SEDGWICK COUNTY — A woman accused of driving a stolen vehicle that was involved in a fatal crash has been moved from a hospital to jail.&nbsp;

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Ford Transit Van driven by Katelyn Elizabeth&nbsp;Barrioz, 24, Wichita, was westbound in the eastbound lanes in the&nbsp;8700 block of E 29th St N in Wichita traveling in the inside lane.

The van struck an eastbound 2010 Chevy Cobalt driven by Mandy Lynn&nbsp;Buckwalter, 43, Hutchinson, head-on.

Buckwalter was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Barrioz to Wesley Medical Center for treatment. Just after 7:30p.m. Tuesday, she was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail, according to online jail records.

On Monday morning, officers located an occupied stolen vehicle at the Riverwalk Apartments, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. Officers monitored the vehicle using unmarked cars, and air support was requested from the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Around noon, the vehicle stopped at Walmart, 29th and Rock Road. Officers deployed spike strips to prevent the vehicle from leaving, successfully deflating two tires.

Despite this, the suspect fled the Walmart parking lot, striking a police vehicle.

Officers did not pursue the vehicle, but KHP air support continued to track it from above. The vehicle proceeded to a business on North Webb Road, where two individuals exited the vehicle and fled on foot.

One individual was apprehended, while another female suspect, later identified as Barrioz stole the van from the business and fled south on Webb, then west on 29th Street, according to Gupilan.

KHP Air maintained surveillance of the stolen vehicle, which, at 29th and Wilderness, collided with the Chevy Cobalt.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730284905956.png" alt="Barrioz photo Sedgwick County." />
 <figcaption>Barrioz photo Sedgwick County.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A woman accused of driving a stolen vehicle that was involved in a fatal crash has been moved from a hospital to jail.&nbsp;The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Ford Transit Van driven by Katelyn Elizabeth&nbsp;Barrioz, 24, Wichita, was westbound in the eastbound lanes in the&nbsp;8700 block of E 29th St N in Wichita traveling in the inside lane.The van struck an eastbound 2010 Chevy Cobalt driven by Mandy Lynn&nbsp;Buckwalter, 43, Hutchinson, head-on.Buckwalter was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Barrioz to Wesley Medical Center for treatment. Just after 7:30p.m. Tuesday, she was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail, according to online jail records.On Monday morning, officers located an occupied stolen vehicle at the Riverwalk Apartments, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. Officers monitored the vehicle using unmarked cars, and air support was requested from the Kansas Highway Patrol.Around noon, the vehicle stopped at Walmart, 29th and Rock Road. Officers deployed spike strips to prevent the vehicle from leaving, successfully deflating two tires.Despite this, the suspect fled the Walmart parking lot, striking a police vehicle.Officers did not pursue the vehicle, but KHP air support continued to track it from above. The vehicle proceeded to a business on North Webb Road, where two individuals exited the vehicle and fled on foot.One individual was apprehended, while another female suspect, later identified as Barrioz stole the van from the business and fled south on Webb, then west on 29th Street, according to Gupilan.KHP Air maintained surveillance of the stolen vehicle, which, at 29th and Wilderness, collided with the Chevy Cobalt.

Driver of stolen van in crash that killed Kan. woman is now in jail

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;took a swipe against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;supporters as he reacted to the Republican presidential nominee's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">weekend rally</a>&nbsp;at Madison Square Garden, which was overshadowed by crude and racist rhetoric.

In a call organized by the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino, Biden on Tuesday responded to&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/a%20comic">a comic</a>&nbsp;at Trump's rally who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Biden's initial comments were garbled.

“Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. Well, let me tell you something, I don’t, I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know, the Puerto Rico where I’m fr -- in my home state of Delaware. They’re good, decent honorable people,” he said.

The president then added: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

White House spokesman Andrew Bates said Biden “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”

Biden then took to social media to personally clarify what he said.

“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage — which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” he posted on X. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”

In referring to Trump's supporters as “garbage,” however, Biden's tone was at odds with the message that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is seeking to present as she aims to cast a broad appeal, including to disaffected Republicans. Shortly after Biden's comments, Harris spoke from the Ellipse in Washington, vowing to be a president who would unite the country.

“I pledge to be a president for all Americans,” said Harris, who is Biden's vice president.

Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, said the campaign's message of unity was not undercut by Biden's words.

Walz said Wednesday on “CBS Mornings” that the president “was very clear that he’s speaking about the rhetoric we heard, so it doesn’t undermine it.” Walz added on ABC's “Good Morning America” that he and Harris “have made it absolutely clear that we want everyone as a part of this. Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric is what needs to end.”

Republicans quickly highlighted Biden's remark. Trump called up Florida Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio">Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;during his rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to recount what happened.

“Moments ago Joe Biden stated that our supporters, our patriots, are garbage,” Rubio said. ”He’s talking about everyday Americans who love their country.”

Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a subsequent statement, “There’s no way to spin it: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris don’t just hate President Trump, they despise the tens of millions of Americans who support him."

A Trump campaign fundraising text declared, “KAMALA’S BOSS JOE BIDEN JUST CALLED ALL MY SUPPORTERS GARBAGE!” before ensuring recipients that Trump himself thinks, “YOU ARE AMAZING!”

Even some prominent Democrats began distancing themselves from Biden's comments. Speaking on CNN, Pennsylvania Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/josh-shapiro">Josh Shapiro</a>&nbsp;said he would “never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any Americans even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn't support.”

The comments recalled then-Democratic presidential nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hillary-clinton">Hillary Clinton</a>&nbsp;dismissing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;supporters during a 2016 fundraiser in New York by saying that half would fit into a “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/events-united-states-presidential-election-97d6e5c7188845888bba36957160b675">basket of deplorables</a>.”

Clinton later called that characterization “grossly generalistic.” But it became a defiant rallying cry for many Trump backers who said the insult encapsulated the elitist attitudes of Clinton and the Democrats.

As reactions to Biden's reaction began to fly, meanwhile, Trump was asked in an interview Tuesday night with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity about the racist and vulgar joke at his New York rally. He responded: “Somebody said there was a comedian that joked about Puerto Rico or something. And I have no idea who he is.”

The former president added, "I can’t imagine it’s a big deal.”

At a rally Tuesday in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a city with a large Hispanic population, Trump repeated his claim that Biden's immigration policies have allowed other countries to treat the U.S. like “a giant garbage can.”

With Election Day now just a week off, Biden has worked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-harris-2024-campaign-voting-5bc945613e702b0d92fec5881b676ed2">maintain relevance</a>, furiously promoting his administration’s accomplishments while Harris in her race against Trump.

But his efforts to remain in the political spotlight might not always be so helpful for the top of the Democratic ticket he’s now promoting. That’s because, while Harris has been sharply critical of Trump for months, repeatedly calling him “unstable” and “unhinged” and even suggesting that he was “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fascism-meaning-harris-trump-kelly-fda56694feb1825dcf6477c8081a563d">fascist</a>,” she has been careful not to decry his supporters.

In fact, the vice president has campaigned extensively with former Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-election-2024-gop-c584f9860260f48ddff90ab2dca0433a">Liz Cheney</a>&nbsp;and other former GOP elected officials — hoping to woo conservative crossover voters. The Democratic convention — and Harris ads — have highlighted the stories of everyday Americans who talked about having voted for Trump in the past but now say they are supporting the vice president.

On Tuesday’s call, Biden also said that Trump “doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community” and urged rejection of the former president even as Trump’s campaign says its support is rising among Hispanics, particularly men.

“Vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House,” Biden said. “He’s a true danger to, not just Latinos but to all people. Particularly those who are in a minority in this country.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730294797293.png" alt="Image courtesy Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;took a swipe against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;supporters as he reacted to the Republican presidential nominee's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">weekend rally</a>&nbsp;at Madison Square Garden, which was overshadowed by crude and racist rhetoric.In a call organized by the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino, Biden on Tuesday responded to&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/a%20comic">a comic</a>&nbsp;at Trump's rally who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Biden's initial comments were garbled.“Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. Well, let me tell you something, I don’t, I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know, the Puerto Rico where I’m fr -- in my home state of Delaware. They’re good, decent honorable people,” he said.The president then added: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”White House spokesman Andrew Bates said Biden “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”Biden then took to social media to personally clarify what he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump&#39;s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That&#39;s all I meant to say. The…&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1851436643498037614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage — which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” he posted on X. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”In referring to Trump's supporters as “garbage,” however, Biden's tone was at odds with the message that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is seeking to present as she aims to cast a broad appeal, including to disaffected Republicans. Shortly after Biden's comments, Harris spoke from the Ellipse in Washington, vowing to be a president who would unite the country.“I pledge to be a president for all Americans,” said Harris, who is Biden's vice president.Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, said the campaign's message of unity was not undercut by Biden's words.Walz said Wednesday on “CBS Mornings” that the president “was very clear that he’s speaking about the rhetoric we heard, so it doesn’t undermine it.” Walz added on ABC's “Good Morning America” that he and Harris “have made it absolutely clear that we want everyone as a part of this. Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric is what needs to end.”Republicans quickly highlighted Biden's remark. Trump called up Florida Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio">Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;during his rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to recount what happened.“Moments ago Joe Biden stated that our supporters, our patriots, are garbage,” Rubio said. ”He’s talking about everyday Americans who love their country.”Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a subsequent statement, “There’s no way to spin it: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris don’t just hate President Trump, they despise the tens of millions of Americans who support him."A Trump campaign fundraising text declared, “KAMALA’S BOSS JOE BIDEN JUST CALLED ALL MY SUPPORTERS GARBAGE!” before ensuring recipients that Trump himself thinks, “YOU ARE AMAZING!”Even some prominent Democrats began distancing themselves from Biden's comments. Speaking on CNN, Pennsylvania Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/josh-shapiro">Josh Shapiro</a>&nbsp;said he would “never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any Americans even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn't support.”The comments recalled then-Democratic presidential nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hillary-clinton">Hillary Clinton</a>&nbsp;dismissing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;supporters during a 2016 fundraiser in New York by saying that half would fit into a “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/events-united-states-presidential-election-97d6e5c7188845888bba36957160b675">basket of deplorables</a>.”Clinton later called that characterization “grossly generalistic.” But it became a defiant rallying cry for many Trump backers who said the insult encapsulated the elitist attitudes of Clinton and the Democrats.As reactions to Biden's reaction began to fly, meanwhile, Trump was asked in an interview Tuesday night with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity about the racist and vulgar joke at his New York rally. He responded: “Somebody said there was a comedian that joked about Puerto Rico or something. And I have no idea who he is.”The former president added, "I can’t imagine it’s a big deal.”At a rally Tuesday in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a city with a large Hispanic population, Trump repeated his claim that Biden's immigration policies have allowed other countries to treat the U.S. like “a giant garbage can.”With Election Day now just a week off, Biden has worked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-harris-2024-campaign-voting-5bc945613e702b0d92fec5881b676ed2">maintain relevance</a>, furiously promoting his administration’s accomplishments while Harris in her race against Trump.But his efforts to remain in the political spotlight might not always be so helpful for the top of the Democratic ticket he’s now promoting. That’s because, while Harris has been sharply critical of Trump for months, repeatedly calling him “unstable” and “unhinged” and even suggesting that he was “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fascism-meaning-harris-trump-kelly-fda56694feb1825dcf6477c8081a563d">fascist</a>,” she has been careful not to decry his supporters.In fact, the vice president has campaigned extensively with former Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-election-2024-gop-c584f9860260f48ddff90ab2dca0433a">Liz Cheney</a>&nbsp;and other former GOP elected officials — hoping to woo conservative crossover voters. The Democratic convention — and Harris ads — have highlighted the stories of everyday Americans who talked about having voted for Trump in the past but now say they are supporting the vice president.On Tuesday’s call, Biden also said that Trump “doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community” and urged rejection of the former president even as Trump’s campaign says its support is rising among Hispanics, particularly men.“Vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House,” Biden said. “He’s a true danger to, not just Latinos but to all people. Particularly those who are in a minority in this country.”

Biden sets off firestorm saying Trump supporters are 'garbage' 

KANSAS CITY —Sheriff's deputies rescued twin toddlers who were being held as hostages following a stand-off in a rural Kansas City area on Monday night.

Just before 6:30p.m. Pleasant Valley Police received a call about a domestic disturbance in the 7100 block of Fulton Road, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.

Pleasant Valley Police asked for assistance from Claycomo Police officers. At the scene, officers spoke with a woman who said her partner had assaulted her and was inside the home with a gun. She had brought some of her children outside the home with her. She was not seriously injured.

When the man refused to come out, officers asked for the assistance of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Upon deputies’ arrival, the man still refused to exit, and deputies learned twin 1-year-olds remained inside. The man refused to let the toddlers out.

The Special Tactics and Response (STAR) Team and CCSO negotiators activated to deploy additional resources to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. They evacuated the nearby townhomes.

After many hours of negotiations, deputies entered the home shortly after midnight. They encountered the suspect identified as 27-year-old Tyson S. Campbell, armed with a handgun. They were able to wrestle the gun away from him and take him safely into custody. Deputies also got the toddlers to safety with their mother, the original assault victim. Two deputies suffered minor injuries during their encounter with the suspect.

Campbell has been charged with felony domestic assault and more charges could be possible.

The Platte County Sheriff’s Office provided equipment, deputies and negotiators that also helped bring the event to a safe conclusion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730230666697.png" alt="Campbell-photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Campbell-photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Sheriff's deputies rescued twin toddlers who were being held as hostages following a stand-off in a rural Kansas City area on Monday night.Just before 6:30p.m. Pleasant Valley Police received a call about a domestic disturbance in the 7100 block of Fulton Road, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.Pleasant Valley Police asked for assistance from Claycomo Police officers. At the scene, officers spoke with a woman who said her partner had assaulted her and was inside the home with a gun. She had brought some of her children outside the home with her. She was not seriously injured.When the man refused to come out, officers asked for the assistance of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Upon deputies’ arrival, the man still refused to exit, and deputies learned twin 1-year-olds remained inside. The man refused to let the toddlers out.The Special Tactics and Response (STAR) Team and CCSO negotiators activated to deploy additional resources to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. They evacuated the nearby townhomes.After many hours of negotiations, deputies entered the home shortly after midnight. They encountered the suspect identified as 27-year-old Tyson S. Campbell, armed with a handgun. They were able to wrestle the gun away from him and take him safely into custody. Deputies also got the toddlers to safety with their mother, the original assault victim. Two deputies suffered minor injuries during their encounter with the suspect.Campbell has been charged with felony domestic assault and more charges could be possible.The Platte County Sheriff’s Office provided equipment, deputies and negotiators that also helped bring the event to a safe conclusion.

Deputies rescue twin toddlers after stand-off at KC area home

RAWLINS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting in northwest Kansas that sent a woman to the hospital.

On October 27, the&nbsp; Rawlins County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call stating that a woman had been shot at 3401 Road 17, in rural Atwood, Kansas, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Catlyn Wahrman. The woman was transported to the Rawlins County Hospital by a third-party.&nbsp; She was later flown out by Flight For Life.&nbsp; 

As Rawlins County Deputies arrived at 3401 Road 17,&nbsp; a vehicle driven by a man, later identified as 28-year-old&nbsp;Macrae Migchelbrink, left the scene and refused to stop for law-enforcement.&nbsp; 

&nbsp;Migchelbrink&nbsp;drove the vehicle across multiple fields, trying to elude deputies. The vehicle crashed and was Migchelbrink ejected, continued to run and hid from law-enforcement officers. 

Deputies eventually took Migchelbrink&nbsp; into custody and EMS&nbsp; transported him to the Rawlins County Hospital and he was flown out by Flight For Life. 

Migchelbrink is not being held in the Thomas County Jail on requested charges of Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree; Intentional;&nbsp;Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant; x2 - (Cocaine and Hydrocodone);&nbsp;Possession of firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; Criminal carry of weapons; brass knuckles;&nbsp;Flee or attempt to elude; Commission of any felony and Possession of Marijuana, according to Sheriff Wahrman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730284348631.png" alt="Migchelbrink photo Thomas County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Migchelbrink photo Thomas County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>RAWLINS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting in northwest Kansas that sent a woman to the hospital.On October 27, the&nbsp; Rawlins County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call stating that a woman had been shot at 3401 Road 17, in rural Atwood, Kansas, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Catlyn Wahrman. The woman was transported to the Rawlins County Hospital by a third-party.&nbsp; She was later flown out by Flight For Life.&nbsp; As Rawlins County Deputies arrived at 3401 Road 17,&nbsp; a vehicle driven by a man, later identified as 28-year-old&nbsp;Macrae Migchelbrink, left the scene and refused to stop for law-enforcement.&nbsp; &nbsp;Migchelbrink&nbsp;drove the vehicle across multiple fields, trying to elude deputies. The vehicle crashed and was Migchelbrink ejected, continued to run and hid from law-enforcement officers. Deputies eventually took Migchelbrink&nbsp; into custody and EMS&nbsp; transported him to the Rawlins County Hospital and he was flown out by Flight For Life. Migchelbrink is not being held in the Thomas County Jail on requested charges of Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree; Intentional;&nbsp;Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant; x2 - (Cocaine and Hydrocodone);&nbsp;Possession of firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; Criminal carry of weapons; brass knuckles;&nbsp;Flee or attempt to elude; Commission of any felony and Possession of Marijuana, according to Sheriff Wahrman.

Sheriff: Woman shot in rural northwest Kansas

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; — Law enforcement and school officials are investigating an accident that sent a student the hospital.

On Tuesday afternoon, emergency crews were called to the elementary school in Pleasant Hill,&nbsp;2097 Oak Park Boulevard after report of an accidental injury, according to a statement from police.

Several students were struck by a falling tree. One student was transported to the hospital, several others were evaluated by EMS and school nursing staff. The school notified parents. The incident is under control and is being investigated. "Please keep the students and staff in your thoughts and prayers."&nbsp;

Pleasant Hill is located approximately 35 southeast of Overland Park, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730283611454.png" alt="Photo by Chandler Watkins courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Chandler Watkins courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY&nbsp; — Law enforcement and school officials are investigating an accident that sent a student the hospital.On Tuesday afternoon, emergency crews were called to the elementary school in Pleasant Hill,&nbsp;2097 Oak Park Boulevard after report of an accidental injury, according to a statement from police.Several students were struck by a falling tree. One student was transported to the hospital, several others were evaluated by EMS and school nursing staff. The school notified parents. The incident is under control and is being investigated. "Please keep the students and staff in your thoughts and prayers."&nbsp;Pleasant Hill is located approximately 35 southeast of Overland Park, Kansas.

Student hospitalized after tree falls at KC area elementary school

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">Kamala Harris on Tuesday sought to remind Americans</a>&nbsp;what life was like under Donald Trump and then offered voters a different path forward if they send her to the White House, in a speech billed as her campaign's closing argument.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539540-1/vice-president-harris-delivers-address-ellipse-washington-dc">Click here to watch</a> the full address

“I will always listen to you, even if you don’t vote for me,” she said, speaking before a massive crowd that spilled from the grassy Ellipse near the White House to the Washington Monument.

Some key moments from her half-hour speech:

The location of the speech reinforced her message

Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-2024-election-599719041f7d51b541f4f024936ad8d8">chose to speak from the Ellipse on purpose</a>. It's the same spot in Washington where Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;helped incite a mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">Jan. 6, 2021</a>. But the vice president didn't devote much of her speech to the violence of that day, instead using the field between Constitution Avenue and the White House more as a backdrop — a quiet reminder of the different choices Americans face.

“Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other," she said, adding that he wants back into the White House “not to focus on your problems, but to focus on his.”

Kamala Harris, the prosecutor, argued her case

Harris spent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/united-states-government-donald-trump-california-atlanta-border-security-d59be0e540e94851beca3ab591bc6599">years working as a prosecutor</a>. She was California's attorney general before she became a U.S. senator. And she often says on the campaign trail that she's only ever had one client — the people. In her speech, she talked about her past work taking on scammers, violent offenders who abused women and children, and cartels that trafficked in guns and human beings.

She said she'd bring with her to the White House an instinct to protect.

“There’s something about people being treated unfairly, or overlooked, that just gets to me," she said.

It's me, Hi. I'm the presidential nominee. It's me.

One week before the election, Harris allowed that “I know many of you are still getting to know who I am.”

The Democratic nominee has been running for only three months in a compressed campaign launched after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">President Joe Biden dropped out of the race</a>. Harris still is confronting voters who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-democrats-election-2024-b735c4332d22ef46b2bc44a5e443507f">say they want to learn more about</a>&nbsp;her and how she will govern. So she spent some time Tuesday talking about her career, her goals and background.

“I’ll be honest with you: I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. But here’s what I promise you: I will always listen to you, even if you don’t vote for me."

To-do list for Day One at the White House

Harris devoted a good chunk of her speech to talking about policies she'd enact if she were to win the White House, including helping first-time homeowners with down payments and aiding the so-called “sandwich generation" of adults who are caring for young children and older parents by allowing elder care to be funded by Medicare. She said she'd work to pass a bipartisan border security bill that tanked last year after Trump encouraged congressional Republicans to let it die.

And she said she would work to bring back abortion protections. “I will fight to restore what Donald Trump and his hand-selected Supreme Court justice took away from the women of America,” Harris said. The Supreme Court, with three Trump-appointed justices, overturned federal protections of abortion in 2022. Abortion has since become one of the most motivating issues for the Democratic base in the 2024 election.

“On Day One, if elected, Donald Trump would walk into that office with an enemies list,” she said. “When elected, I will walk in with a to-do list.”

Size matters on the campaign trail — especially to Trump

The Ellipse is a grassy expanse between the White House and the Washington Monument that has long played host to political events and national traditions like the annual holiday tree lighting. On Tuesday, the space was packed. Crowds spilled onto the National Mall back toward the Washington Monument, where giant screens and speakers were set up for people to hear and see from afar.

The cheers of the boisterous crowd could be heard from the White House driveway. Harris' campaign said it was her biggest rally to date. She's already packed stadiums and other venues with supporters during her rallies. Harris loves to needle Trump about crowd size — a particular preoccupation for the Republican leader, who claimed the campaign had to bus people in Tuesday to fill the space.

Harris has called Trump ‘unhinged’ and ‘unstable.’ Now she's adding ‘petty tyrant’

Harris boiled down criticism of Trump into two words: "petty tyrant."

She warned Trump is a man governed by grievances, one who would focus on himself and his “enemies list” when he got into the White House. She harked back to the nation's founding when Americans fought for freedom, then sped through decades of hard-fought civil rights battles.

“They did not struggle, sacrifice and lay down their lives only to see us cede our fundamental freedoms. They didn't do that only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant," she said. "These United States of America, we are not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators.”

Just moments before Harris was to speak, Biden was on a campaign call reacting to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">a comic</a>&nbsp;who called Puerto Rico garbage during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">Trump rally last weekend.</a>&nbsp;The president said, "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”

He’d joined a national call organized by the advocacy group Voto Latino. Biden urged those on the call to “vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House," adding, “He’s a true danger to not just Latinos but to all people."

Biden's remarks were quicky seized on by Republicans who said he was denigrating Trump supporters, a distraction for Harris when she is trying to reach out to GOP voters.

Biden quickly sent out a social media post seeking to clarify his remarks.

“His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable," Biden said of Trump. “That’s all I meant to say.”

There's still plenty to come after what Harris called her ‘closing argument’

The event was framed as a campaign finale meant to lay out in stark terms the choice for voters next week. But it's far from Harris' last campaign event. She'll be hitting all the key battleground states as she makes her last pitch to voters.

She will headline events in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania on Wednesday, and on Thursday she will have rallies in Arizona and Nevada. More events are expected before Election Day.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-white-voters-60fe6c335dc6ce8367b7d9ae7be573f3">The campaign is looking to pick up voters across many</a>&nbsp;different demographics in the hope that a swing vote here and there may add up to a win in a razor's-edge race with Trump.

One week out from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">Election Day</a>, the vice president used the address from the grassy Ellipse near the White House to pledge to Americans that she would work to improve their lives while arguing that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">her Republican opponent</a>&nbsp;is only in it for himself.

Harris: ‘World leaders think Trump is an easy mark’

Harris attacked Trump’s competency on the international stage Tuesday, using her closing argument speech to question the former President’s ability to stand up to world leaders.

“World leaders think Trump is an easy mark,” Harris said, arguing that leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are “rooting for” Trump in this election.

Harris pledges to ‘restore’ abortion rights

Harris pledged to “restore” the abortion rights that were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I will fight to restore what Donald Trump and his hand-selected Supreme Court justices took away from the women of America,” Harris said.

The Supreme Court, with three Trump appointees, overturned federal protections of abortion in 2022. Abortion has since become one of the most motivating issues for the Democratic base in the 2024 election.

Harris said later in the speech that she would “proudly” sign a bill protecting abortion rights if Congress were to send her one as president.

Harris both distances herself and embraces Joe Biden in closing argument speech

Harris, speaking in front of the White House, both distanced herself from President Joe Biden and embraced her one-time running mate.

Harris said she has been honored to serve with Biden but she said she “will bring my own experiences and ideas to the Oval Office.”

“My presidency will be different because the challenges we face will be different,” Harris said.

Biden was in the White House behind Harris while she delivered her speech. Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee when Biden opted not to run for reelection in July.

Harris takes one last opportunity to introduce herself to voters

Harris acknowledged one of the clearest critiques of her campaign on Tuesday, telling the audience that she understands “many of you are still getting to know who I am.”

Harris did not become the presumptive Democratic nominee for president until the summer, weeks after President Joe Biden decided not to run for reelection. That decision compressed the campaign timeline, denying Harris the months — and sometimes years — candidates usually have to introduce themselves to voters.

“I recognize this has not been a typical campaign,” Harris said, adding that she is “not afraid of tough fights against bad actors and powerful interests.”

“I will work every day to build consensus and reach compromise to get things done,” she said.

‘Our democracy doesn’t require us to agree on everything’

Harris deliberately tried to win over Republicans and former Trump supporters, telling the audience in Washington that “our democracy doesn’t require us to agree on everything.”

“Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other,” she said. “That is who he is. But America, I am hear to tonight to say, that is not who we are.”

She added: “The fact that someone disagrees with us does not make us the enemy within.”

Harris closes her speech with a final appeal to voters

Vice President Kamala Harris urged voters Tuesday to “start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told” by rejecting former President Donald Trump.

Harris used the finale to her closing argument speech in Washington, D.C. to say voters are “not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators.”

“The United States of America is the greatest idea humanity ever devised,” Harris said. “In seven days, we have the power, each of you has the power, to turn the page, and start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told,” she added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730254014478.png" alt="Image courtesy Harris campaign" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Harris campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">Kamala Harris on Tuesday sought to remind Americans</a>&nbsp;what life was like under Donald Trump and then offered voters a different path forward if they send her to the White House, in a speech billed as her campaign's closing argument.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Vice President <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a>: &quot;Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other. That is who he is, but America, I am here tonight to say that is not who we are!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/tylBZs7wsW">pic.twitter.com/tylBZs7wsW</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1851413064383676570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Vice President Harris: &quot;I pledge to be a president for all Americans. And to always put country above party and self.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/CvNkGY0gye">pic.twitter.com/CvNkGY0gye</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1851418525153231014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539540-1/vice-president-harris-delivers-address-ellipse-washington-dc">Click here to watch</a> the full address“I will always listen to you, even if you don’t vote for me,” she said, speaking before a massive crowd that spilled from the grassy Ellipse near the White House to the Washington Monument.Some key moments from her half-hour speech:<h2>The location of the speech reinforced her message</h2>Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-2024-election-599719041f7d51b541f4f024936ad8d8">chose to speak from the Ellipse on purpose</a>. It's the same spot in Washington where Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;helped incite a mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">Jan. 6, 2021</a>. But the vice president didn't devote much of her speech to the violence of that day, instead using the field between Constitution Avenue and the White House more as a backdrop — a quiet reminder of the different choices Americans face.“Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other," she said, adding that he wants back into the White House “not to focus on your problems, but to focus on his.”<h2>Kamala Harris, the prosecutor, argued her case</h2>Harris spent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/united-states-government-donald-trump-california-atlanta-border-security-d59be0e540e94851beca3ab591bc6599">years working as a prosecutor</a>. She was California's attorney general before she became a U.S. senator. And she often says on the campaign trail that she's only ever had one client — the people. In her speech, she talked about her past work taking on scammers, violent offenders who abused women and children, and cartels that trafficked in guns and human beings.She said she'd bring with her to the White House an instinct to protect.“There’s something about people being treated unfairly, or overlooked, that just gets to me," she said.<h2>It's me, Hi. I'm the presidential nominee. It's me.</h2>One week before the election, Harris allowed that “I know many of you are still getting to know who I am.”The Democratic nominee has been running for only three months in a compressed campaign launched after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">President Joe Biden dropped out of the race</a>. Harris still is confronting voters who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-democrats-election-2024-b735c4332d22ef46b2bc44a5e443507f">say they want to learn more about</a>&nbsp;her and how she will govern. So she spent some time Tuesday talking about her career, her goals and background.“I’ll be honest with you: I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. But here’s what I promise you: I will always listen to you, even if you don’t vote for me."<h2>To-do list for Day One at the White House</h2>Harris devoted a good chunk of her speech to talking about policies she'd enact if she were to win the White House, including helping first-time homeowners with down payments and aiding the so-called “sandwich generation" of adults who are caring for young children and older parents by allowing elder care to be funded by Medicare. She said she'd work to pass a bipartisan border security bill that tanked last year after Trump encouraged congressional Republicans to let it die.And she said she would work to bring back abortion protections. “I will fight to restore what Donald Trump and his hand-selected Supreme Court justice took away from the women of America,” Harris said. The Supreme Court, with three Trump-appointed justices, overturned federal protections of abortion in 2022. Abortion has since become one of the most motivating issues for the Democratic base in the 2024 election.“On Day One, if elected, Donald Trump would walk into that office with an enemies list,” she said. “When elected, I will walk in with a to-do list.”<h2>Size matters on the campaign trail — especially to Trump</h2>The Ellipse is a grassy expanse between the White House and the Washington Monument that has long played host to political events and national traditions like the annual holiday tree lighting. On Tuesday, the space was packed. Crowds spilled onto the National Mall back toward the Washington Monument, where giant screens and speakers were set up for people to hear and see from afar.The cheers of the boisterous crowd could be heard from the White House driveway. Harris' campaign said it was her biggest rally to date. She's already packed stadiums and other venues with supporters during her rallies. Harris loves to needle Trump about crowd size — a particular preoccupation for the Republican leader, who claimed the campaign had to bus people in Tuesday to fill the space.<h2>Harris has called Trump ‘unhinged’ and ‘unstable.’ Now she's adding ‘petty tyrant’</h2>Harris boiled down criticism of Trump into two words: "petty tyrant."She warned Trump is a man governed by grievances, one who would focus on himself and his “enemies list” when he got into the White House. She harked back to the nation's founding when Americans fought for freedom, then sped through decades of hard-fought civil rights battles.“They did not struggle, sacrifice and lay down their lives only to see us cede our fundamental freedoms. They didn't do that only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant," she said. "These United States of America, we are not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators.”<h2>Meanwhile, a Biden complication emerges</h2>Just moments before Harris was to speak, Biden was on a campaign call reacting to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">a comic</a>&nbsp;who called Puerto Rico garbage during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">Trump rally last weekend.</a>&nbsp;The president said, "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”He’d joined a national call organized by the advocacy group Voto Latino. Biden urged those on the call to “vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House," adding, “He’s a true danger to not just Latinos but to all people."Biden's remarks were quicky seized on by Republicans who said he was denigrating Trump supporters, a distraction for Harris when she is trying to reach out to GOP voters.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump&#39;s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That&#39;s all I meant to say. The…&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1851436643498037614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden quickly sent out a social media post seeking to clarify his remarks.“His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable," Biden said of Trump. “That’s all I meant to say.”<h2>There's still plenty to come after what Harris called her ‘closing argument’</h2>The event was framed as a campaign finale meant to lay out in stark terms the choice for voters next week. But it's far from Harris' last campaign event. She'll be hitting all the key battleground states as she makes her last pitch to voters.She will headline events in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania on Wednesday, and on Thursday she will have rallies in Arizona and Nevada. More events are expected before Election Day.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-white-voters-60fe6c335dc6ce8367b7d9ae7be573f3">The campaign is looking to pick up voters across many</a>&nbsp;different demographics in the hope that a swing vote here and there may add up to a win in a razor's-edge race with Trump.One week out from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">Election Day</a>, the vice president used the address from the grassy Ellipse near the White House to pledge to Americans that she would work to improve their lives while arguing that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">her Republican opponent</a>&nbsp;is only in it for himself.<h2>Harris: ‘World leaders think Trump is an easy mark’</h2>Harris attacked Trump’s competency on the international stage Tuesday, using her closing argument speech to question the former President’s ability to stand up to world leaders.“World leaders think Trump is an easy mark,” Harris said, arguing that leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are “rooting for” Trump in this election.<h2>Harris pledges to ‘restore’ abortion rights</h2>Harris pledged to “restore” the abortion rights that were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.“I will fight to restore what Donald Trump and his hand-selected Supreme Court justices took away from the women of America,” Harris said.The Supreme Court, with three Trump appointees, overturned federal protections of abortion in 2022. Abortion has since become one of the most motivating issues for the Democratic base in the 2024 election.Harris said later in the speech that she would “proudly” sign a bill protecting abortion rights if Congress were to send her one as president.<h2>Harris both distances herself and embraces Joe Biden in closing argument speech</h2>Harris, speaking in front of the White House, both distanced herself from President Joe Biden and embraced her one-time running mate.Harris said she has been honored to serve with Biden but she said she “will bring my own experiences and ideas to the Oval Office.”“My presidency will be different because the challenges we face will be different,” Harris said.Biden was in the White House behind Harris while she delivered her speech. Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee when Biden opted not to run for reelection in July.<h2>Harris takes one last opportunity to introduce herself to voters</h2>Harris acknowledged one of the clearest critiques of her campaign on Tuesday, telling the audience that she understands “many of you are still getting to know who I am.”Harris did not become the presumptive Democratic nominee for president until the summer, weeks after President Joe Biden decided not to run for reelection. That decision compressed the campaign timeline, denying Harris the months — and sometimes years — candidates usually have to introduce themselves to voters.“I recognize this has not been a typical campaign,” Harris said, adding that she is “not afraid of tough fights against bad actors and powerful interests.”“I will work every day to build consensus and reach compromise to get things done,” she said.<h2>‘Our democracy doesn’t require us to agree on everything’</h2>Harris deliberately tried to win over Republicans and former Trump supporters, telling the audience in Washington that “our democracy doesn’t require us to agree on everything.”“Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other,” she said. “That is who he is. But America, I am hear to tonight to say, that is not who we are.”She added: “The fact that someone disagrees with us does not make us the enemy within.”<h2>Harris closes her speech with a final appeal to voters</h2>Vice President Kamala Harris urged voters Tuesday to “start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told” by rejecting former President Donald Trump.Harris used the finale to her closing argument speech in Washington, D.C. to say voters are “not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators.”“The United States of America is the greatest idea humanity ever devised,” Harris said. “In seven days, we have the power, each of you has the power, to turn the page, and start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told,” she added.------------------

🎥 Key moments from Harris campaign rally at the U.S. Capitol

PAWNEE COUNTY– Gary Leslie Furthmyer, 73, appeared in custody Monday morning in the Pawnee County District Court for a change of plea hearing, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

A Jury Trial on the matter had been scheduled to begin on Tuesday on a two count felony complaint. The defendant was charged with Violation of the Kansas Offender Registration Act and&nbsp; Aggravated Escape from Custody.

In exchange for the defendant’s plea to the Escape charge, the State agreed to dismiss the Offender Registration charge.&nbsp;

The charges stem from Furthmyer walking away from the Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP) located on the campus of Larned State Hospital (LSH) the night of June 23, 2024.

In support of the plea, Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett advised the Court that at the time of the escape Furthmyer was in the transition phase of program wherein the residents are allowed additional privileges. 

Upon returning from a supervised trip at the casino in Dodge City, Furthmeyer threw his cellular telephone into the trash and walked away as the group unloaded in the facility parking lot. 

The Kansas Highway Patrol located him two and half hours later hiding in a grove of trees northwest of the Larned State Hospital campus. They were assisted in the search by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department, Edwards County Sheriff’s Department, and multiple K-9 units from surrounding jurisdictions.

The Offender Registration charge stems from the defendant failing to register his cellular telephone with the sheriff’s department. Once residents enter the transition phase of SPTP they are required to maintain employment and have a cellular telephone for location check purposes.

Furthmyer has previous convictions for indecent liberties with a child, aggravated failure to appear and aggravated escape from custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, the Furthmeyer faces a presumptive prison sentence between 7 months and 23 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730151731213.png" alt="Furthmyer has been listed as a sexually violent predator since a conviction in 2017, according to the KBI Offender Registry-photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Furthmyer has been listed as a sexually violent predator since a conviction in 2017, according to the KBI Offender Registry-photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY– Gary Leslie Furthmyer, 73, appeared in custody Monday morning in the Pawnee County District Court for a change of plea hearing, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.A Jury Trial on the matter had been scheduled to begin on Tuesday on a two count felony complaint. The defendant was charged with Violation of the Kansas Offender Registration Act and&nbsp; Aggravated Escape from Custody.In exchange for the defendant’s plea to the Escape charge, the State agreed to dismiss the Offender Registration charge.&nbsp;The charges stem from Furthmyer walking away from the Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP) located on the campus of Larned State Hospital (LSH) the night of June 23, 2024.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730168047307.png" alt="Furthmyer photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Furthmyer photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>In support of the plea, Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett advised the Court that at the time of the escape Furthmyer was in the transition phase of program wherein the residents are allowed additional privileges. Upon returning from a supervised trip at the casino in Dodge City, Furthmeyer threw his cellular telephone into the trash and walked away as the group unloaded in the facility parking lot. The Kansas Highway Patrol located him two and half hours later hiding in a grove of trees northwest of the Larned State Hospital campus. They were assisted in the search by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department, Edwards County Sheriff’s Department, and multiple K-9 units from surrounding jurisdictions.The Offender Registration charge stems from the defendant failing to register his cellular telephone with the sheriff’s department. Once residents enter the transition phase of SPTP they are required to maintain employment and have a cellular telephone for location check purposes.Furthmyer has previous convictions for indecent liberties with a child, aggravated failure to appear and aggravated escape from custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, the Furthmeyer faces a presumptive prison sentence between 7 months and 23 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16.

Plea deal for escape from Kan. sex offender treatment program

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A former principal at a Christian boarding school in Missouri that closed in March amid abuse allegations has been charged with sex crimes involving a former student.

Craig Wesley Smith Jr. was charged by the prosecutor in Wayne County in September with forcible sodomy and attempted forcible rape, court records show. He is accused of forcing a teenage girl to perform sex acts in the late 2000s when she was a student at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">Lighthouse Christian Academy</a>&nbsp;in Piedmont, about 130 miles south of St. Louis.

A probable cause statement alleged that Smith told the girl he would kill her and “make it look like she committed suicide” if she told anyone.

Smith faces a hearing Thursday in Wayne County. Messages were left Tuesday with Smith and his attorney.

ABM Ministries operated the school, which claimed success in helping students who were troubled, learning-impaired or dealing with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or other disorders. Lighthouse Christian Academy closed after state criminal charges were filed against the husband-and-wife owners, Larry and Carmen Musgrave, along with a teacher, Caleb Sandoval.

The Musgraves were charged with first-degree kidnapping for allegedly locking a student in a room, but a Wayne County judge on Oct. 15 dismissed the charges. It wasn't immediately clear why. Prosecuting Attorney Ginger Koller Joyner declined comment.

Sandoval was charged with abuse or neglect of a child, accused of injuring a 15-year-old boy while boxing. He pleaded guilty in July and was placed on probation for five years.

A federal lawsuit in 2009 accused Smith of sex acts with an unnamed female student. It wasn't clear if it was the same girl cited in the criminal case. Court records show that ABM Ministries and the Musgraves agreed to pay $750,000 in a settlement, and Smith agreed to pay $100,000.

Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">Christian boarding schools in Missouri</a>&nbsp;have faced abuse allegations in both criminal charges and lawsuits.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-stockton-missouri-education-6d4bc69348f4349249e49b3ec7c29172">Agape Boarding School</a>&nbsp;in Stockton closed in 2023 after years of investigations and allegations of physical and sexual abuse. Criminal cases are still pending against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor</a>, who is charged with several sex crimes.

Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch near Humansville closed in 2020. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-fe24ade3e378bfb53796a0af7cd71deb">former owner</a>, Stephanie Householder, is scheduled to go to trial next year on child abuse counts. Her husband, Boyd Householder, was charged with nearly 80 counts of abuse but died in June.

The schools were unrelated and were not affiliated with any particular Christian denomination.

Abuse allegations at Agape and Circle of Hope&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">prompted a state law in 2021</a>&nbsp;requiring stricter rules for such facilities. Missouri previously had virtually no oversight for religious boarding schools.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730227626873.png" alt="This photo provided by David Clohessy shows the entrance of ABM Ministries, a Christian boarding school in Piedmont, Mo. The owners of ABM Ministries were arrested over the weekend and charged with kidnapping. The arrest followed allegations of abuse by several former students who attended the school (David Clohessy via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This photo provided by David Clohessy shows the entrance of ABM Ministries, a Christian boarding school in Piedmont, Mo. The owners of ABM Ministries were arrested over the weekend and charged with kidnapping. The arrest followed allegations of abuse by several former students who attended the school (David Clohessy via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A former principal at a Christian boarding school in Missouri that closed in March amid abuse allegations has been charged with sex crimes involving a former student.Craig Wesley Smith Jr. was charged by the prosecutor in Wayne County in September with forcible sodomy and attempted forcible rape, court records show. He is accused of forcing a teenage girl to perform sex acts in the late 2000s when she was a student at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">Lighthouse Christian Academy</a>&nbsp;in Piedmont, about 130 miles south of St. Louis.A probable cause statement alleged that Smith told the girl he would kill her and “make it look like she committed suicide” if she told anyone.Smith faces a hearing Thursday in Wayne County. Messages were left Tuesday with Smith and his attorney.ABM Ministries operated the school, which claimed success in helping students who were troubled, learning-impaired or dealing with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or other disorders. Lighthouse Christian Academy closed after state criminal charges were filed against the husband-and-wife owners, Larry and Carmen Musgrave, along with a teacher, Caleb Sandoval.The Musgraves were charged with first-degree kidnapping for allegedly locking a student in a room, but a Wayne County judge on Oct. 15 dismissed the charges. It wasn't immediately clear why. Prosecuting Attorney Ginger Koller Joyner declined comment.Sandoval was charged with abuse or neglect of a child, accused of injuring a 15-year-old boy while boxing. He pleaded guilty in July and was placed on probation for five years.A federal lawsuit in 2009 accused Smith of sex acts with an unnamed female student. It wasn't clear if it was the same girl cited in the criminal case. Court records show that ABM Ministries and the Musgraves agreed to pay $750,000 in a settlement, and Smith agreed to pay $100,000.Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">Christian boarding schools in Missouri</a>&nbsp;have faced abuse allegations in both criminal charges and lawsuits.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-stockton-missouri-education-6d4bc69348f4349249e49b3ec7c29172">Agape Boarding School</a>&nbsp;in Stockton closed in 2023 after years of investigations and allegations of physical and sexual abuse. Criminal cases are still pending against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor</a>, who is charged with several sex crimes.Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch near Humansville closed in 2020. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-fe24ade3e378bfb53796a0af7cd71deb">former owner</a>, Stephanie Householder, is scheduled to go to trial next year on child abuse counts. Her husband, Boyd Householder, was charged with nearly 80 counts of abuse but died in June.The schools were unrelated and were not affiliated with any particular Christian denomination.Abuse allegations at Agape and Circle of Hope&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">prompted a state law in 2021</a>&nbsp;requiring stricter rules for such facilities. Missouri previously had virtually no oversight for religious boarding schools.

Former principal at Mo. Christian school accused of abusing a student

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday rejected an emergency appeal to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the presidential ballot in two battleground states.

Kennedy wanted to get off the ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-trump-speech-arizona-a2638f89ddcb5de03edbe4574ca17d45">dropping his independent bid</a>&nbsp;and endorsing Republican Donald Trump in the tight contest. He argued that keeping him on violated his First Amendment rights.

Michigan and Wisconsin said removing his name now, with early voting underway days before the election, would be impossible.

The justices did not detail their reason in an order rejecting the emergency appeal, as is typical. One justice, Neil Gorsuch, publicly dissented in the Michigan case.

The presence of independent and third-party candidates on the ballot in swing states could be a key factor in the close presidential race. The high court previously rejected Kennedy’s separate effort to stay on the ballot in New York, a state where his presence is unlikely to make a difference in the race between Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.

Kennedy has been working to get off the ballot in the seven key swing states since endorsing Trump. Wisconsin and Michigan are the last two where his name was expected to appear.

In Michigan, he notched an appeals court win but courts ultimately found he couldn’t withdraw as the candidate of the Natural Law Party, which had wanted him to stay on.

In his dissent, Gorush pointed to lower court judges who wrote that the timing of Kennedy’s original request to be removed wasn’t so unreasonable that it should be denied.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday rejected an emergency appeal to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the presidential ballot in two battleground states.Kennedy wanted to get off the ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-trump-speech-arizona-a2638f89ddcb5de03edbe4574ca17d45">dropping his independent bid</a>&nbsp;and endorsing Republican Donald Trump in the tight contest. He argued that keeping him on violated his First Amendment rights.Michigan and Wisconsin said removing his name now, with early voting underway days before the election, would be impossible.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">No matter what state you live in, VOTE TRUMP. Let&#39;s get President Trump back in the White House and me to Washington so we can Make America Healthy Again, end the forever wars, and protect our civil liberties. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/OmjxVMj9uO">pic.twitter.com/OmjxVMj9uO</a>&mdash; Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1846213396452053410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The justices did not detail their reason in an order rejecting the emergency appeal, as is typical. One justice, Neil Gorsuch, publicly dissented in the Michigan case.The presence of independent and third-party candidates on the ballot in swing states could be a key factor in the close presidential race. The high court previously rejected Kennedy’s separate effort to stay on the ballot in New York, a state where his presence is unlikely to make a difference in the race between Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.Kennedy has been working to get off the ballot in the seven key swing states since endorsing Trump. Wisconsin and Michigan are the last two where his name was expected to appear.In Michigan, he notched an appeals court win but courts ultimately found he couldn’t withdraw as the candidate of the Natural Law Party, which had wanted him to stay on.In his dissent, Gorush pointed to lower court judges who wrote that the timing of Kennedy’s original request to be removed wasn’t so unreasonable that it should be denied.

🎥Supreme Court rejects RFK Jr.'s effort to get off the ballot in 2 swing states

Proponents of Amendment 3 have spent over $10 million on TV ads, more than 20 times what the opposition has invested

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

An effort to legalize abortion in Missouri has raised nearly 10 times more than the political action committees seeking to stop it.&nbsp;

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the campaign behind&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 3</a>, which would legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability, has raised more than $30.9 million since launching its campaign in 2023, according to fundraising reports filed Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

That includes roughly $9 million since Oct. 1, most of which came from out-of-state groups that&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/13/missouri-abortion-rights-campaign-doubles-fundraising-fairness-project/">aren’t required to disclose their donors.&nbsp;</a>

A half dozen PACs urging Missourians to vote against Amendment 3 collectively raised around $3.2 million.

This follows a trend seen in other states where abortion has been on the ballot: efforts to legalize or protect the procedure often outspend efforts to defeat it, including in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/ohios-2023-abortion-fight-cost-campaigns-70-million/" target="_blank">Ohio</a>, where a similar measure&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-ohio-issue-1-abortion-rights.html" target="_blank">won with more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp;</a>

But Missouri is a particularly stark example of abortion-rights groups vastly outspending opposition.&nbsp;

One reason may be that less money is coming from the Catholic Church than in previous campaigns. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5144660#:~:text=An%20NPR%20and%20Religion%20News,%2D%20zero%2C%20Arizona%20%2D%20zero." target="_blank">analysis by NPR and Religion News Service</a>&nbsp;found U.S. bishops have donated significantly less this year to fight abortion measures than in 2022 and 2023.&nbsp;

While Catholic churches in Kansas spent nearly $4 million to fight an abortion referendum in Kansas in 2022, the Missouri dioceses have only invested about $30,000 in Missouri’s fight, the news outlets found.

In an effort to bridge this gap, some congregants are going door-to-door in opposition of the amendment.

“We pray for your assistance in this fight against Amendment 3,” Eric Holder, a&nbsp;volunteer with the local Knights of Columbus, prayed aloud in early October before canvassing in Independence.&nbsp;“We are like David facing Goliath. We pray that you be with us.”&nbsp;

He bowed his head alongside half a dozen other knights outside St. Mary’s Catholic Church before heading out to hang “vote no” fliers on about 1,000 doors.

Holder said he became passionate about ending abortion after he converted to Catholicism about 30 years ago and joined in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. He was motivated in part by a relative with an unplanned pregnancy who contemplated abortion before walking into a pregnancy resource center in Kansas City where she was encouraged to keep her baby.&nbsp;

“Missouri could suddenly become one of the worst states in the union in terms of abortion,” Holder said, fearing “the degradation of the family” and a shift to a “pro-death” culture.&nbsp;

In the interview, Holder lamented the dearth of TV ads aired from a “vote no” perspective. Fighting the amendment, he said, felt like “throwing a pebble into a raging ocean.”

But that changed in the coming weeks, as the first ads went up on TV and radio opposing the amendment.&nbsp;

A virtual rally held last week brought out several big names against the amendment, many of whom urged viewers to donate to support the purchase of TV ads.&nbsp;

Hosts of the rally, which included guest appearances by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly, appealed to viewers to donate to fund for ads to run in the 11 days before the election.&nbsp;

“We need to invest in this fight to get the messages in front of people,” said David Bereit, Founder of 40 Days for Life.&nbsp;

A number of people heeded Bereit’s advice.

As of Monday, groups opposing Amendment 3 have spent about $545,000 on radio and TV ads.&nbsp;

Nearly $442,000 of that total was purchased since Thursday, the day of the rally.&nbsp;

More than half of that spending was in TV ads purchased by the Vitae Foundation, an anti-abortion research organization based in Missouri. The group’s president was among those who spoke at Thursday’s rally, asking for contributions for TV ads. The Vitae Foundation is not registered as Missouri PAC, and therefore hasn’t reported donors or spending as is required of PACS.&nbsp;

The foundation’s ads do not specifically name Amendment 3, but rather focus on abortion broadly, encouraging viewers to “think about it.”

But spending on anti-abortion ads remains miles behind spending on digital and TV ads encouraging Missourians to “vote yes.”

As of Monday, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom spent nearly $10.4 million on TV ads, and about $22,000 on radio ads, more than twenty times what the opposition has invested.

The campaign has seen widespread support since its inception. More than&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/03/missourians-signatures-abortion-amendment-viability/">380,000 Missourians signed an initiative petition</a>&nbsp;to put the amendment on the ballot, and most Democratic nominees have campaigned on their support for Amendment 3.&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fG46LwM4JRGAf-ZJSMEqKnJY_7kBABGI/view" target="_blank">More than 500 physicians and more than 300 other medical professionals</a>&nbsp;also signed a letter in support of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/13/missouri-abortion-rights-campaign-doubles-fundraising-fairness-project/">Amendment 3.</a>&nbsp;

No excuse absentee voting in Missouri began Oct. 22. Election officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article294677984.html" target="_blank">Kansas City&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.firstalert4.com/2024/10/25/early-voting-turnout-missouri-running-high/" target="_blank">St. Louis</a>&nbsp;are already reporting significant early voter turnouts ahead of the Nov. 5 General Election.&nbsp;

<a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/september-2024-missouri-poll-republican-candidates-lead-in-president-governor-senate-races/" target="_blank">A recent Emerson College poll</a>&nbsp;found 58% of those surveyed support Amendment 3, with 30% opposed. The most recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.slu.edu/research/research-institute/big-ideas/slu-poll/index.php" target="_blank">SLU/YouGov Poll</a>&nbsp;found that 52% supported the amendment and 34% opposed.

The Independent’s Rudi Keller contributed reporting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712225243467.png" alt=" Volunteers with Missourians for Constitutional Freedom collect signatures in support of putting forward a ballot measure that would legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability in Missouri. More than 500 people signed up for a campaign event on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Volunteers with Missourians for Constitutional Freedom collect signatures in support of putting forward a ballot measure that would legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability in Missouri. More than 500 people signed up for a campaign event on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Proponents of Amendment 3 have spent over $10 million on TV ads, more than 20 times what the opposition has invested</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>An effort to legalize abortion in Missouri has raised nearly 10 times more than the political action committees seeking to stop it.&nbsp;Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the campaign behind&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 3</a>, which would legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability, has raised more than $30.9 million since launching its campaign in 2023, according to fundraising reports filed Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.That includes roughly $9 million since Oct. 1, most of which came from out-of-state groups that&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/13/missouri-abortion-rights-campaign-doubles-fundraising-fairness-project/">aren’t required to disclose their donors.&nbsp;</a>A half dozen PACs urging Missourians to vote against Amendment 3 collectively raised around $3.2 million.This follows a trend seen in other states where abortion has been on the ballot: efforts to legalize or protect the procedure often outspend efforts to defeat it, including in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/ohios-2023-abortion-fight-cost-campaigns-70-million/" target="_blank">Ohio</a>, where a similar measure&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-ohio-issue-1-abortion-rights.html" target="_blank">won with more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp;</a>But Missouri is a particularly stark example of abortion-rights groups vastly outspending opposition.&nbsp;One reason may be that less money is coming from the Catholic Church than in previous campaigns. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5144660#:~:text=An%20NPR%20and%20Religion%20News,%2D%20zero%2C%20Arizona%20%2D%20zero." target="_blank">analysis by NPR and Religion News Service</a>&nbsp;found U.S. bishops have donated significantly less this year to fight abortion measures than in 2022 and 2023.&nbsp;While Catholic churches in Kansas spent nearly $4 million to fight an abortion referendum in Kansas in 2022, the Missouri dioceses have only invested about $30,000 in Missouri’s fight, the news outlets found.In an effort to bridge this gap, some congregants are going door-to-door in opposition of the amendment.“We pray for your assistance in this fight against Amendment 3,” Eric Holder, a&nbsp;volunteer with the local Knights of Columbus, prayed aloud in early October before canvassing in Independence.&nbsp;“We are like David facing Goliath. We pray that you be with us.”&nbsp;He bowed his head alongside half a dozen other knights outside St. Mary’s Catholic Church before heading out to hang “vote no” fliers on about 1,000 doors.Holder said he became passionate about ending abortion after he converted to Catholicism about 30 years ago and joined in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. He was motivated in part by a relative with an unplanned pregnancy who contemplated abortion before walking into a pregnancy resource center in Kansas City where she was encouraged to keep her baby.&nbsp;“Missouri could suddenly become one of the worst states in the union in terms of abortion,” Holder said, fearing “the degradation of the family” and a shift to a “pro-death” culture.&nbsp;In the interview, Holder lamented the dearth of TV ads aired from a “vote no” perspective. Fighting the amendment, he said, felt like “throwing a pebble into a raging ocean.”But that changed in the coming weeks, as the first ads went up on TV and radio opposing the amendment.&nbsp;A virtual rally held last week brought out several big names against the amendment, many of whom urged viewers to donate to support the purchase of TV ads.&nbsp;Hosts of the rally, which included guest appearances by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly, appealed to viewers to donate to fund for ads to run in the 11 days before the election.&nbsp;“We need to invest in this fight to get the messages in front of people,” said David Bereit, Founder of 40 Days for Life.&nbsp;A number of people heeded Bereit’s advice.As of Monday, groups opposing Amendment 3 have spent about $545,000 on radio and TV ads.&nbsp;Nearly $442,000 of that total was purchased since Thursday, the day of the rally.&nbsp;More than half of that spending was in TV ads purchased by the Vitae Foundation, an anti-abortion research organization based in Missouri. The group’s president was among those who spoke at Thursday’s rally, asking for contributions for TV ads. The Vitae Foundation is not registered as Missouri PAC, and therefore hasn’t reported donors or spending as is required of PACS.&nbsp;The foundation’s ads do not specifically name Amendment 3, but rather focus on abortion broadly, encouraging viewers to “think about it.”But spending on anti-abortion ads remains miles behind spending on digital and TV ads encouraging Missourians to “vote yes.”As of Monday, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom spent nearly $10.4 million on TV ads, and about $22,000 on radio ads, more than twenty times what the opposition has invested.The campaign has seen widespread support since its inception. More than&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/03/missourians-signatures-abortion-amendment-viability/">380,000 Missourians signed an initiative petition</a>&nbsp;to put the amendment on the ballot, and most Democratic nominees have campaigned on their support for Amendment 3.&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fG46LwM4JRGAf-ZJSMEqKnJY_7kBABGI/view" target="_blank">More than 500 physicians and more than 300 other medical professionals</a>&nbsp;also signed a letter in support of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/13/missouri-abortion-rights-campaign-doubles-fundraising-fairness-project/">Amendment 3.</a>&nbsp;No excuse absentee voting in Missouri began Oct. 22. Election officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article294677984.html" target="_blank">Kansas City&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.firstalert4.com/2024/10/25/early-voting-turnout-missouri-running-high/" target="_blank">St. Louis</a>&nbsp;are already reporting significant early voter turnouts ahead of the Nov. 5 General Election.&nbsp;<a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/september-2024-missouri-poll-republican-candidates-lead-in-president-governor-senate-races/" target="_blank">A recent Emerson College poll</a>&nbsp;found 58% of those surveyed support Amendment 3, with 30% opposed. The most recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.slu.edu/research/research-institute/big-ideas/slu-poll/index.php" target="_blank">SLU/YouGov Poll</a>&nbsp;found that 52% supported the amendment and 34% opposed.The Independent’s Rudi Keller contributed reporting.

Missouri abortion-rights campaign raises $9M in October, bringing overall tally to $31M

ELLSWORTH COUNTY —A wildfire that closed portions of Interstate 70 is under control and the highway is back open, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Crews remain at the scene to water down hotspots.

The highway between Kansas 232 and KS 14, 6 to 9 miles east of the Dorrance area was also temporarily closed because of a wildfire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730236200118.png" alt="I-70 near Wilson at 4:05p.m. Tuesday -image KanDrive" />
 <figcaption>I-70 near Wilson at 4:05p.m. Tuesday -image KanDrive</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLSWORTH COUNTY —A wildfire that closed portions of Interstate 70 is under control and the highway is back open, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.Crews remain at the scene to water down hotspots.The highway between Kansas 232 and KS 14, 6 to 9 miles east of the Dorrance area was also temporarily closed because of a wildfire.------------ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Interstate 70 is closed in both directions near Wilson, mile marker 206 to mile marker 210 due to a wildfire and reduced visbility due to smoke, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation. Use alternate route.This is a developing story. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.