KANSAS CITY—Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced the Chiefs Champions parade is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15.

<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bda12e63c3a534dbded3a5f/t/63ea74466ea80378442293ee/1676309578689/SBMAP_2023.pdf">The parade kicks off </a>at at noon at Sixth Street and Grand Boulevard, working its way down Grand until finally heading west at Union Station. The rally at Union Station&nbsp;and the National <a href="https://www.theworldwar.org/">WWI Museum and Memorial north lawn </a>will begin at approximately 1:45p.m and last approximately 1 hour.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial <a href="https://www.theworldwar.org/">will offer reserved parking</a> and a discount admission rate for those who attend the parade.

Kansas City Public Schools canceled classes for Wednesday.

For the most updated information on transit, public safety, and other news relating to the Chiefs Kingdom Champions Parade, please sign up to receive notifications from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/talk-to-us/hear-from-us/alertkc" target="_blank">ALERTKC</a>&nbsp;by texting “KCPARADE” to 888-777.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676320844619.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced the Chiefs Champions parade is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15.<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bda12e63c3a534dbded3a5f/t/63ea74466ea80378442293ee/1676309578689/SBMAP_2023.pdf">The parade kicks off </a>at at noon at Sixth Street and Grand Boulevard, working its way down Grand until finally heading west at Union Station. The rally at Union Station&nbsp;and the National <a href="https://www.theworldwar.org/">WWI Museum and Memorial north lawn </a>will begin at approximately 1:45p.m and last approximately 1 hour.The National WWI Museum and Memorial <a href="https://www.theworldwar.org/">will offer reserved parking</a> and a discount admission rate for those who attend the parade.Kansas City Public Schools canceled classes for Wednesday.For the most updated information on transit, public safety, and other news relating to the Chiefs Kingdom Champions Parade, please sign up to receive notifications from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/talk-to-us/hear-from-us/alertkc" target="_blank">ALERTKC</a>&nbsp;by texting “KCPARADE” to 888-777.&nbsp;

Kansas City confirms Chiefs Championship Parade route 

DENVER (AP) — On Colorado’s northeastern plains, where the pencil-straight horizon divides golden fields and blue sky, a farmer named Danny Wood scrambles to plant and harvest proso millet, dryland corn and winter wheat in short, seasonal windows. That is until his high-tech Steiger 370 tractor conks out.

The tractor's manufacturer doesn't allow Wood to make certain fixes himself, and last spring his fertilizing operations were stalled for three days before the servicer arrived to add a few lines of missing computer code for $950.

“That’s where they have us over the barrel, it’s more like we are renting it than buying it,” said Wood, who spent $300,000 on the used tractor.

Wood's plight, echoed by farmers across the country, has pushed lawmakers in Colorado and 10 other states to introduce bills that would force manufacturers to provide the tools, software, parts and manuals needed for farmers to do their own repairs — thereby avoiding steep labor costs and delays that imperil profits.

"The manufacturers and the dealers have a monopoly on that repair market because it’s lucrative," said Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat and one of the bill's sponsors. “(Farmers) just want to get their machine going again.”

In Colorado, the legislation is largely being pushed by Democrats while their Republican colleagues find themselves stuck in a tough spot: torn between right-leaning farming constituents asking to be able to repair their own machines and the manufacturing businesses that oppose the idea.

The manufacturers argue that changing the current practice with this type of legislation would would force companies to expose trade secrets. They also say it would make it easier for farmers to tinker with the software and illegally crank up the horsepower and bypass the emissions controller — risking operators' safety and the environment.

Similar arguments around intellectual property have been leveled against the broader campaign called ‘right to repair,’ which has picked up steam across the country — crusading for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-apple-inc-smartphones-afb6e6603bdb5c0bb510de5b4c685f69">right to fix everything from iPhones</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-nevada-coronavirus-pandemic-laws-5ade405a7befdf16e9f0107b7e142be3">hospital ventilators</a>&nbsp;during the pandemic.

In 2011, Congress passed a law ensuring that car owners and independent mechanics — not just authorized dealerships — had access to the necessary tools and information to fix problems.

Ten years later, the Federal Trade Commission&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-government-and-politics-7e5d6c82ee4f1b66fd4c3b78d1ddd18e">pledged to beef up its right to repair enforcement</a>&nbsp;at the direction of President Joe Biden. And just last year, Titone sponsored and passed Colorado's first right to repair law, empowering people who use wheelchairs with the tools and information to fix them.

For the right to repair farm equipment — from thin tractors used between grape vines to behemoth combines for harvesting grain that can cost over half a million dollars — Colorado is joined by 10 states including Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont.

Many of the bills are finding bipartisan support, said Nathan Proctor, who leads Public Interest Research Group's national right to repair campaign. But in Colorado's House committee on agriculture, Democrats pushed the bill forward in a 9-4 vote along party lines, with Republicans in opposition even though the bill's second sponsor is Republican Rep. Ron Weinberg.

“That’s really surprising, and that upset me,” said the Republican Wood.

Wood's tractor, which flies an American flag reading “Farmers First,” isn't his only machine to break down. His grain harvesting combine was dropping into idle, but the servicer took five days to arrive on Wood's farm — a setback that could mean a hail storm decimates a wheat field or the soil temperature moves beyond the Goldilocks zone for planting.

“Our crop is ready to harvest and we can’t wait five days, but there was nothing else to do,” said Wood. “When it’s broke down you just sit there and wait and that’s not acceptable. You can be losing $85,000 a day.”

Rep. Richard Holtorf, the Republican who represents Wood's district and is a farmer himself, said he's being pulled between his constituents and the dealerships in his district covering the largely rural northeast corner of the state. He voted against the measure because he believes it will financially impact local dealerships in rural areas and could jeopardize trade secrets.

“I do sympathize with my farmers," said Holtorf, but added, “I don’t think it’s the role of government to be forcing the sale of their intellectual property.”

At the packed hearing last week that spilled into a second room in Colorado's Capitol, the core concerns raised in testimony were farmers illegally slipping around the emissions control and cranking up the horsepower.

“I know growers, if they can change horsepower and they can change emissions they are going to do it,” said Russ Ball, sales manager at 21st Century Equipment, a John Deere dealership in Western states.

The bill's proponents acknowledged that the legislation could make it easier for operators to modify horsepower and emissions controls, but argued that farmers are already able to tinker with their machines and doing so would remain illegal.

This January, the Farm Bureau and the farm equipment manufacturer John Deere did&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-san-juan-moline-831b374a4f820dcde5ee2d647093e207">sign a memorandum of understanding</a>&nbsp;— a right to repair agreement made in the free market and without government intervention. The agreement stipulates that John Deere will share some parts, diagnostic and repair codes, and manuals to allow farmers to do their own fixes.

The Colorado bill's detractors laud that agreement as a strong middle ground while Titone said it wasn't enough, evidenced by six of Colorado's biggest farmworker associations that support the bill.

Proctor, who is tracking 20 right to repair proposals in a number of industries across the country, said the memorandum of understanding has fallen far short.

“Farmers are saying no," Proctor said. “We want the real thing.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625596705829.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — On Colorado’s northeastern plains, where the pencil-straight horizon divides golden fields and blue sky, a farmer named Danny Wood scrambles to plant and harvest proso millet, dryland corn and winter wheat in short, seasonal windows. That is until his high-tech Steiger 370 tractor conks out.The tractor's manufacturer doesn't allow Wood to make certain fixes himself, and last spring his fertilizing operations were stalled for three days before the servicer arrived to add a few lines of missing computer code for $950.“That’s where they have us over the barrel, it’s more like we are renting it than buying it,” said Wood, who spent $300,000 on the used tractor.Wood's plight, echoed by farmers across the country, has pushed lawmakers in Colorado and 10 other states to introduce bills that would force manufacturers to provide the tools, software, parts and manuals needed for farmers to do their own repairs — thereby avoiding steep labor costs and delays that imperil profits."The manufacturers and the dealers have a monopoly on that repair market because it’s lucrative," said Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat and one of the bill's sponsors. “(Farmers) just want to get their machine going again.”In Colorado, the legislation is largely being pushed by Democrats while their Republican colleagues find themselves stuck in a tough spot: torn between right-leaning farming constituents asking to be able to repair their own machines and the manufacturing businesses that oppose the idea.The manufacturers argue that changing the current practice with this type of legislation would would force companies to expose trade secrets. They also say it would make it easier for farmers to tinker with the software and illegally crank up the horsepower and bypass the emissions controller — risking operators' safety and the environment.Similar arguments around intellectual property have been leveled against the broader campaign called ‘right to repair,’ which has picked up steam across the country — crusading for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-apple-inc-smartphones-afb6e6603bdb5c0bb510de5b4c685f69">right to fix everything from iPhones</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-nevada-coronavirus-pandemic-laws-5ade405a7befdf16e9f0107b7e142be3">hospital ventilators</a>&nbsp;during the pandemic.In 2011, Congress passed a law ensuring that car owners and independent mechanics — not just authorized dealerships — had access to the necessary tools and information to fix problems.Ten years later, the Federal Trade Commission&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-government-and-politics-7e5d6c82ee4f1b66fd4c3b78d1ddd18e">pledged to beef up its right to repair enforcement</a>&nbsp;at the direction of President Joe Biden. And just last year, Titone sponsored and passed Colorado's first right to repair law, empowering people who use wheelchairs with the tools and information to fix them.For the right to repair farm equipment — from thin tractors used between grape vines to behemoth combines for harvesting grain that can cost over half a million dollars — Colorado is joined by 10 states including Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont.Many of the bills are finding bipartisan support, said Nathan Proctor, who leads Public Interest Research Group's national right to repair campaign. But in Colorado's House committee on agriculture, Democrats pushed the bill forward in a 9-4 vote along party lines, with Republicans in opposition even though the bill's second sponsor is Republican Rep. Ron Weinberg.“That’s really surprising, and that upset me,” said the Republican Wood.Wood's tractor, which flies an American flag reading “Farmers First,” isn't his only machine to break down. His grain harvesting combine was dropping into idle, but the servicer took five days to arrive on Wood's farm — a setback that could mean a hail storm decimates a wheat field or the soil temperature moves beyond the Goldilocks zone for planting.“Our crop is ready to harvest and we can’t wait five days, but there was nothing else to do,” said Wood. “When it’s broke down you just sit there and wait and that’s not acceptable. You can be losing $85,000 a day.”Rep. Richard Holtorf, the Republican who represents Wood's district and is a farmer himself, said he's being pulled between his constituents and the dealerships in his district covering the largely rural northeast corner of the state. He voted against the measure because he believes it will financially impact local dealerships in rural areas and could jeopardize trade secrets.“I do sympathize with my farmers," said Holtorf, but added, “I don’t think it’s the role of government to be forcing the sale of their intellectual property.”At the packed hearing last week that spilled into a second room in Colorado's Capitol, the core concerns raised in testimony were farmers illegally slipping around the emissions control and cranking up the horsepower.“I know growers, if they can change horsepower and they can change emissions they are going to do it,” said Russ Ball, sales manager at 21st Century Equipment, a John Deere dealership in Western states.The bill's proponents acknowledged that the legislation could make it easier for operators to modify horsepower and emissions controls, but argued that farmers are already able to tinker with their machines and doing so would remain illegal.This January, the Farm Bureau and the farm equipment manufacturer John Deere did&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-san-juan-moline-831b374a4f820dcde5ee2d647093e207">sign a memorandum of understanding</a>&nbsp;— a right to repair agreement made in the free market and without government intervention. The agreement stipulates that John Deere will share some parts, diagnostic and repair codes, and manuals to allow farmers to do their own fixes.The Colorado bill's detractors laud that agreement as a strong middle ground while Titone said it wasn't enough, evidenced by six of Colorado's biggest farmworker associations that support the bill.Proctor, who is tracking 20 right to repair proposals in a number of industries across the country, said the memorandum of understanding has fallen far short.“Farmers are saying no," Proctor said. “We want the real thing.”

States consider 'right to repair' for farming equipment

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp; Governor Laura Kelly announced on Monday that she will donate her Super Bowl sports bet winnings of $165, including the original $15 she wagered, to the&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMTMuNzE0NzE2MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy4xNWFuZHRoZW1haG9taWVzLm9yZy8ifQ.QTFBEOnjdY6V63L1YCgcfXAULG--XYgXv9pnxGrMZqI/s/1303160919/br/154412150731-l" target="_blank">15 and&nbsp;Mahomies&nbsp;Foundation</a>, Patrick Mahomes’ non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of children.

Last summer, Governor Kelly signed bipartisan legislation to legalize sports betting in Kansas. A week before football season began, she&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMTMuNzE0NzE2MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3YvZ292ZXJub3ItbGF1cmEta2VsbHktcGxhY2VzLWZpcnN0LWxlZ2FsLXNwb3J0cy1iZXQtaW4ta2Fuc2FzLyJ9.Vskklr-8vX_PHzEbTwW3Txd41JD2c25bz2i1xlD6S5M/s/1303160919/br/154412150731-l" target="_blank">made</a>&nbsp;the state’s first legal sports bet at Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas, wagering $15 dollars in honor of Patrick Mahomes on the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl.&nbsp;

“It turns out the Chiefs are always a good bet,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“I chose my wager in September because I believe in Patrick Mahomes and the team. They are the reason I won this bet, and I’m more than happy to give my winnings to support all the good work Patrick is doing throughout the Kansas City community.”&nbsp;

15 and the Mahomies supports Kansas organizations like Big Brothers, Big Sisters Kansas; Harvesters Community Food Network; and the Sunflower House in Shawnee.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675975225163.png" alt="Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly placed the first legal sports bet in Kansas. She put $15 down to win $150 if the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl. photo by Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly placed the first legal sports bet in Kansas. She put $15 down to win $150 if the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl. photo by Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp; Governor Laura Kelly announced on Monday that she will donate her Super Bowl sports bet winnings of $165, including the original $15 she wagered, to the&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMTMuNzE0NzE2MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy4xNWFuZHRoZW1haG9taWVzLm9yZy8ifQ.QTFBEOnjdY6V63L1YCgcfXAULG--XYgXv9pnxGrMZqI/s/1303160919/br/154412150731-l" target="_blank">15 and&nbsp;Mahomies&nbsp;Foundation</a>, Patrick Mahomes’ non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of children.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">After a bipartisan effort to legalize sports betting last year, I cast Kansas’ first sports bet on the <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> to win the Super Bowl. It turns out the Chiefs are always a good bet. Now, I’ll donate my winnings to <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickMahomes</a>’ <a href="https://twitter.com/15andMahomies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@15andMahomies</a> to support their work across KC. <a href="https://t.co/UtQYQerlSv">pic.twitter.com/UtQYQerlSv</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1625213018458955786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Last summer, Governor Kelly signed bipartisan legislation to legalize sports betting in Kansas. A week before football season began, she&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMTMuNzE0NzE2MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3YvZ292ZXJub3ItbGF1cmEta2VsbHktcGxhY2VzLWZpcnN0LWxlZ2FsLXNwb3J0cy1iZXQtaW4ta2Fuc2FzLyJ9.Vskklr-8vX_PHzEbTwW3Txd41JD2c25bz2i1xlD6S5M/s/1303160919/br/154412150731-l" target="_blank">made</a>&nbsp;the state’s first legal sports bet at Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas, wagering $15 dollars in honor of Patrick Mahomes on the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl.&nbsp;“It turns out the Chiefs are always a good bet,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“I chose my wager in September because I believe in Patrick Mahomes and the team. They are the reason I won this bet, and I’m more than happy to give my winnings to support all the good work Patrick is doing throughout the Kansas City community.”&nbsp;15 and the Mahomies supports Kansas organizations like Big Brothers, Big Sisters Kansas; Harvesters Community Food Network; and the Sunflower House in Shawnee.&nbsp;

🎥 Gov. donates Super Bowl bet winnings to Mahomes' foundation

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man from Texas was charged in connection to a&nbsp;fatal 2021 crash in Wichita.&nbsp;

On Friday, <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=289252">35-year-old Scott Cabrales</a> was charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In June of 2021, police responded to an injury accident with a driver pinned in a vehicle at Maple and Martinson, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officer’s located 80-year-old Frankie Baxter pinned inside of a vehicle. Police with the assistance of the Wichita Fire Department removed her from the vehicle and she pronounced deceased on the scene, according to Davidson.

The investigation revealed that Baxter was driving a 2015 Hyundai Tucson northbound on Elizabeth Street in Wichita. She turned to travel eastbound on Maple.

A 2008 Maxda Six driven by Cabrales, who lived in Wichita at the time, was eastbound on Maple at a high rate of speed and believed to be under the influence of alcohol.&nbsp; The Mazda struck the rear driver's side of the Hyundai. The impact caused the Hyundai to strike the curb and a tree.

EMS transported Cabrales to an area hospital for medical treatment of minor injuries and then booked him into jail.

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=289252">Cabrales is scheduled</a> back in court on Feb. 21. He is being held on a $50,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676078965589.png" alt="Cabrales-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Cabrales-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man from Texas was charged in connection to a&nbsp;fatal 2021 crash in Wichita.&nbsp;On Friday, <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=289252">35-year-old Scott Cabrales</a> was charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In June of 2021, police responded to an injury accident with a driver pinned in a vehicle at Maple and Martinson, according to Officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officer’s located 80-year-old Frankie Baxter pinned inside of a vehicle. Police with the assistance of the Wichita Fire Department removed her from the vehicle and she pronounced deceased on the scene, according to Davidson.The investigation revealed that Baxter was driving a 2015 Hyundai Tucson northbound on Elizabeth Street in Wichita. She turned to travel eastbound on Maple.A 2008 Maxda Six driven by Cabrales, who lived in Wichita at the time, was eastbound on Maple at a high rate of speed and believed to be under the influence of alcohol.&nbsp; The Mazda struck the rear driver's side of the Hyundai. The impact caused the Hyundai to strike the curb and a tree.EMS transported Cabrales to an area hospital for medical treatment of minor injuries and then booked him into jail.<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=289252">Cabrales is scheduled</a> back in court on Feb. 21. He is being held on a $50,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

Man charged in DUI crash that killed 80-year-old Kan. woman

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged road rage incident in Manhattan.

Just before 6p.m. Sunday, officers filed a report for aggravated assault in the 1500 block of University Drive in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

Two 19-year-old men, a 19-year-old woman and an 18-year-old woman reported a known male suspect followed them in a road rage incident and then accelerated towards them when crossing the road after leaving their vehicle.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged road rage incident in Manhattan.Just before 6p.m. Sunday, officers filed a report for aggravated assault in the 1500 block of University Drive in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.Two 19-year-old men, a 19-year-old woman and an 18-year-old woman reported a known male suspect followed them in a road rage incident and then accelerated towards them when crossing the road after leaving their vehicle.

Police investigate alleged Kansas road-rage incident 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused of a sex crime involving a minor is scheduled for a court appearance Monday.

Makaela Denny, 20 of Wichita, is charged with aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, and furnishing alcohol to a minor, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Police booked her into jail Jan. 31, in connection with an incident in October, according to court documents. Denny and two others were&nbsp;accused of engaging in sexual intercourse and other sexual activity with a victim who is a minor and was incapable of giving consent because of the effect of alcohol, which was allegedly provided by the suspect.&nbsp;

She posted the $100,000 bond and is no longer in custody. Her preliminary hearing is set for 10:30a.m. before Judge Quentin Pittman, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675369981931.png" alt="Denny-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Denny-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused of a sex crime involving a minor is scheduled for a court appearance Monday.Makaela Denny, 20 of Wichita, is charged with aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, and furnishing alcohol to a minor, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Police booked her into jail Jan. 31, in connection with an incident in October, according to court documents. Denny and two others were&nbsp;accused of engaging in sexual intercourse and other sexual activity with a victim who is a minor and was incapable of giving consent because of the effect of alcohol, which was allegedly provided by the suspect.&nbsp;She posted the $100,000 bond and is no longer in custody. Her preliminary hearing is set for 10:30a.m. before Judge Quentin Pittman, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas woman charged with sex crimes due in court

BEIJING (AP) — The United States Navy and Marine Corps are holding joint exercises in the South China Sea at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-north-carolina-302134762e8aeae53314ebd9fdb327e4">suspected Chinese spy balloon.</a>

The 7th Fleet based in Japan said Sunday that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit have been conducting “integrated expeditionary strike force operations” in the South China Sea.

It said exercises involving ships, ground forces and aircraft took place Saturday but gave no details on when the began or whether they had ended.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and strongly objects to military activity by other nations in the contested waterway through which $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year.

The U.S. takes no official position on sovereignty in the South China Sea, but maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight must be preserved. Several times a year, it sends ships sailing past fortified Chinese outposts in the Spratly Islands, prompting protests from Beijing.

The U.S. has also been strengthening its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-politics-united-states-government-philippines-manila-7889867cb056cf365c5a8fd49d16b52d">defense alliance with the Philippines,</a>&nbsp;which has faced encroachment on islands and fisheries by the Chinese coast guard and nominally civilian but government-backed fleets.

The U.S. military exercises were planned in advance. They come as already tense relations between Washington and Beijing have been exacerbated by a diplomatic row sparked by the balloon, which was shot down last weekend in U.S. airspace off the coast of South Carolina.

The U.S. said the unmanned balloon was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals, but Beijing insists it was a weather research airship that had accidently blown off course.

The balloon prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-stakes trip to Beijing aimed at easing tensions.

After first issuing a highly rare expression of regret over the balloon, China has toughened its rhetoric, calling the U.S. shootdown an overreaction and a violation of international norms.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-lloyd-austin-china-9d1b7c9aa40b22d0bda497ba29be8d9b">China's defense minister refused to take a phone call</a>&nbsp;from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the matter.

The United States has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-beijing-business-cdf319c71f097f7f8ef176b6d7b9526c">blacklisted six Chinese entities</a>&nbsp;it said were linked to Beijing’s aerospace programs as part of its response to the incident. The House of Representatives also voted unanimously to condemn China for a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty and efforts to “deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns.”

The balloon was part of a large surveillance program that China has been conducting for several years, the Pentagon said. The U.S. says Chinese balloons have flown over dozens of countries across five continents in recent years, and it learned more about the balloon program after closely monitoring the one shot down near South Carolina.

In its news release, the 7th Fleet said the joint operation had “established a powerful presence in the region, which supports peace and stability."

“As a ready response force, we underpin a broad spectrum of missions including landing Marines ashore, humanitarian disaster relief, and deterring potential adversaries through visible and present combat power," the release said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676220729193.png" alt="The 7th Fleet said the joint operation had “established a powerful presence in the region, which supports peace and stability.”photo courtesy Nimitz Carrier Strike Group U.S. 7th Fleet" />
 <figcaption>The 7th Fleet said the joint operation had “established a powerful presence in the region, which supports peace and stability.”photo courtesy Nimitz Carrier Strike Group U.S. 7th Fleet</figcaption>
 </figure>BEIJING (AP) — The United States Navy and Marine Corps are holding joint exercises in the South China Sea at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-north-carolina-302134762e8aeae53314ebd9fdb327e4">suspected Chinese spy balloon.</a>The 7th Fleet based in Japan said Sunday that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit have been conducting “integrated expeditionary strike force operations” in the South China Sea.It said exercises involving ships, ground forces and aircraft took place Saturday but gave no details on when the began or whether they had ended.China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and strongly objects to military activity by other nations in the contested waterway through which $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year.The U.S. takes no official position on sovereignty in the South China Sea, but maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight must be preserved. Several times a year, it sends ships sailing past fortified Chinese outposts in the Spratly Islands, prompting protests from Beijing.The U.S. has also been strengthening its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-politics-united-states-government-philippines-manila-7889867cb056cf365c5a8fd49d16b52d">defense alliance with the Philippines,</a>&nbsp;which has faced encroachment on islands and fisheries by the Chinese coast guard and nominally civilian but government-backed fleets.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675373155059.png" alt="Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin in the Philippines last month -photo courtesy Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin in the Philippines last month -photo courtesy Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>The U.S. military exercises were planned in advance. They come as already tense relations between Washington and Beijing have been exacerbated by a diplomatic row sparked by the balloon, which was shot down last weekend in U.S. airspace off the coast of South Carolina.The U.S. said the unmanned balloon was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals, but Beijing insists it was a weather research airship that had accidently blown off course.The balloon prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-stakes trip to Beijing aimed at easing tensions.After first issuing a highly rare expression of regret over the balloon, China has toughened its rhetoric, calling the U.S. shootdown an overreaction and a violation of international norms.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-lloyd-austin-china-9d1b7c9aa40b22d0bda497ba29be8d9b">China's defense minister refused to take a phone call</a>&nbsp;from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the matter.The United States has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-beijing-business-cdf319c71f097f7f8ef176b6d7b9526c">blacklisted six Chinese entities</a>&nbsp;it said were linked to Beijing’s aerospace programs as part of its response to the incident. The House of Representatives also voted unanimously to condemn China for a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty and efforts to “deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns.”The balloon was part of a large surveillance program that China has been conducting for several years, the Pentagon said. The U.S. says Chinese balloons have flown over dozens of countries across five continents in recent years, and it learned more about the balloon program after closely monitoring the one shot down near South Carolina.In its news release, the 7th Fleet said the joint operation had “established a powerful presence in the region, which supports peace and stability."“As a ready response force, we underpin a broad spectrum of missions including landing Marines ashore, humanitarian disaster relief, and deterring potential adversaries through visible and present combat power," the release said.------------

US holds drills in South China Sea amid tensions with China

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City police officer was hit by gunfire and wounded at the department's headquarters shortly after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, authorities said early Monday.

The Kansas City Police Department said the officer's injuries are not life-threatening. The source and motive of the gunfire are unknown.

The officer was shot just before 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the police department in downtown Kansas City, just blocks from a large Super Bowl viewing party and about 15 minutes after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2023-kansas-city-chiefs-philadelphia-eagles-43a1fb387f63438c1eea23b6a4244d95">Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35.</a>

The officer was immediately taken to a hospital and was stable Monday morning.

Detectives are investigating. No further information was immediately released.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City police officer was hit by gunfire and wounded at the department's headquarters shortly after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, authorities said early Monday.The Kansas City Police Department said the officer's injuries are not life-threatening. The source and motive of the gunfire are unknown.The officer was shot just before 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the police department in downtown Kansas City, just blocks from a large Super Bowl viewing party and about 15 minutes after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2023-kansas-city-chiefs-philadelphia-eagles-43a1fb387f63438c1eea23b6a4244d95">Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35.</a>The officer was immediately taken to a hospital and was stable Monday morning.Detectives are investigating. No further information was immediately released.

Kansas City officer shot, hurt after Chiefs' Super Bowl win

GLENDALE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Chiefs are the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/43a1fb387f63438c1eea23b6a4244d95">winners of Super Bowl 57.</a>&nbsp;Elected officials from Kansas and Missouri celebrated the victory.

GLENDALE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Chiefs are the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/43a1fb387f63438c1eea23b6a4244d95">winners of Super Bowl 57.</a>&nbsp;Elected officials from Kansas and Missouri celebrated the victory.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For the second time since I became governor, the Kansas City <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> are SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS. Congrats to the whole team and all of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKingdom</a>. To <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovernorShapiro</a> and the <a href="https://twitter.com/Eagles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Eagles</a>, great game. Looking forward to those cheesesteaks and pretzels! <a href="https://t.co/btijFAvuty">https://t.co/btijFAvuty</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1624970730940284929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I see a lot of red in Arizona today, and I&#39;m feeling extra lucky to be cheering on the <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> at the <a href="https://twitter.com/SuperBowl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SuperBowl</a> with others from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKingdom</a> <a href="https://t.co/K57EzKkexL">pic.twitter.com/K57EzKkexL</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1624891973306818562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As lifelong Chiefs fans and as the 57th Governor and First Lady of Missouri, Teresa and I could not be more proud of our <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> for the win at Super Bowl 57!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperBowlLVII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperBowlLVII</a> <a href="https://t.co/MBMEcbyU5r">pic.twitter.com/MBMEcbyU5r</a>&mdash; Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1624975598492823552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congrats to the Chiefs’ offensive line, Coach Big Red, and Chief Nation. I salute the Eagles and a great season, a great game.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1624974958962135041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to the Super Bowl LVII Champions — our Kansas City Chiefs! <a href="https://t.co/A4BxAcpk8R">https://t.co/A4BxAcpk8R</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1624972235151646721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Never a doubt, not for a second! The <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> are Super Bowl Champs! <a href="https://t.co/82OktHnNt2">https://t.co/82OktHnNt2</a>&mdash; Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (@repcleaver) <a href="https://twitter.com/repcleaver/status/1624973083671945221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">LET&#39;S GO!!!!! ❤️💛 <a href="https://t.co/Rl6Df5ONUp">https://t.co/Rl6Df5ONUp</a>&mdash; Sharice Davids (@sharicedavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharicedavids/status/1624971155982393345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the entire Chiefs organization on a fantastic season and incredible Super Bowl victory! There&#39;s no better fan base in the world to be a part of than <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKingdom</a>. Let&#39;s go Chiefs! <a href="https://t.co/Ekl40yO1lv">https://t.co/Ekl40yO1lv</a>&mdash; Rep. Jake LaTurner (@RepLaTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaTurner/status/1624977893154488323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Elected officials celebrate Chiefs on Super Bowl 57 victory

WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating wanted suspect on multiple charges after a wrong-way chase on Interstate 70 and manhunt.

On February 9, a sheriff's deputy made contact with a suspicious motorist on Interstate 70, according to a media release from the&nbsp;Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office. The driver, later identified as 36-year-old Brandon M Capps, refused to identify himself and drove away, the wrong way down the interstate.

Air and ground assets including the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to assist the deputy. During the chase and search, Wabaunsee County officials also learned Capps was wanted in Florida on active violent crime warrants, according to the release.

Just after arriving on the scene, Sgt. Ralph Dunn found tire tracks that led off I-70. He followed the tracks and found the vehicle abandoned. Law enforcement then established a perimeter and ultimately captured Capps.

He is being held in the Wabaunsee County jail on requested charges of flee or attempt to elude, fleeing from justice, reckless driving, interference with law enforcement and aggravated battery on law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676258981212.png" alt="Capps photo Wabaunsee County" />
 <figcaption>Capps photo Wabaunsee County</figcaption>
 </figure>WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating wanted suspect on multiple charges after a wrong-way chase on Interstate 70 and manhunt.On February 9, a sheriff's deputy made contact with a suspicious motorist on Interstate 70, according to a media release from the&nbsp;Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office. The driver, later identified as 36-year-old Brandon M Capps, refused to identify himself and drove away, the wrong way down the interstate.Air and ground assets including the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to assist the deputy. During the chase and search, Wabaunsee County officials also learned Capps was wanted in Florida on active violent crime warrants, according to the release.Just after arriving on the scene, Sgt. Ralph Dunn found tire tracks that led off I-70. He followed the tracks and found the vehicle abandoned. Law enforcement then established a perimeter and ultimately captured Capps.He is being held in the Wabaunsee County jail on requested charges of flee or attempt to elude, fleeing from justice, reckless driving, interference with law enforcement and aggravated battery on law enforcement.

Sheriff: Man wanted in Florida captured after wrong-way, I-70 chase

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit-and-run that critically injured a man and asking the public for help with information.

Just after 9:30p.m. Saturday, police were called to the 4700 block of Skyway Drive in Riley County, according to a social media report from the Riley County Police Department.

First responders found a 30-year-old man on the side of the road with injuries consistent with being hit by a vehicle.

The man was initially transported by Riley County EMS to Ascension Via Christi in Manhattan and he was later transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka for treatment of his injuries.

The man remains in critical condition, according to a report on Sunday from the RCPD.

Anyone with knowledge about this incident or if you have seen anything suspicious that would connect a vehicle or person to this incident, or have any tips at all, please call RCPD at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit-and-run that critically injured a man and asking the public for help with information.Just after 9:30p.m. Saturday, police were called to the 4700 block of Skyway Drive in Riley County, according to a social media report from the Riley County Police Department.First responders found a 30-year-old man on the side of the road with injuries consistent with being hit by a vehicle.The man was initially transported by Riley County EMS to Ascension Via Christi in Manhattan and he was later transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka for treatment of his injuries.The man remains in critical condition, according to a report on Sunday from the RCPD.Anyone with knowledge about this incident or if you have seen anything suspicious that would connect a vehicle or person to this incident, or have any tips at all, please call RCPD at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7

Police: Kansas hit-and-run critically injured 30-year-old

The parade kicks off at noon and will last approximately an hour and a half, according to a statement from the city.

The city did not release specifics on the parade. However, in 2020, the parade route included traveling down Grand Boulevard in downtown Kansas City. It turned on Pershing Road and ended at Union Station

Wednesday's rally is scheduled to begin at approximately 1:45p.m. in front of Union Station and the National WWI Museum and Memorial north lawn. The rally will last approximately 1 hour.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676320844619.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced the Chiefs Champions parade is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15.<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bda12e63c3a534dbded3a5f/t/63ea74466ea80378442293ee/1676309578689/SBMAP_2023.pdf">The parade kicks off </a>at at noon at Sixth Street and Grand Boulevard, working its way down Grand until finally heading west at Union Station. The rally at Union Station&nbsp;and the National <a href="https://www.theworldwar.org/">WWI Museum and Memorial north lawn </a>will begin at approximately 1:45p.m and last approximately 1 hour.The National WWI Museum and Memorial <a href="https://www.theworldwar.org/">will offer reserved parking</a> and a discount admission rate for those who attend the parade.Kansas City Public Schools canceled classes for Wednesday.For the most updated information on transit, public safety, and other news relating to the Chiefs Kingdom Champions Parade, please sign up to receive notifications from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/talk-to-us/hear-from-us/alertkc" target="_blank">ALERTKC</a>&nbsp;by texting “KCPARADE” to 888-777.&nbsp;KANSAS CITY—Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced the Chiefs Champions parade is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15.The parade kicks off at noon and will last approximately an hour and a half, according to a statement from the city.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">LET’S HAVE A PARADE WEDNESDAY!!!&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1624970461162655744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The city did not release specifics on the parade. However, in 2020, the parade route included traveling down Grand Boulevard in downtown Kansas City. It turned on Pershing Road and ended at Union StationWednesday's rally is scheduled to begin at approximately 1:45p.m. in front of Union Station and the National WWI Museum and Memorial north lawn. The rally will last approximately 1 hour.&nbsp;Kansas City Public Schools canceled classes for Wednesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to the Super Bowl Champions Kansas City <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a>! The entire city is overflowing with pride and excitement. REMEMBER KCPS: We will still have school tomorrow Monday, but we will have the day off on Wednesday to celebrate with the city.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKingdom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KCPSProud?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KCPSProud</a>🏈 <a href="https://t.co/TvjIfvZ873">pic.twitter.com/TvjIfvZ873</a>&mdash; KCPS (@kcpublicschools) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpublicschools/status/1624990125552721920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>For the most updated information on transit, public safety, and other news relating to the Chiefs Kingdom Champions Parade, please sign up to receive notifications from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/talk-to-us/hear-from-us/alertkc" target="_blank">ALERTKC</a>&nbsp;by texting “KCPARADE” to 888-777.&nbsp;

Chiefs Kingdom Champions Parade set for Wednesday 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. fighter jet shot down an “unidentified object” over Lake Huron on Sunday on orders from President Joe Biden. It was the fourth such downing in eight days and the latest military strike in an extraordinary chain of events over U.S. airspace that Pentagon officials believe has no peacetime precedent.

Part of the reason for the repeated shootdowns is a “heightened alert” following a spy balloon from China that emerged over U.S. airspace in late January, Gen. Glen VanHerck, head of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, said in a briefing with reporters.

Since then, fighter jets last week also shot down objects over Canada and Alaska. Pentagon officials said they posed no security threats, but so little was known about them that Pentagon officials were ruling nothing out — not even UFOs.

“We have been more closely scrutinizing our airspace at these altitudes, including enhancing our radar, which may at least partly explain the increase,” said Melissa Dalton, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense.

U.S. authorities have made clear that they constantly monitor for unknown radar blips, and it is not unusual to shut down airspace as a precaution to evaluate them. But the unusually assertive response was raising questions about whether such use of force was warranted, particularly as administration officials said the objects were not of great national security concern and the downings were just out of caution.

VanHerck said the U.S. adjusted its radar so it could track slower objects. “With some adjustments, we’ve been able to get a better categorization of radar tracks now," he said, "and that’s why I think you’re seeing these, plus there’s a heightened alert to look for this information."

He added: “I believe this is the first time within United States or American airspace that NORAD or United States Northern Command has taken kinetic action against an airborne object."

Asked if officials have ruled out extraterrestrials, VanHerck said, “I haven’t ruled out anything at this point.”

The Pentagon officials said they were still trying to determine what exactly the objects were and said they had considered using the jets' guns instead of missiles, but it proved to be too difficult. They drew a strong distinction between the three shot down over this weekend and the balloon from China.

The extraordinary air defense activity began in late January, when a white orb the officials said was from China appeared over the U.S. and hovered above the nation for days before fighter jets downed it off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That event played out over livestream. Many Americans have been captivated by the drama playing out in the skies as fighter jets scramble to shoot down objects.

The latest brought down was first detected on Saturday evening over Montana, but it was initially thought to be an anomaly. Radar picked it up again Sunday hovering over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it was going over Lake Huron, Pentagon officials said Sunday.

U.S. and Canadian authorities had restricted some airspace over the lake earlier Sunday as planes were scrambled to intercept and try to identify the object. According to a senior administration official, the object was octagonal, with strings hanging off, but had no discernable payload. It was flying low at about 20,000 feet, said the official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials were still trying to precisely identify two other objects shot down by F-22 fighter jets, and were working to determine whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-balloon-espionage-1cca3467f32a2751b35ec1686aadc310">China was responsible</a>&nbsp;as concerns escalated about what Washington said was Beijing's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-balloon-military-involvement-e45c759cb00294e83989fa35970935bc">large-scale aerial surveillance program.</a>

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-canada-ottawa-93071207f2bbdf93b591d6b40ce1cb5a">object shot down Saturday over Canada's Yukon</a>&nbsp;was described by U.S. officials as a balloon significantly smaller than the balloon — the size of three school buses — hit by a missile Feb. 4.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-shoots-down-unknown-flying-object-175f9078d1df36e392b2956ba771001e">A flying object brought down over the remote northern coast of Alaska on Friday</a>&nbsp;was more cylindrical and described as a type of airship.

Both were believed to have a payload, either attached or suspended from them, according to the officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Officials were not able to say who launched the objects and were seeking to figure out their origin.

The three objects were much smaller in size, different in appearance and flew at lower altitudes than the suspected spy balloon that fell into the Atlantic Ocean after the U.S. missile strike.

The officials said the other three objects were not consistent with the fleet of Chinese aerial surveillance balloons that targeted more than 40 countries, stretching back at least into the Trump administration.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told ABC’s “This Week” that U.S. officials were working quickly to recover debris. Using shorthand to describe the objects as balloons, he said U.S military and intelligence officials were “focused like a laser” on gathering and accumulating the information, then compiling a comprehensive analysis.

“The bottom line is until a few months ago we didn’t know about these balloons,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said of the spy program that the administration has linked to the People’s Liberation Army, China’s military. “It is wild that we didn’t know.”

Eight days ago, F-22 jets downed the large white balloon that had wafted over the U.S. for days at an altitude of about 60,000 feet. U.S. officials immediately blamed China, saying the balloon was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals and could maneuver itself. White House officials said improved surveillance capabilities helped detect it.

China's Foreign Ministry said the unmanned balloon was a civilian meteorological airship that had blown off course. Beijing said the U.S. had “overreacted” by shooting it down.

Then, on Friday, North American Aerospace Defense Command, the combined U.S.-Canada organization that provides shared defense of airspace over the two nations, detected and shot down an object near sparsely populated Deadhorse, Alaska.

Later that evening, NORAD detected a second object, flying at a high altitude over Alaska, U.S. officials said. It crossed into Canadian airspace on Saturday and was over the Yukon, a remote territory, when it was ordered shot down by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In both of those incidents, the objects were flying at roughly 40,000 feet. The object on Sunday was flying at 20,000 feet.

The cases have increased diplomatic tensions between the United States and China, raised questions about the extent of Beijing’s American surveillance, and prompted days of criticism from Republican lawmakers about the administration’s response.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. fighter jet shot down an “unidentified object” over Lake Huron on Sunday on orders from President Joe Biden, believed to be the same one tracked over Montana and monitored by the government beginning the night before, the Pentagon said.

It was the fourth object shot out of the sky by U.S. fighter jets in eight days, along with ones over Alaska and Canada and a suspected Chinese spy balloon. Pentagon officials have said they don’t know when the last shootdown of an unknown or unauthorized object over U.S. territory occurred before this spate of incidents.

The extraordinary air defense activity began in late January, when a white orb the officials said was from China appeared over the U.S. and hovered above the nation for days before fighter jets downed it off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That event played out over livestream. Since, then many Americans have been captivated by the drama playing out in the skies as fighter jets scramble to shoot down objects.

The latest brought down was first detected on Saturday evening over Montana, but it was initially thought to be an anomaly. Radar picked it up again Sunday hovering over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it was going over Lake Huron, according to U.S. officials, who had knowledge of the downings and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operations.

U.S. and Canadian authorities had restricted some airspace over the lake earlier Sunday as planes were scrambled to intercept and try to identify the object. It was octagonal, with strings hanging off, but had no discernable payload. It was flying low at about 20,000 feet, according to one of the officials.

Rep. Mike Turner, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said the administration was looking “somewhat trigger-happy.”

“Although that is certainly preferable to the permissive environment they showed when the Chinese spy balloon was coming over some of most sensitive sites,” Turner, R-Ohio, told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

After the shootdown last weekend, Chinese officials said they reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, urged the administration to be as forthcoming as possible, saying the lack of solid information was fueling online speculation.

Himes said it was clear from briefings in recent years “that there is a lot of garbage up there” in the sky.

“The truth is that most of our sensors and most of what we were looking for didn’t look like balloons,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — An "unidentified object” was shot down Sunday for the third time in as many days, this time over Lake Huron, after earlier ones in Alaska and Canada, U.S. officials said.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., tweeted that “the object has been downed by pilots from the U.S. Air Force and National Guard." The shootdown was confirmed by two U.S. officials who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

U.S. and Canadian authorities had restricted some airspace over the lake earlier Sunday as planes were scrambled to intercept and try to identify the object.

The news comes as U.S. officials were still trying to precisely identify the other two objects blown from the sky by F-22 fighter jets over the past two days, and were working to determine whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-balloon-espionage-1cca3467f32a2751b35ec1686aadc310">China was responsible</a>&nbsp;as concerns escalate about what Washington says is Beijing's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-balloon-military-involvement-e45c759cb00294e83989fa35970935bc">large-scale aerial surveillance program.</a>

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-canada-ottawa-93071207f2bbdf93b591d6b40ce1cb5a">object shot down Saturday over the Yukon</a>&nbsp;was described by U.S. officials as a balloon significantly smaller than the three school bus-size balloon hit by a missile Feb. 4 while drifting off the South Carolina coast after traversing the country.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-shoots-down-unknown-flying-object-175f9078d1df36e392b2956ba771001e">A flying object brought down over the remote northern coast of Alaska on Friday</a>&nbsp;was more cylindrical and described as a type of airship.

U.S. officials said the two more recent objects were much smaller in size, different in appearance and flew at lower altitudes than the suspected Chinese spy balloon that fell into the Atlantic Ocean after the U.S. missile strike. They said the Alaska and Canada objects were not consistent with the fleet of Chinese aerial surveillance balloons that targeted more than 40 countries, stretching back at least into the Trump administration.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-surveillance-balloon-united-states-montana-47248b0ef2b085620fcd866c105054be">That large white orb first appeared over the U.S.</a>&nbsp;in late January, and since then Americans have been fixated on the sky above them. U.S. authorities made clear that they constantly monitor for unknown radar blips, and it is not unusual to shut down airspace as a precaution to evaluate them.

On Sunday, the U.S. briefly closed the airspace over Lake Michigan; on Saturday night, that was done over rural Montana. Officials Sunday said they were no longer tracking any objects over those locations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. fighter jet shot down an “unidentified object” over Lake Huron on Sunday on orders from President Joe Biden. It was the fourth such downing in eight days and the latest military strike in an extraordinary chain of events over U.S. airspace that Pentagon officials believe has no peacetime precedent.Part of the reason for the repeated shootdowns is a “heightened alert” following a spy balloon from China that emerged over U.S. airspace in late January, Gen. Glen VanHerck, head of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, said in a briefing with reporters.Since then, fighter jets last week also shot down objects over Canada and Alaska. Pentagon officials said they posed no security threats, but so little was known about them that Pentagon officials were ruling nothing out — not even UFOs.“We have been more closely scrutinizing our airspace at these altitudes, including enhancing our radar, which may at least partly explain the increase,” said Melissa Dalton, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense.U.S. authorities have made clear that they constantly monitor for unknown radar blips, and it is not unusual to shut down airspace as a precaution to evaluate them. But the unusually assertive response was raising questions about whether such use of force was warranted, particularly as administration officials said the objects were not of great national security concern and the downings were just out of caution.VanHerck said the U.S. adjusted its radar so it could track slower objects. “With some adjustments, we’ve been able to get a better categorization of radar tracks now," he said, "and that’s why I think you’re seeing these, plus there’s a heightened alert to look for this information."He added: “I believe this is the first time within United States or American airspace that NORAD or United States Northern Command has taken kinetic action against an airborne object."Asked if officials have ruled out extraterrestrials, VanHerck said, “I haven’t ruled out anything at this point.”The Pentagon officials said they were still trying to determine what exactly the objects were and said they had considered using the jets' guns instead of missiles, but it proved to be too difficult. They drew a strong distinction between the three shot down over this weekend and the balloon from China.The extraordinary air defense activity began in late January, when a white orb the officials said was from China appeared over the U.S. and hovered above the nation for days before fighter jets downed it off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That event played out over livestream. Many Americans have been captivated by the drama playing out in the skies as fighter jets scramble to shoot down objects.The latest brought down was first detected on Saturday evening over Montana, but it was initially thought to be an anomaly. Radar picked it up again Sunday hovering over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it was going over Lake Huron, Pentagon officials said Sunday.U.S. and Canadian authorities had restricted some airspace over the lake earlier Sunday as planes were scrambled to intercept and try to identify the object. According to a senior administration official, the object was octagonal, with strings hanging off, but had no discernable payload. It was flying low at about 20,000 feet, said the official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.Meanwhile, U.S. officials were still trying to precisely identify two other objects shot down by F-22 fighter jets, and were working to determine whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-balloon-espionage-1cca3467f32a2751b35ec1686aadc310">China was responsible</a>&nbsp;as concerns escalated about what Washington said was Beijing's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-balloon-military-involvement-e45c759cb00294e83989fa35970935bc">large-scale aerial surveillance program.</a>An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-canada-ottawa-93071207f2bbdf93b591d6b40ce1cb5a">object shot down Saturday over Canada's Yukon</a>&nbsp;was described by U.S. officials as a balloon significantly smaller than the balloon — the size of three school buses — hit by a missile Feb. 4.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-shoots-down-unknown-flying-object-175f9078d1df36e392b2956ba771001e">A flying object brought down over the remote northern coast of Alaska on Friday</a>&nbsp;was more cylindrical and described as a type of airship.Both were believed to have a payload, either attached or suspended from them, according to the officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Officials were not able to say who launched the objects and were seeking to figure out their origin.The three objects were much smaller in size, different in appearance and flew at lower altitudes than the suspected spy balloon that fell into the Atlantic Ocean after the U.S. missile strike.The officials said the other three objects were not consistent with the fleet of Chinese aerial surveillance balloons that targeted more than 40 countries, stretching back at least into the Trump administration.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told ABC’s “This Week” that U.S. officials were working quickly to recover debris. Using shorthand to describe the objects as balloons, he said U.S military and intelligence officials were “focused like a laser” on gathering and accumulating the information, then compiling a comprehensive analysis.“The bottom line is until a few months ago we didn’t know about these balloons,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said of the spy program that the administration has linked to the People’s Liberation Army, China’s military. “It is wild that we didn’t know.”Eight days ago, F-22 jets downed the large white balloon that had wafted over the U.S. for days at an altitude of about 60,000 feet. U.S. officials immediately blamed China, saying the balloon was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals and could maneuver itself. White House officials said improved surveillance capabilities helped detect it.China's Foreign Ministry said the unmanned balloon was a civilian meteorological airship that had blown off course. Beijing said the U.S. had “overreacted” by shooting it down.Then, on Friday, North American Aerospace Defense Command, the combined U.S.-Canada organization that provides shared defense of airspace over the two nations, detected and shot down an object near sparsely populated Deadhorse, Alaska.Later that evening, NORAD detected a second object, flying at a high altitude over Alaska, U.S. officials said. It crossed into Canadian airspace on Saturday and was over the Yukon, a remote territory, when it was ordered shot down by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.In both of those incidents, the objects were flying at roughly 40,000 feet. The object on Sunday was flying at 20,000 feet.The cases have increased diplomatic tensions between the United States and China, raised questions about the extent of Beijing’s American surveillance, and prompted days of criticism from Republican lawmakers about the administration’s response.___WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. fighter jet shot down an “unidentified object” over Lake Huron on Sunday on orders from President Joe Biden, believed to be the same one tracked over Montana and monitored by the government beginning the night before, the Pentagon said.It was the fourth object shot out of the sky by U.S. fighter jets in eight days, along with ones over Alaska and Canada and a suspected Chinese spy balloon. Pentagon officials have said they don’t know when the last shootdown of an unknown or unauthorized object over U.S. territory occurred before this spate of incidents.U.S. authorities have made clear that they constantly monitor for unknown radar blips, and it is not unusual to shut down airspace as a precaution to evaluate them. But the unusually assertive response was raising questions about whether such use of force was warranted, particularly as administration officials said the objects were not of great national security concern and the downings were just out of caution.The extraordinary air defense activity began in late January, when a white orb the officials said was from China appeared over the U.S. and hovered above the nation for days before fighter jets downed it off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That event played out over livestream. Since, then many Americans have been captivated by the drama playing out in the skies as fighter jets scramble to shoot down objects.The latest brought down was first detected on Saturday evening over Montana, but it was initially thought to be an anomaly. Radar picked it up again Sunday hovering over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it was going over Lake Huron, according to U.S. officials, who had knowledge of the downings and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operations.U.S. and Canadian authorities had restricted some airspace over the lake earlier Sunday as planes were scrambled to intercept and try to identify the object. It was octagonal, with strings hanging off, but had no discernable payload. It was flying low at about 20,000 feet, according to one of the officials.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675809745976.jpeg" alt="This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feb. 5, 2023. (U.S. Navy via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feb. 5, 2023. (U.S. Navy via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>Meanwhile, U.S. officials were still trying to precisely identify two other objects shot down by F-22 fighter jets, and were working to determine whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-balloon-espionage-1cca3467f32a2751b35ec1686aadc310">China was responsible</a>&nbsp;as concerns escalated about what Washington said was Beijing's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-balloon-military-involvement-e45c759cb00294e83989fa35970935bc">large-scale aerial surveillance program.</a>An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-canada-ottawa-93071207f2bbdf93b591d6b40ce1cb5a">object shot down Saturday over Canada's Yukon</a>&nbsp;was described by U.S. officials as a balloon significantly smaller than the balloon — the size of three school buses — hit by a missile Feb. 4.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-shoots-down-unknown-flying-object-175f9078d1df36e392b2956ba771001e">A flying object brought down over the remote northern coast of Alaska on Friday</a>&nbsp;was more cylindrical and described as a type of airship.Both were believed to have a payload, either attached or suspended from them, according to the officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Officials were not able to say who launched the objects and were seeking to figure out their origin.The three objects were much smaller in size, different in appearance and flew at lower altitudes than the suspected spy balloon that fell into the Atlantic Ocean after the U.S. missile strike.The officials said the other three objects were not consistent with the fleet of Chinese aerial surveillance balloons that targeted more than 40 countries, stretching back at least into the Trump administration.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told ABC’s “This Week” that U.S. officials were working quickly to recover debris. Using shorthand to describe the objects as balloons, he said U.S military and intelligence officials were “focused like a laser” on gathering and accumulating the information, then compiling a comprehensive analysis.“The bottom line is until a few months ago we didn’t know about these balloons,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said of the spy program that the administration has linked to the People’s Liberation Army, China’s military. “It is wild that we didn’t know.”Eight days ago, F-22 jets downed the large white balloon that had wafted over the U.S. for days at an altitude of about 60,000 feet. U.S. officials immediately blamed China, saying the balloon was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals and could maneuver itself. White House officials said improved surveillance capabilities helped detect it.China's Foreign Ministry said the unmanned balloon was a civilian meteorological airship that had blown off course. Beijing said the U.S. had “overreacted” by shooting it down.Then, on Friday, North American Aerospace Defense Command, the combined U.S.-Canada organization that provides shared defense of airspace over the two nations, detected and shot down an object near sparsely populated Deadhorse, Alaska.Later that evening, NORAD detected a second object, flying at a high altitude over Alaska, U.S. officials said. It crossed into Canadian airspace on Saturday and was over the Yukon, a remote territory, when it was ordered shot down by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.In both of those incidents, the objects were flying at roughly 40,000 feet. The object on Sunday was flying at 20,000 feet.The cases have increased diplomatic tensions between the United States and China, raised questions about the extent of Beijing’s American surveillance, and prompted days of criticism from Republican lawmakers about the administration’s response.Rep. Mike Turner, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said the administration was looking “somewhat trigger-happy.”“Although that is certainly preferable to the permissive environment they showed when the Chinese spy balloon was coming over some of most sensitive sites,” Turner, R-Ohio, told CNN’s “State of the Union.”After the shootdown last weekend, Chinese officials said they reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, urged the administration to be as forthcoming as possible, saying the lack of solid information was fueling online speculation.Himes said it was clear from briefings in recent years “that there is a lot of garbage up there” in the sky.“The truth is that most of our sensors and most of what we were looking for didn’t look like balloons,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”WASHINGTON (AP) — An "unidentified object” was shot down Sunday for the third time in as many days, this time over Lake Huron, after earlier ones in Alaska and Canada, U.S. officials said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The object has been downed by pilots from the US Air Force and National Guard. Great work by all who carried out this mission both in the air and back at headquarters. We’re all interested in exactly what this object was and it’s purpose. 1/ <a href="https://t.co/LsjwtjntCv">https://t.co/LsjwtjntCv</a>&mdash; Rep. Elissa Slotkin (@RepSlotkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepSlotkin/status/1624875335643721740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., tweeted that “the object has been downed by pilots from the U.S. Air Force and National Guard." The shootdown was confirmed by two U.S. officials who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.U.S. and Canadian authorities had restricted some airspace over the lake earlier Sunday as planes were scrambled to intercept and try to identify the object.The news comes as U.S. officials were still trying to precisely identify the other two objects blown from the sky by F-22 fighter jets over the past two days, and were working to determine whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-balloon-espionage-1cca3467f32a2751b35ec1686aadc310">China was responsible</a>&nbsp;as concerns escalate about what Washington says is Beijing's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-balloon-military-involvement-e45c759cb00294e83989fa35970935bc">large-scale aerial surveillance program.</a>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-canada-ottawa-93071207f2bbdf93b591d6b40ce1cb5a">object shot down Saturday over the Yukon</a>&nbsp;was described by U.S. officials as a balloon significantly smaller than the three school bus-size balloon hit by a missile Feb. 4 while drifting off the South Carolina coast after traversing the country.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-shoots-down-unknown-flying-object-175f9078d1df36e392b2956ba771001e">A flying object brought down over the remote northern coast of Alaska on Friday</a>&nbsp;was more cylindrical and described as a type of airship.Both were believed to have a payload, either attached or suspended from them, according to the officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Officials were not able to say who launched the objects and were seeking to figure out their origin.U.S. officials said the two more recent objects were much smaller in size, different in appearance and flew at lower altitudes than the suspected Chinese spy balloon that fell into the Atlantic Ocean after the U.S. missile strike. They said the Alaska and Canada objects were not consistent with the fleet of Chinese aerial surveillance balloons that targeted more than 40 countries, stretching back at least into the Trump administration.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-surveillance-balloon-united-states-montana-47248b0ef2b085620fcd866c105054be">That large white orb first appeared over the U.S.</a>&nbsp;in late January, and since then Americans have been fixated on the sky above them. U.S. authorities made clear that they constantly monitor for unknown radar blips, and it is not unusual to shut down airspace as a precaution to evaluate them.On Sunday, the U.S. briefly closed the airspace over Lake Michigan; on Saturday night, that was done over rural Montana. Officials Sunday said they were no longer tracking any objects over those locations.

US jets down 4 objects in 8 days, unprecedented in peacetime

WICHITA —A man was sentenced to 210 months in prison for child pornography distribution, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, in August 2022, Bradley Wiley, 29, of Chico, California, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.

In August 2021, while Wiley was a member of U.S. Air Force stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, he used a Whatsapp account to send another user images of prepubescent children made to engage in sexual acts.

The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675962711402.png" alt="Wiley-photo Butler County" />
 <figcaption>Wiley-photo Butler County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —A man was sentenced to 210 months in prison for child pornography distribution, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, in August 2022, Bradley Wiley, 29, of Chico, California, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.In August 2021, while Wiley was a member of U.S. Air Force stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, he used a Whatsapp account to send another user images of prepubescent children made to engage in sexual acts.The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) investigated the case.

Former Airman at Kan. base used Whatsapp to send child porn

SEWARD COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Sunday in Seward County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Felipe Gutierrez, 17, Syracuse, was&nbsp;northbound on U.S. 83 four and one half miles north from the Kansas 51 negotiating a curve.

The Jeep left the roadway to the northbound shoulder and the driver overcorrected. The Jeep entered a side skid, traveling north in the southbound lanes before entering the ditch

The vehicle continued the side skid while in the ditch, tipped and rolled an unknown number of times before coming to rest upright facing southwest.

Four juveniles were passengers in the vehicle. One juvenile died from injuries in the crash.&nbsp; EMS transported Gutierrez to Southwest Medical Center.&nbsp; Only Gutierrez and one of the passengers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The juvenile who died was not wearing a seat belt. The KHP released no additional details.

SEWARD COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Sunday in Seward County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Felipe Gutierrez, 17, Syracuse, was&nbsp;northbound on U.S. 83 four and one half miles north from the Kansas 51 negotiating a curve.The Jeep left the roadway to the northbound shoulder and the driver overcorrected. The Jeep entered a side skid, traveling north in the southbound lanes before entering the ditchThe vehicle continued the side skid while in the ditch, tipped and rolled an unknown number of times before coming to rest upright facing southwest.Four juveniles were passengers in the vehicle. One juvenile died from injuries in the crash.&nbsp; EMS transported Gutierrez to Southwest Medical Center.&nbsp; Only Gutierrez and one of the passengers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The juvenile who died was not wearing a seat belt. The KHP released no additional details.

Juvenile dies, 4 others injured in rollover crash on Kan. highway 

Review board has recommended clemency 27 times in 12 years

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/10/kansas-woman-who-killed-her-rapist-faces-long-odds-for-clemency/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Sarah Gonzales-McLinn faces long odds in her bid for clemency based on the rarity in which the Prisoner Review Board recommends approval, the willingness of governors to wield their power, the severity of her crime and opposition from those close to Hal Sasko.

Gonzales-McLinn murdered Sasko in January 2014 after he held her 
captive in his Lawrence home and raped her repeatedly for months. A 
group of advocates filed a clemency application on her behalf in 
December.

Kansas Reflector on Jan. 30 published <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/30/she-killed-her-rapist-after-months-of-abuse-advocates-say-kansas-governor-should-set-her-free/">an in-depth story</a>
 detailing the abuse, which was substantiated by police documents. The 
jury wasn’t allowed to hear the evidence of abuse during her 2015 trial,
 where she was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to a 
minimum of 50 years in prison. She later accepted a plea deal that 
lowered the required prison time to at least 25 years in exchange for 
giving up the right to appeal.

Gonzales-McLinn’s supporters hope to persuade Gov. Laura Kelly to 
grant Gonzales-McLinn clemency. The governor’s office won’t comment on 
the situation before the Prisoner Review Board makes a recommendation.

“The true purpose of clemency is twofold — to provide access to mercy
 and to correct an injustice,” said Dave Ranney, a retired journalist 
and advocate for Gonzales-McLinn. “Most people, I think, would agree 
that someone who’s been through as much sexual and mental trauma as 
Sarah has deserves mercy. And the notion that an abused individual who 
kills his or her abuser is somehow forbidden from discussing that abuse 
in front of a jury is an injustice that warrants correction.”

The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.doc.ks.gov/prb">Prisoner Review Board</a>
 is tasked with evaluating the scores of clemency applications it 
receives every year and making recommendations to the governor. The 
board has recommended clemency for 25 men and two women since its 
inception in 2011, according to data provided by the Kansas Department 
of Corrections.

Kelly and her four predecessors combined have used their clemency power a total of 18 times in 20 years.

Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius issued one pardon during her six 
years in office. Democratic Gov. Mark Parkinson pardoned four people as 
he filled out her term.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback established the Prisoner Review Board through an executive order in 2011. He <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2017/10/10/brownback-grants-first-pardon-kansas-governor-man-convicted/16525380007/">issued a pardon</a> in 2017 for a man who received recommendation from the board.

Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2019/01/11/gov-jeff-colyer-issues-two-pardons-one-commutation-of-sentence/6319004007/">granted clemency to three individuals</a>, including two recommended by the board.

Kelly <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/24/kansas-governor-grants-clemency-to-8-embracing-political-risk-in-rare-use-of-power/">granted clemency to eight individuals</a> in 2021. Only one of them had been recommended by the board.

When governors use their power to issue a pardon or commute a 
sentence, it typically involves drug-related or financial crimes. 
Gonzales-McLinn, who is 28 and has been incarcerated for nine years, 
presents an unprecedented argument.

Her application for clemency effectively asks the governor: How much time should a woman spend in prison for killing her rapist?

The answer is complicated by the violent way Gonzales-McLinn killed 
Sasko. She spiked his drink, bound his limbs, slashed his throat and 
wrote “FREEDOM” on the wall in his blood. When police questioned her, 
she admitted her actions.

Anne Sasko, who has communicated with the Prisoner Review Board, said
 she and her daughter have to “relive this nightmare” every time the 
news media writes about her ex-husband. She believes Gonzales-McLinn 
should remain in prison.

“She chose to stay, then she chose to murder,” Anne Sasko said in an 
email to Kansas Reflector. “Aggravative, heinous and definitely 
premeditated, nearly decapitating another human being. I can only hope 
you focus on the true victims in this case and just understand we are in
 pain every single day because of what she chose to do to him.”

Gonzales-McLinn moved in with Hal Sasko when she was 17 and he was 
50. He offered to take care of her, providing access to alcohol and 
drugs. After she turned 18, he told her she would have to have sex with 
him as a condition of staying, and that she couldn’t leave until she 
paid him thousands of dollars for rent, phone bills, and unwanted 
cosmetic surgery. He threatened to sue her and wreck her credit rating 
if she left. She said she would drink herself into a nearly unconscious 
state in order to have sex with him, by her estimation, two or three 
times a week for 10 months.

“I wish I could say that I was just this ideal 17-year-old girl when I
 moved in there,” Gonzales-McLinn said in a phone interview from prison.
 “But that’s not true. If I was, I don’t think he would have picked me, 
and I don’t think the tactics would have worked as well. But for the 
year that I lived there with him, I just felt like all of the pain 
building up and building up.”

Her story was supported by a psychologist and confidential police 
reports based on interviews with Hal Sasko’s family and friends. The 
police reports showed he favored girls like Gonzales-McLinn who had been
 “abused, battered, dumped, trouble with the law, or massive complaints 
about their moms.” At the time of the murder, he was grooming twin 
16-year-old girls whose mother had inquired about obtaining a 
restraining order.

Becca Spielman, program director for the Center for Safety and 
Empowerment at YWCA Northeast Kansas, works regularly with survivors of 
domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking. 
Spielman said there are misconceptions about why someone would stay in 
an abusive relationship, “and I think that comes from a lack of 
understanding about how complex these issues of violence are.”

Typically, she said, there isn’t violence at the onset of a 
relationship. There is usually some level of commitment. A survivor may 
feel tied to her abuser because of housing needs, job security or 
substance abuse. Financial abuse, Spielman said, is evident in 98% of 
the YWCA’s clients.

“We see financial abuse being a huge part of the violence that has 
occurred,” Spielman said. “That level of dependency, it becomes 
impossible to leave or to get some level of independence.”

Gonzales-McLinn felt like her only way to escape was to kill herself or kill Hal Sasko.

“I never had this mentality of, ‘I’m just going to get out scot-free,
 that’s what I’m fighting for, that’s what I want.’ But I did always 
want what was fair,” Gonzales-McLinn said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675096337419.jpeg" alt="Sarah Gonzales-McLinn holds a Lab she is training to be a service dog at the women’s prison in Topeka. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sarah Gonzales-McLinn holds a Lab she is training to be a service dog at the women’s prison in Topeka. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Review board has recommended clemency 27 times in 12 years</h2>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/10/kansas-woman-who-killed-her-rapist-faces-long-odds-for-clemency/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Sarah Gonzales-McLinn faces long odds in her bid for clemency based on the rarity in which the Prisoner Review Board recommends approval, the willingness of governors to wield their power, the severity of her crime and opposition from those close to Hal Sasko.Gonzales-McLinn murdered Sasko in January 2014 after he held her 
captive in his Lawrence home and raped her repeatedly for months. A 
group of advocates filed a clemency application on her behalf in 
December.Kansas Reflector on Jan. 30 published <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/30/she-killed-her-rapist-after-months-of-abuse-advocates-say-kansas-governor-should-set-her-free/">an in-depth story</a>
 detailing the abuse, which was substantiated by police documents. The 
jury wasn’t allowed to hear the evidence of abuse during her 2015 trial,
 where she was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to a 
minimum of 50 years in prison. She later accepted a plea deal that 
lowered the required prison time to at least 25 years in exchange for 
giving up the right to appeal.Gonzales-McLinn’s supporters hope to persuade Gov. Laura Kelly to 
grant Gonzales-McLinn clemency. The governor’s office won’t comment on 
the situation before the Prisoner Review Board makes a recommendation.“The true purpose of clemency is twofold — to provide access to mercy
 and to correct an injustice,” said Dave Ranney, a retired journalist 
and advocate for Gonzales-McLinn. “Most people, I think, would agree 
that someone who’s been through as much sexual and mental trauma as 
Sarah has deserves mercy. And the notion that an abused individual who 
kills his or her abuser is somehow forbidden from discussing that abuse 
in front of a jury is an injustice that warrants correction.”The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.doc.ks.gov/prb">Prisoner Review Board</a>
 is tasked with evaluating the scores of clemency applications it 
receives every year and making recommendations to the governor. The 
board has recommended clemency for 25 men and two women since its 
inception in 2011, according to data provided by the Kansas Department 
of Corrections.Kelly and her four predecessors combined have used their clemency power a total of 18 times in 20 years.Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius issued one pardon during her six 
years in office. Democratic Gov. Mark Parkinson pardoned four people as 
he filled out her term.Republican Gov. Sam Brownback established the Prisoner Review Board through an executive order in 2011. He <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2017/10/10/brownback-grants-first-pardon-kansas-governor-man-convicted/16525380007/">issued a pardon</a> in 2017 for a man who received recommendation from the board.Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2019/01/11/gov-jeff-colyer-issues-two-pardons-one-commutation-of-sentence/6319004007/">granted clemency to three individuals</a>, including two recommended by the board.Kelly <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/24/kansas-governor-grants-clemency-to-8-embracing-political-risk-in-rare-use-of-power/">granted clemency to eight individuals</a> in 2021. Only one of them had been recommended by the board.When governors use their power to issue a pardon or commute a 
sentence, it typically involves drug-related or financial crimes. 
Gonzales-McLinn, who is 28 and has been incarcerated for nine years, 
presents an unprecedented argument.Her application for clemency effectively asks the governor: How much time should a woman spend in prison for killing her rapist?The answer is complicated by the violent way Gonzales-McLinn killed 
Sasko. She spiked his drink, bound his limbs, slashed his throat and 
wrote “FREEDOM” on the wall in his blood. When police questioned her, 
she admitted her actions.Anne Sasko, who has communicated with the Prisoner Review Board, said
 she and her daughter have to “relive this nightmare” every time the 
news media writes about her ex-husband. She believes Gonzales-McLinn 
should remain in prison.“She chose to stay, then she chose to murder,” Anne Sasko said in an 
email to Kansas Reflector. “Aggravative, heinous and definitely 
premeditated, nearly decapitating another human being. I can only hope 
you focus on the true victims in this case and just understand we are in
 pain every single day because of what she chose to do to him.”Gonzales-McLinn moved in with Hal Sasko when she was 17 and he was 
50. He offered to take care of her, providing access to alcohol and 
drugs. After she turned 18, he told her she would have to have sex with 
him as a condition of staying, and that she couldn’t leave until she 
paid him thousands of dollars for rent, phone bills, and unwanted 
cosmetic surgery. He threatened to sue her and wreck her credit rating 
if she left. She said she would drink herself into a nearly unconscious 
state in order to have sex with him, by her estimation, two or three 
times a week for 10 months.“I wish I could say that I was just this ideal 17-year-old girl when I
 moved in there,” Gonzales-McLinn said in a phone interview from prison.
 “But that’s not true. If I was, I don’t think he would have picked me, 
and I don’t think the tactics would have worked as well. But for the 
year that I lived there with him, I just felt like all of the pain 
building up and building up.”Her story was supported by a psychologist and confidential police 
reports based on interviews with Hal Sasko’s family and friends. The 
police reports showed he favored girls like Gonzales-McLinn who had been
 “abused, battered, dumped, trouble with the law, or massive complaints 
about their moms.” At the time of the murder, he was grooming twin 
16-year-old girls whose mother had inquired about obtaining a 
restraining order.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1430750524&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast" title="Reflector Podcast" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Reflector Podcast</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast/2023-01-30-podcast" title="Sarah Gonzales-McLinn on killing Sasko and her request for clemency" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Sarah Gonzales-McLinn on killing Sasko and her request for clemency</a></div></div>Becca Spielman, program director for the Center for Safety and 
Empowerment at YWCA Northeast Kansas, works regularly with survivors of 
domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking. 
Spielman said there are misconceptions about why someone would stay in 
an abusive relationship, “and I think that comes from a lack of 
understanding about how complex these issues of violence are.”Typically, she said, there isn’t violence at the onset of a 
relationship. There is usually some level of commitment. A survivor may 
feel tied to her abuser because of housing needs, job security or 
substance abuse. Financial abuse, Spielman said, is evident in 98% of 
the YWCA’s clients.“We see financial abuse being a huge part of the violence that has 
occurred,” Spielman said. “That level of dependency, it becomes 
impossible to leave or to get some level of independence.”Gonzales-McLinn felt like her only way to escape was to kill herself or kill Hal Sasko.“I never had this mentality of, ‘I’m just going to get out scot-free,
 that’s what I’m fighting for, that’s what I want.’ But I did always 
want what was fair,” Gonzales-McLinn said.

🎙 Kansas woman who killed her rapist faces long odds for clemency

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/10/house-committee-tackles-bill-designed-to-inhibit-resident-dumping-by-kansas-adult-care-facilities/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas adult assisted-living industry pushed back 
against legislation creating in state law requirements for informing 
residents in advance of involuntary discharge or transfer orders and 
establishing in statute the right of residents to appeal those 
decisions.

The House bill was developed with assistance from the Kansas Judicial
 Council amid evidence elderly people were subjected to gut-wrenching 
involuntary discharges without warning or justificiation. In some 
instances, facilities had residents admitted to a hospital and refused 
to take them back. Dumping vulnerable residents — people with dimentia, 
behavioral challenges or viewed as difficult to be around — could have 
life-or-death consequences.

State long-term care ombudsman Camille Russell, who advocates for 
rights of Kansans in nursing facilities, long-term care units of 
hospitals, assisted living centers and other residential models, said 
Thursday during a House Judiciary Committee hearing it was important 
Kansans had appeal rights etched in state law so involuntary discharges 
from adult care homes could be independently reviewed.

She said discharges in violation of administrative regulations 
continued to be one of the most frequent complaints to the ombudsman’s 
office.

“There are many homes that rarely find reason to issue a notice of 
involuntary discharge. There are also facilities that are ‘serial 
offenders,’ some that fail to provide the required written notice at 
all, while others do not provide an appropriate reason or rationale,” 
Russell said.

LeadingAge Kansas president Rachel Monger said the association of not-for-profit and faith-based aging services believed <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2246_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2246</a>
 would improperly require residential facilities to care for clients 
while discharge appeals were pending. Administrative appeals could delay
 movement of residents to facilities properly equipped and staffed to 
meet their needs, she said.

“Forcing an assisted living facility to retain a resident whose needs
 it cannot meet has wide-ranging and seriously negative effects on the 
health and safety of residents and the continued affordability and 
operations of residential care settings,” Monger said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676052747219.png" alt="Linda MowBray, president of the Kansas Health Care Association and Kansas Center for Assisted Living, offered a House committee financial, medical and legal objections to a bill creating a state law —a supplement to state regulations — requiring an appeals process for residents of assisted living facilities facing involuntarily discharge. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Linda MowBray, president of the Kansas Health Care Association and Kansas Center for Assisted Living, offered a House committee financial, medical and legal objections to a bill creating a state law —a supplement to state regulations — requiring an appeals process for residents of assisted living facilities facing involuntarily discharge. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/10/house-committee-tackles-bill-designed-to-inhibit-resident-dumping-by-kansas-adult-care-facilities/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas adult assisted-living industry pushed back 
against legislation creating in state law requirements for informing 
residents in advance of involuntary discharge or transfer orders and 
establishing in statute the right of residents to appeal those 
decisions.The House bill was developed with assistance from the Kansas Judicial
 Council amid evidence elderly people were subjected to gut-wrenching 
involuntary discharges without warning or justificiation. In some 
instances, facilities had residents admitted to a hospital and refused 
to take them back. Dumping vulnerable residents — people with dimentia, 
behavioral challenges or viewed as difficult to be around — could have 
life-or-death consequences.State long-term care ombudsman Camille Russell, who advocates for 
rights of Kansans in nursing facilities, long-term care units of 
hospitals, assisted living centers and other residential models, said 
Thursday during a House Judiciary Committee hearing it was important 
Kansans had appeal rights etched in state law so involuntary discharges 
from adult care homes could be independently reviewed.She said discharges in violation of administrative regulations 
continued to be one of the most frequent complaints to the ombudsman’s 
office.“There are many homes that rarely find reason to issue a notice of 
involuntary discharge. There are also facilities that are ‘serial 
offenders,’ some that fail to provide the required written notice at 
all, while others do not provide an appropriate reason or rationale,” 
Russell said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676052827583.png" alt=" Camille Russell, state long-term care ombudsman, requested passage of a state law requiring residents of assisted living facilities get 30-day advance notice of involuntary dismissal and have a chance to appeal the decision. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption> Camille Russell, state long-term care ombudsman, requested passage of a state law requiring residents of assisted living facilities get 30-day advance notice of involuntary dismissal and have a chance to appeal the decision. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘Tip of the iceberg’</h2>LeadingAge Kansas president Rachel Monger said the association of not-for-profit and faith-based aging services believed <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2246_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2246</a>
 would improperly require residential facilities to care for clients 
while discharge appeals were pending. Administrative appeals could delay
 movement of residents to facilities properly equipped and staffed to 
meet their needs, she said.“Forcing an assisted living facility to retain a resident whose needs
 it cannot meet has wide-ranging and seriously negative effects on the 
health and safety of residents and the continued affordability and 
operations of residential care settings,” Monger said.Linda MowBray, president of the Kansas Health Care Association and 
Kansas Center for Assisted Living, said it would be a mistake to 
implement a law forcing state-licensed homes to retain or readmit a 
resident no longer viewed by administrators as a good fit for that 
facility.“The amount of time given in HB 2246 for an appeal to happen is just 
the tip of the iceberg. Appeal after appeal could drag on for months. It
 would be irresponsible with the potential for grave consequences for a 
community to attempt to care for someone whose needs are clearly outside
 of the services they can provide,” MowBray said.Shelley Gromer, vice president of Guest Home Estates with 99 
residents scattered among six facilities in Caney, Chanute, Erie, 
Pittsburg and Garnett, said she operated facilities with capacities 
ranging from 11 to 25 residents. She said it would be unfair for the 
state to remove from operators the authority to determine who was an 
appropriate match in each of those locations.“This could put our small homes out of business and cause problems for our staff and residents,” Gromer said.<h2>The fine print</h2>Under the proposed House bill, administrators at assisted living, 
residential healthcare, home plus or boarding care home facilities in 
Kansas would be required to provide residents written notice for an 
involuntary transfer or discharge at least 30 days before the scheduled 
move unless the resident had an urgent medical need or was a danger to 
others. The notice would have to be forwarded to the resident in person,
 placed in the individual’s record, sent to the resident’s 
representative and provided to the state’s long-term care ombudsman.Discharging facilities would be required to fill out a form outlining
 reasons and supporting evidence for the involuntary removal. The 
document would include names and contact information, effective date of 
the transfer or discharge and a copy of the notice of appeal.The administrator of the care facility would be obligated under the 
House bill to develop a discharge plan before taking that step.An appeal would have to be filed on behalf of a resident within 15 
days of receiving an ouster notice. That appeal could be sought by a 
representative of the resident, including the state’s long-term care 
ombudsman. A state administrative hearing would have to take place 
within 15 days of the appeal filing. The hearing officer would issue a 
decision within 10 days.During the appellate process, the bill said, the resident would be 
allowed to remain in the facility or be permitted to resume residence at
 the facility.A comparable system for emergency movement orders would be carved out
 with administrators required to notify the resident 48 hours prior to a
 transfer or discharge, with the secretary of the Kansas Department for 
Aging and Disability Services responsible for defining what constituted 
an emergency. An emergency eviction could be appealed within seven days 
of receiving notice. The hearing would be within 14 days of the appeal 
and hearing officers would have five days to rule.The Kansas Judicial Council recommended a provision in the bill 
provide some amount of liability protection to facilities from lawsuits 
alleging negligence if the care facility didn’t deliver services to an 
appealing resident “outside the scope of the negotiated service 
agreement.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676052892134.png" alt="Alexandra English of Kansas Legal Services said Kansans facing involuntary discharge from an assisted living facility could benefit from enactment of a Kansas House bill setting out notice and appeal rights of residents. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Alexandra English of Kansas Legal Services said Kansans facing involuntary discharge from an assisted living facility could benefit from enactment of a Kansas House bill setting out notice and appeal rights of residents. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Selective denial of rights</h2>Alexandra English, director of Kansas Legal Services’ Elder Rights 
Project, participated on the Judicial Council’s advisory committee that 
explored the involuntary discharge issue. The recommendation on 
structure of an appeal process was drawn from concepts adopted in other 
states, she said.The Kansas model drew from Alaska’s requirement assisted living 
facilities meet informally with a resident to discuss appropriateness of
 involuntary discharges before filing of an appeal, she said.“Ultimately, a majority of the committee determined that House Bill 
2246 was the best, most comprehensive plan that balanced the rights of 
residents to appeal involuntary discharges while also giving assisted 
living facilities the ability to keep residents safe and preserve their 
business interests,” English said.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/committees/ctte_h_jud_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_h_jud_1_20230209_19_testimony.html">English said Kansas was in need of a system better able to protect vulnerable residents</a>
 in assisted living facilities. Existing regulations for assisted living
 businesses fell short of matching rights held by people in nursing 
homes or tenants of rental units. Homeowners facing foreclosure have 
broader rights than residents of assisted living units, she said.“Kansas’ regulations require that the resident receive notice, but do
 not provide any sort of appeal process for residents of assisted living
 facilities,” she said. “Why should this one segment, of one of the most
 vulnerable populations, be excluded? Are their rights not as important 
as others?”