think about the cornerstone of our democracy, the freedom of press is right there.”

She said the raid raises “a lot of concerns and a lot of questions for us.”

To put out the Wednesday edition of the paper, journalists and those involved in the business side of the newspaper used a couple of old computers that police didn’t confiscate, taking turns to get stories to the printer, to assemble ads and to check email.

Because electronics were so scarce, it took the newsroom until 5 a.m. to finish the paper, Bradbury said. She chipped in herself by answering phones and ordering meals for staffers.

“There were literally index cards going back and forth,” said Rhodes, who was also in the office. “They had all the classified ads, all the legal notices that they had to recreate. All of those were on the computers.”

The newspaper’s press run is normally 4,000 papers. But since the raids, they have received more than 2,000 new subscriptions, Meyer said.

A warrant signed by a magistrate about two hours before Friday's raid said that local police sought to gather evidence of potential identity theft and other computer crimes stemming from a conflict between the newspaper and the local restaurant owner, Kari Newell.

Newell accuses the newspaper of violating her privacy and illegally obtaining personal information about her, while the newspaper has countered that it received information about her unsolicited, then verified its authenticity through public records online.

Meyer said the newspaper ultimately decided not to write a story about Newell, but later reported about a city council meeting, in which Newell confirmed she’d had a DUI conviction and drove after her license was suspended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692219843330.png" alt="he Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it still is examining whether the newspaper violated state laws-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>he Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it still is examining whether the newspaper violated state laws-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>MARION, Kansas (AP) — A police raid that drew national attention to a small Kansas newspaper over threats to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">press freedoms</a>&nbsp;wasn’t supported by evidence, a prosecutor said Wednesday, as the paper’s staff scrambled to print its first weekly edition since their cellphones and computers were seized.(click below to watch comments from White House on the&nbsp; case)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F6579634838818472%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=3711" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Forced to rewrite stories and reproduce ads from scratch, the four-person newsroom toiled overnight to print Wednesday's edition, with a defiant front-page headline that read: “SEIZED … but not silenced.” Under the 2-inch-tall (5-centimeter) typeface, they published stories on the raid and the influx of support the weekly newspaper has since received.On Wednesday, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey said his review of police seizures from the Marion County Record offices and the publisher's home found “insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized."“As a result, I have submitted a proposed order asking the court to release the evidence seized. I have asked local law enforcement to return the material seized to the owners of the property,” Ensey said in a news release.But in a statement released along with the county attorney's, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it still is examining whether the newspaper violated state laws. A warrant for the raid, signed by a local judge, suggested the raid was over whether the paper improperly used a local restaurant owner's personal information to access her state driving record online. Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer has said the paper did nothing illegal.In Topeka, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a conservative Republican who oversees the KBI, said its “principal interest” remains the computer access allegations. He told reporters he didn't understand the KBI's role to include "an evaluation of constitutional claims about the raid."The KBI said it would continue its work without examining any evidence seized last Friday. Once the state investigators finish, Kobach said, the county attorney will decide whether to prosecute.Meyer said that the county sheriff's office, which had been storing the items for the police, released them Wednesday afternoon to a computer forensics firm from the Kansas City area hired by the newspaper's attorney. It is reviewing their files and programs to see whether materials on the devices have been copied, Meyer said.“You cannot let bullies win,” Meyer said. “We have a staff that’s very experienced, including myself, and we’re not going to take crap.”Meyer has said that the stress from the raid of his home caused the death Saturday of his 98-year-old mother, Joan, the paper’s co-owner.Last week's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">police raid</a>&nbsp;put the town into the center of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">a national debate about press freedom</a>, with watchdog groups condemning the department's actions. Meyer said he believes the raid was carried out because the newspaper was investigating why the police chief left his previous post as an officer in Kansas City, Missouri.Police Chief Gideon Cody left the Missouri department earlier this year and began the job in Marion in June. He has not responded to interview requests, and he did not reply to an email seeking comment about Wednesday's developments.Meyer said police seized a computer tower and cellphone belonging to a reporter who wasn’t part of the effort to check on the business owner’s background — but who was looking into Cody's background.Asked if the newspaper’s investigation of Cody may have had anything to do with the decision to raid it, Bernie Rhodes, the newspaper's attorney, responded: “I think it is a remarkable coincidence if it didn’t.”Meyer's family has long published the newspaper in the town of about 1,900 among rolling hills about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, an area that once was a sea of tall prairie grass. It's known for its aggresive coverage of local politics, and some residents have accused it of driving businesses away, something Meyer dismisses.Dennis Calvert, a 67-year-old Wichita resident and U.S. Navy nuclear submarine veteran, drove more than an hour to get a copy of Wednesday's edition and sign up for a six-month subscription.Asked about the role of local journalists, he said, “It'd be equal to, how important is your doctor if you're going into surgery?”At one point, a couple visiting from Arizona stopped at the front desk to buy a subscription, just to show their support, said Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, who was helping at the paper. Many others from around the country have purchased subscriptions since the raids. An office manager told Bradbury that she’s having a hard time keeping up with demand.Even the White House weighed in. “This administration has been vocal about the importance of the freedom of press, here and around the globe,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at her daily briefing on Wednesday. “That is the core value when you think about our democracy, when you think about the cornerstone of our democracy, the freedom of press is right there.”She said the raid raises “a lot of concerns and a lot of questions for us.”To put out the Wednesday edition of the paper, journalists and those involved in the business side of the newspaper used a couple of old computers that police didn’t confiscate, taking turns to get stories to the printer, to assemble ads and to check email.Because electronics were so scarce, it took the newsroom until 5 a.m. to finish the paper, Bradbury said. She chipped in herself by answering phones and ordering meals for staffers.“There were literally index cards going back and forth,” said Rhodes, who was also in the office. “They had all the classified ads, all the legal notices that they had to recreate. All of those were on the computers.”The newspaper’s press run is normally 4,000 papers. But since the raids, they have received more than 2,000 new subscriptions, Meyer said.A warrant signed by a magistrate about two hours before Friday's raid said that local police sought to gather evidence of potential identity theft and other computer crimes stemming from a conflict between the newspaper and the local restaurant owner, Kari Newell.Newell accuses the newspaper of violating her privacy and illegally obtaining personal information about her, while the newspaper has countered that it received information about her unsolicited, then verified its authenticity through public records online.Meyer said the newspaper ultimately decided not to write a story about Newell, but later reported about a city council meeting, in which Newell confirmed she’d had a DUI conviction and drove after her license was suspended.

🎥White House watching Kansas press freedom case closely

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Jerry Moss, a music industry giant who co-founded A&amp;M Records with Herb Alpert and rose from a Los Angeles garage to the heights of success with hits by Alpert, the Police,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-lifestyle-california-richard-carpenter-karen-carpenter-c3d79d349ec958a2146804b95ee04f18">the Carpenters</a>&nbsp;and hundreds of other performers, has died at 88.

Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, California, according to a statement released by his family. He died of natural causes, his widow Tina told The Associated Press.

“They truly don’t make them like him anymore and we will miss conversations with him about everything under the sun,” the statement reads in part, “the twinkle in his eyes as he approached every moment ready for the next adventure.”

For more than 25 years, Alpert and Moss presided over one of the industry's most successful independent labels, releasing such blockbuster albums as Alpert's “Whipped Cream &amp; Other Delights,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/carole-king">Carole King's</a>&nbsp;“Tapestry” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/peter-frampton">Peter Frampton's</a>&nbsp;“Frampton Comes Alive!” They were home to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f25940ce392e4302a307e9847e7fbc80">the Carpenters</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cat-stevens-album-king-land-38ea9f80a80803d0d214a39c0d95728e">Cat Stevens,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-jackson">Janet Jackson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soundgarden-chris-cornell-vicky-lawsuit-recordings-7c79d7e92ef962dc69225e07a109f67e">Soundgarden,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/79d1bef5fc54495d8da01adfa38f893b/joe-cocker-dies-70">Joe Cocker</a>&nbsp;and Suzanne Vega, the Go-Gos and Sheryl Crow.

Among the label's singles: Alpert's “A Taste of Honey,” the Captain and Tennille's “Love Will Keep Us Together,” Frampton's “Show Me the Way” and “Every Breath You Take,” by the Police.

“Every once in a while a record would come through us and Herbie would look at me and say, ‘What did we do to deserve this, that this amazing thing is going to come out on our label?’” Moss told Artist House Music, an archive and resource center, in 2007.

His music connections also led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jerry-moss-horse-racing-1d4753a5fe8e783b5cb8112f0857a8bd">a lucrative horse racing business</a>&nbsp;that he owned with his second wife, Ann Holbrook. In 1962, record manufacturer Nate Duroff lent Alpert and Moss $35,000 so they could print 350,000 copies of Alpert's instrumental "The Lonely Bull," the label's first major hit. A decade later, Duroff convinced Moss to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0f92ef9ef12b47b087d77db2d1f044cd">invest in horses.</a>

The Mosses' Giacomo, named for the son of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sting">A&amp;M artist Sting,</a>&nbsp;won the Kentucky Derby in 2005.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zenyatta-broodmare-career-ends-1cb8ded172a64395bd65ef5253da4505">Zenyatta,</a>&nbsp;in honor of the Police album "Zenyatta Mondatta," was runner-up for Horse of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and won the following year. A hit single by Sting gave Moss the name for another profitable horse, Set Them Free.

Moss made one of his last public appearances in January when he was honored with a tribute concert at the Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles. Among the performers were Frampton, Amy Grant and Dionne Warwick, who wasn't an A&amp;M artist but had been close to Moss from the time he helped promote her music in the early 1960s. While Moss didn’t speak at the ceremony, many others praised him.

“Herb was the artist and Jerry had the vision. It just changed the face of the record industry,” singer Rita Coolidge said on the event’s red carpet. “Certainly A&amp;M made such a difference and it’s where everybody wanted to be.”

Moss' survivors include his second wife, Tina Morse, and three children.

Born in New York City and an English major at Brooklyn College, Moss had wanted to work in show business since waiting tables in his 20s and noticing that the entertainment industry patrons seemed to be having so much fun. After a six-month Army stint, he found work as a promoter for Coed Records and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he met and befriended Alpert, a trumpeter, songwriter and entrepreneur.

With an investment of $100 each, they formed Carnival Records and had a local hit with "Tell It to the Birds," an Alpert ballad released under the name of his son, Dore Alpert. After learning that another company was called Carnival, Alpert and Moss used the initials of their last names and renamed their business A&amp;M, working out an office in Alpert's garage and designing the distinctive logo with the trumpet across the bottom.

"We had a desk, piano, piano stool, a couch, coffee table and two phone lines. And that for the two of us worked out very well, because we could go over the songs on the piano and make phone calls to the distributors," Moss later told Billboard. "We also had an answering service at the time. I'd do all my own billing."

For several years they specialized in "easy listening" acts such as Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Brazilian artist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5668be45b7f84a5e88bb50c9b32090ff">Sergio Mendes</a>&nbsp;and the folk-rock trio the Sandpipers. After attending the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, rock's first major festival, Moss began adding rock performers, including Cocker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-europe-music-arts-and-entertainment-london-65ab9d9862893ff8f75afaf0879ffc72">Procol Harum</a>&nbsp;and Free.

One of their biggest triumphs was "Frampton Comes Alive!" a live double album from 1976 that sold more than 6 million copies in its first year and transformed Frampton from mid-level performer to superstar.

"Peter was a huge live star in markets like Detroit and San Francisco, so we made a suggestion that he make a live record," Moss told Rolling Stone in 2002. "What he was doing onstage wasn't like the records — it was outrageously better. I remember being at the mix of 'Frampton Comes Alive!' at Electric Lady studios, and I was so blown away I asked to make it a double album."

A&amp;M continued to expand their catalog through the 1970s and '80s, taking on the Police, Squeeze, Joe Jackson and other British New Wave artists, R&amp;B musicians Janet Jackson and Barry White and country rockers 38 Special and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

By the late '80s, Alpert and Moss were operating out of a Hollywood lot where Charlie Chaplin once made movies, but they struggled to keep up with ever-higher recording contracts and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2b90d45f86ab423f8654071f8bf4cff2">sold A&amp;M</a>&nbsp;to Polygram for an estimated $500 million. They remained at the label, but clashed with Polygram's management and left in 1993, one of their last signings a singer-musician from Kennett, Missouri:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sheryl-crow">Sheryl Crow.</a>&nbsp;(Alpert and Moss later sued Polygram for violating their contract’s integrity clause and reached a $200 million settlement.)

For a few years, Alpert and Moss ran Almo Records, where performers included Garbage, Imogen Heap and Gillian Welch.

"We wanted people to be happy," Moss told The New York Times in 2010. “You can't force people to do a certain kind of music. They make their best music when they are doing what they want to do, not what we want them to do.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692266627571.png" alt="Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, California," />
 <figcaption>Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, California,</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —Jerry Moss, a music industry giant who co-founded A&amp;M Records with Herb Alpert and rose from a Los Angeles garage to the heights of success with hits by Alpert, the Police,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-lifestyle-california-richard-carpenter-karen-carpenter-c3d79d349ec958a2146804b95ee04f18">the Carpenters</a>&nbsp;and hundreds of other performers, has died at 88.Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, California, according to a statement released by his family. He died of natural causes, his widow Tina told The Associated Press.“They truly don’t make them like him anymore and we will miss conversations with him about everything under the sun,” the statement reads in part, “the twinkle in his eyes as he approached every moment ready for the next adventure.”For more than 25 years, Alpert and Moss presided over one of the industry's most successful independent labels, releasing such blockbuster albums as Alpert's “Whipped Cream &amp; Other Delights,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/carole-king">Carole King's</a>&nbsp;“Tapestry” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/peter-frampton">Peter Frampton's</a>&nbsp;“Frampton Comes Alive!” They were home to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f25940ce392e4302a307e9847e7fbc80">the Carpenters</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cat-stevens-album-king-land-38ea9f80a80803d0d214a39c0d95728e">Cat Stevens,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-jackson">Janet Jackson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soundgarden-chris-cornell-vicky-lawsuit-recordings-7c79d7e92ef962dc69225e07a109f67e">Soundgarden,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/79d1bef5fc54495d8da01adfa38f893b/joe-cocker-dies-70">Joe Cocker</a>&nbsp;and Suzanne Vega, the Go-Gos and Sheryl Crow.Among the label's singles: Alpert's “A Taste of Honey,” the Captain and Tennille's “Love Will Keep Us Together,” Frampton's “Show Me the Way” and “Every Breath You Take,” by the Police.“Every once in a while a record would come through us and Herbie would look at me and say, ‘What did we do to deserve this, that this amazing thing is going to come out on our label?’” Moss told Artist House Music, an archive and resource center, in 2007.His music connections also led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jerry-moss-horse-racing-1d4753a5fe8e783b5cb8112f0857a8bd">a lucrative horse racing business</a>&nbsp;that he owned with his second wife, Ann Holbrook. In 1962, record manufacturer Nate Duroff lent Alpert and Moss $35,000 so they could print 350,000 copies of Alpert's instrumental "The Lonely Bull," the label's first major hit. A decade later, Duroff convinced Moss to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0f92ef9ef12b47b087d77db2d1f044cd">invest in horses.</a>The Mosses' Giacomo, named for the son of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sting">A&amp;M artist Sting,</a>&nbsp;won the Kentucky Derby in 2005.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zenyatta-broodmare-career-ends-1cb8ded172a64395bd65ef5253da4505">Zenyatta,</a>&nbsp;in honor of the Police album "Zenyatta Mondatta," was runner-up for Horse of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and won the following year. A hit single by Sting gave Moss the name for another profitable horse, Set Them Free.Moss made one of his last public appearances in January when he was honored with a tribute concert at the Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles. Among the performers were Frampton, Amy Grant and Dionne Warwick, who wasn't an A&amp;M artist but had been close to Moss from the time he helped promote her music in the early 1960s. While Moss didn’t speak at the ceremony, many others praised him.“Herb was the artist and Jerry had the vision. It just changed the face of the record industry,” singer Rita Coolidge said on the event’s red carpet. “Certainly A&amp;M made such a difference and it’s where everybody wanted to be.”Moss' survivors include his second wife, Tina Morse, and three children.Born in New York City and an English major at Brooklyn College, Moss had wanted to work in show business since waiting tables in his 20s and noticing that the entertainment industry patrons seemed to be having so much fun. After a six-month Army stint, he found work as a promoter for Coed Records and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he met and befriended Alpert, a trumpeter, songwriter and entrepreneur.With an investment of $100 each, they formed Carnival Records and had a local hit with "Tell It to the Birds," an Alpert ballad released under the name of his son, Dore Alpert. After learning that another company was called Carnival, Alpert and Moss used the initials of their last names and renamed their business A&amp;M, working out an office in Alpert's garage and designing the distinctive logo with the trumpet across the bottom."We had a desk, piano, piano stool, a couch, coffee table and two phone lines. And that for the two of us worked out very well, because we could go over the songs on the piano and make phone calls to the distributors," Moss later told Billboard. "We also had an answering service at the time. I'd do all my own billing."For several years they specialized in "easy listening" acts such as Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Brazilian artist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5668be45b7f84a5e88bb50c9b32090ff">Sergio Mendes</a>&nbsp;and the folk-rock trio the Sandpipers. After attending the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, rock's first major festival, Moss began adding rock performers, including Cocker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-europe-music-arts-and-entertainment-london-65ab9d9862893ff8f75afaf0879ffc72">Procol Harum</a>&nbsp;and Free.One of their biggest triumphs was "Frampton Comes Alive!" a live double album from 1976 that sold more than 6 million copies in its first year and transformed Frampton from mid-level performer to superstar."Peter was a huge live star in markets like Detroit and San Francisco, so we made a suggestion that he make a live record," Moss told Rolling Stone in 2002. "What he was doing onstage wasn't like the records — it was outrageously better. I remember being at the mix of 'Frampton Comes Alive!' at Electric Lady studios, and I was so blown away I asked to make it a double album."A&amp;M continued to expand their catalog through the 1970s and '80s, taking on the Police, Squeeze, Joe Jackson and other British New Wave artists, R&amp;B musicians Janet Jackson and Barry White and country rockers 38 Special and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.By the late '80s, Alpert and Moss were operating out of a Hollywood lot where Charlie Chaplin once made movies, but they struggled to keep up with ever-higher recording contracts and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2b90d45f86ab423f8654071f8bf4cff2">sold A&amp;M</a>&nbsp;to Polygram for an estimated $500 million. They remained at the label, but clashed with Polygram's management and left in 1993, one of their last signings a singer-musician from Kennett, Missouri:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sheryl-crow">Sheryl Crow.</a>&nbsp;(Alpert and Moss later sued Polygram for violating their contract’s integrity clause and reached a $200 million settlement.)For a few years, Alpert and Moss ran Almo Records, where performers included Garbage, Imogen Heap and Gillian Welch."We wanted people to be happy," Moss told The New York Times in 2010. “You can't force people to do a certain kind of music. They make their best music when they are doing what they want to do, not what we want them to do.”_____

Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records dies at 88

RAWLINS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged cattle theft in northwest Kansas.

A member of the Kansas Livestock Associated reported 17-head of 200-350 pound calves were stolen in mid July ten miles northeast of Atwood, according to a media release from the sheriff's office. The calves are carry fresh brands of V arrow high on the right hip.

The Kansas Livestock Association is offering a $5000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

RAWLINS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged cattle theft in northwest Kansas.A member of the Kansas Livestock Associated reported 17-head of 200-350 pound calves were stolen in mid July ten miles northeast of Atwood, according to a media release from the sheriff's office. The calves are carry fresh brands of V arrow high on the right hip.The Kansas Livestock Association is offering a $5000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

Reward offered after cattle reported stolen in NW Kansas

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the July 13, 2023, fatal shooting of a man behind an office supply store on Main Street in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Dynell R. Jones faces Murder 2nd Degree, two counts of Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

According to court records, police officers were alerted on the afternoon of July 13, 2023, by a woman driving on Linwood, near Troost Avenue, to a shooting behind a parking lot off Main Street.

 The victim was transported to an area hospital but died of his injuries. Officers located shell casings in an area adjacent to the parking lot. A witness told police she saw a man with a gun about the time the victim got back into the witness' vehicle, and then the witness heard gunfire. 

As the witness left the area, she saw the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. Jones&nbsp; told police he fired in the direction of the vehicle in which the victim was a passenger to scare off the victim.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692106811909.png" alt="Jones-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jones-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the July 13, 2023, fatal shooting of a man behind an office supply store on Main Street in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Dynell R. Jones faces Murder 2nd Degree, two counts of Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.According to court records, police officers were alerted on the afternoon of July 13, 2023, by a woman driving on Linwood, near Troost Avenue, to a shooting behind a parking lot off Main Street. The victim was transported to an area hospital but died of his injuries. Officers located shell casings in an area adjacent to the parking lot. A witness told police she saw a man with a gun about the time the victim got back into the witness' vehicle, and then the witness heard gunfire. As the witness left the area, she saw the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. Jones&nbsp; told police he fired in the direction of the vehicle in which the victim was a passenger to scare off the victim.&nbsp;

KC murder victim died after gunshot wound to his face

WICHITA, KAN. – A man and woman have been convicted of financial abuse and physical neglect of an 84-year-old Derby woman.

Tiffany Williams-McCune, 20 of Derby, pleaded no contest to two felony counts of mistreatment of an elder person, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; One count was for financial exploitation and one count was for neglecting the physical needs of the victim. 

In November, District Judge David Kaufman sentenced the woman to 12 months in prison. She is the great granddaughter of the elderly woman, Leslie Jeffries.

Jacoby Reeves, 23 of Derby, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of mistreatment of an elder person and a misdemeanor charge of mistreatment. The felony was related to neglecting the physical needs of Ms. Jeffries and the misdemeanor was related to financial exploitation. 

On July 28th, Judge Kaufman sentenced Reeves to 12 months of probation with an underlying sentence of 12 months in jail. If he violates the terms of his probation, Judge Kaufman could impose the jail sentence.

A joint investigation by the Derby Police Department and the Kansas Department of Children and Families revealed that the defendants were in a dating relationship and helped care for the victim in her home. The investigation showed that Williams-McCune and Reeves made unauthorized financial transactions totaling over $20,000 on the victim’s accounts while living with her.

The investigation further revealed that in December of 2021, Williams-McCune and Reeves ignored a medical emergency involving the victim and failed to get her help when she suffered a brain hemorrhage at home. Ms. Jeffries died a short time later in the hospital.

Derby police officers found the elderly woman unresponsive and lying awkwardly on a couch in the basement of the home on Dec. 7, 2021, while the defendants slept upstairs. The officers had gone to the house to check on Ms. Jeffries after being notified that other family members were concerned about her welfare. 

Ms. Jeffries had been showing symptoms of cognitive and physical impairment the previous day, but neither Williams-McCune nor Reeves sought medical care for her.

An autopsy showed that Ms. Jeffries had a variety of medical issues with a history of falling, which may have caused the subdural hematoma that led to her death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692133881748.png" alt="Williams-McCune-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Williams-McCune-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A man and woman have been convicted of financial abuse and physical neglect of an 84-year-old Derby woman.Tiffany Williams-McCune, 20 of Derby, pleaded no contest to two felony counts of mistreatment of an elder person, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; One count was for financial exploitation and one count was for neglecting the physical needs of the victim. In November, District Judge David Kaufman sentenced the woman to 12 months in prison. She is the great granddaughter of the elderly woman, Leslie Jeffries.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692134057549.png" alt="Reeves-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Reeves-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Jacoby Reeves, 23 of Derby, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of mistreatment of an elder person and a misdemeanor charge of mistreatment. The felony was related to neglecting the physical needs of Ms. Jeffries and the misdemeanor was related to financial exploitation. On July 28th, Judge Kaufman sentenced Reeves to 12 months of probation with an underlying sentence of 12 months in jail. If he violates the terms of his probation, Judge Kaufman could impose the jail sentence.A joint investigation by the Derby Police Department and the Kansas Department of Children and Families revealed that the defendants were in a dating relationship and helped care for the victim in her home. The investigation showed that Williams-McCune and Reeves made unauthorized financial transactions totaling over $20,000 on the victim’s accounts while living with her.The investigation further revealed that in December of 2021, Williams-McCune and Reeves ignored a medical emergency involving the victim and failed to get her help when she suffered a brain hemorrhage at home. Ms. Jeffries died a short time later in the hospital.Derby police officers found the elderly woman unresponsive and lying awkwardly on a couch in the basement of the home on Dec. 7, 2021, while the defendants slept upstairs. The officers had gone to the house to check on Ms. Jeffries after being notified that other family members were concerned about her welfare. Ms. Jeffries had been showing symptoms of cognitive and physical impairment the previous day, but neither Williams-McCune nor Reeves sought medical care for her.An autopsy showed that Ms. Jeffries had a variety of medical issues with a history of falling, which may have caused the subdural hematoma that led to her death.

Kan. woman convicted of theft, neglect of great-grandmother

ELLIS —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect for alleged theft in Ellis County.

Just after 7 p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp; were dispatched to Casey’s General Store, 213 Washington, in Ellis for a report of a robbery.

The victim reported that two men in an SUV with Florida plates had taken money out of his hand and fled the area.&nbsp; Officers arrived on scene shortly after the call was dispatched and searched the immediate area of the incident for the suspect vehicle.

Officers gathered a description of the suspects and the vehicle they were in and had it broadcast to other law enforcement agencies in the area.

The Kansas Highway Patrol found the suspects just east of the Toulon exit on Interstate 70 at about 7:19 p.m. Using a photograph of the suspects, the victim was able to confirm the suspects who were stopped were the ones involved in the incident.&nbsp;

The suspects were then identified as Ungurel Andrei Mutu, 32 and Dragos Iosif Grozavu, 31, both of Romania.

A juvenile also was in the vehicle. Grozavu and Mutu were then placed under arrest without incident and transported to the Ellis County Jail, where they are being held on requested charges of robbery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692221509033.png" alt="Grozavu-photo Ellis Co." />
 <figcaption>Grozavu-photo Ellis Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLIS —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect for alleged theft in Ellis County.Just after 7 p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp; were dispatched to Casey’s General Store, 213 Washington, in Ellis for a report of a robbery.The victim reported that two men in an SUV with Florida plates had taken money out of his hand and fled the area.&nbsp; Officers arrived on scene shortly after the call was dispatched and searched the immediate area of the incident for the suspect vehicle.Officers gathered a description of the suspects and the vehicle they were in and had it broadcast to other law enforcement agencies in the area.The Kansas Highway Patrol found the suspects just east of the Toulon exit on Interstate 70 at about 7:19 p.m. Using a photograph of the suspects, the victim was able to confirm the suspects who were stopped were the ones involved in the incident.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692221449405.png" alt="Mutu-photo Ellis Co." />
 <figcaption>Mutu-photo Ellis Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspects were then identified as Ungurel Andrei Mutu, 32 and Dragos Iosif Grozavu, 31, both of Romania.A juvenile also was in the vehicle. Grozavu and Mutu were then placed under arrest without incident and transported to the Ellis County Jail, where they are being held on requested charges of robbery.

2 Romanian nationals captured on I-70 after alleged theft

THOMAS COUNTY – Over the past four weeks the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office worked alongside the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Colby Police Department, and the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) on an investigation involving the distribution and manufacturing of controlled substances, according to a media release from the KBI.

On Aug. 14 and Aug. 15, multiple search warrants were executed in Thomas County with assistance from the KBI High Risk Warrant Team, the KBI Clandestine Laboratory Team, and the Colby Police Department. Located during a search of a residence was methamphetamine, an active marijuana grow, and paraphernalia and other illegal items used in drug manufacturing.

Jensina Sporing, 39, of Colby, Kansas, was arrested on multiple requested felony charges including distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, unlawful drug proceeds from a transaction, use of a communication facility in the commission of a felony drug violation, and two counts of use or possess with the intent to use drug paraphernalia.

Lawrence Hapke, 47, also of Colby, was arrested on requested charges of possession of a controlled substance, use or possess with the intent to use drug paraphernalia, and interference with law enforcement.

The suspects were booked into the Thomas County Jail. Another arrest connected to this operation is expected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692217201020.png" alt="Hapke photo Thomas Co." />
 <figcaption>Hapke photo Thomas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>THOMAS COUNTY – Over the past four weeks the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office worked alongside the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Colby Police Department, and the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) on an investigation involving the distribution and manufacturing of controlled substances, according to a media release from the KBI.On Aug. 14 and Aug. 15, multiple search warrants were executed in Thomas County with assistance from the KBI High Risk Warrant Team, the KBI Clandestine Laboratory Team, and the Colby Police Department. Located during a search of a residence was methamphetamine, an active marijuana grow, and paraphernalia and other illegal items used in drug manufacturing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692217229186.png" alt="Sporing-photo Thomas Co." />
 <figcaption>Sporing-photo Thomas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Jensina Sporing, 39, of Colby, Kansas, was arrested on multiple requested felony charges including distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, unlawful drug proceeds from a transaction, use of a communication facility in the commission of a felony drug violation, and two counts of use or possess with the intent to use drug paraphernalia.Lawrence Hapke, 47, also of Colby, was arrested on requested charges of possession of a controlled substance, use or possess with the intent to use drug paraphernalia, and interference with law enforcement.The suspects were booked into the Thomas County Jail. Another arrest connected to this operation is expected.

KBI finds meth, marijuana grow operation at NW Kan. home

Kobach wants judge to reject motion; ACLU supports their right to take part in case

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

TOPEKA — A Shawnee County District Court judge said Wednesday she would quickly respond to a request by transgender Kansans to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Kris Kobach seeking affirmation of his belief a new state law required driver’s licenses to reflect a person’s sex assigned at birth.

District Judge Theresa Watson presided at a hearing in which the Kansas Department of Revenue, the defendant in Kobach’s suit; ACLU attorney Sharon Brett, who represented the five transgender individuals; and Tony Powell, the solicitor for the attorney general; fleshed out arguments made in written legal briefs.

The revenue department’s lawyer, Pedro Irigonegaray, said the agency wasn’t representing any private citizens in the lawsuit brought by Kobach. Brett said her clients deserved to be heard by the district court weighing possible violation of their constitutional rights.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692208578795.png" alt="Attorney General Kris Kobach emerges from a Shawnee County District Court hearing on a motion from five transgender Kansans to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Kobach to end the practice of allowing people to change the sex marker on driver’s licenses. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Attorney General Kris Kobach emerges from a Shawnee County District Court hearing on a motion from five transgender Kansans to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Kobach to end the practice of allowing people to change the sex marker on driver’s licenses. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kobach wants judge to reject motion; ACLU supports their right to take part in case</h2>BY:&nbsp;TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Shawnee County District Court judge said Wednesday she would quickly respond to a request by transgender Kansans to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Kris Kobach seeking affirmation of his belief a new state law required driver’s licenses to reflect a person’s sex assigned at birth.District Judge Theresa Watson presided at a hearing in which the Kansas Department of Revenue, the defendant in Kobach’s suit; ACLU attorney Sharon Brett, who represented the five transgender individuals; and Tony Powell, the solicitor for the attorney general; fleshed out arguments made in written legal briefs.The revenue department’s lawyer, Pedro Irigonegaray, said the agency wasn’t representing any private citizens in the lawsuit brought by Kobach. Brett said her clients deserved to be heard by the district court weighing possible violation of their constitutional rights.And, Powell said the judge shouldn’t allow interveners to intrude upon Kobach’s simple request for interpretation of state law guiding sex designations on Kansas driver’s licenses.During the hearing, Watson posed questions suggesting skepticism transgender persons had a right to have a seat in the courtroom. She indicated consenting to their request might delay resolution of the attorney general’s suit.“I’m going to issue a written opinion in a day or so,” Watson said.The judge issued in July an temporary restraining order directing the revenue department to cease amending the sex designation on driver’s licenses pending outcome of the lawsuit. She also set a Nov. 1 hearing on Kobach’s request for an injunction against the Department of Revenue.After the hearing, Kobach said it would be “very unusual” for a district court to permit private citizens to insert themselves in a case in which one portion of the executive branch was suing another segment of the executive branch of state government.He preferred the district court stick to the fundamental question of how driver’s licenses would be handled and set aside constitutional issues for a separate proceeding.“”The notion that they’re being silenced is ridiculous thinking. We are happy to answer their constitutional claims,” Kobach said. “It’s just that procedurally, those should follow the determination of what the statute means. If the court were to agree with our interpretation of the statute, then at that point our posture shifts slightly and we are defending the Department of Revenue against the constitutional claims made by the interveners,”Kobach said if Watson ruled in his favor regarding interpretation Senate Bill 180 adopted by the 2023 Legislature it would mean the Department of Revenue would no longer produce driver’s licenses with a sex marker different than what was designated at birth.Brett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas, said law and precedent should allow her five transgender clients to take part in the district court’s consideration of what was meant when the Legislature adopted the law implemented July 1. She said the statute ordered the revenue department to track vital statistics related to driver’s licenses, but didn’t forbid the agency from continuing a policy allowing people to amend sex markers on state-issued identification.“The state is saying we don’t have a right to intervene and that we should just get to challenge their interpretation in a later-filed lawsuit somewhere down the line,” Brett said. “They clearly don’t want the proposed interveners’ arguments to be heard in this action and would rather secure the ruling that they’re seeking without having to contend with the constitutional implications.”She said a decision discontinuing the practice of changing sex identifiers on driver’s licenses would undermine constitutional rights of transgender Kansans.“If granted,” Brett said, “that relief will violate their constitutional rights. They would suffer harm.”Powell, the solicitor general of Kansas and a former Sedgwick County District Court judge, said the attorney general rightly opposed intervention. He said a court finding about meaning of the state law shouldn’t be impeded by premature constitutional objections.“We don’t think the statute is ambiguous or unconstitutional,” Powell said. “It’s too soon. Their claims, that appear to be constitutional claims, are not ripe. This is a matter of when and what’s proper.”Kobach filed the lawsuit against two administrators in the Department of Revenue after Gov. Laura Kelly said the law didn’t prohibit Kansans from having driver’s licenses changed to define them as male or female even if that conflicted with sex assignments at birth. The Democratic governor vetoed that bill, but the Republican-led House and Senate overrode the governor.