By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

For the Chapman girls' basketball team, the 2024-25 season was one to forget, concluding with a sub-state loss to Clay Center and a 3-18 finish overall.

When Jason Grider took over this offseason, his optimism about what Chapman had was seen by some as bordering on insanity, but now, less than a year later, the Lady Irish haven’t just improved, they’re gearing up to make a run at state.

Strong work ethic, gritty defense, and a fast-paced transition-heavy offense have come to define the next generation of Chapman girls’ basketball, and this week, it’s given them a chance to etch their names into the history books.

“This group works their tails off,” Grider said. “They come to practice every day ready to get better, and they hit the weight room hard. These girls have been resilient even as we’ve hit bumps in the road, and they’ve been relentless. I feel like we’ve come together and are peaking at the right time.”

Despite taking some lumps in a loaded NCKL that has four teams competing in state tournaments this week, the Lady Irish have come out on the other side all the better for it, having faced the kind of competition they’ll see again this week.

At sub-state, Chapman dominated two fellow 4A squads, knocking off Rose Hill 54-31 and Mulvane 62-38 to punch the team’s first ticket to state since the COVID-cancelled 2020 tournament.

While 16 wins and a punched ticket to state are impressive, the real beauty in Chapman’s turnaround has come in seeing them get the best out of the athletes that were on that 3-18 roster just one year ago.

“This team was so raw at the beginning of the year, but we’ve grown everywhere, and we’ve seen these outstanding athletes become great basketball players,” Grider said. “Everything we do starts on the defensive end. When we dig our heels in on that side, we’re tough to stop, and that’s allowed us to go on some good runs here.”

An offense like this is only as good as its conductor, and Chapman has one of the very best in Avery Baer, who broke both school records for single-season (124) and career (305) assists this year.

On the receiving end of those passes, players like Jai Rogers, Adelynn Kirkpatrick, Josie Baer, Callie Cook and others have knocked down shots at a high clip, helping Chapman average nearly 50 points per game.

On-court cohesion like this doesn’t come without a great deal of off-court chemistry as well, and throughout this journey, the Lady Irish family has grown close through all the ups and downs.

“This group is so much fun to be around,” he said. “This is a group that wants to have a good time the right way, and they really care about each other. We’ve had some times this year where we could have packed it in and been happy that we surpassed our win total from last year, but they’ve kept fighting and they’re just good kids all around.”

All of that has led Chapman here, to the 4A state tournament, with a chance to bring home the first girls’ basketball state title in school history.

To do it, the Lady Irish will first have to avenge a pair of regular-season losses as they prepare to battle an NCKL foe in Rock Creek for the third time this season.

Chapman injuries and illnesses played a role in the first two meetings, as the Lady Mustangs collected victories of 60-41 and 64-28, but the Irish are excited for an opportunity to take on one of the best teams in the state at full strength for the first time this season.

“Rock Creek is a great team, they’re great inside, they can shoot the lights out of the gym and they get to the free-throw line well,” Grider said. “They’re well coached, and we know we can’t put them on the line tonight.”

Make no mistake, this will be an incredibly tall task for Chapman, but if the Lady Irish pull off a win over Rock Creek, there’s no reason they can’t continue their run all the way to the top.

“We know we have to take care of business, but I think we’ve got as good a shot as anyone,” he said. “We can beat anyone on our schedule and we can lose to anyone on our schedule, and that’s still true this week. Our girls know how hard this will be, but they believe, and we’ll see what happens when we tip off at 8:00.”

This state showdown between Chapman and Rock Creek will be held in Salina at Tony’s Pizza Events Center at 8pm.

Salina Post will provide live stream coverage of this game which can be found in the window below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostFor the Chapman girls' basketball team, the 2024-25 season was one to forget, concluding with a sub-state loss to Clay Center and a 3-18 finish overall.When Jason Grider took over this offseason, his optimism about what Chapman had was seen by some as bordering on insanity, but now, less than a year later, the Lady Irish haven’t just improved, they’re gearing up to make a run at state.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Strong work ethic, gritty defense, and a fast-paced transition-heavy offense have come to define the next generation of Chapman girls’ basketball, and this week, it’s given them a chance to etch their names into the history books.“This group works their tails off,” Grider said. “They come to practice every day ready to get better, and they hit the weight room hard. These girls have been resilient even as we’ve hit bumps in the road, and they’ve been relentless. I feel like we’ve come together and are peaking at the right time.”Despite taking some lumps in a loaded NCKL that has four teams competing in state tournaments this week, the Lady Irish have come out on the other side all the better for it, having faced the kind of competition they’ll see again this week.At sub-state, Chapman dominated two fellow 4A squads, knocking off Rose Hill 54-31 and Mulvane 62-38 to punch the team’s first ticket to state since the COVID-cancelled 2020 tournament.While 16 wins and a punched ticket to state are impressive, the real beauty in Chapman’s turnaround has come in seeing them get the best out of the athletes that were on that 3-18 roster just one year ago.“This team was so raw at the beginning of the year, but we’ve grown everywhere, and we’ve seen these outstanding athletes become great basketball players,” Grider said. “Everything we do starts on the defensive end. When we dig our heels in on that side, we’re tough to stop, and that’s allowed us to go on some good runs here.”An offense like this is only as good as its conductor, and Chapman has one of the very best in Avery Baer, who broke both school records for single-season (124) and career (305) assists this year.On the receiving end of those passes, players like Jai Rogers, Adelynn Kirkpatrick, Josie Baer, Callie Cook and others have knocked down shots at a high clip, helping Chapman average nearly 50 points per game.On-court cohesion like this doesn’t come without a great deal of off-court chemistry as well, and throughout this journey, the Lady Irish family has grown close through all the ups and downs.“This group is so much fun to be around,” he said. “This is a group that wants to have a good time the right way, and they really care about each other. We’ve had some times this year where we could have packed it in and been happy that we surpassed our win total from last year, but they’ve kept fighting and they’re just good kids all around.”All of that has led Chapman here, to the 4A state tournament, with a chance to bring home the first girls’ basketball state title in school history.To do it, the Lady Irish will first have to avenge a pair of regular-season losses as they prepare to battle an NCKL foe in Rock Creek for the third time this season.Chapman injuries and illnesses played a role in the first two meetings, as the Lady Mustangs collected victories of 60-41 and 64-28, but the Irish are excited for an opportunity to take on one of the best teams in the state at full strength for the first time this season.“Rock Creek is a great team, they’re great inside, they can shoot the lights out of the gym and they get to the free-throw line well,” Grider said. “They’re well coached, and we know we can’t put them on the line tonight.”Make no mistake, this will be an incredibly tall task for Chapman, but if the Lady Irish pull off a win over Rock Creek, there’s no reason they can’t continue their run all the way to the top.“We know we have to take care of business, but I think we’ve got as good a shot as anyone,” he said. “We can beat anyone on our schedule and we can lose to anyone on our schedule, and that’s still true this week. Our girls know how hard this will be, but they believe, and we’ll see what happens when we tip off at 8:00.”This state showdown between Chapman and Rock Creek will be held in Salina at Tony’s Pizza Events Center at 8pm.Salina Post will provide live stream coverage of this game which can be found in the window below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yZQZUWq11mo"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
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🏀 From 3-18 to the 4A state tournament, Chapman looks to conclude turnaround with a bang

Following is recent booking activity for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/Sheriff-Office/Online-search/Booking-Activities">Saline County Jail</a>, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

NAME:&nbsp;Harwell,Richard Preston

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Contempt of Court; Direct; Interference with LEO; knowingly flee by means other than motor vehicle for felony case

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Return for court testimony

NAME: Ramos-Guebara,Alex George&nbsp;

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Aggravated burglary; Locked dwelling for felony, theft, domestic violence, sexually motivated; Murder in 1st degree; In the commission of felony

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Failure to appear; Theft of prop/services; Felony

Following is recent booking activity for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/Sheriff-Office/Online-search/Booking-Activities">Saline County Jail</a>, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773151881732.jpeg" alt="Harwell,Richard Preston (51)" />
 <figcaption>Harwell,Richard Preston (51)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Harwell,Richard Preston REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Contempt of Court; Direct; Interference with LEO; knowingly flee by means other than motor vehicle for felony case<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773151927513.jpeg" alt="Luebbert,Brian William (45)" />
 <figcaption>Luebbert,Brian William (45)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Luebbert,Brian WilliamREQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Return for court testimony<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773151957211.jpeg" alt="Ramos-Guebara,Alex George (26)" />
 <figcaption>Ramos-Guebara,Alex George (26)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Ramos-Guebara,Alex George&nbsp;REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Aggravated burglary; Locked dwelling for felony, theft, domestic violence, sexually motivated; Murder in 1st degree; In the commission of felony<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773152011837.jpeg" alt="Wahl,Patrick James (40)" />
 <figcaption>Wahl,Patrick James (40)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Wahl,Patrick JamesREQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Failure to appear; Theft of prop/services; Felony

Saline County Jail Bookings, March 10

Salina Police have identified the suspect who reportedly shot a male victim twice at a home.

Original: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/1de9cfe4-0dd3-4144-9163-cf36f49b768e">Investigation ongoing: One person hospitalized after several shots fired at Salina neighborhood</a>

According to the Salina Police Department (SPD), officers responded to the 1100 block of W. Republic due reports of 10-20 shots had been fired.&nbsp;

Witnesses saw a gray Dodge Charger fleeing the scene. A tag for that vehicle was developed, and the FLOCK System was utilized. It was determined the vehicle was around 9th and I-70. 

Saline County Deputies arrived in the area and located the vehicle at the Pilot gas station, 1944 N 9th.

The driver of that vehicle, 26-year-old Alex Ramos-Guebara of Salina, was taken into custody without incident.

The victim, a 21-year-old male, who was an occupant of a residence in the 1100 block of W. Republic was transported to the Salina Regional Health Center by private vehicle with two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his lower body.

SPD with the assistance of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office were able to determine through the course of the investigation that Ramos-Guebara arrived at the residence, where he kicked in the door. 

The victim, who does not live at the residence, along with other occupants pushed Ramos-Guebara out of the residence when he then retrieved a gun from his vehicle and approached the victim. 

Ramos-Guebara began to aim the gun at the victim, who grabbed the gun as Ramos-Guebara began firing. The victim was shot twice in the lower body, as most of the shots went into the ground. 

Ramos-Guebara was arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail in reference of Attempted Murder in the 1st Degree and Aggravated Burglary. 

The case is still under investigation. More arrests are possible.

This investigation is ongoing. If anyone has any additional information about this case, please call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS.

You can also make an online tip at: <a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#">https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#</a>.

You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000. Tipsters may also contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210, Officer Rachel Grisham. Case 24-4605.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773151143862.jpeg" alt="Ramos-Guebara,Alex George (26). Photo courtesy of Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Ramos-Guebara,Alex George (26). Photo courtesy of Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina PostSalina Police have identified the suspect who reportedly shot a male victim twice at a home.Original: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/1de9cfe4-0dd3-4144-9163-cf36f49b768e">Investigation ongoing: One person hospitalized after several shots fired at Salina neighborhood</a>According to the Salina Police Department (SPD), officers responded to the 1100 block of W. Republic due reports of 10-20 shots had been fired.&nbsp;Witnesses saw a gray Dodge Charger fleeing the scene. A tag for that vehicle was developed, and the FLOCK System was utilized. It was determined the vehicle was around 9th and I-70. Saline County Deputies arrived in the area and located the vehicle at the Pilot gas station, 1944 N 9th.The driver of that vehicle, 26-year-old Alex Ramos-Guebara of Salina, was taken into custody without incident.The victim, a 21-year-old male, who was an occupant of a residence in the 1100 block of W. Republic was transported to the Salina Regional Health Center by private vehicle with two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his lower body.SPD with the assistance of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office were able to determine through the course of the investigation that Ramos-Guebara arrived at the residence, where he kicked in the door. The victim, who does not live at the residence, along with other occupants pushed Ramos-Guebara out of the residence when he then retrieved a gun from his vehicle and approached the victim. Ramos-Guebara began to aim the gun at the victim, who grabbed the gun as Ramos-Guebara began firing. The victim was shot twice in the lower body, as most of the shots went into the ground. The gun was recovered on scene. Ramos-Guebara was arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail in reference of Attempted Murder in the 1st Degree and Aggravated Burglary. The case is still under investigation. More arrests are possible.This investigation is ongoing. If anyone has any additional information about this case, please call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS. You can also make an online tip at: <a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#">https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#</a>. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000. Tipsters may also contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210, Officer Rachel Grisham. Case 24-4605.

UPDATE: Suspect facing attempted murder charge in residential shooting 

ALLEN COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Humboldt Police Department, and the Allen County Sheriff's Office are investigating a homicide that occurred in Humboldt, Kansas.

Just after 5p.m. on Sunday, Humboldt officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Sycamore Street, in Humboldt, according to a media release from the KBI.

Preliminary information indicates that a woman fled a residence during a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, Malachi I. Davis, 25, of Humboldt, and sought help at a neighbor’s house. The neighbor contacted a male subject, who arrived at the scene. The man, John P. Kent, 43, of Humboldt, became involved in a verbal altercation with Davis.

During the incident, Davis fired a single shot from his vehicle window, striking Kent, who was transported to Allen County Regional Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Davis fled the scene following the shooting. The KBI identified Davis as the suspect and multiple law enforcement agencies began searching for him. At approximately 8:40 p.m., the Kansas Highway Patrol spotted Davis and conducted a traffic stop in Allen County near La Harpe. Davis was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Allen County Jail for second-degree murder.&nbsp; He has a previous conviction for theft in 2022, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596032210664.png" alt="File photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>File photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>ALLEN COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Humboldt Police Department, and the Allen County Sheriff's Office are investigating a homicide that occurred in Humboldt, Kansas.Just after 5p.m. on Sunday, Humboldt officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Sycamore Street, in Humboldt, according to a media release from the KBI.Preliminary information indicates that a woman fled a residence during a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, Malachi I. Davis, 25, of Humboldt, and sought help at a neighbor’s house. The neighbor contacted a male subject, who arrived at the scene. The man, John P. Kent, 43, of Humboldt, became involved in a verbal altercation with Davis.During the incident, Davis fired a single shot from his vehicle window, striking Kent, who was transported to Allen County Regional Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.Davis fled the scene following the shooting. The KBI identified Davis as the suspect and multiple law enforcement agencies began searching for him. At approximately 8:40 p.m., the Kansas Highway Patrol spotted Davis and conducted a traffic stop in Allen County near La Harpe. Davis was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Allen County Jail for second-degree murder.&nbsp; He has a previous conviction for theft in 2022, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.

KBI: Good Samaritan killed in domestic incident 

WILSON COUNTY&nbsp;– Just a couple of hours after asking for help to located&nbsp; a missing teen on Monday, The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) canceled&nbsp; an endangered persons advisory for 17-year-old&nbsp; Alexandra R. Smith of Wichita who had been seen in Coyville.&nbsp;

Alexandra went missing from Wichita on July 6, 2025 when she was 16. She was last seen Sunday, March 8, at a residence in Wilson County community of Coyville.

Alexandra was a witness to a homicide, and authorities were concerned for her safety.&nbsp; The KBI did not release details on where they located the teen.

They did report that just after 7p.m. on Sunday, deputies from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to 2105 2nd&nbsp;Street in Coyville, after gunfire was reported.

Upon arrival deputies located Lucas R. Pickell, 37, of Fredonia, just outside a fifth-wheel RV on the property. Pickell had suffered a gunshot wound and died at the scene.

Witnesses were interviewed and evidence was examined and collected. Preliminary information indicates Pickell had been using drugs in the RV with a male subject and two female subjects. During the incident, 52-year-old William “Bud” Wescott, of Coyville, is suspected to have shot Pickell.

Wescott was arrested on requested of second-degree murder at the scene and booked into the Wilson County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773090248934.png" alt="Alexandra Smith-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Alexandra Smith-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WILSON COUNTY&nbsp;– Just a couple of hours after asking for help to located&nbsp; a missing teen on Monday, The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) canceled&nbsp; an endangered persons advisory for 17-year-old&nbsp; Alexandra R. Smith of Wichita who had been seen in Coyville.&nbsp;Alexandra went missing from Wichita on July 6, 2025 when she was 16. She was last seen Sunday, March 8, at a residence in Wilson County community of Coyville.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773085124320.png" alt="Wescott photo Wilson Co." />
 <figcaption>Wescott photo Wilson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Alexandra was a witness to a homicide, and authorities were concerned for her safety.&nbsp; The KBI did not release details on where they located the teen.They did report that just after 7p.m. on Sunday, deputies from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to 2105 2nd&nbsp;Street in Coyville, after gunfire was reported.Upon arrival deputies located Lucas R. Pickell, 37, of Fredonia, just outside a fifth-wheel RV on the property. Pickell had suffered a gunshot wound and died at the scene.Witnesses were interviewed and evidence was examined and collected. Preliminary information indicates Pickell had been using drugs in the RV with a male subject and two female subjects. During the incident, 52-year-old William “Bud” Wescott, of Coyville, is suspected to have shot Pickell.Wescott was arrested on requested of second-degree murder at the scene and booked into the Wilson County Jail.

Police found Kansas teen, a witness in a deadly shooting

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp; Sheriff Tim Morse reports on March 5, 2026, around 

Just after 10:00 a.m. March 5 a, Sheriff's Deputies and Detectives along with the Holton Police Department served a search warrant at 627 W. 3rd&nbsp;Street in the City of Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The search warrant was issued in reference to an ongoing drug investigation that was initiated by the Sheriff’s Office earlier this year.&nbsp; The following individuals were arrested at the residence:

Gabriel Joaquin Mendez, 32, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement, conspiracy; possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC, and use of communication facility; in the commission of a felony drug violation.

Ruta Lee Mendez, 60, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC and &nbsp;possession of a controlled substance.

Grace Naomi Place, 25, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773051527887.png" alt="Mendez-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Mendez-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp; Sheriff Tim Morse reports on March 5, 2026, around Just after 10:00 a.m. March 5 a, Sheriff's Deputies and Detectives along with the Holton Police Department served a search warrant at 627 W. 3rd&nbsp;Street in the City of Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The search warrant was issued in reference to an ongoing drug investigation that was initiated by the Sheriff’s Office earlier this year.&nbsp; The following individuals were arrested at the residence:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773051461420.png" alt="Place" />
 <figcaption>Place</figcaption>
 </figure>Gabriel Joaquin Mendez, 32, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement, conspiracy; possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC, and use of communication facility; in the commission of a felony drug violation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773051489671.png" alt="Mendez-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Mendez-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Ruta Lee Mendez, 60, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of THC and &nbsp;possession of a controlled substance.Grace Naomi Place, 25, of Holton, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: 3 jailed after meth was sold from Kansas home

By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL and MICHAEL TACKETT&nbsp;

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alexander Butterfield, the White House aide who inadvertently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/richard-nixon">hastened Richard Nixon’s resignation</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/john-dean-richard-nixon-government-and-politics-crime-c7a7b99cca7c685cfc239f5e08b53378">the Watergate scandal</a>&nbsp;when he revealed that the president had bugged the Oval Office and Cabinet Room and routinely recorded his conversations, has died. He was 99.

His death was confirmed to The Associated Press by his wife, Kim, and John Dean, who served as White House counsel to Nixon during the Watergate scandal and went on to, along with Butterfield, help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-nixon-trump-immunity-watergate-54d4c3737d6951b219d66708e1ef259d">expose the wrongdoing</a>.

“He had the heavy responsibility of revealing something he was sworn to secrecy on, which is the installation of the Nixon taping system,” Dean said. “He stood up and told the truth.”

As a deputy assistant to the president, Butterfield oversaw the taping system connected to voice-activated listening devices that had been secretly placed in four locations, including Nixon’s office in the Executive Office Building and the presidential retreat at Camp David.

Butterfield later said that, besides himself and the president, he believed that only White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman, a Haldeman assistant and a handful of Secret Service agents knew about the taping system.

“Everything was taped … as long as the president was in attendance,” Butterfield told Watergate investigators when testifying under oath during a preliminary interview.

The tapes would expose Nixon’s role in the cover-up that followed the burglary in 1972 at the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate building. To avoid impeachment by the House, Nixon resigned on Aug. 9, 1974, less than a month after the Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender the relevant tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor.

Butterfield believed he’d had a hand in the president’s fate. “I didn’t like to be the cause of that, but I felt that I was, in a lot of ways,” he said in a 2008 oral history for the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.

Butterfield, a college friend of Haldeman’s at UCLA who had contacted his friend to ask about opportunities in the new Nixon administration, served as a deputy assistant to Nixon from 1969 to 1973. In that capacity, he worked under Haldeman and, among other duties, was secretary to the Cabinet and helped oversee White House operations.

The Air Force veteran had left the White House to become administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration when Senate committee staffers privately questioned him on July 13, 1973, during their investigation of the Watergate break-in. A routine question about the possibility of a taping system had been prompted by former White House counsel John Dean’s testimony that he believed a conversation he had had with Nixon may have been recorded.

When Butterfield acknowledged that a taping system indeed existed, he was brought before a public hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities. The public revelation on July 16, 1973, of a taping system designed to record all the president’s conversations stunned Nixon friends and foes alike. The tapes promised Watergate investigators a rich vein of evidence in their quest to determine what Nixon and others knew about the break-in — a great deal, as it turned out.

Efforts by investigators to gain access to the tapes sparked a yearlong legal battle that was resolved in July 1974 when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Nixon had to give them up.

The thousands of hours of tapes made public over the years — they are now controlled by the National Archives — provide a unique, if often unflattering, view of Nixon. His words exposed a bad temper, vulgar language, bigoted racial and religious views, and unvarnished opinions about national and international figures.

“I just thought, ‘When they hear those tapes …’ I mean, I knew what was on these tapes … they’re dynamite,” Butterfield told the Nixon Library. “I guess I didn’t foresee that the president might be put out of office or impeached, but I thought it would be a perilous few years for him. I guess I couldn’t conceive of (Nixon) being forced out of office. It had never happened before.”

Butterfield later said he believed that Nixon’s successor, President Gerald Ford, fired him as FAA administrator in 1975 as part of an agreement worked out between the Nixon and Ford staff members. He said he had heard from White House friends that he had been targeted shortly after his testimony to the Senate committee.

After leaving the FAA, Butterfield worked as a business executive in California. He earned a master’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, in 1994.

Alexander Porter Butterfield was born on April 6, 1926, in Pensacola, Florida.

He left UCLA to join the Navy and later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1956 and a master’s degree from George Washington University in 1967.

In 1948, he joined the Air Force and served as an instructor at a base near Las Vegas during the Korean War and later served in Germany. In Washington, he was a military assistant to the special assistant of the defense secretary in 1965 and 1966 and later served as senior military representative of the U.S. and representative for the commander-in-chief, Pacific Forces, Australia. He retired at the rank of colonel after 20 years in the Air Force.

Butterfield was unsparing in his criticism of the former president in later years. While he commended Nixon’s achievements in foreign affairs, he considered his former boss “not an honest man” and “a crook” and believed that Nixon knew about the Watergate break-in before it occurred and was the architect of the ensuing cover-up.

Butterfield found himself “cheering … just cheering” the day Nixon resigned, he told the Nixon Library, because “justice had prevailed.”

“I didn’t think that it would for a while,” he said. “This guy was the ringleader.”

Daniel, the primary writer of this obituary, retired from The Associated Press in 2023.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773086175858.png" alt="Alexander Butterfield with President Richard Nixon on the cover of one of Bob Woodward's many books." />
 <figcaption>Alexander Butterfield with President Richard Nixon on the cover of one of Bob Woodward's many books.</figcaption>
 </figure>By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL and MICHAEL TACKETT&nbsp;WASHINGTON (AP) — Alexander Butterfield, the White House aide who inadvertently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/richard-nixon">hastened Richard Nixon’s resignation</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/john-dean-richard-nixon-government-and-politics-crime-c7a7b99cca7c685cfc239f5e08b53378">the Watergate scandal</a>&nbsp;when he revealed that the president had bugged the Oval Office and Cabinet Room and routinely recorded his conversations, has died. He was 99.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">AP: Alexander Butterfield, the Nixon aide who disclosed Watergate tapes, dies at 99. <a href="https://t.co/O803DE90qB">https://t.co/O803DE90qB</a> <a href="https://t.co/tWcqYrQkda">https://t.co/tWcqYrQkda</a>&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/2031099110430748970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>His death was confirmed to The Associated Press by his wife, Kim, and John Dean, who served as White House counsel to Nixon during the Watergate scandal and went on to, along with Butterfield, help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-nixon-trump-immunity-watergate-54d4c3737d6951b219d66708e1ef259d">expose the wrongdoing</a>.“He had the heavy responsibility of revealing something he was sworn to secrecy on, which is the installation of the Nixon taping system,” Dean said. “He stood up and told the truth.”As a deputy assistant to the president, Butterfield oversaw the taping system connected to voice-activated listening devices that had been secretly placed in four locations, including Nixon’s office in the Executive Office Building and the presidential retreat at Camp David.Butterfield later said that, besides himself and the president, he believed that only White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman, a Haldeman assistant and a handful of Secret Service agents knew about the taping system.“Everything was taped … as long as the president was in attendance,” Butterfield told Watergate investigators when testifying under oath during a preliminary interview.The tapes would expose Nixon’s role in the cover-up that followed the burglary in 1972 at the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate building. To avoid impeachment by the House, Nixon resigned on Aug. 9, 1974, less than a month after the Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender the relevant tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor.Butterfield believed he’d had a hand in the president’s fate. “I didn’t like to be the cause of that, but I felt that I was, in a lot of ways,” he said in a 2008 oral history for the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.Butterfield, a college friend of Haldeman’s at UCLA who had contacted his friend to ask about opportunities in the new Nixon administration, served as a deputy assistant to Nixon from 1969 to 1973. In that capacity, he worked under Haldeman and, among other duties, was secretary to the Cabinet and helped oversee White House operations.The Air Force veteran had left the White House to become administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration when Senate committee staffers privately questioned him on July 13, 1973, during their investigation of the Watergate break-in. A routine question about the possibility of a taping system had been prompted by former White House counsel John Dean’s testimony that he believed a conversation he had had with Nixon may have been recorded.When Butterfield acknowledged that a taping system indeed existed, he was brought before a public hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities. The public revelation on July 16, 1973, of a taping system designed to record all the president’s conversations stunned Nixon friends and foes alike. The tapes promised Watergate investigators a rich vein of evidence in their quest to determine what Nixon and others knew about the break-in — a great deal, as it turned out.Efforts by investigators to gain access to the tapes sparked a yearlong legal battle that was resolved in July 1974 when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Nixon had to give them up.The thousands of hours of tapes made public over the years — they are now controlled by the National Archives — provide a unique, if often unflattering, view of Nixon. His words exposed a bad temper, vulgar language, bigoted racial and religious views, and unvarnished opinions about national and international figures.“I just thought, ‘When they hear those tapes …’ I mean, I knew what was on these tapes … they’re dynamite,” Butterfield told the Nixon Library. “I guess I didn’t foresee that the president might be put out of office or impeached, but I thought it would be a perilous few years for him. I guess I couldn’t conceive of (Nixon) being forced out of office. It had never happened before.”Butterfield later said he believed that Nixon’s successor, President Gerald Ford, fired him as FAA administrator in 1975 as part of an agreement worked out between the Nixon and Ford staff members. He said he had heard from White House friends that he had been targeted shortly after his testimony to the Senate committee.After leaving the FAA, Butterfield worked as a business executive in California. He earned a master’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, in 1994.Alexander Porter Butterfield was born on April 6, 1926, in Pensacola, Florida.He left UCLA to join the Navy and later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1956 and a master’s degree from George Washington University in 1967.In 1948, he joined the Air Force and served as an instructor at a base near Las Vegas during the Korean War and later served in Germany. In Washington, he was a military assistant to the special assistant of the defense secretary in 1965 and 1966 and later served as senior military representative of the U.S. and representative for the commander-in-chief, Pacific Forces, Australia. He retired at the rank of colonel after 20 years in the Air Force.Butterfield was unsparing in his criticism of the former president in later years. While he commended Nixon’s achievements in foreign affairs, he considered his former boss “not an honest man” and “a crook” and believed that Nixon knew about the Watergate break-in before it occurred and was the architect of the ensuing cover-up.Butterfield found himself “cheering … just cheering” the day Nixon resigned, he told the Nixon Library, because “justice had prevailed.”“I didn’t think that it would for a while,” he said. “This guy was the ringleader.”___Daniel, the primary writer of this obituary, retired from The Associated Press in 2023.

Nixon aide who disclosed Watergate tapes dies at 99

WILSON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a man connected to a weekend homicide in Coyville, Kansas.

Just after 7p.m. on Sunday, deputies from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to 2105 2nd&nbsp;Street in Coyville, after gunfire was reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773085124320.png" alt="Wescott photo Wilson County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Wescott photo Wilson County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>WILSON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a man connected to a weekend homicide in Coyville, Kansas.Just after 7p.m. on Sunday, deputies from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to 2105 2nd&nbsp;Street in Coyville, after gunfire was reported.Upon arrival deputies located Lucas R. Pickell, 37, of Fredonia, just outside a fifth-wheel RV on the property. Pickell had suffered a gunshot wound and died at the scene.Witnesses were interviewed and evidence was examined and collected. Preliminary information indicates Pickell had been using drugs in the RV with a male subject and two female subjects. During the incident, 52-year-old William “Bud” Wescott, of Coyville, is suspected to have shot Pickell.Wescott was arrested on requested of second-degree murder at the scene and booked into the Wilson County Jail.

Man accused of murder in small rural, Kansas town

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in a deadly shooting last week made his first court appearance in the case Friday.

Tristan D. Miles, 40, was charged with first degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 7:30p.m. Monday, police responded to report of a shooting in the parking lot of the&nbsp; American Legion in the 1300 Block of North Hydraulic in Wichita. According to an online statement from police, the suspect called 911 and reported he had just shot someone.

First responders found the&nbsp; shooting victim,&nbsp;56-year-old Darnell Guiden of Wichita,&nbsp;inside a 1998 Chevrolet pickup. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased just before 8p.m.

The suspect, identified from county booking records as 40-year-old Tristan D. Miles, was taken into custody without incident. He had previously been banned from the business from a previous incident, according to police.

Miles is being held a&nbsp;$1-million dollars bond, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772538210414.png" alt="Miles-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Miles-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in a deadly shooting last week made his first court appearance in the case Friday.Tristan D. Miles, 40, was charged with first degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just after 7:30p.m. Monday, police responded to report of a shooting in the parking lot of the&nbsp; American Legion in the 1300 Block of North Hydraulic in Wichita. According to an online statement from police, the suspect called 911 and reported he had just shot someone.First responders found the&nbsp; shooting victim,&nbsp;56-year-old Darnell Guiden of Wichita,&nbsp;inside a 1998 Chevrolet pickup. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased just before 8p.m.The suspect, identified from county booking records as 40-year-old Tristan D. Miles, was taken into custody without incident. He had previously been banned from the business from a previous incident, according to police.Miles is being held a&nbsp;$1-million dollars bond, according to the district attorney's office.

Man who called 911 to report shooting faced a judge

A Salina man jumps from the third floor of a motel window before arrest.

According to the Salina Police Department (SPD) on Sunday at around 8:00 am, officers went to Value Inn (1640 W Crawford) searching for a male suspect with a warrant out of Saline County for Felony Robbery.

The suspect was in a room on the third floor. When officers approached, an individual in the adjoining room came out and advised them of someone jumping out from their window.

Officers then exited the motel and located the suspect in area with severe injuries he sustained to his legs.

SPD took 43-year old, Mark Marvin into custody and transported him to Salina Regional Health Center for his injuries.

He will be booked into the Saline County Jail for Felony Obstruction and his warrant.

Salina PostA Salina man jumps from the third floor of a motel window before arrest.According to the Salina Police Department (SPD) on Sunday at around 8:00 am, officers went to Value Inn (1640 W Crawford) searching for a male suspect with a warrant out of Saline County for Felony Robbery.The suspect was in a room on the third floor. When officers approached, an individual in the adjoining room came out and advised them of someone jumping out from their window.Officers then exited the motel and located the suspect in area with severe injuries he sustained to his legs.SPD took 43-year old, Mark Marvin into custody and transported him to Salina Regional Health Center for his injuries.He will be booked into the Saline County Jail for Felony Obstruction and his warrant.Possible charges are expected.

Police: Suspect jumps from third floor of motel before arrest

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit; Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body; Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant

NAME:&nbsp;Esparza-Perez,Cassandra Chantel

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Defective wipers/obstructed windshield; Ignition interlock device; Operate a car without a required device; No Proof Of Insurance

Following is recent booking activity for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/Sheriff-Office/Online-search/Booking-Activities">Saline County Jail</a>, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773066392289.jpeg" alt="Blazek,Kole Bryant (33)" />
 <figcaption>Blazek,Kole Bryant (33)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Blazek,Kole BryantREQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit; Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body; Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773066442351.jpeg" alt="Esparza-Perez,Cassandra Chantel (30)" />
 <figcaption>Esparza-Perez,Cassandra Chantel (30)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Esparza-Perez,Cassandra ChantelREQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Defective wipers/obstructed windshield; Ignition interlock device; Operate a car without a required device; No Proof Of Insurance

Saline County Jail Bookings, March 9

SEDGWICK COUNTY —&nbsp; Police arrested a suspect after responding to an incident involving an 8-year-old girl in west Wichita.

Just before 11:30a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 2800 block of West Central in Wichita for a reported disturbance. The caller told police that their 8-year-old had left home and was walking in the 600 block of North Gordon when a man approached her and grabbed her.

The girl was able to break free and run to her grandparents' location, who called 911.

Officers arrived quickly, located the suspect, later identified in Sedgwick County booking records as 27-year-old Tanner J. Warren, near North Gordon, and detained him without incident.

Detectives with the Exploited and Missing Child Unit conducted the follow‑up investigation and arrested Warren. He was booked into Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and child abuse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772969650307.png" alt="Warren photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Warren photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —&nbsp; Police arrested a suspect after responding to an incident involving an 8-year-old girl in west Wichita.Just before 11:30a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 2800 block of West Central in Wichita for a reported disturbance. The caller told police that their 8-year-old had left home and was walking in the 600 block of North Gordon when a man approached her and grabbed her.The girl was able to break free and run to her grandparents' location, who called 911.Officers arrived quickly, located the suspect, later identified in Sedgwick County booking records as 27-year-old Tanner J. Warren, near North Gordon, and detained him without incident.Detectives with the Exploited and Missing Child Unit conducted the follow‑up investigation and arrested Warren. He was booked into Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and child abuse.

Kansas man accused in attempted abduction of 8-year-old girl

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a violent knife attack and have made an arrest.

Just after 5:30p.m. March 5, police responded to a call at the intersection of SW 17th Street and SW Washburn Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release.&nbsp;

Officers located a man with multiple stab wounds. He was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

As a result of the investigation, Kevin E. Hill, 54, Topeka, was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and was booked on requested charges of Aggravated battery; Knowingly use weapon cause great body harm/disfigure/death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772832960996.png" alt="Hill photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Hill photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a violent knife attack and have made an arrest.Just after 5:30p.m. March 5, police responded to a call at the intersection of SW 17th Street and SW Washburn Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release.&nbsp;Officers located a man with multiple stab wounds. He was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.As a result of the investigation, Kevin E. Hill, 54, Topeka, was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and was booked on requested charges of Aggravated battery; Knowingly use weapon cause great body harm/disfigure/death.

Kansas man accused of violent knife attack

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>

Online prediction markets allow users to put money on the outcome of almost anything — this weekend’s NBA game between the Warriors and the Thunder, the next supreme leader of Iran, whether the government will confirm the existence of aliens.

But those markets have no state oversight and operate even in states that ban gambling.

The platforms are raising bipartisan alarms, especially related to sports gambling. As states have legalized sports betting in recent years, they’ve required legal sportsbooks to jump through multiple hoops — from age verification procedures to protections for gambling addiction to tax collections. Online prediction markets circumvent all those rules.

Platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket say they are offering contracts similar to commodity markets that speculate on the future price of corn or oil — not outright gambling. But a growing number of states are rejecting those justifications, arguing the platforms are offering a backdoor to skirt state gambling regulations, particularly on sports.

The issue has sparked action from state regulators, new legislation, and lawsuits from both states and prediction markets. Complicating matters are the federal government’s moves to block state regulation of prediction markets, which see more than&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/everything-can-be-a-bet-now-the-rise-and-risks-of-prediction-markets-276464" target="_blank">$13 billion</a>&nbsp;in transactions each month.

Most activity on those platforms revolves around sports. And in national ads, Kalshi even marketed itself as the first national legal sports betting platform — even though states approve and regulate sports gambling since a 2018 Supreme Court decision. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/research/state-of-play-map/" target="_blank">11 states,</a>&nbsp;sports gambling remains illegal.

“This is sports wagering. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably sports wagering, in this situation,” said Kentucky state Rep. Michael Meredith, a Republican.

Meredith, who sponsored a 2023 law that legalized sports betting in Kentucky, called for states to regulate prediction markets during a webinar hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures. That organization, representing state legislators across the country, has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/resources/details/ncsl-urges-congress-to-address-unregulated-sports-betting-via-prediction-markets" target="_blank">urged Congress</a>&nbsp;“to act swiftly to address the rapid growth of unregulated sports‑related event contracts.”

State leaders argue their longstanding authority to oversee gambling should allow states to regulate or ban prediction market platforms. But those companies maintain they are not beholden to state regulations.

“I think it’s very clear that this authority should be vested in our state governments,” Meredith said last month.

In New York, lawmakers are considering&nbsp;<a href="https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&amp;leg_video=&amp;bn=A09251&amp;term=&amp;Summary=Y&amp;Actions=Y&amp;Text=Y" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;that would ban prediction markets from offering contracts on sports events, in addition to natural disasters, acts of terrorism and deaths. In Nevada, where gambling and tourism are top economic drivers, regulators are involved in a&nbsp;<a href="https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/02/24/protracted-legal-fight-expected-in-nevada-v-kalshi/" target="_blank">protracted legal fight&nbsp;</a>after the state sought to stop prediction market activity on sports.

“To me, this is clearly gambling,” Thomas Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, which operates casinos and sports betting,&nbsp;said during a company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/02/17/caesars-czr-q4-2025-earnings-call-transcript/" target="_blank">earnings call</a>&nbsp;in January.

But states are also fighting an obscure federal agency seeking to protect the emerging marketplace. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which regulates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/derivative.asp" target="_blank">derivatives</a>&nbsp;such as futures contracts on stocks, has asserted it has “exclusive jurisdiction” over prediction markets and promised to fight state regulatory efforts in court.

The CTFC did not respond to Stateline’s request for comment. Neither did Kalshi or Polymarket, two of the leading prediction market companies.

Unless Congress passes legislation, experts say the courts will ultimately decide what role states can play in regulating prediction markets.

The standoff has led to litigation between the platforms and states in at least eight states, and officials in 11 states have sent cease and desist orders to prediction market companies, according to the American Gaming Association, an industry group representing casinos and sports books. A bipartisan group of attorneys general from 39 states and the District of Columbia recently urged a federal court to uphold state authority to regulate sports gambling.

The American Gaming Association says prediction markets should either get out of the sports betting business or follow the same regulations and rules that apply to sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel.

“They don’t want to pay the taxes, they don’t want to undergo the compliance and provide all of the consumer protections that are required by states of operators who operate legal sports betting,” said Tres York, the vice president of government relations for the association.

The organization estimates states have lost out on more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/sports-event-contracts/" target="_blank">$570 million</a>&nbsp;in sports gambling tax revenues since prediction markets began offering sports events contracts.

Many state leaders and experts are<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/12/05/growth-of-sports-betting-may-be-linked-to-financial-woes-new-studies-find/" target="_blank">&nbsp;already concerned</a>&nbsp;about the societal effects from the meteoric rise of sports gambling, which has transformed collegiate and professional sports, and the potential for&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/09/09/wagers-on-touchdowns-strikeouts-and-even-penalties-states-eye-limits-on-prop-bets/" target="_blank">manipulation</a>&nbsp;by players.

“If you already have what I would call an epidemic of sports betting addiction in this country when you have regulated sports betting, imagine what it’s going to be like when you have essentially unregulated sports betting,” said Benjamin Schiffrin, director of securities policy at Better Markets, a nonprofit watchdog group advocating for consumer and investor financial protections.

The wide range of available bets also is raising alarms over election integrity and insider trading. In addition to individual elections, prediction markets have allowed wagers on the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the timing of the U.S. strike on Iran. Last week, hundreds of thousands of dollars were bet the day before the Iranian strikes, and more than 100 accounts cashed in $10,000 or more from successful predictions, according to a New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/upshot/prediction-markets-iran-strikes.html" target="_blank">analysis</a>.

“It’s a huge change to all of a sudden allow betting on elections, and it really threatens the underpinnings of our democracy,” Schiffrin said. “It just seems like there’s tremendous potential for wrongdoing.”

On its&nbsp;<a href="https://news.kalshi.com/p/values-and-principles-for-prediction-markets" target="_blank">website</a>, Kalshi says it operates under a “strict regulatory framework” with a suite of market integrity, surveillance, financial safeguards, and anti-manipulation protections.

Citing what it called “an onslaught” of state litigation, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission last month filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9183-26" target="_blank">court brief&nbsp;</a>underscoring its authority to regulate prediction markets.

“To those who seek to challenge our authority in this space, let me be clear: We will see you in court,” Commissioner Mike Selig said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cftc.gov/Exit/index.htm?https://x.com/ChairmanSelig/status/2023744651216240966?s=20" target="_blank">video</a>&nbsp;posted on social media. Selig is the only member of the presidentially appointed commission, which currently has four vacancies.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, immediately vowed to oppose the federal agency and the prediction platforms in court. Gambling has been&nbsp;<a href="https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title76/Chapter9/76-9-S1402.html" target="_blank">banned</a>&nbsp;under the Utah Constitution since the state’s founding, and Cox posted on social media that prediction markets are “destroying the lives of families.”

Kalshi&nbsp;<a href="https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/02/24/kalshi-sues-utah-over-proposed-prop-betting-ban/" target="_blank">swiftly sued&nbsp;</a>the governor and the state in federal court in anticipation of enforcement efforts and pending legislation in Salt Lake City. The company’s lawsuit cited the governor’s post and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2026/02/22/utah-gambling-apps-prediciton-markets-harmful-dangerous/" target="_blank">column penned</a>&nbsp;by Republican Attorney General Derek Brown explaining why he joined Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat, “in urging Congress to address offshore gambling operations that disregard state law and target young Americans.”

Utah Republican state Rep. Joseph Elison sponsored the&nbsp;<a href="https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/02/23/utah-legislature-advances-ban-on-proposition-betting/" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;cited in Kalshi’s lawsuit. The bill, which has passed both chambers, would expand the state’s definition of gambling to include&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/09/09/wagers-on-touchdowns-strikeouts-and-even-penalties-states-eye-limits-on-prop-bets/" target="_blank">proposition betting</a>&nbsp;— bets on the performance of an individual player or team that don’t necessarily affect the outcome of a competition. While Elison acknowledged the courts will ultimately determine the issue, he said prediction markets are essentially offering proposition betting without authorization.

”We’re 50 independent sovereigns that gave centralized government to the federal government to do certain things,” he told Stateline. “But the rest, we want those things to be under our purview. And this is one of those.”

In early rulings on the matter, courts have issued a mix of opinions: States have found initial success in state courts while results have been more mixed in federal courts, said Daniel Wallach, a gaming and sports gambling attorney tracking the issue.

But federal law has long affirmed state authority to oversee gambling, he said.

Despite attempts to cast transactions as investments, Wallach says courts will look at the substance of bets, which he said are almost indistinguishable from those made in state-regulated betting markets.

“The argument that this is investing rather than gambling is essentially elevating form over substance,” he said. “Plain and simple, this is wagering on the outcome of a sporting event.”

Wallach said state efforts such as cease and desist orders are counterproductive, as they essentially invite federal lawsuits from prediction market firms. He said states are better off pursuing gambling enforcement efforts in state courts, where several have won preliminary injunctions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/judge-bans-kalshi-offering-sports-events-contracts-massachusetts-30-days-2026-02-06/" target="_blank">halting operations&nbsp;</a>of the platforms temporarily.

For now, he said the federal agency has applied almost no scrutiny of the platforms, noting that the president’s family has a financial interest in the industry.

Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, has a business interest in two of the largest online prediction markets, and the president’s social media platform Truth Social announced it would start its own prediction market, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-prediction-markets.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.

Journalist Dustin Gouker, who authors<a href="https://substack.com/@dustingouker" target="_blank">&nbsp;newsletters</a>&nbsp;on gambling and prediction markets, noted that the CFTC rules that currently regulate prediction markets were built for financial products — not gambling. He said prediction markets have moved into the gaming market because “nobody said no.”

“It’s a bit of a mess,” he said. “If we’re going to have betting in 50 states for everyone 18 and over, shouldn’t we have thought about that a little bit more?”

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.&nbsp;

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/03/06/kalshi-and-polymarket-are-skirting-laws-on-sports-betting-states-say/" target="_blank">Stateline</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Missouri Independent, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772829738340.png" alt=" In this online ad, prediction market platform Kalshi advertises its sports betting products in California and Texas, both states that have not legalized sports gambling. States are increasingly targeting platforms like Kalshi, arguing they circumvent the protections and taxes of regulated gambling markets. (Image courtesy of Dustin Goucher/ Event Horizon newsletter)" />
 <figcaption> In this online ad, prediction market platform Kalshi advertises its sports betting products in California and Texas, both states that have not legalized sports gambling. States are increasingly targeting platforms like Kalshi, arguing they circumvent the protections and taxes of regulated gambling markets. (Image courtesy of Dustin Goucher/ Event Horizon newsletter)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>Online prediction markets allow users to put money on the outcome of almost anything — this weekend’s NBA game between the Warriors and the Thunder, the next supreme leader of Iran, whether the government will confirm the existence of aliens.But those markets have no state oversight and operate even in states that ban gambling.The platforms are raising bipartisan alarms, especially related to sports gambling. As states have legalized sports betting in recent years, they’ve required legal sportsbooks to jump through multiple hoops — from age verification procedures to protections for gambling addiction to tax collections. Online prediction markets circumvent all those rules.Platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket say they are offering contracts similar to commodity markets that speculate on the future price of corn or oil — not outright gambling. But a growing number of states are rejecting those justifications, arguing the platforms are offering a backdoor to skirt state gambling regulations, particularly on sports.The issue has sparked action from state regulators, new legislation, and lawsuits from both states and prediction markets. Complicating matters are the federal government’s moves to block state regulation of prediction markets, which see more than&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/everything-can-be-a-bet-now-the-rise-and-risks-of-prediction-markets-276464" target="_blank">$13 billion</a>&nbsp;in transactions each month.Most activity on those platforms revolves around sports. And in national ads, Kalshi even marketed itself as the first national legal sports betting platform — even though states approve and regulate sports gambling since a 2018 Supreme Court decision. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/research/state-of-play-map/" target="_blank">11 states,</a>&nbsp;sports gambling remains illegal.“This is sports wagering. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably sports wagering, in this situation,” said Kentucky state Rep. Michael Meredith, a Republican.Meredith, who sponsored a 2023 law that legalized sports betting in Kentucky, called for states to regulate prediction markets during a webinar hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures. That organization, representing state legislators across the country, has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/resources/details/ncsl-urges-congress-to-address-unregulated-sports-betting-via-prediction-markets" target="_blank">urged Congress</a>&nbsp;“to act swiftly to address the rapid growth of unregulated sports‑related event contracts.”State leaders argue their longstanding authority to oversee gambling should allow states to regulate or ban prediction market platforms. But those companies maintain they are not beholden to state regulations.“I think it’s very clear that this authority should be vested in our state governments,” Meredith said last month.In New York, lawmakers are considering&nbsp;<a href="https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&amp;leg_video=&amp;bn=A09251&amp;term=&amp;Summary=Y&amp;Actions=Y&amp;Text=Y" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;that would ban prediction markets from offering contracts on sports events, in addition to natural disasters, acts of terrorism and deaths. In Nevada, where gambling and tourism are top economic drivers, regulators are involved in a&nbsp;<a href="https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/02/24/protracted-legal-fight-expected-in-nevada-v-kalshi/" target="_blank">protracted legal fight&nbsp;</a>after the state sought to stop prediction market activity on sports.“To me, this is clearly gambling,” Thomas Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, which operates casinos and sports betting,&nbsp;said during a company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/02/17/caesars-czr-q4-2025-earnings-call-transcript/" target="_blank">earnings call</a>&nbsp;in January.But states are also fighting an obscure federal agency seeking to protect the emerging marketplace. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which regulates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/derivative.asp" target="_blank">derivatives</a>&nbsp;such as futures contracts on stocks, has asserted it has “exclusive jurisdiction” over prediction markets and promised to fight state regulatory efforts in court.The CTFC did not respond to Stateline’s request for comment. Neither did Kalshi or Polymarket, two of the leading prediction market companies.<h2>A new wave of betting</h2>Unless Congress passes legislation, experts say the courts will ultimately decide what role states can play in regulating prediction markets.The standoff has led to litigation between the platforms and states in at least eight states, and officials in 11 states have sent cease and desist orders to prediction market companies, according to the American Gaming Association, an industry group representing casinos and sports books. A bipartisan group of attorneys general from 39 states and the District of Columbia recently urged a federal court to uphold state authority to regulate sports gambling.The American Gaming Association says prediction markets should either get out of the sports betting business or follow the same regulations and rules that apply to sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel.“They don’t want to pay the taxes, they don’t want to undergo the compliance and provide all of the consumer protections that are required by states of operators who operate legal sports betting,” said Tres York, the vice president of government relations for the association.The organization estimates states have lost out on more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/sports-event-contracts/" target="_blank">$570 million</a>&nbsp;in sports gambling tax revenues since prediction markets began offering sports events contracts.Many state leaders and experts are<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/12/05/growth-of-sports-betting-may-be-linked-to-financial-woes-new-studies-find/" target="_blank">&nbsp;already concerned</a>&nbsp;about the societal effects from the meteoric rise of sports gambling, which has transformed collegiate and professional sports, and the potential for&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/09/09/wagers-on-touchdowns-strikeouts-and-even-penalties-states-eye-limits-on-prop-bets/" target="_blank">manipulation</a>&nbsp;by players.“If you already have what I would call an epidemic of sports betting addiction in this country when you have regulated sports betting, imagine what it’s going to be like when you have essentially unregulated sports betting,” said Benjamin Schiffrin, director of securities policy at Better Markets, a nonprofit watchdog group advocating for consumer and investor financial protections.The wide range of available bets also is raising alarms over election integrity and insider trading. In addition to individual elections, prediction markets have allowed wagers on the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the timing of the U.S. strike on Iran. Last week, hundreds of thousands of dollars were bet the day before the Iranian strikes, and more than 100 accounts cashed in $10,000 or more from successful predictions, according to a New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/upshot/prediction-markets-iran-strikes.html" target="_blank">analysis</a>.“It’s a huge change to all of a sudden allow betting on elections, and it really threatens the underpinnings of our democracy,” Schiffrin said. “It just seems like there’s tremendous potential for wrongdoing.”On its&nbsp;<a href="https://news.kalshi.com/p/values-and-principles-for-prediction-markets" target="_blank">website</a>, Kalshi says it operates under a “strict regulatory framework” with a suite of market integrity, surveillance, financial safeguards, and anti-manipulation protections.<h2>Federal-state conflict&nbsp;</h2>Citing what it called “an onslaught” of state litigation, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission last month filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9183-26" target="_blank">court brief&nbsp;</a>underscoring its authority to regulate prediction markets.“To those who seek to challenge our authority in this space, let me be clear: We will see you in court,” Commissioner Mike Selig said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cftc.gov/Exit/index.htm?https://x.com/ChairmanSelig/status/2023744651216240966?s=20" target="_blank">video</a>&nbsp;posted on social media. Selig is the only member of the presidentially appointed commission, which currently has four vacancies.Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, immediately vowed to oppose the federal agency and the prediction platforms in court. Gambling has been&nbsp;<a href="https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title76/Chapter9/76-9-S1402.html" target="_blank">banned</a>&nbsp;under the Utah Constitution since the state’s founding, and Cox posted on social media that prediction markets are “destroying the lives of families.”Kalshi&nbsp;<a href="https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/02/24/kalshi-sues-utah-over-proposed-prop-betting-ban/" target="_blank">swiftly sued&nbsp;</a>the governor and the state in federal court in anticipation of enforcement efforts and pending legislation in Salt Lake City. The company’s lawsuit cited the governor’s post and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2026/02/22/utah-gambling-apps-prediciton-markets-harmful-dangerous/" target="_blank">column penned</a>&nbsp;by Republican Attorney General Derek Brown explaining why he joined Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat, “in urging Congress to address offshore gambling operations that disregard state law and target young Americans.”Utah Republican state Rep. Joseph Elison sponsored the&nbsp;<a href="https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/02/23/utah-legislature-advances-ban-on-proposition-betting/" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;cited in Kalshi’s lawsuit. The bill, which has passed both chambers, would expand the state’s definition of gambling to include&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/09/09/wagers-on-touchdowns-strikeouts-and-even-penalties-states-eye-limits-on-prop-bets/" target="_blank">proposition betting</a>&nbsp;— bets on the performance of an individual player or team that don’t necessarily affect the outcome of a competition. While Elison acknowledged the courts will ultimately determine the issue, he said prediction markets are essentially offering proposition betting without authorization.”We’re 50 independent sovereigns that gave centralized government to the federal government to do certain things,” he told Stateline. “But the rest, we want those things to be under our purview. And this is one of those.”<h2>The legal landscape&nbsp;</h2>In early rulings on the matter, courts have issued a mix of opinions: States have found initial success in state courts while results have been more mixed in federal courts, said Daniel Wallach, a gaming and sports gambling attorney tracking the issue.But federal law has long affirmed state authority to oversee gambling, he said.Despite attempts to cast transactions as investments, Wallach says courts will look at the substance of bets, which he said are almost indistinguishable from those made in state-regulated betting markets.“The argument that this is investing rather than gambling is essentially elevating form over substance,” he said. “Plain and simple, this is wagering on the outcome of a sporting event.”Wallach said state efforts such as cease and desist orders are counterproductive, as they essentially invite federal lawsuits from prediction market firms. He said states are better off pursuing gambling enforcement efforts in state courts, where several have won preliminary injunctions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/judge-bans-kalshi-offering-sports-events-contracts-massachusetts-30-days-2026-02-06/" target="_blank">halting operations&nbsp;</a>of the platforms temporarily.For now, he said the federal agency has applied almost no scrutiny of the platforms, noting that the president’s family has a financial interest in the industry.Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, has a business interest in two of the largest online prediction markets, and the president’s social media platform Truth Social announced it would start its own prediction market, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-prediction-markets.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.Journalist Dustin Gouker, who authors<a href="https://substack.com/@dustingouker" target="_blank">&nbsp;newsletters</a>&nbsp;on gambling and prediction markets, noted that the CFTC rules that currently regulate prediction markets were built for financial products — not gambling. He said prediction markets have moved into the gaming market because “nobody said no.”“It’s a bit of a mess,” he said. “If we’re going to have betting in 50 states for everyone 18 and over, shouldn’t we have thought about that a little bit more?”Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.&nbsp;This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/03/06/kalshi-and-polymarket-are-skirting-laws-on-sports-betting-states-say/" target="_blank">Stateline</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Missouri Independent, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.<figure>
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Kalshi and Polymarket are skirting laws on sports betting, states say

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Domestic battery: Knowing/reckless bodily harm

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Domestic Battery: rude physical contact (2); Criminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption

NAME:&nbsp;Williams,Marcus Anthony

REQUESTED CHARGE: Probation Violation

Following is recent booking activity for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/Sheriff-Office/Online-search/Booking-Activities">Saline County Jail</a>, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772993315281.jpeg" alt="Hicks,Naryah Danae (26)" />
 <figcaption>Hicks,Naryah Danae (26)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Hicks,Naryah DanaeREQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Domestic battery: Knowing/reckless bodily harm<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772993363181.jpeg" alt="Levin,Justin Douglas (38)" />
 <figcaption>Levin,Justin Douglas (38)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Levin,Justin DouglasREQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Domestic Battery: rude physical contact (2); Criminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772993466452.jpeg" alt="Williams,Marcus Anthony (30)" />
 <figcaption>Williams,Marcus Anthony (30)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Williams,Marcus AnthonyREQUESTED CHARGE: Probation Violation

Saline County Jail Bookings, March 8

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple drug allegations.

Last month, two individuals were taken into custody by Jackson County Sheriff Deputies near 4th&nbsp;and Arizona in the City of Holton. These arrests are a part of a multi-month drug investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine into Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Early this year, Sheriff Tim Morse initiated an investigation into potential methamphetamine sales in collaboration with the Kansas Bureau of Investigations. During this investigation, a series of undercover drug buys were made in Jackson County.

Early Thursday morning, deputies closed in on a pickup truck that had pulled into a local convenience store. The Sheriff’s Office believed that the suspects were allegedly bringing a delivery of methamphetamine to Jackson County from Topeka. &nbsp;Deputies took the occupants into custody at the scene and seized a quantity of methamphetamine.

The passenger of the vehicle, Jade Renee Graf, 33, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include Distribute methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a school; Taxation Drugs. No drug tax stamp for controlled substance; Possession of methamphetamine; Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Distribute methamphetamine; Taxation. Drugs. No drug tax stamp for controlled substance; Possession of methamphetamine; Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body;Distribute methamphetamine 3.5 – &lt;100 grams;Taxation. Drugs. No drug tax stamp for controlled substance; Use communication facility. In the commission of a felony drug violation and a Probation Violation.

The driver of the vehicle, Gary Ray Hards, 26, of Denison, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine;&nbsp;Possession of marijuana and Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office expects additional arrests and charges in connection with this investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772460740450.png" alt="Hards photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Hards photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple drug allegations.Last month, two individuals were taken into custody by Jackson County Sheriff Deputies near 4th&nbsp;and Arizona in the City of Holton. These arrests are a part of a multi-month drug investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine into Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Early this year, Sheriff Tim Morse initiated an investigation into potential methamphetamine sales in collaboration with the Kansas Bureau of Investigations. During this investigation, a series of undercover drug buys were made in Jackson County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772460700700.png" alt="Graf photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Graf photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Early Thursday morning, deputies closed in on a pickup truck that had pulled into a local convenience store. The Sheriff’s Office believed that the suspects were allegedly bringing a delivery of methamphetamine to Jackson County from Topeka. &nbsp;Deputies took the occupants into custody at the scene and seized a quantity of methamphetamine.The passenger of the vehicle, Jade Renee Graf, 33, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include Distribute methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a school; Taxation Drugs. No drug tax stamp for controlled substance; Possession of methamphetamine; Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Distribute methamphetamine; Taxation. Drugs. No drug tax stamp for controlled substance; Possession of methamphetamine; Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body;Distribute methamphetamine 3.5 – &lt;100 grams;Taxation. Drugs. No drug tax stamp for controlled substance; Use communication facility. In the commission of a felony drug violation and a Probation Violation.The driver of the vehicle, Gary Ray Hards, 26, of Denison, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine;&nbsp;Possession of marijuana and Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human bodyThe Jackson County Sheriff’s Office expects additional arrests and charges in connection with this investigation.

Sheriff: Kansas couple jailed after series of undercover drug buys

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Viol protection order; Abuse order; ; Assault; Battery; Knowing/recklessly causing bodily harm; Disorderly conduct; Brawling or fighting; Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;DUI; 3rd in 10y;comp evidence blood/breath .08+

NAME:&nbsp;Garcia,Wilfredo Waldmar

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;DWS; 3rd or subs conv; Failure to appear

Following is recent booking activity for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/Sheriff-Office/Online-search/Booking-Activities">Saline County Jail</a>, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772909625070.jpeg" alt="Armstrong,Justin James (51)" />
 <figcaption>Armstrong,Justin James (51)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Armstrong,Justin JamesREQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Viol protection order; Abuse order; ; Assault; Battery; Knowing/recklessly causing bodily harm; Disorderly conduct; Brawling or fighting; Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772909699582.jpeg" alt="Brown,Jason Aaron (50)" />
 <figcaption>Brown,Jason Aaron (50)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Brown,Jason AaronREQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;DUI; 3rd in 10y;comp evidence blood/breath .08+<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772909740437.jpeg" alt="Garcia,Wilfredo Waldmar (41)" />
 <figcaption>Garcia,Wilfredo Waldmar (41)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Garcia,Wilfredo WaldmarREQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;DWS; 3rd or subs conv; Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772909783252.jpeg" alt="Gordon,Darin Daniel (36)" />
 <figcaption>Gordon,Darin Daniel (36)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Gordon,Darin DanielREQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Probation Violation; Outside warrant/NCIC hit<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772909830936.jpeg" alt="Graby,Seth Taylor (43)" />
 <figcaption>Graby,Seth Taylor (43)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Graby,Seth TaylorREQUESTED CHARGE: Probation Violation&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772909878351.jpeg" alt="McCombs,Jacob Allen (42)" />
 <figcaption>McCombs,Jacob Allen (42)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;McCombs,Jacob AllenREQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772993433765.jpeg" alt="McDowell,Tristian Pacey (24)" />
 <figcaption>McDowell,Tristian Pacey (24)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;McDowell,Tristian PaceyREQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Probation Violation; Failure to appear; Fishing licenses required; Flee or attempt to elude;Commission of any felony<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1772909960685.jpeg" alt="Wood,Shaun Thomas (43)" />
 <figcaption>Wood,Shaun Thomas (43)</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Wood,Shaun ThomasREQUESTED CHARGE: Failure to appear