JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a sexual assault and theft that occurred Tuesday morning at a home in Overland Park have a suspect in custody.

The incident occurred&nbsp; just after 2:30a.m. in a home near W. 97th Street and Reeder in Overland Park, according to Overland Park Police Officer John Lacy.

The victim did not know the suspect but was able to provide a description as a stocky build, clean-shaven, late twenties to early thirties man. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black beanie-style cap.

EMS transported the victim to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Overland Park Police Department, with the assistance of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, made the arrest and the suspect is being held in Johnson County Central Booking Facility in Olathe.

Police turned the case over to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732041800750.png" alt="Photo Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a sexual assault and theft that occurred Tuesday morning at a home in Overland Park have a suspect in custody.The incident occurred&nbsp; just after 2:30a.m. in a home near W. 97th Street and Reeder in Overland Park, according to Overland Park Police Officer John Lacy.The victim did not know the suspect but was able to provide a description as a stocky build, clean-shaven, late twenties to early thirties man. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black beanie-style cap.EMS transported the victim to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.The Overland Park Police Department, with the assistance of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, made the arrest and the suspect is being held in Johnson County Central Booking Facility in Olathe.Police turned the case over to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;----------

Police capture suspect in sex assault, theft at Kansas home

SEWARD COUNTY – The former city manager of Liberal, Russell “Rusty” Varnado is under investigation on sex crime allegations, according&nbsp; to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

In August, the Liberal Police Department asked the KBI for assistance investigating when allegations arose. The crimes occurred between March and August of 2024, when Varnado was city manager. Following the allegations, Varnado was fired from his position.

At 4 p.m. Wednesday, deputies of the Seward County Sheriff’s Office arrested Varnado, 37, on a KBI warrant for rape, sexual battery, and lewd and lascivious. Varnado was booked into the Seward County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732145460059.png" alt="Varnado photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Varnado photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY – The former city manager of Liberal, Russell “Rusty” Varnado is under investigation on sex crime allegations, according&nbsp; to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.In August, the Liberal Police Department asked the KBI for assistance investigating when allegations arose. The crimes occurred between March and August of 2024, when Varnado was city manager. Following the allegations, Varnado was fired from his position.At 4 p.m. Wednesday, deputies of the Seward County Sheriff’s Office arrested Varnado, 37, on a KBI warrant for rape, sexual battery, and lewd and lascivious. Varnado was booked into the Seward County Jail.&nbsp;

Former city manager in Kansas accused of sex crimes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as the Biden administration rushes to do as much as it can to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">help Kyiv fight back against Russia</a>&nbsp;before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;takes office.

The latest tranche of weapons comes as worries grow about an escalation in the conflict, with both sides pushing to gain any advantage that they can exploit if Trump demands a quick end to the war — as he has vowed to do.

In rapid succession this week, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">authority to fire longer-range missiles</a>&nbsp;deeper into Russia and then Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">threshold for using nuclear weapons</a>.

U.S. officials contend that Russia’s change in nuclear doctrine was expected, but Moscow is warning that Ukraine’s new use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS</a>, inside Russia on Tuesday could trigger a strong response.

One American official said the U.S. is seeing no indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been made public.

Asked Tuesday if a Ukrainian attack with longer-range U.S. missiles could potentially trigger use of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively.

A U.S. official said Ukraine fired about eight ATACM missiles into Russia on Tuesday, and just two were intercepted. The official said the U.S. is still assessing the damage but that the missiles struck an ammunition supply location in Karachev, in the Bryansk region.

The weapons in the new package of aid for Ukraine include an infusion of air defense, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armor munitions and other equipment and spare parts, U.S. officials say.

The weapons will be provided through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">presidential drawdown authority</a>, which allows the Pentagon quickly to pull supplies from its shelves to speed them to Ukraine’s front line.

Trump’s upcoming move to the White House has triggered a scramble by the Biden administration to ensure all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-tiktok-senate-8fe738b17e5c4b2636bc0de11b2620b7">congressionally approved funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;gets delivered and that Kyiv is in a strong position going into the winter.

The Biden administration would have to rush $7.1 billion in weapons from the Pentagon’s stockpiles to spend all of those funds before Trump is sworn in. That includes $4.3 billion from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">foreign aid bill passed by Congress</a>&nbsp;earlier this year and $2.8 billion still on the books in savings due to the Pentagon recalculating the value of systems sent.

Asked if the department can get that done before Jan. 20, when Trump takes office, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said officials are working to get Ukraine what it needs. She would not confirm the latest drawdown totals.

“We are committed to using that full authority that Congress has allotted to us,” Singh said. “The only way we can do that also is to make sure that our shelves are fully backfilled and stocked. So as our shelves continue to get stocked with equipment and capabilities that are needed, we draw down from those and send those to Ukraine.”

In addition to the weapons in the Pentagon drawdown, the State Department said Tuesday that it had authorized the sale to Ukraine of $100 million in unspecified defense equipment and services, including vehicle refurbishment, technical assistance, training and “other related elements of logistics and program support.” In contrast to the drawdown, the government of Ukraine will pay for these.

As part of the wider effort to boost Ukraine, the administration also is on track to disperse its portion of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-frozen-assets-g7-loan-billion-37e9c0ec55e0c3ad0bf8d906e2852e69">$50 billion loan to Ukraine</a>, backed by frozen Russian assets, before Biden leaves the White House, according to two senior administration officials.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly, said the U.S. and Ukraine are now in “advanced stages” in discussing terms of the loan and are looking to complete the process for the $20 billion portion of the mammoth loan that the U.S. is backing.

The goal is to get it done before the end of the year, one official said. The remaining $30 billion will come from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, among others.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-ukraine-russia-trump-harris-white-house-ff4edf4a804eedae5958d3a674c5c2d1">Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “salesman” while also praising Putin and touting his good relationship with him. The president-elect has claimed — without explaining how — that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">end the war in in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;before his inauguration on Jan. 20, saying he will “get it resolved very quickly.”

Last week, when he addressed supporters from a golden ballroom at a his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump returned to that pledge but again offered little information before changing the subject.

“We’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It’s got to stop. Russia and Ukraine’s gotta stop,” he said.

He has suggested that Ukraine give up at least some of its Russian-occupied territory to settle the war, saying at a rally in late September that “if they made a bad deal, it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726238871572.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>BY LOLITA C. BALDOR AND MATTHEW LEEWASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as the Biden administration rushes to do as much as it can to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">help Kyiv fight back against Russia</a>&nbsp;before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;takes office.The latest tranche of weapons comes as worries grow about an escalation in the conflict, with both sides pushing to gain any advantage that they can exploit if Trump demands a quick end to the war — as he has vowed to do.In rapid succession this week, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">authority to fire longer-range missiles</a>&nbsp;deeper into Russia and then Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">threshold for using nuclear weapons</a>.U.S. officials contend that Russia’s change in nuclear doctrine was expected, but Moscow is warning that Ukraine’s new use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS</a>, inside Russia on Tuesday could trigger a strong response.One American official said the U.S. is seeing no indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been made public.Asked Tuesday if a Ukrainian attack with longer-range U.S. missiles could potentially trigger use of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively.A U.S. official said Ukraine fired about eight ATACM missiles into Russia on Tuesday, and just two were intercepted. The official said the U.S. is still assessing the damage but that the missiles struck an ammunition supply location in Karachev, in the Bryansk region.The weapons in the new package of aid for Ukraine include an infusion of air defense, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armor munitions and other equipment and spare parts, U.S. officials say.The weapons will be provided through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">presidential drawdown authority</a>, which allows the Pentagon quickly to pull supplies from its shelves to speed them to Ukraine’s front line.Trump’s upcoming move to the White House has triggered a scramble by the Biden administration to ensure all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-tiktok-senate-8fe738b17e5c4b2636bc0de11b2620b7">congressionally approved funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;gets delivered and that Kyiv is in a strong position going into the winter.The Biden administration would have to rush $7.1 billion in weapons from the Pentagon’s stockpiles to spend all of those funds before Trump is sworn in. That includes $4.3 billion from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">foreign aid bill passed by Congress</a>&nbsp;earlier this year and $2.8 billion still on the books in savings due to the Pentagon recalculating the value of systems sent.Asked if the department can get that done before Jan. 20, when Trump takes office, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said officials are working to get Ukraine what it needs. She would not confirm the latest drawdown totals.“We are committed to using that full authority that Congress has allotted to us,” Singh said. “The only way we can do that also is to make sure that our shelves are fully backfilled and stocked. So as our shelves continue to get stocked with equipment and capabilities that are needed, we draw down from those and send those to Ukraine.”In addition to the weapons in the Pentagon drawdown, the State Department said Tuesday that it had authorized the sale to Ukraine of $100 million in unspecified defense equipment and services, including vehicle refurbishment, technical assistance, training and “other related elements of logistics and program support.” In contrast to the drawdown, the government of Ukraine will pay for these.As part of the wider effort to boost Ukraine, the administration also is on track to disperse its portion of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-frozen-assets-g7-loan-billion-37e9c0ec55e0c3ad0bf8d906e2852e69">$50 billion loan to Ukraine</a>, backed by frozen Russian assets, before Biden leaves the White House, according to two senior administration officials.The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly, said the U.S. and Ukraine are now in “advanced stages” in discussing terms of the loan and are looking to complete the process for the $20 billion portion of the mammoth loan that the U.S. is backing.The goal is to get it done before the end of the year, one official said. The remaining $30 billion will come from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, among others.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-ukraine-russia-trump-harris-white-house-ff4edf4a804eedae5958d3a674c5c2d1">Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “salesman” while also praising Putin and touting his good relationship with him. The president-elect has claimed — without explaining how — that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">end the war in in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;before his inauguration on Jan. 20, saying he will “get it resolved very quickly.”Last week, when he addressed supporters from a golden ballroom at a his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump returned to that pledge but again offered little information before changing the subject.“We’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It’s got to stop. Russia and Ukraine’s gotta stop,” he said.He has suggested that Ukraine give up at least some of its Russian-occupied territory to settle the war, saying at a rally in late September that “if they made a bad deal, it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.”<h2>____</h2>

US spending another $275 million on new weapons for Ukraine

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man convicted of child sex crimes involving a 14-year-0ld rescued from a closet in Wichita is going to prison for the rest of his life.

On Monday, Judge Jeff Syrios sentenced David Roark to a life sentence, followed by 122 months in prison.&nbsp; In October, Roark was convicted by a jury of 18 counts including Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child, Kidnapping, Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp; Roark will be eligible for parole only after he has served 35 years in prison.&nbsp; This was the maximum sentence available to the court under Kansas law.

Just after midnight Dec. 14, 2022, a detective with the White County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office contacted Wichita Police requesting assistance locating a missing child from their jurisdiction, according to Wichita Police Officer Chad Ditch.

&nbsp; A 14-year-old girl had left her home in Arkansas in early November and not returned.&nbsp; A follow-up investigation by White County detectives revealed she had been&nbsp;seen in a convenience store&nbsp;with a man before leaving in a vehicle with the same man later identified as 35-year-old&nbsp;David E. Roark of Wichita. Police also learned Roark was wanted on two warrants from the state of Kentucky.

Additional information provided by White County suggested that Roark was possibly in the Wichita area.

The Wichita Police Exploited and Missing Child Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit began investigating and located an address in the 1800 block of N. Litchfield in Wichita, where they believed Roark was staying.

Police observed Roark leaving the home and took him into custody. Officers then found the missing girl in a closet inside the house. Police took both of them for additional interviews, where it was discovered further crimes had occurred in Wichita.

A search warrant for the residence was completed, and David Roark was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731957172859.png" alt="Roark photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Roark photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man convicted of child sex crimes involving a 14-year-0ld rescued from a closet in Wichita is going to prison for the rest of his life.On Monday, Judge Jeff Syrios sentenced David Roark to a life sentence, followed by 122 months in prison.&nbsp; In October, Roark was convicted by a jury of 18 counts including Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child, Kidnapping, Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp; Roark will be eligible for parole only after he has served 35 years in prison.&nbsp; This was the maximum sentence available to the court under Kansas law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671545735044.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after midnight Dec. 14, 2022, a detective with the White County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office contacted Wichita Police requesting assistance locating a missing child from their jurisdiction, according to Wichita Police Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp; A 14-year-old girl had left her home in Arkansas in early November and not returned.&nbsp; A follow-up investigation by White County detectives revealed she had been&nbsp;seen in a convenience store&nbsp;with a man before leaving in a vehicle with the same man later identified as 35-year-old&nbsp;David E. Roark of Wichita. Police also learned Roark was wanted on two warrants from the state of Kentucky.Additional information provided by White County suggested that Roark was possibly in the Wichita area.The Wichita Police Exploited and Missing Child Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit began investigating and located an address in the 1800 block of N. Litchfield in Wichita, where they believed Roark was staying.Police observed Roark leaving the home and took him into custody. Officers then found the missing girl in a closet inside the house. Police took both of them for additional interviews, where it was discovered further crimes had occurred in Wichita.A search warrant for the residence was completed, and David Roark was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

Maximum sentence: Teen runaway rescued from Kan. man's closet

NEW YORK (AP) — Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/travel">travel</a>&nbsp;by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, has died. He was 95.

Frommer died from complications of pneumonia, his daughter Pauline Frommer said Monday.

“My father opened up the world to so many people," she said. "He believed deeply that travel could be an enlightening activity and one that did not require a big budget.”

Frommer began writing about travel while serving in the U.S. Army in Europe in the 1950s. When a guidebook he wrote for American soldiers overseas sold out, he launched what became one of the travel industry’s best-known brands,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52g0Sc5BzbE">self-publishing "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day"</a>&nbsp;in 1957.

"It struck a chord and became an immediate best-seller," he recalled in an interview with The Associated Press in 2007, on the 50th anniversary of the book's debut.

The Frommer’s brand, led today by his daughter Pauline, remains one of the best-known names in the travel industry, with guidebooks to destinations around the world, an influential social media presence, podcasts and a radio show.

Frommer's philosophy — stay in inns and budget hotels instead of five-star hotels, sightsee on your own using public transportation, eat with locals in small cafes instead of fancy restaurants — changed the way Americans traveled in the mid- to late 20th century. He said budget travel was preferable to luxury travel "because it leads to a more authentic experience.” That message encouraged average people, not just the wealthy, to vacation abroad.

It didn’t hurt that his books hit the market as the rise of jet travel made getting to Europe easier than crossing the Atlantic by ship. The books became so popular that there was a time when you couldn’t visit a place like the Eiffel Tower without spotting Frommer’s guidebooks in the hands of every other American tourist.

Frommer’s advice also became so standard that it's hard to remember how radical it seemed in the days before discount flights and backpacks. "It was really pioneering stuff,” Tony Wheeler, founder of the Lonely Planet guidebook company, said in an interview in 2013. Before Frommer, Wheeler said, you could find guidebooks “that would tell you everything about the church or the temple ruin. But the idea that you wanted to eat somewhere and find a hotel or get from A to B -- well, I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Arthur.”

"Arthur did for travel what Consumer Reports did for everything else," said Pat Carrier, former owner of The Globe Corner, a travel bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The final editions of Frommer's groundbreaking series were titled "Europe from $95 a Day." The concept no longer made sense when hotels could not be had for less than $100 a night, so the series was discontinued in 2007. But the Frommer publishing empire did not disappear, despite a series of sales that started when Frommer sold the guidebook company to Simon &amp; Schuster. It was later acquired by Wiley Publishing, which in turn sold it to Google in 2012. Google quietly shut the guidebooks down, but Arthur Frommer — in a David vs. Goliath triumph — got his brand back from Google. In November 2013 with his daughter Pauline, he relaunched the print series with dozens of new guidebook titles.

“I never dreamed at my age I’d be working this hard,” he told the AP at the time, age 84.

Frommer also remained a well-known figure in 21st century travel, opinionated to the end of his career, speaking out on his blog and radio show. He hated mega-cruise ships and railed against travel websites where consumers put up their own reviews, saying they were too easily manipulated with phony postings. And he coined the phrase “Trump Slump” in a widely quoted column that predicted a slump in tourism to the U.S. after Donald Trump was elected president.

Frommer was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and grew up during the Great Depression in Jefferson City, Missouri, the child of a Polish father and Austrian mother. "My father had one job after another, one company after another that went bankrupt," he recalled. The family moved to New York when he was a teenager. He worked as an office boy at Newsweek, went to New York University and was drafted upon graduating from Yale Law School in 1953. Because he spoke French and Russian, he was sent to work in Army intelligence at a U.S. base in Germany, where the Cold War was heating up.

His first glimpse of Europe was from the window of a military transport plane. Whenever he had a weekend leave or a three-day pass, he'd hop a train to Paris or hitch a ride to England on an Air Force flight. Eventually he wrote "The GI's Guide to Traveling in Europe," and a few weeks before his Army stint was up, he had 5,000 copies printed by a typesetter in a German village. They were priced at 50 cents apiece, distributed by the Army newspaper, Stars &amp; Stripes.

Shortly after he returned to New York to practice law at the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton &amp; Garrison, he received a cable from Europe. "The book was sold out, would I arrange a reprint?" he said.

Soon after he spent his month's vacation from the law firm doing a civilian version of the guide. "In 30 days I went to 15 different cities, getting up at 4 a.m., running up and down the streets, trying to find good cheap hotels and restaurants," he recalled.

The resulting book, the very first “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day,” was much more than a list. It was written with a wide-eyed wonder that verged on poetry: "Venice is a fantastic dream," Frommer wrote. "Try to arrive at night when the wonders of the city can steal upon you piecemeal and slow. ... Out of the dark, there appear little clusters of candy-striped mooring poles; a gondola approaches with a lighted lantern hung from its prow."

Eventually Frommer gave up law to write the guides full-time. Daughter Pauline joined him with his first wife, Hope Arthur, on their trips starting in 1965, when she was 4 months old. "They used to joke that the book should be called 'Europe on Five Diapers a Day,'" Pauline Frommer said.

In the 1960s, when inflation forced Frommer to change the title of the book to "Europe on 5 and 10 Dollars a Day," he said "it was as if someone had plunged a knife into my head."

Asked to summarize the impact of his books in a 2017 Associated Press interview, he said that in the 1950s, “most Americans had been taught that foreign travel was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially travel to Europe. They were taught that they were going to a war-torn country where it was risky to stay in any hotel other than a five-star hotel. It was risky to go into anything but a top-notch restaurant. … And I knew that all these warnings were a lot of nonsense.”

He added: “We were pioneers in also suggesting that a different type of American should travel, that you didn’t have to be well-heeled.”

To the end of his life, he said he avoided traveling first class. “I fly economy class and I try to experience the same form of travel, the same experience that the average American and the average citizen of the world encounters,” he said.

As Frommer aged, his daughter Pauline gradually became the force behind the company, promoting the brand, managing the business and even writing some of the content based on her own travels. Her relationship with her father was both tender and respectful, and she summed it up this way in a 2012 email to AP: “It’s wonderful to have a working partner whose mind is a steel trap, and who doesn't just have smarts, but wisdom. His opinions, whether or not you agree with them, come from his social values. He's a man who puts ethics at the center of his life, and weaves them into everything he does.”

In addition to Pauline, Frommer’s survivors include his second wife, Roberta Brodfeld, and four grandchildren.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732014234710.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/travel">travel</a>&nbsp;by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, has died. He was 95.Frommer died from complications of pneumonia, his daughter Pauline Frommer said Monday.“My father opened up the world to so many people," she said. "He believed deeply that travel could be an enlightening activity and one that did not require a big budget.”Frommer began writing about travel while serving in the U.S. Army in Europe in the 1950s. When a guidebook he wrote for American soldiers overseas sold out, he launched what became one of the travel industry’s best-known brands,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52g0Sc5BzbE">self-publishing "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day"</a>&nbsp;in 1957."It struck a chord and became an immediate best-seller," he recalled in an interview with The Associated Press in 2007, on the 50th anniversary of the book's debut.The Frommer’s brand, led today by his daughter Pauline, remains one of the best-known names in the travel industry, with guidebooks to destinations around the world, an influential social media presence, podcasts and a radio show.Frommer's philosophy — stay in inns and budget hotels instead of five-star hotels, sightsee on your own using public transportation, eat with locals in small cafes instead of fancy restaurants — changed the way Americans traveled in the mid- to late 20th century. He said budget travel was preferable to luxury travel "because it leads to a more authentic experience.” That message encouraged average people, not just the wealthy, to vacation abroad.It didn’t hurt that his books hit the market as the rise of jet travel made getting to Europe easier than crossing the Atlantic by ship. The books became so popular that there was a time when you couldn’t visit a place like the Eiffel Tower without spotting Frommer’s guidebooks in the hands of every other American tourist.Frommer’s advice also became so standard that it's hard to remember how radical it seemed in the days before discount flights and backpacks. "It was really pioneering stuff,” Tony Wheeler, founder of the Lonely Planet guidebook company, said in an interview in 2013. Before Frommer, Wheeler said, you could find guidebooks “that would tell you everything about the church or the temple ruin. But the idea that you wanted to eat somewhere and find a hotel or get from A to B -- well, I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Arthur.”"Arthur did for travel what Consumer Reports did for everything else," said Pat Carrier, former owner of The Globe Corner, a travel bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts.The final editions of Frommer's groundbreaking series were titled "Europe from $95 a Day." The concept no longer made sense when hotels could not be had for less than $100 a night, so the series was discontinued in 2007. But the Frommer publishing empire did not disappear, despite a series of sales that started when Frommer sold the guidebook company to Simon &amp; Schuster. It was later acquired by Wiley Publishing, which in turn sold it to Google in 2012. Google quietly shut the guidebooks down, but Arthur Frommer — in a David vs. Goliath triumph — got his brand back from Google. In November 2013 with his daughter Pauline, he relaunched the print series with dozens of new guidebook titles.“I never dreamed at my age I’d be working this hard,” he told the AP at the time, age 84.Frommer also remained a well-known figure in 21st century travel, opinionated to the end of his career, speaking out on his blog and radio show. He hated mega-cruise ships and railed against travel websites where consumers put up their own reviews, saying they were too easily manipulated with phony postings. And he coined the phrase “Trump Slump” in a widely quoted column that predicted a slump in tourism to the U.S. after Donald Trump was elected president.Frommer was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and grew up during the Great Depression in Jefferson City, Missouri, the child of a Polish father and Austrian mother. "My father had one job after another, one company after another that went bankrupt," he recalled. The family moved to New York when he was a teenager. He worked as an office boy at Newsweek, went to New York University and was drafted upon graduating from Yale Law School in 1953. Because he spoke French and Russian, he was sent to work in Army intelligence at a U.S. base in Germany, where the Cold War was heating up.His first glimpse of Europe was from the window of a military transport plane. Whenever he had a weekend leave or a three-day pass, he'd hop a train to Paris or hitch a ride to England on an Air Force flight. Eventually he wrote "The GI's Guide to Traveling in Europe," and a few weeks before his Army stint was up, he had 5,000 copies printed by a typesetter in a German village. They were priced at 50 cents apiece, distributed by the Army newspaper, Stars &amp; Stripes.Shortly after he returned to New York to practice law at the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton &amp; Garrison, he received a cable from Europe. "The book was sold out, would I arrange a reprint?" he said.Soon after he spent his month's vacation from the law firm doing a civilian version of the guide. "In 30 days I went to 15 different cities, getting up at 4 a.m., running up and down the streets, trying to find good cheap hotels and restaurants," he recalled.The resulting book, the very first “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day,” was much more than a list. It was written with a wide-eyed wonder that verged on poetry: "Venice is a fantastic dream," Frommer wrote. "Try to arrive at night when the wonders of the city can steal upon you piecemeal and slow. ... Out of the dark, there appear little clusters of candy-striped mooring poles; a gondola approaches with a lighted lantern hung from its prow."Eventually Frommer gave up law to write the guides full-time. Daughter Pauline joined him with his first wife, Hope Arthur, on their trips starting in 1965, when she was 4 months old. "They used to joke that the book should be called 'Europe on Five Diapers a Day,'" Pauline Frommer said.In the 1960s, when inflation forced Frommer to change the title of the book to "Europe on 5 and 10 Dollars a Day," he said "it was as if someone had plunged a knife into my head."Asked to summarize the impact of his books in a 2017 Associated Press interview, he said that in the 1950s, “most Americans had been taught that foreign travel was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially travel to Europe. They were taught that they were going to a war-torn country where it was risky to stay in any hotel other than a five-star hotel. It was risky to go into anything but a top-notch restaurant. … And I knew that all these warnings were a lot of nonsense.”He added: “We were pioneers in also suggesting that a different type of American should travel, that you didn’t have to be well-heeled.”To the end of his life, he said he avoided traveling first class. “I fly economy class and I try to experience the same form of travel, the same experience that the average American and the average citizen of the world encounters,” he said.As Frommer aged, his daughter Pauline gradually became the force behind the company, promoting the brand, managing the business and even writing some of the content based on her own travels. Her relationship with her father was both tender and respectful, and she summed it up this way in a 2012 email to AP: “It’s wonderful to have a working partner whose mind is a steel trap, and who doesn't just have smarts, but wisdom. His opinions, whether or not you agree with them, come from his social values. He's a man who puts ethics at the center of his life, and weaves them into everything he does.”In addition to Pauline, Frommer’s survivors include his second wife, Roberta Brodfeld, and four grandchildren.

Arthur Frommer, travel guide innovator, has died at 95

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man convicted of child sex crimes involving a 14-year-0ld rescued from a closet in Wichita is scheduled for sentencing on Monday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office..

In October, a jury found 37-year-old David Roark of Wichita guilty of kidnapping, child abuse, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, criminal sodomy and sexual exploitation of a child, according to the&nbsp; District Attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671221717558.png" alt="Roark photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Roark photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man convicted of child sex crimes involving a 14-year-0ld rescued from a closet in Wichita is scheduled for sentencing on Monday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office..In October, a jury found 37-year-old David Roark of Wichita guilty of kidnapping, child abuse, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, criminal sodomy and sexual exploitation of a child, according to the&nbsp; District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671545735044.png" alt="Original charges -image Sedgwick Co. District Attorney" />
 <figcaption>Original charges -image Sedgwick Co. District Attorney</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after midnight Dec. 14, 2022, a detective with the White County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office contacted Wichita Police requesting assistance locating a missing child from their jurisdiction, according to Wichita Police Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp; A 14-year-old girl had left her home in Arkansas in early November and not returned.&nbsp; A follow-up investigation by White County detectives revealed she had been&nbsp;seen in a convenience store&nbsp;with a man before leaving in a vehicle with the same man later identified as 35-year-old&nbsp;David E. Roark of Wichita. Police also learned Roark was wanted on two warrants from the state of Kentucky.Additional information provided by White County suggested that Roark was possibly in the Wichita area.The Wichita Police Exploited and Missing Child Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit began investigating and located an address in the 1800 block of N. Litchfield in Wichita, where they believed Roark was staying.Police observed Roark leaving the home and took him into custody. Officers then found the missing girl in a closet inside the house. Police took both of them for additional interviews, where it was discovered further crimes had occurred in Wichita.A search warrant for the residence was completed, and David Roark was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

Sentencing day: 14-year-old rescued from Kan. man's closet

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for allegedly stealing the same vehicle twice.

On November 9, a minivan was missing from the 4700 block of SW Topeka Blvd., according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The minivan was found and returned to the owner the following Monday, but without the key.

The minivan was stolen once again on November 14 from Topeka area home. It was located later in the day near SW 29th and Gage, where a brief pursuit was started. That was called off for safety reasons, but the minivan was found once again shortly after near SW 15th and Mulvane.

Brandon Norris, 27, was arrested after a K-9 officer tracked him from the vehicle. Norris was booked into the Shawnee County jail on requested charges of theft of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property, fleeing law enforcement, reckless driving, driving without a license, and drug possession.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613410475366.png" alt="Norris photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Norris photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for allegedly stealing the same vehicle twice.On November 9, a minivan was missing from the 4700 block of SW Topeka Blvd., according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The minivan was found and returned to the owner the following Monday, but without the key.The minivan was stolen once again on November 14 from Topeka area home. It was located later in the day near SW 29th and Gage, where a brief pursuit was started. That was called off for safety reasons, but the minivan was found once again shortly after near SW 15th and Mulvane.Brandon Norris, 27, was arrested after a K-9 officer tracked him from the vehicle. Norris was booked into the Shawnee County jail on requested charges of theft of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property, fleeing law enforcement, reckless driving, driving without a license, and drug possession.

Sheriff: Kansas man stole minivan twice in less than a week 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal house fire in Topeka have made an arrest. On Thursday 31-year-old&nbsp;Terica M. Gardner, 31, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st degree, Aggravated arson, Aggravated burglary and&nbsp;Arson, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

 Just after 6p.m. Oct. 13, crews from the Topeka Fire Department&nbsp; responded to a reported house fire at 1640 SW Buchanan Street.

First responders found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story residence. Firefighters performed a search and found the body of 46-year-old David Blevens on the second floor of the residence who was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Crews extinguished the fire.&nbsp;

Investigators determined the cause of this fire was intentionally set, according to Nichols.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731635713438.png" alt="Gardner-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Gardner-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal house fire in Topeka have made an arrest. On Thursday 31-year-old&nbsp;Terica M. Gardner, 31, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st degree, Aggravated arson, Aggravated burglary and&nbsp;Arson, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728296248154.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure> Just after 6p.m. Oct. 13, crews from the Topeka Fire Department&nbsp; responded to a reported house fire at 1640 SW Buchanan Street.First responders found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story residence. Firefighters performed a search and found the body of 46-year-old David Blevens on the second floor of the residence who was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Crews extinguished the fire.&nbsp;Investigators determined the cause of this fire was intentionally set, according to Nichols.

Woman accused of starting fire that killed Kansas man

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made an arrest.

Just after 9a.m. November 10, police responded to a shooting in the 1200 block of SW Huntoon Street, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.&nbsp; First responders found two individuals with life threatening injuries. Ricky R. Washington, 45, Topeka, was pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel, and the other individual was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

As a result of the investigation, Dujontez J. Owens, 24, of Topeka was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections where he was booked on requested charges Conspiracy to commit murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated and Attempted murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated.

This is the city’s 17th homicide investigation of 2024, according to Nichols. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731617147828.png" alt="Owen photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Owen photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made an arrest.Just after 9a.m. November 10, police responded to a shooting in the 1200 block of SW Huntoon Street, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.&nbsp; First responders found two individuals with life threatening injuries. Ricky R. Washington, 45, Topeka, was pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel, and the other individual was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.As a result of the investigation, Dujontez J. Owens, 24, of Topeka was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections where he was booked on requested charges Conspiracy to commit murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated and Attempted murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated.This is the city’s 17th homicide investigation of 2024, according to Nichols.

Police make arrest in fatal weekend shooting at Kansas home

MCPHERSON County— A coach from Central Christian College in McPherson was jailed on sex crime charges earlier this week.

According to the McPherson County jail log, 46-year-old Joshua Macharia was booked just before 6p.m. Tuesday on two counts of Aggravated Sexual Battery. He posted bond and was released just before 9p.m.

The 46-year-old&nbsp;Macharia, who coaches women's soccer, is on administrative leave pending a full investigation. He is also restricted from campus and prohibited from contacting students during the investigation.

Macharia's playing and coaching career has been at Christian institutions, as he played at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois before becoming an assistant there and then head women's coach for four years at Arizona Christian University before joining Central, according to his online bio.

Central Christian College of Kansas has been made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct involving a staff member and a student, according to a statement in an email from&nbsp;Doug Vanderhoof,&nbsp;Chief Strategic Operations Officer.

"Upon learning of these allegations, we took immediate action by placing the individual on administrative leave, pending a full investigation. The individual is restricted from campus and prohibited from contact with students during the period of the investigation. In the meantime, the College is cooperating with law enforcement to ensure a thorough and fair investigation."

"As an institution rooted in Christian faith and a deep commitment to the wellbeing of our students, we are profoundly saddened and grieved by these accusations. Our primary concern is the safety and support of our students and we remain steadfast in our resolve to uphold our values and maintain a safe, respectful environment for all members of our community."

"We have received no further information from authorities regarding this ongoing investigation and are respecting the privacy of the involved parties by not disclosing additional details. Out of respect for the legal process and the integrity of the investigation, we ask for the public’s patience and understanding. We remain dedicated to seeking truth, accountability, and justice in this matter."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731584355079.png" alt="Macharia- photo McPherson Co." />
 <figcaption>Macharia- photo McPherson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON County— A coach from Central Christian College in McPherson was jailed on sex crime charges earlier this week.According to the McPherson County jail log, 46-year-old Joshua Macharia was booked just before 6p.m. Tuesday on two counts of Aggravated Sexual Battery. He posted bond and was released just before 9p.m.The 46-year-old&nbsp;Macharia, who coaches women's soccer, is on administrative leave pending a full investigation. He is also restricted from campus and prohibited from contacting students during the investigation.Macharia's playing and coaching career has been at Christian institutions, as he played at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois before becoming an assistant there and then head women's coach for four years at Arizona Christian University before joining Central, according to his online bio.Central Christian College of Kansas has been made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct involving a staff member and a student, according to a statement in an email from&nbsp;Doug Vanderhoof,&nbsp;Chief Strategic Operations Officer."Upon learning of these allegations, we took immediate action by placing the individual on administrative leave, pending a full investigation. The individual is restricted from campus and prohibited from contact with students during the period of the investigation. In the meantime, the College is cooperating with law enforcement to ensure a thorough and fair investigation.""As an institution rooted in Christian faith and a deep commitment to the wellbeing of our students, we are profoundly saddened and grieved by these accusations. Our primary concern is the safety and support of our students and we remain steadfast in our resolve to uphold our values and maintain a safe, respectful environment for all members of our community.""We have received no further information from authorities regarding this ongoing investigation and are respecting the privacy of the involved parties by not disclosing additional details. Out of respect for the legal process and the integrity of the investigation, we ask for the public’s patience and understanding. We remain dedicated to seeking truth, accountability, and justice in this matter."

College responds after women's soccer coach accused of sex crimes in McPherson

DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a violent knife attack have captured a suspect.

On November 4,&nbsp;police were called to 3250 Michigan Street in Lawrence where a 56-year-old victim told police a 46-year-old man had slashed his arm with a knife. The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, .&nbsp;Police asked the public for help locating 46-year-old Rashidi "Rocky" McClelland in connection with the incident.

Just before <a href="https://x.com/LawrenceKS_PD/status/1856889439911301533?t=330">5:30</a> p.m. Wednesday, police received information that&nbsp; McClelland was inside a house in the 3700 block of Westland Place, near 6th Street and Monterey Way, according to a media release.

Within minutes, officers were in the area and began watching the house. Officers were able to spot a person they believed to be McClelland moving around inside. At approximately <a href="https://x.com/LawrenceKS_PD/status/1856889439911301533?t=450">7:30</a>p.m., officers moved in on the house, making their presence known, and used loudspeakers from the street to call McClelland out.

After attempting to exit multiple doors and windows, McClelland eventually surrendered peacefully to officers at <a href="https://x.com/LawrenceKS_PD/status/1856889439911301533?t=483">8:03</a> p.m. He was transported to the Douglas County Correctional Facility and booked on requested charges in connection with the stabbing.

The victim is expected to recover from his injuries, according to police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730743188862.png" alt="McClelland photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>McClelland photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a violent knife attack have captured a suspect.On November 4,&nbsp;police were called to 3250 Michigan Street in Lawrence where a 56-year-old victim told police a 46-year-old man had slashed his arm with a knife. The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, .&nbsp;Police asked the public for help locating 46-year-old Rashidi "Rocky" McClelland in connection with the incident.Just before <a href="https://x.com/LawrenceKS_PD/status/1856889439911301533?t=330">5:30</a> p.m. Wednesday, police received information that&nbsp; McClelland was inside a house in the 3700 block of Westland Place, near 6th Street and Monterey Way, according to a media release.Within minutes, officers were in the area and began watching the house. Officers were able to spot a person they believed to be McClelland moving around inside. At approximately <a href="https://x.com/LawrenceKS_PD/status/1856889439911301533?t=450">7:30</a>p.m., officers moved in on the house, making their presence known, and used loudspeakers from the street to call McClelland out. After attempting to exit multiple doors and windows, McClelland eventually surrendered peacefully to officers at <a href="https://x.com/LawrenceKS_PD/status/1856889439911301533?t=483">8:03</a> p.m. He was transported to the Douglas County Correctional Facility and booked on requested charges in connection with the stabbing.The victim is expected to recover from his injuries, according to police.

Police capture Kan. knife attack suspect after 9-day search

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-pete-hegseth-trump-defense-secretary-2e2bdd16c8e90f5d037f763cfadbde94">to serve as his defense secretary</a>, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world's largest and most powerful military.

The news was met with bewilderment and worry among many in Washington as Trump passed on a number of established&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-defense-secretary-pentagon-nomination-59657362d8bb5b6bf245def8611e7a0f">national security heavy-hitters</a>&nbsp;and chose an Army National Guard major well known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox &amp; Friends Weekend.”

While some Republican lawmakers had a muted response to the announcement, others called his combat experience an asset or said he was “tremendously capable.”

Hegseth's choice could bring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transition-white-house-staff-huckabee-f51121db5b18814bbab014e872c2a736">sweeping changes to the military.</a>&nbsp;He has made it clear on his show and in interviews that, like Trump, he is opposed to “woke” programs that promote equity and inclusion. He also has questioned the role of women in combat and advocated pardoning service members charged with war crimes.

In June, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump encouraged his supporters to buy Hegseth’s book and said that if he won the presidency, "The woke stuff will be gone within a period of 24 hours. I can tell you.”

The 44-year-old Hegseth, a staunch conservative who embraces Trump's “America First” policies, has pushed for making the military more lethal. During an interview on “The Shawn Ryan Show” podcast, he said allowing women to serve in combat hurts that effort.

“Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more complicated, and complication in combat, that means casualties are worse,” Hegseth said.

And while he said diversity in the military is a strength, he said it was because minority and white men can perform similarly, but the same isn't true for women.

By opening combat slots to women, “we’ve changed the standards in putting them there, which means you’ve changed the capability of that unit,” Hegseth said in the podcast interview.

Since then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter opened all combat roles to women in 2016, women have successfully passed the military's grueling tests to become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-special-operations-gender-bias-female-sexism-1c904cba739b8ba3720827bd9e77f5f4">Green Berets and Army Rangers</a>, and the Naval Special Warfare's test to serve as a&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/the%20boat%20operators%20who%20transport%20Navy%20SEALs%20and%20conduct%20their%20own%20classified%20missions%20at%20sea.">combatant-craft crewman</a>&nbsp;— the boat operators who transport Navy SEALs and conduct their own classified missions at sea.

While Trump lauded Hegseth as “tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” others were quick to point to the TV personality's lack of experience. Some suggested he could be Pentagon chief in name only as the Trump White House runs the department.

A number of other names floated as possible defense choices had included Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg; Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Robert Wilkie, a former Pentagon official who was head of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Trump's first term.

“There is reason for concern that this is not a person who is a serious enough policymaker, serious enough policy implementer, to do a successful job,” said Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Hegseth's lack of senior national security experience makes it more difficult to get Senate confirmation.

“I think Trump was tired of fighting with his secretaries of defense and picked one who would be loyal to him,” Cancian said.

Military officials said the choice came out of the blue. A senior military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said Hegseth's selection is raising concerns about whether he has the practical experience to manage a large department with an enormous budget.

The Defense Department has a budget exceeding $800 billion, with about 1.3 million active-duty troops and another 1.4 million in the National Guard, Reserves and civilian employees based worldwide.

If confirmed, Hegseth would face a daunting array of global crises, from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mideast-wars">wars in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and the expanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-north-korea-troops-russia-ukraine-9ee96dc1d4f07ac0813c698e6873f96b">alliance between Russia and North Korea</a>&nbsp;to the growing competition with China. There is also the need to upgrade the complex U.S. missile and nuclear defense apparatus and ensure the defense industry can keep up with America's need for weapons systems.

Smith said that while Hegseth's combat experience is a plus, running the Pentagon requires a lot of other skill sets, and his nomination will need some time for consideration.

“What’s your plan? What are you going to do? ... How can you assure us that that lack of experience, you know, isn’t going to make it impossible for you to do the job?” Smith said. “I think those are questions that need to be answered over the next couple of months.”

Even some Republicans in the Senate, who would vote on his nomination, had a subdued response.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis called the choice “interesting.” Indiana Sen. Todd Young, who served in the Marine Corps, said, “I don’t know much about his background or his vision, so I look forward to learning more.”

North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven said he’s not surprised that Trump chose Hegseth because Trump is “close to him and likes him and trusts him.”

“The guy’s obviously tremendously capable, a great communicator," Hoeven said. "I look forward to getting to know him better.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Hegseth brings a lot to the table and will be "reform-minded in the areas that need reform.”

According to the Army, Hegseth served in the Guard from 2002 to 2021 as an infantry officer, but is not currently serving. He deployed to Iraq in 2005, Afghanistan in 2011 and to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2004. He has two Bronze Stars.

He has been a contributor since 2014 for Fox News, developing a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on his show. He is the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.”

“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,” Trump said in a statement. “Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731502153990.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-pete-hegseth-trump-defense-secretary-2e2bdd16c8e90f5d037f763cfadbde94">to serve as his defense secretary</a>, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world's largest and most powerful military.The news was met with bewilderment and worry among many in Washington as Trump passed on a number of established&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-defense-secretary-pentagon-nomination-59657362d8bb5b6bf245def8611e7a0f">national security heavy-hitters</a>&nbsp;and chose an Army National Guard major well known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox &amp; Friends Weekend.”While some Republican lawmakers had a muted response to the announcement, others called his combat experience an asset or said he was “tremendously capable.”Hegseth's choice could bring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transition-white-house-staff-huckabee-f51121db5b18814bbab014e872c2a736">sweeping changes to the military.</a>&nbsp;He has made it clear on his show and in interviews that, like Trump, he is opposed to “woke” programs that promote equity and inclusion. He also has questioned the role of women in combat and advocated pardoning service members charged with war crimes.In June, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump encouraged his supporters to buy Hegseth’s book and said that if he won the presidency, "The woke stuff will be gone within a period of 24 hours. I can tell you.”The 44-year-old Hegseth, a staunch conservative who embraces Trump's “America First” policies, has pushed for making the military more lethal. During an interview on “The Shawn Ryan Show” podcast, he said allowing women to serve in combat hurts that effort.“Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more complicated, and complication in combat, that means casualties are worse,” Hegseth said.And while he said diversity in the military is a strength, he said it was because minority and white men can perform similarly, but the same isn't true for women.By opening combat slots to women, “we’ve changed the standards in putting them there, which means you’ve changed the capability of that unit,” Hegseth said in the podcast interview.Since then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter opened all combat roles to women in 2016, women have successfully passed the military's grueling tests to become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-special-operations-gender-bias-female-sexism-1c904cba739b8ba3720827bd9e77f5f4">Green Berets and Army Rangers</a>, and the Naval Special Warfare's test to serve as a&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/the%20boat%20operators%20who%20transport%20Navy%20SEALs%20and%20conduct%20their%20own%20classified%20missions%20at%20sea.">combatant-craft crewman</a>&nbsp;— the boat operators who transport Navy SEALs and conduct their own classified missions at sea.While Trump lauded Hegseth as “tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” others were quick to point to the TV personality's lack of experience. Some suggested he could be Pentagon chief in name only as the Trump White House runs the department.A number of other names floated as possible defense choices had included Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg; Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Robert Wilkie, a former Pentagon official who was head of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Trump's first term.“There is reason for concern that this is not a person who is a serious enough policymaker, serious enough policy implementer, to do a successful job,” said Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Hegseth's lack of senior national security experience makes it more difficult to get Senate confirmation.“I think Trump was tired of fighting with his secretaries of defense and picked one who would be loyal to him,” Cancian said.Military officials said the choice came out of the blue. A senior military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said Hegseth's selection is raising concerns about whether he has the practical experience to manage a large department with an enormous budget.The Defense Department has a budget exceeding $800 billion, with about 1.3 million active-duty troops and another 1.4 million in the National Guard, Reserves and civilian employees based worldwide.If confirmed, Hegseth would face a daunting array of global crises, from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mideast-wars">wars in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and the expanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-north-korea-troops-russia-ukraine-9ee96dc1d4f07ac0813c698e6873f96b">alliance between Russia and North Korea</a>&nbsp;to the growing competition with China. There is also the need to upgrade the complex U.S. missile and nuclear defense apparatus and ensure the defense industry can keep up with America's need for weapons systems.Smith said that while Hegseth's combat experience is a plus, running the Pentagon requires a lot of other skill sets, and his nomination will need some time for consideration.“What’s your plan? What are you going to do? ... How can you assure us that that lack of experience, you know, isn’t going to make it impossible for you to do the job?” Smith said. “I think those are questions that need to be answered over the next couple of months.”Even some Republicans in the Senate, who would vote on his nomination, had a subdued response.North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis called the choice “interesting.” Indiana Sen. Todd Young, who served in the Marine Corps, said, “I don’t know much about his background or his vision, so I look forward to learning more.”North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven said he’s not surprised that Trump chose Hegseth because Trump is “close to him and likes him and trusts him.”“The guy’s obviously tremendously capable, a great communicator," Hoeven said. "I look forward to getting to know him better.”House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Hegseth brings a lot to the table and will be "reform-minded in the areas that need reform.”According to the Army, Hegseth served in the Guard from 2002 to 2021 as an infantry officer, but is not currently serving. He deployed to Iraq in 2005, Afghanistan in 2011 and to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2004. He has two Bronze Stars.He has been a contributor since 2014 for Fox News, developing a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on his show. He is the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.”“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,” Trump said in a statement. “Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”___

Trump's choice for Secretary of Defense stuns the Pentagon

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/04/advocates-of-imperiled-lesser-prairie-chicken-say-market-incentives-key-to-expanding-habitat/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has several choices to make in the coming months about whether his second administration will keep access to contraception and abortion as it is now or implement changes.

While Trump cannot on his own enact nationwide laws or abortion bans without Congress, he and the people he picks for key posts throughout the federal government will have significant influence on reproductive rights nationwide.

During Trump’s first term in office he barred health care organizations that perform or refer patients for abortions from receiving Title X family planning grants, even though there’s a moratorium on using federal funds for abortions unless it’s the result of rape or incest, or the life of the woman is at risk.

Alina Salganicoff, senior vice president and director for women’s health policy at the nonpartisan health research organization KFF, said on a call with reporters Friday that about a quarter of providers withdrew or were disqualified from receiving federal family planning grants as a result of that policy.

“The Title X program basically funds family planning services for low-income people,” Salganicoff explained. “It’s basically a small program, it’s around under $300 million — but it is a critical program to people who don’t otherwise have insurance.”

Trump will also have to decide whether to leave in place guidance from the Biden administration that says a federal law from the 1980s protects health care providers who perform abortions as stabilizing care during an emergency that would affect a woman’s health or life.

That law, known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, became one point of disagreement between the Biden administration and Republican states that implemented abortion bans or strict restrictions after the Supreme Court ended the nationwide right to an abortion.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/state-bans-abortion-dont-apply-emergency-health-care-white-house-reminds-providers" target="_blank">wrote in a letter&nbsp;</a>released in July 2022 that under the federal “law, no matter where you live, women have the right to emergency care — including abortion care.”

EMTALA is at the center of an&nbsp;<a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/briefs/federal-court-sets-date-for-emtala-oral-argument-hearing-in-idaho-based-case/" target="_blank">ongoing lawsuit&nbsp;</a>between the Biden administration and Idaho over that state’s abortion law. Oral arguments in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals are set for early December.

The future of medication abortion, a two-drug regimen approved for up to 10 weeks gestation that’s used in about 63% of abortions nationwide, will be another area the Trump administration could alter without congressional approval.

Salganicoff said there’s no way to know just yet if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will seek to change prescribing guidelines for medication abortion or revoke the 2000 approval of mifepristone altogether.

“We don’t know whether they’re going to actually review the approval, but I will tell you that it is likely that they will revisit the conditions in which medication abortions, which now account for nearly two-thirds of all abortions in this country, can be provided,” Salganicoff said.

The Trump administration, she said, is likely to focus on revisions made during the Biden administration that allow doctors or other qualified health care providers to prescribe the two-drug medication abortion regimen via telehealth and then have mifepristone and misoprostol mailed to the patient.

Salganicoff anticipates anti-abortion organizations will also encourage the Trump administration to address recent findings from the We Count Project, showing 1 in 10 abortions take place after medication abortion is mailed to people in states with bans or significant restrictions from states that have shield laws.

“This FDA protocol is legal to do that, but clearly this is going to be a target,” she said.

The Comstock Act,<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/1873-law-banned-mailing-boxing-photos-could-it-block-abortion-pills-too" target="_blank">&nbsp;an anti-obscenity law from the late 19th century</a>&nbsp;that once banned the mailing of boxing photographs, pornography and contraception, will also be front and center after Trump takes the oath of office on Jan. 20.

The law, which is still on the books despite not being enforced in decades, could potentially allow the U.S. Postal Service to prevent the mailing of abortion medications or any other instrument or tool used in abortions.

“The Biden administration’s Department of Justice did a review and said that they are not going to enforce Comstock,” Salganicoff said. “Project 2025 sees it very differently, and even though President-elect Trump has said that he is not going to enforce Comstock, it’s not clear, and there will likely be a lot of pressure to do that.”

Project 2025 is a policy map for a Trump presidency published by the Heritage Foundation. Trump has disavowed any connection with it, although former members of his first administration helped develop it.

Salganicoff said enforcing the Comstock Act would affect access to medication abortion throughout the country, even in states that have reinforced reproductive rights during the last two years.

“Clearly that’s going to tee up a lot of litigation and challenges,” Salganicoff said.

Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, said during the call that the Trump administration’s possible elevation of people who spread misinformation or disinformation could lead to more confusion about research-based health care.

“I think one thing, particularly with the rise in prominence of RFK Jr., you know, is the potential for misinformation,” Levitt said, referring to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a prominent vaccine opponent who endorsed Trump and campaigned extensively with him.

“We turn to the government for reliable data, public health information and scientific information,” Levitt said. “And there’s the potential now, for the government to be not only not an effective source for health information, but in fact, an accelerant for misinformation.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="Photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/04/advocates-of-imperiled-lesser-prairie-chicken-say-market-incentives-key-to-expanding-habitat/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has several choices to make in the coming months about whether his second administration will keep access to contraception and abortion as it is now or implement changes.While Trump cannot on his own enact nationwide laws or abortion bans without Congress, he and the people he picks for key posts throughout the federal government will have significant influence on reproductive rights nationwide.During Trump’s first term in office he barred health care organizations that perform or refer patients for abortions from receiving Title X family planning grants, even though there’s a moratorium on using federal funds for abortions unless it’s the result of rape or incest, or the life of the woman is at risk.Alina Salganicoff, senior vice president and director for women’s health policy at the nonpartisan health research organization KFF, said on a call with reporters Friday that about a quarter of providers withdrew or were disqualified from receiving federal family planning grants as a result of that policy.“The Title X program basically funds family planning services for low-income people,” Salganicoff explained. “It’s basically a small program, it’s around under $300 million — but it is a critical program to people who don’t otherwise have insurance.”<h2>Abortions as stabilizing care</h2>Trump will also have to decide whether to leave in place guidance from the Biden administration that says a federal law from the 1980s protects health care providers who perform abortions as stabilizing care during an emergency that would affect a woman’s health or life.That law, known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, became one point of disagreement between the Biden administration and Republican states that implemented abortion bans or strict restrictions after the Supreme Court ended the nationwide right to an abortion.U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/state-bans-abortion-dont-apply-emergency-health-care-white-house-reminds-providers" target="_blank">wrote in a letter&nbsp;</a>released in July 2022 that under the federal “law, no matter where you live, women have the right to emergency care — including abortion care.”EMTALA is at the center of an&nbsp;<a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/briefs/federal-court-sets-date-for-emtala-oral-argument-hearing-in-idaho-based-case/" target="_blank">ongoing lawsuit&nbsp;</a>between the Biden administration and Idaho over that state’s abortion law. Oral arguments in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals are set for early December.<h2>Abortion pill</h2>The future of medication abortion, a two-drug regimen approved for up to 10 weeks gestation that’s used in about 63% of abortions nationwide, will be another area the Trump administration could alter without congressional approval.Salganicoff said there’s no way to know just yet if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will seek to change prescribing guidelines for medication abortion or revoke the 2000 approval of mifepristone altogether.“We don’t know whether they’re going to actually review the approval, but I will tell you that it is likely that they will revisit the conditions in which medication abortions, which now account for nearly two-thirds of all abortions in this country, can be provided,” Salganicoff said.The Trump administration, she said, is likely to focus on revisions made during the Biden administration that allow doctors or other qualified health care providers to prescribe the two-drug medication abortion regimen via telehealth and then have mifepristone and misoprostol mailed to the patient.Salganicoff anticipates anti-abortion organizations will also encourage the Trump administration to address recent findings from the We Count Project, showing 1 in 10 abortions take place after medication abortion is mailed to people in states with bans or significant restrictions from states that have shield laws.“This FDA protocol is legal to do that, but clearly this is going to be a target,” she said.<h2>Mailing of abortion medication</h2>The Comstock Act,<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/1873-law-banned-mailing-boxing-photos-could-it-block-abortion-pills-too" target="_blank">&nbsp;an anti-obscenity law from the late 19th century</a>&nbsp;that once banned the mailing of boxing photographs, pornography and contraception, will also be front and center after Trump takes the oath of office on Jan. 20.The law, which is still on the books despite not being enforced in decades, could potentially allow the U.S. Postal Service to prevent the mailing of abortion medications or any other instrument or tool used in abortions.“The Biden administration’s Department of Justice did a review and said that they are not going to enforce Comstock,” Salganicoff said. “Project 2025 sees it very differently, and even though President-elect Trump has said that he is not going to enforce Comstock, it’s not clear, and there will likely be a lot of pressure to do that.”Project 2025 is a policy map for a Trump presidency published by the Heritage Foundation. Trump has disavowed any connection with it, although former members of his first administration helped develop it.Salganicoff said enforcing the Comstock Act would affect access to medication abortion throughout the country, even in states that have reinforced reproductive rights during the last two years.“Clearly that’s going to tee up a lot of litigation and challenges,” Salganicoff said.Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, said during the call that the Trump administration’s possible elevation of people who spread misinformation or disinformation could lead to more confusion about research-based health care.“I think one thing, particularly with the rise in prominence of RFK Jr., you know, is the potential for misinformation,” Levitt said, referring to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a prominent vaccine opponent who endorsed Trump and campaigned extensively with him.“We turn to the government for reliable data, public health information and scientific information,” Levitt said. “And there’s the potential now, for the government to be not only not an effective source for health information, but in fact, an accelerant for misinformation.”&nbsp;

Health experts outline how Trump admin. could affect abortion, contraception access

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A 34-year-old man is in custody following a fight&nbsp; that left a 40-year-old man unconscious and requiring transport to the hospital. Two other suspects are still a large.

Just after 3:30p.m. Saturday, police were called to the 700 block of Vermont Street in Lawrence, according to a media release.

&nbsp;Witnesses reported an unconscious man on the ground. Officers were on scene quickly and contacted several involved parties. Initially, the information provided indicated the injured man had started an altercation that involved several people physically fighting on the east sidewalk.

 The involved participants were interviewed and released pending further investigation. However, the injured man was later able to provide a statement at the hospital that contradicted the information officers received on scene. 

Additionally, officers were able to locate video and more witnesses that corroborated the injured man's version of events, which showed he was punched and kicked repeatedly, including after being knocked unconscious. 

Officers were able to track down one of the involved suspects and arrested him, but still seek to arrest two others. The arrested man was booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility on suspicion of Aggravated Battery.

 A 37-year-old man and a 36-year-old man remain at large. The hospitalized man was released after receiving care.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A 34-year-old man is in custody following a fight&nbsp; that left a 40-year-old man unconscious and requiring transport to the hospital. Two other suspects are still a large.Just after 3:30p.m. Saturday, police were called to the 700 block of Vermont Street in Lawrence, according to a media release.&nbsp;Witnesses reported an unconscious man on the ground. Officers were on scene quickly and contacted several involved parties. Initially, the information provided indicated the injured man had started an altercation that involved several people physically fighting on the east sidewalk. The involved participants were interviewed and released pending further investigation. However, the injured man was later able to provide a statement at the hospital that contradicted the information officers received on scene. Additionally, officers were able to locate video and more witnesses that corroborated the injured man's version of events, which showed he was punched and kicked repeatedly, including after being knocked unconscious. Officers were able to track down one of the involved suspects and arrested him, but still seek to arrest two others. The arrested man was booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility on suspicion of Aggravated Battery. A 37-year-old man and a 36-year-old man remain at large. The hospitalized man was released after receiving care.

3 accused of assaulting unconscious 40-year-old Kan. man

Kathleen Bonelle Frisbie was peacefully called home to be with the Lord on November 4, 2024. &nbsp;

Kathleen was born December 13, 1936, in Harbor Beach, Michigan. &nbsp;She was the first of six daughters born to Hilbert and Florine Weiss. &nbsp;She grew up in Port Hope, Michigan, surrounded by family in the close-knit farming community. &nbsp;She attended and was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Port Hope.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kathleen attended Harbor Beach High School and graduated as Salutatorian with her high school sweetheart, Bruce G. Johnson. &nbsp;She went on to earn her RN license at Harper Hospital School of Nursing in Detroit. &nbsp;Following graduation, she married Bruce in 1958, and they lived near Wheaton, Illinois. As a member of Wheaton College ROTC, Bruce served in the US Army after their marriage, and Kathleen embraced the role of a military wife. &nbsp;Their first child, Bruce, was born in 1959, followed by Bryan and Colleen within the next three years. &nbsp;As the Vietnam War was beginning to unfold, Bruce was deployed and became Missing in Action in 1965. &nbsp;He remained MIA through the entirety of the war, and Kathleen and the children awaited word of the fate of their husband and father for 13 years. Kathleen faithfully, courageously, and selflessly raised her children in Salina, Kansas. She was on the founding board of the National League of Families and was at the forefront of seeking to bring Bruce and other MIA and POW servicemen home through influence in political and grassroots coalitions. &nbsp;She attended several meetings with key government officials in Washington, DC. During the Paris Peace Talks, she served as part of a delegation seeking to participate in discussions with Vietnamese officials in Paris, France. In 1978, Bruce was declared “Presumed Dead/Killed in Action.” &nbsp;No remains have ever been found. &nbsp;Two books have been written which chronicle in part Kathleen’s heroic efforts in seeking to account for and bring her husband and MIA/POW servicemen home: &nbsp;Waiting Wives by Donna Moreau and The League of Wives by Heath Hardage Lee. &nbsp;Additionally, the Bob Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence, KS, featured Kathleen’s story through an entire exhibition, “Missing, Then Action: An Army Wife Speaks Out,” displayed there in 2022. &nbsp;Many of the historical articles and correspondence are now archived at the Institute.

After Lt. Col. Bruce Johnson was declared KIA, Kathleen and her family entered a new season of life. &nbsp;Kathleen met Robert R. Frisbie (Bob) of Salina, KS, and the two were married a year later. &nbsp;They were happily married for over 32 years until Bob passed away in 2011. &nbsp;

Kathleen moved from Salina to Freedom Village Senior Living in Holland, Michigan, in 2018, where she enjoyed spending time with her eldest son, Bruce, and his family. &nbsp;Kathleen’s life was undergirded and sustained by a deep, abiding faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. &nbsp;She taught and participated in Bible studies for many years. &nbsp;Bruce, Bryan, and Colleen all testify that they are comforted by the belief that their mother, Kathleen, was greeted in Heaven with the words, “Well done!”

Kathleen was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and sister, Colleen Weiss. &nbsp;She is survived by her four other sisters: &nbsp;Janice Reghi, Pauline (Polly) Zmudka, Gayle Grant, and Naomi Leach. &nbsp;Her children are Bruce and Margie Johnson of Holland, Michigan; Bryan and Rebecca Johnson of McKinney, Texas; and Colleen and Kent Nunn of Highland Village, Texas. &nbsp;In addition to her children, Kathleen has ten grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. &nbsp;A memorial service will be held at First Southern Baptist Church in Salina, KS, on Friday, November 15, at 11 a.m. It will be followed by a graveside service at Roselawn Cemetery, 1920 E. Crawford St., and a lunch reception at First Southern Baptist Church. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; If desired, memorial gifts may be given in Kathleen’s honor to Higher Ground at Lake Louise, a camp in Michigan now serving fatherless children and one in which the family has a deeply rooted connection. (www.hgatll.com). &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Roselawn Burial and Cremation Services. Online condolences may be sent to www.roselawnsalina.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731333892976.jpeg" alt="Kathleen Bonelle Frisbie " />
 <figcaption>Kathleen Bonelle Frisbie </figcaption>
 </figure>Kathleen Bonelle Frisbie was peacefully called home to be with the Lord on November 4, 2024. &nbsp;Kathleen was born December 13, 1936, in Harbor Beach, Michigan. &nbsp;She was the first of six daughters born to Hilbert and Florine Weiss. &nbsp;She grew up in Port Hope, Michigan, surrounded by family in the close-knit farming community. &nbsp;She attended and was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Port Hope.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kathleen attended Harbor Beach High School and graduated as Salutatorian with her high school sweetheart, Bruce G. Johnson. &nbsp;She went on to earn her RN license at Harper Hospital School of Nursing in Detroit. &nbsp;Following graduation, she married Bruce in 1958, and they lived near Wheaton, Illinois. As a member of Wheaton College ROTC, Bruce served in the US Army after their marriage, and Kathleen embraced the role of a military wife. &nbsp;Their first child, Bruce, was born in 1959, followed by Bryan and Colleen within the next three years. &nbsp;As the Vietnam War was beginning to unfold, Bruce was deployed and became Missing in Action in 1965. &nbsp;He remained MIA through the entirety of the war, and Kathleen and the children awaited word of the fate of their husband and father for 13 years. Kathleen faithfully, courageously, and selflessly raised her children in Salina, Kansas. She was on the founding board of the National League of Families and was at the forefront of seeking to bring Bruce and other MIA and POW servicemen home through influence in political and grassroots coalitions. &nbsp;She attended several meetings with key government officials in Washington, DC. During the Paris Peace Talks, she served as part of a delegation seeking to participate in discussions with Vietnamese officials in Paris, France. In 1978, Bruce was declared “Presumed Dead/Killed in Action.” &nbsp;No remains have ever been found. &nbsp;Two books have been written which chronicle in part Kathleen’s heroic efforts in seeking to account for and bring her husband and MIA/POW servicemen home: &nbsp;Waiting Wives by Donna Moreau and The League of Wives by Heath Hardage Lee. &nbsp;Additionally, the Bob Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence, KS, featured Kathleen’s story through an entire exhibition, “Missing, Then Action: An Army Wife Speaks Out,” displayed there in 2022. &nbsp;Many of the historical articles and correspondence are now archived at the Institute.After Lt. Col. Bruce Johnson was declared KIA, Kathleen and her family entered a new season of life. &nbsp;Kathleen met Robert R. Frisbie (Bob) of Salina, KS, and the two were married a year later. &nbsp;They were happily married for over 32 years until Bob passed away in 2011. &nbsp;Kathleen moved from Salina to Freedom Village Senior Living in Holland, Michigan, in 2018, where she enjoyed spending time with her eldest son, Bruce, and his family. &nbsp;Kathleen’s life was undergirded and sustained by a deep, abiding faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. &nbsp;She taught and participated in Bible studies for many years. &nbsp;Bruce, Bryan, and Colleen all testify that they are comforted by the belief that their mother, Kathleen, was greeted in Heaven with the words, “Well done!”Kathleen was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and sister, Colleen Weiss. &nbsp;She is survived by her four other sisters: &nbsp;Janice Reghi, Pauline (Polly) Zmudka, Gayle Grant, and Naomi Leach. &nbsp;Her children are Bruce and Margie Johnson of Holland, Michigan; Bryan and Rebecca Johnson of McKinney, Texas; and Colleen and Kent Nunn of Highland Village, Texas. &nbsp;In addition to her children, Kathleen has ten grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. &nbsp;A memorial service will be held at First Southern Baptist Church in Salina, KS, on Friday, November 15, at 11 a.m. It will be followed by a graveside service at Roselawn Cemetery, 1920 E. Crawford St., and a lunch reception at First Southern Baptist Church. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; If desired, memorial gifts may be given in Kathleen’s honor to Higher Ground at Lake Louise, a camp in Michigan now serving fatherless children and one in which the family has a deeply rooted connection. (www.hgatll.com). &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Arrangements have been entrusted to the Roselawn Burial and Cremation Services. Online condolences may be sent to www.roselawnsalina.com.

Kathleen Bonelle Frisbie

Diana Elyea, age 74,&nbsp;of Courtland, Kansas,&nbsp;passed away on November 5.

Memorial Services will be&nbsp;Saturday, November 16, at 11:00 a.m., at Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home in Belleville, with burial following at National Bohemian Cemetery #13, rural Cuba.

Family and friends may sign Diana's register book&nbsp;on Friday, November 15th, from 9am - 4pm, at Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home.

Memorials are requested to the Diana Elyea Memorial, and may be sent to Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home,&nbsp;PO Box 566, Belleville, Kansas, 66935.

Diana Elyea, age 74,&nbsp;of Courtland, Kansas,&nbsp;passed away on November 5.Memorial Services will be&nbsp;Saturday, November 16, at 11:00 a.m., at Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home in Belleville, with burial following at National Bohemian Cemetery #13, rural Cuba.Family and friends may sign Diana's register book&nbsp;on Friday, November 15th, from 9am - 4pm, at Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home.Memorials are requested to the Diana Elyea Memorial, and may be sent to Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home,&nbsp;PO Box 566, Belleville, Kansas, 66935.

Diana Elyea

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement asked the public to be on the alert.

Someone broke in and stole almost $60,000 worth of property from Waldo T-Shirts,&nbsp;1111 E 73rd St, Kansas City, the weekend of Oct. 18, according to a social media report from Kansas City Police.

Gone are valuable Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky collector cards, antique comic books, laptops, and autographed sports t-shirts.

Detectives are investigating, and if you have information, contact Metro Property Crimes at 816-413-3406 or visit <a href="https://t.co/gULWXwQkBQ" target="_blank">http://kccrimestoppers.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730483371715.png" alt="images KCPD" />
 <figcaption>images KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement asked the public to be on the alert.Someone broke in and stole almost $60,000 worth of property from Waldo T-Shirts,&nbsp;1111 E 73rd St, Kansas City, the weekend of Oct. 18, according to a social media report from Kansas City Police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730483350414.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>Gone are valuable Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky collector cards, antique comic books, laptops, and autographed sports t-shirts.Detectives are investigating, and if you have information, contact Metro Property Crimes at 816-413-3406 or visit <a href="https://t.co/gULWXwQkBQ" target="_blank">http://kccrimestoppers.com</a>.

KCPD: $60,000 in collectibles stolen from Kansas City store

WASHINGTON (AP) — As it became clear Donald Trump was returning to the White House, the Florida man who posed for photos with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during the Capitol riot popped a bottle of Trump-branded sparkling wine. “Y’all are in trouble,” he said after taking a sip in a video&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lecternleader/status/1854052008518402450">shared on social media</a>.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731016401408.png" alt="Jacob Lang&nbsp;a Capitol riot defendant who's jailed while awaiting a trial in Washington, posted within hours of Trump's victory that he and other Jan. 6 “political prisoners” were “finally coming home.”-image Justice Department" />
 <figcaption>Jacob Lang&nbsp;a Capitol riot defendant who's jailed while awaiting a trial in Washington, posted within hours of Trump's victory that he and other Jan. 6 “political prisoners” were “finally coming home.”-image Justice Department</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — As it became clear Donald Trump was returning to the White House, the Florida man who posed for photos with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during the Capitol riot popped a bottle of Trump-branded sparkling wine. “Y’all are in trouble,” he said after taking a sip in a video&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lecternleader/status/1854052008518402450">shared on social media</a>.Rioters who stormed the Capitol on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">Jan. 6, 2021</a>, are celebrating Trump’s victory and hoping he makes good on his campaign trail promise to pardon them.Trump didn’t mention the Jan. 6 defendants, whom he has called “hostages” and “patriots,” during his victory speech on Wednesday. But his defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris throws into doubt the future of the largest prosecution in Justice Department history over the unprecedented assault on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">seat of American democracy.</a>More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot that left more than 100 police officers injured and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-committee-final-report-takeaways-56cf44f8809cc76632f91f5c7910ec81">met to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 victory</a>. More than 1,000 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial of charges, including misdemeanor trespassing offenses, assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy.Trump's praise of Jan. 6 defendants was a centerpiece of his campaign, with rallies honoring them as heroes featuring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/j6-choir-trump-national-anthem-capitol-riot-79618f1f2a689c308dfdc34d54d327ea">a song</a>&nbsp;he collaborated on with a group of jailed rioters. Trump hasn't explained how he will decide who gets pardoned. But he has suggested he would consider granting them even for those accused of assault as well as the former Proud Boys leader convicted of orchestrating a violent plot in 2020 to keep Trump in power.During his first term as president, Trump deployed his pardon power in overtly political ways, granting clemency in his final days in office to a broad range of political allies -- including five defendants convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation -- as well as celebrities, Republican members of Congress and the father of Jared Kushner, his son-in-law.<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226964/gov.uscourts.dcd.226964.1.1.pdf">Jacob Lang</a>, a Capitol riot defendant who's jailed while awaiting a trial in Washington, posted within hours of Trump's victory that he and other Jan. 6 “political prisoners” were “finally coming home.”“There will be no bitterness in my heart as I walk out of these doors in 75 days on inauguration day,” Lang wrote.Lawyers for some Jan. 6 defendants cited Trump's victory in requests to hold off on sentencing their clients.Defense attorney Marina Medvin said her client,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.254654/gov.uscourts.dcd.254654.110.0_1.pdf">Christopher Carnell</a>, is “expecting to be relieved of the criminal prosecution that he is currently facing when the new administration takes office.” Michelle Peterson, an assistant federal public defender, argued it would be "fundamentally unfair" to sentence&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.257209/gov.uscourts.dcd.257209.82.0.pdf">a client</a>&nbsp;whose case may be dismissed by Trump's Justice Department.Judges swiftly denied both requests and refused to delay separate hearings for their respective cases on Friday.Other defense attorneys on Wednesday asked for a Jan. 6 defendant's trial to be postponed. They argued that their client,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.268119/gov.uscourts.dcd.268119.1.1.pdf">Mitchell Bosch</a>, cannot receive a fair trial in Washington so soon after the election given that voters in the nation's capital overwhelmingly supported Harris over Trump.“Mr. Bosch understands that the President-elect’s proclamations of stolen elections and pardons for patriots are not relevant evidence in his trial. However, they are highly relevant to the ability of the jury pool to be fair and impartial,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.268118/gov.uscourts.dcd.268118.54.0.pdf">the lawyers wrote</a>.A trial is scheduled to start next week for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-baker-blaze-news-capitol-riot-88004e2ce919d39cc84e1b2922840fc2">Steve Baker</a>, a writer charged with Capitol riot-related misdemeanors. Baker, who has written articles about the Jan. 6 riot for the conservative outlet Blaze News, posted a photo of a press credential for him to cover Congress."I plan on covering J6, 2025 ‘inside’ the Capitol," he wrote on Wednesday, adding a winking face emoji.Of the more than 1,000 convicted rioters who have been sentenced, over 650 have received prison time ranging from a few days to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/enrique-tarrio-capitol-riot-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-da60222b3e1e54902db2bbbb219dc3fb">22 years</a>. Hundreds of people who went into the Capitol but did not attack police or damage the building were charged only with misdemeanors. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">violence and destruction</a>&nbsp;by other members of the mob have been documented in videos and other evidence heard in court, including testimony from police officers about being beaten and scared for their lives as they defended the Capitol.Trump has said he would issue pardons to Capitol rioters on “Day 1” of his presidency. He told&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/6972022/donald-trump-transcript-2024-election/">Time Magazine</a>&nbsp;he would consider pardoning all of the Jan. 6 defendants, though later added: “If somebody was evil and bad, I would look at that differently.” He told&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-pardon-abortion-putin-59460113ce82ce6f6140d47856261a56">NBC's “Meet the Press”</a>&nbsp;last year that he would consider pardoning former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy. Trump said Tarrio was treated “horribly.”When pressed during an event in July, Trump said he “absolutely” would pardon rioters accused of assaulting police — if they were “innocent.” When the interviewer noted she was talking about convicted rioters, Trump replied that they were convicted “by a very tough system.”<a href="https://kimberlywehle.com/">Kim Wehle</a>, a University of Baltimore law professor and author of a book about presidential pardons, said presidents have the unfettered power to issue mass pardons.“The pardon system is set up for winners and losers. Who gets them and who doesn’t get them is completely subjective. It’s completely arbitrary and based on the whims of the president,” Wehle said. “Donald Trump could fashion the pardon however he wants to fashion the pardon, and the general public wouldn’t be able to challenge it.”Presidents have used their power to issue mass pardons for the sake of promoting national unity. George Washington pardoned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-first-president/whiskey-rebellion">Whiskey Rebellion</a>&nbsp;rebels. Abraham Lincoln pardoned former Confederate soldiers after the Civil War. Jimmy Carter pardoned Vietnam War draft dodgers.Many of those expressing support for Jan. 6 defendants also echoed Trump's campaign talk of seeking retribution against political foes. Julie Kelly, a right-wing political commentator who calls herself a “J6 conspiracy theorist” on her social media profile, posted that Washington-based U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves' “reign of terror is going to end soon."“Then we turn the tables,” Kelly wrote.