SHAWNE COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 6:30a.m. Sunday in Shawnee County.

The Shawnee County Sheriff reported 74-year-old Charles Whitmarsh Jr., was the driver and sole occupant of a single vehicle involved in an accident near SE 93rd Street and SW U.S. 75 Highway.

The sheriff's office released no additional details.

SHAWNE COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 6:30a.m. Sunday in Shawnee County.The Shawnee County Sheriff reported 74-year-old Charles Whitmarsh Jr., was the driver and sole occupant of a single vehicle involved in an accident near SE 93rd Street and SW U.S. 75 Highway.The sheriff's office released no additional details.

Sheriff IDs Kansas man who died in crash

GARDNER, Kansas. –&nbsp;Ricardo Marin-Valadez, a minimum-custody resident of Johnson County Adult Residential Center (ARC) has been apprehended, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Marin-Valadez was taken into custody Sunday night by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. He was arrested without incident on the Kansas Department of Corrections escape warrant.

Marin-Valadez was placed on escape status after not reporting for his scheduled shift Friday morning or returning to the (ARC).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723306461184.png" alt="Marin-Valadez-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Marin-Valadez-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>GARDNER, Kansas. –&nbsp;Ricardo Marin-Valadez, a minimum-custody resident of Johnson County Adult Residential Center (ARC) has been apprehended, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Marin-Valadez was taken into custody Sunday night by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. He was arrested without incident on the Kansas Department of Corrections escape warrant.Marin-Valadez was placed on escape status after not reporting for his scheduled shift Friday morning or returning to the (ARC).

Police capture Kansas inmate who walked away from custody

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.

The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.

Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.

Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.

Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.

While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.

Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.

Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.

Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.

“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”

A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.

“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.

The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.

House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.

McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.

Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.

McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.

The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.

Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.

But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.

Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.

Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.

The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.

During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.

When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.

Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.

During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.

Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.

Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.

Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.

“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”

Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.

Members are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. But not much else is likely to move through as attention turns even more toward Nov. 5.

The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its spending bills for fiscal 2025 while the Senate committee has voted to send 11 to the floor. The two chambers, however, are working off very different spending levels and don’t seem inclined to conference their bills until after they learn who will control Congress next year.

The lame-duck session, which spans the time between the election and when the new Congress convenes, is scheduled to last five weeks spread through late November and December.

During that time, GOP leaders in the House and Democratic leaders in the Senate may seek to pass their overdue government funding bills and the annual defense policy bill.

There are several other bills that have passed one chamber or the other with bipartisan majorities or have strong bipartisan support through co-sponsors, which lawmakers could seek to move through to the president’s desk. But much of that will be determined by the outcome of the elections as well as whether there is any violence or unrest connected with the results.

Members of Congress interviewed by States Newsroom had varying answers for what they tell constituents back home about this Congress’ accomplishments.

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said that he speaks with voters about the laws enacted during the previous Congress, when Democrats had unified control of government, as well as this Congress.

“Well, first of all, I tend to talk about the sweep of accomplishments, right? Both this Congress but also the previous Congress where we were enormously productive, right?” Van Hollen said. “So usually I don’t limit it to that timeline.”

Van Hollen said he was optimistic that Congress would be able to complete its work on the dozen annual government funding bills later this year.

“Obviously, we’ve been able to adequately fund government agencies,” Van Hollen said. “So that may be a low bar, but in this divided Congress, it is something that I point to, because we’ve worked on the Appropriations Committee, at least in the Senate, to have bipartisan products.”

Kansas GOP Sen. Jerry Moran said he predominantly talks with constituents about his work as ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee.

“I talk about my own particular accomplishments as compared to bragging about Congress in general,” Moran said.

Much of the work that members do while in Washington, D.C., he said, doesn’t resonate with constituents who are focused on their own lives and families.

“No, I don’t think so,” Moran said. “Most people are paying specific attention to things that matter to them.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who faces a challenging reelection bid this November, said he tends to put more emphasis on the accomplishments of the upper chamber when talking with constituents back home.

“I think the Senate’s been a lot more productive than the House, but we’ll let voters sort that out,” Casey said.

While the Senate holds the advice and consent power to confirm certain presidential nominees, legislation must pass through both chambers of Congress and avoid the president’s veto pen, if it’s to become law.

Casey said there are several occasions where the House and Senate agreed on major issues, listing off the appropriations bills for the last fiscal year, the emergency spending package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies, and a bill to address fentanyl abuse.

“I think it’s a pretty long list and there’s still more work to do in the fall,” Casey said.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the number of days the chamber spends in session every week, saying the calendar has shortened during his decades in the chamber.

“When I came to the Senate 44 years ago, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 or 5 on Friday,” Grassley said.

The Senate typically comes into session around 3 p.m. on Monday, with its first vote at 5:30 p.m. The chamber usually holds its last vote of the week on Thursday around 1:45 p.m., with the vast majority of senators heading to cars to leave shortly afterward.

The House keeps to a similar four-day schedule, though its “fly-in day” is sometimes on Tuesday, pushing its “fly-out day” to Friday. That chamber takes its first vote of the week around 6:30 p.m. with its last vote before noon on the fourth day.

“There’s enough work for individual senators to do seven days a week if you want to work,” Grassley said. “But you can’t solve this country’s problems until you get 100 people together, and they’ve got to be together for more than two-and-a-half days a week.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614817353591.png" alt="File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.<h2>What is the problem?</h2>While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.<h2>Speaker drama set the tone</h2>The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.<h2>Senate border deal goes to pieces</h2>The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.<h2>Few laws passed</h2>The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”<h2>Lame-duck session on the way</h2>Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.Members are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. But not much else is likely to move through as attention turns even more toward Nov. 5.The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its spending bills for fiscal 2025 while the Senate committee has voted to send 11 to the floor. The two chambers, however, are working off very different spending levels and don’t seem inclined to conference their bills until after they learn who will control Congress next year.The lame-duck session, which spans the time between the election and when the new Congress convenes, is scheduled to last five weeks spread through late November and December.During that time, GOP leaders in the House and Democratic leaders in the Senate may seek to pass their overdue government funding bills and the annual defense policy bill.There are several other bills that have passed one chamber or the other with bipartisan majorities or have strong bipartisan support through co-sponsors, which lawmakers could seek to move through to the president’s desk. But much of that will be determined by the outcome of the elections as well as whether there is any violence or unrest connected with the results.<h2>How to explain it</h2>Members of Congress interviewed by States Newsroom had varying answers for what they tell constituents back home about this Congress’ accomplishments.Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said that he speaks with voters about the laws enacted during the previous Congress, when Democrats had unified control of government, as well as this Congress.“Well, first of all, I tend to talk about the sweep of accomplishments, right? Both this Congress but also the previous Congress where we were enormously productive, right?” Van Hollen said. “So usually I don’t limit it to that timeline.”Van Hollen said he was optimistic that Congress would be able to complete its work on the dozen annual government funding bills later this year.“Obviously, we’ve been able to adequately fund government agencies,” Van Hollen said. “So that may be a low bar, but in this divided Congress, it is something that I point to, because we’ve worked on the Appropriations Committee, at least in the Senate, to have bipartisan products.”Kansas GOP Sen. Jerry Moran said he predominantly talks with constituents about his work as ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee.“I talk about my own particular accomplishments as compared to bragging about Congress in general,” Moran said.Much of the work that members do while in Washington, D.C., he said, doesn’t resonate with constituents who are focused on their own lives and families.“No, I don’t think so,” Moran said. “Most people are paying specific attention to things that matter to them.”Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who faces a challenging reelection bid this November, said he tends to put more emphasis on the accomplishments of the upper chamber when talking with constituents back home.“I think the Senate’s been a lot more productive than the House, but we’ll let voters sort that out,” Casey said.While the Senate holds the advice and consent power to confirm certain presidential nominees, legislation must pass through both chambers of Congress and avoid the president’s veto pen, if it’s to become law.Casey said there are several occasions where the House and Senate agreed on major issues, listing off the appropriations bills for the last fiscal year, the emergency spending package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies, and a bill to address fentanyl abuse.“I think it’s a pretty long list and there’s still more work to do in the fall,” Casey said.<h2>More time at work?</h2>Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the number of days the chamber spends in session every week, saying the calendar has shortened during his decades in the chamber.“When I came to the Senate 44 years ago, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 or 5 on Friday,” Grassley said.The Senate typically comes into session around 3 p.m. on Monday, with its first vote at 5:30 p.m. The chamber usually holds its last vote of the week on Thursday around 1:45 p.m., with the vast majority of senators heading to cars to leave shortly afterward.The House keeps to a similar four-day schedule, though its “fly-in day” is sometimes on Tuesday, pushing its “fly-out day” to Friday. That chamber takes its first vote of the week around 6:30 p.m. with its last vote before noon on the fourth day.“There’s enough work for individual senators to do seven days a week if you want to work,” Grassley said. “But you can’t solve this country’s problems until you get 100 people together, and they’ve got to be together for more than two-and-a-half days a week.”

Congress limps toward the end of a disappointing session, with just 78 laws to show

MORGAN COUNTY —A Kansas man drowned at the Lake of the Ozarks over the weekend.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported Delphine M. Mwombeki, 33, Lenexa, was swimming in Raccoon Hollow Cove, located on the 0.3-mile mark of the Lake of the Ozark’s Gravois Arm, just before 6p.m. on Saturday.&nbsp; He jumped into the water from a dock and never resurfaced.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and released to Phillips Funeral home of Eldon. The&nbsp; patrol released no additional details.

MORGAN COUNTY —A Kansas man drowned at the Lake of the Ozarks over the weekend.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported Delphine M. Mwombeki, 33, Lenexa, was swimming in Raccoon Hollow Cove, located on the 0.3-mile mark of the Lake of the Ozark’s Gravois Arm, just before 6p.m. on Saturday.&nbsp; He jumped into the water from a dock and never resurfaced.He was pronounced dead at the scene and released to Phillips Funeral home of Eldon. The&nbsp; patrol released no additional details.

Kansas man drowns at Lake of the Ozarks

KANSAS CITY —Police are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 8p.m. Saturday, police responded to an ambulance en route call in the 1200 Block of Bellaire, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found a man in a vehicle with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced&nbsp; dead at the scene.

Police have not released details on a possible suspect or the name of the victim.

KANSAS CITY —Police are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 8p.m. Saturday, police responded to an ambulance en route call in the 1200 Block of Bellaire, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found a man in a vehicle with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced&nbsp; dead at the scene.Police have not released details on a possible suspect or the name of the victim.

KCPD: Victim found in vehicle with fatal gunshot wound

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area, the Defense Department said Sunday.

The moves come as the U.S. and other allies push for Israel and Hamas to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-08-09-2024-585d6a6e9dbe474083d3daec441e340c">achieve a cease-fire agreement</a>&nbsp;that could help calm soaring tensions in the region following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irsael-iran-haniyeh-short-range-projectile-hamas-9043aff344655cd253c3562c16622332">assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh</a>&nbsp;in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.

Officials have been on the lookout for retaliatory strikes by both Iran and Hezbollah for the killings, and the U.S. has been beefing up its presence in the region.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier in the day, and reiterated America’s commitment “to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.”

The Lincoln, which has been in the Asia Pacific, had already been ordered to the region to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group, which is scheduled to begin heading home from the Middle East. Last week, Austin said the Lincoln would arrive in the Central Command area by the end of the month.

It wasn’t clear Sunday what his latest order means, or how much more quickly the Lincoln will steam to the Middle East. The carrier has F-35 fighter jets aboard, along with the F/A-18 fighter aircraft that are also on carriers.

Ryder also did not say how quickly the USS Georgia guided missile submarine would get to the region.

He said Austin and Gallant also discussed Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the importance of mitigating civilian harm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706810871805.png" alt="File photo U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area, the Defense Department said Sunday.The moves come as the U.S. and other allies push for Israel and Hamas to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-08-09-2024-585d6a6e9dbe474083d3daec441e340c">achieve a cease-fire agreement</a>&nbsp;that could help calm soaring tensions in the region following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irsael-iran-haniyeh-short-range-projectile-hamas-9043aff344655cd253c3562c16622332">assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh</a>&nbsp;in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.Officials have been on the lookout for retaliatory strikes by both Iran and Hezbollah for the killings, and the U.S. has been beefing up its presence in the region.Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier in the day, and reiterated America’s commitment “to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.”The Lincoln, which has been in the Asia Pacific, had already been ordered to the region to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group, which is scheduled to begin heading home from the Middle East. Last week, Austin said the Lincoln would arrive in the Central Command area by the end of the month.It wasn’t clear Sunday what his latest order means, or how much more quickly the Lincoln will steam to the Middle East. The carrier has F-35 fighter jets aboard, along with the F/A-18 fighter aircraft that are also on carriers.Ryder also did not say how quickly the USS Georgia guided missile submarine would get to the region.He said Austin and Gallant also discussed Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the importance of mitigating civilian harm.

U.S. sending more weapons of war to the Middle East

BARBER COUNTY —The Silver Alert for 73-year-old David Reese remains active, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. He is still missing. Please keep an eye out for him or his vehicle, a white 2017 Chevy Silverado bearing Kansas tag 885NEW.

On Aug. 5, the Harper Police Department, the Barber County Sheriff’s Office, the Harper County Sheriff’s Office, the Elwood Township Fire, the Kansas Fire Marshall, Kiowa Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, Medicine Lodge Fire Department, Kiowa Fire Department, Barber County Rural Fire Department, and Barber County Emergency Management, conducted a search for Reese over 700 square miles in an 8-hour time frame.

The search utilized aircraft, multiple drones, vehicles, and off-road vehicles. The area searched was over half of Barber County surrounding the last known location of Reese which was near Little Mule and Hardtner Shortcut.

 No evidence of Reese or his vehicle were found. The search continues. If you own property in Barber or Harper County, you are asked to check your land for anything out of the ordinary.&nbsp;Reese is a white male who is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 250 pounds. He has brown eyes, a white beard, and is balding. He may be traveling with a chocolate Labrador retriever, and is likely wearing a baseball cap. Reese has diabetes, anxiety, and a condition impairing cognition and memory. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722706150273.png" alt="David Reese courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>David Reese courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BARBER COUNTY —The Silver Alert for 73-year-old David Reese remains active, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. He is still missing. Please keep an eye out for him or his vehicle, a white 2017 Chevy Silverado bearing Kansas tag 885NEW.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722939061343.png" alt="Photo Barber Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Barber Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>On Aug. 5, the Harper Police Department, the Barber County Sheriff’s Office, the Harper County Sheriff’s Office, the Elwood Township Fire, the Kansas Fire Marshall, Kiowa Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, Medicine Lodge Fire Department, Kiowa Fire Department, Barber County Rural Fire Department, and Barber County Emergency Management, conducted a search for Reese over 700 square miles in an 8-hour time frame.The search utilized aircraft, multiple drones, vehicles, and off-road vehicles. The area searched was over half of Barber County surrounding the last known location of Reese which was near Little Mule and Hardtner Shortcut. No evidence of Reese or his vehicle were found. The search continues. If you own property in Barber or Harper County, you are asked to check your land for anything out of the ordinary.&nbsp;Reese is a white male who is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 250 pounds. He has brown eyes, a white beard, and is balding. He may be traveling with a chocolate Labrador retriever, and is likely wearing a baseball cap. Reese has diabetes, anxiety, and a condition impairing cognition and memory.

After 9-days Silver Alert for Kansas man continues

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A stunt rider is going to prison for a fatal hit-and-run that killed a Kansas woman in 2023.

On Friday, a Sedgwick County judge sentenced 23-year-old Chase Faimon of Valley Center to 30-months in prison for the death of 48-year-old Kristine Sheffield, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In June pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of the accident.

Police arrested Faimon as part of a police Stunt Rider Project investigation.

On May 27, 2023 the Wichita Police Department Traffic Unit witnessed&nbsp; Faimon riding his motorcycle west on Waterman in Wichita doing a wheelie. Officers cautiously followed Faimon to the parking garage of Gander Mountain, contacted him, and placed him under arrest.

During the investigation, officers learned that Faimon had previously been charged with murder in the 2nd degree after hitting a pedestrian with his motorcycle.

In that case, Faimon was doing a wheelie down Broadway in Wichita when he struck the pedestrian identified as Sheffield and killed her.

Officers impounded the motorcycle that Faimon was riding.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676999156108.png" alt="photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A stunt rider is going to prison for a fatal hit-and-run that killed a Kansas woman in 2023.On Friday, a Sedgwick County judge sentenced 23-year-old Chase Faimon of Valley Center to 30-months in prison for the death of 48-year-old Kristine Sheffield, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In June pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of the accident.Police arrested Faimon as part of a police Stunt Rider Project investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723416591334.png" alt="Faimon was booked into jail again after the sentencing Friday-photo Sedgwick Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Faimon was booked into jail again after the sentencing Friday-photo Sedgwick Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>On May 27, 2023 the Wichita Police Department Traffic Unit witnessed&nbsp; Faimon riding his motorcycle west on Waterman in Wichita doing a wheelie. Officers cautiously followed Faimon to the parking garage of Gander Mountain, contacted him, and placed him under arrest.During the investigation, officers learned that Faimon had previously been charged with murder in the 2nd degree after hitting a pedestrian with his motorcycle.In that case, Faimon was doing a wheelie down Broadway in Wichita when he struck the pedestrian identified as Sheffield and killed her.Officers impounded the motorcycle that Faimon was riding.&nbsp;&nbsp;-----------

Prison for stunt rider after hit-and-run that killed Kansas woman

KANSAS CITY– A&nbsp; Kansas City area man was sentenced in federal court last week for a sextortion scheme in which he threatened victims, including minors, to extort them into sending him pornographic images and videos of themselves.

Marek Redding, 20, Lee's Summit, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Redding to 25 years of supervised release following incarceration. Redding will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On April 9, 2024, Redding pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of extortion.

Redding, using a fake female persona on the Snapchat app, received nude photographs from multiple females, including minors. According to court documents, some victims reported that Redding threatened to distribute or publicly post their images if they did not continue sending nude images, some of which constituted child pornography.

Redding admitted that he induced two minor victims to produce child pornography in January 2022 and March 2022, and that he distributed the child pornography. Redding also admitted that he transmitted threats to injure the reputation of an adult victim in April 2022 in order to obtain more photographs from the victim.

According to court documents, the adult victim told investigators she had sent nude images to Redding. When she attempted to stop, Redding threatened to disclose her images to her family, school, and employer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599845246253.png" alt="Snapchat" />
 <figcaption>Snapchat</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A&nbsp; Kansas City area man was sentenced in federal court last week for a sextortion scheme in which he threatened victims, including minors, to extort them into sending him pornographic images and videos of themselves.Marek Redding, 20, Lee's Summit, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Redding to 25 years of supervised release following incarceration. Redding will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.On April 9, 2024, Redding pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of extortion.Redding, using a fake female persona on the Snapchat app, received nude photographs from multiple females, including minors. According to court documents, some victims reported that Redding threatened to distribute or publicly post their images if they did not continue sending nude images, some of which constituted child pornography.Redding admitted that he induced two minor victims to produce child pornography in January 2022 and March 2022, and that he distributed the child pornography. Redding also admitted that he transmitted threats to injure the reputation of an adult victim in April 2022 in order to obtain more photographs from the victim.According to court documents, the adult victim told investigators she had sent nude images to Redding. When she attempted to stop, Redding threatened to disclose her images to her family, school, and employer.

KC area man admits role in child porn, sextortion scheme

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on drug and theft allegations.

On August 8, 2024, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit served a search warrant in the 2500 Block SE Illinois Avenue in Topeka related to an ongoing investigation, according to Topeka Police&nbsp; LT Ronnie Connell.

While conducting the search warrant, officers located fentanyl, methamphetamine, stolen property and drug paraphernalia.

As a result police arrested 51-year-old&nbsp; Amy Jensen; 40-year-old Jerry Lewis and 36-year-old&nbsp; Cameron Laska.

&nbsp;Jensen is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Distribution of Fentanyl, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Drug Tax,&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution/Possession with intent of drug paraphernalia and&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

&nbsp;Lewis is being held on requested charges of Possession of stolen property,&nbsp;Theft and&nbsp;Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Laska is accused of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723234432912.png" alt="Jensen photo Shawnee&nbsp; Co." />
 <figcaption>Jensen photo Shawnee&nbsp; Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on drug and theft allegations.On August 8, 2024, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit served a search warrant in the 2500 Block SE Illinois Avenue in Topeka related to an ongoing investigation, according to Topeka Police&nbsp; LT Ronnie Connell.While conducting the search warrant, officers located fentanyl, methamphetamine, stolen property and drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723234715100.png" alt="Laska photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Laska photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>As a result police arrested 51-year-old&nbsp; Amy Jensen; 40-year-old Jerry Lewis and 36-year-old&nbsp; Cameron Laska.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723234755571.png" alt="Lewis photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Lewis photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Jensen is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Distribution of Fentanyl, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Drug Tax,&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution/Possession with intent of drug paraphernalia and&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.&nbsp;Lewis is being held on requested charges of Possession of stolen property,&nbsp;Theft and&nbsp;Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.Laska is accused of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Police: Suspects were selling fentanyl, meth from Kansas home

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

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education said last week it will use a phased rollout to launch the 2025-26 form to apply for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/dont-give-fafsa-advocates-student-financial-aid-urge" target="_blank">federal financial student aid</a>, which will make the application fully available two months later than usual.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as FAFSA — will be available to hundreds of students on Oct. 1, gradually ramping up to be available to all by Dec. 1. The staggered approach is an attempt to fix any issues before the form is open to everyone.

The phased rollout came after the 2024-25 form, which got a makeover following Congress passing the FAFSA Simplification Act in late 2020, witnessed its share of hiccups and glitches during the soft launch in December and past the official debut in January.

Though advocates expressed concerns regarding the form’s failure to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/24/politics/fafsa-inflation-fix-income/index.html" target="_blank">adjust for inflation</a>, its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/miscalculation-in-fafsa-formula-is-another-unforced-error" target="_blank">formula miscalculation</a>&nbsp;and its&nbsp;<a href="https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/electronic-announcements/2024-04-01/update-tax-data-received-fa-ddx-and-manually-entered-information" target="_blank">tax data errors</a>, which prompted processing delays, the department has worked to fix these issues.

“As we rolled out the 2024-2025 FAFSA cycle, we met various challenges in its first year,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said during a call with reporters Wednesday.

Cardona said “these challenges — rooted in a federal student aid department that was also in desperate need of modernization — resulted in frustration for many students, families, education leaders and policy makers from the Hill.”

The Education secretary added that over the last 10 months, the department has “spent lots of time with these stakeholders to ensure their experience and their input influences our work moving forward,” noting that the new rollout process reflects the extensive feedback the department has received.

Jeremy Singer, who leads FAFSA strategy within the department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-announces-jeremy-singer-fafsa-executive-advisor-office-federal-student-aid" target="_blank">Office of Federal Student Aid</a>, said hundreds of students will participate in the testing period beginning Oct. 1.

Singer said that availability will expand to thousands of students in mid-October and then to tens of thousands of students in early November, all prior to the form opening up to all students and families by Dec. 1.

Hearing from many students, families, schools and organizations, Singer said some of the most common demands included a concrete launch timeline and ability to track progress on that timeline, the launch of a form that’s fully functioning and assurance that there will be no major defects once the form is launched.

Senior department officials said states and schools have told them that no determination of financial aid will be made before the system opens for all students in December.

U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal, who oversees higher education and financial aid, including the&nbsp; Office of Federal Student Aid, said that in March, the department received nearly 40% fewer FAFSAs than they had on the same date a year prior.

But now that gap is under 4% and they “continue to close it every week,” Kvaal said.

The department is inviting volunteers to take part in the testing period and said it will release more information in the coming weeks on how students and other partners can get involved in this initial process.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700516528497.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education said last week it will use a phased rollout to launch the 2025-26 form to apply for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/dont-give-fafsa-advocates-student-financial-aid-urge" target="_blank">federal financial student aid</a>, which will make the application fully available two months later than usual.The Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as FAFSA — will be available to hundreds of students on Oct. 1, gradually ramping up to be available to all by Dec. 1. The staggered approach is an attempt to fix any issues before the form is open to everyone.The phased rollout came after the 2024-25 form, which got a makeover following Congress passing the FAFSA Simplification Act in late 2020, witnessed its share of hiccups and glitches during the soft launch in December and past the official debut in January.Though advocates expressed concerns regarding the form’s failure to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/24/politics/fafsa-inflation-fix-income/index.html" target="_blank">adjust for inflation</a>, its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/miscalculation-in-fafsa-formula-is-another-unforced-error" target="_blank">formula miscalculation</a>&nbsp;and its&nbsp;<a href="https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/electronic-announcements/2024-04-01/update-tax-data-received-fa-ddx-and-manually-entered-information" target="_blank">tax data errors</a>, which prompted processing delays, the department has worked to fix these issues.“As we rolled out the 2024-2025 FAFSA cycle, we met various challenges in its first year,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said during a call with reporters Wednesday.Cardona said “these challenges — rooted in a federal student aid department that was also in desperate need of modernization — resulted in frustration for many students, families, education leaders and policy makers from the Hill.”The Education secretary added that over the last 10 months, the department has “spent lots of time with these stakeholders to ensure their experience and their input influences our work moving forward,” noting that the new rollout process reflects the extensive feedback the department has received.Jeremy Singer, who leads FAFSA strategy within the department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-announces-jeremy-singer-fafsa-executive-advisor-office-federal-student-aid" target="_blank">Office of Federal Student Aid</a>, said hundreds of students will participate in the testing period beginning Oct. 1.Singer said that availability will expand to thousands of students in mid-October and then to tens of thousands of students in early November, all prior to the form opening up to all students and families by Dec. 1.Hearing from many students, families, schools and organizations, Singer said some of the most common demands included a concrete launch timeline and ability to track progress on that timeline, the launch of a form that’s fully functioning and assurance that there will be no major defects once the form is launched.Senior department officials said states and schools have told them that no determination of financial aid will be made before the system opens for all students in December.U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal, who oversees higher education and financial aid, including the&nbsp; Office of Federal Student Aid, said that in March, the department received nearly 40% fewer FAFSAs than they had on the same date a year prior.But now that gap is under 4% and they “continue to close it every week,” Kvaal said.The department is inviting volunteers to take part in the testing period and said it will release more information in the coming weeks on how students and other partners can get involved in this initial process.

U.S. Education Department to gradually roll out new FAFSA form by Dec. 1

MCCONNELL&nbsp;AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;McConnell&nbsp;Air Force Base is adding extra horsepower to the 2024 Frontiers in Flight Airshow with the addition of the Budweiser Clydesdales­&nbsp;alongside Folds of Honor, according to a media release.

The Budweiser Clydesdales have served as iconic brand symbols for over 90 years, and since 1933, they’ve appeared at a number of events across the nation, from the Rose Parade to 2023’s Riverfest in Wichita. This year, they also starred in their 46th Super Bowl commercial.

At&nbsp;McConnell, the horses, handlers and Dalmatians will make Hangar 1111 their temporary headquarters, which is on the southern end of the airshow area. The Clydesdale hitch will pass by airshow attendees prior to the start of flying activity at approximately 11:30 a.m. each day of the airshow.

The Clydesdales’ visit is part of Anheuser-Busch and Budweiser’s nationwide tour to celebrate 14 years of partnership with Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides life-changing educational scholarships to the families of fallen or disabled U.S. service members and first responders.

The Frontiers in Flight airshow is free to attend and runs Aug. 24-25 at&nbsp;McConnell&nbsp;Air Force Base. The airshow features performances by the Navy Blue Angels and a host of other aerial acts. For more on the airshow, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.frontiersinflight.com/" target="_blank">www.frontiersinflight.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723306852448.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>MCCONNELL&nbsp;AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;McConnell&nbsp;Air Force Base is adding extra horsepower to the 2024 Frontiers in Flight Airshow with the addition of the Budweiser Clydesdales­&nbsp;alongside Folds of Honor, according to a media release.The Budweiser Clydesdales have served as iconic brand symbols for over 90 years, and since 1933, they’ve appeared at a number of events across the nation, from the Rose Parade to 2023’s Riverfest in Wichita. This year, they also starred in their 46th Super Bowl commercial.At&nbsp;McConnell, the horses, handlers and Dalmatians will make Hangar 1111 their temporary headquarters, which is on the southern end of the airshow area. The Clydesdale hitch will pass by airshow attendees prior to the start of flying activity at approximately 11:30 a.m. each day of the airshow.The Clydesdales’ visit is part of Anheuser-Busch and Budweiser’s nationwide tour to celebrate 14 years of partnership with Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides life-changing educational scholarships to the families of fallen or disabled U.S. service members and first responders.The Frontiers in Flight airshow is free to attend and runs Aug. 24-25 at&nbsp;McConnell&nbsp;Air Force Base. The airshow features performances by the Navy Blue Angels and a host of other aerial acts. For more on the airshow, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.frontiersinflight.com/" target="_blank">www.frontiersinflight.com</a>.

 Kansas Air Force Base adds major horsepower to airshow

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a burglary have captured a suspect.

Just after 3p.m. Thursday, police responded to a reported traffic-related call for service in the 2900 block of SW 31st Court in Topeka, according tp Police Captain Jerry Monasmith. 

&nbsp;At the scene, officers identified the individual involved as Shawn M. Ward, 26, of Topeka, who is a suspect in an ongoing aggravated burglary and auto theft investigation.

Officers attempted to initiate a car stop, but Ward failed to comply. Additional units were requested to assist. After a brief period, Ward was taken into custody without further incident.

As a result of the investigation, Ward was arrested and transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated burglary, Misdemeanor theft from a Building, Felony theft of a motor vehicle, Criminal use of a financial card, Criminal Trespass and Felony obstruction; interference with a Law Enforcement Officer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723235082950.png" alt="Ward -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ward -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a burglary have captured a suspect.Just after 3p.m. Thursday, police responded to a reported traffic-related call for service in the 2900 block of SW 31st Court in Topeka, according tp Police Captain Jerry Monasmith. &nbsp;At the scene, officers identified the individual involved as Shawn M. Ward, 26, of Topeka, who is a suspect in an ongoing aggravated burglary and auto theft investigation.Officers attempted to initiate a car stop, but Ward failed to comply. Additional units were requested to assist. After a brief period, Ward was taken into custody without further incident.As a result of the investigation, Ward was arrested and transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated burglary, Misdemeanor theft from a Building, Felony theft of a motor vehicle, Criminal use of a financial card, Criminal Trespass and Felony obstruction; interference with a Law Enforcement Officer.

Police captured burglary suspect at scene of car crash

KANSAS CITY—A man drowned in a pond a Kansas City area pond on Saturday.

Just after 5:30p.m., the Kansas City Fire Department responded to a water rescue call at 12701 E. 150 highway, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Witnesses stated that two individuals in a canoe on the pond overturned. One victim, an eight year old was able to make their way back to the bank and was safe.

 The second victim, a 23-year-old Hispanic male was not able to swim to shore. The victim was overcome and drowned. KCFD put swimmers in the water and searched the last known location. 

Missouri Highway Patrol was notified, and a water patrol boat was sent to the location to search with sonar. KCFD also called in their search dog. The dog quickly hit on area where the witnesses stated the individual was last seen. 

The Highway patrol then was able to ID the victim on sonar and retrieve the body. Neither the survivor or the victim were wearing life jackets. 

The KCFD stressed to the public to "wear a life jacket any time you are in a body of water where you can not see the bottom, and if you are not a strong swimmer or cannot swim."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723378703298.png" alt="KCFD crews on the scene of the search -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>KCFD crews on the scene of the search -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A man drowned in a pond a Kansas City area pond on Saturday.Just after 5:30p.m., the Kansas City Fire Department responded to a water rescue call at 12701 E. 150 highway, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.Witnesses stated that two individuals in a canoe on the pond overturned. One victim, an eight year old was able to make their way back to the bank and was safe. The second victim, a 23-year-old Hispanic male was not able to swim to shore. The victim was overcome and drowned. KCFD put swimmers in the water and searched the last known location. Missouri Highway Patrol was notified, and a water patrol boat was sent to the location to search with sonar. KCFD also called in their search dog. The dog quickly hit on area where the witnesses stated the individual was last seen. The Highway patrol then was able to ID the victim on sonar and retrieve the body. Neither the survivor or the victim were wearing life jackets. The KCFD stressed to the public to "wear a life jacket any time you are in a body of water where you can not see the bottom, and if you are not a strong swimmer or cannot swim."

Man drowns in Kansas City area pond when canoe overturns

PARIS (AP) — U.S. Olympic officials say they will appeal a court ruling that resulted in American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles being asked to return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) voided an on-floor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">appeal by Chiles' coach</a>&nbsp;that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the 1-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Barbosu to third. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling Sunday, announcing that it was reallocating the bronze from last Monday’s women’s floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu.

“We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee statement said.

CAS ruled Saturday that Team USA coach Cecile Landi's inquiry to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the FIG. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.

The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the USOPC regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.

“The initial error occurred in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision,” said the USOPC statement, which was released Sunday.

It was unclear the exact process the appeal would take first. The two potential places the USOPC could take the appeal would be to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights.

CAS wrote Saturday that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth. The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking “in accordance with the above decision,” but left it up to the federation to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.

The FIG said it was the IOC’s call on whether to reallocate the medal. The IOC confirmed Sunday it would respect FIG's decision and seek to have Chiles' medal returned.

The rapid turn of events adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes.

Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.

“I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nadiacomaneci10/status/1820483816848605506">posted on X</a>&nbsp;earlier in the week.

Comaneci, at the same time, criticized the judges for the way they scored Maneca-Voinea’s routine — the gymnast was docked 0.1 points for stepping out of bounds, but viral replays showed she narrowly stayed inbounds. Comaneci urged the Romanian Olympic Committee to protest, which it did, but CAS denied that appeal.

Chiles hinted at the decision in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanchiles/">Instagram story</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”

Jazmin Chiles, Jordan's sister, said on Instagram that Chiles was stripped of a medal “not because she wasn't good enough. But because the judges failed to give her difficulty and forced an inquiry to be made.”

U.S. teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian.

"Sending you so much love Jordan,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/simonebiles/?hl=en">American star Simone Biles posted on Instagram</a>. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”

“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunisalee/?hl=en">six-time Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee</a>&nbsp;added on Instagram. “Completely unacceptable, this is awful and I’m gutted for jordan.”

USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Saturday it is “devastated” by the ruling.

“The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organization wrote.

Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in the floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker — a higher execution score — and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.

Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score was announced.

“At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,‘” Landi said after the awards ceremony. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’”

Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.

Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.

“I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”

Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was “tired” of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.

“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” Gina Chiles posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”

The uncertainty also tinges what had been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-biles-andrade-02e953a669403456aeaf3aee9cf40457">beautiful moment</a>&nbsp;on the medal stand, when Chiles and Biles knelt to honor Andrade after the Brazilian star won her fourth medal in Paris.

“It was just the right thing to do,” Biles said about a moment that soon went viral, with even the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MuseeLouvre/status/1820468503910261176">Louvre</a>&nbsp;itself suggesting it might be worthy enough for a spot somewhere in the vicinity of the Mona Lisa.

That memory now carries a complicated and emotional postscript.

PARIS (AP) — American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles must return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise after sport's highest court voided an on-floor appeal by Chiles' coach that vaulted Chiles to third, the International Olympic Committee confirmed Sunday.

The IOC announced early Sunday it was reallocating the bronze from last Monday's women's floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu after the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Barbosu to third.

The decision came less than 24 hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">voided a scoring appeal</a>&nbsp;made by Team USA coach Cecile Landi during the competition that placed Chiles on the podium.

CAS ruled Saturday that Landi's appeal to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the FIG. The ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.

The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721752151522.png" alt="FILE -&nbsp; (AP Photo/Thibault Campus, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE -&nbsp; (AP Photo/Thibault Campus, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>PARIS (AP) — U.S. Olympic officials say they will appeal a court ruling that resulted in American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles being asked to return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">USA Gymnastics has submitted additional evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. <a href="https://t.co/GOKymbAtcq">pic.twitter.com/GOKymbAtcq</a>&mdash; USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAGym/status/1822724122951991331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) voided an on-floor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">appeal by Chiles' coach</a>&nbsp;that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the 1-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Barbosu to third. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling Sunday, announcing that it was reallocating the bronze from last Monday’s women’s floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Forever THAT GIRL ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/U6ylsOxSuK">pic.twitter.com/U6ylsOxSuK</a>&mdash; Team USA (@TeamUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1822604940147118222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee statement said.CAS ruled Saturday that Team USA coach Cecile Landi's inquiry to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the FIG. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the USOPC regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.“The initial error occurred in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision,” said the USOPC statement, which was released Sunday.It was unclear the exact process the appeal would take first. The two potential places the USOPC could take the appeal would be to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights.CAS wrote Saturday that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth. The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking “in accordance with the above decision,” but left it up to the federation to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.The FIG said it was the IOC’s call on whether to reallocate the medal. The IOC confirmed Sunday it would respect FIG's decision and seek to have Chiles' medal returned.The rapid turn of events adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes.Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.“I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nadiacomaneci10/status/1820483816848605506">posted on X</a>&nbsp;earlier in the week.Comaneci, at the same time, criticized the judges for the way they scored Maneca-Voinea’s routine — the gymnast was docked 0.1 points for stepping out of bounds, but viral replays showed she narrowly stayed inbounds. Comaneci urged the Romanian Olympic Committee to protest, which it did, but CAS denied that appeal.Chiles hinted at the decision in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanchiles/">Instagram story</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”Jazmin Chiles, Jordan's sister, said on Instagram that Chiles was stripped of a medal “not because she wasn't good enough. But because the judges failed to give her difficulty and forced an inquiry to be made.”U.S. teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian."Sending you so much love Jordan,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/simonebiles/?hl=en">American star Simone Biles posted on Instagram</a>. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunisalee/?hl=en">six-time Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee</a>&nbsp;added on Instagram. “Completely unacceptable, this is awful and I’m gutted for jordan.”USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Saturday it is “devastated” by the ruling.“The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organization wrote.Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in the floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker — a higher execution score — and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score was announced.“At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,‘” Landi said after the awards ceremony. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’”Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.“I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was “tired” of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” Gina Chiles posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”The uncertainty also tinges what had been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-biles-andrade-02e953a669403456aeaf3aee9cf40457">beautiful moment</a>&nbsp;on the medal stand, when Chiles and Biles knelt to honor Andrade after the Brazilian star won her fourth medal in Paris.“It was just the right thing to do,” Biles said about a moment that soon went viral, with even the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MuseeLouvre/status/1820468503910261176">Louvre</a>&nbsp;itself suggesting it might be worthy enough for a spot somewhere in the vicinity of the Mona Lisa.That memory now carries a complicated and emotional postscript.___PARIS (AP) — American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles must return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise after sport's highest court voided an on-floor appeal by Chiles' coach that vaulted Chiles to third, the International Olympic Committee confirmed Sunday.The IOC announced early Sunday it was reallocating the bronze from last Monday's women's floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu after the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Barbosu to third.The decision came less than 24 hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">voided a scoring appeal</a>&nbsp;made by Team USA coach Cecile Landi during the competition that placed Chiles on the podium.CAS ruled Saturday that Landi's appeal to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the FIG. The ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Forever THAT GIRL ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/U6ylsOxSuK">pic.twitter.com/U6ylsOxSuK</a>&mdash; Team USA (@TeamUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1822604940147118222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.CAS wrote Saturday that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth. The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking “in accordance with the above decision,” but left it up to the federation to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.The FIG said it was the IOC’s call on whether to reallocate the medal. The IOC confirmed Sunday it would respect FIG's decision and seek to have Chiles' medal returned.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joint Statement from USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic &amp; Paralympic Committee regarding the CAS decision on the women’s floor final: CAS Decision: <a href="https://t.co/KR6DYsfxEk">https://t.co/KR6DYsfxEk</a> <a href="https://t.co/r1e6QKmKA4">pic.twitter.com/r1e6QKmKA4</a>&mdash; USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAGym/status/1822320407589929220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The rapid turn of events adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes.Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.“I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nadiacomaneci10/status/1820483816848605506">posted on X</a>&nbsp;earlier in the week.Comaneci, at the same time, criticized the judges for the way they scored Maneca-Voinea’s routine — the gymnast was docked 0.1 points for stepping out of bounds, but viral replays showed she narrowly stayed inbounds. Comaneci urged the Romanian Olympic Committee to protest, which it did, but CAS denied that appeal.Chiles hinted at the decision in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanchiles/">Instagram story</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”Jazmin Chiles, Jordan's sister, said on Instagram that Chiles was stripped of a medal “not because she wasn't good enough. But because the judges failed to give her difficulty and forced an inquiry to be made.”U.S. teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian."Sending you so much love Jordan,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/simonebiles/?hl=en">American star Simone Biles posted on Instagram</a>. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunisalee/?hl=en">six-time Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee</a>&nbsp;added on Instagram. “Completely unacceptable, this is awful and I’m gutted for jordan.”USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Saturday it is “devastated” by the ruling.“The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organization wrote.Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in the floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker — a higher execution score — and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score was announced.“At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,‘” Landi said after the awards ceremony. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’”Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.“I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was “tired” of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” Gina Chiles posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”The uncertainty also tinges what had been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-biles-andrade-02e953a669403456aeaf3aee9cf40457">beautiful moment</a>&nbsp;on the medal stand, when Chiles and Biles knelt to honor Andrade after the Brazilian star won her fourth medal in Paris.“It was just the right thing to do,” Biles said about a moment that soon went viral, with even the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MuseeLouvre/status/1820468503910261176">Louvre</a>&nbsp;itself suggesting it might be worthy enough for a spot somewhere in the vicinity of the Mona Lisa.That memory now carries a complicated and emotional postscript.___