Today is Monday, April 27, the 118th day of 2020. There are 248 days left in the year.

On April 27, 2011, powerful tornadoes raked the South and Midwest; according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than 120 twisters resulted in 316 deaths.

In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by natives in the Philippines.

In 1791, the inventor of the telegraph, Samuel Morse, was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

In 1810, Ludwig van Beethoven wrote one of his most famous piano compositions, the Bagatelle in A-minor.

In 1865, the steamer Sultana, carrying freed Union prisoners of war, exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee; death toll estimates vary from 1,500 to 2,000.

In 1950, Britain formally recognized the state of Israel.

In 1965, broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow died in Pawling, New York, two days after turning 57.

In 1978, 51 construction workers plunged to their deaths when a scaffold inside a cooling tower at the Pleasants Power Station site in West Virginia fell 168 feet to the ground.

In 1982, the trial of John W. Hinckley Jr., who shot four people, including President Ronald Reagan, began in Washington. (The trial ended with Hinckley's acquittal by reason of insanity.)

In 1992, the new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed in Belgrade by the republic of Serbia and its lone ally, Montenegro. Russia and 12 other former Soviet republics won entry into the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Betty Boothroyd became the first female Speaker of Britain's House of Commons.

In 1994, former President Richard M. Nixon was remembered at an outdoor funeral service attended by all five of his successors at the Nixon presidential library in Yorba Linda, California.

In 2002, South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth arrived at the international space station for an eight-day, seven-night cruise that had cost him $20 million.

In 2009, a 23-month-old Mexico City toddler died at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, becoming the first swine-flu death on U.S. soil.

Ten years ago: Defending his company against blistering criticism, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, told a Senate hearing that clients who'd bought subprime mortgage securities from the Wall Street powerhouse in 2006 and 2007 came looking for risk "and that's what they got." Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was extradited from the United States to France, where he was later convicted of laundering drug money and received a seven-year sentence. Thomas Hagan, the only man to admit shooting Malcolm X, was freed on parole. University of Washington president Mark Emmert was selected as president of the NCAA.

Five years ago: Rioters plunged part of Baltimore into chaos, torching a pharmacy, setting police cars ablaze and throwing bricks at officers hours after thousands attended a funeral for Freddie Gray, who died from a severe spinal injury he'd suffered in police custody; the Baltimore Orioles' home game against the Chicago White Sox was postponed because of safety concerns. Opening statements took place in Centennial, Colorado, at the trial of movie theater shooter James Holmes. Loretta Lynch was sworn in as the 83rd U.S. attorney general, the first African-American woman to serve as the nation's top law enforcement official.

One year ago: A gunman opened fire inside a synagogue near San Diego as worshippers celebrated the last day of Passover, killing a woman and wounding the rabbi and two others. (John Earnest is awaiting trial on charges including hate-crime-related murder and attempted murder; he is also facing charges in a mosque fire that happened weeks earlier.) A construction crane collapsed at the new Google Seattle campus, pinning six cars underneath; two ironworkers and two people in the cars were killed. Oliver North announced that he would not serve a second term as National Rifle Associate president; he made it clear that he'd been forced out after his own failed attempt to remove the group's longtime CEO, Wayne LaPierre.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Anouk Aimee is 88. Rock musician Jim Keltner is 78. Rock singer Kate Pierson (The B-52's) is 72. Rhythm-and-blues singer Herbie Murrell (The Stylistics) is 71. Actor Douglas Sheehan is 71. Rock musician Ace Frehley is 69. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is 69. Pop singer Sheena Easton is 61. Actor James Le Gros is 58. Rock musician Rob Squires (Big Head Todd and the Monsters) is 55. Singer Mica Paris is 51. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is 51. Actor David Lascher is 48. Actress Maura West is 48. Actress Sally Hawkins is 44. Rock singer Jim James (My Morning Jacket) is 42. Rock musician Patrick Hallahan (My Morning Jacket) is 42. Rock singer-musician Travis Meeks (Days of the New) is 41. Neo-soul musician Joseph Pope III (Nathaniel Rateliff &amp; the Night Sweats) is 41. Country musician John Osborne (Brothers Osborne) is 38. Actor Francis Capra is 37. Actress Ari Graynor is 37. Rock singer-musician Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy) is 36. Actress Sheila Vand is 35. Actress Jenna Coleman is 34. Pop singer Nick Noonan (Karmin) is 34. Actor William Moseley is 33. Actress Emily Rios is 31. Singer Allison Iraheta is 28.

Thought for Today: "Fear not those who argue but those who dodge." — Dale Carnegie, American writer-lecturer (1888-1955).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Monday, April 27, the 118th day of 2020. There are 248 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On April 27, 2011, powerful tornadoes raked the South and Midwest; according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than 120 twisters resulted in 316 deaths.On this date:In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by natives in the Philippines.In 1791, the inventor of the telegraph, Samuel Morse, was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts.In 1810, Ludwig van Beethoven wrote one of his most famous piano compositions, the Bagatelle in A-minor.In 1865, the steamer Sultana, carrying freed Union prisoners of war, exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee; death toll estimates vary from 1,500 to 2,000.In 1950, Britain formally recognized the state of Israel.In 1965, broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow died in Pawling, New York, two days after turning 57.In 1978, 51 construction workers plunged to their deaths when a scaffold inside a cooling tower at the Pleasants Power Station site in West Virginia fell 168 feet to the ground.In 1982, the trial of John W. Hinckley Jr., who shot four people, including President Ronald Reagan, began in Washington. (The trial ended with Hinckley's acquittal by reason of insanity.)In 1992, the new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed in Belgrade by the republic of Serbia and its lone ally, Montenegro. Russia and 12 other former Soviet republics won entry into the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Betty Boothroyd became the first female Speaker of Britain's House of Commons.In 1994, former President Richard M. Nixon was remembered at an outdoor funeral service attended by all five of his successors at the Nixon presidential library in Yorba Linda, California.In 2002, South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth arrived at the international space station for an eight-day, seven-night cruise that had cost him $20 million.In 2009, a 23-month-old Mexico City toddler died at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, becoming the first swine-flu death on U.S. soil.Ten years ago: Defending his company against blistering criticism, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, told a Senate hearing that clients who'd bought subprime mortgage securities from the Wall Street powerhouse in 2006 and 2007 came looking for risk "and that's what they got." Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was extradited from the United States to France, where he was later convicted of laundering drug money and received a seven-year sentence. Thomas Hagan, the only man to admit shooting Malcolm X, was freed on parole. University of Washington president Mark Emmert was selected as president of the NCAA.Five years ago: Rioters plunged part of Baltimore into chaos, torching a pharmacy, setting police cars ablaze and throwing bricks at officers hours after thousands attended a funeral for Freddie Gray, who died from a severe spinal injury he'd suffered in police custody; the Baltimore Orioles' home game against the Chicago White Sox was postponed because of safety concerns. Opening statements took place in Centennial, Colorado, at the trial of movie theater shooter James Holmes. Loretta Lynch was sworn in as the 83rd U.S. attorney general, the first African-American woman to serve as the nation's top law enforcement official.One year ago: A gunman opened fire inside a synagogue near San Diego as worshippers celebrated the last day of Passover, killing a woman and wounding the rabbi and two others. (John Earnest is awaiting trial on charges including hate-crime-related murder and attempted murder; he is also facing charges in a mosque fire that happened weeks earlier.) A construction crane collapsed at the new Google Seattle campus, pinning six cars underneath; two ironworkers and two people in the cars were killed. Oliver North announced that he would not serve a second term as National Rifle Associate president; he made it clear that he'd been forced out after his own failed attempt to remove the group's longtime CEO, Wayne LaPierre.Today's Birthdays: Actress Anouk Aimee is 88. Rock musician Jim Keltner is 78. Rock singer Kate Pierson (The B-52's) is 72. Rhythm-and-blues singer Herbie Murrell (The Stylistics) is 71. Actor Douglas Sheehan is 71. Rock musician Ace Frehley is 69. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is 69. Pop singer Sheena Easton is 61. Actor James Le Gros is 58. Rock musician Rob Squires (Big Head Todd and the Monsters) is 55. Singer Mica Paris is 51. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is 51. Actor David Lascher is 48. Actress Maura West is 48. Actress Sally Hawkins is 44. Rock singer Jim James (My Morning Jacket) is 42. Rock musician Patrick Hallahan (My Morning Jacket) is 42. Rock singer-musician Travis Meeks (Days of the New) is 41. Neo-soul musician Joseph Pope III (Nathaniel Rateliff &amp; the Night Sweats) is 41. Country musician John Osborne (Brothers Osborne) is 38. Actor Francis Capra is 37. Actress Ari Graynor is 37. Rock singer-musician Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy) is 36. Actress Sheila Vand is 35. Actress Jenna Coleman is 34. Pop singer Nick Noonan (Karmin) is 34. Actor William Moseley is 33. Actress Emily Rios is 31. Singer Allison Iraheta is 28.Thought for Today: "Fear not those who argue but those who dodge." — Dale Carnegie, American writer-lecturer (1888-1955).Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- April 27

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and attempted burglary and have made an arrest.

Just after 1:30 a.m. Friday, officers were called to Lowes, 1621 SW Arvonia Place in Topeka in reference a subject that had smashed through the south door of the store attempting to gain entry, according to Lt. Manuel Munoz.

The subject left the scene prior to officers’ arrival without gaining entry into the store. A short time later, officers were called to Menards, 6401 SW 17th in Topeka on a similar report that a subject had broken through a door and was currently inside the store. 

Officers located the subject identified as 42-year-old Curtis E. Wright inside Menards and took him into custody.

&nbsp;Wright was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Attempted Aggravated Burglary (Lowes, Burglary (Menards, Criminal damage to property and a Violation of Stay Home Order, according to Munoz.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587849108355.png" alt="Wright photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Wright photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and attempted burglary and have made an arrest.Just after 1:30 a.m. Friday, officers were called to Lowes, 1621 SW Arvonia Place in Topeka in reference a subject that had smashed through the south door of the store attempting to gain entry, according to Lt. Manuel Munoz.The subject left the scene prior to officers’ arrival without gaining entry into the store. A short time later, officers were called to Menards, 6401 SW 17th in Topeka on a similar report that a subject had broken through a door and was currently inside the store. Officers located the subject identified as 42-year-old Curtis E. Wright inside Menards and took him into custody.&nbsp;Wright was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Attempted Aggravated Burglary (Lowes, Burglary (Menards, Criminal damage to property and a Violation of Stay Home Order, according to Munoz.

Police catch suspect during burglary of Kan. home improvement store

Today is Sunday, April 26, the 117th day of 2020. There are 249 days left in the year.

On April 26, 1994, voting began in South Africa's first all-race elections, resulting in victory for the African National Congress and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president.

In 1607, English colonists went ashore at present-day Cape Henry, Virginia, on an expedition to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere.

In 1785, American naturalist, hunter and artist John James Audubon was born in present-day Haiti.

In 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was surrounded by federal troops near Port Royal, Virginia, and killed.

In 1933, Nazi Germany's infamous secret police, the Gestapo, was created.

In 1945, Marshal Henri Philippe Petain, the head of France's Vichy government during World War II, was arrested.

In 1961, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit the first of his 61 home runs during a 162-game season (compared to Babe Ruth's 60 home runs during a 154-game season) as he hit a roundtripper off Paul Foytack at Tiger Stadium.

In 1968, the United States exploded beneath the Nevada desert a 1.3 megaton nuclear device called "Boxcar."

In 1986, an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused radioactive fallout to begin spewing into the atmosphere. (Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to number in the thousands.)

In 1989, actress-comedian Lucille Ball died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 77.

In 1994, China Airlines Flight 140, a Taiwanese Airbus A-300, crashed while landing in Nagoya, Japan, killing 264 people; there were seven survivors.

In 2009, the United States declared a public health emergency as more possible cases of swine flu surfaced from Canada to New Zealand; officials in Mexico City closed everything from concerts to sports matches to churches in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.

In 2018, Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004; it was the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era and completed the spectacular downfall of a comedian who broke racial barriers on his way to TV superstardom. (Cosby was later sentenced to three to 10 years in prison.)

Ten years ago: A Haitian judge dismissed kidnapping and criminal association charges against 10 American missionaries who'd been detained for trying to take a busload of children out of the country after the January 2010 earthquake, but said that Laura Silsby, the last of the 10 still in jail, would face a lesser charge. (Silsby was freed in May 2010 after being convicted of arranging illegal travel and sentenced to time served.)

Five years ago: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Boston for a stop at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and a dinner hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry as he began a weeklong U.S. visit. "General Hospital" and "The Young and the Restless" were the top winners of the Daytime Emmys with three trophies each, while the latter shared the best drama series award with "Days of Our Lives." Actress and TV personality Jayne Meadows, who'd often teamed with her husband Steve Allen, died in Los Angeles at age 95.

One year ago: A federal judge in Washington sentenced a Russian woman, Maria Butina, to 18 months in prison for being a secret agent for the Russian government, covertly gathering intelligence on the National Rifle Association and other groups. (Butina was deported to Russia six months later.) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un headed home from Russia after his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin; Kim accused the U.S. of negotiating in "bad faith" when he had met two months earlier with President Donald Trump in Hanoi. Catholic churches in Sri Lanka canceled all Sunday Masses until further notice over concerns that they remained a target of extremists linked to the Islamic State group; the move came even as authorities said a suspected local leader blew himself up in the Easter suicide bombings that killed more than 250 people.

Today's Birthdays: Actress-comedian Carol Burnett is 87. Rhythm-and-blues singer Maurice Williams is 82. Songwriter-musician Duane Eddy is 82. Singer Bobby Rydell is 78. Rock musician Gary Wright is 77. Actress Nancy Lenehan is 67. Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 62. Rock musician Roger Taylor (Duran Duran) is 60. Actress Joan Chen is 59. Rock musician Chris Mars is 59. Actor-singer Michael Damian is 58. Actor Jet Li (lee) is 57. Rock musician Jimmy Stafford (formerly w/Train) is 56. Actor-comedian Kevin James is 55. Record company executive Jeff Huskins is 54. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey is 54. Actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste is 53. Country musician Joe Caverlee (Yankee Grey) is 52. Rapper T-Boz (TLC) is 50. First lady Melania Trump is 50. Actress Shondrella Avery is 49. Actress Simbi Kali is 49. Country musician Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) is 49. Country musician Michael Jeffers (Pinmonkey) is 48. Rock musician Jose Pasillas (Incubus) is 44. Actor Jason Earles is 43. Actor Leonard Earl Howze is 43. Actor Amin Joseph is 43. Actor Tom Welling is 43. Actor Pablo Schreiber is 42. Actor Nyambi Nyambi is 41. Actress Jordana Brewster is 40. Actress Stana Katic is 40. Actress Marnette Patterson is 40. Actor Channing Tatum is 40. Americana/roots singer-songwriter Lilly Hiatt is 36. Actress Emily Wickersham is 36. Actor Aaron Weeks is 34. Electro pop musician James Sunderland (Frenship) is 33. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is 28.

Thought for Today: "A good scapegoat is nearly as welcome as a solution to the problem." — Author unknown.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Sunday, April 26, the 117th day of 2020. There are 249 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On April 26, 1994, voting began in South Africa's first all-race elections, resulting in victory for the African National Congress and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president.On this date:In 1607, English colonists went ashore at present-day Cape Henry, Virginia, on an expedition to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere.In 1785, American naturalist, hunter and artist John James Audubon was born in present-day Haiti.In 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was surrounded by federal troops near Port Royal, Virginia, and killed.In 1933, Nazi Germany's infamous secret police, the Gestapo, was created.In 1945, Marshal Henri Philippe Petain, the head of France's Vichy government during World War II, was arrested.In 1961, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit the first of his 61 home runs during a 162-game season (compared to Babe Ruth's 60 home runs during a 154-game season) as he hit a roundtripper off Paul Foytack at Tiger Stadium.In 1968, the United States exploded beneath the Nevada desert a 1.3 megaton nuclear device called "Boxcar."In 1986, an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused radioactive fallout to begin spewing into the atmosphere. (Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to number in the thousands.)In 1989, actress-comedian Lucille Ball died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 77.In 1994, China Airlines Flight 140, a Taiwanese Airbus A-300, crashed while landing in Nagoya, Japan, killing 264 people; there were seven survivors.In 2009, the United States declared a public health emergency as more possible cases of swine flu surfaced from Canada to New Zealand; officials in Mexico City closed everything from concerts to sports matches to churches in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.In 2018, Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004; it was the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era and completed the spectacular downfall of a comedian who broke racial barriers on his way to TV superstardom. (Cosby was later sentenced to three to 10 years in prison.)Ten years ago: A Haitian judge dismissed kidnapping and criminal association charges against 10 American missionaries who'd been detained for trying to take a busload of children out of the country after the January 2010 earthquake, but said that Laura Silsby, the last of the 10 still in jail, would face a lesser charge. (Silsby was freed in May 2010 after being convicted of arranging illegal travel and sentenced to time served.)Five years ago: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Boston for a stop at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and a dinner hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry as he began a weeklong U.S. visit. "General Hospital" and "The Young and the Restless" were the top winners of the Daytime Emmys with three trophies each, while the latter shared the best drama series award with "Days of Our Lives." Actress and TV personality Jayne Meadows, who'd often teamed with her husband Steve Allen, died in Los Angeles at age 95.One year ago: A federal judge in Washington sentenced a Russian woman, Maria Butina, to 18 months in prison for being a secret agent for the Russian government, covertly gathering intelligence on the National Rifle Association and other groups. (Butina was deported to Russia six months later.) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un headed home from Russia after his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin; Kim accused the U.S. of negotiating in "bad faith" when he had met two months earlier with President Donald Trump in Hanoi. Catholic churches in Sri Lanka canceled all Sunday Masses until further notice over concerns that they remained a target of extremists linked to the Islamic State group; the move came even as authorities said a suspected local leader blew himself up in the Easter suicide bombings that killed more than 250 people.Today's Birthdays: Actress-comedian Carol Burnett is 87. Rhythm-and-blues singer Maurice Williams is 82. Songwriter-musician Duane Eddy is 82. Singer Bobby Rydell is 78. Rock musician Gary Wright is 77. Actress Nancy Lenehan is 67. Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 62. Rock musician Roger Taylor (Duran Duran) is 60. Actress Joan Chen is 59. Rock musician Chris Mars is 59. Actor-singer Michael Damian is 58. Actor Jet Li (lee) is 57. Rock musician Jimmy Stafford (formerly w/Train) is 56. Actor-comedian Kevin James is 55. Record company executive Jeff Huskins is 54. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey is 54. Actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste is 53. Country musician Joe Caverlee (Yankee Grey) is 52. Rapper T-Boz (TLC) is 50. First lady Melania Trump is 50. Actress Shondrella Avery is 49. Actress Simbi Kali is 49. Country musician Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) is 49. Country musician Michael Jeffers (Pinmonkey) is 48. Rock musician Jose Pasillas (Incubus) is 44. Actor Jason Earles is 43. Actor Leonard Earl Howze is 43. Actor Amin Joseph is 43. Actor Tom Welling is 43. Actor Pablo Schreiber is 42. Actor Nyambi Nyambi is 41. Actress Jordana Brewster is 40. Actress Stana Katic is 40. Actress Marnette Patterson is 40. Actor Channing Tatum is 40. Americana/roots singer-songwriter Lilly Hiatt is 36. Actress Emily Wickersham is 36. Actor Aaron Weeks is 34. Electro pop musician James Sunderland (Frenship) is 33. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is 28.Thought for Today: "A good scapegoat is nearly as welcome as a solution to the problem." — Author unknown.Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- April 26

Today is Saturday, April 25, the 116th day of 2020. There are 250 days left in the year.

On April 25, 1945, during World War II, U.S. and Soviet forces linked up on the Elbe River, a meeting that dramatized the collapse of Nazi Germany's defenses. Delegates from some 50 countries gathered in San Francisco to organize the United Nations.

In 1507, a world map produced by German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller contained the first recorded use of the term "America," in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci.

In 1859, ground was broken for the Suez Canal.

In 1874, radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi was born in Bologna, Italy.

In 1898, the United States Congress declared war on Spain; the 10-week conflict resulted in an American victory.

In 1915, during World War I, Allied soldiers invaded the Gallipoli Peninsula in an unsuccessful attempt to take the Ottoman Empire out of the war.

In 1917, legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia.

In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened to shipping.

In 1983, 10-year-old Samantha Smith of Manchester, Maine, received a reply from Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov to a letter she'd written expressing her concerns about nuclear war; Andropov gave assurances that the Soviet Union did not want war, and invited Samantha to visit his country, a trip she made in July.

In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed in orbit from the space shuttle Discovery. (It was later discovered that the telescope's primary mirror was flawed, requiring the installation of corrective components to achieve optimal focus.)

In 1992, Islamic forces in Afghanistan took control of most of the capital of Kabul following the collapse of the Communist government.

In 1995, show business legend Ginger Rogers died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 83.

In 2002, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of the Grammy-winning trio TLC died in an SUV crash in Honduras; she was 30.

Ten years ago: President Barack Obama made a pilgrimage to Billy Graham's mountainside home, concluding his North Carolina vacation with his first meeting with the ailing evangelist who had counseled commanders in chief since Dwight Eisenhower. An al-Qaida front group in Iraq confirmed the deaths of its two top leaders a week after a raid by Iraqi and U.S. security forces on the leaders' safe house near Tikrit, north of Baghdad. British writer Alan Sillitoe, 82, died in London.

Five years ago: A magnitude-7.8 earthquake in Nepal killed more than 8,200 people. Families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered in Turkey near former battlefields, honoring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the 100th anniversary of the ill-fated British-led invasion. Italy celebrated the 70th anniversary of a partisan uprising against the Nazis and their Fascist allies near the end of World War II.

One year ago: Former Vice President Joe Biden entered the Democratic presidential race, declaring the fight against Donald Trump to be a "battle for the soul of this nation." Russian President Vladimir Putin began a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in the Russian city of Vladivostok; Putin said Kim told him that he was willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only in exchange for ironclad security guarantees. The Arizona Cardinals led off the NFL draft by selecting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, the Heisman Trophy winner.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Al Pacino is 80. Ballroom dance judge Len Goodman (TV: "Dancing with the Stars") is 76. Rock musician Stu Cook (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 75. Singer Bjorn Ulvaeus (ABBA) is 75. Actress Talia Shire is 75. Actor Jeffrey DeMunn is 73. Rock musician Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty &amp; the Heartbreakers) is 70. Country singer-songwriter Rob Crosby is 66. Actor Hank Azaria is 56. Rock singer Andy Bell (Erasure) is 56. Rock musician Eric Avery is 55. Country musician Rory Feek (Joey + Rory) is 55. TV personality Jane Clayson is 53. Actress Renee Zellweger is 51. Actress Gina Torres is 51. Actor Jason Lee is 50. Actor Jason Wiles is 50. Actress Emily Bergl is 45. Actor Jonathan Angel is 43. Actress Marguerite Moreau is 43. Singer Jacob Underwood is 40. Actress Melonie Diaz is 36. Actress Sara Paxton is 32. Actress Allisyn Ashley Arm is 24. Actress Jayden Rey is 11.

Thought for Today: "I think it is all a matter of love: the more you love a memory, the stronger and stranger it is." — Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-born author (1899-1977).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Saturday, April 25, the 116th day of 2020. There are 250 days left in the year.Today's Highlights in History:On April 25, 1945, during World War II, U.S. and Soviet forces linked up on the Elbe River, a meeting that dramatized the collapse of Nazi Germany's defenses. Delegates from some 50 countries gathered in San Francisco to organize the United Nations.On this date:In 1507, a world map produced by German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller contained the first recorded use of the term "America," in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci.In 1859, ground was broken for the Suez Canal.In 1874, radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi was born in Bologna, Italy.In 1898, the United States Congress declared war on Spain; the 10-week conflict resulted in an American victory.In 1915, during World War I, Allied soldiers invaded the Gallipoli Peninsula in an unsuccessful attempt to take the Ottoman Empire out of the war.In 1917, legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia.In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened to shipping.In 1983, 10-year-old Samantha Smith of Manchester, Maine, received a reply from Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov to a letter she'd written expressing her concerns about nuclear war; Andropov gave assurances that the Soviet Union did not want war, and invited Samantha to visit his country, a trip she made in July.In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed in orbit from the space shuttle Discovery. (It was later discovered that the telescope's primary mirror was flawed, requiring the installation of corrective components to achieve optimal focus.)In 1992, Islamic forces in Afghanistan took control of most of the capital of Kabul following the collapse of the Communist government.In 1995, show business legend Ginger Rogers died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 83.In 2002, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of the Grammy-winning trio TLC died in an SUV crash in Honduras; she was 30.Ten years ago: President Barack Obama made a pilgrimage to Billy Graham's mountainside home, concluding his North Carolina vacation with his first meeting with the ailing evangelist who had counseled commanders in chief since Dwight Eisenhower. An al-Qaida front group in Iraq confirmed the deaths of its two top leaders a week after a raid by Iraqi and U.S. security forces on the leaders' safe house near Tikrit, north of Baghdad. British writer Alan Sillitoe, 82, died in London.Five years ago: A magnitude-7.8 earthquake in Nepal killed more than 8,200 people. Families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered in Turkey near former battlefields, honoring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the 100th anniversary of the ill-fated British-led invasion. Italy celebrated the 70th anniversary of a partisan uprising against the Nazis and their Fascist allies near the end of World War II.One year ago: Former Vice President Joe Biden entered the Democratic presidential race, declaring the fight against Donald Trump to be a "battle for the soul of this nation." Russian President Vladimir Putin began a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in the Russian city of Vladivostok; Putin said Kim told him that he was willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only in exchange for ironclad security guarantees. The Arizona Cardinals led off the NFL draft by selecting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, the Heisman Trophy winner.Today's Birthdays: Actor Al Pacino is 80. Ballroom dance judge Len Goodman (TV: "Dancing with the Stars") is 76. Rock musician Stu Cook (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 75. Singer Bjorn Ulvaeus (ABBA) is 75. Actress Talia Shire is 75. Actor Jeffrey DeMunn is 73. Rock musician Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty &amp; the Heartbreakers) is 70. Country singer-songwriter Rob Crosby is 66. Actor Hank Azaria is 56. Rock singer Andy Bell (Erasure) is 56. Rock musician Eric Avery is 55. Country musician Rory Feek (Joey + Rory) is 55. TV personality Jane Clayson is 53. Actress Renee Zellweger is 51. Actress Gina Torres is 51. Actor Jason Lee is 50. Actor Jason Wiles is 50. Actress Emily Bergl is 45. Actor Jonathan Angel is 43. Actress Marguerite Moreau is 43. Singer Jacob Underwood is 40. Actress Melonie Diaz is 36. Actress Sara Paxton is 32. Actress Allisyn Ashley Arm is 24. Actress Jayden Rey is 11.Thought for Today: "I think it is all a matter of love: the more you love a memory, the stronger and stranger it is." — Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-born author (1899-1977).Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- April 25

Today is Friday, April 24, the 115th day of 2020. There are 251 days left in the year.

On April 24, 1877, federal troops were ordered out of New Orleans, ending the North's post-Civil War rule in the South.

In 1800, Congress approved a bill establishing the Library of Congress.

In 1913, the 792-foot Woolworth Building, at that time the tallest skyscraper in the world, officially opened in Manhattan as President Woodrow Wilson pressed a button at the White House to signal the lighting of the towering structure.

In 1915, in what's considered the start of the Armenian genocide, the Ottoman Empire began rounding up Armenian political and cultural leaders in Constantinople.

In 1961, in the wake of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, the White House issued a statement saying that President John F. Kennedy "bears sole responsibility for the events of the past few days."

In 1967, Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was killed when his Soyuz 1 spacecraft smashed into the Earth after his parachutes failed to deploy properly during re-entry; he was the first human spaceflight fatality.

In 1980, the United States launched an unsuccessful attempt to free the American hostages in Iran, a mission that resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. servicemen.

In 1986, Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, for whom King Edward VIII had given up the British throne, died in Paris at age 89.

In 1995, the final bomb linked to the Unabomber exploded inside the Sacramento, California, offices of a lobbying group for the wood products industry, killing chief lobbyist Gilbert B. Murray. (Theodore Kaczynski was later sentenced to four lifetimes in prison for a series of bombings that killed three men and injured 29 others.)

In 2003, U.S. forces in Iraq took custody of Tariq Aziz, the former Iraqi deputy prime minister. China shut down a Beijing hospital as the global death toll from SARS surpassed 260.

In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI formally began his stewardship of the Roman Catholic Church; the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in his installation homily that as pontiff he would listen to the will of God in governing the world's 1.1 billion Catholics.

In 2009, Mexico shut down schools, museums, libraries and state-run theaters across its overcrowded capital in hopes of containing a deadly swine flu outbreak.

In 2013, in Bangladesh, a shoddily constructed eight-story commercial building housing garment factories collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

Ten years ago: The policy-setting panel of the International Monetary Fund, with a nervous eye on Greece, pledged during a meeting in Washington to address the risks posed to the global recovery from high government debt. A dozen people were killed by a tornado system that bumped down in Louisiana before plowing into Mississippi and then Alabama. Etiquette expert Elizabeth Post (granddaughter-in-law of Emily Post) died in Naples, Florida, at 89.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama marked the 10th anniversary of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, praising the nation's spying operations as the most capable in the world. The presidents of Russia and France joined other leaders at ceremonies in Yerevan commemorating the estimated 1.5 million Armenian victims of the 1916 massacre by Ottoman Turks. In a long-awaited interview about his gender identity, former Olympic champion Bruce Jenner told ABC's Diane Sawyer said that "for all intents and purposes, I am a woman."

One year ago: Avowed racist John William King was executed in Texas for the 1998 slaying of James Byrd Jr., who was chained to the back of a truck and dragged along a road outside Jasper, Texas; prosecutors said Byrd was targeted because he was black. North Korea's Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia aboard an armored train for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said nearly 700 cases of measles had been reported in the United States so far in 2019; it was already the nation's worst year for measles since 1994. Hundreds of students and staff at two Los Angeles universities were placed under quarantine, after officials said they may have been exposed to measles and either had not been vaccinated or could not verify that they were immune.

Today's Birthdays: Movie director-producer Richard Donner is 90. Actress Shirley MacLaine is 86. Actress-singer-director Barbra Streisand is 78. Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is 78. Country singer Richard Sterban (The Oak Ridge Boys) is 77. Rock musician Doug Clifford (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 75. R-and-B singer Ann Peebles is 73. Former Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny is 69. Actor-playwright Eric Bogosian is 67. Rock singer-musician Jack Blades (Night Ranger) is 66. Actor Michael O'Keefe is 65. Rock musician David J (Bauhaus) is 63. Actor Glenn Morshower is 61. Rock musician Billy Gould is 57. Actor-comedian Cedric the Entertainer is 56. Actor Djimon Hounsou is 56. Rock musician Patty Schemel is 53. Actress Stacy Haiduk is 52. Rock musician Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) is 52. Actor Aidan Gillen is 52. Actress Melinda Clarke is 51. Actor Rory McCann is 51. Latin pop singer Alejandro Fernandez is 49. Country-rock musician Brad Morgan (Drive-By Truckers) is 49. Rock musician Brian Marshall (Creed; Alter Bridge) is 47. Actor Derek Luke is 46. Actor-producer Thad Luckinbill is 45. Actor Eric Balfour is 43. Actress Rebecca Mader is 43. Country singer Rebecca Lynn Howard is 41. Country singer Danny Gokey is 40. Actress Reagan Gomez is 40. Actor Austin Nichols is 40. Actress Sasha Barrese is 39. Contemporary Christian musician Jasen Rauch (Red) is 39. Singer Kelly Clarkson is 38. Rock singer-musician Tyson Ritter (The All-American Rejects) is 36. Country singer Carly Pearce is 30. Actor Joe Keery is 28. Actor Jack Quaid is 28. Actor Doc Shaw is 28. Actor Jordan Fisher is 26. Golfer Lydia Ko is 23.

Thought for Today: "I feel proud to be living in a country where people are not afraid to laugh at themselves and where political satire is tolerated by the government, if not the television network." — Pat Paulsen, American comedian (born 1927, died this date in 1997).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Friday, April 24, the 115th day of 2020. There are 251 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On April 24, 1877, federal troops were ordered out of New Orleans, ending the North's post-Civil War rule in the South.On this date:In 1800, Congress approved a bill establishing the Library of Congress.In 1913, the 792-foot Woolworth Building, at that time the tallest skyscraper in the world, officially opened in Manhattan as President Woodrow Wilson pressed a button at the White House to signal the lighting of the towering structure.In 1915, in what's considered the start of the Armenian genocide, the Ottoman Empire began rounding up Armenian political and cultural leaders in Constantinople.In 1961, in the wake of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, the White House issued a statement saying that President John F. Kennedy "bears sole responsibility for the events of the past few days."In 1967, Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was killed when his Soyuz 1 spacecraft smashed into the Earth after his parachutes failed to deploy properly during re-entry; he was the first human spaceflight fatality.In 1980, the United States launched an unsuccessful attempt to free the American hostages in Iran, a mission that resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. servicemen.In 1986, Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, for whom King Edward VIII had given up the British throne, died in Paris at age 89.In 1995, the final bomb linked to the Unabomber exploded inside the Sacramento, California, offices of a lobbying group for the wood products industry, killing chief lobbyist Gilbert B. Murray. (Theodore Kaczynski was later sentenced to four lifetimes in prison for a series of bombings that killed three men and injured 29 others.)In 2003, U.S. forces in Iraq took custody of Tariq Aziz, the former Iraqi deputy prime minister. China shut down a Beijing hospital as the global death toll from SARS surpassed 260.In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI formally began his stewardship of the Roman Catholic Church; the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in his installation homily that as pontiff he would listen to the will of God in governing the world's 1.1 billion Catholics.In 2009, Mexico shut down schools, museums, libraries and state-run theaters across its overcrowded capital in hopes of containing a deadly swine flu outbreak.In 2013, in Bangladesh, a shoddily constructed eight-story commercial building housing garment factories collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.Ten years ago: The policy-setting panel of the International Monetary Fund, with a nervous eye on Greece, pledged during a meeting in Washington to address the risks posed to the global recovery from high government debt. A dozen people were killed by a tornado system that bumped down in Louisiana before plowing into Mississippi and then Alabama. Etiquette expert Elizabeth Post (granddaughter-in-law of Emily Post) died in Naples, Florida, at 89.Five years ago: President Barack Obama marked the 10th anniversary of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, praising the nation's spying operations as the most capable in the world. The presidents of Russia and France joined other leaders at ceremonies in Yerevan commemorating the estimated 1.5 million Armenian victims of the 1916 massacre by Ottoman Turks. In a long-awaited interview about his gender identity, former Olympic champion Bruce Jenner told ABC's Diane Sawyer said that "for all intents and purposes, I am a woman."One year ago: Avowed racist John William King was executed in Texas for the 1998 slaying of James Byrd Jr., who was chained to the back of a truck and dragged along a road outside Jasper, Texas; prosecutors said Byrd was targeted because he was black. North Korea's Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia aboard an armored train for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said nearly 700 cases of measles had been reported in the United States so far in 2019; it was already the nation's worst year for measles since 1994. Hundreds of students and staff at two Los Angeles universities were placed under quarantine, after officials said they may have been exposed to measles and either had not been vaccinated or could not verify that they were immune.Today's Birthdays: Movie director-producer Richard Donner is 90. Actress Shirley MacLaine is 86. Actress-singer-director Barbra Streisand is 78. Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is 78. Country singer Richard Sterban (The Oak Ridge Boys) is 77. Rock musician Doug Clifford (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 75. R-and-B singer Ann Peebles is 73. Former Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny is 69. Actor-playwright Eric Bogosian is 67. Rock singer-musician Jack Blades (Night Ranger) is 66. Actor Michael O'Keefe is 65. Rock musician David J (Bauhaus) is 63. Actor Glenn Morshower is 61. Rock musician Billy Gould is 57. Actor-comedian Cedric the Entertainer is 56. Actor Djimon Hounsou is 56. Rock musician Patty Schemel is 53. Actress Stacy Haiduk is 52. Rock musician Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) is 52. Actor Aidan Gillen is 52. Actress Melinda Clarke is 51. Actor Rory McCann is 51. Latin pop singer Alejandro Fernandez is 49. Country-rock musician Brad Morgan (Drive-By Truckers) is 49. Rock musician Brian Marshall (Creed; Alter Bridge) is 47. Actor Derek Luke is 46. Actor-producer Thad Luckinbill is 45. Actor Eric Balfour is 43. Actress Rebecca Mader is 43. Country singer Rebecca Lynn Howard is 41. Country singer Danny Gokey is 40. Actress Reagan Gomez is 40. Actor Austin Nichols is 40. Actress Sasha Barrese is 39. Contemporary Christian musician Jasen Rauch (Red) is 39. Singer Kelly Clarkson is 38. Rock singer-musician Tyson Ritter (The All-American Rejects) is 36. Country singer Carly Pearce is 30. Actor Joe Keery is 28. Actor Jack Quaid is 28. Actor Doc Shaw is 28. Actor Jordan Fisher is 26. Golfer Lydia Ko is 23.Thought for Today: "I feel proud to be living in a country where people are not afraid to laugh at themselves and where political satire is tolerated by the government, if not the television network." — Pat Paulsen, American comedian (born 1927, died this date in 1997).Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- April 24

Today is Thursday, April 23, the 114th day of 2020. There are 252 days left in the year.

On April 23, 1616 (Old Style calendar, English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on what has traditionally been regarded as the 52nd anniversary of his birth in 1564.

In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States, which responded in kind two days later.

In 1914, Chicago's Wrigley Field, then called Weeghman Park, hosted its first major league game as the Chicago Federals defeated the Kansas City Packers 9-1.

In 1943, U.S. Navy Lt. (jg) John F. Kennedy assumed command of PT-109, a motor torpedo boat, in the Solomon Islands during World War II. (On Aug. 2, 1943, PT-109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, killing two crew members; Kennedy and 10 others survived.)

In 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his 755 major-league home runs in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. (The Braves won, 7-5.)

In 1968, student protesters began occupying buildings on the campus of Columbia University in New York; police put down the protests a week later. The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form the United Methodist Church.

In 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for assassinating New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.)

In 1987, 28 construction workers were killed when an apartment complex being built in Bridgeport, Connecticut, suddenly collapsed.

In 1988, a federal ban on smoking during domestic airline flights of two hours or less went into effect.

In 1996, a civil court jury in The Bronx, New York, ordered Bernhard Goetz to pay $43 million to Darrell Cabey, one of four young men he'd shot on a subway car in 1984.

In 1998, James Earl Ray, who confessed to assassinating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and then insisted he'd been framed, died at a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital at age 70.

In 2005, the recently created video-sharing website YouTube uploaded its first clip, "Me at the Zoo," which showed YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of an elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.

In 2007, Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first freely elected president, died in Moscow at age 76.

Ten years ago: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the nation's toughest illegal immigration law, saying "decades of inaction and misguided policy" had created a "dangerous and unacceptable situation"; opponents said the law would encourage discrimination against Hispanics. The Coast Guard suspended a three-day search for 11 workers missing after an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

Five years ago: Blaming the "fog of war," President Barack Obama revealed that U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan had inadvertently killed an American and an Italian, two hostages held by al-Qaida, as well as two other Americans who had leadership roles with the terror network. Former CIA Director David Petraeus, whose career was destroyed by an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, was sentenced in Charlotte, North Carolina, to two years' probation and fined $100,000 for giving her classified material while she was working on the book. The Senate voted 56-43 to confirm Loretta Lynch as U.S. attorney general.

One year ago: President Donald Trump met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, hours after bashing the company and accusing it of not treating him well because he's a Republican. The S&amp;P 500 hit an all-time high, closing at 2,933.68 and marking the stock market's complete recovery from a nosedive at the end of 2018. Sri Lanka's president gave the country's military sweeping police powers in the wake of the Easter Sunday church and hotel bombings that killed more than 250 people.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Alan Oppenheimer is 90. Actor David Birney is 81. Actor Lee Majors is 81. Hockey Hall of Famer Tony Esposito is 77. Irish nationalist Bernadette Devlin McAliskey is 73. Actress Blair Brown is 73. Writer-director Paul Brickman is 71. Actress Joyce DeWitt is 71. Actor James Russo is 67. Filmmaker-author Michael Moore is 66. Actress Judy Davis is 65. Actress Valerie Bertinelli is 60. Actor Craig Sheffer is 60. Actor-comedian-talk show host George Lopez is 59. U.S. Olympic gold medal skier Donna Weinbrecht is 55. Actress Melina Kanakaredes is 53. Rock musician Stan Frazier (Sugar Ray) is 52. Country musician Tim Womack (Sons of the Desert) is 52. Actor Scott Bairstow is 50. Actor-writer John Lutz is 47. Actor Barry Watson is 46. Rock musician Aaron Dessner (The National) is 44. Rock musician Bryce Dessner (The National) is 44. Professional wrestler/actor John Cena is 43. Actor-writer-comedian John Oliver is 43. Actor Kal Penn is 43. Retired MLB All-Star Andruw Jones is 43. Actress Jaime King is 41. Pop singer Taio Cruz is 37. Actor Aaron Hill is 37. Actor Jesse Lee Soffer is 36. Actress Rachel Skarsten is 35. Rock musician Anthony LaMarca (The War on Drugs) is 33. Singer-songwriter John Fullbright is 32. Tennis player Nicole Vaidisova is 31. Actor Dev Patel is 30. Actor Matthew Underwood is 30. Actor Camryn Walling is 30. Model Gigi Hadid is 25. Rock musicians Jake and Josh Kiszka (Greta Van Fleet) are 24. Actor Charlie Rowe (TV: "Salvation") is 24. Tennis player Ashleigh Barty is 24. U.S. Olympic gold medal snowboarder Chloe Kim is 20.

Thought for Today: "For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,/ When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,/ Must give us pause." — From "Hamlet."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Thursday, April 23, the 114th day of 2020. There are 252 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On April 23, 1616 (Old Style calendar, English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on what has traditionally been regarded as the 52nd anniversary of his birth in 1564.On this date:In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States, which responded in kind two days later.In 1914, Chicago's Wrigley Field, then called Weeghman Park, hosted its first major league game as the Chicago Federals defeated the Kansas City Packers 9-1.In 1943, U.S. Navy Lt. (jg) John F. Kennedy assumed command of PT-109, a motor torpedo boat, in the Solomon Islands during World War II. (On Aug. 2, 1943, PT-109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, killing two crew members; Kennedy and 10 others survived.)In 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his 755 major-league home runs in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. (The Braves won, 7-5.)In 1968, student protesters began occupying buildings on the campus of Columbia University in New York; police put down the protests a week later. The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form the United Methodist Church.In 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for assassinating New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.)In 1987, 28 construction workers were killed when an apartment complex being built in Bridgeport, Connecticut, suddenly collapsed.In 1988, a federal ban on smoking during domestic airline flights of two hours or less went into effect.In 1996, a civil court jury in The Bronx, New York, ordered Bernhard Goetz to pay $43 million to Darrell Cabey, one of four young men he'd shot on a subway car in 1984.In 1998, James Earl Ray, who confessed to assassinating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and then insisted he'd been framed, died at a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital at age 70.In 2005, the recently created video-sharing website YouTube uploaded its first clip, "Me at the Zoo," which showed YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of an elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.In 2007, Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first freely elected president, died in Moscow at age 76.Ten years ago: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the nation's toughest illegal immigration law, saying "decades of inaction and misguided policy" had created a "dangerous and unacceptable situation"; opponents said the law would encourage discrimination against Hispanics. The Coast Guard suspended a three-day search for 11 workers missing after an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico.Five years ago: Blaming the "fog of war," President Barack Obama revealed that U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan had inadvertently killed an American and an Italian, two hostages held by al-Qaida, as well as two other Americans who had leadership roles with the terror network. Former CIA Director David Petraeus, whose career was destroyed by an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, was sentenced in Charlotte, North Carolina, to two years' probation and fined $100,000 for giving her classified material while she was working on the book. The Senate voted 56-43 to confirm Loretta Lynch as U.S. attorney general.One year ago: President Donald Trump met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, hours after bashing the company and accusing it of not treating him well because he's a Republican. The S&amp;P 500 hit an all-time high, closing at 2,933.68 and marking the stock market's complete recovery from a nosedive at the end of 2018. Sri Lanka's president gave the country's military sweeping police powers in the wake of the Easter Sunday church and hotel bombings that killed more than 250 people.Today's Birthdays: Actor Alan Oppenheimer is 90. Actor David Birney is 81. Actor Lee Majors is 81. Hockey Hall of Famer Tony Esposito is 77. Irish nationalist Bernadette Devlin McAliskey is 73. Actress Blair Brown is 73. Writer-director Paul Brickman is 71. Actress Joyce DeWitt is 71. Actor James Russo is 67. Filmmaker-author Michael Moore is 66. Actress Judy Davis is 65. Actress Valerie Bertinelli is 60. Actor Craig Sheffer is 60. Actor-comedian-talk show host George Lopez is 59. U.S. Olympic gold medal skier Donna Weinbrecht is 55. Actress Melina Kanakaredes is 53. Rock musician Stan Frazier (Sugar Ray) is 52. Country musician Tim Womack (Sons of the Desert) is 52. Actor Scott Bairstow is 50. Actor-writer John Lutz is 47. Actor Barry Watson is 46. Rock musician Aaron Dessner (The National) is 44. Rock musician Bryce Dessner (The National) is 44. Professional wrestler/actor John Cena is 43. Actor-writer-comedian John Oliver is 43. Actor Kal Penn is 43. Retired MLB All-Star Andruw Jones is 43. Actress Jaime King is 41. Pop singer Taio Cruz is 37. Actor Aaron Hill is 37. Actor Jesse Lee Soffer is 36. Actress Rachel Skarsten is 35. Rock musician Anthony LaMarca (The War on Drugs) is 33. Singer-songwriter John Fullbright is 32. Tennis player Nicole Vaidisova is 31. Actor Dev Patel is 30. Actor Matthew Underwood is 30. Actor Camryn Walling is 30. Model Gigi Hadid is 25. Rock musicians Jake and Josh Kiszka (Greta Van Fleet) are 24. Actor Charlie Rowe (TV: "Salvation") is 24. Tennis player Ashleigh Barty is 24. U.S. Olympic gold medal snowboarder Chloe Kim is 20.Thought for Today: "For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,/ When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,/ Must give us pause." — From "Hamlet."Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- April 23

TOPEKA, Kan. – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend officer involved shooting in Topeka and have a suspect in jail, according to Police Chief Bill Cochran.

Just 1:30 p.m. Sunday an officer from the Topeka Police Department was in the area of SW 12th St. and SW Buchanan St. conducting a traffic stop.

The officer was then dragged by the suspect’s vehicle for an unknown distance. While the officer was being dragged, the officer fired their department issued firearm at least one time, striking the suspect who was later identified as&nbsp;19-year-old Dujontez Jaimandre Jerome Owens.

Owens fled and later crashed his vehicle in the area of 1208 SW Throop Street.&nbsp; He was taken into custody and officers began to render aid until paramedics arrived. Owens was then taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The officer sustained injuries in the incident. Paramedics at the scene rendered aid to him. Authorities have not released his name.

On Wednesday, Owens was released from the hospital, arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Assault LEO Aggravated Battery LEO and Fleeing/Eluding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587341399995.png" alt="Police near the scene of the investigation photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police near the scene of the investigation photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend officer involved shooting in Topeka and have a suspect in jail, according to Police Chief Bill Cochran.Just 1:30 p.m. Sunday an officer from the Topeka Police Department was in the area of SW 12th St. and SW Buchanan St. conducting a traffic stop.The officer was then dragged by the suspect’s vehicle for an unknown distance. While the officer was being dragged, the officer fired their department issued firearm at least one time, striking the suspect who was later identified as&nbsp;19-year-old Dujontez Jaimandre Jerome Owens.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587603659210.png" alt="Owens" />
 <figcaption>Owens</figcaption>
 </figure>Owens fled and later crashed his vehicle in the area of 1208 SW Throop Street.&nbsp; He was taken into custody and officers began to render aid until paramedics arrived. Owens was then taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.The officer sustained injuries in the incident. Paramedics at the scene rendered aid to him. Authorities have not released his name.On Wednesday, Owens was released from the hospital, arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Assault LEO Aggravated Battery LEO and Fleeing/Eluding.

Suspect shot during Kan. traffic stop moved from hospital to jail

Today is Wednesday, April 22, the 113th day of 2020. There are 253 days left in the year.

On April 22, 1915, the first full-scale use of deadly chemicals in warfare took place as German forces unleashed chlorine gas against Allied troops at the start of the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium during World War I; thousands of soldiers are believed to have died.

In 1616, Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes, author of "Don Quixote," died in Madrid. (The date is according to the New Style Gregorian calendar that was adopted by Spain in 1582.)

In 1864, Congress authorized the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins.

In 1898, with the United States and Spain on the verge of war, the U.S. Navy began blockading Cuban ports. Congress authorized creation of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, also known as the "Rough Riders."

In 1954, the publicly televised sessions of the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings began.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened the New York World's Fair.

In 1970, millions of Americans concerned about the environment observed the first "Earth Day."

In 1994, Richard M. Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, died at a New York hospital four days after suffering a stroke; he was 81.

In 2000, in a dramatic pre-dawn raid, armed immigration agents seized Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy at the center of a custody dispute, from his relatives' home in Miami; Elian was reunited with his father at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington.

In 2003, President George W. Bush announced he would nominate Alan Greenspan for a fifth term as Federal Reserve chairman.

In 2004, Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who'd traded in a multi-million-dollar NFL contract to serve in Afghanistan, was killed by friendly fire; he was 27.

In 2005, Zacarias Moussaoui pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom outside Washington, D.C. to conspiring with the Sept. 11 hijackers to kill Americans. (Moussaoui is serving a life prison sentence.)

In 2013, a seriously wounded Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged in his hospital room with bombing the Boston Marathon in a plot with his older brother, Tamerlan, who died after a fierce gunbattle with police. Richie Havens, 72, the folk singer and guitarist who was the first performer at the 1969 Woodstock festival, died in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Ten years ago: The Deepwater Horizon oil platform, operated by BP, sank into the Gulf of Mexico two days after a massive explosion that killed 11 workers. The NCAA announced a 14-year, $10.8 billion deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting under which every game during an expanded March Madness schedule would be broadcast live nationally for the first time in the tournament's 73-year history.

Five years ago: A federal judge in Philadelphia approved a settlement agreement expected to cost the NFL $1 billion over 65 years to resolve thousands of concussion lawsuits. A federal appeals court in San Francisco overturned home run leader Barry Bonds' obstruction of justice conviction, ruling 10-1 that his meandering answer before a grand jury in 2003 was not material to the government's investigation into illegal steroids distribution.

One year ago: Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren proposed the elimination of existing student loan debt for millions of Americans as part of a sweeping set of education funding proposals. The Trump administration said it would no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continued to buy Iranian oil. A federal court in Detroit declared it unconstitutional for police to mark a car's tires with chalk in order to enforce parking rules; the court said the practice was like entering property without a search warrant. (The ruling applied to Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.)

Today's Birthdays: Actress Estelle Harris is 92. Actor Jack Nicholson is 83. Singer Mel Carter is 81. Author Janet Evanovich is 77. Country singer Cleve Francis is 75. Movie director John Waters is 74. Singer Peter Frampton is 70. Rock singer-musician Paul Carrack (Mike and the Mechanics; Squeeze) is 69. Actor Joseph Bottoms is 66. Actor Ryan Stiles is 61. Baseball manager Terry Francona is 61. Comedian Byron Allen is 59. Actor Chris Makepeace is 56. Rock musician Fletcher Dragge is 54. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan is 54. Actress Sheryl Lee is 53. Actress-talk show host Sherri Shepherd is 53. Country singer-musician Heath Wright (Ricochet) is 53. Country singer Kellie Coffey is 49. Actor Eric Mabius is 49. Actor Ingo Rademacher is 49. Rock musician Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down) is 46. Rock singer-musician Daniel Johns (Silverchair) is 41. Actor Malcolm Barrett is 40. Actress Cassidy Freeman is 38. Actress Michelle Ryan is 36. Actor Zack Gottsagen is 35. Actress Amber Heard is 34. Singer-songwriter BC Jean (Alexander Jean) is 33. Drummer Tripp Howell (LANCO) is 31. Rapper/singer Machine Gun Kelly is 30.

Thought for Today: "Demasiada cordura puede ser la peor de las locuras, ver la vida como es y no como debería de ser." (Too much sanity may be the worst folly, see life as it is and not as it should be.) — Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Wednesday, April 22, the 113th day of 2020. There are 253 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On April 22, 1915, the first full-scale use of deadly chemicals in warfare took place as German forces unleashed chlorine gas against Allied troops at the start of the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium during World War I; thousands of soldiers are believed to have died.On this date:In 1616, Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes, author of "Don Quixote," died in Madrid. (The date is according to the New Style Gregorian calendar that was adopted by Spain in 1582.)In 1864, Congress authorized the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins.In 1898, with the United States and Spain on the verge of war, the U.S. Navy began blockading Cuban ports. Congress authorized creation of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, also known as the "Rough Riders."In 1954, the publicly televised sessions of the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings began.In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened the New York World's Fair.In 1970, millions of Americans concerned about the environment observed the first "Earth Day."In 1994, Richard M. Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, died at a New York hospital four days after suffering a stroke; he was 81.In 2000, in a dramatic pre-dawn raid, armed immigration agents seized Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy at the center of a custody dispute, from his relatives' home in Miami; Elian was reunited with his father at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington.In 2003, President George W. Bush announced he would nominate Alan Greenspan for a fifth term as Federal Reserve chairman.In 2004, Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who'd traded in a multi-million-dollar NFL contract to serve in Afghanistan, was killed by friendly fire; he was 27.In 2005, Zacarias Moussaoui pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom outside Washington, D.C. to conspiring with the Sept. 11 hijackers to kill Americans. (Moussaoui is serving a life prison sentence.)In 2013, a seriously wounded Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged in his hospital room with bombing the Boston Marathon in a plot with his older brother, Tamerlan, who died after a fierce gunbattle with police. Richie Havens, 72, the folk singer and guitarist who was the first performer at the 1969 Woodstock festival, died in Jersey City, New Jersey.Ten years ago: The Deepwater Horizon oil platform, operated by BP, sank into the Gulf of Mexico two days after a massive explosion that killed 11 workers. The NCAA announced a 14-year, $10.8 billion deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting under which every game during an expanded March Madness schedule would be broadcast live nationally for the first time in the tournament's 73-year history.Five years ago: A federal judge in Philadelphia approved a settlement agreement expected to cost the NFL $1 billion over 65 years to resolve thousands of concussion lawsuits. A federal appeals court in San Francisco overturned home run leader Barry Bonds' obstruction of justice conviction, ruling 10-1 that his meandering answer before a grand jury in 2003 was not material to the government's investigation into illegal steroids distribution.One year ago: Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren proposed the elimination of existing student loan debt for millions of Americans as part of a sweeping set of education funding proposals. The Trump administration said it would no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continued to buy Iranian oil. A federal court in Detroit declared it unconstitutional for police to mark a car's tires with chalk in order to enforce parking rules; the court said the practice was like entering property without a search warrant. (The ruling applied to Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.)Today's Birthdays: Actress Estelle Harris is 92. Actor Jack Nicholson is 83. Singer Mel Carter is 81. Author Janet Evanovich is 77. Country singer Cleve Francis is 75. Movie director John Waters is 74. Singer Peter Frampton is 70. Rock singer-musician Paul Carrack (Mike and the Mechanics; Squeeze) is 69. Actor Joseph Bottoms is 66. Actor Ryan Stiles is 61. Baseball manager Terry Francona is 61. Comedian Byron Allen is 59. Actor Chris Makepeace is 56. Rock musician Fletcher Dragge is 54. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan is 54. Actress Sheryl Lee is 53. Actress-talk show host Sherri Shepherd is 53. Country singer-musician Heath Wright (Ricochet) is 53. Country singer Kellie Coffey is 49. Actor Eric Mabius is 49. Actor Ingo Rademacher is 49. Rock musician Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down) is 46. Rock singer-musician Daniel Johns (Silverchair) is 41. Actor Malcolm Barrett is 40. Actress Cassidy Freeman is 38. Actress Michelle Ryan is 36. Actor Zack Gottsagen is 35. Actress Amber Heard is 34. Singer-songwriter BC Jean (Alexander Jean) is 33. Drummer Tripp Howell (LANCO) is 31. Rapper/singer Machine Gun Kelly is 30.Thought for Today: "Demasiada cordura puede ser la peor de las locuras, ver la vida como es y no como debería de ser." (Too much sanity may be the worst folly, see life as it is and not as it should be.) — Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616).Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- April 22

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and have arrested a 14-year-old boy.

Just before 1a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a carjacking in the area of 8600 E. Cherry Creek in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers contacted a 19-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman.&nbsp; They reported that while sitting inside a blue 2012 Jeep Wranger when they were approached by the 14-year-old and three other unknown suspects.&nbsp;

The suspects demanded the victim’s phones, and the 18-year-old woman ran from the vehicle.&nbsp; The suspects pulled the 19-year-old from the vehicle, began punching him, and forcibly took his iPhone and Apple watch.&nbsp; One of the suspects also said he had a gun. However, no gun was seen, according to Davidson.

The suspects then got into the Jeep and fled the scene.&nbsp; No one was seriously injured, according to Davidson.&nbsp;

A police officer observed the Jeep and suspects fleeing from the vehicle in the 1900 block of south Longford.&nbsp; Officers began searching the area, and a Sedgwick County drone unit and WPD K9 responded to assist as well.

Police found the 14-year-old hiding in the area and arrested him without further incident and booked into the Juvenile Detention Facility.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and have arrested a 14-year-old boy.Just before 1a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a carjacking in the area of 8600 E. Cherry Creek in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers contacted a 19-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman.&nbsp; They reported that while sitting inside a blue 2012 Jeep Wranger when they were approached by the 14-year-old and three other unknown suspects.&nbsp;The suspects demanded the victim’s phones, and the 18-year-old woman ran from the vehicle.&nbsp; The suspects pulled the 19-year-old from the vehicle, began punching him, and forcibly took his iPhone and Apple watch.&nbsp; One of the suspects also said he had a gun. However, no gun was seen, according to Davidson.The suspects then got into the Jeep and fled the scene.&nbsp; No one was seriously injured, according to Davidson.&nbsp;A police officer observed the Jeep and suspects fleeing from the vehicle in the 1900 block of south Longford.&nbsp; Officers began searching the area, and a Sedgwick County drone unit and WPD K9 responded to assist as well.Police found the 14-year-old hiding in the area and arrested him without further incident and booked into the Juvenile Detention Facility.

K9, drone used to arrest 14-year-old Kan. robbery suspect

SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an assault on an officer and have arrested a suspect.

Just before 5:30p.m. March 17, police&nbsp;responded to the 3800 block of SE Evans in Topeka on a report of a domestic disturbance, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.

 Officers were notified of a person of interest fleeing the area in a black passenger car. That subject then rammed a marked Topeka Police car who was arriving in the area. The subject then fled on foot. There were no injuries to the officer involved or any citizens in the area.

On Monday, the United States Marshal Fugitive Task Force in partnership with the Topeka Police Department and the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office executed an arrest warrant in the 3800 block of SE Evans Dr. for 24-year-old Ian A. Mwaniki.

Mwaniki was located, arrested and later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges Aggravated Battery LEO, Flee or attempt to elude, Failure to stop at accident, Interference with Law Enforcement, Domestic Battery, Violate Protection Order, Criminal Damage, Theft and Topeka Bench Warrants

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587464230377.png" alt="Mwaniki " />
 <figcaption>Mwaniki </figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an assault on an officer and have arrested a suspect.Just before 5:30p.m. March 17, police&nbsp;responded to the 3800 block of SE Evans in Topeka on a report of a domestic disturbance, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen. Officers were notified of a person of interest fleeing the area in a black passenger car. That subject then rammed a marked Topeka Police car who was arriving in the area. The subject then fled on foot. There were no injuries to the officer involved or any citizens in the area.On Monday, the United States Marshal Fugitive Task Force in partnership with the Topeka Police Department and the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office executed an arrest warrant in the 3800 block of SE Evans Dr. for 24-year-old Ian A. Mwaniki.Mwaniki was located, arrested and later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges Aggravated Battery LEO, Flee or attempt to elude, Failure to stop at accident, Interference with Law Enforcement, Domestic Battery, Violate Protection Order, Criminal Damage, Theft and Topeka Bench Warrants

US Marshal's capture suspect who rammed Kan. police vehicle

Helen Justina Busenitz was born on February 4, 1941, to William L. and Emma (Wiebe) Busenitz.&nbsp; She grew up on the family farm southeast of Whitewater, Kansas.

Being the third-oldest of eleven children as well as the first daughter, she learned responsibility early by helping care for her eight younger brothers and sisters. The twin brothers were born when Helen was seven years old, and she and her younger sister Theresa helped a great deal in their care.

The family faithfully attended Sunday School and church at the Emmaus Mennonite Church.&nbsp; God used daily family devotions, annual summer Vacation Bible Schools, Whitewater revival tent meetings, and the daily Back to the Bible Broadcast radio programs to help her realize she was a sinner and needed God’s forgiveness.

At the age of eleven, on the last evening of the Missionary Conference in her church, Helen trusted in the work of Christ on the cross as her only way of being saved from sin. &nbsp;When she was sixteen, she was baptized and became a lifelong member of the Emmaus Mennonite Church near Whitewater, Kansas.

After doubting the assurance of her salvation for many years, she expressed her concern to one of her teachers, who explained 1 John 5:11-12 to her.&nbsp; “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life.&nbsp; And this life is in His Son.&nbsp; He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”&nbsp; This verse confirmed her assurance of having eternal life.

Helen attended the one-room Claypool School in Butler County for grade school and attended high school at Berean Academy in Elbing, Kansas, graduating in 1959.

Her desire to be a missionary began in childhood.&nbsp; For further Biblical education to prepare for mission work, she attended Grace Bible Institute (later Grace University) in Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp; It was during her last semester, while attending a weekend retreat for college students at Gospel Missionary Union headquarters (now Avant Ministries, that the Lord laid Ecuador on her heart. She claimed John 15:16: “Jesus said, ‘Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.’”

After graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Religious Education degree, Helen applied to and was accepted by Gospel Missionary Union.&nbsp; This was followed by a year of Spanish language school at Rio Grande Bible Institute in Edinburg, Texas.&nbsp; She arrived in Ecuador, South America, on August 17, 1966, and lived most of her 46 years of service in Ecuador in the coastal city of Babahoyo.

As she began her missionary career, her motto verse was John 15:16, quoted earlier.&nbsp; When hard times arose, Helen would rely on the truth of this verse.&nbsp; No person convinced her to go, but rather the Lord had laid that country on her heart.&nbsp; God gave peace confirming that this was her place of ministry.&nbsp; A second verse which helped her to remain faithful in difficulties was 1 Corinthians 4:2: “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.”

Helen loved the Ecuadorian people and invested many hours preparing and teaching Bible studies and lessons, annually organizing DVBS weeks held in her home, and making her own flannel graph and song visuals for the children’s classes.&nbsp; She taught all age levels, from pre-kindergarten children to young people to university students and adults.

In June, 2012, Helen retired from Ecuador after 46 years of service.&nbsp; She retained a deep concern that the believers she had taught would remain true to the Lord and to the truth of the Bible.

Once back in the United States, she made her home at the Presbyterian Manor in Newton, Kansas.&nbsp; After the evening meal at the Manor, she spent hours at the computer keeping in contact with her Ecuadorian friends and praying for them.

Her loving family includes her siblings, William Busenitz of Potwin, Kansas, Arnold Busenitz (Velma) of Newton, Emma Becker (Arlowe) of Plymouth, Minnesota, David Busenitz (Isabelle) of Topeka, Kansas, Kady Schubert (Jan) of Omaha, Nebraska and Christina&nbsp;Busenitz of Guinea, West Africa; brother-in-law, Henry Ortmann of Wolfpoint, Montana; sisters-in-law, Fran Busenitz of Madison, Georgia, Barbara Busenitz of Benton, Kansas and Patti Busenitz of Whitewater, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Gilbert, Robert and Herbert Busenitz; sister, Theresa Ortmann, and a sister-in-law, Grace Busenitz. Helen passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 18, 2020, at the age of 79 years old.

You may pay your respects on Wednesday, April 22, from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Emmaus Mennonite Church, 9070 NW Meadowlark Road, Whitewater, Kansas. A private family service will be held on Thursday, April 23, at 2:00 p.m. With the current Covid-19 recommendations, Emmaus Church will graciously&nbsp; livestream Helen’s service at the same time for you to view on their Facebook page at &nbsp;https://www.facebook.com/EmmausChurchWhitewater/ .&nbsp; The service will also be available to view later.&nbsp;

Memorial contributions in Helen’s name may be directed to Avant Ministries or Presbyterian Manor of Newton in care of Lamb Funeral Home, P.O. Box 358, Whitewater, Kansas 67154. Please sign her online guest book and leave a memory of Helen at www.ymzfh.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587509199327.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Helen Justina Busenitz</h2>February 4, 1941~April 18, 2020(age 79)Helen Justina Busenitz was born on February 4, 1941, to William L. and Emma (Wiebe) Busenitz.&nbsp; She grew up on the family farm southeast of Whitewater, Kansas.Being the third-oldest of eleven children as well as the first daughter, she learned responsibility early by helping care for her eight younger brothers and sisters. The twin brothers were born when Helen was seven years old, and she and her younger sister Theresa helped a great deal in their care.The family faithfully attended Sunday School and church at the Emmaus Mennonite Church.&nbsp; God used daily family devotions, annual summer Vacation Bible Schools, Whitewater revival tent meetings, and the daily Back to the Bible Broadcast radio programs to help her realize she was a sinner and needed God’s forgiveness.At the age of eleven, on the last evening of the Missionary Conference in her church, Helen trusted in the work of Christ on the cross as her only way of being saved from sin. &nbsp;When she was sixteen, she was baptized and became a lifelong member of the Emmaus Mennonite Church near Whitewater, Kansas.After doubting the assurance of her salvation for many years, she expressed her concern to one of her teachers, who explained 1 John 5:11-12 to her.&nbsp; “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life.&nbsp; And this life is in His Son.&nbsp; He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”&nbsp; This verse confirmed her assurance of having eternal life.Helen attended the one-room Claypool School in Butler County for grade school and attended high school at Berean Academy in Elbing, Kansas, graduating in 1959.Her desire to be a missionary began in childhood.&nbsp; For further Biblical education to prepare for mission work, she attended Grace Bible Institute (later Grace University) in Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp; It was during her last semester, while attending a weekend retreat for college students at Gospel Missionary Union headquarters (now Avant Ministries, that the Lord laid Ecuador on her heart. She claimed John 15:16: “Jesus said, ‘Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.’”After graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Religious Education degree, Helen applied to and was accepted by Gospel Missionary Union.&nbsp; This was followed by a year of Spanish language school at Rio Grande Bible Institute in Edinburg, Texas.&nbsp; She arrived in Ecuador, South America, on August 17, 1966, and lived most of her 46 years of service in Ecuador in the coastal city of Babahoyo.As she began her missionary career, her motto verse was John 15:16, quoted earlier.&nbsp; When hard times arose, Helen would rely on the truth of this verse.&nbsp; No person convinced her to go, but rather the Lord had laid that country on her heart.&nbsp; God gave peace confirming that this was her place of ministry.&nbsp; A second verse which helped her to remain faithful in difficulties was 1 Corinthians 4:2: “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.”Helen loved the Ecuadorian people and invested many hours preparing and teaching Bible studies and lessons, annually organizing DVBS weeks held in her home, and making her own flannel graph and song visuals for the children’s classes.&nbsp; She taught all age levels, from pre-kindergarten children to young people to university students and adults.In June, 2012, Helen retired from Ecuador after 46 years of service.&nbsp; She retained a deep concern that the believers she had taught would remain true to the Lord and to the truth of the Bible.Once back in the United States, she made her home at the Presbyterian Manor in Newton, Kansas.&nbsp; After the evening meal at the Manor, she spent hours at the computer keeping in contact with her Ecuadorian friends and praying for them.Her loving family includes her siblings, William Busenitz of Potwin, Kansas, Arnold Busenitz (Velma) of Newton, Emma Becker (Arlowe) of Plymouth, Minnesota, David Busenitz (Isabelle) of Topeka, Kansas, Kady Schubert (Jan) of Omaha, Nebraska and Christina&nbsp;Busenitz of Guinea, West Africa; brother-in-law, Henry Ortmann of Wolfpoint, Montana; sisters-in-law, Fran Busenitz of Madison, Georgia, Barbara Busenitz of Benton, Kansas and Patti Busenitz of Whitewater, and many nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Gilbert, Robert and Herbert Busenitz; sister, Theresa Ortmann, and a sister-in-law, Grace Busenitz. Helen passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 18, 2020, at the age of 79 years old.You may pay your respects on Wednesday, April 22, from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Emmaus Mennonite Church, 9070 NW Meadowlark Road, Whitewater, Kansas. A private family service will be held on Thursday, April 23, at 2:00 p.m. With the current Covid-19 recommendations, Emmaus Church will graciously&nbsp; livestream Helen’s service at the same time for you to view on their Facebook page at &nbsp;https://www.facebook.com/EmmausChurchWhitewater/ .&nbsp; The service will also be available to view later.&nbsp;Memorial contributions in Helen’s name may be directed to Avant Ministries or Presbyterian Manor of Newton in care of Lamb Funeral Home, P.O. Box 358, Whitewater, Kansas 67154. Please sign her online guest book and leave a memory of Helen at www.ymzfh.com

Helen Justina Busenitz

Today is Tuesday, April 21, the 112th day of 2020. There are 254 days left in the year.

On April 21, 1976, clinical trials of the swine flu vaccine began in Washington, D.C.

In 1509, England's King Henry VII died; he was succeeded by his 17-year-old son, Henry VIII.

In 1789, John Adams was sworn in as the first vice president of the United States.

In 1816, Charlotte Bronte, author of "Jane Eyre," was born in Thornton, England.

In 1836, an army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring Texas independence.

In 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Connecticut, at age 74.

In 1918, Manfred von Richthofen, 25, the German ace known as the "Red Baron" who was believed to have downed 80 enemy aircraft during World War I, was himself shot down and killed while in action over France.

In 1926, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair, London; she was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and the Queen Mother.

In 1930, fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 332 inmates.

In 1975, with Communist forces closing in, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned after nearly 10 years in office and fled the country.

In 1989, the baseball fantasy "Field of Dreams," starring Kevin Costner, was released by Universal Pictures.

In 2009, the sole survivor of a pirate attack on an American cargo ship off the Somali coast, on which Captain Richard Phillips was held for ransom, was charged as an adult with piracy in federal court in New York. (A prosecutor said Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse had given wildly varying ages for himself before finally admitting he was 18. Muse later pleaded guilty to hijacking, kidnapping and hostage-taking and was sentenced to more than 33 years in prison.)

In 2016, Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis; he was 57.

Ten years ago: Pope Benedict XVI promised "church action" to confront the clerical abuse scandal. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for six games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. (Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down the punishment after prosecutors decided not to bring charges in a case involving a 20-year-old college student who'd accused Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her.) Juan Antonio Samaranch, 89, who'd served as president of the International Olympic Committee for 21 years, died in Barcelona, Spain.

Five years ago: An Egyptian criminal court sentenced ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to 20 years in prison over the killing of protesters in 2012. The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Michele Leonhart, announced her retirement in the wake of allegations that DEA agents had attended sex parties with prostitutes. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of U.S. Bishop Robert Finn, who'd pleaded guilty to failing to report a suspected child abuser. Mary Doyle Keefe, 92, the model for Norman Rockwell's iconic 1943 Rosie the Riveter painting, died in Simsbury, Connecticut.

One year ago: President Donald Trump spoke with the newly-elected Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to congratulate him on his landslide election victory. (A second phone call in July, in which Trump solicited Zelenskiy's help in gathering potentially damaging information about his principal Democratic rival, Joe Biden, would lead to Trump's impeachment by the House.) Suicide bombings at three churches and three luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday killed more than 250 people; the attackers were homegrown militants who had pledged loyalty to the Islamic State group.

Today's Birthdays: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is 94. Actress-comedian-writer Elaine May is 88. Actor Charles Grodin is 85. Actor Reni Santoni is 82. Anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean is 81. Singer-musician Iggy Pop is 73. Actress Patti LuPone is 71. Actor Tony Danza is 69. Actor James Morrison is 66. Actress Andie MacDowell is 62. Rock singer Robert Smith (The Cure) is 61. Rock musician Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 61. Actor-director John Cameron Mitchell is 57. Rapper Michael Franti (Spearhead) is 54. Actress Leslie Silva is 52. Actor Toby Stephens is 51. Rock singer-musician Glen Hansard (The Frames) is 50. Actor Rob Riggle is 50. Comedian Nicole Sullivan is 50. Football player-turned-actor Brian White is 47. Olympic gold medal pairs figure skater Jamie Sale is 43. Rock musician David Brenner (Theory of a Deadman) is 42. Actor James McAvoy is 41. Former NFL quarterback Tony Romo is 40. Actor Terrence J is 38. Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw is 37. Actor Christoph (cq) Sanders is 32. Actor Frank Dillane is 29. Rock singer Sydney Sierota (Echosmith) is 23.

Thought for Today: "I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward." — Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Today is Tuesday, April 21, the 112th day of 2020. There are 254 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On April 21, 1976, clinical trials of the swine flu vaccine began in Washington, D.C.On this date:In 1509, England's King Henry VII died; he was succeeded by his 17-year-old son, Henry VIII.In 1789, John Adams was sworn in as the first vice president of the United States.In 1816, Charlotte Bronte, author of "Jane Eyre," was born in Thornton, England.In 1836, an army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring Texas independence.In 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Connecticut, at age 74.In 1918, Manfred von Richthofen, 25, the German ace known as the "Red Baron" who was believed to have downed 80 enemy aircraft during World War I, was himself shot down and killed while in action over France.In 1926, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair, London; she was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and the Queen Mother.In 1930, fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 332 inmates.In 1975, with Communist forces closing in, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned after nearly 10 years in office and fled the country.In 1989, the baseball fantasy "Field of Dreams," starring Kevin Costner, was released by Universal Pictures.In 2009, the sole survivor of a pirate attack on an American cargo ship off the Somali coast, on which Captain Richard Phillips was held for ransom, was charged as an adult with piracy in federal court in New York. (A prosecutor said Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse had given wildly varying ages for himself before finally admitting he was 18. Muse later pleaded guilty to hijacking, kidnapping and hostage-taking and was sentenced to more than 33 years in prison.)In 2016, Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis; he was 57.Ten years ago: Pope Benedict XVI promised "church action" to confront the clerical abuse scandal. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for six games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. (Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down the punishment after prosecutors decided not to bring charges in a case involving a 20-year-old college student who'd accused Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her.) Juan Antonio Samaranch, 89, who'd served as president of the International Olympic Committee for 21 years, died in Barcelona, Spain.Five years ago: An Egyptian criminal court sentenced ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to 20 years in prison over the killing of protesters in 2012. The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Michele Leonhart, announced her retirement in the wake of allegations that DEA agents had attended sex parties with prostitutes. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of U.S. Bishop Robert Finn, who'd pleaded guilty to failing to report a suspected child abuser. Mary Doyle Keefe, 92, the model for Norman Rockwell's iconic 1943 Rosie the Riveter painting, died in Simsbury, Connecticut.One year ago: President Donald Trump spoke with the newly-elected Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to congratulate him on his landslide election victory. (A second phone call in July, in which Trump solicited Zelenskiy's help in gathering potentially damaging information about his principal Democratic rival, Joe Biden, would lead to Trump's impeachment by the House.) Suicide bombings at three churches and three luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday killed more than 250 people; the attackers were homegrown militants who had pledged loyalty to the Islamic State group.Today's Birthdays: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is 94. Actress-comedian-writer Elaine May is 88. Actor Charles Grodin is 85. Actor Reni Santoni is 82. Anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean is 81. Singer-musician Iggy Pop is 73. Actress Patti LuPone is 71. Actor Tony Danza is 69. Actor James Morrison is 66. Actress Andie MacDowell is 62. Rock singer Robert Smith (The Cure) is 61. Rock musician Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 61. Actor-director John Cameron Mitchell is 57. Rapper Michael Franti (Spearhead) is 54. Actress Leslie Silva is 52. Actor Toby Stephens is 51. Rock singer-musician Glen Hansard (The Frames) is 50. Actor Rob Riggle is 50. Comedian Nicole Sullivan is 50. Football player-turned-actor Brian White is 47. Olympic gold medal pairs figure skater Jamie Sale is 43. Rock musician David Brenner (Theory of a Deadman) is 42. Actor James McAvoy is 41. Former NFL quarterback Tony Romo is 40. Actor Terrence J is 38. Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw is 37. Actor Christoph (cq) Sanders is 32. Actor Frank Dillane is 29. Rock singer Sydney Sierota (Echosmith) is 23.Thought for Today: "I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward." — Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855).Copyright 2020, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Today in History -- April 21

A vehicle stolen in Salina Saturday morning was involved in a two-vehicle accident early Sunday morning in Topeka.

Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester reported this morning that a 43-year-old Salina female told officers that she had gotten into an argument with a male subject she had picked up in Manhattan who had been staying with her since April 13. According to the woman, the subject left, taking the woman's 2008 Dodge Caliber, valued at $5,000, Forrester explained.

The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) reported that at 8:46 a.m. Sunday, a 2008 Dodge Caliber driven by a 40-year-old male -- Brooke Aaron McLaughlin -- was involved in a two-vehicle accident in Topeka during a pursuit by law enforcement. According to the KHP, McLaughlin was fleeing from law enforcement southbound on Southeast Adams Street when he ran a red light at Southeast 37th Street and was struck on the driver's side by a 2002 Toyota Camry Solara that was westbound on Southeast 37th Street.

According to the KHP report, McLaughlin complained of pain and was transported to the University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus in Topeka. He was not properly restrained, the KHP report stated.

A vehicle stolen in Salina Saturday morning was involved in a two-vehicle accident early Sunday morning in Topeka.Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester reported this morning that a 43-year-old Salina female told officers that she had gotten into an argument with a male subject she had picked up in Manhattan who had been staying with her since April 13. According to the woman, the subject left, taking the woman's 2008 Dodge Caliber, valued at $5,000, Forrester explained.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587399195298.jpeg" alt="Brooke Aaron McLaughlin. Photo courtesy Shawnee County Department of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Brooke Aaron McLaughlin. Photo courtesy Shawnee County Department of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) reported that at 8:46 a.m. Sunday, a 2008 Dodge Caliber driven by a 40-year-old male -- Brooke Aaron McLaughlin -- was involved in a two-vehicle accident in Topeka during a pursuit by law enforcement. According to the KHP, McLaughlin was fleeing from law enforcement southbound on Southeast Adams Street when he ran a red light at Southeast 37th Street and was struck on the driver's side by a 2002 Toyota Camry Solara that was westbound on Southeast 37th Street.According to the KHP report, McLaughlin complained of pain and was transported to the University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus in Topeka. He was not properly restrained, the KHP report stated.The driver of the Camry Solara, a 59-year-old female from Topeka, complained of pain and was transported to Stormont Vail Hospital, the KHP reported. She was properly restrained, the KHP report stated.According to Shawnee County Department of Corrections booking information, McLaughlin was arrested on suspicion of the following.Aggravated batteryFelony possession of stolen propertyFelony criminal damage to propertyRegistered offender obstructing apprehension of prosecutionFleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officerReckless drivingFailure to yield at a stop or yield signVehicle displaying plate not assignedDriving while suspendedViolation of the governor's proclamationAdditionally, McLaughlin is being held for the Kansas Department of Corrections for a parole violation, the booking information noted.