DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Voting is set to begin Monday night in icy Iowa as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;eyes a victory that would send a resounding message that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-winter-weather-caucus-campaign-events-canceled-a4fd8a5550a05166534f7b330560cbc9">neither life-threatening cold</a>&nbsp;nor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-election-fraud-documents-1d8d88542e6257ad957cf2fc03e190ae">life-changing legal trouble</a>&nbsp;can slow his march toward the Republican Party's 2024 nomination.

The Iowa caucuses,&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2024/election-2024-our-very-complicated-democracy/iowa-caucus-election-2024-presidential-race-episode-1.html">which are the opening contest</a>&nbsp;in the months-long Republican presidential primary process, begin at 8 p.m. EST. Caucus participants will gather inside more than 1,500 schools, churches and community centers to debate their options, in some cases for hours, before casting secret ballots.

While Trump projects confidence, his onetime chief rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-iowa-caucuses-election-2024-b41c967b94fda070dfb70dfb1bdcfa44">fighting for his political survival</a>&nbsp;in a make-or-break race for second place.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley</a>, the only woman in the race, stands in DeSantis' way. The two have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-haley-trump-iowa-republican-caucuses-2024-67f83ae02b266e3a62c3db1ea0800167">competed aggressively in recent weeks to emerge as the clear alternative</a>&nbsp;to the former president, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-poll-old-corrupt-12b806876e2072790f9a67793761c688">has alienated many Americans</a>&nbsp;and could end up being a convicted felon by year’s end.

"I absolutely love a lot of the things (Trump) did, but his personality is just kind of getting in his way,” said Hans Rudin, a 49-year-old community college adviser from Council Bluffs, Iowa. He said he supported Trump in the past two elections, but will caucus for DeSantis on Monday.

Polls suggest Trump enters the day with a massive lead in Iowa as Haley and DeSantis duel for a distant second. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are also on the ballot, as is former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who suspended his campaign last week.

With the coldest temperatures in caucus history expected and dangerous travel conditions in virtually every corner of the rural state, the campaigns are bracing for a low-turnout contest that will test the strength of their support and their organizational muscle. The final result will serve as a powerful signal for the rest of the nomination fight to determine who will face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November general election.

After Iowa, the Republican primary shifts to New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina over the coming weeks before moving into the rest of the country this spring. The ultimate nominee won't be confirmed until the party's national convention in July, but with big wins in the opening contests, Trump will be difficult to stop.

Trump's political strength heading into the Iowa caucuses, which come 426 days after he launched his 2024 campaign, tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from him. He lost to Biden in 2020 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">fueling near-constant chaos</a>&nbsp;while in the White House, culminating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucuses-young-conservatives-campaign-2ca7441852577795123845811b06bc06">with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases, including two indictments for his efforts to overturn the election and a third indictment for keeping classified documents in his Florida home.

In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-iowa-dff7f632948fa6511fb7d1955a28610c">harnessed rhetoric</a>&nbsp;once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country. And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting words like “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”

“Trump is a Christian. He’s trustworthy. He believes in America. And he believes in freedom,” said 71-year-old Kathy DeAngelo, a retired hospital administrative employee waiting in subzero weather to see Trump on Sunday. “He's the only one.”

The final Des Moines Register/NBC News poll before the caucuses found Trump maintaining a formidable lead, supported by nearly half of likely caucusgoers, compared with 20% for Haley and 16% for DeSantis. Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and DeSantis, the Florida governor, remain locked in a close battle for second. Trump is also viewed more favorably than the other top contenders by likely caucusgoers, at 69% compared with 58% for DeSantis and just 48% for Haley.

On the eve of the caucuses, Trump predicted he would set a modern-day record for an Iowa Republican caucus with a margin-of-victory exceeding the nearly 13 percentage points that Bob Dole earned in 1988. He also sought to downplay expectations that he would earn as much as 50% of the total vote.

Whether he hits that number or not, his critics note that roughly half of the state’s Republican voters will likely vote for someone not named Trump.

“Somebody won by 12 points and that was like a record. Well, we should do that," Trump said Sunday during an appearance at a Des Moines hotel. "If we don’t do that, let 'em criticize us, right? But let’s see if we can get to 50%.“

“Brave the weather and go out and save America," he later added.

The temperature in parts of Iowa on Monday could dip as low as negative 14 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 26 degrees Celsius) while snow drifts from Friday's blizzard still make travel hazardous across the rural state where unpaved roads are common.

Forecasters warned that “dangerously cold wind chills” as low as 45 degrees below zero Fahrenheit were possible through noon Tuesday. The conditions, according to the National Weather Service, could lead to “frost bite and hypothermia in a matter of minutes if not properly dressed for the conditions.”

Over the weekend, signs positioned on key roadways warned motorists in large flashing orange letters: “TRAVEL NOT ADVISED.”

And the winter weather, intimidating even for Iowa, will make an already unrepresentative process even less representative.

Many elderly Iowans, who are the backbone of the caucus, are wondering how they will make it to their sites. And only a tiny portion of the participants will be voters of color, given Iowa's overwhelmingly white population, a fact that helped convince Democrats to shift their opening primary contest to South Carolina this year.

Iowa's caucuses are also playing out on Martin Luther King Day, which is a federal holiday.

Last month, some presidential campaigns were expecting close to 200,000 Republican voters to participate in the caucus. On the eve of the contest, many now wonder whether the 2024 turnout will exceed the 118,411 Republicans who showed up in 2012.

Still, each of the campaigns is claiming a powerful get-out-the-vote operation that will ensure their supporters show up.

Haley rallied a room packed with Iowans and out-of-state volunteers on Sunday in Ames, drawing frequent cheers from the pink necklace and boa-clad “Women for Nikki.”

The 51-year-old former South Carolina governor repeated her frequent call for GOP voters to elect her as a “new generational leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind and focuses on the solutions of the future.”

Nearly 200 miles away in Dubuque, DeSantis dismissed questions about his position in the polls as he courted voters.

“I like being underestimated. I like being the underdog,” the Florida governor said. “I think that that’s better.”

Meanwhile, not all voters were excited about their options.

Jake Hutzell, 28, hasn’t participated in a caucus before, and he isn’t sure that he will Monday, either. He follows politics, but he said he’s part of a generation that’s skeptical any of it makes a difference.

“There’s never been anyone I feel strongly about,” the Dubuque resident said. “If I’m going to throw my name behind who I think should be the president, I would like to very feel very strongly about it.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Voting is set to begin Monday night in icy Iowa as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;eyes a victory that would send a resounding message that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-winter-weather-caucus-campaign-events-canceled-a4fd8a5550a05166534f7b330560cbc9">neither life-threatening cold</a>&nbsp;nor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-election-fraud-documents-1d8d88542e6257ad957cf2fc03e190ae">life-changing legal trouble</a>&nbsp;can slow his march toward the Republican Party's 2024 nomination.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Donald Trump: &quot;You must go caucus tomorrow...You can&#39;t sit home. If you&#39;re sick as a dog...even if you vote and then pass away, it&#39;s worth it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/tdjwqau6fW">pic.twitter.com/tdjwqau6fW</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1746704464407343408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Iowa caucuses,&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2024/election-2024-our-very-complicated-democracy/iowa-caucus-election-2024-presidential-race-episode-1.html">which are the opening contest</a>&nbsp;in the months-long Republican presidential primary process, begin at 8 p.m. EST. Caucus participants will gather inside more than 1,500 schools, churches and community centers to debate their options, in some cases for hours, before casting secret ballots.While Trump projects confidence, his onetime chief rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-iowa-caucuses-election-2024-b41c967b94fda070dfb70dfb1bdcfa44">fighting for his political survival</a>&nbsp;in a make-or-break race for second place.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley</a>, the only woman in the race, stands in DeSantis' way. The two have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-haley-trump-iowa-republican-caucuses-2024-67f83ae02b266e3a62c3db1ea0800167">competed aggressively in recent weeks to emerge as the clear alternative</a>&nbsp;to the former president, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-poll-old-corrupt-12b806876e2072790f9a67793761c688">has alienated many Americans</a>&nbsp;and could end up being a convicted felon by year’s end."I absolutely love a lot of the things (Trump) did, but his personality is just kind of getting in his way,” said Hans Rudin, a 49-year-old community college adviser from Council Bluffs, Iowa. He said he supported Trump in the past two elections, but will caucus for DeSantis on Monday.Polls suggest Trump enters the day with a massive lead in Iowa as Haley and DeSantis duel for a distant second. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are also on the ballot, as is former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who suspended his campaign last week.With the coldest temperatures in caucus history expected and dangerous travel conditions in virtually every corner of the rural state, the campaigns are bracing for a low-turnout contest that will test the strength of their support and their organizational muscle. The final result will serve as a powerful signal for the rest of the nomination fight to determine who will face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November general election.After Iowa, the Republican primary shifts to New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina over the coming weeks before moving into the rest of the country this spring. The ultimate nominee won't be confirmed until the party's national convention in July, but with big wins in the opening contests, Trump will be difficult to stop.Trump's political strength heading into the Iowa caucuses, which come 426 days after he launched his 2024 campaign, tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from him. He lost to Biden in 2020 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">fueling near-constant chaos</a>&nbsp;while in the White House, culminating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucuses-young-conservatives-campaign-2ca7441852577795123845811b06bc06">with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases, including two indictments for his efforts to overturn the election and a third indictment for keeping classified documents in his Florida home.In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-iowa-dff7f632948fa6511fb7d1955a28610c">harnessed rhetoric</a>&nbsp;once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country. And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting words like “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”Republican voters have been undeterred.“Trump is a Christian. He’s trustworthy. He believes in America. And he believes in freedom,” said 71-year-old Kathy DeAngelo, a retired hospital administrative employee waiting in subzero weather to see Trump on Sunday. “He's the only one.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705318898624.png" alt="Nikki Haley during a campaign rally Sunday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Nikki Haley during a campaign rally Sunday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The final Des Moines Register/NBC News poll before the caucuses found Trump maintaining a formidable lead, supported by nearly half of likely caucusgoers, compared with 20% for Haley and 16% for DeSantis. Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and DeSantis, the Florida governor, remain locked in a close battle for second. Trump is also viewed more favorably than the other top contenders by likely caucusgoers, at 69% compared with 58% for DeSantis and just 48% for Haley.On the eve of the caucuses, Trump predicted he would set a modern-day record for an Iowa Republican caucus with a margin-of-victory exceeding the nearly 13 percentage points that Bob Dole earned in 1988. He also sought to downplay expectations that he would earn as much as 50% of the total vote.Whether he hits that number or not, his critics note that roughly half of the state’s Republican voters will likely vote for someone not named Trump.“Somebody won by 12 points and that was like a record. Well, we should do that," Trump said Sunday during an appearance at a Des Moines hotel. "If we don’t do that, let 'em criticize us, right? But let’s see if we can get to 50%.““Brave the weather and go out and save America," he later added.The temperature in parts of Iowa on Monday could dip as low as negative 14 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 26 degrees Celsius) while snow drifts from Friday's blizzard still make travel hazardous across the rural state where unpaved roads are common.Forecasters warned that “dangerously cold wind chills” as low as 45 degrees below zero Fahrenheit were possible through noon Tuesday. The conditions, according to the National Weather Service, could lead to “frost bite and hypothermia in a matter of minutes if not properly dressed for the conditions.”Over the weekend, signs positioned on key roadways warned motorists in large flashing orange letters: “TRAVEL NOT ADVISED.”And the winter weather, intimidating even for Iowa, will make an already unrepresentative process even less representative.Many elderly Iowans, who are the backbone of the caucus, are wondering how they will make it to their sites. And only a tiny portion of the participants will be voters of color, given Iowa's overwhelmingly white population, a fact that helped convince Democrats to shift their opening primary contest to South Carolina this year.Iowa's caucuses are also playing out on Martin Luther King Day, which is a federal holiday.Last month, some presidential campaigns were expecting close to 200,000 Republican voters to participate in the caucus. On the eve of the contest, many now wonder whether the 2024 turnout will exceed the 118,411 Republicans who showed up in 2012.Still, each of the campaigns is claiming a powerful get-out-the-vote operation that will ensure their supporters show up.Haley rallied a room packed with Iowans and out-of-state volunteers on Sunday in Ames, drawing frequent cheers from the pink necklace and boa-clad “Women for Nikki.”The 51-year-old former South Carolina governor repeated her frequent call for GOP voters to elect her as a “new generational leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind and focuses on the solutions of the future.”Nearly 200 miles away in Dubuque, DeSantis dismissed questions about his position in the polls as he courted voters.“I like being underestimated. I like being the underdog,” the Florida governor said. “I think that that’s better.”Meanwhile, not all voters were excited about their options.Jake Hutzell, 28, hasn’t participated in a caucus before, and he isn’t sure that he will Monday, either. He follows politics, but he said he’s part of a generation that’s skeptical any of it makes a difference.“There’s never been anyone I feel strongly about,” the Dubuque resident said. “If I’m going to throw my name behind who I think should be the president, I would like to very feel very strongly about it.”___

🎥Trump predicts he will break Bob Dole's record in Iowa caucus victory

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide and after asking the public for help have identified the victim with the tattoo as 53-year-old Gildardo H. Carvajal of Gardner, Kan., according to the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff's Office

An employee at Rocky Hollow Park found his body at about 8:15 a.m. December 22, off a roadway at the park, located at 14812 Old Quarry Road, Excelsior Springs.

Charges have been filed against a suspect in the murder of&nbsp;Carvajal. Investigators need help to locate 48-year-old Elena Delcarmen Flores. She has been charged with 1st-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Clay County Sheriff.

She lives in Gardner, Kansas but investigators believe she may no longer be in the KC metro area. She may also go by Elena Torres, Elena Flores Garcia or Elena Stores. She is 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds. If you know where she is, call&nbsp; 816-407-3723 or <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> at 816-474-TIPS (8477). 2/2

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703285918610.png" alt="photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide and after asking the public for help have identified the victim with the tattoo as 53-year-old Gildardo H. Carvajal of Gardner, Kan., according to the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff's OfficeAn employee at Rocky Hollow Park found his body at about 8:15 a.m. December 22, off a roadway at the park, located at 14812 Old Quarry Road, Excelsior Springs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703802024415.png" alt="Flores-photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Flores-photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Charges have been filed against a suspect in the murder of&nbsp;Carvajal. Investigators need help to locate 48-year-old Elena Delcarmen Flores. She has been charged with 1st-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Clay County Sheriff.She lives in Gardner, Kansas but investigators believe she may no longer be in the KC metro area. She may also go by Elena Torres, Elena Flores Garcia or Elena Stores. She is 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds. If you know where she is, call&nbsp; 816-407-3723 or <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> at 816-474-TIPS (8477). 2/2

Kansas woman charged with murder still hiding from police

KANSAS CITY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.

Just after 1:30p.m. Sunday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 1600 block of Poplar, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. First responders reported smoke and fire from the second floor of the two-story house.

Occupants were able to escape before fire crews arrived. It took about 40 minutes to get this fire under control. Despite the near zero temperatures, there were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705274291483.png" alt="Photos Kansas&nbsp; City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Kansas&nbsp; City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705274271650.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 1:30p.m. Sunday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 1600 block of Poplar, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. First responders reported smoke and fire from the second floor of the two-story house.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705274403597.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Occupants were able to escape before fire crews arrived. It took about 40 minutes to get this fire under control. Despite the near zero temperatures, there were no injuries reported.

Crews fight KC house fire in frigid conditions

JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea but a U.S. fighter jet shot it down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the latest attack roiling global shipping</a>&nbsp;amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said.

The attack on Sunday marks the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels</a>&nbsp;following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have targeted that crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-14-2024-3af5b75f744b92c5517b287baf20b55b">the Israel-Hamas war</a>, attacks that threaten to widen that conflict into a regional conflagration.

The Houthis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">a Shiite rebel group allied with Iran</a>&nbsp;that seized Yemen's capital in 2014, did not immediately acknowledge the attack.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attack, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”

The Houthi fire on Sunday went in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, the U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement.

The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.

“An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported."

The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.

The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.

U.S. forces followed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site</a>.

Shipping through the Red Sea has slowed over the attacks. The U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for 72 hours after the initial airstrikes.

For their part, the Houthis alleged without providing evidence that the U.S. struck a site near Hodeida on Sunday around the same time of the cruise missile fire. The Americans and the United Kingdom did not acknowledge conducting any strike — suggesting the blast may have been from a misfiring Houthi missile.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas</a>. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.

Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referenced the widening Houthi attacks on ships in a speech Sunday, saying that “the sea has become battlefield of missiles, drones and warships” and blaming the U.S. strikes for escalating maritime tensions.

“The most dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea (it) will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.

Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">calm tensions in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes in the Red Sea threaten to ignite one.

Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.

Meanwhile, the White House said Sunday that “it’s the right time” for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory’s ruling Hamas militant group.

The comments exposed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-netanyahu-israel-palestinians-gaza-fe150c19cdcc4737f4a9e22a695490ed">growing differences</a>&nbsp;between the close allies on the 100th day of the war.

Also Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon following a Hezbollah missile attack that killed two Israeli civilians — an older woman and her adult son — in northern Israel. The exchange of fire underscored concerns that the Gaza violence could trigger wider fighting across the region.

The war in Gaza, launched by Israel in response to the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of Gaza, driven around 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million residents from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-uninhabitable-un-humanitarian-israel-palestinians-famine-9d92816bdb8d82d023bc4bd18f67d8a3">pushed a quarter of the population into starvation</a>.

Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has been speaking to Israel “about a transition to low-intensity operations” in Gaza.

“We believe it’s the right time for that transition. And we’re talking to them about doing that,” he said on “Face the Nation.”

Israel launched the offensive after the Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Hamas is destroyed and all of the more than 100 hostages still in captivity are freed.

The war has sent tensions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">soaring across the region</a>, with Israel trading fire almost daily with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Iranian-backed militias attacking U.S. targets in Syria and Iraq. In addition, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been targeting international shipping, drawing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a wave of U.S. airstrikes</a>&nbsp;last week.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said his group won’t stop until a cease-fire is in place for Gaza.

“We are continuing, and our front is inflicting losses on the enemy and putting pressure on displaced people,” Nasrallah said in a speech, referring to the tens of thousands of Israelis who have fled northern border areas.

In other developments, tens of thousands of people in Europe and the Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-protests-hostages-cease-fire-london-karachi-2632ad0e7285e55f2c222dc69100014a">took to the streets</a>&nbsp;Sunday to mark the 100th day of the war. Opposing demonstrations either demanded the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas or called for a cease-fire in Gaza.

In Israel, supporters of the hostages and their families wrapped up a 24-hour protest in Tel Aviv calling on the government to win their immediate release.

The unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza has led South Africa to lodge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-774ab3c3d57fd7bcc627602eaf47fd98">allegations of genocide against Israel</a>&nbsp;at the International Court of Justice. Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-65b087102893dd06222370b10f0b4e4d">denies the accusations</a>&nbsp;and has vowed to press ahead with its offensive even if the court in The Hague issues an interim order for it to stop.

Israel has also been under growing international pressure to end the war in Gaza, but it has so far been shielded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-gaza-arms-hamas-bypass-congress-1dc77f20aac4a797df6a2338b677da4f">U.S. diplomatic and military support.</a>&nbsp;Israel argues that any cease-fire would hand victory to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is bent on Israel’s destruction.

“It’s been 100 days, yet we will not stop until we win,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.

But differences with the Americans have begun to emerge. During a visit to the region last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed his calls on Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties and increase the supplies of desperately needed humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

In recent weeks, Israel has scaled back operations in northern Gaza, the initial target of the offensive, where weeks of airstrikes and ground operations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">left entire neighborhoods in ruins</a>.

Kirby, the White House spokesman, acknowledged that Israel had taken some “precursory steps” toward scaling back the offensive. But he said there was more to do.

“We’re not saying let your foot up off the gas completely and don’t keep going after Hamas,” he said. “It’s just that we believe the time is coming here very, very soon for a transition to this lower intensity phase.”

The deadly Hezbollah missile strike in northern Israel renewed concerns about a second front erupting into full-blown war.

It came shortly after the Israeli army said it killed three Lebanese militants who tried to infiltrate Israel.

Late Sunday, the Israeli military said it had struck Lebanon in response to the missile strike. Israeli officials said a woman in her 70s and her son, in his 40s, were killed in the town of Yuval.

The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israel would not tolerate attacks on civilians.

“The price will be extracted not just tonight, but also in the future,” he said.

Yuval is one of more than 40 towns along Israel’s northern border evacuated by the government in October. Israeli media reported that the family stayed in the area because they work in agriculture.

Tensions have also spread to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Palestinian health officials say nearly 350 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in confrontations throughout the war.

On Sunday, the Israeli army said troops opened fire after a Palestinian car breached a military roadblock in the southern West Bank and an attacker fired at soldiers. Palestinian health officials said two Palestinians were killed.

Late Sunday, Palestinian health officials said two teenage boys were killed by Israeli fire. The army said it shot them after they threw a bomb at an army base.

Israel has launched major operations against the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza.

“No one is able to move,” said Rami Abu Matouq, who lives in the Maghazi camp. “Warplanes, snipers and gunfire are everywhere.”

In the central town of Deir al-Balah, health officials said at least 15 people were killed in Israeli strikes late Saturday.

At the entrance of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, men lined up to pray for the dead, their bodies wrapped in white shrouds. The bodies were put on the back of a pickup truck before they were taken to be buried.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian TV station Al-Ghad said a cameraman was killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. The channel said Yazan al-Zwaidi was apparently in a crowd of people at the time. Details were not immediately available, and the Israeli military had no comment.

The internet advocacy group Netblocks said communications in Gaza were still out after a 48-hour outage. The Palestinian telecommunications operator in Gaza, Jawwal, said two of its employees were killed Saturday when they were hit by a shell while fixing lines in Khan Younis.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Gaza Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;said Sunday that hospitals had received 125 bodies in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 23,968. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around two-thirds of the dead are women and minors. It says over 60,000 people have been wounded.

Israel says Hamas is responsible for the high civilian casualties, saying its fighters make use of civilian buildings and launch attacks from densely populated urban areas. The military says 189 soldiers have been killed and 1,099 wounded since the start of the ground offensive.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703990687604.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea but a U.S. fighter jet shot it down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the latest attack roiling global shipping</a>&nbsp;amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said.The attack on Sunday marks the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels</a>&nbsp;following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.The Houthis have targeted that crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-14-2024-3af5b75f744b92c5517b287baf20b55b">the Israel-Hamas war</a>, attacks that threaten to widen that conflict into a regional conflagration.The Houthis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">a Shiite rebel group allied with Iran</a>&nbsp;that seized Yemen's capital in 2014, did not immediately acknowledge the attack.It wasn't immediately clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attack, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”The Houthi fire on Sunday went in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, the U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement.The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.“An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported."The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.U.S. forces followed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site</a>.Shipping through the Red Sea has slowed over the attacks. The U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for 72 hours after the initial airstrikes.For their part, the Houthis alleged without providing evidence that the U.S. struck a site near Hodeida on Sunday around the same time of the cruise missile fire. The Americans and the United Kingdom did not acknowledge conducting any strike — suggesting the blast may have been from a misfiring Houthi missile.Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas</a>. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referenced the widening Houthi attacks on ships in a speech Sunday, saying that “the sea has become battlefield of missiles, drones and warships” and blaming the U.S. strikes for escalating maritime tensions.“The most dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea (it) will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">calm tensions in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes in the Red Sea threaten to ignite one.Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.Meanwhile, the White House said Sunday that “it’s the right time” for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory’s ruling Hamas militant group.The comments exposed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-netanyahu-israel-palestinians-gaza-fe150c19cdcc4737f4a9e22a695490ed">growing differences</a>&nbsp;between the close allies on the 100th day of the war.Also Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon following a Hezbollah missile attack that killed two Israeli civilians — an older woman and her adult son — in northern Israel. The exchange of fire underscored concerns that the Gaza violence could trigger wider fighting across the region.The war in Gaza, launched by Israel in response to the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of Gaza, driven around 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million residents from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-uninhabitable-un-humanitarian-israel-palestinians-famine-9d92816bdb8d82d023bc4bd18f67d8a3">pushed a quarter of the population into starvation</a>.Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has been speaking to Israel “about a transition to low-intensity operations” in Gaza.“We believe it’s the right time for that transition. And we’re talking to them about doing that,” he said on “Face the Nation.”Israel launched the offensive after the Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Hamas is destroyed and all of the more than 100 hostages still in captivity are freed.The war has sent tensions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">soaring across the region</a>, with Israel trading fire almost daily with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Iranian-backed militias attacking U.S. targets in Syria and Iraq. In addition, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been targeting international shipping, drawing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a wave of U.S. airstrikes</a>&nbsp;last week.Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said his group won’t stop until a cease-fire is in place for Gaza.“We are continuing, and our front is inflicting losses on the enemy and putting pressure on displaced people,” Nasrallah said in a speech, referring to the tens of thousands of Israelis who have fled northern border areas.In other developments, tens of thousands of people in Europe and the Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-protests-hostages-cease-fire-london-karachi-2632ad0e7285e55f2c222dc69100014a">took to the streets</a>&nbsp;Sunday to mark the 100th day of the war. Opposing demonstrations either demanded the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas or called for a cease-fire in Gaza.In Israel, supporters of the hostages and their families wrapped up a 24-hour protest in Tel Aviv calling on the government to win their immediate release.INTERNATIONAL PRESSUREThe unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza has led South Africa to lodge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-774ab3c3d57fd7bcc627602eaf47fd98">allegations of genocide against Israel</a>&nbsp;at the International Court of Justice. Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-65b087102893dd06222370b10f0b4e4d">denies the accusations</a>&nbsp;and has vowed to press ahead with its offensive even if the court in The Hague issues an interim order for it to stop.Israel has also been under growing international pressure to end the war in Gaza, but it has so far been shielded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-gaza-arms-hamas-bypass-congress-1dc77f20aac4a797df6a2338b677da4f">U.S. diplomatic and military support.</a>&nbsp;Israel argues that any cease-fire would hand victory to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is bent on Israel’s destruction.“It’s been 100 days, yet we will not stop until we win,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.But differences with the Americans have begun to emerge. During a visit to the region last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed his calls on Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties and increase the supplies of desperately needed humanitarian aid entering Gaza.In recent weeks, Israel has scaled back operations in northern Gaza, the initial target of the offensive, where weeks of airstrikes and ground operations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">left entire neighborhoods in ruins</a>.Kirby, the White House spokesman, acknowledged that Israel had taken some “precursory steps” toward scaling back the offensive. But he said there was more to do.“We’re not saying let your foot up off the gas completely and don’t keep going after Hamas,” he said. “It’s just that we believe the time is coming here very, very soon for a transition to this lower intensity phase.”FEARS OF A SECOND FRONTThe deadly Hezbollah missile strike in northern Israel renewed concerns about a second front erupting into full-blown war.It came shortly after the Israeli army said it killed three Lebanese militants who tried to infiltrate Israel.Late Sunday, the Israeli military said it had struck Lebanon in response to the missile strike. Israeli officials said a woman in her 70s and her son, in his 40s, were killed in the town of Yuval.The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israel would not tolerate attacks on civilians.“The price will be extracted not just tonight, but also in the future,” he said.Yuval is one of more than 40 towns along Israel’s northern border evacuated by the government in October. Israeli media reported that the family stayed in the area because they work in agriculture.Tensions have also spread to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Palestinian health officials say nearly 350 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in confrontations throughout the war.On Sunday, the Israeli army said troops opened fire after a Palestinian car breached a military roadblock in the southern West Bank and an attacker fired at soldiers. Palestinian health officials said two Palestinians were killed.Late Sunday, Palestinian health officials said two teenage boys were killed by Israeli fire. The army said it shot them after they threw a bomb at an army base.ISRAEL STRIKES CENTRAL, SOUTHERN GAZAIsrael has launched major operations against the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza.“No one is able to move,” said Rami Abu Matouq, who lives in the Maghazi camp. “Warplanes, snipers and gunfire are everywhere.”In the central town of Deir al-Balah, health officials said at least 15 people were killed in Israeli strikes late Saturday.At the entrance of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, men lined up to pray for the dead, their bodies wrapped in white shrouds. The bodies were put on the back of a pickup truck before they were taken to be buried.Meanwhile, the Egyptian TV station Al-Ghad said a cameraman was killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. The channel said Yazan al-Zwaidi was apparently in a crowd of people at the time. Details were not immediately available, and the Israeli military had no comment.The internet advocacy group Netblocks said communications in Gaza were still out after a 48-hour outage. The Palestinian telecommunications operator in Gaza, Jawwal, said two of its employees were killed Saturday when they were hit by a shell while fixing lines in Khan Younis.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Gaza Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;said Sunday that hospitals had received 125 bodies in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 23,968. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around two-thirds of the dead are women and minors. It says over 60,000 people have been wounded.Israel says Hamas is responsible for the high civilian casualties, saying its fighters make use of civilian buildings and launch attacks from densely populated urban areas. The military says 189 soldiers have been killed and 1,099 wounded since the start of the ground offensive.___

First missile threat on U.S. warship in the Red Sea since America-led attack

KANSAS CITY —A state trooper near Kansas City conducted a traffic stop Sunday for an alleged violation. 

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A, motorists are to exercise highest degree of care and&nbsp; every person operating a motor vehicle on the roads and highways of this state shall drive the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner.


The MSHP Troop A asked, "What do you think about this driver?"

The patrol did not indicate if they issued a citation to the driver.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705281544382.png" alt="Photo credit: Cpl. Villanueva in Platte County, Missouri" />
 <figcaption>Photo credit: Cpl. Villanueva in Platte County, Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A state trooper near Kansas City conducted a traffic stop Sunday for an alleged violation. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A, motorists are to exercise highest degree of care and&nbsp; every person operating a motor vehicle on the roads and highways of this state shall drive the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner.
The MSHP Troop A asked, "What do you think about this driver?"The patrol did not indicate if they issued a citation to the driver.

Patrol: Drivers need to operate a vehicle in prudent manner

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Sunday in Kansas City.

According to Police Captain Corey Carlisle, officers attempted to conduct a traffic violation stop on a Chevrolet Trailblazer at&nbsp;Cleaver and Benton in Kansas City.

&nbsp;The driver refused to yield for the officers and the officers disregarded their attempts to stop the vehicle. 

The Chevrolet was last seen traveling southbound on Swope at a high rate of speed. Just south of Martin Luther King, the SUV traveled off the roadway to the left and struck a large tree. 

The unrestrained driver and sole occupant of the SUV was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. 

This is fatality #5 compared to #3 at this time last year. Police did release the name of the driver or additional details.

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Sunday in Kansas City.According to Police Captain Corey Carlisle, officers attempted to conduct a traffic violation stop on a Chevrolet Trailblazer at&nbsp;Cleaver and Benton in Kansas City.&nbsp;The driver refused to yield for the officers and the officers disregarded their attempts to stop the vehicle. The Chevrolet was last seen traveling southbound on Swope at a high rate of speed. Just south of Martin Luther King, the SUV traveled off the roadway to the left and struck a large tree. The unrestrained driver and sole occupant of the SUV was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. This is fatality #5 compared to #3 at this time last year. Police did release the name of the driver or additional details.

Woman dies when SUV crashed after she fled KC traffic stop

JOHNSON COUNTY—A man from Iowa is going to prison for the 2021 killing of a man in Kansas.

According to the Johnson County District Attorney, Michael Balance, 60, Des Moines, was sentenced to just more than 51-year-years in prison for the death of 70-year-old John Hoffman, of Prairie Village. 

In May of 2021, police found Hoffman’s body in his apartment. He had been shot several times. Police quickly identified Balance as a suspect in the shooting and contacted Des Moines police, who arrested him.

In October, a Johnson County jury found Balance guilty of second-degree murder. He was&nbsp;originally charged with premeditated first-degree murder, according to the district attorney's office.

A Johnson County jury found Michael L. Balance, 60, of Des Moines, Iowa, guilty of second-degree murder. He was originally charged with premeditated first-degree murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704488000265.png" alt="Balance-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Balance-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—A man from Iowa is going to prison for the 2021 killing of a man in Kansas.According to the Johnson County District Attorney, Michael Balance, 60, Des Moines, was sentenced to just more than 51-year-years in prison for the death of 70-year-old John Hoffman, of Prairie Village. In May of 2021, police found Hoffman’s body in his apartment. He had been shot several times. Police quickly identified Balance as a suspect in the shooting and contacted Des Moines police, who arrested him.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620143853583.png" alt="Balance following his arrest in Iowa" />
 <figcaption>Balance following his arrest in Iowa</figcaption>
 </figure>In October, a Johnson County jury found Balance guilty of second-degree murder. He was&nbsp;originally charged with premeditated first-degree murder, according to the district attorney's office.A Johnson County jury found Michael L. Balance, 60, of Des Moines, Iowa, guilty of second-degree murder. He was originally charged with premeditated first-degree murder.

Suspect captured in Iowa going to prison for Kansas murder

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City-area woman pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to stealing more than $500,000 from her employer.

Tammy Myers, 50, Independence, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to a federal information that charges her with one count of wire fraud, according to the United State's Attorney.

Myers was employed by Builders Overhead Door Service, Inc., in Blue Springs, Mo., from 1998 through 2022. Myers, who became the head of accounting in 2012, admitted that she engaged in a scheme to defraud Builders Overhead Door Service from January 2013 to December 2022.

Myers admitted she used the company’s bank account information to pay off the balances on her personal credit cards, totaling $429,025.

In addition to paying her personal credit cards, Myers admitted she wrote checks to herself from the company’s bank account without the authorization of the owner. Myers deposited the unauthorized checks, which had been pre-signed by the owner, into her personal bank account and spent that money on personal expenses. The total amount of unauthorized checks she wrote to herself was $86,477.

Under the terms of Thursday’s plea agreement, Myers must pay $521,996 in restitution to Builders Overhead Door Service, which represents the total loss she caused and includes loss attributable to related criminal activity. Myers must also pay a money judgment to the government of $429,025.

Myers also admitted that while she was using company funds to pay her personal credit cards and writing checks to herself, she let the company fall behind on payroll, real estate, and sales and use taxes.

Under federal statutes, Myers is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City-area woman pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to stealing more than $500,000 from her employer.Tammy Myers, 50, Independence, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to a federal information that charges her with one count of wire fraud, according to the United State's Attorney.Myers was employed by Builders Overhead Door Service, Inc., in Blue Springs, Mo., from 1998 through 2022. Myers, who became the head of accounting in 2012, admitted that she engaged in a scheme to defraud Builders Overhead Door Service from January 2013 to December 2022.Myers admitted she used the company’s bank account information to pay off the balances on her personal credit cards, totaling $429,025.In addition to paying her personal credit cards, Myers admitted she wrote checks to herself from the company’s bank account without the authorization of the owner. Myers deposited the unauthorized checks, which had been pre-signed by the owner, into her personal bank account and spent that money on personal expenses. The total amount of unauthorized checks she wrote to herself was $86,477.Under the terms of Thursday’s plea agreement, Myers must pay $521,996 in restitution to Builders Overhead Door Service, which represents the total loss she caused and includes loss attributable to related criminal activity. Myers must also pay a money judgment to the government of $429,025.Myers also admitted that while she was using company funds to pay her personal credit cards and writing checks to herself, she let the company fall behind on payroll, real estate, and sales and use taxes.Under federal statutes, Myers is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KC-area woman admits stealing $500,000 from employer

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/aj-dome/">AJ DOME</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

WICHITA — There were slightly fewer tornadoes reported in Kansas and only one tornado watch issued for the central portion of the state in 2023.

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Wichita are tallying preliminary results from last year’s severe weather reports. Chance Hayes, the office’s warning coordination meteorologist, said the Sunflower State recorded 44 tornadoes in 2023.

That figure is down slightly from the 2022 tornado total of 68, according to data from the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. In 2021, Kansas had 46 tornadoes, and in 2020 the state experienced only 27 twisters, respectively. Hayes said severe weather patterns operate in cycles, and he’s observed similar lulls in tornadic activity in his career.

“I tell folks all the time, things happen in cycles,” Hayes said. “Right now, we’re in one of those low times, where the number of tornadoes is low, but we’re anticipating that we’ll likely pop out of it this year.”

Hayes drew a parallel with the current climatological patterns to those that existed over the Plains states from 1987-89, which saw lower numbers of tornadoes and tornado-warned storms. Then, in 1990 and 1991, more than 100 tornadoes occurred in Kansas, including devastating storms that slammed communities such as Hesston and Andover.

Hayes said 2023 was below normal for tornado watches issued, including one watch that covered central Kansas counties along the I-35 corridor. That watch was issued the evening of Jan. 2, 2023. Preliminary data from scientists at the Storm Prediction Center indicates a nationwide total of 179 tornado watches and 544 severe thunderstorm watches last year. In all, the contiguous 48 states observed 1,423 tornadoes in 2023.

2023 was also the last full year for Hayes in his role at NWS Wichita, as he will be retiring Jan. 12 after 31 years with the National Weather Service. He started his meteorology career in 1993 in Louisville, Kentucky, and transferred to the Wichita office in 1995. He said retirement will allow him to spend more time revisiting some of his “early loves,” such as restoring a classic Ford Mustang convertible. Hayes also plans to do some storm chasing this year.

He’s proud of the work he’s accomplished in 31 years.

“One of the things I’m most proud of is the ability for all our partners to work together underneath the weather enterprise,” Hayes said. “We all come together for one goal, to keep people safe.”

That combined effort among emergency officials and meteorologists has led to Kansas experiencing zero tornado-related deaths in almost 12 years. The last tornado death occurred on Feb. 28, 2012, when a twister struck the small community of Harveyville in southwest Wabaunsee County just after 9 p.m. The 150-yard-wide tornado heavily damaged about 40% of the town, including the Harveyville United Methodist Church, an apartment complex and multiple homes. It also gravely injured 53-year-old Richard Slade, when his home collapsed on top of him. He died in a Topeka hospital a day later. Weeks after the tornado, scientists rated it an EF-2, with wind speeds estimated between 111 and 135 miles per hour based on the damage.

NWS Wichita meteorologist James Cuellar agreed with Hayes that Kansas is overdue for an active severe weather season.

“If you look back at the classic tornado outbreaks, Kansas hasn’t had one since April 14, 2012,” Cuellar said. “We’ve had tornadoes since then, but they were all part of these spottier, more localized events.”

Cuellar noted that the year is starting in an El Nino climate pattern, which on average leads to slightly warmer and wetter winters.

“Usually that wetter part happens in the latter half of winter, going into spring,” Cuellar said, “so you could interpret that pattern as being more active in early spring months.”

In the more immediate future, Cuellar and other meteorologists are tracking the potential for accumulating snowfall statewide and a possible winter storm Monday into Tuesday.

Cuellar said a lot of his weather models are showing “pretty high” precipitation levels for early next week, but it’s still too far out to be certain. KSN-TV meteorologist Lisa Teachman said she expects the storm system arriving Monday to be “even stronger” than the previous system, with snowfall potential looking “probable” into Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704813417747.png" alt="Kansas experienced a relative lull in tornadoes throughout 2023, but experts don’t expect that to last. (AJ Dome/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas experienced a relative lull in tornadoes throughout 2023, but experts don’t expect that to last. (AJ Dome/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/aj-dome/">AJ DOME</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>WICHITA — There were slightly fewer tornadoes reported in Kansas and only one tornado watch issued for the central portion of the state in 2023.Meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Wichita are tallying preliminary results from last year’s severe weather reports. Chance Hayes, the office’s warning coordination meteorologist, said the Sunflower State recorded 44 tornadoes in 2023.That figure is down slightly from the 2022 tornado total of 68, according to data from the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. In 2021, Kansas had 46 tornadoes, and in 2020 the state experienced only 27 twisters, respectively. Hayes said severe weather patterns operate in cycles, and he’s observed similar lulls in tornadic activity in his career.“I tell folks all the time, things happen in cycles,” Hayes said. “Right now, we’re in one of those low times, where the number of tornadoes is low, but we’re anticipating that we’ll likely pop out of it this year.”Hayes drew a parallel with the current climatological patterns to those that existed over the Plains states from 1987-89, which saw lower numbers of tornadoes and tornado-warned storms. Then, in 1990 and 1991, more than 100 tornadoes occurred in Kansas, including devastating storms that slammed communities such as Hesston and Andover.Hayes said 2023 was below normal for tornado watches issued, including one watch that covered central Kansas counties along the I-35 corridor. That watch was issued the evening of Jan. 2, 2023. Preliminary data from scientists at the Storm Prediction Center indicates a nationwide total of 179 tornado watches and 544 severe thunderstorm watches last year. In all, the contiguous 48 states observed 1,423 tornadoes in 2023.2023 was also the last full year for Hayes in his role at NWS Wichita, as he will be retiring Jan. 12 after 31 years with the National Weather Service. He started his meteorology career in 1993 in Louisville, Kentucky, and transferred to the Wichita office in 1995. He said retirement will allow him to spend more time revisiting some of his “early loves,” such as restoring a classic Ford Mustang convertible. Hayes also plans to do some storm chasing this year.He’s proud of the work he’s accomplished in 31 years.“One of the things I’m most proud of is the ability for all our partners to work together underneath the weather enterprise,” Hayes said. “We all come together for one goal, to keep people safe.”That combined effort among emergency officials and meteorologists has led to Kansas experiencing zero tornado-related deaths in almost 12 years. The last tornado death occurred on Feb. 28, 2012, when a twister struck the small community of Harveyville in southwest Wabaunsee County just after 9 p.m. The 150-yard-wide tornado heavily damaged about 40% of the town, including the Harveyville United Methodist Church, an apartment complex and multiple homes. It also gravely injured 53-year-old Richard Slade, when his home collapsed on top of him. He died in a Topeka hospital a day later. Weeks after the tornado, scientists rated it an EF-2, with wind speeds estimated between 111 and 135 miles per hour based on the damage.<h2>New year predictions</h2>NWS Wichita meteorologist James Cuellar agreed with Hayes that Kansas is overdue for an active severe weather season.“If you look back at the classic tornado outbreaks, Kansas hasn’t had one since April 14, 2012,” Cuellar said. “We’ve had tornadoes since then, but they were all part of these spottier, more localized events.”Cuellar noted that the year is starting in an El Nino climate pattern, which on average leads to slightly warmer and wetter winters.“Usually that wetter part happens in the latter half of winter, going into spring,” Cuellar said, “so you could interpret that pattern as being more active in early spring months.”In the more immediate future, Cuellar and other meteorologists are tracking the potential for accumulating snowfall statewide and a possible winter storm Monday into Tuesday.Cuellar said a lot of his weather models are showing “pretty high” precipitation levels for early next week, but it’s still too far out to be certain. KSN-TV meteorologist Lisa Teachman said she expects the storm system arriving Monday to be “even stronger” than the previous system, with snowfall potential looking “probable” into Tuesday.

Kansas sees lower tornado count, 1 tornado watch issued for central region in 2023

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa principal who put himself in harm’s way to protect students during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/perry-iowa-school-shooting-things-to-know-07b7d636e9ec1d3f1ca6be628aff6e8d">a school shooting</a>&nbsp;earlier this month died Sunday, a funeral home confirmed.

Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home &amp; Crematory confirmed the death of Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger after the family announced it on a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/dan-marburgers-healing-and-recovery">GoFundMe page.</a>

Marburger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/perry-high-school-shooting-iowa-5346218f2646bec796ba28928a00c745">was critically injured</a>&nbsp;during the Jan. 4 attack, which began in the school's cafeteria as students were gathering for breakfast before class. An 11-year-old middle school student was killed in the shooting, and six other people were injured. The 17-year-old student who opened fire also died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.

The day after the shooting, the state Department of Public Safety said Marburger “acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students.”

News of Marburger's death was first posted on a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/dan-marburgers-healing-and-recovery">GoFundMe page</a> for his family. The post, by Marburger's wife, Elizabeth, said he died at about 8 a.m. Sunday, and said: “Dan lost his battle. He fought hard and gave us 10 days that we will treasure forever.”

The news that Marburger died triggered a flood of support on the Perry Facebook page with nearly 200 people posting condolences within the first hour after it was posted.

In a Facebook post on the night of the shooting, the principal’s daughter, Claire Marburger, called her father a “gentle giant” and said it wasn’t surprising that her father tried to protect his students.

“As I heard of a gunman, I instantly had a feeling my Dad would be a victim as he would put himself in harms way for the benefit of the kids and his staff,” his daughter wrote. “That’s just Dad.”

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt said after the shooting that Marburger did some “pretty significant things” to protect others, but didn’t release details. Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks said Marburger was a “hero” who intervened with the teenage gunman so students could escape.

An 11-year-old sixth grader, Ahmir Jolliff, was killed in the shooting. Authorities said he was shot three times.

The shooting happened just after 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 4, shortly before classes were set to begin on the first day back after winter break. Mortvedt said the shooting started in the cafeteria, where students from several grades were eating breakfast, then spilled outside the cafeteria but was contained to the north end of the school.

Authorities said the suspect, identified as Dylan Butler, had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mortvedt told The Associated Press that authorities also found a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive device in Butler’s belongings, and that experts advised “it was something that they needed to disarm.” It was rendered safe.

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa principal critically injured in a school shooting put himself in harm's way so students could try to escape from a teenage shooter who opened fire in a cafeteria as students were gathering for breakfast before school, authorities said Friday.

Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger and six others, including two staff members and four teenage students, were injured in the Thursday morning shooting that left one sixth-grader dead. The 17-year-old student who opened fire also died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.

The state Department of Public Safety said Marburger, who is being treated in a Des Moines hospital, “acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students.”

A day after the shooting, the small community of Perry was somber. Yellow crime tape still lined the campus that Perry High School shares with the town’s middle school, flowers and stuffed toys had cropped up in mini memorials, and classes across the district were canceled Friday in favor of counseling.

Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks said the soonest classes will resume in the town will be next Friday.

“This is an extremely painful and difficult time for our entire school community, and in our grief, we will take time to remember,” Wicks said.

The shooting happened just after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, shortly before classes were set to begin on the first day back after winter break. Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt said the shooting started in the cafeteria, where students from several grades were eating breakfast, then spilled outside the cafeteria but was contained to the north end of the school.

The student killed was identified as 11-year-old Ahmir Jollif. An autopsy showed he had been shot three times.

The news that seven students and staff suffered “wounds or injuries of varying degree” during the shooting was two more than authorities said Thursday afternoon. Mortvedt said the number of injured increased after investigators later learned about two more wounded faculty members. All seven are believed to have been either wounded or grazed by bullets, and suffered injuries ranging from significant to minor.

On Friday, Marburger and two students remained hospitalized.

In a Facebook post Thursday night, the principal’s daughter said he was in “surgery all day, and is currently stable.”

Claire Marburger called her father a “gentle giant” and it wasn't surprising that her father tried to protect his students.

Authorities said the suspect, identified as Dylan Butler, had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mortvedt told The Associated Press that authorities also found a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive device in Butler's belongings, and that experts advised “it was something that they needed to disarm.” It was rendered safe.

Mortvedt said Marburger, who has been principal since 1995, did some “pretty significant things” to protect others during the shooting, but didn't release details. Wicks, the superintendent, said Marburger was a “hero” who intervened with Butler so students could escape. Wicks said other staff also acted heroically, including Middle School Assistant Principal Adam Jessen who “carried a wounded student into a safe area.”

A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said federal and state investigators were interviewing Butler’s friends and analyzing Butler’s social media profiles, including posts on TikTok and Reddit. However, authorities have provided no information about a possible motive.

Shortly before Thursday’s shooting, Butler posted a photo on TikTok inside the bathroom of Perry High School, the official said. The photo was captioned “now we wait” and the song “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM accompanied it. Investigators also have found photos Butler posted posing with firearms, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Two friends and their mother who spoke with the AP said Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied relentlessly since elementary school. Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, said alongside their mother, Alita, that it escalated recently when Butler's younger sister started getting picked on, too.

“He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," Yesenia Roeder Hall said. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”

Police said Thursday they believe that Butler acted alone. But investigators have not said how Butler obtained the firearms.

Investigators are still working to get a “good grasp of who Dylan was,” and the parents have been cooperating, Mortvedt said. The investigation will include Butler’s background along with the “environment of the school,” he said.

Wicks wouldn’t discuss whether Butler had been bullied but he defended the way his district responds to those situations.

“We take every bullying situation seriously and our goal is to always have that safe and inviting atmosphere, but I’m not going to comment on this individual case as well as any other individual case,” Wicks said.

Butler’s parents have been fixtures of the Perry community. His father is director of the city’s airport after serving as its public works director for years, where he won praise helping clean up Perry after a devastating wind storm in 2020. His mother has also owned a small business and served on a city development board. The parents have not responded to messages seeking comment.

On Thursday night, hundreds gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil at a park where hours earlier, students had been brought to reunite with their families after the shooting. Bundled up against freezing temperatures, they listened to clergy from many faiths and heard a message of hope in both English and Spanish.

Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital’s metropolitan area. It is home to a large pork-processing plant and low-slung, single-story homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter.

The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Perry is more diverse than Iowa as a whole. Census figures show 31% of its residents are Hispanic, compared with less than 7% statewide. Those figures also show nearly 19% of the town’s residents were born outside the U.S.

Despite the shock of the shooting, Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh expressed confidence the community would get through the painful experience.

“We are a small town, but we will pull together in a big way to get through this.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704505064411.png" alt="Dan Marburger photo courtesy KCCI-TV" />
 <figcaption>Dan Marburger photo courtesy KCCI-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa principal who put himself in harm’s way to protect students during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/perry-iowa-school-shooting-things-to-know-07b7d636e9ec1d3f1ca6be628aff6e8d">a school shooting</a>&nbsp;earlier this month died Sunday, a funeral home confirmed.Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home &amp; Crematory confirmed the death of Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger after the family announced it on a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/dan-marburgers-healing-and-recovery">GoFundMe page.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705261265047.png" alt="Dan Marburger-photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Dan Marburger-photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>Marburger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/perry-high-school-shooting-iowa-5346218f2646bec796ba28928a00c745">was critically injured</a>&nbsp;during the Jan. 4 attack, which began in the school's cafeteria as students were gathering for breakfast before class. An 11-year-old middle school student was killed in the shooting, and six other people were injured. The 17-year-old student who opened fire also died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.The day after the shooting, the state Department of Public Safety said Marburger “acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students.”News of Marburger's death was first posted on a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/dan-marburgers-healing-and-recovery">GoFundMe page</a> for his family. The post, by Marburger's wife, Elizabeth, said he died at about 8 a.m. Sunday, and said: “Dan lost his battle. He fought hard and gave us 10 days that we will treasure forever.”The news that Marburger died triggered a flood of support on the Perry Facebook page with nearly 200 people posting condolences within the first hour after it was posted.In a Facebook post on the night of the shooting, the principal’s daughter, Claire Marburger, called her father a “gentle giant” and said it wasn’t surprising that her father tried to protect his students.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fclaire.marburger%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0BgPwav4UoxVYxrbDp1cb3Pot934KkT1cuZBb8UaqoTiCZCotGkatJrJJgFyFCm4dl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="278" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>“As I heard of a gunman, I instantly had a feeling my Dad would be a victim as he would put himself in harms way for the benefit of the kids and his staff,” his daughter wrote. “That’s just Dad.”Marburger had been principal since 1995.Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt said after the shooting that Marburger did some “pretty significant things” to protect others, but didn’t release details. Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks said Marburger was a “hero” who intervened with the teenage gunman so students could escape.An 11-year-old sixth grader, Ahmir Jolliff, was killed in the shooting. Authorities said he was shot three times.The shooting happened just after 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 4, shortly before classes were set to begin on the first day back after winter break. Mortvedt said the shooting started in the cafeteria, where students from several grades were eating breakfast, then spilled outside the cafeteria but was contained to the north end of the school.Authorities said the suspect, identified as Dylan Butler, had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mortvedt told The Associated Press that authorities also found a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive device in Butler’s belongings, and that experts advised “it was something that they needed to disarm.” It was rendered safe.--------------PERRY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa principal critically injured in a school shooting put himself in harm's way so students could try to escape from a teenage shooter who opened fire in a cafeteria as students were gathering for breakfast before school, authorities said Friday.Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger and six others, including two staff members and four teenage students, were injured in the Thursday morning shooting that left one sixth-grader dead. The 17-year-old student who opened fire also died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.The state Department of Public Safety said Marburger, who is being treated in a Des Moines hospital, “acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students.”A day after the shooting, the small community of Perry was somber. Yellow crime tape still lined the campus that Perry High School shares with the town’s middle school, flowers and stuffed toys had cropped up in mini memorials, and classes across the district were canceled Friday in favor of counseling.Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks said the soonest classes will resume in the town will be next Friday.“This is an extremely painful and difficult time for our entire school community, and in our grief, we will take time to remember,” Wicks said.The shooting happened just after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, shortly before classes were set to begin on the first day back after winter break. Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt said the shooting started in the cafeteria, where students from several grades were eating breakfast, then spilled outside the cafeteria but was contained to the north end of the school.The student killed was identified as 11-year-old Ahmir Jollif. An autopsy showed he had been shot three times.The news that seven students and staff suffered “wounds or injuries of varying degree” during the shooting was two more than authorities said Thursday afternoon. Mortvedt said the number of injured increased after investigators later learned about two more wounded faculty members. All seven are believed to have been either wounded or grazed by bullets, and suffered injuries ranging from significant to minor.On Friday, Marburger and two students remained hospitalized.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fclaire.marburger%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0BgPwav4UoxVYxrbDp1cb3Pot934KkT1cuZBb8UaqoTiCZCotGkatJrJJgFyFCm4dl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="278" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>In a Facebook post Thursday night, the principal’s daughter said he was in “surgery all day, and is currently stable.”Claire Marburger called her father a “gentle giant” and it wasn't surprising that her father tried to protect his students.“As I heard of a gunman, I instantly had a feeling my Dad would be a victim as he would put himself in harms way for the benefit of the kids and his staff,” his daughter wrote. “That’s just Dad.”Authorities said the suspect, identified as Dylan Butler, had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mortvedt told The Associated Press that authorities also found a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive device in Butler's belongings, and that experts advised “it was something that they needed to disarm.” It was rendered safe.Mortvedt said Marburger, who has been principal since 1995, did some “pretty significant things” to protect others during the shooting, but didn't release details. Wicks, the superintendent, said Marburger was a “hero” who intervened with Butler so students could escape. Wicks said other staff also acted heroically, including Middle School Assistant Principal Adam Jessen who “carried a wounded student into a safe area.”A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said federal and state investigators were interviewing Butler’s friends and analyzing Butler’s social media profiles, including posts on TikTok and Reddit. However, authorities have provided no information about a possible motive.Shortly before Thursday’s shooting, Butler posted a photo on TikTok inside the bathroom of Perry High School, the official said. The photo was captioned “now we wait” and the song “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM accompanied it. Investigators also have found photos Butler posted posing with firearms, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.Two friends and their mother who spoke with the AP said Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied relentlessly since elementary school. Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, said alongside their mother, Alita, that it escalated recently when Butler's younger sister started getting picked on, too.“He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," Yesenia Roeder Hall said. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”Police said Thursday they believe that Butler acted alone. But investigators have not said how Butler obtained the firearms.Investigators are still working to get a “good grasp of who Dylan was,” and the parents have been cooperating, Mortvedt said. The investigation will include Butler’s background along with the “environment of the school,” he said.Wicks wouldn’t discuss whether Butler had been bullied but he defended the way his district responds to those situations.“We take every bullying situation seriously and our goal is to always have that safe and inviting atmosphere, but I’m not going to comment on this individual case as well as any other individual case,” Wicks said.Butler’s parents have been fixtures of the Perry community. His father is director of the city’s airport after serving as its public works director for years, where he won praise helping clean up Perry after a devastating wind storm in 2020. His mother has also owned a small business and served on a city development board. The parents have not responded to messages seeking comment.On Thursday night, hundreds gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil at a park where hours earlier, students had been brought to reunite with their families after the shooting. Bundled up against freezing temperatures, they listened to clergy from many faiths and heard a message of hope in both English and Spanish.Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital’s metropolitan area. It is home to a large pork-processing plant and low-slung, single-story homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter.The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Perry is more diverse than Iowa as a whole. Census figures show 31% of its residents are Hispanic, compared with less than 7% statewide. Those figures also show nearly 19% of the town’s residents were born outside the U.S.Despite the shock of the shooting, Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh expressed confidence the community would get through the painful experience.“We are a small town, but we will pull together in a big way to get through this.”

Principal who risked life to protect students during school shooting has died

KANSAS CITY—A driver is in custody after allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident just before 2a.m. Sunday in Kansas City.

According to KCPD Captain Corey Carlisle, a Ford F150 was southbound on North Oak at 82nd Street.&nbsp; The pickup struck a southbound bicyclist in the #2 lane and did not stop.&nbsp;

The bicyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected off the bicycle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Police later locate the pickup in the area of 79th and N. Oak and the driver was taken into custody, according to Carlisle.

The driver and passenger of the Ford were uninjured in the collision. The investigation, to include suspected impairment is ongoing. This is fatality #6 compared to #3 at this time last year, according to Carlisle.

KANSAS CITY—A driver is in custody after allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident just before 2a.m. Sunday in Kansas City.According to KCPD Captain Corey Carlisle, a Ford F150 was southbound on North Oak at 82nd Street.&nbsp; The pickup struck a southbound bicyclist in the #2 lane and did not stop.&nbsp;The bicyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected off the bicycle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Police later locate the pickup in the area of 79th and N. Oak and the driver was taken into custody, according to Carlisle.The driver and passenger of the Ford were uninjured in the collision. The investigation, to include suspected impairment is ongoing. This is fatality #6 compared to #3 at this time last year, according to Carlisle.

Police: Alcohol a possible factor in deadly KC hit-and run 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Civil rights advocates argued in court this week that drivers’ licenses should not lead to “forced outing,” leaving a district judge to decide how a divisive law will impact the day-to-day lives of transgender Kansans.

Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach asked Shawnee County District&nbsp;Judge Theresa Watson to grant a temporary injunction blocking Kansas residents from changing the gender listed on their drivers’ licenses while courts decide the implications of an anti-transgender law passed last year.

“This case is really about the question of whether an agency follows the clear command of Kansas law or does not,” Kobach said in an interview after Thursday’s hearing. “… And they’re using this case as an opportunity to try to invent these new rights. That’s what’s going on in legal speak.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705237899564.png" alt="Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, seen during a September legislative hearing, argued in court this week for a temporary injunction for driver's license gender marker changes. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, seen during a September legislative hearing, argued in court this week for a temporary injunction for driver's license gender marker changes. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Civil rights advocates argued in court this week that drivers’ licenses should not lead to “forced outing,” leaving a district judge to decide how a divisive law will impact the day-to-day lives of transgender Kansans.Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach asked Shawnee County District&nbsp;Judge Theresa Watson to grant a temporary injunction blocking Kansas residents from changing the gender listed on their drivers’ licenses while courts decide the implications of an anti-transgender law passed last year.“This case is really about the question of whether an agency follows the clear command of Kansas law or does not,” Kobach said in an interview after Thursday’s hearing. “… And they’re using this case as an opportunity to try to invent these new rights. That’s what’s going on in legal speak.”Watson heard arguments Wednesday and Thursday regarding the implementation of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb180/">Senate Bill 180</a>, which took effect in July.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/05/what-is-a-woman-heres-how-a-new-kansas-anti-trans-law-skews-the-meaning-of-gender-and-sex/">The legislation</a>&nbsp;conflates sex, which has to do with biological characteristics, with gender, which is a personal and social identity. Under the law, women are defined by their reproductive ability, and state agencies that collect vital statistics are directed to identify individuals “as either male or female at birth.”The hearings, which coincided with the opening of the legislative session, mark the latest turn in an ongoing legal battle over transgender rights.During the hearings, Sharon Brett, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, and Kansas Department of Revenue general counsel Ted Smith emphasized the idea of driver’s licenses as a form of self expression, rather than a vital statistic.“In a big sense, it’s an expression of someone’s identity,” Smith said in court.They made an appeal to perspective and empathy, focusing on the danger of outing transgender residents by having a gender marker that does not match their identity, as well as the negative mental health consequences suffered by removing this source of affirmation.As the hearing wrapped up, Watson said her opinion could be delayed because of factors such as ongoing court construction&nbsp;— the sounds of which could be heard periodically as people testified — but she assured the parties she “would be working quite a bit on this in the future.”<h2>The legal fight</h2>The GOP-dominated Legislature adopted SB 180 last year by&nbsp;overriding Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.The model legislation comes from&nbsp;Independent Women’s Voices, a far-right group that has a long history of opposing women’s rights, including the Equal Rights Amendment and equal pay. The law’s sex-based definition of women, and classification of those who don’t qualify as men or women as disabled, is considered offensive and not based on science.Kobach, in his capacity as the top legal officer in the state, filed a lawsuit against the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles in early July, seeking to ban transgender people from changing gender markers on their driver’s licenses.In response, the district court issued a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovgender.html">temporary restraining order</a>&nbsp;blocking Kelly’s administration from making gender marker changes on identity cards and driver’s licenses.The court granted the ACLU of Kansas permission to intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of five transgender Kansans who would be harmed by the gender marker ban.For now, the extended restraining order does not invalidate current driver’s licenses. However, new, replaced or renewed credentials will be reverted to sex assigned at birth.When asked about gender markers Thursday, the governor said:&nbsp;“I’m going to let the courts sort that out.”<h2>Impact of the law</h2>Rooks County physician Beth Oller, who has treated an estimated 100 transgender patients, spoke to the judge about the “great harm” suffered by those who are blocked from gender affirmation, such as increased anxiety, depression and social isolation.A physician’s letter is required to change license markers in the state. Oller has written an estimated 40 letters recommending gender marker changes and described the “profound sense of relief” she witnessed when they had the markers changed.Transgender residents also took the stand Thursday to testify on their personal experiences, though portions of the meeting were closed to the public to protect several of the intervenors’ anonymity. One of the interveners in the case, a transgender woman living in Lawrence, teared up while speaking of incidents before she got her license marker changed.She mentioned a cashier at a gas station who told her to leave after he looked at her driver’s license and saw the “M,” as well as the “abject hate” in one man’s eyes when she was showing her card to make a purchase.She then described the feeling of safety she received from having her marker changed. If the ban on gender markers is permanent, she said, staying in the state would no longer be a viable option.“I would feel like I’m being kicked out of the state over something I have no control over,” she said.