 Kansas corrections officials told lawmakers Friday that the state’s aging Hutchinson Correctional Facility is nearing a breaking point, with decades-old infrastructure problems and rising inmate population projections driving renewed discussion about a costly rebuild.

Kansas Department of Corrections Secretary Jeff Zmuda testified before a joint hearing of legislative committees that the prison’s Central Unit — portions of which date back to the 19th century — faces significant design and maintenance challenges that are increasingly difficult to manage. Construction on the Central Unit began in 1885, he said.

Lawmakers formed the joint hearing to gather information from KDOC and the Kansas Sentencing Commission about options to renovate or replace the facility, which houses adult men and is the state’s third-largest prison.

Zmuda said KDOC has examined replacement plans for several years, but escalating construction costs have narrowed the department’s focus. Earlier concepts contemplated replacing three units at Hutchinson — the Central, South and East units — but KDOC has since scaled back to prioritize the Central Unit.

A replacement plan that also adds about 400 beds to help address projected population growth is now estimated at about $453 million, Zmuda told lawmakers. If financed through a 20-year bond, annual debt service would be about $34.5 million, he said.

The project was previously included in an earlier budget recommendation, Zmuda said, but the Legislature did not fund it. It is not included in current budget recommendations, he said.

KDOC officials described multiple concerns at the Central Unit tied to its age and layout, including extreme temperature swings in housing areas, frequent plumbing and electrical system failures, and limited fire protection systems in parts of the facility. Zmuda said maintenance staff “just can’t keep up” with the demands of the infrastructure.

He also pointed to cramped cell sizes — some measuring roughly 5 1/2 feet by 7 1/2 feet — and older open-bar cell designs that can complicate safety and security. Limited day-room space and poor sightlines for officers operating cell doors also add operational challenges, he said.

In addition, KDOC officials said public streets run close to portions of the Central Unit’s perimeter, allowing people to throw contraband — including drugs and cellphones — over the wall. Contraband drives a large share of problems inside facilities, Zmuda said.

A 2021 facility assessment commissioned by KDOC found building conditions at Hutchinson ranged from fair to poor and concluded replacement would likely be more cost-effective than major renovations, Zmuda said. The assessment estimated about $80 million in renovation needs at the time — a figure Zmuda said would translate to about $95 million in 2026 dollars — but he cautioned the total would rise further if the state pursued major renovations that would require additional compliance work and hazardous-material mitigation.

Lawmakers asked KDOC how a rebuild would work and where inmates would be housed during construction. Zmuda said the department would likely build a new unit on available land near the current Central Unit and keep inmates in the existing facility until the new unit is completed, then relocate them. He said a full replacement project could take roughly 40 to 50 months from approval to completion, including design and bidding.

Other legislators raised questions about potential demolition or repurposing of the old Central Unit, including whether historic preservation requirements might apply and what demolition costs could be. Zmuda said KDOC has not priced demolition and has not determined whether parts of the old facility could be repurposed for community uses.

Kansas Sentencing Commission Executive Director Scott Schultz told lawmakers that prison populations dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic as court proceedings slowed and releases outpaced admissions, but have since climbed back toward pre-pandemic levels. Based on the commission’s projections, Kansas is expected to exceed prison capacity around fiscal year 2029, he said.

Schultz said the commission’s 10-year model projects a roughly 20.6% increase in the prison population through fiscal year 2035, translating to about 2,530 additional beds compared with today’s numbers. After accounting for existing capacity, he said the system would still need about 1,365 more beds beyond current capacity — even if Kansas moves forward with the Hutchinson project and adds beds there.

Schultz urged lawmakers to consider prison construction alongside sentencing policy, rehabilitation programs and community-based alternatives. While the system must house people who pose serious risks, he said, most incarcerated people ultimately return to their communities.

Several lawmakers echoed calls for a broader strategy that balances facility needs, public safety and costs. The hearing chair said no decision would be made at the meeting but argued the issue needs sustained attention and could become more expensive the longer it is delayed.

The hearing concluded with lawmakers encouraging colleagues to tour the Hutchinson facility to better understand conditions and the scope of the challenges.

Lawmakers weigh costly future of Hutchinson Correctional Facility

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

Three-day Outlook

Kansas State University's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/ag-innovation/facilities/global-center-grain-food-innovation/">Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation</a>&nbsp;will be renamed the Western Star Global Grain and Food Center in honor of J.J. Vanier by the next generation of families, following approval from the Kansas Board of Regents at its Feb. 11 meeting.

The name is a nod to the Western Star Mill, which began as a struggling flour mill purchased by J.J. Vanier in 1925. After Joe and Joyce Vanier Hale married in 1951, Joe joined the Vanier family business, Western Star Mill Co., as vice president. Archer Daniels Midland acquired Western Star in the early ’70s, and Joe was named president of ADM Milling not long after. He became company chairman in 1989 and retired in 1996, but not before transforming ADM into a global leader in the flour and grain milling industry.

The families have built expansive agricultural and business enterprises. They are known not only for innovation in their business endeavors but also for their generosity.

"Today, we celebrate a legacy that not only shaped global agriculture but also continues to energize our land-grant mission of innovation and impact," said K-State President Richard Linton. "Renaming the Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation to the Western Star Global Grain and Food Center honors the visionary leadership of the Vanier and Hale families. Their enduring commitment to Kansas State University reflects a shared belief: that discovery and education are powerful tools to meet global challenges and cultivate a thriving, sustainable future."

K-State's Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation to be renamed

By many measures, one could argue the Kelly-Toland years have been the biggest economic boon the state has ever seen.

Pick any measure…$30 billion of private sector investment (most per capita in nation), almost 80,000 new or retained jobs that pay 7.7% more than the average private sector wage in Kansas, highest ever Kansas exports, four consecutive Golden Shovel awards, a recent $3 billion budget surplus, or the coup de grace…securing the biggest economic win in state history luring the Chiefs from Missouri.

Just don’t pick population growth. At least on its face. Last month, Census population estimates were released for 2025 showing Kansas, while achieving a modicum of growth since 2020 (1.3%), lagged all neighboring states (Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Nebraska) who averaged 2.8%, or more than double the rate of Kansas. The US growth rate was 3.0%.

It’s hard to beat population growth as the gold standard metric for economic success in localities. It’s easy to see why when a community’s fortunes are tethered to it.

For example, in growing communities, if it costs each taxpayer $100 to provide “good” schools in their community, having more people (i.e., income) effectively allows the government to either lower everyone’s taxes to maintain the same level of service or keep spending levels at $100 for “better” schools. Either choice makes the community more competitive.

Conversely, communities with declining populations are death spirals. Fewer taxpayers paying $100 for “good” schools forces a decision point on local government – increase taxes to maintain “good” schools or keep them flat for “okay” schools. Either choice is a losing proposition and just induces more middle class wage-earners to vote with their feet leaving behind a cost of operation fewer people can afford in their wake.

So, while adding jobs and private sector investment are significant precursors to growing population, why is Kansas’ population gains underachieving?

Of the seven biggest developments that opened under Kelly-Toland, four dot growing urbanizing counties between 2020-2024 – NBAF/Riley (0.8%), NBAF/Pottawatomie (6.0%), Panasonic/Johnson (3.7%), Integra/Sedgwick (2.3%), and Urban Outfitters/Wyandotte (0.1%). Wyandotte springboards to 2.2% since 2022. The remaining three developments dot shrinking rural to semi-rural counties - Hilmar Cheese/Ford (-0.6%), Schwan’s

Pizza/Saline (-1.6%), and Amber Wave/Phillips (-5.0%). Localized population growth is happening, but when 75% of the 105 counties have not grown since 2020, statewide gains fight an uphill battle.

Another trend affecting state population is the nation’s own growth. Population math made simple: take births, minus deaths, factor arriving and departing migrants. This formula ensured US population growth was unstoppable over its 250-year history. And in turn helped states grow.

By 2030, US deaths will likely outnumber births. Without natural growth, only net migration remains. And under current immigration policies, net international migration has plummeted so much that the US population could shrink for the first-time in its history next year. Kansas’s own international migration in 2024-25 cratered to 7,440 from the previous year’s 13,829 due to the chilling effect on new migrants rather than deportations.

In conclusion, the Kelly-Toland wins have shown some silver linings even in the face of these obstacles. Last year, Kansas domestic net migration increased by 4,000 people from the previous year, virtually all 39,000+ people added to Kansas since 2020 occurred since 2022, and many big STAR Bond projects focus on out-of-state visitors – a proxy for temporary population growth.

Good signs that the massive economic wins under Kelly-Toland stand to bear population fruit.

Bill Fiander teaches university-level courses in Kansas covering state/local government, public administration, and city planning.

Insight Kansas: Are Kansas' economic wins also translating to population wins

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. ——————————————

Hunter	Christian	Cherry		2/13/2026 8:37&nbsp;PM	Failure to Appear

Dawn	Renee	White		2/13/2026 11:20&nbsp;PM	Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant,					Possession of marijuana,					Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body

Judy	Mae	Powers		2/14/2026 1:53&nbsp;AM	DUI; 1st conv; comp evidence of blood/breath .08+

Kaylan	Lee	Mulligan		2/14/2026 4:21&nbsp;AM	Criminal Restraint,					Battery; Phys contact rude/insult/angry manner,					Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000

Darin	Daniel	Rodriquez		2/14/2026 10:25&nbsp;AM	DUI; 1st conv; drugs or combination of drugs

Travis	Lane	Hannan		2/14/2026 10:26&nbsp;AM	Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv

Jonathan	Wayne	Beer		2/14/2026 12:25&nbsp;AM	Poss of stimulant; 1 prior conviction,					Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body,					DUI; 1st conv; incapable of safely driving

Raelynn	Denae	Spencer		2/14/2026 6:21&nbsp;PM	Disorderly Conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct

Blake	Alexander	Wornkey		2/14/2026 6:21&nbsp;PM	Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000

Jennifer	Delloro	McGehee		2/14/2026 7:19&nbsp;PM	Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant,					Possession of marijuana,					Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body

Kimberly	Jo Lydia	Cain		2/14/2026 10:55&nbsp;PM	Failure to Appear

Evan	Christopher	Klamczynski		2/15/2026 1:40&nbsp;AM	Possess, Consume, Purchase Alcoholic Liquor/CMB by 18-20 YOA; 1st Conviction

Daily Bookings

Two people were arrested Saturday afternoon following a pursuit involving a stolen vehicle that began on Interstate 135 and ended on the south side of McPherson, authorities said.

At about 4:04 p.m., officers with the McPherson Police Department were notified by the McPherson County Sheriff’s Office that a stolen vehicle was traveling southbound on I-135 from Smoky Valley Road. The sheriff’s office detected the vehicle using its newly deployed Flock license plate reader camera network.

Police officers spotted the vehicle entering the McPherson near the I-135 and Kansas Avenue interchange. After confirming with dispatch that the vehicle had been reported stolen, officers attempted a traffic stop in the 100 block of South Champlin Road.

The driver fled the stop, traveling south on Centennial before leaving the city limits. A McPherson County sheriff’s deputy later deployed stop sticks, puncturing the vehicle’s tires and slowing it down, according to authorities.

After about 15 minutes, the suspect lost control and the vehicle became stuck near the intersection of 19th Street and Eisenhower Road.

Two individuals including 39-year-old Bobby Heckman were taken into custody, according to online jail records. Law enforcement also cleared two outstanding arrest warrants. No injuries were reported, and the only damage occurred to the stolen vehicle. Heckman is being held on requested charges of Flee or attempt to elude; operate a stole vehicle; theft of property or services; drug distribution and numerous traffic violations, according to online jail records.

McPherson police arrest two following chase

Firefighters battled a heavy structure fire Saturday evening at a 2½-story residential building in the 400 block of East Seventh Avenue, according to the Hutchinson Fire Department.

Crews were dispatched at about 6:32 p.m. after receiving a report of a structure fire. First-arriving firefighters found heavy black smoke coming from the eaves of the balloon-frame home, officials said.

Firefighters entered the structure to conduct a search after dispatchers advised that an occupant was still inside attempting to retrieve pets. Additional crews arrived and initiated an aggressive interior attack on the fire, which was found on the first and second floors and in the attic.

Officials said a partial floor collapse occurred in a second-floor bedroom during the incident. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Hutchinson Fire Department was assisted by the Hutchinson Police Department, Evergy, Hutchinson Reno County Emergency Communications, Kansas Gas and Reno County Emergency Medical Services.

HFD battles Saturday evening fire

Dear Dave, My husband and I make $180,000 a year combined. Right now, we’re working on our debt snowball. We’re almost debt-free except for our home, but we still have a little bit left on two car payments and some credit card debt.

He wants to get rid of the credit card debt, but he doesn’t seem to mind having car payments. I’m not sure I understand why he feels this way, and I’m a little worried he might lose interest in paying off debt once the credit cards are gone.

Dear Keri, To be honest, I’m not sure I understand his thinking either. They’re both debt payments, and you’re being charged interest on both of them. The only difference I can see is that one’s attached to a car and one’s not. It makes about as much sense as saying you like Visa better than MasterCard.

Even if he has some strange hang-up about car depreciation, that argument doesn’t hold water, either. Cars go down in value whether you borrow money to buy them or not. A $30,000 vehicle will be worth half that in just a few years, no matter what you do. And car payments won’t keep it from depreciating, or slow the rate of depreciation. 

You know, sometimes people just get burned out and tired of paying the price to become debt-free. I’ve seen it happen several times when folks have been working at it for a while, and they start to feel like they’re never going to get there. What if you two sit down, and have a detailed talk about why he feels this way? See if you can find out why he feels the way he does about car payments, and where the root of the problem really lies.  

Keri, this guy has been right with you on the journey to get out of debt, and gain control of your finances up until now. That tells me he’s disciplined, and that he’s willing to pay a price for things that are important to him. He may just need some encouragement and support. So, try reminding him how far you’ve come together. Remind him how close you are to winning, and how much you love and respect him for being part of it all.

You can hear Dave Ramsey, Monday through Friday evenings from 7 to 10 p.m. on KWBW, unless it is preempted by sports coverage.&nbsp;

Dave says: You’re too close to stop now

Pablo	Idrogo	Martinez		2/13/2026 10:07&nbsp;AM	Failure to Appear

Ricky	Duane	Hopewell		2/13/2026 1:12&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

Richard	Michael	Chamberlain		2/13/2026 2:48&nbsp;PM	Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000

Christopher	Lee	Craig		2/13/2026 3:07&nbsp;PM	Viol protection order; Pre-trial order,					Harassment by Telephone; Texting to harass or threaten

Orion	Anthony Matthew	Morales		2/13/2026 6:15&nbsp;PM	Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant,					Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body

Realiti	Dawn	Courson		2/13/2026 7:05&nbsp;PM	Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body

Kerri	Lynn	Simmons		2/13/2026 7:10&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

Matthew	Guy	Currie		2/13/2026 8:11&nbsp;PM	Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv

Lucas	Randall	Shoen		2/13/2026 8:25&nbsp;PM	Disorderly Conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct

Hunter	Christian	Cherry		2/13/2026 8:37&nbsp;PM	Failure to Appear,					Possession of marijuana,					Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body,					Interference with Law Enforcement; Obstruct, Resist, Oppose, Misdemeanor case, Execution of Misdemeanor Warrant

StartUp Hutch released its first-ever annual report this week, detailing the organization’s 2025 activity, financial overview and expanding role in supporting entrepreneurs across Reno County.

Executive Director Graham Klemme said the report was designed to provide transparency and a clear snapshot of StartUp Hutch’s impact since he took the role in May 2025.

“It’s been a goal of mine to offer some transparency around what we do to the broader community,” Klemme said. “The report summarizes our activity, our data, some financial information and success stories.”

According to the report, StartUp Hutch served 203 entrepreneurs in 2025 through a mix of events and one-on-one assistance. The organization conducted more than 250 coaching sessions, focusing on repeated, hands-on support for individuals starting or growing businesses.

“The bulk of what we do is coaching,” Klemme said. “Someone comes in and says, ‘I’m starting a business and I don’t know what I’m doing,’ and we walk alongside them step by step.”

StartUp Hutch, founded in 1987, also helped entrepreneurs access nearly $500,000 in capital during the year. Klemme noted the total came during a transitional period for the organization, which operated without an executive director for part of the spring.

“That was actually a slow year,” he said. “Capital access is one of our core goals, and we want to see that number go up.”

The organization’s reach extends beyond Hutchinson, with workshops and outreach efforts in communities such as Buhler, Pretty Prairie and Haven. An upcoming “StartUp Haven” workshop is scheduled for March 3 and is part of a broader effort to host community-specific discussions on small business development throughout Reno County.

“Small businesses really make the world go round,” Klemme said, noting that many established local employers still fall under the federal definition of a small business, which includes firms with fewer than 500 employees.

StartUp Hutch also launched a podcast, “The Hot Seat,” to highlight local entrepreneurs and business resources. Recent episodes have featured local StartUp leaders and innovators, with the podcast available on major streaming platforms.

Funding for StartUp Hutch comes primarily from the City of Hutchinson, Reno County and grant support, including assistance from the Hutchinson Community Foundation. Klemme said that mix of public and private support is critical to sustaining the organization’s mission.

Looking ahead, Klemme said StartUp Hutch is developing new programming tied to housing and construction-related entrepreneurship and plans to continue expanding its community presence.

The 2025 annual report is available at startuphutch.com under the “Annual Report” section.

StartUp Hutch releases first annual report

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Police released the name of the juvenile killed Feb. 10, at an apartment complex in Kansas City, Kansas. Jai Barnes, Jr., 17, was resident of Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release from KCK Police.

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

First responders located Barnes outside an apartment complex, the victim of apparent gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.&nbsp;There are currently no suspects in custody.

Police ID 17-year-old killed in Kansas apartment complex shooting

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-710d3acdef86d1c3935b94f58f763d72">glove containing DNA</a>&nbsp;found a couple of miles from the Arizona home of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;’s missing mother appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her house the night she disappeared, the FBI said Sunday.

The development comes as law enforcement gathers more potential evidence in the search for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">Nancy Guthrie</a>, 84, which heads into its third week.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson home on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-ransom-deadline-arizona-3977f842fd3d1fd66952d1d763944b9d">ransom notes</a>&nbsp;were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.

Authorities have expressed concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs vital daily medicine. She is said to have a pacemaker and have dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

Here’s what to know about her disappearance and the search to find her:

Video of masked man and discovery of a glove

The FBI on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-b765fed6b9669441383b75860263ac99">released surveillance videos</a>&nbsp;of a person wearing a handgun holster outside Guthrie’s front door the night she vanished. A porch camera&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-nest-camera-footage-kidnapper-bd5f1d886543e23f2d105535031c9445">recorded video</a>&nbsp;of the person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves.

On Thursday, the FBI called the person a suspect. It described him as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 meters) tall with a medium build. The agency said he was carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.

On Sunday, the FBI said in a statement that a glove, found in a field near the side of a road about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the home, had been sent off for DNA testing. The agency said that it received preliminary results Saturday and was awaiting official confirmation.

Late Friday, law enforcement agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-kidnapping-investigation-64736b14fa5dbd8961325ea6147e78e7">sealed off a road</a>&nbsp;about two miles (3.2 kilometers) from Guthrie’s home as part of their investigation. A series of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock.

Investigators also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a nearby restaurant parking lot. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Guthrie investigation.

Investigators collected DNA from Guthrie’s property which doesn’t belong to Guthrie or those in close contact with her, the sheriff’s department said. Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to.

Evidence requiring forensic analysis is being sent to the same out-of-state lab that has been used since the beginning of the case, the department said.

The FBI has said approximately 16 gloves were found in various spots near the house, most of which were searchers’ gloves that had been discarded.

The Pima County sheriff and the FBI announced&nbsp;<a href="https://pimasheriff.org/" target="_blank">phone numbers</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/home" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;to offer tips. Several hundred detectives and agents have been assigned to the case, the sheriff’s department said.

The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.

The sheriff’s department has not said whether any tips have advanced the investigation.

On Tuesday, sheriff deputies detained a person for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson. Authorities didn’t say what led them to stop the man but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-6f1016e390e2c59d82604731f795a8ba">confirmed he was released</a>.

The same day, deputies and FBI agents conducted a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, about an hour’s drive south of the city.

Savannah Guthrie, her sister and her brother have gone on social media and shared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-instagram-videos-timeline-37d24fdea0bbc787900d8c02ea34b390">multiple video messages</a>&nbsp;to their mother’s purported captor.

The family’s Instagram videos have shifted in tone from impassioned pleas to whoever may have their mom, saying they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">want to talk</a>&nbsp;and are even willing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">pay a ransom</a>, to bleaker and more desperate requests for the public’s help. A video on Thursday was simply a home video of their mother and a promise to “never give up on her.”

And on Sunday night, Savannah Guthrie posted an Instagram video in which she issued an appeal to whoever abducted her mother or anyone who knows where she is being kept. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” Guthrie said. “And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it’s never too late.”

Nancy Guthrie lived alone in the upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood, where houses are spaced far apart and set back from the street by long driveways, gates and dense desert vegetation.

Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and once worked at a television station in the city, where her parents settled in the 1970s. She joined “Today” in 2011.

In a video, she described her mother as a “loving woman of goodness and light.”

'Today' show host posts new video 2 weeks after mother's abduction

LABETTE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Labette County Sheriff's Office requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Parsons man, according to a media release.

The whereabouts of 80-year-old Richard Bulkley, of Parsons, are unknown and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.

Bulkley is likely driving a Black 2011 Ford F-150 bearing Kansas veteran tag 1526. He was last believed to be heading north around Highway 169 and K-47, near Thayer, on the evening of Feb. 15.

Bulkley is a white male who is around 5 foot 6 inches tall and weighs approximately 175 pounds. He has white hair, brown eyes, and was last seen wearing gray and white flannel pajama pants, and a blue fleece jacket. Bulkley has dementia.

If you see Richard Bulkley, or his vehicle, call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Labette County Sheriff's Office at 620-795-2565.

KBI: Statewide Silver Alert for missing Kansas man

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military forces boarded another sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea in an effort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, the Pentagon said Sunday.

Venezuela had faced U.S. sanctions on its oil for several years, relying on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-trump-sanctions-maduro-a2ef5b45b48365861e0a724d8c27dce3">smuggle crude into global supply chains</a>. President Donald Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers in December to pressure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-maduro-what-to-know-a57528ff315a7f70ed51a1721f5e0bc2">then-President Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;before Maduro was apprehended in January during an American military operation.

Several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast in the wake of the raid, including the ship that was boarded in the Indian Ocean overnight. The Defense Department said in a post on X that U.S. forces boarded the Veronica III, conducting “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”

“The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine — hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon said. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.”

Video posted by the Pentagon shows U.S. troops boarding the tanker.

The Veronica III is a Panamanian-flagged vessel under U.S. sanctions related to Iran, according to the website of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Panama Maritime Authority said Sunday in a brief statement that the ship was no longer registered there and had been canceled in December 2024.

The Veronica III left Venezuela on Jan. 3, the same day as Maduro’s capture, with nearly 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil, TankerTrackers.com posted Sunday on X.

“Since 2023, she’s been involved with Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil,” the organization said.

Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, told The Associated Press in January that his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document that at least 16 tankers left the Venezuelan coast in contravention of the quarantine.

The Trump administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-trump-086d42db3d56f0e952014f97fa30faaf">been seizing tankers</a>&nbsp;as part of its broader efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">to take control</a>&nbsp;of the Venezuela’s oil. The Pentagon did not say in the post whether the Veronica III was formally seized and placed under U.S. control, and later told the AP in an email that it had no additional information to provide beyond that post.

Last week, the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-oil-tanker-boarded-sanctions-trump-4f414338f38aad774ce732ddd1ac7796">boarded a different tanker</a>&nbsp;in the Indian Ocean, the Aquila II. The ship was being held while its ultimate fate was decided by the United States, according to a defense official who spoke last week on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing decision-making.

Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Alma Solís in Panama City contributed to this report.

🎥US military boards another oil tanker in Indian Ocean

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A  woman is going to prison for the shooting death of her boyfriend on his birthday.

On Friday Judge Tyler Roush sentenced&nbsp;21-year-old Amunique Cavitt of Wichita to 165 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office..

In December a jury found her guilty of 2nd degree intentional murder with a domestic violence finding, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Around noon April 23, 2024, police responded to the 1400 block of Minnesota Avenue in Wichita following reports of a shooting., according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. First responders found 34-year-old&nbsp; Norman E. Carter III with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.

Responding officers immediately started life-saving measures until Sedgwick County EMS arrived and transported Carter to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m, according to Ford.&nbsp; It was his birthday, according to<a href="https://www.heavenlygatesmortuary.com/obituary/norman-carter">&nbsp;his obituary.</a>

Police detained a person of interest in their investigation and later booked&nbsp; &nbsp;Cavitt into jail.

Prison for Kan. woman who killed her boyfriend on his birthday

CASS COUNTY —A law enforcement officer is under investigation for alleged sex crimes.

On February 12, State Troopers arrested 28-year-old , Collin K. Goodsell of Peculiar, Missouri, in connection with a sexual assault investigation conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A Criminal Investigative Unit, according to a media release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol&nbsp;Division of Drug and Crime Control.

In December, the Division of Drug and Crime Control was requested to investigate allegations of sexual assault involving a Belton Police Department employee. On February 12, 2026, following the investigation,&nbsp;Division of Drug and Crime Control  investigators obtained probable cause to arrest Goodsell for raping a woman.&nbsp;Division of Drug and Crime Control  investigators arrested Goodsell in Lees Summit, MO, where he was later transported to the Pettis County Jail and placed on an investigative hold.

On February 13, the Pettis County Prosecuting Attorney formally charged Goodsell with Rape-First Degree. Goodsell is being held in the Pettis County Jail, without bond.

Goodsell has held several law enforcement positions in Cass and Livingston Counties. Anyone with information regarding this incident or similar accusations involving Goodsell are encouraged to contact Corporal Travis Goolsby, at Troop A Headquarters 816-622-0800.

Kansas City area officer jailed for alleged sex assault

A glove containing DNA found about two miles from the house of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie’s</a>&nbsp;mother appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her front door in Tucson the night she vanished, the FBI said Sunday.

The glove, found in a field near the side of a road, was sent off for DNA testing. The FBI said in a statement that it received preliminary results Saturday and was awaiting official confirmation.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">Nancy Guthrie</a>, 84, was last seen at her Arizona home on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-ransom-deadline-arizona-3977f842fd3d1fd66952d1d763944b9d">ransom notes</a>&nbsp;were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.

The discovery was revealed days after investigators had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-b765fed6b9669441383b75860263ac99">released surveillance videos</a>&nbsp;of the masked person outside Guthrie’s front door. A porch camera&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-nest-camera-footage-kidnapper-bd5f1d886543e23f2d105535031c9445">recorded video</a>&nbsp;of a person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves.

On Thursday, the FBI called the person a suspect. It described him as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build. The agency said he was carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.

Late Friday night, law enforcement agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-kidnapping-investigation-64736b14fa5dbd8961325ea6147e78e7">sealed off a road</a>&nbsp;about two miles (3.2 kilometers) from Guthrie’s home as part of their investigation. A series of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock.

The investigators also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a nearby restaurant parking lot late Friday. The sheriff’s department later said the activity was part of the Guthrie investigation but no arrests were made.

On Tuesday, sheriff deputies detained a person for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson. Authorities didn’t say what led them to stop the man but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-6f1016e390e2c59d82604731f795a8ba">confirmed he was released</a>. The same day, deputies and FBI agents conducted a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, about an hour’s drive south of the city.

Earlier in the investigation, authorities had said they had collected DNA from Nancy Guthrie’s property which doesn’t belong to Guthrie or those in close contact with her. Investigators were working to identify who it belongs to.

The FBI also has said approximately 16 gloves were found in various spots near the house, most of which were searchers’ gloves that had been discarded.

FBI: DNA from recovered glove appears to match glove in Guthrie video

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are searching for suspects in a deadly nightclub shooting in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 2a.m. Sunday Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies were in the area of 28th and Southwest Boulevard working off duty for a nightclub/bar business there when they heard the sound of gunfire inside the bar, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchins.

At the same time 911 received calls for a shooting inside the business.&nbsp;On arrival officers were led inside the business where they located 3 adult female shooting victims. 

Officers began rendering aid and called for EMS to come in.&nbsp;EMS declared one shooting victim deceased at the scene. EMS&nbsp; then transported the other two&nbsp; victims to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital one of the two victims was declared deceased, and the other victim has what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries, according to Becchina.

While officers were at the scene they were notified of a 4th shooting victim, an adult male, who arrived at the hospital by private vehicle. That victim is reported to be in critical condition.&nbsp;Homicide detectives were at the scene now and are investigating. They are talking to people who were at the scene when officers arrived and canvassing for additional witnesses.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Preliminary information indicates the victims were inside the business when there was an interaction with one or more suspects that escalated and led to shots being fired which struck the victims.&nbsp;There is no information at this time regarding suspect description. Police did not release the names of the victims.

2 women dead, 2 others injured in KC nightclub shooting

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Amazon’s smart doorbell maker Ring has terminated a partnership with police surveillance tech company Flock Safety.

The announcement follows a backlash that erupted after a 30-second Ring ad that aired during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-ads-ai-telehealth-glp1-9ccfc8c730981fd91f44a5bec24e2242">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;featuring a lost dog that is found through a network of cameras, sparking fears of a dystopian surveillance society.

But that feature, called Search Party, was not related to Flock. And Ring’s announcement doesn’t cite the ad as a reason for the “joint decision” for the cancellation.

Ring and Flock said last year they were planning on working together to give Ring camera owners the option to share their video footage in response to law enforcement requests made through a Ring feature known as Community Requests.

“Following a comprehensive review, we determined the planned Flock Safety integration would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated,” Ring’s statement said.

“The integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety.”

Flock reiterated that it never received Ring customer videos — and that ending the planned integration was a mutual decision that allows both companies to “best serve their respective customers.” In a statement, Flock added that it “remains dedicated to supporting law enforcement agencies with tools that are fully configurable to local laws and policies.”

Flock is one of the nation’s biggest operators of automated license-plate reading systems. Its cameras are mounted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-abortion-license-plates-cameras-cc5f29df94a29ee2c6c2feb2151c8f5e">in thousands of communities</a>&nbsp;across the U.S., capturing billions of photos of license plates each month. The company has faced public outcry amid the Trump administration’s aggressive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-patrol-surveillance-drivers-ice-trump-9f5d05469ce8c629d6fecf32d32098cd">immigration enforcement</a>&nbsp;crackdown. But Flock maintains that it does not partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or contract out with any subagency of the Department of Homeland Security for direct access to its cameras. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-abortion-license-plates-cameras-cc5f29df94a29ee2c6c2feb2151c8f5e">paused pilot programs</a>&nbsp;with Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations last year.

Still, Flock says it doesn’t own the data captured by its cameras, its customers do. So if a police department, for example, chooses to collaborate with a federal agency like ICE, “Flock has no ability to override that decision,” the company notes on its website.

Beyond the Flock partnership, Amazon has faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ces-worst-show-ai-0ce7fbc5aff68e8ff6d7b8e6fb7b007d">other surveillance concerns</a>&nbsp;over its Ring doorbell cameras.

In the Super Bowl ad, a lost dog is found with Ring’s Search Party feature, which the company says can “reunite lost dogs with their families and track wildfires threatening your community.” The clip depicts the dog being tracked by cameras throughout a neighborhood using artificial intelligence.

Viewers took to social media to criticize it for being sinister, leaving many wondering if it would be used to track humans and saying they would turn the feature off.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that focus on civil liberties related to digital technology, said this week that Americans should feel unsettled over the potential loss of privacy.

“Amazon Ring already integrates biometric identification, like face recognition, into its products via features like ‘Familiar Faces’ which depends on scanning the faces of those in sight of the camera and matching it against a list of pre-saved, pre-approved faces,” the Foundation wrote Tuesday. “It doesn’t take much to imagine Ring eventually combining these two features: face recognition and neighborhood searches.”

Democratic Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts also urged Amazon to discontinue its “Familiar Faces” technology.

In a published letter addressed to Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy, Markey wrote that the backlash to the Super Bowl commercial “confirmed public opposition to Ring’s constant monitoring and invasive image recognition algorithms.”

Amazon scraps partnership with surveillance company after Super Bowl ad backlash

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Saturday in Kansas City.

Narrative:&nbsp;AIS responded to the area of Martha Truman Road and Blue River Road to meet SPD Officers on a reported injury collision with life threatening injuries. Preliminary investigation revealed that 

According to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina, a white Dodge Ram Pickup&nbsp; southbound on Blue River Road at a high rate of speed. The Dodge failed to negotiate the curve in the roadway at Martha Truman Road. The pickup traveled off the roadway to the right, through the dirt shoulder of the roadway, up a dirt mound and was launched into the tree line. 

The Dodge rotated 180 degrees, striking a large tree before coming to rest. The driver and sole occupant of the Dodge was ejected from the vehicle during the collision events.&nbsp; EMS transported the driver to o a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, and he was subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital staff shortly after arrival, according to Becchina.

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