Denton Loudermill, falsely accused on social media of being the shooter on Feb. 14 has once again sued state Sens. Rick Brattin, Denny Hoskins and Nick Schroer for defamation and invasion of privacy

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>

Three Republican Missouri state senators — including one running for secretary of state — are once again being sued by the man they incorrectly identified in social media posts as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-d9f4466b69cbb2dfe0f007414aebe730" target="_blank">being the shooter</a>&nbsp;at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory celebration.

Denton Loudermill of Olathe, Kansas, filed lawsuits Thursday against state Sens. Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville and Nick Schroer of Defiance. In the individual lawsuits, each is accused of violating Loudermill’s privacy and libeling him with their posts.&nbsp;

Hoskins is the GOP nominee for secretary of state. Brattin is seeking re-election in the 31st Senate District. Schroer, who won his seat in the Senate in 2022, is not on the ballot this year.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Similar lawsuits against all three men&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/21/judge-dismisses-case-against-missouri-senators-over-chiefs-parade-shooting-posts/">were dismissed Oct. 21</a>&nbsp;in Kansas federal court when U.S. District Judge John Broomes ruled he did not have jurisdiction over Brattin, Hoskins and Schroer.

In the more than nine months since the Feb. 14 victory parade and pep rally, people have not stopped making him feel uncomfortable, Loudermill said in a news conference with one of his attorneys, LaRonna Lassiter Saunders.

“They come through looking at me, on video on their phone, saying ‘yeah, that’s him,” he said. “That worries me sometimes.”

In an interview with The Independent, Lassiter Saunders said she believes the jurisdictional issue is solved with the new filing. It was important to refile the cases quickly, she said, because the legal nuances could be missed by a public that has only heard the cases were dismissed.

“It’s reported that the case gets tossed, then they’re thinking, there’s some merit to the Missouri senators position,” Lassiter Saunders said.

Hoskins, reached via text message, declined to respond to the new filing.

“I have not been served and I have no comment at this time,” he said.

Brattin and Schroer did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Like thousands of other regional residents, Loudermill went to Union Station in Kansas City for the pep rally that followed the Chiefs’ victory parade after this year’s Super Bowl. As the crowd was departing, an argument in the crowd resulted in gunfire.

The shooting at the end of the victory celebration left one person dead and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/17/kansas-city-super-bowl-rally-shooting-victims-pick-up-pieces-but-gun-violence-haunts-their-lives/">at least 24 people injured</a>.

Loudermill, who was born in Kansas and lives there now, was detained briefly because he was too slow to leave the area of the shooting, he told The Independent earlier this year.

A photo of him, seated, with his hands restrained behind his back, was posted on X, formally known as Twitter, by an account with the name Deep Truth Intel. That post incorrectly identified him with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68353305" target="_blank">name associated with misinformation</a>&nbsp;posted after other shootings and said he was an undocumented immigrant.

Soon after that initial social media post, the Missouri Freedom Caucus, Hoskins, Brattin, Schroer and U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, posted their own versions, some with the photo, some without. Burchett’s post said he was one of the shooters and referred to him as an “illegal alien.”

Burchett later deleted the tweet but included a screenshot of it&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/timburchett/status/1759645965445636470?s=20" target="_blank">that is still visible</a>&nbsp;in a separate post.

A lawsuit filed against Burchett in Kansas was also dismissed because of jurisdictional issues. Lassiter Saunders said Thursday that she is working with attorneys in the Washington, D.C., area to refile the case against Burchett.

“He is not off the hook,” she said.&nbsp;

Hoskins’ version on social media shared a screenshot of the initial anonymous post and blamed President Joe Biden and political leaders of Kansas City for making the shooting possible.

Brattin’s first post linking Loudermill to the shooting, since deleted, demanded “#POTUS CLOSE THE BORDER” and incorporated the deleted anonymous post that kicked everything off.

Schroer was the least certain post about the immigration and arrest status of Loudermill among the three.

Schroer’s post included a link to one from Burchett stating, over Loudermill’s photo, that “One of the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade shooters has been identified as an illegal Alien.”

“Can we get any confirmation or denial of this from local officials or law enforcement?” Schroer wrote. “I’ve been sent videos or stills showing at least 6 different people arrested from yesterday but officially told only 3 still in custody. The people deserve answers.”

In the complaint filed against Brattin, attorneys wrote that the lawmakers had no reason to make the comments directed at Loudermill.

“The publication of the false representation that plaintiff was an ‘illegal alien’ and a ‘shooter’ was not made in good faith nor was it made by (Brattin) with any legitimate interest in making or duty to make such assertions,” the filing states.

In the Kansas cases, the lawmakers were represented by Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who raised both the jurisdictional objections and claims that the senators were acting in their official capacity when they made their posts on social media. Therefore, the filings stated, they are protected by “legislative immunity.”&nbsp;

When the case was dismissed, Bailey put out a statement saying it was a victory for keeping “questions of Missouri law…in Missouri courts.”

Bailey’s office did not respond immediately to an email asking if the office would again provide representation. Lassiter Saunders said the attorney general should not take the case again.

“I would hope not, but given the track record of the attorney general doing as he pleases, it’s a possibility,” Lassiter Saunders said.

Bailey’s participation in the case generated its own dispute. In a May letter to the commissioner of the Office of Administration, the state agency that certifies payments from Missouri’s legal expense fund, Gov. Mike Parson wrote that no payments related to the lawsuits should be certified “without my approval or a court order.”

Bailey’s claim of legislative immunity is based in the Missouri Constitution’s provisions on legislative privileges. Along with being immune from arrest for minor offenses while the General Assembly is in session, members also “<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++19&amp;bid=36212&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">shall not be questioned</a>&nbsp;for any speech or debate in either house in any other place.”

Social media posts are not statements or speeches made during debates in the chambers, Lassiter Saunders said.

“It wasn’t legitimate legislative activity,” she said. “They were following this story like hundreds of thousands of other people seeing tweets, retweeting, and we don’t believe it was the same.

The lawsuit seeks to vindicate a core American principle, the right to be let alone, Lassiter Saunders said.

“I would like to refocus the attention from politics to the principle of, private citizens should have the right to live their lives privately,” she said. “The elected officials need to be mindful and do a better job of not just speaking out because they have the authority to do so.”

The lawsuit states that because of the hostility of some people in the public, Loudermill has “injuries and actual damages including mental distress, sleeplessness, anxiety, and agitation.”

“I’m just getting all the attention still,” he said. “ I just want them to pay for that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730420656214.png" alt="Denton Loudermill, right, appears with his attorney, LaRonna Lassiter Saunders, at an online news conference held Thursday to discuss his new defamation lawsuits against three Missouri state senators. (Screenshot via Zoom)" />
 <figcaption>Denton Loudermill, right, appears with his attorney, LaRonna Lassiter Saunders, at an online news conference held Thursday to discuss his new defamation lawsuits against three Missouri state senators. (Screenshot via Zoom)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Denton Loudermill, falsely accused on social media of being the shooter on Feb. 14 has once again sued state Sens. Rick Brattin, Denny Hoskins and Nick Schroer for defamation and invasion of privacy</h2>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>Three Republican Missouri state senators — including one running for secretary of state — are once again being sued by the man they incorrectly identified in social media posts as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-d9f4466b69cbb2dfe0f007414aebe730" target="_blank">being the shooter</a>&nbsp;at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory celebration.Denton Loudermill of Olathe, Kansas, filed lawsuits Thursday against state Sens. Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville and Nick Schroer of Defiance. In the individual lawsuits, each is accused of violating Loudermill’s privacy and libeling him with their posts.&nbsp;Hoskins is the GOP nominee for secretary of state. Brattin is seeking re-election in the 31st Senate District. Schroer, who won his seat in the Senate in 2022, is not on the ballot this year.The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Similar lawsuits against all three men&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/21/judge-dismisses-case-against-missouri-senators-over-chiefs-parade-shooting-posts/">were dismissed Oct. 21</a>&nbsp;in Kansas federal court when U.S. District Judge John Broomes ruled he did not have jurisdiction over Brattin, Hoskins and Schroer.In the more than nine months since the Feb. 14 victory parade and pep rally, people have not stopped making him feel uncomfortable, Loudermill said in a news conference with one of his attorneys, LaRonna Lassiter Saunders.Loudermill works at a car wash.“They come through looking at me, on video on their phone, saying ‘yeah, that’s him,” he said. “That worries me sometimes.”In an interview with The Independent, Lassiter Saunders said she believes the jurisdictional issue is solved with the new filing. It was important to refile the cases quickly, she said, because the legal nuances could be missed by a public that has only heard the cases were dismissed.“It’s reported that the case gets tossed, then they’re thinking, there’s some merit to the Missouri senators position,” Lassiter Saunders said.Hoskins, reached via text message, declined to respond to the new filing.“I have not been served and I have no comment at this time,” he said.Brattin and Schroer did not respond to messages seeking comment.Like thousands of other regional residents, Loudermill went to Union Station in Kansas City for the pep rally that followed the Chiefs’ victory parade after this year’s Super Bowl. As the crowd was departing, an argument in the crowd resulted in gunfire.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707939847272.png" alt="Image from online coverage of the victory parade" />
 <figcaption>Image from online coverage of the victory parade</figcaption>
 </figure>The shooting at the end of the victory celebration left one person dead and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/17/kansas-city-super-bowl-rally-shooting-victims-pick-up-pieces-but-gun-violence-haunts-their-lives/">at least 24 people injured</a>.Loudermill, who was born in Kansas and lives there now, was detained briefly because he was too slow to leave the area of the shooting, he told The Independent earlier this year.A photo of him, seated, with his hands restrained behind his back, was posted on X, formally known as Twitter, by an account with the name Deep Truth Intel. That post incorrectly identified him with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68353305" target="_blank">name associated with misinformation</a>&nbsp;posted after other shootings and said he was an undocumented immigrant.Soon after that initial social media post, the Missouri Freedom Caucus, Hoskins, Brattin, Schroer and U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, posted their own versions, some with the photo, some without. Burchett’s post said he was one of the shooters and referred to him as an “illegal alien.”Burchett later deleted the tweet but included a screenshot of it&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/timburchett/status/1759645965445636470?s=20" target="_blank">that is still visible</a>&nbsp;in a separate post.A lawsuit filed against Burchett in Kansas was also dismissed because of jurisdictional issues. Lassiter Saunders said Thursday that she is working with attorneys in the Washington, D.C., area to refile the case against Burchett.“He is not off the hook,” she said.&nbsp;Hoskins’ version on social media shared a screenshot of the initial anonymous post and blamed President Joe Biden and political leaders of Kansas City for making the shooting possible.Brattin’s first post linking Loudermill to the shooting, since deleted, demanded “#POTUS CLOSE THE BORDER” and incorporated the deleted anonymous post that kicked everything off.Schroer was the least certain post about the immigration and arrest status of Loudermill among the three.Schroer’s post included a link to one from Burchett stating, over Loudermill’s photo, that “One of the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade shooters has been identified as an illegal Alien.”“Can we get any confirmation or denial of this from local officials or law enforcement?” Schroer wrote. “I’ve been sent videos or stills showing at least 6 different people arrested from yesterday but officially told only 3 still in custody. The people deserve answers.”In the complaint filed against Brattin, attorneys wrote that the lawmakers had no reason to make the comments directed at Loudermill.“The publication of the false representation that plaintiff was an ‘illegal alien’ and a ‘shooter’ was not made in good faith nor was it made by (Brattin) with any legitimate interest in making or duty to make such assertions,” the filing states.In the Kansas cases, the lawmakers were represented by Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who raised both the jurisdictional objections and claims that the senators were acting in their official capacity when they made their posts on social media. Therefore, the filings stated, they are protected by “legislative immunity.”&nbsp;When the case was dismissed, Bailey put out a statement saying it was a victory for keeping “questions of Missouri law…in Missouri courts.”Bailey’s office did not respond immediately to an email asking if the office would again provide representation. Lassiter Saunders said the attorney general should not take the case again.“I would hope not, but given the track record of the attorney general doing as he pleases, it’s a possibility,” Lassiter Saunders said.Bailey’s participation in the case generated its own dispute. In a May letter to the commissioner of the Office of Administration, the state agency that certifies payments from Missouri’s legal expense fund, Gov. Mike Parson wrote that no payments related to the lawsuits should be certified “without my approval or a court order.”Bailey’s claim of legislative immunity is based in the Missouri Constitution’s provisions on legislative privileges. Along with being immune from arrest for minor offenses while the General Assembly is in session, members also “<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++19&amp;bid=36212&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">shall not be questioned</a>&nbsp;for any speech or debate in either house in any other place.”Social media posts are not statements or speeches made during debates in the chambers, Lassiter Saunders said.“It wasn’t legitimate legislative activity,” she said. “They were following this story like hundreds of thousands of other people seeing tweets, retweeting, and we don’t believe it was the same.The lawsuit seeks to vindicate a core American principle, the right to be let alone, Lassiter Saunders said.“I would like to refocus the attention from politics to the principle of, private citizens should have the right to live their lives privately,” she said. “The elected officials need to be mindful and do a better job of not just speaking out because they have the authority to do so.”The lawsuit states that because of the hostility of some people in the public, Loudermill has “injuries and actual damages including mental distress, sleeplessness, anxiety, and agitation.”He rarely goes out, Loudermill said.“I’m just getting all the attention still,” he said. “ I just want them to pay for that.”

Defamation case against lawmakers over Chiefs parade shooting posts refiled in Missouri

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after standoff at a home in Topeka.

Just after 5:00 p.m. Thursday police&nbsp;responded to an accident investigation in the area of the Expocentre,&nbsp;1 Expocentre Drive in Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt. Jason Schumacher.

During the investigation officers were led to the 1500 Block of SW Shunga Drive where one individual from the accident was located in a residence. While officers were continuing their investigation an individual fired shots from inside a residence. No officers were injured.

Just after 12:30.m. Friday, police took a suspect into custody after a standoff with police. There are no other outstanding individuals at this point and the Criminal Investigation Bureau is actively continuing their investigation of this incident.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the suspect or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730457533801.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after standoff at a home in Topeka.Just after 5:00 p.m. Thursday police&nbsp;responded to an accident investigation in the area of the Expocentre,&nbsp;1 Expocentre Drive in Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt. Jason Schumacher.During the investigation officers were led to the 1500 Block of SW Shunga Drive where one individual from the accident was located in a residence. While officers were continuing their investigation an individual fired shots from inside a residence. No officers were injured.Just after 12:30.m. Friday, police took a suspect into custody after a standoff with police. There are no other outstanding individuals at this point and the Criminal Investigation Bureau is actively continuing their investigation of this incident.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the suspect or additional details.

Suspect fired shots at police from Kansas home following accident

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child at a home in the Kansas City area

Just after 8p.m. Wednesday, emergency personnel were called to the area of 32nd and Crysler Avenue, according to a social media report from police.

The investigation involved the death of 7-year-old that occurred sometime in the evening hours on Wednesday.&nbsp; 

Police have released no additional details.&nbsp; Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730424613910.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child at a home in the Kansas City areaJust after 8p.m. Wednesday, emergency personnel were called to the area of 32nd and Crysler Avenue, according to a social media report from police.The investigation involved the death of 7-year-old that occurred sometime in the evening hours on Wednesday.&nbsp; Police have released no additional details.&nbsp; Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Police investigate death of 7-year-old at KC area home

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press officials altered the official transcript of a call in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;appeared to take a swipe at supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-2024-c7d5aadbe44e51012f6fcfde374fdcc5">Biden created an uproar</a>&nbsp;earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">racist comments at a Trump rally</a>&nbsp;made by the comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">Tony Hinchcliffe,</a>&nbsp;who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter's" rather than “supporters,” which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president.

The change was made after the press office “conferred with the president,” according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers' office that was obtained by The AP. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.

The supervisor, in the email, called the press office's handling of the matter “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”

“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote, adding, “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff."

The edit of the transcript came as the White House scrambled to respond to a wave of queries from reporters about Biden’s comments. The president's remarks clashed with Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;near-simultaneous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">speech outside the White House</a>&nbsp;in which she called for treating Americans of differing ideologies with respect.

The Trump campaign quickly moved to fundraise off the quote, and the next day, Trump himself held a photo op&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-garbage-truck-wisconsin-1b9b2882b59639ba0dc898b0b45e395b">inside a garbage truck</a>&nbsp;to try to capitalize on Biden's criticism.

Harris on Wednesday distanced herself from Biden’s comments — making the clearest break from the president since she took over for him at the top of the Democratic ticket just over three months ago. “Let me be clear,” she told reporters, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”

According to the email, the press office had asked the stenographers to quickly produce a transcript of the call amid the firestorm. Biden himself took to social media to say that he he was not calling all Trump supporters garbage and that he was referring specifically to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.”

The stenographers office is charged with preparing accurate transcripts of public and private remarks of the president for preservation by the National Archives and distribution to the public.

The two-person stenography team on duty that evening — a “typer” and “proofer” — said any edit to the transcript would have to be approved by their supervisor, the head of stenographers’ office.

The supervisor was not immediately available to review the audio, but the press office went ahead and published the altered transcript on the White House website and distributed it to press and on social media in an effort to tamp down the story.

White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates that evening also posted on X the edited version of the quote and wrote that Biden was referring ”to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”

The supervisor, a career employee of the White House, raised the concerns about the press office action — but did not weigh in on the accuracy of the edit — in an email to White House communications director Ben LaBolt, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other press and communications officials.

“Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release,” the supervisor wrote.

The supervisor declined to comment to The AP and referred questions about the matter to the White House press office.

Asked to comment, Bates did not address the alteration of the transcript and said: “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.”

House Republicans, meanwhile, were debating launching an investigation into the matter. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday accused White House staff of “releasing a false transcript” of Biden's remarks.

In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel on Wednesday, they&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/stefanik-comer-investigate-white-houses-revision-of-bidens-garbage-remarks/">called on the administration to retain documents</a>&nbsp;and internal communications related to Biden's remarks and the release of the transcript.

“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message," the lawmakers wrote to Siskel.

Stefanik and Comer said the action could be in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press officials altered the official transcript of a call in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;appeared to take a swipe at supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-2024-c7d5aadbe44e51012f6fcfde374fdcc5">Biden created an uproar</a>&nbsp;earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">racist comments at a Trump rally</a>&nbsp;made by the comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">Tony Hinchcliffe,</a>&nbsp;who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730427906351.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter's" rather than “supporters,” which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president.The change was made after the press office “conferred with the president,” according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers' office that was obtained by The AP. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.The supervisor, in the email, called the press office's handling of the matter “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote, adding, “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff."The edit of the transcript came as the White House scrambled to respond to a wave of queries from reporters about Biden’s comments. The president's remarks clashed with Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;near-simultaneous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">speech outside the White House</a>&nbsp;in which she called for treating Americans of differing ideologies with respect.The Trump campaign quickly moved to fundraise off the quote, and the next day, Trump himself held a photo op&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-garbage-truck-wisconsin-1b9b2882b59639ba0dc898b0b45e395b">inside a garbage truck</a>&nbsp;to try to capitalize on Biden's criticism.Harris on Wednesday distanced herself from Biden’s comments — making the clearest break from the president since she took over for him at the top of the Democratic ticket just over three months ago. “Let me be clear,” she told reporters, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”According to the email, the press office had asked the stenographers to quickly produce a transcript of the call amid the firestorm. Biden himself took to social media to say that he he was not calling all Trump supporters garbage and that he was referring specifically to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.”The stenographers office is charged with preparing accurate transcripts of public and private remarks of the president for preservation by the National Archives and distribution to the public.The two-person stenography team on duty that evening — a “typer” and “proofer” — said any edit to the transcript would have to be approved by their supervisor, the head of stenographers’ office.The supervisor was not immediately available to review the audio, but the press office went ahead and published the altered transcript on the White House website and distributed it to press and on social media in an effort to tamp down the story.White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates that evening also posted on X the edited version of the quote and wrote that Biden was referring ”to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”The supervisor, a career employee of the White House, raised the concerns about the press office action — but did not weigh in on the accuracy of the edit — in an email to White House communications director Ben LaBolt, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other press and communications officials.“Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release,” the supervisor wrote.The supervisor declined to comment to The AP and referred questions about the matter to the White House press office.Asked to comment, Bates did not address the alteration of the transcript and said: “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨BREAKING: Biden-Harris White House may have violated the law by altering President Biden’s “garbage” remarks in official transcript. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepStefanik</a>) and Oversight Chairman James Comer (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a>) are raising concerns… <a href="https://t.co/52z6J7EO7q">pic.twitter.com/52z6J7EO7q</a>&mdash; Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1851727058251948288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>House Republicans, meanwhile, were debating launching an investigation into the matter. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday accused White House staff of “releasing a false transcript” of Biden's remarks.In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel on Wednesday, they&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/stefanik-comer-investigate-white-houses-revision-of-bidens-garbage-remarks/">called on the administration to retain documents</a>&nbsp;and internal communications related to Biden's remarks and the release of the transcript.“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message," the lawmakers wrote to Siskel.Stefanik and Comer said the action could be in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

White House altered transcript of President Biden's "garbage" remarks

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a burglary on a college campus and have made an arrest.

On Wednesday, police were involved in an investigation with Benedictine College Security focusing on the theft of wine bottles from Ferrell Hall,&nbsp;1020 N 2nd Street in Atchison on the Benedictine College Campus, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 It was determined the theft occurred around 2a.m. on Sunday.&nbsp;

Just after 1:30p.m. Wednesday, police took a student identified as 22-year-old Matthew Hockel of Brentwood, California, into custody on campus.&nbsp; Hockel is being held in the Atchison County jail on requested charges of burglary and theft, according to Wilson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730384618556.png" alt="Hockel photo Atchison Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Hockel photo Atchison Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a burglary on a college campus and have made an arrest.On Wednesday, police were involved in an investigation with Benedictine College Security focusing on the theft of wine bottles from Ferrell Hall,&nbsp;1020 N 2nd Street in Atchison on the Benedictine College Campus, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. It was determined the theft occurred around 2a.m. on Sunday.&nbsp;Just after 1:30p.m. Wednesday, police took a student identified as 22-year-old Matthew Hockel of Brentwood, California, into custody on campus.&nbsp; Hockel is being held in the Atchison County jail on requested charges of burglary and theft, according to Wilson.

Student took bottles of wine in burglary on Kan. college campus

PHOENIX (AP) — Kamala Harris said Thursday that Donald Trump’s comment that he would protect women whether they “like it or not” shows that the Republican presidential nominee does not understand women’s rights “to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies."

“I think it’s offensive to everybody, by the way," Harris said before she set out to spend the day campaigning in the Western battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.

She followed up those remarks at her rally in Phoenix: “He simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to know what’s in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly. But we trust women."

The comments by Trump come as he has struggled to connect with women voters and as Harris courts women in both parties with a message centered on freedom. She's making the pitch that women should be free to make their own decisions about their bodies and that if Trump is elected, more restrictions will follow.

Trump appointed three of the justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who formed the conservative majority that overturned federal abortion rights.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-dobbs-anniversary-abortion-states-cadff0d905d1c4d7b9825c8406aadffb#:~:text=in%20the%20US-,The%20Supreme%20Court%20overturned%20Roe%20v.,rights%20now%20in%20the%20US&amp;text=Email-,Judges%2C%20state%20lawmakers%20and%20voters%20are%20deciding%20the%20future%20of,ruling%20that%20overturned%20Roe%20v.">As the fallout from the 2022 decision spreads</a>, he has taken to claiming at public events and in social media posts that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-women-protector-abortion-election-697ce355f7386bfd192b99bb00322705">he would “protect women”</a>&nbsp;and ensure they wouldn’t be “thinking about abortion.”

At a rally Wednesday evening near Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump told his supporters that aides had urged him to stop using the phrase because it was “inappropriate.”

Then he added a new bit to the protector line. He said he told his aides: “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I am going to protect them.”

Harris said the remark was part of a pattern of troubling statements by Trump.

“This is just the latest on a long series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency," she said.

Harris tied Trump’s comments to his approach to reproductive rights, but Trump generally speaks more of protecting women from criminals, terrorists and foreign adversaries, in keeping with the bleak picture he paints of a country in decline.

“I’m going to protect them from migrants coming in. I’m going to protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles and lots of other things,” Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

He seemed to tie in abortion when he first used the “protector” language in a Truth Social post and at a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 20. He assured the women who would be “protected” that they "will no longer be thinking about abortion.”

The dispute showed signs Thursday of further entrenching each candidate's supporters.

It was not only women who described Trump's remarks as offensive. At the Harris rally in Phoenix, Edison Kinlicheenie, 50, said he sees Trump more as a threat than a protector, noting that the former president has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db">track record of preying on women</a>.

“I have a wife and a daughter, so I wouldn’t let no predator like that come around" them, Kinlicheenie said.

At a Trump rally in Albuquerque, Sarah Pyle, 41, cited the opposition to allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's events to portray Trump as someone who helps women.

“I don’t want my girls to grow up in a world like this,” the Albuquerque mother said, referring to the controversy. “We fought for women’s rights for so long, and now we’re giving them back to men. It makes no sense.”

More broadly, Trump and Republicans have struggled with how to talk about abortion rights, particularly as women around the nation are grappling with obtaining proper medical care because of abortion restrictions that have had implications far beyond the ability to end an unwanted pregnancy.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-election-2024-ivf-contraception-d91f0959087e803db390be11eb60975b">has given contradictory answers</a>&nbsp;about his position on abortion, at some points saying that women should be punished for having abortions and showcasing the justices he appointed. During his successful 2016 campaign, he told voters that if he were elected, he would appoint justices to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and said he was “pro-life.”

But in recent weeks he's promised to veto a national abortion ban, after repeatedly refusing to make such a pledge. He's said the states should regulate care and said some laws were “too tough.”

Since 2022, the patchwork of state laws on abortion has created uneven medical care.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-georgia-mifepristone-misoprostol-kamala-harris-fd3c817f42ccc74b04d12450efb92f4a">Some women have died</a>. Others have bled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">in emergency room parking lots</a>&nbsp;or became critically ill from sepsis as doctors in states with strict abortion bans send pregnant women away until they are sick enough to warrant medical care. That includes women who never intended to end pregnancies. Both infant and maternal mortality has risen.

Harris’ campaign has highlighted Trump’s statements around women. In one campaign ad, a woman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-abortion-rights-democrats-texas-trump-f5b4a28874f6abcf2a9d5eeeeb0d6d37">who became gravely ill with sepsis after a pregnancy complication</a>&nbsp;stands in front of a mirror looking at a large scar on her abdomen, as audio plays of Trump’s comments about protecting women.

Harris hopes abortion will be a strong motivator for women at the ballot box.

In early voting so far, 1.2 million more women than men have voted across the seven battleground states, according to data from analytics firm TargetSmart.

That doesn’t necessarily translate into Democratic gains. But in the 2020 presidential election, there was a 9 percentage point difference between men and women in support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/votecast-race-class-divide-elections-27cfbd82c14d6649097bd706f4158e4e">AP VoteCast</a>, a survey of more than 110,000 voters.

The Democratic ticket was supported by 55% of women and 46% of men. That was essentially unchanged from the 2018 midterms, when VoteCast found a 10-point gender gap, with 58% of women and 48% of men backing Democrats in congressional races.

PHOENIX (AP) — Kamala Harris said Thursday that Donald Trump’s comment that he would protect women whether they “like it or not” shows that the Republican presidential nominee does not understand women’s rights “to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VP Harris responds to former President Trump&#39;s comments that he&#39;ll be the protector of women &#39;whether the women like or not&#39;: &quot;It actually is I think very offensive to women...He is not going to be fighting for women&#39;s reproductive rights.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/o7pcbZcqNu">pic.twitter.com/o7pcbZcqNu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1852009136701214894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I think it’s offensive to everybody, by the way," Harris said before she set out to spend the day campaigning in the Western battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.She followed up those remarks at her rally in Phoenix: “He simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to know what’s in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly. But we trust women."The comments by Trump come as he has struggled to connect with women voters and as Harris courts women in both parties with a message centered on freedom. She's making the pitch that women should be free to make their own decisions about their bodies and that if Trump is elected, more restrictions will follow.Trump appointed three of the justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who formed the conservative majority that overturned federal abortion rights.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-dobbs-anniversary-abortion-states-cadff0d905d1c4d7b9825c8406aadffb#:~:text=in%20the%20US-,The%20Supreme%20Court%20overturned%20Roe%20v.,rights%20now%20in%20the%20US&amp;text=Email-,Judges%2C%20state%20lawmakers%20and%20voters%20are%20deciding%20the%20future%20of,ruling%20that%20overturned%20Roe%20v.">As the fallout from the 2022 decision spreads</a>, he has taken to claiming at public events and in social media posts that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-women-protector-abortion-election-697ce355f7386bfd192b99bb00322705">he would “protect women”</a>&nbsp;and ensure they wouldn’t be “thinking about abortion.”At a rally Wednesday evening near Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump told his supporters that aides had urged him to stop using the phrase because it was “inappropriate.”Then he added a new bit to the protector line. He said he told his aides: “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I am going to protect them.”Harris said the remark was part of a pattern of troubling statements by Trump.“This is just the latest on a long series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency," she said.Harris tied Trump’s comments to his approach to reproductive rights, but Trump generally speaks more of protecting women from criminals, terrorists and foreign adversaries, in keeping with the bleak picture he paints of a country in decline.“I’m going to protect them from migrants coming in. I’m going to protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles and lots of other things,” Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin.He seemed to tie in abortion when he first used the “protector” language in a Truth Social post and at a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 20. He assured the women who would be “protected” that they "will no longer be thinking about abortion.”The dispute showed signs Thursday of further entrenching each candidate's supporters.It was not only women who described Trump's remarks as offensive. At the Harris rally in Phoenix, Edison Kinlicheenie, 50, said he sees Trump more as a threat than a protector, noting that the former president has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db">track record of preying on women</a>.“I have a wife and a daughter, so I wouldn’t let no predator like that come around" them, Kinlicheenie said.At a Trump rally in Albuquerque, Sarah Pyle, 41, cited the opposition to allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's events to portray Trump as someone who helps women.“I don’t want my girls to grow up in a world like this,” the Albuquerque mother said, referring to the controversy. “We fought for women’s rights for so long, and now we’re giving them back to men. It makes no sense.”More broadly, Trump and Republicans have struggled with how to talk about abortion rights, particularly as women around the nation are grappling with obtaining proper medical care because of abortion restrictions that have had implications far beyond the ability to end an unwanted pregnancy.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-election-2024-ivf-contraception-d91f0959087e803db390be11eb60975b">has given contradictory answers</a>&nbsp;about his position on abortion, at some points saying that women should be punished for having abortions and showcasing the justices he appointed. During his successful 2016 campaign, he told voters that if he were elected, he would appoint justices to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and said he was “pro-life.”But in recent weeks he's promised to veto a national abortion ban, after repeatedly refusing to make such a pledge. He's said the states should regulate care and said some laws were “too tough.”Since 2022, the patchwork of state laws on abortion has created uneven medical care.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-georgia-mifepristone-misoprostol-kamala-harris-fd3c817f42ccc74b04d12450efb92f4a">Some women have died</a>. Others have bled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">in emergency room parking lots</a>&nbsp;or became critically ill from sepsis as doctors in states with strict abortion bans send pregnant women away until they are sick enough to warrant medical care. That includes women who never intended to end pregnancies. Both infant and maternal mortality has risen.Harris’ campaign has highlighted Trump’s statements around women. In one campaign ad, a woman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-abortion-rights-democrats-texas-trump-f5b4a28874f6abcf2a9d5eeeeb0d6d37">who became gravely ill with sepsis after a pregnancy complication</a>&nbsp;stands in front of a mirror looking at a large scar on her abdomen, as audio plays of Trump’s comments about protecting women.Harris hopes abortion will be a strong motivator for women at the ballot box.In early voting so far, 1.2 million more women than men have voted across the seven battleground states, according to data from analytics firm TargetSmart.That doesn’t necessarily translate into Democratic gains. But in the 2020 presidential election, there was a 9 percentage point difference between men and women in support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/votecast-race-class-divide-elections-27cfbd82c14d6649097bd706f4158e4e">AP VoteCast</a>, a survey of more than 110,000 voters.The Democratic ticket was supported by 55% of women and 46% of men. That was essentially unchanged from the 2018 midterms, when VoteCast found a 10-point gender gap, with 58% of women and 48% of men backing Democrats in congressional races.

🎥Harris hits Trump over his ‘protector’ of women comment

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused in a deadly gunfight on Father's Day in Kansas who cut his ankle monitor following his arrest and fled to Mexico is back in a Kansas jail.

On Wednesday, deputies booked&nbsp;33-year-old Eric Gonzalez-Gutierrez into the Sedgwick County Jail.

On October 15, the U.S. Marshals Service apprehended Gonzalez-Gutierrez&nbsp; in Mexico, according to Wichita Police Officer Kris Gupilan.

On June 16, police originally arrested Gonzalez-Gutierrez on requested charges including first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Aron Lara.

Just after 8:30p.m. on Father's Day, police responded to a shooting incident in the 1900 block of N. Jackson Street in Wichita, according to Police spokesman Andrew Ford.

While working to gather further information, the 911 dispatcher could hear gunfire in the background, prompting an immediate upgraded dispatch of officers to the scene.

First responders discovered Lara suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Sedgwick County EMS provided initial critical care at the scene before transporting him to a nearby hospital where he died.

Another victim, a 22-year-old Hispanic man, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot to the arm and was privately transported to St. Francis Hospital.

The incident occurred during a neighborhood barbecue in observance of Father's Day. According to preliminary reports, Lara, was involved in a verbal altercation with the Gonzales-Gutierrez earlier in the evening.&nbsp; Gonzales-Gutierrez allegedly returned home, retrieved a rifle, and fired upon the victim, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting.

It is believed that two men accompanying Lara returned fire, resulting in injuries to the second victim.&nbsp; &nbsp;On June 21,&nbsp;Gonzalez-Gutierrez cut his ankle monitor and left for Mexico.&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=748837&amp;currentInmatesOnly=True"> He is being held on bonds</a> totaling $3 million dollars, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730371257170.png" alt="Gonzalez-Gutierrez-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez-Gutierrez-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused in a deadly gunfight on Father's Day in Kansas who cut his ankle monitor following his arrest and fled to Mexico is back in a Kansas jail.On Wednesday, deputies booked&nbsp;33-year-old Eric Gonzalez-Gutierrez into the Sedgwick County Jail.On October 15, the U.S. Marshals Service apprehended Gonzalez-Gutierrez&nbsp; in Mexico, according to Wichita Police Officer Kris Gupilan.On June 16, police originally arrested Gonzalez-Gutierrez on requested charges including first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Aron Lara.Just after 8:30p.m. on Father's Day, police responded to a shooting incident in the 1900 block of N. Jackson Street in Wichita, according to Police spokesman Andrew Ford.While working to gather further information, the 911 dispatcher could hear gunfire in the background, prompting an immediate upgraded dispatch of officers to the scene.First responders discovered Lara suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Sedgwick County EMS provided initial critical care at the scene before transporting him to a nearby hospital where he died.Another victim, a 22-year-old Hispanic man, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot to the arm and was privately transported to St. Francis Hospital.The incident occurred during a neighborhood barbecue in observance of Father's Day. According to preliminary reports, Lara, was involved in a verbal altercation with the Gonzales-Gutierrez earlier in the evening.&nbsp; Gonzales-Gutierrez allegedly returned home, retrieved a rifle, and fired upon the victim, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting.It is believed that two men accompanying Lara returned fire, resulting in injuries to the second victim.&nbsp; &nbsp;On June 21,&nbsp;Gonzalez-Gutierrez cut his ankle monitor and left for Mexico.&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=748837&amp;currentInmatesOnly=True"> He is being held on bonds</a> totaling $3 million dollars, according to online jail records.

Kansas murder suspect captured in Mexico is back in a Kan. jail

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Missouri will not be charged after a reporter was slightly injured from flyaway metal during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lucas-kunce-josh-hawley-senate-missouri-85c88a3d4b6c8299440ba7b66ec1f90f">campaign event</a>&nbsp;at a shooting range.

Clinton County Sheriff Larry Fish in a Monday report said there was no “ill intent” by Democrat Lucas Kunce or other shooters at the Oct. 22 event on a private shooting range about 30 miles northeast of Kansas City, Missouri.

The KSHB-TV reporter felt a pinch and later noticed he was bleeding, according to the police report. He continued to cover the event after being bandaged by Kunce, then was treated for a minor injury at a hospital.

He declined to press charges, calling it a “freak” accident, according to the police report.

Fish wrote that it's also unclear who fired the round that led to the injury.

The shooting event, which also featured a former Republican U.S. congressman who is backing Kunce's bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, appeared to be aimed at garnering support for Kunce among gun-owners, Republicans and moderates in a state now defined by the GOP's political dominance, including a strong belief in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/06798574625a4a07ba0d00e5aeb25f58">gun rights</a>.

Speaking last week at rally on a farm near Jefferson City, Hawley said that Kunce’s campaign has long needed “a shot in the arm” but that “he’s taken it too literally.”

He criticized the Kunce event as unsafe, saying that Kunce was too close to steel targets to be firing an AR-15-style rifle. Fish said that after the event he measured the distance between the firing range and targets at about 10 yards. The reporter said he was about 10 yards back from the shooters.

“I know we’ve got some reporters here today. I just want to say to you guys: Listen, I promise you I will not shoot you — no matter how many tough questions you ask," Hawley told journalists covering his farm rally. "And I call on Lucas Kunce right now to pledge never to shoot another reporter again.”

Kunce in a statement last week said safety is important to the campaign, “which is why the range was set up and run by a NRA Training Counselor.”

“But any time you are handling weapons, you need to be prepared,” he said. “We acted quickly and I’m glad the reporter was okay and able to keep reporting.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729709021542.png" alt=" Lucas Kunce applies first aid to KSHB reporter Ryan Gamboa after a bullet fragment ricocheted off a target and struck him in the arm while former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger looks on (photo: Lucas Kunce for Missouri)." />
 <figcaption> Lucas Kunce applies first aid to KSHB reporter Ryan Gamboa after a bullet fragment ricocheted off a target and struck him in the arm while former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger looks on (photo: Lucas Kunce for Missouri).</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Missouri will not be charged after a reporter was slightly injured from flyaway metal during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lucas-kunce-josh-hawley-senate-missouri-85c88a3d4b6c8299440ba7b66ec1f90f">campaign event</a>&nbsp;at a shooting range.Clinton County Sheriff Larry Fish in a Monday report said there was no “ill intent” by Democrat Lucas Kunce or other shooters at the Oct. 22 event on a private shooting range about 30 miles northeast of Kansas City, Missouri.The KSHB-TV reporter felt a pinch and later noticed he was bleeding, according to the police report. He continued to cover the event after being bandaged by Kunce, then was treated for a minor injury at a hospital.He declined to press charges, calling it a “freak” accident, according to the police report.Fish wrote that it's also unclear who fired the round that led to the injury.The shooting event, which also featured a former Republican U.S. congressman who is backing Kunce's bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, appeared to be aimed at garnering support for Kunce among gun-owners, Republicans and moderates in a state now defined by the GOP's political dominance, including a strong belief in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/06798574625a4a07ba0d00e5aeb25f58">gun rights</a>.Speaking last week at rally on a farm near Jefferson City, Hawley said that Kunce’s campaign has long needed “a shot in the arm” but that “he’s taken it too literally.”He criticized the Kunce event as unsafe, saying that Kunce was too close to steel targets to be firing an AR-15-style rifle. Fish said that after the event he measured the distance between the firing range and targets at about 10 yards. The reporter said he was about 10 yards back from the shooters.“I know we’ve got some reporters here today. I just want to say to you guys: Listen, I promise you I will not shoot you — no matter how many tough questions you ask," Hawley told journalists covering his farm rally. "And I call on Lucas Kunce right now to pledge never to shoot another reporter again.”Kunce in a statement last week said safety is important to the campaign, “which is why the range was set up and run by a NRA Training Counselor.”“But any time you are handling weapons, you need to be prepared,” he said. “We acted quickly and I’m glad the reporter was okay and able to keep reporting.”

Sheriff: Shooting injury of KC reporter at candidate's event an accident

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The man suspected of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff">setting fires in ballot drop boxes</a>&nbsp;in Oregon and Washington state is an experienced metalworker and may be planning additional attacks, authorities said Wednesday.

Investigators believe the man who set the incendiary devices at ballot boxes in Portland, Oregon, and nearby Vancouver, Washington, had a “wealth of experience” in metal fabrication and welding, said Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner.

The way the devices were constructed and the way they were attached to the metal drop boxes showed that expertise, Benner said.

Authorities described the suspect as a white man, age 30 to 40, who is balding or has very short hair.

Police previously said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ballot-drop-boxes-explainer-2024-portland-vancouver-ff3023c566fcc0282eb8ee84de297bf9">surveillance video showed</a>&nbsp;the man driving a black or dark-colored 2001 to 2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle did not have a front license plate, but it did have a rear plate with unknown letters or numbers.

The incendiary devices were marked with the message “Free Gaza,” according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.

A third device placed at a different drop box in Vancouver earlier this month also carried the words “Free Palestine” in addition to “Free Gaza,” the official said.

Investigators are trying to identify the person responsible and the motive for the suspected arson attacks, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff">destroyed or damaged hundreds of ballots</a>&nbsp;at the drop box in Vancouver on Monday when the box’s fire suppression system didn't work as intended. Authorities are trying to figure out whether the suspect actually had pro-Palestinian views or used the message to try to create confusion, according to the official.

Surveillance images captured a Volvo pulling up to a drop box in Portland just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box on Monday, according to Benner. The early-morning fire was extinguished quickly thanks to the box's suppression system and a nearby security guard, police said. Just three of the ballots inside were damaged.

The ballot box in Vancouver that burned also had a fire suppression system inside, but it failed to prevent hundreds of ballots from being scorched, said Greg Kimsey, the longtime elected auditor in Clark County, Washington, which includes Vancouver. Kimsey said Tuesday that the exact number of destroyed ballots wasn't known, and that about 475 damaged ballots had been retrieved from the box.

Election staff on Wednesday planned to sort through the damaged ballots for information about who cast them, in the hopes that those voters can be given replacement ballots. Kimsey urged voters who dropped their ballots in the transit center box between 11 a.m. Saturday and early Monday to contact his office for a replacement ballot.

Authorities in Portland said Monday that enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to show that the two fires were connected — and that they were connected to an Oct. 8 incendiary device at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in that incident.

Voters in Washington are encouraged to check the status of their ballots at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.votewa.gov/">www.votewa.gov</a>&nbsp;to track their return status. If a returned ballot is not marked as “received,” voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local elections department for a replacement, the secretary of state’s office said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730325219672.png" alt="Elections staff have been able to identify 488 damaged ballots retrieved from the ballot box. 345 of those identified voters had already contacted the Elections Office to request a replacement ballot. Elections staff will mail 143 ballots to the additional identified voters tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 31.-photo Clark County Auditor's office" />
 <figcaption>Elections staff have been able to identify 488 damaged ballots retrieved from the ballot box. 345 of those identified voters had already contacted the Elections Office to request a replacement ballot. Elections staff will mail 143 ballots to the additional identified voters tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 31.-photo Clark County Auditor's office</figcaption>
 </figure>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The man suspected of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff">setting fires in ballot drop boxes</a>&nbsp;in Oregon and Washington state is an experienced metalworker and may be planning additional attacks, authorities said Wednesday.Investigators believe the man who set the incendiary devices at ballot boxes in Portland, Oregon, and nearby Vancouver, Washington, had a “wealth of experience” in metal fabrication and welding, said Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner.The way the devices were constructed and the way they were attached to the metal drop boxes showed that expertise, Benner said.Authorities described the suspect as a white man, age 30 to 40, who is balding or has very short hair.Police previously said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ballot-drop-boxes-explainer-2024-portland-vancouver-ff3023c566fcc0282eb8ee84de297bf9">surveillance video showed</a>&nbsp;the man driving a black or dark-colored 2001 to 2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle did not have a front license plate, but it did have a rear plate with unknown letters or numbers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730165077840.png" alt="photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>The incendiary devices were marked with the message “Free Gaza,” according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.A third device placed at a different drop box in Vancouver earlier this month also carried the words “Free Palestine” in addition to “Free Gaza,” the official said.Investigators are trying to identify the person responsible and the motive for the suspected arson attacks, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff">destroyed or damaged hundreds of ballots</a>&nbsp;at the drop box in Vancouver on Monday when the box’s fire suppression system didn't work as intended. Authorities are trying to figure out whether the suspect actually had pro-Palestinian views or used the message to try to create confusion, according to the official.Surveillance images captured a Volvo pulling up to a drop box in Portland just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box on Monday, according to Benner. The early-morning fire was extinguished quickly thanks to the box's suppression system and a nearby security guard, police said. Just three of the ballots inside were damaged.The ballot box in Vancouver that burned also had a fire suppression system inside, but it failed to prevent hundreds of ballots from being scorched, said Greg Kimsey, the longtime elected auditor in Clark County, Washington, which includes Vancouver. Kimsey said Tuesday that the exact number of destroyed ballots wasn't known, and that about 475 damaged ballots had been retrieved from the box.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730325175614.png" alt="Photo Clark Co. Auditor's office" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clark Co. Auditor's office</figcaption>
 </figure>Election staff on Wednesday planned to sort through the damaged ballots for information about who cast them, in the hopes that those voters can be given replacement ballots. Kimsey urged voters who dropped their ballots in the transit center box between 11 a.m. Saturday and early Monday to contact his office for a replacement ballot.Authorities in Portland said Monday that enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to show that the two fires were connected — and that they were connected to an Oct. 8 incendiary device at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in that incident.Voters in Washington are encouraged to check the status of their ballots at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.votewa.gov/">www.votewa.gov</a>&nbsp;to track their return status. If a returned ballot is not marked as “received,” voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local elections department for a replacement, the secretary of state’s office said.___

Police: Man behind ballot box fires might plan more attacks

SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died from injuries in an accident that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Wednesday in Sedgwick County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Peterbilt semi driven by Nicholas James Butera, 26, Boynton Beach, Florida,&nbsp;was stopped on the right shoulder of Interstate 235 just south of Kansas 42.

The semi moved left into the right lane and began accelerating northbound up to interstate speeds. A northbound&nbsp;2007 Chevy Express Cargo van driven by Levi Louis Hauserman, 37, Wichita,&nbsp; was unable to stop in time and struck the rear left corner of semi's trailer.

EMS transported Hauserman and a passenger in the van Justin R.&nbsp;Higgins, 49, Wichita, to Ascension via Christi St. Francis. Just before 6p.m. Higgins was pronounced deceased. Butera was not injured.&nbsp; Hauserman and Higgins were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730392653998.png" alt="Image KanDrive" />
 <figcaption>Image KanDrive</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died from injuries in an accident that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Wednesday in Sedgwick County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Peterbilt semi driven by Nicholas James Butera, 26, Boynton Beach, Florida,&nbsp;was stopped on the right shoulder of Interstate 235 just south of Kansas 42.The semi moved left into the right lane and began accelerating northbound up to interstate speeds. A northbound&nbsp;2007 Chevy Express Cargo van driven by Levi Louis Hauserman, 37, Wichita,&nbsp; was unable to stop in time and struck the rear left corner of semi's trailer.EMS transported Hauserman and a passenger in the van Justin R.&nbsp;Higgins, 49, Wichita, to Ascension via Christi St. Francis. Just before 6p.m. Higgins was pronounced deceased. Butera was not injured.&nbsp; Hauserman and Higgins were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dead after van rear-ends semi  on the interstate

TOPEKA — The Virginia-based political action committee controlled by a former U.S. secretary of state took the unusual step Wednesday of endorsing a Kansas Senate candidate for the seat serving portions of Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties.

Mike Pompeo, the nation’s top diplomat from 2018 to 2021 in the administration of President Donald Trump, said Champion American Values PAC of Springfield, Virginia, favored Republican nominee Jeff Klemp in the 5th District. Pompeo was a GOP congressman from Wichita from 2011 to 2017.

“The fight to restore American greatness begins at the state and local level,” Pompeo said. “Jeff has spent years building successful businesses and serving his community, and he is a leader who understands the challenges facing families throughout Kansas.”

Klemp, of Lansing, is attempting to win the seat held by Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Leavenworth Democrat elected to the Senate in 2020 who previously served four years in the Kansas House.

Pittman said Pompeo’s preference for legislative representation of Leavenworth, Lansing, Basehor and western Wyandotte County wasn’t significant to the Senate contest.

“He’s irrelevant to Kansas, especially because he sold out and went to the D.C. swamp to serve his own interests,” Pittman said. “He doesn’t understand anything about Senate District 5.”

Pittman said the endorsement by Pompeo’s PAC suggested Klemp had grown desperate less than one week before the Tuesday election.

“I think he’s desperate because I’ve delivered for my community over and over again,” Pittman said.

Pittman has been endorsed by the Mainstream Coalition, Kansas Fraternal Order of Police, Kansas National Education Association PAC as well as the Kansas Farm Bureau PAC, Kansas Livestock Association, Game On for Kansas Schools and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce PAC.

In a statement, Klemp said Pompeo’s expression of support meant a great deal to his campaign.

“Secretary Pompeo’s dedication to our nation and his strong record of serving Kansans are truly admirable, and I’ve long respected his commitment to our shared values,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647123002389.png" alt="Pompeo served the 4th District of Kansas in the U.S. House before joining the administration of President Donald Trump -Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Pompeo served the 4th District of Kansas in the U.S. House before joining the administration of President Donald Trump -Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — The Virginia-based political action committee controlled by a former U.S. secretary of state took the unusual step Wednesday of endorsing a Kansas Senate candidate for the seat serving portions of Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties.Mike Pompeo, the nation’s top diplomat from 2018 to 2021 in the administration of President Donald Trump, said Champion American Values PAC of Springfield, Virginia, favored Republican nominee Jeff Klemp in the 5th District. Pompeo was a GOP congressman from Wichita from 2011 to 2017.“The fight to restore American greatness begins at the state and local level,” Pompeo said. “Jeff has spent years building successful businesses and serving his community, and he is a leader who understands the challenges facing families throughout Kansas.”Klemp, of Lansing, is attempting to win the seat held by Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Leavenworth Democrat elected to the Senate in 2020 who previously served four years in the Kansas House.Pittman said Pompeo’s preference for legislative representation of Leavenworth, Lansing, Basehor and western Wyandotte County wasn’t significant to the Senate contest.“He’s irrelevant to Kansas, especially because he sold out and went to the D.C. swamp to serve his own interests,” Pittman said. “He doesn’t understand anything about Senate District 5.”Pittman said the endorsement by Pompeo’s PAC suggested Klemp had grown desperate less than one week before the Tuesday election.“I think he’s desperate because I’ve delivered for my community over and over again,” Pittman said.Pittman has been endorsed by the Mainstream Coalition, Kansas Fraternal Order of Police, Kansas National Education Association PAC as well as the Kansas Farm Bureau PAC, Kansas Livestock Association, Game On for Kansas Schools and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce PAC.In a statement, Klemp said Pompeo’s expression of support meant a great deal to his campaign.“Secretary Pompeo’s dedication to our nation and his strong record of serving Kansans are truly admirable, and I’ve long respected his commitment to our shared values,” he said.

Former U.S. Secretary of State offers endorsement in Kansas Senate campaign

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigitng a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 10:30a.m.&nbsp;October 29, a Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at exit 160 on Interstate 35 for a traffic violation, according to Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells.

 During the stop, the deputy found illegal drugs. Jenni E. Hardin, 40, of Olathe was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine and Interference with law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730215702855.png" alt="Hardin-photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Hardin-photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigitng a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 10:30a.m.&nbsp;October 29, a Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at exit 160 on Interstate 35 for a traffic violation, according to Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, the deputy found illegal drugs. Jenni E. Hardin, 40, of Olathe was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine and Interference with law enforcement.

Sheriff's K9 unit found illegal drugs during Kan. traffic stop

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden">Jill</a>, who dressed as a giant panda, hosted trick-or-treaters on the White House South Lawn on Wednesday for the last time.

The first lady had participated in the National Zoo’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-washington-zoo-china-764f8016d98c01ab579bdbb6dcc3dd6b">announcement</a>&nbsp;earlier this year that pandas would be returning to Washington.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandas-national-zoo-china-8537ae9f9be4134c795fc5f007c02064">They arrived in the nation’s capital</a>&nbsp;in mid-October and Jill Biden donned the panda suit Wednesday as a “welcoming gesture,” the White House said.

Jill Biden added an educational theme to the event and named it “Hallo-Read” to help encourage reading. She has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-jill-biden-6a025ecc48cd6efed9c99ce578fb7fb4">a teacher for 40 years.</a>&nbsp;Earlier Wednesday, she read a short story about spooky pumpkins to a group of costumed children gathered on the lawn.

She and the president later ventured outside at sunset and spent about an hour handing out treats. Biden, in a suit and tie, dropped boxes of White House Hershey’s Kisses chocolates in the kids’ tote bags while the first lady handed out copies of “10 Spooky Pumpkins.”

Up to 8,000 people, including students and children tied to the military, were expected to pass through the White House gates during the day.

A large orange moon and a sign that said “Hallow-Read at the White House” decorated the south face of the executive mansion. The decorations also included cardboard representations of Willow,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-jill-biden-cats-e3164173bf418f28495a79cd9319ce11">the family cat</a>&nbsp;who is rarely seen in public, and stacks of books. Giant pumpkin decorations flanked the door.

Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">dropped his bid for reelection</a>&nbsp;in July. He leaves office in January.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730338279283.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden">Jill</a>, who dressed as a giant panda, hosted trick-or-treaters on the White House South Lawn on Wednesday for the last time.(click below to watch the festivities)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F908720494097747%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The first lady had participated in the National Zoo’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giant-pandas-washington-zoo-china-764f8016d98c01ab579bdbb6dcc3dd6b">announcement</a>&nbsp;earlier this year that pandas would be returning to Washington.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandas-national-zoo-china-8537ae9f9be4134c795fc5f007c02064">They arrived in the nation’s capital</a>&nbsp;in mid-October and Jill Biden donned the panda suit Wednesday as a “welcoming gesture,” the White House said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730338124916.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Jill Biden added an educational theme to the event and named it “Hallo-Read” to help encourage reading. She has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-jill-biden-6a025ecc48cd6efed9c99ce578fb7fb4">a teacher for 40 years.</a>&nbsp;Earlier Wednesday, she read a short story about spooky pumpkins to a group of costumed children gathered on the lawn.She and the president later ventured outside at sunset and spent about an hour handing out treats. Biden, in a suit and tie, dropped boxes of White House Hershey’s Kisses chocolates in the kids’ tote bags while the first lady handed out copies of “10 Spooky Pumpkins.”Up to 8,000 people, including students and children tied to the military, were expected to pass through the White House gates during the day.A large orange moon and a sign that said “Hallow-Read at the White House” decorated the south face of the executive mansion. The decorations also included cardboard representations of Willow,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-jill-biden-cats-e3164173bf418f28495a79cd9319ce11">the family cat</a>&nbsp;who is rarely seen in public, and stacks of books. Giant pumpkin decorations flanked the door.Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">dropped his bid for reelection</a>&nbsp;in July. He leaves office in January.

🎥First lady dressed as a panda; Bidens host Halloween trick-or-treat event

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The city Wichita reported that Sporty, retired Wichita Fire Department Accelerant Detection K-9 passed away Wednesday morning. 

Sporty served the community from 2010-2015. Once retired, she lived at home and continued her skillset by searching for every ounce of bacon that entered the home. Sporty would have been 16 years old this December. "Rest in peace, sweet girl."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730324702942.png" alt="Sporty photo city of Wichita" />
 <figcaption>Sporty photo city of Wichita</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The city Wichita reported that Sporty, retired Wichita Fire Department Accelerant Detection K-9 passed away Wednesday morning. Sporty served the community from 2010-2015. Once retired, she lived at home and continued her skillset by searching for every ounce of bacon that entered the home. Sporty would have been 16 years old this December. "Rest in peace, sweet girl."

Retired Kansas fire department K9 has died

JOHNSON COUNTY — An Emporia State University placed&nbsp; on administrative leave following an arrest for alleged child sex crimes is due back in court Wednesday.

Last week, 72-year-old Howard Pitler was booked into the Johnson County jail on requested charges of&nbsp; electronic solicitation of a child under 14 years old, according to online jail records. He met the requirements of a $25,000 bond and is no longer in&nbsp; custody.

According to Emporia State, "Upon being made aware of the arrest of Howard Pitler, the university responded immediately and placed Pitler on administrative leave. With our rich tradition as a premier Teachers College, the care and safety of students of all ages is of the utmost importance. Pitler taught fully online master’s level courses as an associate professor of School Leadership, Middle &amp; Secondary Teacher Education in The Teachers College. He has been at ESU since 2018. Emporia State will cooperate fully with authorities. We cannot comment further on an ongoing investigation."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729898976418.png" alt="Pitler-photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Pitler-photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY — An Emporia State University placed&nbsp; on administrative leave following an arrest for alleged child sex crimes is due back in court Wednesday.Last week, 72-year-old Howard Pitler was booked into the Johnson County jail on requested charges of&nbsp; electronic solicitation of a child under 14 years old, according to online jail records. He met the requirements of a $25,000 bond and is no longer in&nbsp; custody.According to Emporia State, "Upon being made aware of the arrest of Howard Pitler, the university responded immediately and placed Pitler on administrative leave. With our rich tradition as a premier Teachers College, the care and safety of students of all ages is of the utmost importance. Pitler taught fully online master’s level courses as an associate professor of School Leadership, Middle &amp; Secondary Teacher Education in The Teachers College. He has been at ESU since 2018. Emporia State will cooperate fully with authorities. We cannot comment further on an ongoing investigation."

Emporia State professor due in court for alleged child sex crime

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Topeka.

Just after 9a.m. Wednesday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department&nbsp; responded to a medical call in the 500 block of NE Gordon Street in Topeka, according to Police spokesperson Rosie Nichols. 

Medical personnel found a man who was later pronounced deceased. Due to the nature of the incident, firefighters requested police investigators to respond.

The incident is currently being investigated as a homicide. Additional updates will be provided as the investigation allows. This is the 16th homicide investigation of 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730324449445.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Topeka.Just after 9a.m. Wednesday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department&nbsp; responded to a medical call in the 500 block of NE Gordon Street in Topeka, according to Police spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Medical personnel found a man who was later pronounced deceased. Due to the nature of the incident, firefighters requested police investigators to respond.The incident is currently being investigated as a homicide. Additional updates will be provided as the investigation allows. This is the 16th homicide investigation of 2024.

Homicide: Fire department medical call at Kansas home

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;walked down the steps of the Boeing 757 that bears his name, walked across a rain-soaked tarmac and, after twice missing the handle, climbed into the passenger seat of a white garbage truck that also carried his name.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730336694776.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;walked down the steps of the Boeing 757 that bears his name, walked across a rain-soaked tarmac and, after twice missing the handle, climbed into the passenger seat of a white garbage truck that also carried his name.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump answers questions while sitting in a garbage truck in Green Bay, WI. <a href="https://t.co/jglxM8s1bm">pic.twitter.com/jglxM8s1bm</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1851769842686181677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The former president, once a reality TV star known for his showmanship, wanted to draw attention to a remark made a day earlier by his successor, Democratic President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-2024-c7d5aadbe44e51012f6fcfde374fdcc5">suggested Trump's supporters were garbage</a>. Trump has used the remark as a cudgel against his Democratic rival, Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>.“How do you like my garbage truck?” Trump said, wearing an orange and yellow safety vest over his white dress shirt and red tie. “This is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”Trump and other Republicans were facing pushback of their own for comments by a comedian at a weekend Trump rally who disparaged Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” Trump then seized on a comment Biden made on a late Wednesday call that "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”The president tried to clarify the comment afterward, saying he had intended to say Trump's demonization of Latinos was unconscionable. But it was too late.On Thursday, after arriving in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for an evening rally, Trump climbed into the garbage truck, carrying on a brief discussion with reporters while looking out the window — similar to what he did earlier this month during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-mcdonalds-2024-presidential-election-pennsylvania-73e55c8c1db4adc2a547b62bd5142be3">photo opportunity</a>&nbsp;he staged at a Pennsylvania McDonalds.He again tried to distance himself from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose joke had set off the firestorm, but Trump did not denounce it. He also said he did not need to apologize to Puerto Ricans.“I don’t know anything about the comedian,” Trump said. “I don’t know who he is. I’ve never seen him. I heard he made a statement, but it was a statement that he made. He’s a comedian, what can I tell you. I know nothing about him.”A spokesperson for Trump said the joke doesn't reflect his views, but the former president has not addressed it himself.“I love Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico loves me,” Trump said from the garbage truck.He ended the brief appearance by telling reporters: “I hope you enjoyed this garbage truck. Thank you very much.”When he took the stage a short time later, he was still wearing the orange vest.