BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The train named Big Boy was late. Anticipation and impatience built as 30 minutes passed.

Some had been on the edge of the tracks of Great Overland Station in North Topeka for hours waiting to see a piece of American history pass through town.

Just before 1 p.m., the teeth-chattering whistle of Big Boy No. 4014 announced its arrival.

The 83-year-old steam locomotive stopped briefly Thursday afternoon spewing steam in Topeka on its way from Kansas City, Missouri, to Salina while on the last leg of its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/" target="_blank">Heartland of America Tour</a>. It was met with at least 1,000 people from across Kansas, eager to catch a glimpse of the living legend.

Crowds have gathered at almost every stop on the eight-week, nine-state tour, ranging from hundreds to thousands to see the more than 1.2 million lb. locomotive, said Mike Jaixen, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad.

“There’s a legend of the Big Boy,” he said.

The way Jaixen explains the draw of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/4014/" target="_blank">Big Boy</a>&nbsp;begins in 1941 when the first Big Boy rolled out of the factory in Schenectady, New York. It wasn’t named Big Boy then. It was going to be named after the Wasatch Mountains, through which it would travel for 20 years and more than 1 million miles between Utah and Wyoming hauling freight before retiring in 1961.

But one crew member, who was amazed at the sheer size of it, took a piece of chalk and scrawled the name “Big Boy” on the locomotive, Jaixen said. Crew members today still draw the name in chalk on the locomotive’s front.

The Big Boy No. 4014 was one of 25 manufactured exclusively for Union Pacific, and it’s now the only one in operation after it was brought out of retirement and restored between 2013 and 2019, which allowed it to reclaim its title as the largest steam locomotive in the world. It’s almost as long as two typical diesel locomotives and produces more than 6,000 horsepower.

Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka waited from behind a fence on the northeast side of the tracks. Others were sitting on the hoods and in the trunks of their cars or in pools of crowds near the station. Lena Appenfeller, a 7-year-old, had the day off from school, and it was Jeff Appenfeller’s second time seeing Big Boy No. 4014 in Topeka. The locomotive’s whistle will “rattle your teeth,” he said.

As Big Boy churned around the bend and slowly rolled into the station, railroad police and crew tried to keep excited spectators from lingering on the tracks. It stopped for about 40 minutes, and people swarmed the front of the train for photos or to get a closer look while crews performed minor maintenance work.

One couple came to watch from El Dorado, more than 100 miles away, and had plans to chase the train to Wamego, to witness it among the sparsely populated fields, they said.

Doug Edwards drove the 30 miles from Holton to see Big Boy.

Trains were a big part of his life as a kid. Now a retired electronics businessman, they remind him of the northeastern Kansas farm he grew up on, and recalling those memories made him emotional as he looked out at the tracks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729265876120.png" alt="Hundreds of Kansans greet the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, on Oct. 17, 2024, in North Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Hundreds of Kansans greet the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, on Oct. 17, 2024, in North Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The train named Big Boy was late. Anticipation and impatience built as 30 minutes passed.Some had been on the edge of the tracks of Great Overland Station in North Topeka for hours waiting to see a piece of American history pass through town.Just before 1 p.m., the teeth-chattering whistle of Big Boy No. 4014 announced its arrival.The 83-year-old steam locomotive stopped briefly Thursday afternoon spewing steam in Topeka on its way from Kansas City, Missouri, to Salina while on the last leg of its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/" target="_blank">Heartland of America Tour</a>. It was met with at least 1,000 people from across Kansas, eager to catch a glimpse of the living legend.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729265844799.png" alt=" The world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolls into Topeka on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolls into Topeka on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Crowds have gathered at almost every stop on the eight-week, nine-state tour, ranging from hundreds to thousands to see the more than 1.2 million lb. locomotive, said Mike Jaixen, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad.“There’s a legend of the Big Boy,” he said.The way Jaixen explains the draw of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/4014/" target="_blank">Big Boy</a>&nbsp;begins in 1941 when the first Big Boy rolled out of the factory in Schenectady, New York. It wasn’t named Big Boy then. It was going to be named after the Wasatch Mountains, through which it would travel for 20 years and more than 1 million miles between Utah and Wyoming hauling freight before retiring in 1961.But one crew member, who was amazed at the sheer size of it, took a piece of chalk and scrawled the name “Big Boy” on the locomotive, Jaixen said. Crew members today still draw the name in chalk on the locomotive’s front.The Big Boy No. 4014 was one of 25 manufactured exclusively for Union Pacific, and it’s now the only one in operation after it was brought out of retirement and restored between 2013 and 2019, which allowed it to reclaim its title as the largest steam locomotive in the world. It’s almost as long as two typical diesel locomotives and produces more than 6,000 horsepower.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729265799147.png" alt="Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka react to the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolling into town on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka react to the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolling into town on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka waited from behind a fence on the northeast side of the tracks. Others were sitting on the hoods and in the trunks of their cars or in pools of crowds near the station. Lena Appenfeller, a 7-year-old, had the day off from school, and it was Jeff Appenfeller’s second time seeing Big Boy No. 4014 in Topeka. The locomotive’s whistle will “rattle your teeth,” he said.As Big Boy churned around the bend and slowly rolled into the station, railroad police and crew tried to keep excited spectators from lingering on the tracks. It stopped for about 40 minutes, and people swarmed the front of the train for photos or to get a closer look while crews performed minor maintenance work.One couple came to watch from El Dorado, more than 100 miles away, and had plans to chase the train to Wamego, to witness it among the sparsely populated fields, they said.Doug Edwards drove the 30 miles from Holton to see Big Boy.Trains were a big part of his life as a kid. Now a retired electronics businessman, they remind him of the northeastern Kansas farm he grew up on, and recalling those memories made him emotional as he looked out at the tracks.“It’s a childhood thing,” he said.

World’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy, rattles into Topeka

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military continues working to determine the source of mysterious drones that have been allowed to fly over U.S. bases.

Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran responded to a Wall Street Journal account of the mystery. "As drone technology continues to evolve, the tactics used against the United States grow more alarming each day, " Moran wrote on social media. 

"The recent reports of unidentified aircrafts hovering for 17 days over a U.S. military base without intervention is not just concerning, but an affront to our national security."

"This violation of our airspace highlights the threat of below-the-threshold activity that hostile actors can pose to our nation."

"Military leaders currently lack the authority to engage until there is an imminent threat posed to our men and women in uniform. I am working on legislation to provide the Department of Defense with the necessary authorities to engage drones or unidentified aircrafts that breech our military airspace before it is too late to respond."

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military continues working to determine the source of mysterious drones that have been allowed to fly over U.S. bases.Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran responded to a Wall Street Journal account of the mystery. "As drone technology continues to evolve, the tactics used against the United States grow more alarming each day, " Moran wrote on social media. "The recent reports of unidentified aircrafts hovering for 17 days over a U.S. military base without intervention is not just concerning, but an affront to our national security.""This violation of our airspace highlights the threat of below-the-threshold activity that hostile actors can pose to our nation.""Military leaders currently lack the authority to engage until there is an imminent threat posed to our men and women in uniform. I am working on legislation to provide the Department of Defense with the necessary authorities to engage drones or unidentified aircrafts that breech our military airspace before it is too late to respond."

Kan. U.S. Senator wants action on mysterious drone swarm at military base 

Bismarck, ND– Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach Tuesday asked the U.S. District Court in North Dakota to temporarily stop the Biden-Harris administration from implementing a regulation that would give Obamacare to illegal aliens, according to a media release from the Attorney General's office.

The regulation, set to take effect on Nov. 1, would make more than 200,000 deferred action for childhood arrival (DACA) recipients eligible for taxpayer-subsidized health plans, including 4,350 DACA recipients in Kansas.

“Congress made it clear on two separate occasions that illegal aliens cannot receive Obamacare. First, a 1996 law makes clear that illegal aliens are generally prohibited from receiving federal benefits. Second, in the affordable care act itself, an alien has to be lawfully present in the United States to receive the subsidized health insurance,” Kobach said. “The Biden administration does not have a good response.&nbsp; I have argued immigration issues in many different cases, and I feel particularly good about the states’ chances in this one.

”North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley also appeared in court. Kobach served as lead counsel.“Washington has failed to secure our southern border, and the cost of DACA is not the right solution for the states,” Jackley said. “DACA’s subsidized health insurance for illegal immigrants would be at the cost of struggling working citizens.”

Attorneys general from 15 states joined the lawsuit. In addition to Kobach, Wrigley and Jackley, attorneys general from Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia joined the lawsuit.Read latest filings in the case&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/divisions/special-litigation-unit/high-profile-cases">here</a>.

Bismarck, ND– Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach Tuesday asked the U.S. District Court in North Dakota to temporarily stop the Biden-Harris administration from implementing a regulation that would give Obamacare to illegal aliens, according to a media release from the Attorney General's office.The regulation, set to take effect on Nov. 1, would make more than 200,000 deferred action for childhood arrival (DACA) recipients eligible for taxpayer-subsidized health plans, including 4,350 DACA recipients in Kansas.“Congress made it clear on two separate occasions that illegal aliens cannot receive Obamacare. First, a 1996 law makes clear that illegal aliens are generally prohibited from receiving federal benefits. Second, in the affordable care act itself, an alien has to be lawfully present in the United States to receive the subsidized health insurance,” Kobach said. “The Biden administration does not have a good response.&nbsp; I have argued immigration issues in many different cases, and I feel particularly good about the states’ chances in this one.”North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley also appeared in court. Kobach served as lead counsel.“Washington has failed to secure our southern border, and the cost of DACA is not the right solution for the states,” Jackley said. “DACA’s subsidized health insurance for illegal immigrants would be at the cost of struggling working citizens.”Attorneys general from 15 states joined the lawsuit. In addition to Kobach, Wrigley and Jackley, attorneys general from Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia joined the lawsuit.Read latest filings in the case&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/divisions/special-litigation-unit/high-profile-cases">here</a>.

Kan. AG leads coalition to stop Biden-Harris from giving Obamacare to illegal aliens

Eight-foot statue of warrior brings to ground level massize statue atop dome

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Dedication on the Kansas Capitol grounds Tuesday of an eight-foot statue depicting a Kansa warrior’s drawn bow and arrow pointed to the North Star closed a monumental 22-year effort to complete the Ad Astra Plaza.

The privately financed project placed on a pedestal southwest of the Capitol a version of the 22-foot, 4,400-pound bronze artwork installed in 2002 atop the dome in honor of the original inhabitants of land incorporated into the state and to symbolize determination of people to achieve goals, as the state motto declared, “to the stars through difficulties.”

Gov. Laura Kelly joined members of the Kaw Nation, a bipartisan set of legislators and the son of late Salina sculptor Richard Bergen to mark installation of the Kansa statue, bronze plaques describing Kansas history and hundreds of bricks purchased to help finance the project.

“In its own right,” the governor said, “to the stars through difficulty is an accurate description for this project. This plaza has been a long time in the making. It’s a poignant reminder of our past and inspiring representation of the bright future that lies ahead.”

Rich Bergen, son of artist and educator Richard Bergen, said the sculpture on the dome stood 300 feet above the ground, but the brethren installation on the lawn made the artwork more accessible to visitors. He said the plaza honored Native Americans through the story of the Kansa people.

“If we don’t remember the past, we will not learn from it,” Bergen said. “My dad really would have loved to have been here today.”

Kimberly Jenkins, chairwoman of the Kaw Nation Tribal Council, said Kansa people lived and hunted for centuries on land that became Kansas. She said the Kaw population had dwindled to about 500 when forced to move in the 1870s to present-day Oklahoma. Citizenship eventually fell to approximately 200, she said, but the Kaw emerged as a self-governing, federally recognized tribe.

“This warrior, to me, is a symbol of how strong our people were and still are,” Jenkins said. “Even though our loved ones suffered from being moved from their homeland and forced to adapt to ways of others, they fought hard.”

Polling of Salina-area students led to the decision to create a statue depicting a Kansa warrior. However, the pedestal meant to host the ground-level version of the artwork sat empty for two decades.

Former Sen. Randall Hardy, who represented Salina in the Legislature from 2017 to 2021, said he was strolling on the statehouse grounds when he came across the bare six-foot pedestal. A plaque donated by former Gov. Bill Graves said the pedestal held a replica of the statue on the dome.

“It was empty. Seventeen bronze plaques had not been cast and placed on the walls. Two-thousand-six-hundred bricks for the plaza were not in place. I was, frankly, embarrassed by what I saw,” Hardy said.

He returned to his office and spoke to Sen. Elaine Bowers, a Concordia Republican who served on a legislative committee dedicated to preservation of the Capitol. Together, with lobbyist John Peterson and others a plan was developed to kickstart development of the plaza.

“I’m so pleased to be here, even though we’re 20 years late. It’s a great day,” Bowers said.

Fundraising was inspired by friends of Bill Brady, a legislator and lobbyist who died in March 2023. He was a presence in the statehouse for more than 40 years.

“His colleagues led the fundraising campaign to help complete the plaza in memory of Bill,” said Nancy Brady, his widow. “I can’t think of anything more meaningful to Bill and our family. I look forward to bringing my family and friends here for many years to come.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729090833791.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly led a bipartisan celebration of the new Ad Astra Plaza on the Kansas Capitol lawn centered on a copy of the Kansa warrior that sits on top of the statehouse. The statue on the dome was installed in 2002, but it took 22 years to finish the ground-level plaza.- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly led a bipartisan celebration of the new Ad Astra Plaza on the Kansas Capitol lawn centered on a copy of the Kansa warrior that sits on top of the statehouse. The statue on the dome was installed in 2002, but it took 22 years to finish the ground-level plaza.- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Eight-foot statue of warrior brings to ground level massize statue atop dome</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Dedication on the Kansas Capitol grounds Tuesday of an eight-foot statue depicting a Kansa warrior’s drawn bow and arrow pointed to the North Star closed a monumental 22-year effort to complete the Ad Astra Plaza.The privately financed project placed on a pedestal southwest of the Capitol a version of the 22-foot, 4,400-pound bronze artwork installed in 2002 atop the dome in honor of the original inhabitants of land incorporated into the state and to symbolize determination of people to achieve goals, as the state motto declared, “to the stars through difficulties.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, we celebrated the new Ad Astra Plaza at the Statehouse. The plaza, with its replica of the iconic Native American hunter statue atop the Statehouse, is a poignant reminder of our past &amp; an inspiring representation of how we&#39;re reaching for the stars to move Kansas forward. <a href="https://t.co/ntKVZGBiNO">pic.twitter.com/ntKVZGBiNO</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1846242116554440962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Gov. Laura Kelly joined members of the Kaw Nation, a bipartisan set of legislators and the son of late Salina sculptor Richard Bergen to mark installation of the Kansa statue, bronze plaques describing Kansas history and hundreds of bricks purchased to help finance the project.“In its own right,” the governor said, “to the stars through difficulty is an accurate description for this project. This plaza has been a long time in the making. It’s a poignant reminder of our past and inspiring representation of the bright future that lies ahead.”Rich Bergen, son of artist and educator Richard Bergen, said the sculpture on the dome stood 300 feet above the ground, but the brethren installation on the lawn made the artwork more accessible to visitors. He said the plaza honored Native Americans through the story of the Kansa people.“If we don’t remember the past, we will not learn from it,” Bergen said. “My dad really would have loved to have been here today.”Kimberly Jenkins, chairwoman of the Kaw Nation Tribal Council, said Kansa people lived and hunted for centuries on land that became Kansas. She said the Kaw population had dwindled to about 500 when forced to move in the 1870s to present-day Oklahoma. Citizenship eventually fell to approximately 200, she said, but the Kaw emerged as a self-governing, federally recognized tribe.“This warrior, to me, is a symbol of how strong our people were and still are,” Jenkins said. “Even though our loved ones suffered from being moved from their homeland and forced to adapt to ways of others, they fought hard.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729090744229.png" alt=" Members of the Kaw Nation present a ceremonial blanket to Rich Bergen, son of the late Salina sculptor Richard Bergen, who created the Kansa warrior statue atop the Capitol. Bergen spoke on behalf of his father at dedication of Ad Astra Plaza, which incorporated a smaller version of the Kansa warrior. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Members of the Kaw Nation present a ceremonial blanket to Rich Bergen, son of the late Salina sculptor Richard Bergen, who created the Kansa warrior statue atop the Capitol. Bergen spoke on behalf of his father at dedication of Ad Astra Plaza, which incorporated a smaller version of the Kansa warrior. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Polling of Salina-area students led to the decision to create a statue depicting a Kansa warrior. However, the pedestal meant to host the ground-level version of the artwork sat empty for two decades.Former Sen. Randall Hardy, who represented Salina in the Legislature from 2017 to 2021, said he was strolling on the statehouse grounds when he came across the bare six-foot pedestal. A plaque donated by former Gov. Bill Graves said the pedestal held a replica of the statue on the dome.“It was empty. Seventeen bronze plaques had not been cast and placed on the walls. Two-thousand-six-hundred bricks for the plaza were not in place. I was, frankly, embarrassed by what I saw,” Hardy said.He returned to his office and spoke to Sen. Elaine Bowers, a Concordia Republican who served on a legislative committee dedicated to preservation of the Capitol. Together, with lobbyist John Peterson and others a plan was developed to kickstart development of the plaza.“I’m so pleased to be here, even though we’re 20 years late. It’s a great day,” Bowers said.Fundraising was inspired by friends of Bill Brady, a legislator and lobbyist who died in March 2023. He was a presence in the statehouse for more than 40 years.“His colleagues led the fundraising campaign to help complete the plaza in memory of Bill,” said Nancy Brady, his widow. “I can’t think of anything more meaningful to Bill and our family. I look forward to bringing my family and friends here for many years to come.”

Kansas governor, Kansa tribe members cap 22-year project by dedicating Capitol plaza

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Chariton County cannot block construction of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/13/grain-belt-express-transmission-line-wins-final-approval-in-missouri/">Grain Belt Express electric transmission line</a>&nbsp;by refusing permission to cross county roads, the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

The county can establish rules for how the transmission line crosses its roads, the court ruled as it modified a trial court decision that said the county could make no regulations at all.

“The decision as to whether Grain Belt’s overhead transmission lines for the project would be constructed across Chariton County’s public roads was already made by the (Missouri Public Service Commission) when it issued its Report and Order on Remand granting the (certificate of convenience and necessity) and approving the final proposed route of the project,” Judge Lisa White Hardwick wrote in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=213613" target="_blank">unanimous decision</a>&nbsp;of the three-judge panel.

Grain Belt will be constructed by Chicago-based Invenergy and be a 5,000 megawatt line to move wind-derived power from western Kansas to the Indiana border. Half the power it carries will be delivered to Missouri utilities.

At first welcomed by many of the counties it will cross in north Missouri, the line has become controversial with complaints about aesthetics, whether high-voltage lines cause health issues and the power of the Public Service Commission to grant eminent domain power to obtain land for construction.

Republican legislators and agricultural groups tried repeatedly to strip Grain Belt’s right of eminent domain, which would have killed the project. But in 2022, lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/08/missouri-governor-to-sign-compromise-legislation-after-efforts-to-stymie-grain-belt-express/">passed compromise legislation</a>&nbsp;requiring, in the event of future large transmission lines, greater compensation for landowners and setting a seven-year time limit for companies to build transmission lines after obtaining their easements.&nbsp;

Grain Belt’s disagreements with Chariton County began in 2014, Hardwick wrote in the decision, two years after it had initially received consent from the Chariton County Commission to cross its county-owned roads. Chariton County withdrew its consent and made it contingent upon the PSC approving the project.

When it received initial approval from the PSC, Grain Belt’s owners tried to negotiate with Chariton County. When it refused again to give its consent, the lawsuit followed.

Associate Circuit Judge Daren Adkins, assigned to the case from Daviess County, ruled that a state law&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=49.650&amp;bid=1714&amp;hl=" target="_blank">barring counties</a>&nbsp;from adopting ordinances “governing” utilities within their boundaries meant that&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=229.100&amp;bid=12358&amp;hl=" target="_blank">an older law</a>, requiring utilities to obtain consent from utilities to go “through, on, under or across” its roads could not be enforced.

The decision Tuesday modified that ruling. The law prohibiting an ordinance governing a utility is designed to protect against local rules that are in conflict with state rules, the court said.

But it doesn’t mean the law requiring consent to cross a road doesn’t have any effect, Hardwick wrote. The county can set standards but it cannot withhold its consent, she wrote.

“A fair interpretation is that (law) requires a county commission’s agreement regarding how a utility’s infrastructure will be constructed across the county’s public roads,” she wrote “not whether such utility’s infrastructure will be constructed across the county’s public roads in the first place.”

Overall utility policy is set at the state level, not the county level, she wrote.

“Doing so usurps the authority granted the MPSC in Chapter 386,” she wrote, “and exercises a power granted to the county in a manner contrary to the public policy of this state.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598444309811.png" alt="The project, will stretch about 800 miles from Kansas to Indiana, on a route crossing Missouri and Illinois." />
 <figcaption>The project, will stretch about 800 miles from Kansas to Indiana, on a route crossing Missouri and Illinois.</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Chariton County cannot block construction of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/13/grain-belt-express-transmission-line-wins-final-approval-in-missouri/">Grain Belt Express electric transmission line</a>&nbsp;by refusing permission to cross county roads, the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.The county can establish rules for how the transmission line crosses its roads, the court ruled as it modified a trial court decision that said the county could make no regulations at all.“The decision as to whether Grain Belt’s overhead transmission lines for the project would be constructed across Chariton County’s public roads was already made by the (Missouri Public Service Commission) when it issued its Report and Order on Remand granting the (certificate of convenience and necessity) and approving the final proposed route of the project,” Judge Lisa White Hardwick wrote in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=213613" target="_blank">unanimous decision</a>&nbsp;of the three-judge panel.Grain Belt will be constructed by Chicago-based Invenergy and be a 5,000 megawatt line to move wind-derived power from western Kansas to the Indiana border. Half the power it carries will be delivered to Missouri utilities.At first welcomed by many of the counties it will cross in north Missouri, the line has become controversial with complaints about aesthetics, whether high-voltage lines cause health issues and the power of the Public Service Commission to grant eminent domain power to obtain land for construction.Republican legislators and agricultural groups tried repeatedly to strip Grain Belt’s right of eminent domain, which would have killed the project. But in 2022, lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/08/missouri-governor-to-sign-compromise-legislation-after-efforts-to-stymie-grain-belt-express/">passed compromise legislation</a>&nbsp;requiring, in the event of future large transmission lines, greater compensation for landowners and setting a seven-year time limit for companies to build transmission lines after obtaining their easements.&nbsp;Grain Belt’s disagreements with Chariton County began in 2014, Hardwick wrote in the decision, two years after it had initially received consent from the Chariton County Commission to cross its county-owned roads. Chariton County withdrew its consent and made it contingent upon the PSC approving the project.When it received initial approval from the PSC, Grain Belt’s owners tried to negotiate with Chariton County. When it refused again to give its consent, the lawsuit followed.Associate Circuit Judge Daren Adkins, assigned to the case from Daviess County, ruled that a state law&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=49.650&amp;bid=1714&amp;hl=" target="_blank">barring counties</a>&nbsp;from adopting ordinances “governing” utilities within their boundaries meant that&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=229.100&amp;bid=12358&amp;hl=" target="_blank">an older law</a>, requiring utilities to obtain consent from utilities to go “through, on, under or across” its roads could not be enforced.The decision Tuesday modified that ruling. The law prohibiting an ordinance governing a utility is designed to protect against local rules that are in conflict with state rules, the court said.But it doesn’t mean the law requiring consent to cross a road doesn’t have any effect, Hardwick wrote. The county can set standards but it cannot withhold its consent, she wrote.“A fair interpretation is that (law) requires a county commission’s agreement regarding how a utility’s infrastructure will be constructed across the county’s public roads,” she wrote “not whether such utility’s infrastructure will be constructed across the county’s public roads in the first place.”Overall utility policy is set at the state level, not the county level, she wrote.“Doing so usurps the authority granted the MPSC in Chapter 386,” she wrote, “and exercises a power granted to the county in a manner contrary to the public policy of this state.”

Grain Belt Express clears another legal hurdle with Missouri appeals court ruling

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>

As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris sprint to the November finish line, one sprawling policy area has largely fallen out of the spotlight — education.

Though the respective GOP and Democratic presidential candidates have spent comparatively more time campaigning on issues such as immigration, foreign policy and the economy, their ideas surrounding K-12 and higher education vastly differ.

Trump’s education platform vows to “save American education,” with a focus on parental rights, universal school choice and a fight for “patriotic education” in schools.

“By increasing access to school choice, empowering parents to have a voice in their child’s education, and supporting good teachers, President Trump will improve academic excellence for all students,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, said in a statement to States Newsroom.

Trump “believes students should be taught reading, writing, and math in the classroom — not gender, sex and race like the Biden Administration is pushing on our public school system,” Leavitt added.

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has largely focused on the education investments brought by the Biden-Harris administration and building on those efforts if she is elected.

“Over the past four years, the Administration has made unprecedented investments in education, including the single-largest investment in K-12 education in history, which Vice President Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass,” Mia Ehrenberg, a campaign spokesperson, told States Newsroom.

Ehrenberg said that while Harris and her running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, “will build on those investments and continue fighting until every student has the support and the resources they need to thrive, Republicans led by Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda want to cut billions from local K-12 schools and eliminate the Department of Education, undermining America’s students and schools.”

Harris has repeatedly knocked the Heritage Foundation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf" target="_blank">Project 2025</a>&nbsp;— a sweeping conservative agenda that includes education policy proposals like eliminating Head Start, ending time-based and occupation-based student loan forgiveness and barring teachers from using a student’s preferred pronouns different from their “biological sex” without written permission from a parent or guardian.

Trump has fiercely disavowed Project 2025, although some former members of his administration crafted the blueprint.

Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zxfnqj_3XQ" target="_blank">called for shutting down</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Education and said he wants to “move education back to the states.” The department is not the main funding source for K-12 schools, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/elementary-and-secondary-education-expenditures" target="_blank">state and local governments</a>&nbsp;allocate much of those dollars.

In contrast, Harris said at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/lets-fight-it-harris-vows-chart-new-way-forward-defeat-trump" target="_blank">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in August that “we are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”

Living wage for school staff; parental bill of rights

Trump’s education plan calls for creating a “new credentialing body to certify teachers who embrace patriotic values, and understand that their job is not to indoctrinate children, but to educate them.”

He also wants to implement funding boosts for schools that “abolish teacher tenure” for grades K-12 and adopt “merit pay,” establish the direct election of school principals by parents and “drastically cut” the number of school administrators.

In contrast, the&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf" target="_blank">Democratic Party’s 2024 platform</a>&nbsp;calls for recruiting “more new teachers, paraprofessionals and school related personnel, and education support professionals, with the option for some to even start training in high school.”

The platform also aims to help “school-support staff to advance in their own careers with a living wage” and improve working conditions for teachers.

Trump also wants to give funding boosts to schools that adopt a “Parental Bill of Rights that includes complete curriculum transparency, and a form of universal school choice.”

He’s threatening to cut federal funding for schools that teach the primarily collegiate academic subject known as “critical race theory,” gender ideology or “other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.”

The Democrats’ platform opposes “the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education,” adding that “public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”

Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/much-attacked-final-title-ix-rule-goes-effect-while-still-blocked-26-states" target="_blank">released a final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;extending federal protections for LGBTQ+ students.

The updated regulations took effect Aug. 1, but a slew of GOP-led states challenged the measure. The legal battles have created a policy patchwork and weakened the administration’s vision for the final rule.

The updated regulations&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-roll-back-betsy-devos-title-ix-rules" target="_blank">roll back Title IX changes</a>&nbsp;made under the Trump administration and then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

Trump vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qU5EDho3qs" target="_blank">terminate the updated regulations</a>&nbsp;on his first day back in office if reelected.

Harris has repeatedly touted the administration’s record on student loan forgiveness, including nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/biden-harris-administration-approves-additional-12-billion-student-debt" target="_blank">$170 billion</a>&nbsp;in student debt relief for almost 5 million borrowers.

The administration’s most recent student loan repayment initiative came to a grinding halt in August after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bidens-newest-student-loan-repayment-plan-temporarily-blocked-supreme-court" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked</a>&nbsp;the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan.

Although little is mentioned about education in Harris’&nbsp;<a href="https://kamalaharris.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Policy_Book_Economic-Opportunity.pdf" target="_blank">extensive economic plan</a>, the proposal makes clear that the veep will “continue working to end the unreasonable burden of student loan debt and fight to make higher education more affordable, so that college can be a ticket to the middle class.”

She also plans to cut four-year degree requirements for half a million federal jobs.

Trump — who dubbed the Biden-Harris administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-political-rally-racine-wisconsin-june-18-2024/" target="_blank">student loan forgiveness efforts</a>&nbsp;as “not even legal” — sought to repeal the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program during his administration.

His education platform also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-the-american-academy" target="_blank">calls for endowing</a>&nbsp;the “American Academy,” a free, online university.

Trump said he will endow the new institution through the “billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments.”

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris sprint to the November finish line, one sprawling policy area has largely fallen out of the spotlight — education.Though the respective GOP and Democratic presidential candidates have spent comparatively more time campaigning on issues such as immigration, foreign policy and the economy, their ideas surrounding K-12 and higher education vastly differ.Trump’s education platform vows to “save American education,” with a focus on parental rights, universal school choice and a fight for “patriotic education” in schools.“By increasing access to school choice, empowering parents to have a voice in their child’s education, and supporting good teachers, President Trump will improve academic excellence for all students,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, said in a statement to States Newsroom.Trump “believes students should be taught reading, writing, and math in the classroom — not gender, sex and race like the Biden Administration is pushing on our public school system,” Leavitt added.Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has largely focused on the education investments brought by the Biden-Harris administration and building on those efforts if she is elected.“Over the past four years, the Administration has made unprecedented investments in education, including the single-largest investment in K-12 education in history, which Vice President Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass,” Mia Ehrenberg, a campaign spokesperson, told States Newsroom.Ehrenberg said that while Harris and her running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, “will build on those investments and continue fighting until every student has the support and the resources they need to thrive, Republicans led by Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda want to cut billions from local K-12 schools and eliminate the Department of Education, undermining America’s students and schools.”Harris has repeatedly knocked the Heritage Foundation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf" target="_blank">Project 2025</a>&nbsp;— a sweeping conservative agenda that includes education policy proposals like eliminating Head Start, ending time-based and occupation-based student loan forgiveness and barring teachers from using a student’s preferred pronouns different from their “biological sex” without written permission from a parent or guardian.Trump has fiercely disavowed Project 2025, although some former members of his administration crafted the blueprint.<h2>Closing the U.S. Department of Education</h2>Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zxfnqj_3XQ" target="_blank">called for shutting down</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Education and said he wants to “move education back to the states.” The department is not the main funding source for K-12 schools, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/elementary-and-secondary-education-expenditures" target="_blank">state and local governments</a>&nbsp;allocate much of those dollars.In contrast, Harris said at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/lets-fight-it-harris-vows-chart-new-way-forward-defeat-trump" target="_blank">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in August that “we are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”<h2>Living wage for school staff; parental bill of rights</h2>Trump’s education plan calls for creating a “new credentialing body to certify teachers who embrace patriotic values, and understand that their job is not to indoctrinate children, but to educate them.”He also wants to implement funding boosts for schools that “abolish teacher tenure” for grades K-12 and adopt “merit pay,” establish the direct election of school principals by parents and “drastically cut” the number of school administrators.In contrast, the&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf" target="_blank">Democratic Party’s 2024 platform</a>&nbsp;calls for recruiting “more new teachers, paraprofessionals and school related personnel, and education support professionals, with the option for some to even start training in high school.”The platform also aims to help “school-support staff to advance in their own careers with a living wage” and improve working conditions for teachers.Trump also wants to give funding boosts to schools that adopt a “Parental Bill of Rights that includes complete curriculum transparency, and a form of universal school choice.”He’s threatening to cut federal funding for schools that teach the primarily collegiate academic subject known as “critical race theory,” gender ideology or “other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.”The Democrats’ platform opposes “the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education,” adding that “public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”<h2>Title IX&nbsp;</h2>Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/much-attacked-final-title-ix-rule-goes-effect-while-still-blocked-26-states" target="_blank">released a final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;extending federal protections for LGBTQ+ students.The updated regulations took effect Aug. 1, but a slew of GOP-led states challenged the measure. The legal battles have created a policy patchwork and weakened the administration’s vision for the final rule.The updated regulations&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-roll-back-betsy-devos-title-ix-rules" target="_blank">roll back Title IX changes</a>&nbsp;made under the Trump administration and then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.Trump vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qU5EDho3qs" target="_blank">terminate the updated regulations</a>&nbsp;on his first day back in office if reelected.<h2>Student debt and higher education&nbsp;</h2>Harris has repeatedly touted the administration’s record on student loan forgiveness, including nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/biden-harris-administration-approves-additional-12-billion-student-debt" target="_blank">$170 billion</a>&nbsp;in student debt relief for almost 5 million borrowers.The administration’s most recent student loan repayment initiative came to a grinding halt in August after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bidens-newest-student-loan-repayment-plan-temporarily-blocked-supreme-court" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked</a>&nbsp;the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan.Although little is mentioned about education in Harris’&nbsp;<a href="https://kamalaharris.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Policy_Book_Economic-Opportunity.pdf" target="_blank">extensive economic plan</a>, the proposal makes clear that the veep will “continue working to end the unreasonable burden of student loan debt and fight to make higher education more affordable, so that college can be a ticket to the middle class.”She also plans to cut four-year degree requirements for half a million federal jobs.Trump — who dubbed the Biden-Harris administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-political-rally-racine-wisconsin-june-18-2024/" target="_blank">student loan forgiveness efforts</a>&nbsp;as “not even legal” — sought to repeal the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program during his administration.His education platform also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-the-american-academy" target="_blank">calls for endowing</a>&nbsp;the “American Academy,” a free, online university.Trump said he will endow the new institution through the “billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments.”

Education: Where do Harris and Trump stand?

Zach Wendling <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA —&nbsp;Four secretaries of state and a federal agency director in cybersecurity described their work Wednesday as a line of defense in upholding election integrity and security ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, in explaining the reason for Wednesday’s summit, asked simply, “Why not?” He said the Midwest states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota have demonstrated that elections can be safe, smooth and secure.

“Election security is not static. Election security is not a one-and-done deal. Election security is dynamic,” Evnen said at the news conference. “If you’re going to continue to address these dynamic challenges to elections, then you do so in a dynamic fashion.”

The ‘imperative’ of election confidence

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unomaha.edu/ncite/index.php" target="_blank">National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center</a>, or NCITE, headquartered at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, hosted the event.

Evnen’s three counterparts from Iowa (Paul Pate), Missouri (Jay Ashcroft) and South Dakota (Monae Johnson) joined the event, which Evnen said he expects to be repeated in future years. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab participated in other summit events, including briefings on NCITE research, but was unable to attend the news conference, officials said.

Pate, who is in his fourth term as Iowa’s secretary of state, said he has seen elections evolve and become “more aggressive” in the past two decades, particularly through technology.

Yet election confidence remains essential, Pate said, and secretaries of state are doing everything they can to uphold integrity and security.

“It’s imperative that Americans, and Iowans, have confidence in those election results because the day after the election, if they don’t believe that that’s their governor or their senator or their president, our Republic has fallen without a single bullet being fired,” Pate said. “That’s not acceptable, so we’re going to continue to be vigilant and do what we can on our front.”

Director Jen Easterly of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency</a>, said CISA stands “shoulder to shoulder” with election officials nationwide. She said she has “tremendous confidence” in U.S. elections.

Easterly said CISA was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">established in 2018</a>&nbsp;from a previous U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency in part due to foreign attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election and after election infrastructure was designated as “critical” infrastructure.

The agency helps state and local election officials to prepare for any threats, including ransomware,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nonhazardous-material-found-in-envelope-sent-to-ne-secretary-of-states-office-caution-urged/" target="_blank">physical threats</a>&nbsp;and threats from foreign adversaries (such as Russia, Iran and China). Some of the support the agency provides, Easterly said, are security assessments, hypothetical scenario training and training for de-escalation and anti-active shooter incidents.

“At the end of the day, we know that elections will be safe. They will be secure. They will be free. They will be fair. But there will be things that go wrong,” Easterly said. “The good news is these disruptions, while problematic, will not affect how votes are counted and how votes are cast.”

Evnen said some of the ways that Nebraska has partnered with CISA in the past two years have included weekly scans of all 93 Nebraska county election websites for vulnerabilities, giving local officials “.gov” emails and website addresses and setting up internal protocols for day-to-day security.

“These are important steps we’re taking across Nebraska to ensure that our cyberinfrastructure is protected,” Evnen said.

Pate said those steps are national standards as officials “plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

All five secretaries of state who partnered with NCITE this week are elected Republicans, and Ashcroft said the officials don’t serve just Republicans or Democrats or&nbsp; Libertarians or any other third parties in their respective states.

He said if officials do their job well, they are the basketball ref or linesman of a football game who “no one notices.”

The secretaries of state and Easterly invited more people to get involved in the election process, such as serving as poll workers or watchers, and for anyone who has questions to ask.

“We run elections for the people of the states,” Ashcroft explained. “We run elections for our government because it is how ‘we the people’ decide that our Republic will move forward.”

Ashcroft added that no matter who wins or loses, or which issues pass or fail, “at the end of the day, the American people can drink their beverage of choice and either celebrate or commiserate, but know that they were a part of the decision, that their votes counted and that the votes made a difference.”

The election officials noted that it is typical for “official” results not to be finalized for up to a week after Election Day, but they said that’s due in part due to the need to process provisional ballots, as well as conducting the “checks and balances” needed to ensure accurate results, particularly in close races, or possibly hand-count some ballots.

But for the most part, the secretaries of state said of their jurisdictions, most election results are typically available within a few hours of polls closing on Election Day.

“I believe in getting quick results out, my colleagues do, but we all believe in getting it right, and we believe in making sure that every American, no matter where Uncle Sam has sent them, has the right to participate in our elections,” Ashcroft said, indicating overseas voters.

Johnson, from South Dakota, said the “greatest unease” about the general election is the period between when polls close and when results are finalized. She said officials are workshopping scenarios with public safety teams to ensure that post-election events proceed smoothly and on time.

“Protecting the voting process and its facilitators is a collaborative process, and we have full faith in our state’s ability to overcome any disruptions,” Johnson said.

Gina Ligon, director of NCITE at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said the center, which includes 38 partner universities, is working on four projects, such as tracking threats to election workers through federal charges and possible threats from emerging technologies.

Ligon said the federal charges are the “tip of the iceberg” as federal charges are a “really high bar,” while other NCITE research includes threats or violence specifically against election officials in swing states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia.

Those states have seen the largest spikes in data in recent years, Ligon said.

That project is extending to Nebraska, partially with the competitiveness of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District for president. There are currently no federal charges, according to Ligon.

Other research, out of the University of Arkansas, includes interviews of election workers who have faced threats of violence. Initial research has indicated women don’t always report when they are victims of violence, Ligon said, and that people don’t understand when they cross First Amendment protections from anger to prohibited threats.

“As much as people say this is nothing new&nbsp;— ‘we’ve experienced this for a long time’ — our data just doesn’t support that,” Ligon said.

As of this time, Easterly said, there have been no specific election threats from terrorists, though she noted federal authorities thwarted the apparent plans of an&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/oklahoma-city-man-faces-charges-related-to-planned-election-day-terrorist-attack-authorities-say/" target="_blank">Oklahoma City man</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday and charged him with allegedly plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day in support of ISIS.

“If there are other things that we are seeing from the terrorist landscape, we will ensure that election officials are apprised of that immediately,” Easterly said.

Easterly said the period between Election Day on Nov. 5 and the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 will be critical. She said foreign adversaries will try to create a “wedge” and attempt to “shred our institutions” or sow discord as each milestone of certification and validation passes.

“That’s why it’s up to all of us as Americans — as the secretary (Ashcroft) said, ‘We the people’ — these elections are for us,” Easterly said. “It’s up to all of us to do our part in protecting and preserving our democracy.”

Nebraska Examiner, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729007505031.png" alt=" Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, at podium, leads a news conference Oct. 9, 2024, in Omaha on election security and integrity. Behind him, from left, are Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, Director Jen Easterly of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Director Gina Ligon of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, at podium, leads a news conference Oct. 9, 2024, in Omaha on election security and integrity. Behind him, from left, are Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, Director Jen Easterly of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Director Gina Ligon of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA —&nbsp;Four secretaries of state and a federal agency director in cybersecurity described their work Wednesday as a line of defense in upholding election integrity and security ahead of the Nov. 5 election.Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, in explaining the reason for Wednesday’s summit, asked simply, “Why not?” He said the Midwest states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota have demonstrated that elections can be safe, smooth and secure.“Election security is not static. Election security is not a one-and-done deal. Election security is dynamic,” Evnen said at the news conference. “If you’re going to continue to address these dynamic challenges to elections, then you do so in a dynamic fashion.”<h2>The ‘imperative’ of election confidence</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unomaha.edu/ncite/index.php" target="_blank">National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center</a>, or NCITE, headquartered at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, hosted the event.Evnen’s three counterparts from Iowa (Paul Pate), Missouri (Jay Ashcroft) and South Dakota (Monae Johnson) joined the event, which Evnen said he expects to be repeated in future years. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab participated in other summit events, including briefings on NCITE research, but was unable to attend the news conference, officials said.Pate, who is in his fourth term as Iowa’s secretary of state, said he has seen elections evolve and become “more aggressive” in the past two decades, particularly through technology.Yet election confidence remains essential, Pate said, and secretaries of state are doing everything they can to uphold integrity and security.“It’s imperative that Americans, and Iowans, have confidence in those election results because the day after the election, if they don’t believe that that’s their governor or their senator or their president, our Republic has fallen without a single bullet being fired,” Pate said. “That’s not acceptable, so we’re going to continue to be vigilant and do what we can on our front.”Director Jen Easterly of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency</a>, said CISA stands “shoulder to shoulder” with election officials nationwide. She said she has “tremendous confidence” in U.S. elections.Easterly said CISA was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2018/11/19/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency" target="_blank">established in 2018</a>&nbsp;from a previous U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency in part due to foreign attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election and after election infrastructure was designated as “critical” infrastructure.<h2>Security protocols and training</h2>The agency helps state and local election officials to prepare for any threats, including ransomware,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nonhazardous-material-found-in-envelope-sent-to-ne-secretary-of-states-office-caution-urged/" target="_blank">physical threats</a>&nbsp;and threats from foreign adversaries (such as Russia, Iran and China). Some of the support the agency provides, Easterly said, are security assessments, hypothetical scenario training and training for de-escalation and anti-active shooter incidents.“At the end of the day, we know that elections will be safe. They will be secure. They will be free. They will be fair. But there will be things that go wrong,” Easterly said. “The good news is these disruptions, while problematic, will not affect how votes are counted and how votes are cast.”Evnen said some of the ways that Nebraska has partnered with CISA in the past two years have included weekly scans of all 93 Nebraska county election websites for vulnerabilities, giving local officials “.gov” emails and website addresses and setting up internal protocols for day-to-day security.“These are important steps we’re taking across Nebraska to ensure that our cyberinfrastructure is protected,” Evnen said.Pate said those steps are national standards as officials “plan for the worst and hope for the best.”<h2>Elections for ‘we the people’</h2>All five secretaries of state who partnered with NCITE this week are elected Republicans, and Ashcroft said the officials don’t serve just Republicans or Democrats or&nbsp; Libertarians or any other third parties in their respective states.He said if officials do their job well, they are the basketball ref or linesman of a football game who “no one notices.”The secretaries of state and Easterly invited more people to get involved in the election process, such as serving as poll workers or watchers, and for anyone who has questions to ask.“We run elections for the people of the states,” Ashcroft explained. “We run elections for our government because it is how ‘we the people’ decide that our Republic will move forward.”Ashcroft added that no matter who wins or loses, or which issues pass or fail, “at the end of the day, the American people can drink their beverage of choice and either celebrate or commiserate, but know that they were a part of the decision, that their votes counted and that the votes made a difference.”The election officials noted that it is typical for “official” results not to be finalized for up to a week after Election Day, but they said that’s due in part due to the need to process provisional ballots, as well as conducting the “checks and balances” needed to ensure accurate results, particularly in close races, or possibly hand-count some ballots.But for the most part, the secretaries of state said of their jurisdictions, most election results are typically available within a few hours of polls closing on Election Day.“I believe in getting quick results out, my colleagues do, but we all believe in getting it right, and we believe in making sure that every American, no matter where Uncle Sam has sent them, has the right to participate in our elections,” Ashcroft said, indicating overseas voters.Johnson, from South Dakota, said the “greatest unease” about the general election is the period between when polls close and when results are finalized. She said officials are workshopping scenarios with public safety teams to ensure that post-election events proceed smoothly and on time.“Protecting the voting process and its facilitators is a collaborative process, and we have full faith in our state’s ability to overcome any disruptions,” Johnson said.<h2>NCITE research</h2>Gina Ligon, director of NCITE at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said the center, which includes 38 partner universities, is working on four projects, such as tracking threats to election workers through federal charges and possible threats from emerging technologies.Ligon said the federal charges are the “tip of the iceberg” as federal charges are a “really high bar,” while other NCITE research includes threats or violence specifically against election officials in swing states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia.Those states have seen the largest spikes in data in recent years, Ligon said.That project is extending to Nebraska, partially with the competitiveness of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District for president. There are currently no federal charges, according to Ligon.Other research, out of the University of Arkansas, includes interviews of election workers who have faced threats of violence. Initial research has indicated women don’t always report when they are victims of violence, Ligon said, and that people don’t understand when they cross First Amendment protections from anger to prohibited threats.“As much as people say this is nothing new&nbsp;— ‘we’ve experienced this for a long time’ — our data just doesn’t support that,” Ligon said.<h2>‘It’s up to all of us’</h2>As of this time, Easterly said, there have been no specific election threats from terrorists, though she noted federal authorities thwarted the apparent plans of an&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/oklahoma-city-man-faces-charges-related-to-planned-election-day-terrorist-attack-authorities-say/" target="_blank">Oklahoma City man</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday and charged him with allegedly plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day in support of ISIS.“If there are other things that we are seeing from the terrorist landscape, we will ensure that election officials are apprised of that immediately,” Easterly said.Easterly said the period between Election Day on Nov. 5 and the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 will be critical. She said foreign adversaries will try to create a “wedge” and attempt to “shred our institutions” or sow discord as each milestone of certification and validation passes.“That’s why it’s up to all of us as Americans — as the secretary (Ashcroft) said, ‘We the people’ — these elections are for us,” Easterly said. “It’s up to all of us to do our part in protecting and preserving our democracy.”Nebraska Examiner, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

Midwest secretaries of state host election security and integrity summit

JOHNSON COUNTY —Members of Kansas Task Force 2 are on their way home from hurricane response duty.

While in Florida, the task force teams&nbsp; performed search and rescue efforts with one squad utilizing a boat and another squad using ATV’s, according to a social media report from the Kansas Fire Marshal's office.

Historic flooding remains a concern in the area where Task Force 2 was assigned for their search and rescue efforts. Being unfamiliar with the area, flood concerns are taken seriously so search and rescue operations are not jeopardized.

The Task Force was able to provide some true Kansas hospitality as they helped cook camp breakfast for members of various task forces. This type of teamwork is a great way to build rapport not only for KS-TF2, but also with other task force teams in the same area.

In the field during disaster response, work areas are not the normal office setting many back home enjoy while in the office. For Randy Hill, former Kansas State Fire Marshal Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator and current contractor with the Kansas State Fire Marshal, that means setting up an office in the back of one of the Kansas State Fire Marshal trailers. 

Task Force members adapt and work with what they have so assignments can be completed in safe and timely manners. Kansas Task Force 2 members also assisted Florida-Task Force 7 with getting their new boat built and ready for service so they can continue their search and rescue efforts. 

"Kansas Task Force 2 members have stepped up to the call and delivered professional, meaningful, and much needed assistance to Florida. One of the reasons that is possible is training they receive and their compassion about Search and Rescue response."&nbsp;

&nbsp;On Sunday, Kansas Task Force 2 was notified&nbsp; that they were going to be demobilized and released from their deployment. They began the two-day drive home back to Kansas on Monday.&nbsp; Last week, the Olathe Fire Department welcomed home a portion of Kansas Task Force 1 from their hurricane response duty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728954907312.png" alt="Photos Office of Kansaas Fire Marshal" />
 <figcaption>Photos Office of Kansaas Fire Marshal</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Members of Kansas Task Force 2 are on their way home from hurricane response duty.While in Florida, the task force teams&nbsp; performed search and rescue efforts with one squad utilizing a boat and another squad using ATV’s, according to a social media report from the Kansas Fire Marshal's office.Historic flooding remains a concern in the area where Task Force 2 was assigned for their search and rescue efforts. Being unfamiliar with the area, flood concerns are taken seriously so search and rescue operations are not jeopardized.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728954961719.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Task Force was able to provide some true Kansas hospitality as they helped cook camp breakfast for members of various task forces. This type of teamwork is a great way to build rapport not only for KS-TF2, but also with other task force teams in the same area.In the field during disaster response, work areas are not the normal office setting many back home enjoy while in the office. For Randy Hill, former Kansas State Fire Marshal Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator and current contractor with the Kansas State Fire Marshal, that means setting up an office in the back of one of the Kansas State Fire Marshal trailers. Task Force members adapt and work with what they have so assignments can be completed in safe and timely manners. Kansas Task Force 2 members also assisted Florida-Task Force 7 with getting their new boat built and ready for service so they can continue their search and rescue efforts. "Kansas Task Force 2 members have stepped up to the call and delivered professional, meaningful, and much needed assistance to Florida. One of the reasons that is possible is training they receive and their compassion about Search and Rescue response."&nbsp;&nbsp;On Sunday, Kansas Task Force 2 was notified&nbsp; that they were going to be demobilized and released from their deployment. They began the two-day drive home back to Kansas on Monday.&nbsp; Last week, the Olathe Fire Department welcomed home a portion of Kansas Task Force 1 from their hurricane response duty.

Kansas Task Force 2 on the way home from hurricane Milton response

Lawyer questions company’s claim of a bird flu outbreak

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/clarkkauffman/">CLARK KAUFFMAN</a>&nbsp;

A group of Midwest egg suppliers are embroiled in litigation over egg prices, with an Iowa company arguing it shouldn’t be forced to disclose its pricing information.

A central element of the case is whether a fabricated claim of a bird flu outbreak is to blame for one supplier raising its egg prices and canceling orders.

Grand Prairie Foods of South Dakota, which supplies hotels and convenience stores with breakfast sandwiches, is suing Echo Lake Foods, a Wisconsin company that manufactures precooked egg entrees, for breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

At the same time, a third company, Oskaloosa Food Products in Iowa, is attempting to quash a subpoena for company records related to its pricing.

Court records indicate Grand Prairie has purchased egg patties and other products from Echo Lake since at least 2005. In early 2022, Echo Lake’s supplier of raw eggs experienced an outbreak of avian influenza, commonly known as the bird flu, resulting in the destruction of more than 6 million laying hens.

Echo Lake then notified its customers, including Grand Prairie, that existing purchase orders for egg patties and other egg products would have to be revised to reflect increased pricing.

According to Grand Prairie’s lawsuit, Echo Lake Foods then doubled the price of its egg patties, and while the nationwide market price of eggs eventually decreased, Echo Lake allegedly refused to reduce the price of its egg patties.

Court exhibits show that on July 12, 2022, Grand Prairie’s president, Kurt Loudenback, e-mailed Echo Lake’s director of national sales, Justin Milbradt, writing, “Justin – I don’t understand why we continue to see these high prices,” noting that Grand Prairie could purchase eggs from other suppliers at a significantly lower price. “I’m sure you buy WAY more eggs than we do,” Loudenback added.

The next day, Loudenback emailed Echo Lake again, proposing that his company sell tankers of whole eggs to Echo Lake for $1.28 per pound — significantly less than the $3.60 per pound Echo Lake was charging Grand Prairie for its finished egg products.

“Just trying to get your eggs at (a) lower price to lower my cost,” Loudenback explained in his email. “$3.60 seems pretty high for a $1.28 input cost.”

The two companies eventually agreed on an arrangement whereby Grand Prairie would sell two truckloads of raw eggs each week to Echo Lake. Court records show Echo Lake agreed to pay a “premium price,” $1.70 per pound, for the raw eggs from Grand Prairie. In return, the records show, Echo Lake would sell the finished, processed eggs back to Grand Prairie for $3.60 per pound — the same price Grand Prairie had previously objected to as being out of line with market prices.

Within a few months, however, Grand Prairie told Echo Lake that an avian flu outbreak had affected its egg supplier, Oskaloosa Food Products, and so Grand Prairie would have to raise its prices. A few weeks later, Grand Prairie said it was unable to find a new supplier and wouldn’t be able to fulfill Echo Lake’s orders.

Echo Lake then began acquiring eggs elsewhere — but at a higher price. In court documents, Echo Lake says Grand Prairie’s failure to deliver eggs at the promised price cost Echo Lake more than $1.1 million.

Court exhibits show that in an effort to offset the added expense, Echo Lake withheld payments to Grand Prairie totaling $567,460. Grand Prairie then sued Echo Lake to recover the $567,460 it was owed, alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

Echo Lake countersued, claiming Grand Prairie had breached the contract.

Recently filed court records show that attorneys for Echo Lake are questioning Grand Prairie’s stated rationale for its price hike and the eventual cancellation of orders — an avian flu outbreak that affected the Oskaloosa plant.

In July, an Echo Lake attorney wrote to a lawyer for Oskaloosa Food Products, stating that while “Grand Prairie claims it had no choice other than to cancel the remaining purchase orders because of an outbreak of avian influenza among its suppliers, including Oskaloosa,” an independent investigation had concluded Oskaloosa reported no such outbreak at that time, despite legal requirements for such reporting.

In addition, the lawyer wrote, the chief operating officer of the Oskaloosa plant had confirmed for Echo Lake that “Oskaloosa did not experience the Al outbreak described by Grand Prairie.”

In late May, Echo Lake subpoenaed Oskaloosa Food Products to obtain access to the contract between Grand Prairie and the Oskaloosa company.

Oskaloosa has since filed a motion to quash that subpoena, arguing the agreement includes trade secrets. Echo Lake has responded in court by arguing that the price of eggs is not a trade secret.

That issue is now before a judge in the U.S. District Court for Southern Iowa, while the underlying lawsuit between Grand Prairie and Echo Lake continues to move forward in South Dakota federal court.

Iowa Capital Dispatch, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/10/11/egg-suppliers-battle-over-pricing-claims-of-bird-flu-outbreak/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

<h2>Lawyer questions company’s claim of a bird flu outbreak</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/clarkkauffman/">CLARK KAUFFMAN</a>&nbsp;A group of Midwest egg suppliers are embroiled in litigation over egg prices, with an Iowa company arguing it shouldn’t be forced to disclose its pricing information.A central element of the case is whether a fabricated claim of a bird flu outbreak is to blame for one supplier raising its egg prices and canceling orders.Grand Prairie Foods of South Dakota, which supplies hotels and convenience stores with breakfast sandwiches, is suing Echo Lake Foods, a Wisconsin company that manufactures precooked egg entrees, for breach of contract and unjust enrichment.At the same time, a third company, Oskaloosa Food Products in Iowa, is attempting to quash a subpoena for company records related to its pricing.Court records indicate Grand Prairie has purchased egg patties and other products from Echo Lake since at least 2005. In early 2022, Echo Lake’s supplier of raw eggs experienced an outbreak of avian influenza, commonly known as the bird flu, resulting in the destruction of more than 6 million laying hens.Echo Lake then notified its customers, including Grand Prairie, that existing purchase orders for egg patties and other egg products would have to be revised to reflect increased pricing.According to Grand Prairie’s lawsuit, Echo Lake Foods then doubled the price of its egg patties, and while the nationwide market price of eggs eventually decreased, Echo Lake allegedly refused to reduce the price of its egg patties.Court exhibits show that on July 12, 2022, Grand Prairie’s president, Kurt Loudenback, e-mailed Echo Lake’s director of national sales, Justin Milbradt, writing, “Justin – I don’t understand why we continue to see these high prices,” noting that Grand Prairie could purchase eggs from other suppliers at a significantly lower price. “I’m sure you buy WAY more eggs than we do,” Loudenback added.The next day, Loudenback emailed Echo Lake again, proposing that his company sell tankers of whole eggs to Echo Lake for $1.28 per pound — significantly less than the $3.60 per pound Echo Lake was charging Grand Prairie for its finished egg products.“Just trying to get your eggs at (a) lower price to lower my cost,” Loudenback explained in his email. “$3.60 seems pretty high for a $1.28 input cost.”The two companies eventually agreed on an arrangement whereby Grand Prairie would sell two truckloads of raw eggs each week to Echo Lake. Court records show Echo Lake agreed to pay a “premium price,” $1.70 per pound, for the raw eggs from Grand Prairie. In return, the records show, Echo Lake would sell the finished, processed eggs back to Grand Prairie for $3.60 per pound — the same price Grand Prairie had previously objected to as being out of line with market prices.Within a few months, however, Grand Prairie told Echo Lake that an avian flu outbreak had affected its egg supplier, Oskaloosa Food Products, and so Grand Prairie would have to raise its prices. A few weeks later, Grand Prairie said it was unable to find a new supplier and wouldn’t be able to fulfill Echo Lake’s orders.Echo Lake then began acquiring eggs elsewhere — but at a higher price. In court documents, Echo Lake says Grand Prairie’s failure to deliver eggs at the promised price cost Echo Lake more than $1.1 million.Court exhibits show that in an effort to offset the added expense, Echo Lake withheld payments to Grand Prairie totaling $567,460. Grand Prairie then sued Echo Lake to recover the $567,460 it was owed, alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment.Echo Lake countersued, claiming Grand Prairie had breached the contract.<h2>Was company’s bird-flu claim false?</h2>Recently filed court records show that attorneys for Echo Lake are questioning Grand Prairie’s stated rationale for its price hike and the eventual cancellation of orders — an avian flu outbreak that affected the Oskaloosa plant.In July, an Echo Lake attorney wrote to a lawyer for Oskaloosa Food Products, stating that while “Grand Prairie claims it had no choice other than to cancel the remaining purchase orders because of an outbreak of avian influenza among its suppliers, including Oskaloosa,” an independent investigation had concluded Oskaloosa reported no such outbreak at that time, despite legal requirements for such reporting.In addition, the lawyer wrote, the chief operating officer of the Oskaloosa plant had confirmed for Echo Lake that “Oskaloosa did not experience the Al outbreak described by Grand Prairie.”In late May, Echo Lake subpoenaed Oskaloosa Food Products to obtain access to the contract between Grand Prairie and the Oskaloosa company.Oskaloosa has since filed a motion to quash that subpoena, arguing the agreement includes trade secrets. Echo Lake has responded in court by arguing that the price of eggs is not a trade secret.That issue is now before a judge in the U.S. District Court for Southern Iowa, while the underlying lawsuit between Grand Prairie and Echo Lake continues to move forward in South Dakota federal court.Iowa Capital Dispatch, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/10/11/egg-suppliers-battle-over-pricing-claims-of-bird-flu-outbreak/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

 Egg suppliers battle over pricing, claims of bird flu outbreak

KANSAS CITY– A physical therapist who owns a clinic in California was sentenced in federal court this week for distributing child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

Esteban E. Manale, 47, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 12 years in federal prison without parole.

Manale, the owner of a physical therapy clinic in Bellflower, Calif., pleaded guilty on May 3, 2024, to three counts of distributing child pornography. Manale admitted that on three separate occasions in August 2022 he sent images of child pornography to an undercover FBI task force officer whom he believed to be a Missouri woman he met online through a dating application.

Manale originally contacted a woman in Missouri on a dating application in August 2022. He told her that he worked at a physical therapy clinic primarily dealing with athletes, including minor females who were cheerleaders and volleyball players. He stated that he would get touchy with the athletes and liked to flirt with all of the girls who came to the clinic, and disclosed that he has had sex with patients at the clinic. He indicated that he liked children and had slept with a 13-year-old girl he met at the beach. He talked about his fascination with Ted Bundy, said he wanted to “use a rope to choke a young one,” use “knife play,” and “rape a young virgin girl while her mom watches me” while the mother is tied up.

The Missouri woman contacted law enforcement. An undercover officer assumed her identity and continued to communicate with Manale. In those conversations, Manale told the undercover officer that he had sexual contact with “preteens about 10 times,” defining them as being between 10 and 13 years old, and claimed to also have sexual contact “with older teens and about 20 plus.” In one communication, Manale claimed that he visited malls to “hunt” for young, cute girls over the weekend.

Manale discussed his desire to come to Kansas City to meet the undercover officer’s purported 8-year-old niece and have her record the encounter. He sent images of child pornography to the undercover officer via social media from Aug. 22, 2022, through Nov. 9, 2022.

On Dec. 14, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Manale’s residence and seized three cell phones. Two of the phones were hidden on top of the bathroom vanity, in a small space that was difficult to access. Investigators found 507 images and 154 videos of child pornography on those two cell phones.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Los Angeles, Calif., Sheriff’s Department.

KANSAS CITY– A physical therapist who owns a clinic in California was sentenced in federal court this week for distributing child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.Esteban E. Manale, 47, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 12 years in federal prison without parole.Manale, the owner of a physical therapy clinic in Bellflower, Calif., pleaded guilty on May 3, 2024, to three counts of distributing child pornography. Manale admitted that on three separate occasions in August 2022 he sent images of child pornography to an undercover FBI task force officer whom he believed to be a Missouri woman he met online through a dating application.Manale originally contacted a woman in Missouri on a dating application in August 2022. He told her that he worked at a physical therapy clinic primarily dealing with athletes, including minor females who were cheerleaders and volleyball players. He stated that he would get touchy with the athletes and liked to flirt with all of the girls who came to the clinic, and disclosed that he has had sex with patients at the clinic. He indicated that he liked children and had slept with a 13-year-old girl he met at the beach. He talked about his fascination with Ted Bundy, said he wanted to “use a rope to choke a young one,” use “knife play,” and “rape a young virgin girl while her mom watches me” while the mother is tied up.The Missouri woman contacted law enforcement. An undercover officer assumed her identity and continued to communicate with Manale. In those conversations, Manale told the undercover officer that he had sexual contact with “preteens about 10 times,” defining them as being between 10 and 13 years old, and claimed to also have sexual contact “with older teens and about 20 plus.” In one communication, Manale claimed that he visited malls to “hunt” for young, cute girls over the weekend.Manale discussed his desire to come to Kansas City to meet the undercover officer’s purported 8-year-old niece and have her record the encounter. He sent images of child pornography to the undercover officer via social media from Aug. 22, 2022, through Nov. 9, 2022.On Dec. 14, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Manale’s residence and seized three cell phones. Two of the phones were hidden on top of the bathroom vanity, in a small space that was difficult to access. Investigators found 507 images and 154 videos of child pornography on those two cell phones.This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Los Angeles, Calif., Sheriff’s Department.

Physical therapist sent child porn to KCPD undercover officer

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A Shawnee County judge rejected a lawsuit from Aetna Better Health of Kansas, which sued the state earlier this year after it was passed over as one of Kansas’ three Medicaid insurance providers.

In a 50-page decision, Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke upheld the decision by Todd Herman, director of procurement and contracts in the Department of Administration, not to renew the contract for Medicaid services that Aetna has provided for the past five years.

The state announced in May that it selected three private companies, excluding Aetna, from seven bidders to provide coverage under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, beginning in January. In the state’s evaluation process, Aetna had tied for third with Healthy Blue. State officials destroyed documentation of scoring notes that were used by evaluators to inform their selection of Healthy Blue, a Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate, over Aetna.

In response, Aetna filed two lawsuits in Shawnee County District Court. One, filed in July and decided Oct. 1, challenged the decision itself. Another, filed in June, was an effort to challenge the state’s destruction of documents and awaits a ruling. The judge’s Oct. 1 decision came a day before the deadline for Aetna to notify its beneficiaries that it will no longer be a provider under KanCare.

Luedke wrote that the scoring process that evaluated each provider bidding for a multimillion dollar KanCare contract is “highly technical.”

“The Court is reluctant, and for the most part unable, to substitute its untutored judgment for that of the scoring officials,” Luedke wrote in his decision. “Nothing in Director Herman’s consideration of this issue was unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious.”

At a Sept. 17 hearing, Luedke likened the scoring notes to jury notes, which are commonly destroyed after a verdict is issued.

Court documents show Aetna beat out Healthy Blue in two evaluation areas, integrated whole person care and quality assurance, but the two had even scores overall. However, Healthy Blue topped Aetna in the remaining five categories. Handwritten notes showed decision-makers had concerns about Aetna’s “unresolved issues” in Kansas and other Medicaid states. But concerns were noted about Healthy Blue, too, including one that said it was “discouraging to see lack of initiative” from Healthy Blue.

The state signed contracts May 10 with Healthy Blue, United Healthcare and Sunflower Health Plan. Aetna then protested the decision, alleging the state used unstated and objective evaluation criteria, cherry-picked the criteria to break the tie between Aetna and Healthy Blue and ignored Healthy Blue’s alleged&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/26/kansas-legislative-committee-jumps-into-battle-over-selection-of-medicaid-contractors/">conflicts of interest</a>.

“The State’s method of evaluating these scores was well within the scope of its expertise and discretion,” Luedke wrote. “The way the review was conducted should have been no surprised (sic) to any of the bidders.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728494523637.jpeg" alt=" Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke upheld the state's decision to drop Aetna as a Medicaid services provider. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke upheld the state's decision to drop Aetna as a Medicaid services provider. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Shawnee County judge rejected a lawsuit from Aetna Better Health of Kansas, which sued the state earlier this year after it was passed over as one of Kansas’ three Medicaid insurance providers.In a 50-page decision, Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke upheld the decision by Todd Herman, director of procurement and contracts in the Department of Administration, not to renew the contract for Medicaid services that Aetna has provided for the past five years.The state announced in May that it selected three private companies, excluding Aetna, from seven bidders to provide coverage under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, beginning in January. In the state’s evaluation process, Aetna had tied for third with Healthy Blue. State officials destroyed documentation of scoring notes that were used by evaluators to inform their selection of Healthy Blue, a Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate, over Aetna.In response, Aetna filed two lawsuits in Shawnee County District Court. One, filed in July and decided Oct. 1, challenged the decision itself. Another, filed in June, was an effort to challenge the state’s destruction of documents and awaits a ruling. The judge’s Oct. 1 decision came a day before the deadline for Aetna to notify its beneficiaries that it will no longer be a provider under KanCare.Luedke wrote that the scoring process that evaluated each provider bidding for a multimillion dollar KanCare contract is “highly technical.”“The Court is reluctant, and for the most part unable, to substitute its untutored judgment for that of the scoring officials,” Luedke wrote in his decision. “Nothing in Director Herman’s consideration of this issue was unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious.”At a Sept. 17 hearing, Luedke likened the scoring notes to jury notes, which are commonly destroyed after a verdict is issued.Court documents show Aetna beat out Healthy Blue in two evaluation areas, integrated whole person care and quality assurance, but the two had even scores overall. However, Healthy Blue topped Aetna in the remaining five categories. Handwritten notes showed decision-makers had concerns about Aetna’s “unresolved issues” in Kansas and other Medicaid states. But concerns were noted about Healthy Blue, too, including one that said it was “discouraging to see lack of initiative” from Healthy Blue.The state signed contracts May 10 with Healthy Blue, United Healthcare and Sunflower Health Plan. Aetna then protested the decision, alleging the state used unstated and objective evaluation criteria, cherry-picked the criteria to break the tie between Aetna and Healthy Blue and ignored Healthy Blue’s alleged&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/26/kansas-legislative-committee-jumps-into-battle-over-selection-of-medicaid-contractors/">conflicts of interest</a>.“The State’s method of evaluating these scores was well within the scope of its expertise and discretion,” Luedke wrote. “The way the review was conducted should have been no surprised (sic) to any of the bidders.”

Aetna loses challenge of Kansas Medicaid contract process

By ALVARO PUIG Consumer Education Specialist

By ALVARO PUIG Consumer Education Specialist<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/10/ftc-takes-action-against-marriott-starwood-over-multiple-data-breaches">Marriott settled charges related to a data breach</a>&nbsp;that exposed the information of millions of guests. The company will take steps to better protect customers’ personal information. And it will give customers more control over their information.If you’re a Marriott customer, here’s what the settlement means for you:<ol>
 <li>You may ask Marriott to review your Bonvoy account for unauthorized, suspicious activity. If, after an investigation, Marriott determines your loyalty points were stolen through unauthorized access to your account, Marriott will restore your stolen points.</li><li>You may request through Marriott's website or mobile app the deletion of your personal information associated with your email address or Bonvoy account number.</li><li><a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/now-leaving?external_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marriott.com%2Fabout%2Fprivacy.mi&amp;back_url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsumer.ftc.gov%2Fconsumer-alerts%2F2024%2F10%2Fmarriott-data-breach-settlement-what-it-means-consumers%3Futm_source%3Dgovdelivery">Marriott’s privacy policy</a>&nbsp;must clearly state why it’s collecting your personal information and the business need for keeping it.</li><li>You can enable multi-factor authentication on your Bonvoy account to add an extra layer of security.</li>
 </ol>Additionally, Marriott will<ul>
 <li>put in place a comprehensive information security program that includes multi-factor authentication, encryption, and other safeguards</li><li>cooperate with third party audits of its information security program</li><li>only collect and keep personal information if it has a business need for it</li><li>only use the information it collects for the purpose for which it was collected</li><li>delete collected information when it no longer has a need for it</li><li>not use for marketing purposes information you asked Marriott to delete</li>
 </ul>To learn more about protecting yourself after a data breach, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.identitytheft.gov/Info-Lost-or-Stolen">IdentityTheft.gov</a>.

Kbct