WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is considering detaining migrant families who cross into the U.S. illegally as it prepares to end COVID-19 restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to U.S. officials familiar with the plans. That would be a major reversal after officials in late 2021 stopped holding families in detention facilities.

Homeland Security officials are working through how to manage an expected increase of migrants at the border once the COVID-19 restrictions that have been in place since 2020 are lifted in May. Detention is one of several ideas under discussion and nothing has been finalized, the officials said.

If families were detained, they would be held for short periods of time, perhaps just a few days, and their cases expedited through immigration court, one official said. The officials were unauthorized to speak publicly about internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on “rumors" that the policy was under consideration. “I’m not saying that it is, I'm not saying that it’s not,” she said. She refused to say whether President Joe Biden believed that detention of families was humane.

Under current policy, families who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border are released into the U.S. and told to appear in immigration court at a later date. During the height of the pandemic, few families were held in custody, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are now using those facilities to hold single adults who cross the border illegally.

But the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-costa-rica-donald-trump-1a5a89459fb0b61f04f8500789b9b221">has increasingly moved to restrict migrants</a>&nbsp;as it faces record numbers of people coming to the Mexico border seeking asylum and is seeing some success at bringing down the number of migrants making a dangerous and often deadly journey.

The suggestion to again detain families was met with disdain from immigration advocates, who point to studies that show how detrimental detention can be for children and families. Many said they were surprised to hear of the possibility because they had been told families would no longer be detained.

“The Biden administration is seeking to find a balance that protects the rights of those fleeing persecution and violence and the desire to enhance the orderliness of asylum processing," said Sergio Gonzales, executive director of the Immigration Hub. "Detaining families has no place in this quest. We implore the administration to reject this shameful, retrograde practice.”

In 2020, Biden himself said in a tweet after reports that children were being released but not their parents: “Children should be released from ICE detention with their parents immediately. This is pretty simple, and I can’t believe I have to say it: Families belong together.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asylum-immigration-poll-biden-border-dbfb4af09d4beb81f4f1d450d4d66f29">A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;shows some support for changing the number of immigrants and asylum-seekers allowed into the country. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say the level of immigration and asylum-seekers should be lowered, while about 2 in 10 say it should be higher, according to the poll. About a third want the numbers to remain the same.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-immigration-af0643a4fb8f45388fe247e44c9b2c5e">Illegal border crossings plummeted after Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Jan. 5 that Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans would be returned to Mexico if they crossed illegally. At the same time, the administration announced that up to 30,000 people from those four countries could come monthly if they applied online, arrived at an airport and had a financial sponsor. The Border Patrol stopped migrants 128,410 times on the Mexican border in January, down 42% from December, which was the highest month on record. February numbers have not been publicly released, but one of the officials told the AP migrants were stopped about 130,000 times.

Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-costa-rica-donald-trump-1a5a89459fb0b61f04f8500789b9b221">the administration said it would generally</a>&nbsp;deny asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S. southern border without first seeking protection in a country they passed through, mirroring an attempt by the Trump administration that never took effect because it was blocked in court.

But most of these efforts do not include families, which are treated differently because of the children traveling. But parents who fear detention may also start sending their children alone, and the number of unaccompanied migrants is also rising.

“I’m alarmed by news reports that the administration is considering reinstating family detention policies," said Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee. “Not only are these policies cruel and harmful to children, but they don’t prevent families from traveling to the United States.”

The administration has the capacity to house roughly 3,000 people in two family detention centers in Texas.

Both the Obama and Trump administrations detained families in those facilities until their immigration cases played out,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-border-patrols-texas-9b959d739d59f03dd5873927171f2e29">though a court order prevents the government from holding children beyond 20 days</a>. A third detention center in Pennsylvania was shut down a few months ago.

Jean-Pierre pushed back against criticism that Biden was reinstating some of the policies of former President Donald Trump, who, among the major changes he made to the immigration system, severely curbed asylum and forcibly separated children from their parents at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-ap-top-news-politics-latin-america-immigration-63e7e47666914bf79eff7366e8eb411b">border in a policy denounced worldwide as inhumane.</a>

″A lot of people have compared what the president is doing, is either extending what Trump did or being very Trump-like,” Jean-Pierre said. “That is not what is happening here.”

Administration officials are ending the national emergency on May 11 that was brought on by the pandemic. Because the border restrictions known as Title 42 are tied to the national emergency, the administration is also planning to end them on May 11. The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing a Republican-led effort to leave them in place, but it has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-politics-canada-mexico-health-57c1906f9d83a318a9d570278735255b">removed oral arguments on the case from its calendar.</a>

The majority of migrants who come seeking asylum do not actually win asylum, according to data from the U.S. government. Only about 30% are deemed eligible under U.S. law, which narrowly defines who qualifies. Many people coming are seeking a better life and fleeing poverty and devastation in their home countries, but it doesn't often mean they get to stay in the U.S.

The two Texas detention centers are in Karnes City and in Dilley. Families would likely be held again in Dilley, which was used to detain families during the Obama and Trump administrations. The New York Times first reported that officials were considering detaining families again.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317779595.png" alt="White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on “rumors" that the policy was under consideration. “I’m not saying that it is, I'm not saying that it’s not,” she said. She refused to say whether President Joe Biden believed that detention of families was humane.&nbsp; photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on “rumors" that the policy was under consideration. “I’m not saying that it is, I'm not saying that it’s not,” she said. She refused to say whether President Joe Biden believed that detention of families was humane.&nbsp; photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is considering detaining migrant families who cross into the U.S. illegally as it prepares to end COVID-19 restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to U.S. officials familiar with the plans. That would be a major reversal after officials in late 2021 stopped holding families in detention facilities.Homeland Security officials are working through how to manage an expected increase of migrants at the border once the COVID-19 restrictions that have been in place since 2020 are lifted in May. Detention is one of several ideas under discussion and nothing has been finalized, the officials said.If families were detained, they would be held for short periods of time, perhaps just a few days, and their cases expedited through immigration court, one official said. The officials were unauthorized to speak publicly about internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on “rumors" that the policy was under consideration. “I’m not saying that it is, I'm not saying that it’s not,” she said. She refused to say whether President Joe Biden believed that detention of families was humane.Under current policy, families who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border are released into the U.S. and told to appear in immigration court at a later date. During the height of the pandemic, few families were held in custody, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are now using those facilities to hold single adults who cross the border illegally.But the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-costa-rica-donald-trump-1a5a89459fb0b61f04f8500789b9b221">has increasingly moved to restrict migrants</a>&nbsp;as it faces record numbers of people coming to the Mexico border seeking asylum and is seeing some success at bringing down the number of migrants making a dangerous and often deadly journey.The suggestion to again detain families was met with disdain from immigration advocates, who point to studies that show how detrimental detention can be for children and families. Many said they were surprised to hear of the possibility because they had been told families would no longer be detained.“The Biden administration is seeking to find a balance that protects the rights of those fleeing persecution and violence and the desire to enhance the orderliness of asylum processing," said Sergio Gonzales, executive director of the Immigration Hub. "Detaining families has no place in this quest. We implore the administration to reject this shameful, retrograde practice.”In 2020, Biden himself said in a tweet after reports that children were being released but not their parents: “Children should be released from ICE detention with their parents immediately. This is pretty simple, and I can’t believe I have to say it: Families belong together.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asylum-immigration-poll-biden-border-dbfb4af09d4beb81f4f1d450d4d66f29">A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;shows some support for changing the number of immigrants and asylum-seekers allowed into the country. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say the level of immigration and asylum-seekers should be lowered, while about 2 in 10 say it should be higher, according to the poll. About a third want the numbers to remain the same.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-immigration-af0643a4fb8f45388fe247e44c9b2c5e">Illegal border crossings plummeted after Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Jan. 5 that Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans would be returned to Mexico if they crossed illegally. At the same time, the administration announced that up to 30,000 people from those four countries could come monthly if they applied online, arrived at an airport and had a financial sponsor. The Border Patrol stopped migrants 128,410 times on the Mexican border in January, down 42% from December, which was the highest month on record. February numbers have not been publicly released, but one of the officials told the AP migrants were stopped about 130,000 times.Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-costa-rica-donald-trump-1a5a89459fb0b61f04f8500789b9b221">the administration said it would generally</a>&nbsp;deny asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S. southern border without first seeking protection in a country they passed through, mirroring an attempt by the Trump administration that never took effect because it was blocked in court.But most of these efforts do not include families, which are treated differently because of the children traveling. But parents who fear detention may also start sending their children alone, and the number of unaccompanied migrants is also rising.“I’m alarmed by news reports that the administration is considering reinstating family detention policies," said Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee. “Not only are these policies cruel and harmful to children, but they don’t prevent families from traveling to the United States.”The administration has the capacity to house roughly 3,000 people in two family detention centers in Texas.Both the Obama and Trump administrations detained families in those facilities until their immigration cases played out,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-border-patrols-texas-9b959d739d59f03dd5873927171f2e29">though a court order prevents the government from holding children beyond 20 days</a>. A third detention center in Pennsylvania was shut down a few months ago.Jean-Pierre pushed back against criticism that Biden was reinstating some of the policies of former President Donald Trump, who, among the major changes he made to the immigration system, severely curbed asylum and forcibly separated children from their parents at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-ap-top-news-politics-latin-america-immigration-63e7e47666914bf79eff7366e8eb411b">border in a policy denounced worldwide as inhumane.</a>″A lot of people have compared what the president is doing, is either extending what Trump did or being very Trump-like,” Jean-Pierre said. “That is not what is happening here.”Administration officials are ending the national emergency on May 11 that was brought on by the pandemic. Because the border restrictions known as Title 42 are tied to the national emergency, the administration is also planning to end them on May 11. The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing a Republican-led effort to leave them in place, but it has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-politics-canada-mexico-health-57c1906f9d83a318a9d570278735255b">removed oral arguments on the case from its calendar.</a>The majority of migrants who come seeking asylum do not actually win asylum, according to data from the U.S. government. Only about 30% are deemed eligible under U.S. law, which narrowly defines who qualifies. Many people coming are seeking a better life and fleeing poverty and devastation in their home countries, but it doesn't often mean they get to stay in the U.S.The two Texas detention centers are in Karnes City and in Dilley. Families would likely be held again in Dilley, which was used to detain families during the Obama and Trump administrations. The New York Times first reported that officials were considering detaining families again.

Biden is considering reinstating detention of migrant families

CASS COUNTY —A juvenile died and six people were injured in an accident just before 4p.m. Tuesday in Cass County, Missouri south of Kansas City.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Ford Explorer driven by Sarah P. Hollister, 65, Brinkley, Arkansas, was eastbound on MO 7 just east of Freedom Road.

The SUV traveled off the left side of the road. The driver overcorrected causing the vehicle to skid and roll. A 3-year-0ld girl was ejected before the SUV came to rest in the median.&nbsp; The child was pronounced dead at the scene.

EMS transported Hollister and passengers Tyrone C. Harris, 41; Ashley V. Payne, 26; Kevon T. Johnson, 23, and two 10-year-old boys all of Brinkley, Arkansas to Cass Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; Only one of the 10-year-olds was wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678275340789.png" alt="The SUV traveled off the left side of the road. The driver overcorrected causing the vehicle to skid and roll. A 3-year-0ld girl was ejected before the SUV came to rest in the median photo courtesy KMBC TV" />
 <figcaption>The SUV traveled off the left side of the road. The driver overcorrected causing the vehicle to skid and roll. A 3-year-0ld girl was ejected before the SUV came to rest in the median photo courtesy KMBC TV</figcaption>
 </figure>CASS COUNTY —A juvenile died and six people were injured in an accident just before 4p.m. Tuesday in Cass County, Missouri south of Kansas City.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Ford Explorer driven by Sarah P. Hollister, 65, Brinkley, Arkansas, was eastbound on MO 7 just east of Freedom Road.The SUV traveled off the left side of the road. The driver overcorrected causing the vehicle to skid and roll. A 3-year-0ld girl was ejected before the SUV came to rest in the median.&nbsp; The child was pronounced dead at the scene.EMS transported Hollister and passengers Tyrone C. Harris, 41; Ashley V. Payne, 26; Kevon T. Johnson, 23, and two 10-year-old boys all of Brinkley, Arkansas to Cass Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; Only one of the 10-year-olds was wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

3-year-old dead, 6 injured after crash south of Kansas City

CRAWFORD COUNTY —The manhunt for a Kansas felon wanted as part of a shooting investigation ended Tuesday in Crawford County.&nbsp; Aaron Swink was taken into custody near South 220 Street in Pittsburg about 6:30 p.m, according to law enforcement authorities.

Swink is the suspect in several shootings that occurred late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. 

Citizens last reported seeing him in southeast city limits of Pittsburg on south Rouse entering the woods. There was a&nbsp;large law enforcement presence in that area.&nbsp;

Swink has previous convictions for kidnapping and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept of Corrections and was reported as an absconder March 6.&nbsp; &nbsp;Authorities have not released new charges against him.

CRAWFORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and working to locate a suspect.

Aaron Swink, 39, is described as&nbsp; 6-foot tall, 200 pounds and should be considered armed and dangerous, according to the Crawford County Sheriff.

He was last seen in southeast city limits of Pittsburg on south Rouse entering the woods. There is a&nbsp;large law enforcement presence in that area.&nbsp;

Swink has previous convictions for kidnapping and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept of Corrections and was reported as an absconder March 6.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678202919269.png" alt="Swink has previous convictions for kidnapping and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Swink has previous convictions for kidnapping and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>CRAWFORD COUNTY —The manhunt for a Kansas felon wanted as part of a shooting investigation ended Tuesday in Crawford County.&nbsp; Aaron Swink was taken into custody near South 220 Street in Pittsburg about 6:30 p.m, according to law enforcement authorities.Swink is the suspect in several shootings that occurred late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Citizens last reported seeing him in southeast city limits of Pittsburg on south Rouse entering the woods. There was a&nbsp;large law enforcement presence in that area.&nbsp;Swink has previous convictions for kidnapping and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept of Corrections and was reported as an absconder March 6.&nbsp; &nbsp;Authorities have not released new charges against him.------------------CRAWFORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and working to locate a suspect.Aaron Swink, 39, is described as&nbsp; 6-foot tall, 200 pounds and should be considered armed and dangerous, according to the Crawford County Sheriff.Swink is the suspect in several shootings that occurred late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. He was last seen in southeast city limits of Pittsburg on south Rouse entering the woods. There is a&nbsp;large law enforcement presence in that area.&nbsp;Swink has previous convictions for kidnapping and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Dept of Corrections and was reported as an absconder March 6.

Sheriff: Wanted Kansas felon is in custsody

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma voters on Tuesday rejected the legalization of recreational marijuana, following a late blitz of opposition from faith leaders, law enforcement and prosecutors.

<a href="https://results.okelections.us/OKER/?elecDate=20230307">Click here to see</a> the elections results

Oklahoma would have become the 22nd state to legalize adult use of cannabis and join conservative states like Montana and Missouri that have approved similar proposals in recent years. Many conservative states have also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-legalization-2022-midterm-elections-c693f5e23e0faf2f39168df6a2f80ab2">rejected the idea</a>, including Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota last year.

Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and many of the state’s GOP legislators, including nearly every Republican senator, opposed the idea. Former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, an ex-FBI agent, and Terri White, the former head of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, led the "no" campaign.

“We’re pleased the voters have spoken," said Pat McFerron, a Republican political strategist who ran the opposition campaign. "We think this sends a clear signal that voters are not happy with the recreational nature of our medicinal system. We also think it shows voters recognize the criminal aspects, as well as the need for addressing mental health needs of the state.”

Oklahoma voters already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mary-fallin-oklahoma-politics-ok-state-wire-70b6fafb4c0f4d2ea920cba5fa227737">approved medical marijuana in 2018</a>&nbsp;by 14 percentage points and the state has one of the most liberal programs in the country, with more than 2,800 licensed dispensaries and roughly 10% of the state’s adult population having a medical license to buy and consume cannabis.

On Tuesday's legalization question, the “no” side was outspent more than 20-to-1, with supporters of the initiative spending more than $4.9 million, compared to about $219,000 against, last-minute campaign finance reports show.

State Question 820, the result of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-marijuana-oklahoma-general-6f4ba121d09542c4bb3615fdcf56f98d">signature gathering drive</a>&nbsp;last year, was the only item on the statewide ballot, and early results showed heavy opposition in rural areas.

“Oklahoma is a law and order state," Stitt said in a statement after Tuesday's vote. "I remain committed to protecting Oklahomans and my administration will continue to hold bad actors accountable and crack down on illegal marijuana operations in our state.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/820.pdf">proposal</a>, if passed, would have allowed anyone over the age of 21 to purchase and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, plus concentrates and marijuana-infused products. Recreational sales would have been subjected to a 15% excise tax on top of the standard sales tax. The excise tax would be used to help fund local municipalities, the court system, public schools, substance abuse treatment and the state’s general revenue fund.

The prospect of having more Oklahomans smoking anything, including marijuana, didn't sit well with Mark Grossman, an attorney who voted against the proposal Tuesday at the Crown Heights Christian Church in Oklahoma City.

“I was a no vote because I'm against smoking,” Grossman said. “Tobacco smoking was a huge problem for my family.”

The low barriers for entry into Oklahoma's medical marijuana industry has led to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-us-news-ap-top-news-ar-state-wire-health-58daeb2ed452710e03ea4542976a620a">flood of growers</a>, processors and dispensary operators competing for a limited number of customers. Supporters had hoped the state's marijuana industry would be buoyed by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-recreational-marijuana-tourism-texas-7f42b209187570a2640f92cf30a3ca3e">rush of out-of-state customers</a>, particularly from Texas, which has close to 8 million people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area just a little more than an hour drive from the Oklahoma border.

Michelle Tilley, campaign director for Yes on 820, said despite Tuesday's result, full marijuana legalization was inevitable. She noted that almost 400,000 Oklahomans already use marijuana legally and “many thousands more” use it illegally.

“A two-tiered system, where one group of Oklahomans is free to use this product and the other is treated like criminals does not make logical sense,” she said in a statement.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma voters will decide Tuesday whether to make the state one of the most conservative to green light cannabis use for adults.

State Question 820, the result of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-marijuana-oklahoma-general-6f4ba121d09542c4bb3615fdcf56f98d">signature gathering drive</a>&nbsp;last year, is the only item on the statewide ballot. Other conservative states have legalized recreational cannabis use, including Montana in 2020 and Missouri last year, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-legalization-2022-midterm-elections-c693f5e23e0faf2f39168df6a2f80ab2">several have rejected it</a>, including Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The plan faces opposition from leaders of several faith groups, along with law enforcement and prosecutors, led by former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, an ex-FBI agent, and Terri White, the former head of the state's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

“We don't want a stoned society,” Keating said Monday, flanked by district attorneys and law enforcement officers from across the state.

The “no” side was outspent more than 20-to-1, with supporters of the initiative spending more than $4.9 million, compared to about $219,000 against, last-minute campaign finance reports show.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/820.pdf">proposal</a>, if passed, would allow anyone over the age of 21 to purchase and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, plus concentrates and marijuana-infused products. People could also legally grow up to 12 marijuana plants. Recreational sales would be subjected to a 15% excise tax on top of the standard sales tax. The excise tax would be used to help fund local municipalities, the court system, public schools, substance abuse treatment and the state’s general revenue fund.

The proposal also outlines a judicial process for people to seek expungement or dismissal of prior marijuana-related convictions.

State officials would have three months after the question passes to establish the rules necessary to implement the new law.

Passage of the state question would result in an increase of $1.8 billion in recreational sales that would generate about $434 million in excise tax revenue alone from 2024 to 2028, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://vicentellp.com/img/content/downloads/An_Economic_Impact_and_Tax_Analysis_of_Oklahoma_State_Question_820.pdf">economic impact study</a>&nbsp;sponsored by the cannabis industry. By far the largest number of out-of-state consumers would be from Texas, followed by Arkansas and Kansas, the report shows.

Both the additional revenue for the state and the expungement of prior convictions appealed to Redeana Moton, who voted for the proposal Tuesday at Crown Heights Christian Church in Oklahoma City.

“I just don't see marijuana as a harsh drug,” Moton said.

The prospect of having more Oklahomans smoking anything, including marijuana, didn't sit well with Mark Grossman, an Oklahoma City attorney who voted against the proposal.

Oklahoma voters already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mary-fallin-oklahoma-politics-ok-state-wire-70b6fafb4c0f4d2ea920cba5fa227737">approved medical marijuana in 2018</a>&nbsp;by 14 percentage points and the state has one of the most liberal programs in the country, with roughly 10% of the state’s adult population having a medical license.

The low barriers for entry into the industry has led to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-us-news-ap-top-news-ar-state-wire-health-58daeb2ed452710e03ea4542976a620a">flood of growers</a>, processors and dispensary operators competing for a limited number of customers. Supporters also say the state's marijuana industry would be buoyed by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-recreational-marijuana-tourism-texas-7f42b209187570a2640f92cf30a3ca3e">rush of out-of-state customers</a>, particularly from Texas, which has close to 8 million people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area just a little more than an hour drive from the Oklahoma border.

“We do have one of the most permissible (medical) programs in the country, but the idea that you have to spend your time and money to go to a doctor and basically buy immunity from criminal prosecution is a pay-to-play system that I just don’t like,” said Ryan Kiesel, a former state lawmaker and one of the organizers of the Yes on 820 campaign.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677941306901.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma voters on Tuesday rejected the legalization of recreational marijuana, following a late blitz of opposition from faith leaders, law enforcement and prosecutors.<a href="https://results.okelections.us/OKER/?elecDate=20230307">Click here to see</a> the elections resultsOklahoma would have become the 22nd state to legalize adult use of cannabis and join conservative states like Montana and Missouri that have approved similar proposals in recent years. Many conservative states have also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-legalization-2022-midterm-elections-c693f5e23e0faf2f39168df6a2f80ab2">rejected the idea</a>, including Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota last year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Oklahomans rejected SQ 820. I believe this is the best thing to keep our kids safe and for our state as a whole. I remain committed to protecting Oklahomans and my administration will continue to hold bad actors accountable and crack down on illegal marijuana operations.&mdash; Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovStitt/status/1633295525381300226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and many of the state’s GOP legislators, including nearly every Republican senator, opposed the idea. Former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, an ex-FBI agent, and Terri White, the former head of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, led the "no" campaign.“We’re pleased the voters have spoken," said Pat McFerron, a Republican political strategist who ran the opposition campaign. "We think this sends a clear signal that voters are not happy with the recreational nature of our medicinal system. We also think it shows voters recognize the criminal aspects, as well as the need for addressing mental health needs of the state.”Oklahoma voters already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mary-fallin-oklahoma-politics-ok-state-wire-70b6fafb4c0f4d2ea920cba5fa227737">approved medical marijuana in 2018</a>&nbsp;by 14 percentage points and the state has one of the most liberal programs in the country, with more than 2,800 licensed dispensaries and roughly 10% of the state’s adult population having a medical license to buy and consume cannabis.On Tuesday's legalization question, the “no” side was outspent more than 20-to-1, with supporters of the initiative spending more than $4.9 million, compared to about $219,000 against, last-minute campaign finance reports show.State Question 820, the result of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-marijuana-oklahoma-general-6f4ba121d09542c4bb3615fdcf56f98d">signature gathering drive</a>&nbsp;last year, was the only item on the statewide ballot, and early results showed heavy opposition in rural areas.“Oklahoma is a law and order state," Stitt said in a statement after Tuesday's vote. "I remain committed to protecting Oklahomans and my administration will continue to hold bad actors accountable and crack down on illegal marijuana operations in our state.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/820.pdf">proposal</a>, if passed, would have allowed anyone over the age of 21 to purchase and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, plus concentrates and marijuana-infused products. Recreational sales would have been subjected to a 15% excise tax on top of the standard sales tax. The excise tax would be used to help fund local municipalities, the court system, public schools, substance abuse treatment and the state’s general revenue fund.The prospect of having more Oklahomans smoking anything, including marijuana, didn't sit well with Mark Grossman, an attorney who voted against the proposal Tuesday at the Crown Heights Christian Church in Oklahoma City.“I was a no vote because I'm against smoking,” Grossman said. “Tobacco smoking was a huge problem for my family.”The low barriers for entry into Oklahoma's medical marijuana industry has led to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-us-news-ap-top-news-ar-state-wire-health-58daeb2ed452710e03ea4542976a620a">flood of growers</a>, processors and dispensary operators competing for a limited number of customers. Supporters had hoped the state's marijuana industry would be buoyed by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-recreational-marijuana-tourism-texas-7f42b209187570a2640f92cf30a3ca3e">rush of out-of-state customers</a>, particularly from Texas, which has close to 8 million people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area just a little more than an hour drive from the Oklahoma border.Michelle Tilley, campaign director for Yes on 820, said despite Tuesday's result, full marijuana legalization was inevitable. She noted that almost 400,000 Oklahomans already use marijuana legally and “many thousands more” use it illegally.“A two-tiered system, where one group of Oklahomans is free to use this product and the other is treated like criminals does not make logical sense,” she said in a statement.___----------------OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma voters will decide Tuesday whether to make the state one of the most conservative to green light cannabis use for adults.State Question 820, the result of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-marijuana-oklahoma-general-6f4ba121d09542c4bb3615fdcf56f98d">signature gathering drive</a>&nbsp;last year, is the only item on the statewide ballot. Other conservative states have legalized recreational cannabis use, including Montana in 2020 and Missouri last year, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-legalization-2022-midterm-elections-c693f5e23e0faf2f39168df6a2f80ab2">several have rejected it</a>, including Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.The plan faces opposition from leaders of several faith groups, along with law enforcement and prosecutors, led by former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, an ex-FBI agent, and Terri White, the former head of the state's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.“We don't want a stoned society,” Keating said Monday, flanked by district attorneys and law enforcement officers from across the state.The “no” side was outspent more than 20-to-1, with supporters of the initiative spending more than $4.9 million, compared to about $219,000 against, last-minute campaign finance reports show.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/820.pdf">proposal</a>, if passed, would allow anyone over the age of 21 to purchase and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, plus concentrates and marijuana-infused products. People could also legally grow up to 12 marijuana plants. Recreational sales would be subjected to a 15% excise tax on top of the standard sales tax. The excise tax would be used to help fund local municipalities, the court system, public schools, substance abuse treatment and the state’s general revenue fund.The proposal also outlines a judicial process for people to seek expungement or dismissal of prior marijuana-related convictions.State officials would have three months after the question passes to establish the rules necessary to implement the new law.Passage of the state question would result in an increase of $1.8 billion in recreational sales that would generate about $434 million in excise tax revenue alone from 2024 to 2028, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://vicentellp.com/img/content/downloads/An_Economic_Impact_and_Tax_Analysis_of_Oklahoma_State_Question_820.pdf">economic impact study</a>&nbsp;sponsored by the cannabis industry. By far the largest number of out-of-state consumers would be from Texas, followed by Arkansas and Kansas, the report shows.Both the additional revenue for the state and the expungement of prior convictions appealed to Redeana Moton, who voted for the proposal Tuesday at Crown Heights Christian Church in Oklahoma City.“I just don't see marijuana as a harsh drug,” Moton said.The prospect of having more Oklahomans smoking anything, including marijuana, didn't sit well with Mark Grossman, an Oklahoma City attorney who voted against the proposal.“I was a no vote because I'm against smoking,” Grossman said. “Tobacco smoking was a huge problem for my family.”Oklahoma voters already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mary-fallin-oklahoma-politics-ok-state-wire-70b6fafb4c0f4d2ea920cba5fa227737">approved medical marijuana in 2018</a>&nbsp;by 14 percentage points and the state has one of the most liberal programs in the country, with roughly 10% of the state’s adult population having a medical license.The low barriers for entry into the industry has led to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-us-news-ap-top-news-ar-state-wire-health-58daeb2ed452710e03ea4542976a620a">flood of growers</a>, processors and dispensary operators competing for a limited number of customers. Supporters also say the state's marijuana industry would be buoyed by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-recreational-marijuana-tourism-texas-7f42b209187570a2640f92cf30a3ca3e">rush of out-of-state customers</a>, particularly from Texas, which has close to 8 million people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area just a little more than an hour drive from the Oklahoma border.“We do have one of the most permissible (medical) programs in the country, but the idea that you have to spend your time and money to go to a doctor and basically buy immunity from criminal prosecution is a pay-to-play system that I just don’t like,” said Ryan Kiesel, a former state lawmaker and one of the organizers of the Yes on 820 campaign.___

By wide margin, Oklahoma voters reject recreational marijuana

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A prisoner who has been behind bars for decades for a St. Louis-area killing has pleaded guilty to one of four other deaths he has been linked to by prosecutors.

Gary Muehlberg, 73, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison Monday in the 1990 death of 21-year-old Sandy Little.

Prosecutors said in September that Muehlberg&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-missouri-365f6d3ba318c251617fa14165341a2f">had confessed</a>&nbsp;to killing Little and three other women in 1990. The confessions came after prosecutors promised not to seek the death penalty.

He has served 28 years of a life sentence for the 1993 killing of Kenneth Atchison, of St. Louis County. Prosecutors said he killed Atchison for $6,000 and put his body in a plywood box in Muehlberg's Bel-Ridge basement.

Little's body was found in an abandoned box off Interstate 70 in O'Fallon five months after she disappeared in September 1990.

Muehlberg has plea hearings scheduled this month in the deaths of Robyn Mihan, Brenda Pruitt and Donna Reitmeyer.

The four women disappeared from south St. Louis within six months in 1990. Their bodies were found by passersby in makeshift containers in Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Louis counties: One was bound between two mattresses, one was concealed in a wooden box and two were stuffed into garbage cans.

Prosecutors said all of the women's killings were connected to an area of south St. Louis that was known at the time for prostitution but authorities have not released a motive for their deaths.

The cases were unsolved until O'Fallon police Detective Sgt. Jodi Weber reopened the investigations in 2008. She eventually found DNA on one of the bodies that matched Muehlberg's.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663670116168.png" alt="Muehlberg-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Muehlberg-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A prisoner who has been behind bars for decades for a St. Louis-area killing has pleaded guilty to one of four other deaths he has been linked to by prosecutors.Gary Muehlberg, 73, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison Monday in the 1990 death of 21-year-old Sandy Little.Prosecutors said in September that Muehlberg&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-missouri-365f6d3ba318c251617fa14165341a2f">had confessed</a>&nbsp;to killing Little and three other women in 1990. The confessions came after prosecutors promised not to seek the death penalty.He has served 28 years of a life sentence for the 1993 killing of Kenneth Atchison, of St. Louis County. Prosecutors said he killed Atchison for $6,000 and put his body in a plywood box in Muehlberg's Bel-Ridge basement.Little's body was found in an abandoned box off Interstate 70 in O'Fallon five months after she disappeared in September 1990.Muehlberg has plea hearings scheduled this month in the deaths of Robyn Mihan, Brenda Pruitt and Donna Reitmeyer.The four women disappeared from south St. Louis within six months in 1990. Their bodies were found by passersby in makeshift containers in Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Louis counties: One was bound between two mattresses, one was concealed in a wooden box and two were stuffed into garbage cans.Prosecutors said all of the women's killings were connected to an area of south St. Louis that was known at the time for prostitution but authorities have not released a motive for their deaths.The cases were unsolved until O'Fallon police Detective Sgt. Jodi Weber reopened the investigations in 2008. She eventually found DNA on one of the bodies that matched Muehlberg's.

Man serving life sentence admits to woman's 1990 murder

KANSAS CITY – A Mexican national who was arrested for driving while intoxicated has been sentenced in federal court for illegally entering the United States for the third time, according to the United State's Attorney.

Juan Antonio Tejeda-Quiroz, 42, residing in Grandview, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on March 1, to three years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 22, 2022, Tejeda-Quiroz pleaded guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported following a conviction for a crime of violence.

On April 30, 2022, around 2:30 a.m., a white Buick Century driven by Tejeda-Quiroz reversed out of a driveway and crashed into a marked Grandview police patrol vehicle parked on the 13000 block of 15th Street in Grandview. Tejeda-Quiroz was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Tejeda-Quiroz, a citizen and national of Mexico, illegally entered the United States in February 1994. On Sept. 6, 2001, Tejeda-Quiroz was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of arson. He threw a firebomb inside a car occupied by his wife, causing her to jump from the moving car that caught fire and exploded, and then used his car to threaten her. He was sentenced to five years of probation and received a deferred sentence. On Dec. 4, 2001, Tejeda-Quiroz was deported to Mexico.

Tejeda-Quiroz illegally entered the United States a second time. He was arrested for burglary of a vehicle on Dec. 8, 2002. On March 17, 2006, he was arrested for illegally reentering the United States, which violated the terms of his probation. His probation was revoked on June 16, 2006, and he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. On July 13, 2012, Tejeda-Quiroz was again deported to Mexico.

Tejeda-Quiroz illegally reentered the United States a third time in 2018. On May 25, 2018, he was arrested in Lawrence, Kansas for driving under the influence. He was arrested in Liberty, Mo., in July 2021 for driving without a valid license and no insurance. He was arrested in Olathe, Kan., in March 2022 for driving without a license.

Tejeda-Quiroz used alias names, according to court documents, presumably to avoid detection. Tejeda-Quiroz has used controlled substances, including cocaine, and heroin, snorting around one-half gram of heroin a day up until his arrest, according to court documents.

KANSAS CITY – A Mexican national who was arrested for driving while intoxicated has been sentenced in federal court for illegally entering the United States for the third time, according to the United State's Attorney.Juan Antonio Tejeda-Quiroz, 42, residing in Grandview, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on March 1, to three years and six months in federal prison without parole.On Sept. 22, 2022, Tejeda-Quiroz pleaded guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported following a conviction for a crime of violence.On April 30, 2022, around 2:30 a.m., a white Buick Century driven by Tejeda-Quiroz reversed out of a driveway and crashed into a marked Grandview police patrol vehicle parked on the 13000 block of 15th Street in Grandview. Tejeda-Quiroz was arrested for driving while intoxicated.Tejeda-Quiroz, a citizen and national of Mexico, illegally entered the United States in February 1994. On Sept. 6, 2001, Tejeda-Quiroz was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of arson. He threw a firebomb inside a car occupied by his wife, causing her to jump from the moving car that caught fire and exploded, and then used his car to threaten her. He was sentenced to five years of probation and received a deferred sentence. On Dec. 4, 2001, Tejeda-Quiroz was deported to Mexico.Tejeda-Quiroz illegally entered the United States a second time. He was arrested for burglary of a vehicle on Dec. 8, 2002. On March 17, 2006, he was arrested for illegally reentering the United States, which violated the terms of his probation. His probation was revoked on June 16, 2006, and he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. On July 13, 2012, Tejeda-Quiroz was again deported to Mexico.Tejeda-Quiroz illegally reentered the United States a third time in 2018. On May 25, 2018, he was arrested in Lawrence, Kansas for driving under the influence. He was arrested in Liberty, Mo., in July 2021 for driving without a valid license and no insurance. He was arrested in Olathe, Kan., in March 2022 for driving without a license.Tejeda-Quiroz used alias names, according to court documents, presumably to avoid detection. Tejeda-Quiroz has used controlled substances, including cocaine, and heroin, snorting around one-half gram of heroin a day up until his arrest, according to court documents.

Mexican man sentenced in KC for Illegally entering U.S. 3-times

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

RILEY COUNTY - Just after 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 4th, Riley County dispatchers received 9-1-1 calls from concerned residents on Deep Creek Road notifying them of a grassfire, which had gotten out of control, was threatening structures and outbuildings.

According to Riley County Fire District #1, a&nbsp;total of nearly 30 firefighters responded on 14 apparatus, with mutual aid from 3 brush truck units and personnel from Wabaunsee County Fire District #8 and 1 brush truck unit and personnel from Manhattan Fire Department.  

The fire started as a permitted outdoor burn, which ended up burning more than 300 acres of grassland.

“This was a fast-moving fire that threatened multiple homes,” said RCFD#1 Deputy Fire Chief John Martens. “We could have seen millions of dollars in damage without the aid of volunteer firefighters and mutual aid crews. It could have been truly devastating for the community.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Last year we had several major wildfires in Riley County and many across the state. Much of our landscape is fuel rich, very dry, and ready to burn with high intensity, and we ask people to stay vigilant this season," said Martens. "If you’re conducting a burn, make sure you have enough people and equipment to control the fire. If you see an unattended fire or suspect an out-of-control fire in your neighborhood, call 9-1-1 right away,” said Riley County Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Russel Stukey.&nbsp;

Procedures for controlled burns include the following:&nbsp;

"Conducting an outdoor burn is a major responsibility and the fire must be monitored until completely extinguished or adequately contained. Fire can get out of control quickly and can be active for several days or even longer in certain circumstances. The consequences of an out-of-control fire can be disastrous,” said Stukey.&nbsp; The first step in the process to conduct an outdoor burn is to contact Riley County Emergency Management 785-537-6333 to apply for a burn permit. Staff will share advice and information for conducting the burn safely.

Find more information at&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=d71d8dd9ac&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">www.rileycountyks.gov/fire</a>&nbsp; and&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=22213b4490&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">https://www.kansasforests.org/fire_management/fireprevention.html&nbsp;</a>

<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=22213b4490&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank"></a>The Kansas Forest Service also provides prescribed burning classes to property owners. More information is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=6916def7d0&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">https://www.kansasforests.org/fire_management/prescribedfire.html&nbsp;</a> Sign up for emergency notifications, including burn condition notices, at&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=2e52d653a2&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">www.rileycountyks.gov/alerts</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostRILEY COUNTY - Just after 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 4th, Riley County dispatchers received 9-1-1 calls from concerned residents on Deep Creek Road notifying them of a grassfire, which had gotten out of control, was threatening structures and outbuildings.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678226389424.jpeg" alt="picture&nbsp;provided by firefighter Brandon Parsons, courtesy of Riley County Fire District #1" />
 <figcaption>picture&nbsp;provided by firefighter Brandon Parsons, courtesy of Riley County Fire District #1</figcaption>
 </figure>According to Riley County Fire District #1, a&nbsp;total of nearly 30 firefighters responded on 14 apparatus, with mutual aid from 3 brush truck units and personnel from Wabaunsee County Fire District #8 and 1 brush truck unit and personnel from Manhattan Fire Department. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678225706196.jpeg" alt="picture provided by firefighter Brandon Parsons, courtesy of Riley County Fire District #1" />
 <figcaption>picture provided by firefighter Brandon Parsons, courtesy of Riley County Fire District #1</figcaption>
 </figure>The fire started as a permitted outdoor burn, which ended up burning more than 300 acres of grassland.“This was a fast-moving fire that threatened multiple homes,” said RCFD#1 Deputy Fire Chief John Martens. “We could have seen millions of dollars in damage without the aid of volunteer firefighters and mutual aid crews. It could have been truly devastating for the community.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678226446250.jpeg" alt="picture provided by firefighter Brandon Parsons, courtesy of Riley County Fire District #1" />
 <figcaption>picture provided by firefighter Brandon Parsons, courtesy of Riley County Fire District #1</figcaption>
 </figure>“Last year we had several major wildfires in Riley County and many across the state. Much of our landscape is fuel rich, very dry, and ready to burn with high intensity, and we ask people to stay vigilant this season," said Martens. "If you’re conducting a burn, make sure you have enough people and equipment to control the fire. If you see an unattended fire or suspect an out-of-control fire in your neighborhood, call 9-1-1 right away,” said Riley County Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Russel Stukey.&nbsp; Procedures for controlled burns include the following:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Get a&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=9be1959e0f&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">burn permit&nbsp;</a></li><li>Check&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=8573ba254c&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">local weather conditions&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=97ee8fb693&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">rangeland fire index&nbsp;</a></li><li>Make sure you have enough&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=361d610eff&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">manpower to control the burn (pdf)&nbsp;</a></li><li>Make sure your&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=e68f5effc3&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">equipment (pdf)</a>&nbsp;is in good working order&nbsp;</li><li>Call the controlled burn hotline before lighting the fire at 785-565-6216 or 866-565-6216 (toll-free)&nbsp;</li><li>Call the controlled burn hotline when your fire is out&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>"Conducting an outdoor burn is a major responsibility and the fire must be monitored until completely extinguished or adequately contained. Fire can get out of control quickly and can be active for several days or even longer in certain circumstances. The consequences of an out-of-control fire can be disastrous,” said Stukey.&nbsp; The first step in the process to conduct an outdoor burn is to contact Riley County Emergency Management 785-537-6333 to apply for a burn permit. Staff will share advice and information for conducting the burn safely.Find more information at&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=d71d8dd9ac&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">www.rileycountyks.gov/fire</a>&nbsp; and&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=22213b4490&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">https://www.kansasforests.org/fire_management/fireprevention.html&nbsp;</a><a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=22213b4490&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank"></a>The Kansas Forest Service also provides prescribed burning classes to property owners. More information is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=6916def7d0&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">https://www.kansasforests.org/fire_management/prescribedfire.html&nbsp;</a> Sign up for emergency notifications, including burn condition notices, at&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=2e52d653a2&amp;e=3dbcd2089f" target="_blank">www.rileycountyks.gov/alerts</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Weekend wildfire threatened rural Kansas homes 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Handed some 41,000 hours of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-capitol-riot-mccarthy-tucker-carlson-50a41c27108279a4486823a5db284dc1">Jan. 6 security footage,</a>&nbsp;Fox News' Tucker Carlson launched an impassioned new effort to explain away the deadly Capitol attack, linking the Republican Party ever more closely to pro-Trump conspiracy theories about the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW_PTgWi2Vk&amp;t=449s">2021 riot</a>.

(Click below for the White House response to the newly released video)

The conservative commentator aired a first installment to millions of viewers on his prime-time show, working to bend perceptions of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violent, grueling siege</a>&nbsp;that played out for the world to see into a narrative favorable to Donald Trump.

The undertaking by Fox News comes as Trump is again running for president, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-fraud-donald-trump-24d6322f99281fdfb46c272e3ac6bacf">executives at the highest levels</a>&nbsp;of the cable news giant have admitted in unrelated court proceedings that it spread the former president's false claims about the 2020 election despite dismissing Trump's assertions privately.

The effort dovetails with the work of Republicans on Capitol Hill, led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who turned over the security footage to Fox. The Republicans are trying to claw back the findings of the House Jan. 6 investigation, which painstakingly documented, with testimony and video evidence, how Trump rallied his supporters to head to the Capitol and “fight like hell” as Congress was certifying his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump on Tuesday contended that Carlson's presentation was “irrefutable” evidence that rioters have been wrongly accused of crimes and he thanked the host and the speaker for their work. Carlson praised McCarthy as having “rectified” the official record.

Trump called anew for the release from custody of people who have been convicted or have pleaded guilty to charges from the attack.

At the same time, criticism poured in from Democrats — and some top Republicans, too — over the GOP's attempt to amplify falsehoods about the attack that was seen around the world as Trump supporters laid siege to the seat of U.S. democracy.

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, the Democrat who chaired the House Jan. 6 Committee investigating the riot, called McCarthy's decision to selectively release the security footage “a dereliction of duty."

“Despite repeated warnings as to the sensitive nature of this footage, the speaker decided it was more important to give in to a Fox host who spews lies and propaganda than to protect the Capitol,” Thompson said in a statement. He called Jan. 6 “one of the darkest days in the history of our democracy.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the Monday night Fox News episode from Carlson “one of the most shameful hours we have ever seen on television.”

The show's portrayal was "an insult to every single police officer,” Schumer said, especially the family of Brian Sicknick, who died later after fighting the mob. “Nonviolent? Ask his family.”

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said it was a mistake for Fox News to depict the footage as it did — at odds with what he and others witnessed first hand at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

In the roughly 30-minute segment, Fox distilled the thousands of hours of footage of the gruesome scenes at the Capitol that day and did show some of the hand-to-hand combat as rioters laid siege to the building, broke windows and kicked down doors to gain entry.

But Carlson also emphasized imagery of the invaders, some in combat gear and wielding flagpoles, merely milling about the gilded halls, taking pictures of the surroundings during pauses in the hours-long attack.

“These were not insurrectionists. They were sightseers,” Carlson said.

The footage he aired focused on one of the highest-profile rioters,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-capitol-siege-5c9ebf384bf936403d42e1a453c89153">Jacob Chansley</a>, the “QAnon Shaman,” garbed in his horned hat and bare chested, as he poked around the building, officers standing by or opening doors. Chansley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-capitol-siege-michael-pence-cf57fd6131987a3dba5382d1a8149749">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding and was sentenced to 41 months in prison.

Carlson denounced the Jan. 6 committee led by Democrats in the past Congress, and called out Trump's chief Republican critics Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as liars on the panel.

He said most of rioters were “not destroying the Capitol, they obviously revere the Capitol."

Carlson is reviving the falsehoods launched by Trump and his allies, including Republicans in Congress, that the attackers were peaceful protesters and acted like tourists, despite the well-documented carnage of the day and the deaths of five people in the riot and its aftermath. It's part of an effort to reverse criminal charges for those being prosecuted in the attack, many of whom have pleaded guilty and said they regretted their actions on Jan. 6.

Capitol Police officers who were defending against the mob have testified to their harrowing experiences — one said she was slipping in other people's blood, while another told of being crushed in the mob — as they worked and ultimately failed to block the rioters from storming the Capitol.

Among those who died in the riot and its aftermath were Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt who was shot by police and Capitol Police officer Sicknick who died after fighting the mob.

Carlson aired footage of Sicknick inside the Capitol picking up posters and politely ushering protesters out the door, portraying that as evidence the officer was not killed in the crush.

That last was denounced by Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger as “the most disturbing accusation from last night."

“The Department maintains, as anyone with common sense would, that had Officer Sicknick not fought valiantly for hours on the day he was violently assaulted, Officer Sicknick would not have died the next day,” Chief Manger said in a memo to his police force.

He said the program “cherry-picked” from calmer moments of the day, ignoring “the chaos and violence that happened before or during.”

The Sicknick family said in a statement that the footage simply showed that Brian Sicknick bravely resumed his duties for a time after he had been attacked by a chemical agent.

Ken Sicknick, Brian Sicknick’s brother, said in an interview that the family is “at a loss” about how to fight back against a network with millions of viewers and the speaker of the House who gave access to the footage.

Law enforcement failures on Jan. 6 have been investigated in Congress and acknowledged: Police failed to heed signs of a looming attack and were slow to provide an adequate response, including reinforcement from the National Guard stationed nearby.

Nearly 1,000 people have been charged by the Justice Department in the siege, with members of the extremist Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups facing rare charges of sedition for their roles at the front of the assault. Several members of the Oath Keepers have been found guilty of sedition

Most of the defendants face lesser misdemeanor charges for having been on hand during the siege.

Republicans on Capitol Hill are mounting an effort to retell the history of Jan. 6 through the House Administration Committee, which has opened an online portal for submissions from the public.

Some GOP leaders, however, appeared uncomfortable with McCarthy's move and the way the footage was being used.

Senate Republican leader McConnell quickly distanced himself from the endeavor, saying he wanted to “associate myself entirely with the opinion of the chief of the Capitol Police about what happened."

McConnell said, “Clearly the chief of the Capitol Police correctly describes what most of us witnessed firsthand on Jan. 6.”

Pressed about Jan. 6, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2. Republican, said, “It was an attack on the Capitol.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Handed some 41,000 hours of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-capitol-riot-mccarthy-tucker-carlson-50a41c27108279a4486823a5db284dc1">Jan. 6 security footage,</a>&nbsp;Fox News' Tucker Carlson launched an impassioned new effort to explain away the deadly Capitol attack, linking the Republican Party ever more closely to pro-Trump conspiracy theories about the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW_PTgWi2Vk&amp;t=449s">2021 riot</a>.(Click below for the White House response to the newly released video)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F897155534955442%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=2613" 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>The conservative commentator aired a first installment to millions of viewers on his prime-time show, working to bend perceptions of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violent, grueling siege</a>&nbsp;that played out for the world to see into a narrative favorable to Donald Trump.He promised more Tuesday night.The undertaking by Fox News comes as Trump is again running for president, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-fraud-donald-trump-24d6322f99281fdfb46c272e3ac6bacf">executives at the highest levels</a>&nbsp;of the cable news giant have admitted in unrelated court proceedings that it spread the former president's false claims about the 2020 election despite dismissing Trump's assertions privately.The effort dovetails with the work of Republicans on Capitol Hill, led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who turned over the security footage to Fox. The Republicans are trying to claw back the findings of the House Jan. 6 investigation, which painstakingly documented, with testimony and video evidence, how Trump rallied his supporters to head to the Capitol and “fight like hell” as Congress was certifying his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.Trump on Tuesday contended that Carlson's presentation was “irrefutable” evidence that rioters have been wrongly accused of crimes and he thanked the host and the speaker for their work. Carlson praised McCarthy as having “rectified” the official record.Trump called anew for the release from custody of people who have been convicted or have pleaded guilty to charges from the attack.At the same time, criticism poured in from Democrats — and some top Republicans, too — over the GOP's attempt to amplify falsehoods about the attack that was seen around the world as Trump supporters laid siege to the seat of U.S. democracy.Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, the Democrat who chaired the House Jan. 6 Committee investigating the riot, called McCarthy's decision to selectively release the security footage “a dereliction of duty."“Despite repeated warnings as to the sensitive nature of this footage, the speaker decided it was more important to give in to a Fox host who spews lies and propaganda than to protect the Capitol,” Thompson said in a statement. He called Jan. 6 “one of the darkest days in the history of our democracy.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a> on January 6th footage released by Speaker McCarthy to Fox News: &quot;What a low point for Speaker McCarthy, what a low point for Fox News.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2TBM3MeKpl">pic.twitter.com/2TBM3MeKpl</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1633154472712060928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the Monday night Fox News episode from Carlson “one of the most shameful hours we have ever seen on television.”The show's portrayal was "an insult to every single police officer,” Schumer said, especially the family of Brian Sicknick, who died later after fighting the mob. “Nonviolent? Ask his family.”Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said it was a mistake for Fox News to depict the footage as it did — at odds with what he and others witnessed first hand at the Capitol on Jan. 6.In the roughly 30-minute segment, Fox distilled the thousands of hours of footage of the gruesome scenes at the Capitol that day and did show some of the hand-to-hand combat as rioters laid siege to the building, broke windows and kicked down doors to gain entry.But Carlson also emphasized imagery of the invaders, some in combat gear and wielding flagpoles, merely milling about the gilded halls, taking pictures of the surroundings during pauses in the hours-long attack.“These were not insurrectionists. They were sightseers,” Carlson said.The footage he aired focused on one of the highest-profile rioters,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-capitol-siege-5c9ebf384bf936403d42e1a453c89153">Jacob Chansley</a>, the “QAnon Shaman,” garbed in his horned hat and bare chested, as he poked around the building, officers standing by or opening doors. Chansley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-capitol-siege-michael-pence-cf57fd6131987a3dba5382d1a8149749">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding and was sentenced to 41 months in prison.Carlson denounced the Jan. 6 committee led by Democrats in the past Congress, and called out Trump's chief Republican critics Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as liars on the panel.He said most of rioters were “not destroying the Capitol, they obviously revere the Capitol."Carlson is reviving the falsehoods launched by Trump and his allies, including Republicans in Congress, that the attackers were peaceful protesters and acted like tourists, despite the well-documented carnage of the day and the deaths of five people in the riot and its aftermath. It's part of an effort to reverse criminal charges for those being prosecuted in the attack, many of whom have pleaded guilty and said they regretted their actions on Jan. 6.Capitol Police officers who were defending against the mob have testified to their harrowing experiences — one said she was slipping in other people's blood, while another told of being crushed in the mob — as they worked and ultimately failed to block the rioters from storming the Capitol.Among those who died in the riot and its aftermath were Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt who was shot by police and Capitol Police officer Sicknick who died after fighting the mob.Carlson aired footage of Sicknick inside the Capitol picking up posters and politely ushering protesters out the door, portraying that as evidence the officer was not killed in the crush.That last was denounced by Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger as “the most disturbing accusation from last night."“The Department maintains, as anyone with common sense would, that had Officer Sicknick not fought valiantly for hours on the day he was violently assaulted, Officer Sicknick would not have died the next day,” Chief Manger said in a memo to his police force.He said the program “cherry-picked” from calmer moments of the day, ignoring “the chaos and violence that happened before or during.”The Sicknick family said in a statement that the footage simply showed that Brian Sicknick bravely resumed his duties for a time after he had been attacked by a chemical agent.Ken Sicknick, Brian Sicknick’s brother, said in an interview that the family is “at a loss” about how to fight back against a network with millions of viewers and the speaker of the House who gave access to the footage.Law enforcement failures on Jan. 6 have been investigated in Congress and acknowledged: Police failed to heed signs of a looming attack and were slow to provide an adequate response, including reinforcement from the National Guard stationed nearby.Nearly 1,000 people have been charged by the Justice Department in the siege, with members of the extremist Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups facing rare charges of sedition for their roles at the front of the assault. Several members of the Oath Keepers have been found guilty of seditionMost of the defendants face lesser misdemeanor charges for having been on hand during the siege.Republicans on Capitol Hill are mounting an effort to retell the history of Jan. 6 through the House Administration Committee, which has opened an online portal for submissions from the public.Some GOP leaders, however, appeared uncomfortable with McCarthy's move and the way the footage was being used.Senate Republican leader McConnell quickly distanced himself from the endeavor, saying he wanted to “associate myself entirely with the opinion of the chief of the Capitol Police about what happened."McConnell said, “Clearly the chief of the Capitol Police correctly describes what most of us witnessed firsthand on Jan. 6.”Pressed about Jan. 6, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2. Republican, said, “It was an attack on the Capitol.”___

🎥White House responds to release of more Jan. 6 security videos

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri law banning local police from enforcing federal gun laws is unconstitutional and void, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes ruled the 2021 law is preempted by the federal government under the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause.

“At best, this statute causes confusion among state law enforcement officials who are deputized for federal task force operations, and at worst, is unconstitutional on its face," Wimes wrote.

Missouri's Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey in a statement said he will appeal the ruling.

“As Attorney General, I will protect the Constitution, which includes defending Missourians’ fundamental right to bear arms," Bailey said. "We are prepared to defend this statute to the highest court, and we anticipate a better result at the Eighth Circuit.”

The Missouri law had subjected law enforcement agencies with officers who knowingly enforced federal gun laws without equivalent state laws to a fine of $50,000 per violating officer.

Federal laws without similar Missouri laws include statutes covering weapons registration and tracking, and possession of firearms by some domestic violence offenders.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-michael-brown-gun-politics-laws-government-and-politics-6b8d2b283a6ac997262104899a3b0715">Conflict over Missouri’s law</a>&nbsp;wrecked a crime-fighting partnership with U.S. attorneys that Missouri’s former Republican attorney general, now-Sen. Eric Schmitt, touted for years. Under Schmitt’s Safer Streets Initiative, attorneys from his office were deputized as assistant U.S. attorneys to help prosecute violent crimes.

The Justice Department, which last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-politics-missouri-merrick-garland-6c77cc39796eb1e95641c4c53eaeaf40">sued to overturn the Missouri law</a>, said the Missouri state crime lab, operated by the Highway Patrol, refused to process evidence that would help federal firearms prosecutions after the law took effect.

The Missouri Information and Analysis Center, also under the Highway Patrol, stopped cooperating with federal agencies investigating federal firearms offenses. And the Highway Patrol, along with many other agencies, suspended joint efforts to enforce federal firearms laws.

Wimes said police can now work with federal partners without worrying about breaking the voided law.

“State and local law enforcement officials in Missouri may lawfully participate in joint federal task forces, assist in the investigation and enforcement of federal firearm crimes, and fully share information with the Federal Government without fear of H.B. 85’s penalties,” the judge wrote.

Republican lawmakers who helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-joe-biden-mo-state-wire-michael-brown-gun-politics-1a08383c079dda0f9e837a05451f2acd">pass the bill</a>&nbsp;said they were motivated by the potential for new gun restrictions under Democratic President Joe Biden, who signed the most sweeping gun violence bill in decades last year.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">federal legislation</a>&nbsp;toughened background checks for the youngest gun buyers, keeps firearms from more domestic violence offenders and helps states put in place red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people adjudged to be dangerous.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri law banning local police from enforcing federal gun laws is unconstitutional and void, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today&#39;s decision is a monumental defense of the safety of our families, our police, and our neighborhoods. Today&#39;s total repudiation of the patently unconstitutional Second Amendment Preservation Act makes clear the Constitution, if not common sense, can still prevail in Missouri <a href="https://t.co/twUPpKL4kp">https://t.co/twUPpKL4kp</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1633187657814626305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes ruled the 2021 law is preempted by the federal government under the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause.“At best, this statute causes confusion among state law enforcement officials who are deputized for federal task force operations, and at worst, is unconstitutional on its face," Wimes wrote.Missouri's Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey in a statement said he will appeal the ruling.“As Attorney General, I will protect the Constitution, which includes defending Missourians’ fundamental right to bear arms," Bailey said. "We are prepared to defend this statute to the highest court, and we anticipate a better result at the Eighth Circuit.”The Missouri law had subjected law enforcement agencies with officers who knowingly enforced federal gun laws without equivalent state laws to a fine of $50,000 per violating officer.Federal laws without similar Missouri laws include statutes covering weapons registration and tracking, and possession of firearms by some domestic violence offenders.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-michael-brown-gun-politics-laws-government-and-politics-6b8d2b283a6ac997262104899a3b0715">Conflict over Missouri’s law</a>&nbsp;wrecked a crime-fighting partnership with U.S. attorneys that Missouri’s former Republican attorney general, now-Sen. Eric Schmitt, touted for years. Under Schmitt’s Safer Streets Initiative, attorneys from his office were deputized as assistant U.S. attorneys to help prosecute violent crimes.The Justice Department, which last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-politics-missouri-merrick-garland-6c77cc39796eb1e95641c4c53eaeaf40">sued to overturn the Missouri law</a>, said the Missouri state crime lab, operated by the Highway Patrol, refused to process evidence that would help federal firearms prosecutions after the law took effect.The Missouri Information and Analysis Center, also under the Highway Patrol, stopped cooperating with federal agencies investigating federal firearms offenses. And the Highway Patrol, along with many other agencies, suspended joint efforts to enforce federal firearms laws.Wimes said police can now work with federal partners without worrying about breaking the voided law.“State and local law enforcement officials in Missouri may lawfully participate in joint federal task forces, assist in the investigation and enforcement of federal firearm crimes, and fully share information with the Federal Government without fear of H.B. 85’s penalties,” the judge wrote.Republican lawmakers who helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-joe-biden-mo-state-wire-michael-brown-gun-politics-1a08383c079dda0f9e837a05451f2acd">pass the bill</a>&nbsp;said they were motivated by the potential for new gun restrictions under Democratic President Joe Biden, who signed the most sweeping gun violence bill in decades last year.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">federal legislation</a>&nbsp;toughened background checks for the youngest gun buyers, keeps firearms from more domestic violence offenders and helps states put in place red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people adjudged to be dangerous.

US judge strikes down Mo. gun law as unconstitutional

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials are alerting consumers about two more recalls of eyedrops due to contamination risks that could lead to vision problems and serious injury.

The announcements follow a recall&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-business-health-4572be6da44f4fab4e0f691f5e37e3ed">last month</a>&nbsp;of eyedrops made in India that were linked to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eyedrops-recall-ezricare-delsam-outbreak-2320289a358e9fe6fa7d38a1fc5f19f7">outbreak of drug-resistant infections.</a>&nbsp;One person died and at least five others had permanent vision loss.

There's no indication the latest recalls are related to those products.

The Food and Drug Administration posted separate recall notices for certain eyedrops distributed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/pharmedica-usa-llc-issues-voluntary-worldwide-recall-purely-soothing-15-msm-drops-due-non-sterility">Pharmedica</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/apotex-corp-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-brimonidine-tartrate-ophthalmic-solution-015-due">Apotex</a>&nbsp;after the companies said they are voluntarily pulling several lots of their products from the market. Both companies said the recalls were conducted in consultation with the FDA.

Pharmedica on Friday said it is recalling two lots of Purely Soothing 15% MSM Drops due to problems “that could result in blindness." The over-the-counter drops are designed to treat eye irritation. The Phoenix-based company said consumers should immediately stop using the drops and return them to the place they were purchased.

The recall affects nearly 2,900 bottles, according to the company. The drops were manufactured in Arizona.

Last week, the FDA posted a separate recall announcement from Apotex recalling six lots of prescription eyedrops used to treat a form of glaucoma. The company said it launched the recall after finding cracks in a handful of bottle caps.

The drops are distributed as Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution. 0.15% and were sold between last April through February.

Apotex said in an email that the eyedrops were manufactured in Canada. The company hasn't received any reports of injuries related to the drops.

NEW YORK (AP) — The patients' eyes were painfully inflamed. They could sense light but could see almost nothing else. A doctor called one case the worst eye infection he’d ever seen.

It was the beginning of a national outbreak caused by an extremely worrisome bacteria — one that some say heralds an era in which antibiotics no longer work and seemingly routine infections get horribly out of hand.

At last count, 58 Americans in 13 states have been infected, including at least one who died and at least five who suffered permanent vision loss. All have been linked to tainted eyedrops, leading to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-business-health-4572be6da44f4fab4e0f691f5e37e3ed">recall</a>.

Experts marvel at how disease detectives pieced together the case: Patients were scattered across the country. The illnesses occurred over the span of months. The infections were found in different parts of the body — in the blood of some patients, in the lungs of others.

But scientists also shudder, because they have long worried common bacteria will evolve so that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-infectious-diseases-antibiotics-fungi-2c661fd0c6ed899bedc51238d390603a">antibiotics no longer work against them</a>.

"This really shows us that it's not something theoretical and in the future. It's here,” said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

This account is drawn from phone and email interviews with U.S. disease investigators, health officials in three states and regulators in the U.S. and India.

The investigation started in May in Los Angeles County, California. A patient who'd recently been to an ophthalmologist came in with a bad eye infection. A month later, local health officials got a second report. Another bad eye infection, same eye doctor.

Two more cases were reported in the county before the summer was over. The patients’ eyes were inflamed with heavy yellow pus that obscured most of the pupil. Among the four, two had complete vision loss in the affected eye.

The hospital that reported the first infection determined it was caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The institution, which was equipped to do advanced genetic testing, quickly realized the bacteria had a rare gene that protected it from the effects of commonly used antibiotics.

It was an early break for investigators, said Kelsey OYong, of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

OYong and her colleagues knew they were dealing with a scary germ, and they notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pseudomonas infections are not new. Drug-resistant strains of the bacteria cause more than 30,000 infections annually among hospitalized patients in the U.S. and more than 2,500 deaths, the CDC said. It can spread through contaminated hands or medical equipment, and is particularly dangerous to fragile patients who have catheters or are on breathing machines.

But the California infections were in patients' eyes, not more common spots like the blood and lungs. Also, the lab analysis determined the infections were caused by a Pseudomonas germ that could resist just about every antibiotic.

The only thing that worked was a newer antibiotic called cefiderocol, administered by IV.

Over the summer, Pseudomonas outbreaks were seen at long-term care facilities in two other states.

In Connecticut, the first case was in June. Eventually, the bacteria was found in 25 patients from five nursing homes in different parts of the state, said Christopher Boyle, a spokesperson for Connecticut’s health department.

In Davis County, Utah, north of Salt Lake City, the first of six cases was reported to the CDC in August. While the patients had the bacteria, none actually got sick, said Sarah Willardson of the Davis County Health Department.

L.A. County health investigators thought the cases there might be due to some kind of equipment contamination at the eye doctor’s office.

But that suspicion faded in early October, when genetic testing showed the clusters in California, Connecticut and Utah were all caused by the same bacteria strain — a version of the germ that hadn’t been seen anywhere before.

“That made us start thinking that this was some kind of a product,” said Maroya Walters, the CDC official supervising the investigation.

As the year went on, other reports of drug-resistant Pseudomonas came in, including a Washington man who died with a bloodstream infection.

Given the initial cluster at the California ophthalmologist’s office, investigators suspected an eye care product was the culprit, though that hypothesis was complicated by the fact that the infections at the long-term care facilities were mainly found in the lungs.

But it wasn’t impossible. Tear ducts drain into the nasal cavity, which leads to the lungs and could provide a path to deep inside the body.

In early November, investigators determined most of the infected Connecticut patients had been given artificial tears, though it wasn't clear who had been given which brand.

Then, on Nov. 9, a Florida hospital contacted the CDC to report bad eye infections connected to an outpatient clinic. A check of artificial tears brands used in Connecticut, Florida and Utah pointed to one common product: EzriCare Artificial Tears, an over-the-counter product marketed in the U.S. by New Jersey-based EzriCare LLC and made in India by Global Pharma Healthcare.

The Pseudomonas bacteria is “pretty much everywhere” in India and the drug-resistant germ is common in many hospitals, said Dr. Gagandeep Kang, who studies microbes in the Christian Medical College in the same state as Global Pharma's factory.

In January, genetic sequencing confirmed the Florida cases were caused by the same bacteria strain as the clusters in California, Connecticut and Utah. On Jan. 20, the CDC urged doctors to avoid recommending the EzriCare product.

There was no recall or widespread public notice, however. Investigators had strong circumstantial evidence pointing toward the EzriCare drops, but didn’t get more conclusive proof until more than a week later after testing found the bacteria in seven open bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears in Connecticut and New Jersey.

In early February, CDC officials issued a public health alert and the FDA recalled the EzriCare eyedrops and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears, another product made by Global Pharma. Last week, the recall was expanded to include Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment.

Global Pharma didn't respond to emailed requests for comment.

A month before the first recall, the FDA blocked imports of Global Pharma products.

FDA spokesperson Audra Harrison said the U.S. import ban was “unrelated to the outbreak," and was instead based on the company’s “inadequate response” to a records request and problems with its manufacturing procedures. She wouldn't say what those problems were.

The subsequent recall, she said, was recommended due to lack of microbial testing and issues with the product’s formulation and packaging.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678210738168.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials are alerting consumers about two more recalls of eyedrops due to contamination risks that could lead to vision problems and serious injury.The announcements follow a recall&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-business-health-4572be6da44f4fab4e0f691f5e37e3ed">last month</a>&nbsp;of eyedrops made in India that were linked to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eyedrops-recall-ezricare-delsam-outbreak-2320289a358e9fe6fa7d38a1fc5f19f7">outbreak of drug-resistant infections.</a>&nbsp;One person died and at least five others had permanent vision loss.There's no indication the latest recalls are related to those products.The Food and Drug Administration posted separate recall notices for certain eyedrops distributed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/pharmedica-usa-llc-issues-voluntary-worldwide-recall-purely-soothing-15-msm-drops-due-non-sterility">Pharmedica</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/apotex-corp-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-brimonidine-tartrate-ophthalmic-solution-015-due">Apotex</a>&nbsp;after the companies said they are voluntarily pulling several lots of their products from the market. Both companies said the recalls were conducted in consultation with the FDA.Pharmedica on Friday said it is recalling two lots of Purely Soothing 15% MSM Drops due to problems “that could result in blindness." The over-the-counter drops are designed to treat eye irritation. The Phoenix-based company said consumers should immediately stop using the drops and return them to the place they were purchased.The recall affects nearly 2,900 bottles, according to the company. The drops were manufactured in Arizona.Last week, the FDA posted a separate recall announcement from Apotex recalling six lots of prescription eyedrops used to treat a form of glaucoma. The company said it launched the recall after finding cracks in a handful of bottle caps.The drops are distributed as Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution. 0.15% and were sold between last April through February.Apotex said in an email that the eyedrops were manufactured in Canada. The company hasn't received any reports of injuries related to the drops.___<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675357768410.png" alt="-photo Ezri care" />
 <figcaption>-photo Ezri care</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical WriterNEW YORK (AP) — The patients' eyes were painfully inflamed. They could sense light but could see almost nothing else. A doctor called one case the worst eye infection he’d ever seen.It was the beginning of a national outbreak caused by an extremely worrisome bacteria — one that some say heralds an era in which antibiotics no longer work and seemingly routine infections get horribly out of hand.At last count, 58 Americans in 13 states have been infected, including at least one who died and at least five who suffered permanent vision loss. All have been linked to tainted eyedrops, leading to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-business-health-4572be6da44f4fab4e0f691f5e37e3ed">recall</a>.Experts marvel at how disease detectives pieced together the case: Patients were scattered across the country. The illnesses occurred over the span of months. The infections were found in different parts of the body — in the blood of some patients, in the lungs of others.But scientists also shudder, because they have long worried common bacteria will evolve so that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-infectious-diseases-antibiotics-fungi-2c661fd0c6ed899bedc51238d390603a">antibiotics no longer work against them</a>."This really shows us that it's not something theoretical and in the future. It's here,” said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.This account is drawn from phone and email interviews with U.S. disease investigators, health officials in three states and regulators in the U.S. and India.___The investigation started in May in Los Angeles County, California. A patient who'd recently been to an ophthalmologist came in with a bad eye infection. A month later, local health officials got a second report. Another bad eye infection, same eye doctor.Two more cases were reported in the county before the summer was over. The patients’ eyes were inflamed with heavy yellow pus that obscured most of the pupil. Among the four, two had complete vision loss in the affected eye.The hospital that reported the first infection determined it was caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The institution, which was equipped to do advanced genetic testing, quickly realized the bacteria had a rare gene that protected it from the effects of commonly used antibiotics.It was an early break for investigators, said Kelsey OYong, of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.OYong and her colleagues knew they were dealing with a scary germ, and they notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pseudomonas infections are not new. Drug-resistant strains of the bacteria cause more than 30,000 infections annually among hospitalized patients in the U.S. and more than 2,500 deaths, the CDC said. It can spread through contaminated hands or medical equipment, and is particularly dangerous to fragile patients who have catheters or are on breathing machines.But the California infections were in patients' eyes, not more common spots like the blood and lungs. Also, the lab analysis determined the infections were caused by a Pseudomonas germ that could resist just about every antibiotic.The only thing that worked was a newer antibiotic called cefiderocol, administered by IV.___Over the summer, Pseudomonas outbreaks were seen at long-term care facilities in two other states.In Connecticut, the first case was in June. Eventually, the bacteria was found in 25 patients from five nursing homes in different parts of the state, said Christopher Boyle, a spokesperson for Connecticut’s health department.In Davis County, Utah, north of Salt Lake City, the first of six cases was reported to the CDC in August. While the patients had the bacteria, none actually got sick, said Sarah Willardson of the Davis County Health Department.L.A. County health investigators thought the cases there might be due to some kind of equipment contamination at the eye doctor’s office.But that suspicion faded in early October, when genetic testing showed the clusters in California, Connecticut and Utah were all caused by the same bacteria strain — a version of the germ that hadn’t been seen anywhere before.“That made us start thinking that this was some kind of a product,” said Maroya Walters, the CDC official supervising the investigation.___As the year went on, other reports of drug-resistant Pseudomonas came in, including a Washington man who died with a bloodstream infection.Given the initial cluster at the California ophthalmologist’s office, investigators suspected an eye care product was the culprit, though that hypothesis was complicated by the fact that the infections at the long-term care facilities were mainly found in the lungs.But it wasn’t impossible. Tear ducts drain into the nasal cavity, which leads to the lungs and could provide a path to deep inside the body.In early November, investigators determined most of the infected Connecticut patients had been given artificial tears, though it wasn't clear who had been given which brand.Then, on Nov. 9, a Florida hospital contacted the CDC to report bad eye infections connected to an outpatient clinic. A check of artificial tears brands used in Connecticut, Florida and Utah pointed to one common product: EzriCare Artificial Tears, an over-the-counter product marketed in the U.S. by New Jersey-based EzriCare LLC and made in India by Global Pharma Healthcare.___The Pseudomonas bacteria is “pretty much everywhere” in India and the drug-resistant germ is common in many hospitals, said Dr. Gagandeep Kang, who studies microbes in the Christian Medical College in the same state as Global Pharma's factory.In January, genetic sequencing confirmed the Florida cases were caused by the same bacteria strain as the clusters in California, Connecticut and Utah. On Jan. 20, the CDC urged doctors to avoid recommending the EzriCare product.There was no recall or widespread public notice, however. Investigators had strong circumstantial evidence pointing toward the EzriCare drops, but didn’t get more conclusive proof until more than a week later after testing found the bacteria in seven open bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears in Connecticut and New Jersey.In early February, CDC officials issued a public health alert and the FDA recalled the EzriCare eyedrops and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears, another product made by Global Pharma. Last week, the recall was expanded to include Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment.Global Pharma didn't respond to emailed requests for comment.___A month before the first recall, the FDA blocked imports of Global Pharma products.FDA spokesperson Audra Harrison said the U.S. import ban was “unrelated to the outbreak," and was instead based on the company’s “inadequate response” to a records request and problems with its manufacturing procedures. She wouldn't say what those problems were.The subsequent recall, she said, was recommended due to lack of microbial testing and issues with the product’s formulation and packaging.The FDA, tasked with assuring the safety of drug products shipped to the U.S., has long struggled to inspect facilities in China and India that account for the vast majority of raw materials used in American medicines. A search of FDA’s online inspection database shows no records of agency staff visiting the plant.Indian drug inspectors visited the plant and the country's drug controller asked Global Pharma to stop making all products related to treating eye disorders until they finish their investigation, said P.V. Vijayalakshmi, the drug controller for southern Tamil Nadu state.___Ostrosky, the University of Texas expert, called the U.S. investigation “a public health victory” saying it shows that fighting drug-resistant bacteria requires international collaboration and investment. But he also said the case is disheartening.An infection that's usually easy to treat with common antibiotic eyedrops "has become an infection that can be deadly and has pretty much no treatment except one IV antibiotic,” he said.Pseudomonas now joins a growing list of bugs — including bacteria that cause urinary tract infections — that are getting increasingly difficult to treat, Ostrosky added.“It's like a wave coming for us," he said.___AP writers Matthew Perrone in Washington and Aniruddha Ghosal in New Delhi contributed.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.