Hutch Post, in partnership with Steve Harmon and the Conard-Harmon Collection, is proud to present Throwback Thursday. Enjoy a weekly release from Steve Harmon as he presents the "Hutch - Then &amp; Now Collection."

STEVE HARMON Hutch Post Contributor

Today's "Throwback Thursday Collection" takes us to the northwest corner of East 30th and North Plum.

In 1949, Ray and Gene Bullard of Arkansas City built one-of-many drive-in theatres in Kansas at 400 E. 30th for Jay P. Wooten. It was named the Ayr-Vu Drive-In and Charles Embrick was the manager. The first photo shows an aerial of the facility on opening day.

The second photo shows the frontal elevation entrance off 30th street.

The third photo shows the projection screen from inside the compound.

Opening night was July 27, 1949, and the film was "The Return Of October" starring Glenn Ford. Admission was fifty cents apiece for adults. You also got to see four color cartoons!

The drive-in was equipped with new RCA sound equipment. The fourth photo was taken from atop the screen, showing all the autos gathering for the evening before sunset.

One of the early employees was Walt Benson (age 18) in 1953. His job was to cruise the Hutch streets in the advertising Jeep with a signboard showing upcoming movies. The fifth photo shows that vehicle.

He also worked the concession stand and playground. The sixth photo shows that area.

By 1972, the popularity of drive-ins waned, and the ground was worth more than the revenues. The Ayr-Vu Drive-In closed for good on July 31, 1972.

They razed the theatre and built the Farmington Plaza Center. The seventh photo shows the site today at 414 E. 30th, now owned by the Farmington Plaza L.L.C. out of Wichita.

To purchase a photo print, contact:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sharmon5@cox.net">sharmon5@cox.net</a>.

Throwback Thursday is brought to you by:

<a href="https://www.hutchchamber.com/">Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce</a> <a href="https://underkansas.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_KHt9Zeq_QIVwRPUAR3CTwTSEAAYASAAEgJDJPD_BwE">STRATACA Kansas Underground Salt Museum</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anchorinnhutch">Anchor Inn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Anchorawayhutch/">Anchor Away</a>

📷 Throwback Thursday: Ayr-Vu Drive-In - Vol. 161

Today, millions of Americans serve as caregivers, supporting both young children and aging loved ones, often at the same time. Yet many lack critical lifesaving training, including how to respond in a cardiac arrest emergency.

Only about one-third of U.S. adults say they feel confident and ready to act if someone goes into cardiac arrest.

More than 300,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of hospitals each year in the United States. Infants, older adults and those with chronic health conditions are among the most vulnerable. For children of all ages, more than 80% of these emergencies happen at home, making the home the front line of response.&nbsp;CPR&nbsp;and AED training isn’t just a medical skill — it’s a caregiving essential.

“Having the ability to respond to a cardiac emergency makes you a better, more confident caregiver,” said Shannon Wedge, Executive Director of the Red Cross of South Central and Southeast Kansas. “Learning first aid and&nbsp;CPR&nbsp;skills may make a lifesaving difference for your child, family member, or even a stranger.”

During National Heart Month, the American Red Cross is urging people to show your loved ones how much you care by taking a Red Cross First Aid,&nbsp;CPR&nbsp;and AED class and other lifesaving skills courses. Having the knowledge and confidence to act when seconds count can triple someone’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest. Here in South Central and Southeast Kansas,&nbsp;almost 13,000&nbsp;people were trained in lifesaving skills last year.

Be Ready for the Moments that Matter with Red Cross Lifesaving Training

For more than 100 years, the American Red Cross has been a national leader in first aid education, training more than three million people per year in first aid,&nbsp;CPR&nbsp;and AED skills to help save lives in emergencies.

To ensure we are meeting the needs of today and evolving with the latest science, the Red Cross has recently enhanced its First Aid/CPR/AED training program to include updated infant&nbsp;CPR&nbsp;techniques and instruction on using epinephrine nasal spray, which is now an approved treatment for anaphylaxis. These updates ensure caregivers and bystanders are prepared to respond quickly and confidently in a range of life-threatening emergencies.

The training also equips participants with the knowledge and skills to better identify and respond to heart-related emergencies, including understanding the critical differences between cardiac arrest and heart attacks. It incorporates updated warning signs—highlighting how heart attacks can present differently in women—so symptoms are recognized earlier and lifesaving action can begin sooner. Visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cisionone-email.us.redcross.org/c/eJwszUuO6yAQheHVwAyLN-UBg0yyjQhXFbFvbDkX6M72W2719Ds6-inrwL6g5GxS0uDAzVGuuVDF4olDhRpDqjpAhEX7FI2r2ni55TgD0hwpJozhYRbARZugnTcsvO4b8Wv7r46y7dy6CoDLkiAQqvGv-jpdg9zzOsa7C3cT9i7s_fP5TI0J29n7dLansPdRXlxwL73Lg2krqvHOpbPaKP_C4w-Eu1mbgkmy5fVr4Po--xBeP6_ShOch-2jMx3UkmOcKJiobNStfLas5Ja2wVFhcoGohyO9sfwIAAP__0b1Y7A">redcross.org/takeaclass</a>&nbsp;to find a class near you.

Red Cross: Learn CPR as a caregiving skill during Heart Month

The Hutchinson Public Library will be closed Friday, Feb. 13, for staff training, library officials said.

In addition, the library will also be closed on Monday, Feb. 16 for President's Day.&nbsp;

The library will reopen for regular hours on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Library to be closed Friday, Monday

A new specialty clinic is coming to Hutchinson to support women with high-risk pregnancies.

Beginning Friday, February 13th, Ascension Via Christi and Hutchinson Regional Medical Center are launching a Maternal-Fetal Medicine clinic on the fourth floor of Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.

The clinic will be led by Dr. Michael Wolfe, an OB-GYN specializing in maternal-fetal medicine. Dr. Wolfe and his team will provide advanced prenatal care, including high-level ultrasounds, fetal echocardiograms, and consultations for complex pregnancies, both in person and virtually.

The clinic will care for patients with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, and autoimmune disorders, as well as pregnancy-related concerns like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm labor, and multiple pregnancies.

Hospital leaders say bringing these services to Hutchinson will reduce the need for long-distance travel and improve outcomes for mothers and babies.

The clinic is now accepting referrals. Expectant parents interested in care should talk with their doctor. More information is available by calling 316-274-5990.

Ascension Via Christi, HRMC to open new fetal care clinic

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/category/obituaries">Click&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners</a>.

Hutch Post is honored to publish full obituaries and photos. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/35522b08-cd30-49e1-93e0-85962282628b">PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NEW OBITUARY POLICY.</a> Funeral homes can send notices to <a href="http://hutchpost@eaglemedia.com">hutchpost@eaglemedia.com&nbsp;</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank"> </a>

Recent obituaries and service times

Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. ——————————————

Hayden	Mariche	Perez		2/11/2026 9:36&nbsp;AM	Domestic Battery; Knowing or Reckless Bodily Harm (1st conviction)

Phillip	Wayne	Lemen	III	2/11/2026 11:23&nbsp;AM	Probation Violation

Tabitha	Mae	Wheeler		2/11/2026 12:25&nbsp;PM	Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv

Oliver	Kelly	Smith		2/11/2026 2:55&nbsp;PM	In Transit From-To Other Agency

Kammi	Kay	Doddato		2/11/2026 3:22&nbsp;PM	Failure to Appear

David	Charles	Keffer		2/11/2026 5:14&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

Austyn	Dakota	Novotny		2/11/2026 5:00&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

Natasha	Renee	Sublett		2/11/2026 6:19&nbsp;PM	Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction)

Cody	Robert Matthew	Martin		2/11/2026 9:20&nbsp;PM	A distrib of contr subs; Causing death,					Drugs; Arrange sale/purchase of controlled substance using a communication facility,					In Transit From-To Other Agency

Tracy	Lynn	Lamunyon		2/11/2026 10:05&nbsp;PM	Viol protection order; Abuse order

Alphinia	Aliza	Toney		2/11/2026 10:49&nbsp;PM	Viol protection order; Pre-trial order

Christopher	Allen	Rasmussen		2/11/2026 11:10&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

Robert	Andrew	Sisler		2/11/2026 11:59&nbsp;PM	Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant,					Possession of marijuana,					Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body

Samuel	Allen	Muns	Jr	2/12/2026 1:09&nbsp;AM	Criminal Threat; with Intent to Terrorize or cause Evacuation

Daily Bookings

County commissioners approved two land-use items tied to a proposed Salt Lick Golf Resort development. The items were on the consent agenda.

Approved was a request to rezone approximately 180 acres from the R-2 Suburban Residential District to the AG Agricultural District. According to agenda materials, the rezoning is intended to eliminate the possibility of developing a high-density residential subdivision on the property associated with the Salt Lick Golf Resort.

Commissioners also approved a conditional use permit from the same applicant to allow development of a golf course resort. That proposal covers two parcels already zoned AG Agricultural District at the northeast corner of North Buhler Road and East Fourth Avenue.

In other business, commissioners received the annual report from the Reno County Department of Emergency Management. Randy Partington also presented monthly department reports to the board.

Partington announced that a county commission retreat is scheduled for Feb. 20 at the New Reno County Training Center.

The next meeting of the Reno County Board of County Commissioners is set for Feb. 25.

Commission approves resolutions for Salt Lick Golf Resort

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/pages/weather">Click here for the KSStorm.info 7-day forecast.&nbsp;</a>

Three-day Outlook

$20 per hour | Daytime hours (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Meals on Wheels is seeking an organized and dependable Executive Director to oversee daily operations and ensure the efficient delivery of meals to clients throughout the community. This leadership role manages scheduling, client services, administrative functions, and financial responsibilities while supporting the organization’s mission to serve local seniors and homebound residents.

Learn more at <a href="http://hutchmow.com">hutchmow.com</a>

PRINT AND EMAIL APPLICATION BELOW TO&nbsp;<a href="http://HutchinsonMOW@gmail.com">HutchinsonMOW@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;OR MAIL TO MEALS ON WHEELS, 700 MONTEREY PLACE, HUTCHINSON, KS 67502.

Kansas man hospitalized after violent rollover accident

The first Legislative Forum of the 2026 Kansas legislative session is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Hutchinson Community College Stringer Fine Arts Center, 600 E. 11th Ave.

Reno County legislators invited to participate include Sen. Michael Murphy, Rep. Joe Seiwert, Rep. Paul Waggoner, Rep. Kyler Sweely and Rep. Kevin Schwertfeger.

Written questions will be accepted the morning of the forum. Questions may also be submitted in advance through the advocacy page of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce website.

The forum is presented by AT&amp;T, with supporting sponsorship from Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, and is organized by the Chamber’s Public Policy Committee.

There is no cost to attend. Chamber members and the general public are encouraged to participate.

Legislative forum to be held Saturday

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/seung-min-kim">SEUNG MIN KIM</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ben-finley">BEN FINLEY</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mary-clare-jalonick">MARY CLARE JALONICK</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/konstantin-toropin">KONSTANTIN TOROPIN</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/morgan-lee">MORGAN LEE</a>

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser earlier this week, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.

The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 days, stranding some travelers, but the closure ended up only lasting a few hours. The Trump administration said it stemmed from the FAA and Pentagon working to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones, which are not uncommon along the southern border.

One of the people said the laser was deployed near Fort Bliss without coordinating with the FAA, which decided then to close the airspace to ensure commercial air safety. Others familiar with the matter said the technology was used despite a meeting scheduled for later this month between the Pentagon and the FAA to discuss the issue.

While the restrictions were short-lived in the city of nearly 700,000 people, it is unusual for an entire airport to shut down even for a short time. Stranded travelers with luggage lined up at airline ticket counters and car rental desks before the order was lifted.

Normal flights resumed after seven arrivals and seven departures were canceled. Some medical evacuation flights also had to be rerouted.

Jorge Rueda, 20, and Yamilexi Meza, 21, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, had their morning flight to Portland, Oregon, canceled, so they were losing part of their Valentine’s Day weekend trip.

Rueda said he was glad that “10 days turned into two hours.” They were booked on an evening flight out of El Paso.

The investigation into last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., between an airliner and Army helicopter that killed 67 people highlighted how the FAA and Pentagon were not always working well together.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the FAA and the Army did not share safety data with each other about the alarming number of close calls around Reagan National Airport and failed to address the risks.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a former Army helicopter pilot who serves on committees focused on aviation and the armed services, said the issue Wednesday was the latest example of “the lack of coordination that’s endemic in this Trump administration.”

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he would request a briefing from the FAA on the incident.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, said neither her office nor local officials received any advance notice of the closure. After it was lifted, she said “the information coming from the federal government does not add up.”

“I believe the FAA owes the community and the country an explanation as to why this happened so suddenly and abruptly and was lifted so suddenly and abruptly,” Escobar said at a news conference.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier that the airspace was closed as the Defense Department and the FAA halted an incursion by Mexican cartel drones and “the threat has been neutralized.”

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security, FAA and Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A Trump administration official insisted the agencies were in lockstep to protect national security and pointed to Duffy’s statement. The Pentagon said it had nothing to add to its statement that largely mirrored Duffy’s.

Pentagon let CBP use anti-drone laser before FAA closed El Paso airspace

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man injured in a fatal fight on July 4, will return to court on Thursday.

&nbsp;Eduardo Diaz-Yobal, 33, will face a preliminary hearing in Judge Christopher Magana's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick District Attorney's office. Diaz-Yobal is charged with first-degree murder in&nbsp;the death of 33-year-old Cesar Gonzalez.

Early on July 4, police responded to a report of an assault in the 3000 block of North Fairview in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. A caller reported witnessing a man attacking another man. The victim was later identified as Gonzalez of Wichita.&nbsp;

Before officers arrived, the suspect fled the scene. Officers found Gonzalez unresponsive in the parking lot. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased at 1:54 a.m.

Officers located the suspect identified as<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=254855">&nbsp;Diaz-Yobal, 33, of Wichita,</a>&nbsp;in the 300 block of W. 29th Street and took him into custody without incident.

Diaz-Yobal had injuries consistent with the altercation and was admitted to an area hospital for treatment, released and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail where he is being on bond of over&nbsp;&nbsp;$1,500,000.00, according to online jail records.

Preliminary Hearing for Kan. man in deadly 4th of July fight

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans rushed to approve legislation on Wednesday that would impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements ahead of the midterm elections, a long shot Trump administration priority that faces sharp blowback in the Senate.

The bill, called the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-save-act-citizenship-voting-elections-a37c139461d11eb5f82086680b67ffe7">Safeguard American Voter Eligibility</a>, or SAVE America Act, would require Americans to prove they are citizens when they register to vote, mostly through a valid U.S. passport or birth certificate. It would also require a valid photo identification before voters can cast ballots, which some states already demand. It was approved on a mostly party-line vote, 218-213. GOP members of the Kansas delegation voted with the majority.

Republicans said the legislation is needed to prevent voter fraud, but Democrats warn it will disenfranchise millions of Americans by making it harder to vote. Federal law already requires that voters in national elections be U.S. citizens, but there’s no requirement to provide documentary proof. Experts said voter fraud is extremely rare, and very few noncitizens ever slip through the cracks. Fewer than one in 10 Americans don’t have paperwork proving they are citizens.

“Some of my colleagues will call this voter suppression or Jim Crow 2.0,” said Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., presenting the package at a committee hearing.

But he said “those allegations are false,” and he argued the bill is needed to enforce existing laws, particularly those that bar immigrants who are not citizens from voting. “The current law is not strong enough,” he said.

The GOP’s sudden push to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midterms-voting-laws-photo-id-citizenship-republicans-feecb51a6efa41cf32d18fe4b15c08ce">change voting rules</a>&nbsp;at the start of the midterm election season is raising red flags, particularly because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump&nbsp;</a>has suggested he wants to nationalize U.S. elections, which, under the Constitution, are designed to be run by individual states.

The Trump administration recently seized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-georgia-elections-fulton-county-2020-ballots-9dfecd778c09134e9aa0bba2848718f5">ballots in Georgia</a>&nbsp;from the 2020 election, which the president insists he won despite his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The Department of Justice is demanding voter rolls from states, including Michigan, where a federal judge this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-judges-dismisses-lawsuit-michigan-voter-rolls-b18568bec27026c97e41885b80d15fe9">dismissed the department’s lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking the voter files. Secretaries of state have raised concerns that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-homeland-security-voters-noncitizens-9ad3293b2f188b8a5b0bc166a61c225c">voters’ personal data</a>&nbsp;may be shared with Homeland Security to verify citizenship and could result in people being unlawfully purged from the rolls.

“Let me be clear what this is about: It’s about Republicans trying to rig the next election,” said Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, during a hearing ahead of the floor vote. “Republicans are pushing the Save America Act because they want fewer Americans to vote. It’s that simple.”

The legislation is actually a do-over of a similar bill the House approved last year, which also sought to clamp down on fraudulent voting, particularly among noncitizens. It won the support of four House Democrats, but stalled in the Republican-led Senate. Only one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, voted for the revised bill.

This version toughens some of the requirements further, while creating a process for those whose names may have changed, particularly during marriage, to provide the paperwork necessary and further attest to their identity.

It also requires states to share their voter information with the Department of Homeland Security, as a way to verify the citizenship of the names on the voter rolls. That has drawn pushback from elections officials as potentially intrusive on people’s privacy.

The new rules in the bill would take effect immediately, if the bill is passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law.

But with primary elections getting underway next month, critics said the sudden shift would be difficult for state election officials to implement and potentially confuse voters.

Voting experts have warned that more than 20 million U.S. citizens of voting age do not have proof of their citizenship readily available. Almost half of Americans do not have a U.S. passport.

“Election Day is fast approaching,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary resources.”

In the Senate, where Republicans also have majority control, there does not appear to be enough support to push the bill past the chamber’s filibuster rules, which largely require 60 votes to advance legislation.

That frustration has led some Republicans, led by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, to push for a process that would skip the 60-vote threshold in this case, and allow the bill to be debated through a so-called standing filibuster — a process that would open the door to potentially endless debate.

Lee made the case to GOP senators at a closed-door lunch this week, and some said afterward they are mulling the concept.

“I think most people’s minds are open,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., “My mind’s certainly open.”

But Murkowski of Alaska said she is flat out against the legislation.

“Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska,” she said.

Karen Brinson Bell of Advance Elections, a nonpartisan consulting firm, said the bill adds numerous requirements for state and local election officials with no additional funding.

“Election officials have a simple request of Congress — that you help share their burdens not add to them,” she said.

This story has been corrected to fix a statistic. Fewer than one in 10 Americans do not have paperwork proving they are citizens; an earlier version incorrectly said fewer than one in 10 have valid passports.

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Kan. lawmakers help House pass proof-of-citizenship requirement for voters

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a double homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victims as 26-year-old&nbsp;Brittnee McMillon and and 28-year-old&nbsp;Jerrell Westmoreland.

At 9:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of E. Armour Blvd. in Kansas City, Missouri, on a sound of shots call, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.

Multiple callers reported the sound of gunfire from behind an apartment building there. On arrival officers were directed to a parking lot in the back of an apartment building where they located a vehicle with shooting victims McMillon and Westmoreland unresponsive inside.&nbsp;

Officers called for EMS who declared both victims deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Homicide detectives responded to the scene to conduct their investigation along with crime scene investigators processed the scene for available evidence.&nbsp; Police have not released details on possible suspects.

Homicide: Police ID couple found dead in car in Kansas City

SHAWNEE COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating a school threat in Topeka.

Just after 6:30a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call regarding an online social media threat involving Eisenhower Middle School, 3305 SE Minnesota Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release.. No other schools are involved in this incident.

Topeka Police are working jointly with the FBI and are investigating the credibility of this online threat. The impacted school has notified families.

Anyone who sees or hears anything related to this incident is asked to immediately contact the Topeka Police Department by emailing telltpd@topeka.org or by calling the TPD Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368-9400.

FBI investigating social media threat at Kansas middle school

A member of the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-faith-agenda-evangelicals-conservative-christians-88a9ce8ac81a46fafb7e337366be8e9c">Religious Liberty Commission</a>&nbsp;has been ousted after a hearing this week that featured tense exchanges on the definition of antisemitism. The ousted member, Carrie Prejean Boller, had defended prominent commentator Candace Owens, who routinely shares antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Prejean Boller, a model turned conservative activist, denied that Owens had ever said anything antisemitic, quoted a Bible verse that attributed the death of Jesus to Jews and pushed back on the idea that some people mask antisemitism in their criticism of Israel.

“No member of the commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue,” said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, chair of the commission, in a statement Wednesday. “This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America. This was my decision.”

Prejean Boller challenged Patrick’s authority to remove her, saying only President Donald Trump has that power. In a post on the social media site X, she said Patrick's actions “reflect a Zionist political agenda.”

The hearing took place as the commission, created by Trump last year, is the subject of a new federal lawsuit this week from progressive religious groups. The suit says the panel fails to represent diverse views and religions and consists almost entirely of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-evangelicals-christian-conservatives-religious-freedom-1532250eb2fe620e4341b1b033123276">conservative Christian</a>&nbsp;members.

Prejean Boller's removal came amid a wider, increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turning-point-charlie-kirk-vance-republicans-2028-e28a332d7f55eb44346ef9d47e8906e4">contentious debate</a>&nbsp;over whether the right should give a platform to commentators espousing antisemitic views.

It followed a hearing Monday in Washington that was focused on antisemitism. It featured multiple witnesses, including first-hand accounts of students and others who said universities failed to protect Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Prejean Boller had sharp exchanges with witnesses&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNxkwMlJZL4&amp;t=2382s">during the hearing</a>. Seth Dillon, CEO of the conservative satirical site The Babylon Bee, which routinely lampoons progressives, was there to testify that conservatives need to push back against a growing antisemitic movement on the right.

Prejean Boller challenged him, questioning whether critics of Israel should be considered antisemitic. Dillon said no, but that context matters. There are “people who try to conceal their antisemitism under the guise of merely criticizing Israel," he said.

Prejean Boller also questioned whether social media sites should be pressured to ban quotations of a Bible verse that attributes the death of Jesus to Jews. And she disputed Dillon's criticisms of Owens, saying she had never heard her say anything antisemitic.

“You should look up more of her statements,” Dillon said, citing such things as Owens saying her critics were “of the synagogue of Satan.”

Prejean Boller, the 2009 Miss California, drew criticism during the Miss USA contest that same year when she said she believed marriage should only be between a man and a woman. She became politically active in subsequent years, supporting Trump's presidential runs and criticizing such things as COVID-19 restrictions.

The hearing was the latest of several by the commission, which has featured testimony accusing the administration of former President Joe Biden of allegedly repressing religious freedom in different ways. The commission is preparing to deliver a report to Trump this spring.

Also this week, various faith groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New York, challenging the makeup of the commission.

The lawsuit was filed by the progressive Interfaith Alliance as well as Muslim, Hindu and Sikh organizations.

It argued that the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that any advisory committees be fairly balanced among competing viewpoints.

The lawsuit says the commissioners, “consisting of almost exclusively Christians with one Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, represent the narrow perspective that America was founded as a 'Judeo-Christian' nation and must be guided by Biblical principles.”

It said this excludes people of other faiths and no religions, as well as those in the Judeo-Christian tradition who "are committed to religious freedom and pluralism, and reject Christian nationalism."

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Member of Trump's Religious Liberty Commission fired over antisemitism

KANSAS CITY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are investigating a shooting that has left a teen dead.

Just before 3p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 7400 Block of Armstrong in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release. \

First responders located a 17-year-old boy outside an apartment complex, the victim of apparent gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital where he died from his injuries. There are no suspects in custody at this time and police have not released the name of the victim.

17-year-old killed in Kansas apartment complex shooting

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-b765fed6b9669441383b75860263ac99">Fresh surveillance images</a>&nbsp;from Nancy Guthrie’s porch the night she went missing, coupled with intense police activity across Arizona and the detention of a man had raised hopes that authorities were nearing a major break.

But then the man was released after questioning, leaving it unclear Wednesday where the investigation stood into last week’s disappearance of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>.

FBI agents carrying water bottles to beat the 80-degree F (26.7-degree C) heat walked among rocks and desert vegetation at Guthrie's Tucson-area home. They also fanned out across a neighborhood about a mile (1.6 kilometers) away, knocking on doors and searching through cactuses, bushes and boulders.

Several hundred detectives and agents are now assigned to the investigation, which is expanding in the area, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said.

In a nearby neighborhood, two investigators emerged from daughter Annie Guthrie’s home with a paper grocery sack and a white trash bag. One, still wearing blue protective gloves, also took a stack of mail from the roadside mailbox. They drove away without speaking to reporters.

Barb Dutrow, who was jogging through a neighborhood where teams were searching, said an FBI agent told her they were looking for anything that might have been tossed from a car. Dutrow, who was visiting from Louisiana for a convention, said she "can't imagine the feeling of the family of having their mother taken.”

A day earlier, authorities said they had stopped a man near the U.S.-Mexico border, just hours after the FBI released videos of a person wearing a gun holster, ski mask and backpack and approaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">Nancy Guthrie's home</a>&nbsp;in Tucson. The man told media outlets early Wednesday that he was released after several hours and had nothing to do with Guthrie's disappearance last week.

Authorities have not said what led them to stop the man Tuesday but confirmed he was released. The sheriff's department said its deputies and FBI agents also searched a location in Rio Rico, a city south of Tucson where the man lives.

It was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-534c68bfb666ab8e08123f130f937c2d">the latest twist</a>&nbsp;in an investigation that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-534c68bfb666ab8e08123f130f937c2d">gripped the nation</a>&nbsp;since Nancy Guthrie disappeared on Feb. 1. Until Tuesday, it seemed authorities were making little headway in determining what happened to her or finding who was responsible.

The black and white images released by the FBI showing a masked person trying to cover a doorbell camera on Guthrie’s porch marked the first significant break in the case. But the images did not show&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">what happened to her</a>&nbsp;or help determine whether she is still alive.

FBI Director Kash Patel said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-nest-camera-footage-kidnapper-bd5f1d886543e23f2d105535031c9445">investigators spent days</a>&nbsp;trying to find lost, corrupted or inaccessible images.

Even though the images do not show the person's face, investigators are hopeful someone will know who was on the porch. More than 4,000 calls came into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-sheriff-4f128f953d8e828d87fc1ee293338d9c">Pima County sheriff's</a>&nbsp;tip line within the past 24 hours, the department said Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities have said for more than a week that they believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>. She was last seen at home Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day. DNA tests showed blood on her porch was hers, authorities said.

Savannah Guthrie posted the new surveillance images on social media and said the family believes their mother is still alive.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/today-savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-2c0512333cfaa6cdb01a82d1992160b2">The longtime NBC host</a>&nbsp;and her two siblings have indicated a willingness to pay a ransom.

It is not known whether ransom notes demanding money with deadlines that have already passed were authentic, and whether the family has had any contact with whoever took Guthrie.

TMZ reported it received a message Wednesday from someone claiming to know the kidnapper’s identity and that they unsuccessfully tried to reach Savannah Guthrie’s brother and sister. The person asked for bitcoin in exchange for the information, TMZ said. The FBI did not immediately respond to a message.

Authorities have said Nancy Guthrie takes several medications and there was concern from the start that she could die without them.

Search crews comb desert terrain for clues in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday kept former New York Jets first-round draft pick&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f49699b7c048415a9bad415a69e3b871">Darron Lee</a>&nbsp;in jail without bond as he faces a first-degree murder charge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f49699b7c048415a9bad415a69e3b871">in the death of his girlfriend</a>&nbsp;in Tennessee.

The ruling by Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Tori Smith came after Lee was arrested and charged late last week. He also faces a charge of tampering with or fabricating evidence.

Lee is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on March 9.

Authorities identified the victim in the case as Gabriella Perpétuo. The couple had been living in a home they rented where the incident occurred for about 10 days, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Detective Brian Lockhart testified Wednesday.

Lockhart said he was present during the autopsy and learned the potential manner of death is blunt force trauma homicide, though an autopsy report has not been released yet.

According to an arrest affidavit, first responders on Feb. 5 went to a home in the Chattanooga suburb of Ooltewah for a call of CPR in progress, where they found the woman already deceased.

Lee told deputies that the woman may have fallen in the shower, but according to the affidavit, there were extensive amounts of blood in different areas of the residence that were inconsistent with Lee's statement.

Authorities carrying out a search warrant found multiple kinds of trauma to the woman's body, including a stab wound to her abdomen, an apparent human bite mark on her shoulder, a large bruise on her head, black eyes with heavy swelling, and dried blood on her face and neck, the affidavit said.

Lockhart testified that she also had a severe brain injury and a broken neck. She had more stab wounds on her legs while wearing pants without cut marks, suggesting the pants were put on afterward, Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp said.

Investigators also found alcohol, narcotics and a gun, the affidavit said.

The affidavit said Lee had a facial injury, lacerations on his hands, wounds on his chest and blood inside the case of his cellphone.

Crime scene detectives also identified blood that had been attempted to be cleaned in multiple areas of the house, in addition to cleaning supplies near where testing confirmed blood stains but no blood was visible, the affidavit said.

Wamp said the case is eligible for capital punishment, but prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.

“Mr. Lee was in a home with a female that was, for lack of a better term, beaten to death,” Wamp said in court, arguing for the judge to withhold bond. “And the explanation that he gave doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.”

Wamp said Lee was on probation in Florida for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in one county and battery in another, and on probation in Ohio for attempted batteries.

Lee was represented at the hearing by deputy public defender Mike Little, who said in court that bond is often set for homicide or first-degree murder defendants, including those with prior felonies.

Responding to a request for comment from The Associated Press, Little said it is too early in the case for him to be making any statements.

The 31-year-old Lee played 58 games with the Jets, Kansas City and Buffalo from 2016 through the 2020 seasons. The former Ohio State linebacker was the 20th overall pick in 2016 by the Jets. He was the defensive MVP of the 2015 Sugar Bowl.

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