DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot has increased to an estimated $1.23 billion after another drawing without a big winner Wednesday night.

The numbers selected were: 11, 38, 41, 62, 65 and the Powerball 15.

The jackpot, which now ranks as the eighth-largest in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpots-mega-millions-powerball-80fcb836622ba8e18883ce778786c1cc">U.S. lottery history</a>, has been growing for more than three months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">reflecting the long odds</a>&nbsp;of 1 in 292.2 million of winning the top prize. Since the last player won the jackpot Jan. 1, there have been 40 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all six numbers and hitting it rich.

Lottery officials note that thousands of people have won smaller prizes, which range from $2 to $2 million.

The $1.23 billion prize is for a sole winner who chooses to be paid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">through an annuity</a>&nbsp;with 30 annual payments. Winners almost always prefer the cash option, which for the next drawing Saturday night would be an estimated $595.1 million.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot has increased to an estimated $1.23 billion after another drawing without a big winner Wednesday night.The numbers selected were: 11, 38, 41, 62, 65 and the Powerball 15.The jackpot, which now ranks as the eighth-largest in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpots-mega-millions-powerball-80fcb836622ba8e18883ce778786c1cc">U.S. lottery history</a>, has been growing for more than three months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">reflecting the long odds</a>&nbsp;of 1 in 292.2 million of winning the top prize. Since the last player won the jackpot Jan. 1, there have been 40 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all six numbers and hitting it rich.Lottery officials note that thousands of people have won smaller prizes, which range from $2 to $2 million.The $1.23 billion prize is for a sole winner who chooses to be paid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">through an annuity</a>&nbsp;with 30 annual payments. Winners almost always prefer the cash option, which for the next drawing Saturday night would be an estimated $595.1 million.

Powerball jackpot jumps to $1.23 billion, 8th largest in U.S. lottery history

WASHINGTON (AP) — Shortly after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">airstrike widely attributed to Israel destroyed an Iranian consulate building in Syria</a>, the United States had an urgent message for Iran: We had nothing to do with it.

But that may not be enough for the U.S. to avoid retaliation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">targeting its forces in the region.</a>&nbsp;A top U.S. commander warned on Wednesday of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-attacks-ships-red-sea-7b86941c985a934281c68d6624baff1b">danger to American troops.</a>

And if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent broadening of targeted strikes on adversaries around the region to include Iranian security operatives and leaders deepens regional hostilities, analysts say, it's not clear the United States can avoid being pulled into deeper regional conflict as well.

The Biden administration insists it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike Monday. But the United States is closely tied to Israel's military regardless. The U.S. remains Israel’s indispensable ally and unstinting supplier of weapons, responsible for some 70% of Israeli weapon imports and an estimated 15% of Israel's defense budget. That includes providing the kind of advanced aircraft and munitions that appear to have been employed in the attack.

Israel hasn’t acknowledged a role in the airstrike, but Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Tuesday that the U.S. has assessed Israel was responsible.

Multiple arms of Iran's government served notice that they would hold the United States accountable for the fiery attack. The strike, in the Syrian capital of Damascus, killed senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for Syria and Lebanon, an officer of the powerful Iran-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, and others.

American forces in Syria and Iraq already are frequent targets when Iran and its regional allies seek retaliation for strikes by Israelis, notes Charles Lister, the Syria program director for the Middle East Institute.

“What the Iranians have always done for years when they have felt most aggressively targeted by Israel is not to hit back at Israelis, but Americans,” seeing them as soft targets in the region, Lister said.

On Wednesday in Washington, the top U.S. Air Force commander for the Middle East, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said Iran’s assertion that the U.S. bears responsibility for Israeli actions could bring an end to a pause in militia attacks on U.S. forces that has lasted since early February.

He said he sees no specific threat to U.S. troops right now, but “I am concerned because of the Iranian rhetoric talking about the U.S., that there could be a risk to our forces."

U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war between Hamas and Israel began on Oct. 7.

One, in late January, killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens more at a base in Jordan.

In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria, including command and control headquarters, drone and ammunition storage sites and other facilities connected to the militias or the IRGC’s Quds Force, the Guard’s expeditionary unit that handles Tehran’s relationship with and arming of regional militias. There have been no publicly reported attacks on U.S. troops in the region since that response.

Grynkewich told reporters the U.S. is watching and listening carefully to what Iran is saying and doing to evaluate how Tehran might respond.

Analysts and diplomats cite a range of ways Iran could retaliate.

Since Oct. 7, Iran and the regional militias allied to it in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen have followed a strategy of calibrated attacks that stop short of triggering an all-out conflict that could subject Iran’s homeland forces or Hezbollah to full-blown war with Israel or the United States.

Beyond strikes on U.S. troops, possibilities for Iranian retaliation could include a limited missile strike directly from Iranian soil to Israel, Lister said. That would reciprocate for Israel's strike on what under international law was sovereign Iranian soil, at the Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus.

A concentrated attack on a U.S. position abroad on the scale of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-marines-bombing-beirut-1983-hezbollah-israel-hamas-iran-34f61ac47909c52de800dd35b375e782">1983 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut</a>&nbsp;is possible, but seems unlikely given the scale of U.S. retaliation that would draw, analysts say. Iran also could escalate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-sanctions-treasury-terrorism-bolton-soleimani-rushdie-a3b96b9008b0f4d64c8279717d1f4dea">an existing effort to kill Trump-era officials</a>&nbsp;behind the United States' 2020 drone killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

How far any other retaliation and potential escalation goes may depend on two things out of U.S. control: Whether Iran wants to keep regional hostilities at their current level or escalate, and whether Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's far-right government does.

Sina Toossi, a fellow at the Center for International Policy, said analysts in Iran are among those trying to read Netanyahu's mind since the attack, struggling to choose between two competing narratives for Israel's objective.

“One perceives Israel’s actions as a deliberate provocation of war that Iran should respond to with restraint,” Toossi wrote in the U.S.-based think tank's journal. “The other suggests that Israel is capitalizing on Iran’s typically restrained responses,” and that failing to respond in kind will only embolden Israel.

Ultimately, Iran’s sense that it is already winning its strategic goals as the Hamas-Israel war continues — elevating the Palestinian cause and costing Israel friends globally — may go the furthest in persuading Iranian leaders not to risk open warfare with Israel or U.S. in whatever response they make to Monday’s airstrike, some analysts and diplomats say.

Shira Efron, a director of policy research at the U.S.-based Israel Policy Forum, rejected suggestions that Netanyahu was actively trying with attacks like the one in Damascus to draw the U.S. into a potentially decisive conflict alongside Israel against their common rivals, at least for now.

“First, the risk of escalation has increased. No doubt,” Efron said.

“I don't think Netanyahu is interested in full-blown war though,” she said. “And whereas in the past Israel was thought to be interested in drawing the U.S. into a greater conflict, even if the desire still exists in some circles, it is not more than wishful thinking at the moment.”

U.S. President Joe Biden is facing pressure from the other direction.

So far he's resisting calls from growing numbers of Democratic lawmakers and voters to limit the flow of American arms to Israel as a way to press Netanyahu to ease Israeli military killing of civilians in Gaza and to heed other U.S. appeals.

As criticism has grown of U.S. military support of Israel’s war in Gaza, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has increasingly pointed to Israel’s longer-term need for weapons — to defend itself against Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The U.S. is ″always concerned about anything that would be escalatory,” Miller said after the attack in Damascus. “It has been one of the goals of this administration since October 7th to keep the conflict from spreading, recognizing that Israel has the right to defend itself from adversaries that are sworn to its destruction.''

Israel for years has hit at Iranian proxies and their sites in the region, knocking back their ability to build strength and cause trouble for Israelis.

Since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, one of a network of Iran-aligned militias in the region, that shattered Israel’s sense of security, Netanyahu’s government has increasingly added Iranian security operatives and leaders to target lists in the region, Lister notes.

The U.S. military already has deepened engagement from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea since the Hamas-Israel war opened — deploying aircraft carriers to the region to discourage rear-guard attacks against Israel, opening airstrikes to quell attacks on shipping by Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen.

It is also moving to build a pier off Gaza to try to get more aid to Palestinian civilians despite obstacles that include Israel’s restrictions and attacks on aid deliveries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705969629635.png" alt="File photo from U.S. strikes in the Middle East in February-U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo from U.S. strikes in the Middle East in February-U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and LOLITA C. BALDORWASHINGTON (AP) — Shortly after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">airstrike widely attributed to Israel destroyed an Iranian consulate building in Syria</a>, the United States had an urgent message for Iran: We had nothing to do with it.But that may not be enough for the U.S. to avoid retaliation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">targeting its forces in the region.</a>&nbsp;A top U.S. commander warned on Wednesday of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-attacks-ships-red-sea-7b86941c985a934281c68d6624baff1b">danger to American troops.</a>And if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent broadening of targeted strikes on adversaries around the region to include Iranian security operatives and leaders deepens regional hostilities, analysts say, it's not clear the United States can avoid being pulled into deeper regional conflict as well.The Biden administration insists it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike Monday. But the United States is closely tied to Israel's military regardless. The U.S. remains Israel’s indispensable ally and unstinting supplier of weapons, responsible for some 70% of Israeli weapon imports and an estimated 15% of Israel's defense budget. That includes providing the kind of advanced aircraft and munitions that appear to have been employed in the attack.Israel hasn’t acknowledged a role in the airstrike, but Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Tuesday that the U.S. has assessed Israel was responsible.Multiple arms of Iran's government served notice that they would hold the United States accountable for the fiery attack. The strike, in the Syrian capital of Damascus, killed senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for Syria and Lebanon, an officer of the powerful Iran-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, and others.American forces in Syria and Iraq already are frequent targets when Iran and its regional allies seek retaliation for strikes by Israelis, notes Charles Lister, the Syria program director for the Middle East Institute.“What the Iranians have always done for years when they have felt most aggressively targeted by Israel is not to hit back at Israelis, but Americans,” seeing them as soft targets in the region, Lister said.On Wednesday in Washington, the top U.S. Air Force commander for the Middle East, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said Iran’s assertion that the U.S. bears responsibility for Israeli actions could bring an end to a pause in militia attacks on U.S. forces that has lasted since early February.He said he sees no specific threat to U.S. troops right now, but “I am concerned because of the Iranian rhetoric talking about the U.S., that there could be a risk to our forces."U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war between Hamas and Israel began on Oct. 7.One, in late January, killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens more at a base in Jordan.In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria, including command and control headquarters, drone and ammunition storage sites and other facilities connected to the militias or the IRGC’s Quds Force, the Guard’s expeditionary unit that handles Tehran’s relationship with and arming of regional militias. There have been no publicly reported attacks on U.S. troops in the region since that response.Grynkewich told reporters the U.S. is watching and listening carefully to what Iran is saying and doing to evaluate how Tehran might respond.Analysts and diplomats cite a range of ways Iran could retaliate.Since Oct. 7, Iran and the regional militias allied to it in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen have followed a strategy of calibrated attacks that stop short of triggering an all-out conflict that could subject Iran’s homeland forces or Hezbollah to full-blown war with Israel or the United States.Beyond strikes on U.S. troops, possibilities for Iranian retaliation could include a limited missile strike directly from Iranian soil to Israel, Lister said. That would reciprocate for Israel's strike on what under international law was sovereign Iranian soil, at the Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus.A concentrated attack on a U.S. position abroad on the scale of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-marines-bombing-beirut-1983-hezbollah-israel-hamas-iran-34f61ac47909c52de800dd35b375e782">1983 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut</a>&nbsp;is possible, but seems unlikely given the scale of U.S. retaliation that would draw, analysts say. Iran also could escalate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-sanctions-treasury-terrorism-bolton-soleimani-rushdie-a3b96b9008b0f4d64c8279717d1f4dea">an existing effort to kill Trump-era officials</a>&nbsp;behind the United States' 2020 drone killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.How far any other retaliation and potential escalation goes may depend on two things out of U.S. control: Whether Iran wants to keep regional hostilities at their current level or escalate, and whether Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's far-right government does.Sina Toossi, a fellow at the Center for International Policy, said analysts in Iran are among those trying to read Netanyahu's mind since the attack, struggling to choose between two competing narratives for Israel's objective.“One perceives Israel’s actions as a deliberate provocation of war that Iran should respond to with restraint,” Toossi wrote in the U.S.-based think tank's journal. “The other suggests that Israel is capitalizing on Iran’s typically restrained responses,” and that failing to respond in kind will only embolden Israel.Ultimately, Iran’s sense that it is already winning its strategic goals as the Hamas-Israel war continues — elevating the Palestinian cause and costing Israel friends globally — may go the furthest in persuading Iranian leaders not to risk open warfare with Israel or U.S. in whatever response they make to Monday’s airstrike, some analysts and diplomats say.Shira Efron, a director of policy research at the U.S.-based Israel Policy Forum, rejected suggestions that Netanyahu was actively trying with attacks like the one in Damascus to draw the U.S. into a potentially decisive conflict alongside Israel against their common rivals, at least for now.“First, the risk of escalation has increased. No doubt,” Efron said.“I don't think Netanyahu is interested in full-blown war though,” she said. “And whereas in the past Israel was thought to be interested in drawing the U.S. into a greater conflict, even if the desire still exists in some circles, it is not more than wishful thinking at the moment.”U.S. President Joe Biden is facing pressure from the other direction.So far he's resisting calls from growing numbers of Democratic lawmakers and voters to limit the flow of American arms to Israel as a way to press Netanyahu to ease Israeli military killing of civilians in Gaza and to heed other U.S. appeals.As criticism has grown of U.S. military support of Israel’s war in Gaza, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has increasingly pointed to Israel’s longer-term need for weapons — to defend itself against Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah in Lebanon.The U.S. is ″always concerned about anything that would be escalatory,” Miller said after the attack in Damascus. “It has been one of the goals of this administration since October 7th to keep the conflict from spreading, recognizing that Israel has the right to defend itself from adversaries that are sworn to its destruction.''Israel for years has hit at Iranian proxies and their sites in the region, knocking back their ability to build strength and cause trouble for Israelis.Since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, one of a network of Iran-aligned militias in the region, that shattered Israel’s sense of security, Netanyahu’s government has increasingly added Iranian security operatives and leaders to target lists in the region, Lister notes.The U.S. military already has deepened engagement from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea since the Hamas-Israel war opened — deploying aircraft carriers to the region to discourage rear-guard attacks against Israel, opening airstrikes to quell attacks on shipping by Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen.It is also moving to build a pier off Gaza to try to get more aid to Palestinian civilians despite obstacles that include Israel’s restrictions and attacks on aid deliveries.

US braces for retaliation after attack on Iran consulate

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Kansas man, who told a 14-year-old girl he wanted to “take a kid’s virginity” after meeting her on Twitter, pled guilty this week to federal child exploitation charges, according to the United State's Attorney.

Andrew Kent, 22, a.k.a. “Leo” and “JeffThePumpkin,” from Manhattan, Kansas, pled guilty this week to one count of sexual exploitation of children. At sentencing, Kent faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years.

“This case demonstrates the importance of knowing not only what your children are doing online, but also with whom they are communicating,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “There are dangerous people on the Internet who specifically target children.&nbsp; We will use every tool we have to find those people and bring them to justice, but parents also perform a critical part in educating and monitoring their children’s online activity.”

According to court documents, in January 2023, Kent met a 14-year-old girl from Lynchburg, Virginia, on Twitter. Initially, Kent pretended to be a 20-year-old woman named “Tris.” He used this “Tris” persona to introduce his victim to a young man named “Leo.” In reality, both the “Tris” and “Leo” profiles were controlled by Kent.

Kent told his victim that he was from Roanoke, Virginia, and sent generic pictures of Roanoke in order to further convince her of their geographic proximity to each other.

When they began chatting, the victim informed Kent that she was only 14 years old. Kent told the her that he was 21 years old and that he was interested in meeting her someday in order to “take a kid’s virginity.”

As the conversations progressed, Kent told the 14-year-old that she needed to call him “Daddy,” “Sir,” or “Master,” and then warned her that he might punish her if she failed to do so. Kent also directed violent language at the victim, telling her he wanted to cut her and make her bleed.

After several weeks of chatting, Kent instructed the victim to send him nude photographs and videos of herself, to which she obliged.

On June 16, 2023, Kent was arrested by law enforcement and interviewed by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At that time, he admitted to using Twitter, Snapchat, and Discord to contact minor girls for the purpose of getting them to send him naked pictures. He often used the “Tris” persona because he found it was easier to get minor girls to talk to him if he pretended to be a young woman.

Kent estimated he solicited and received images of child sexual abuse material from approximately 200 minor girls.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and the Lynchburg Police Department provided vital assistance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712173597895.png" alt="Kent photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Kent photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Kansas man, who told a 14-year-old girl he wanted to “take a kid’s virginity” after meeting her on Twitter, pled guilty this week to federal child exploitation charges, according to the United State's Attorney.Andrew Kent, 22, a.k.a. “Leo” and “JeffThePumpkin,” from Manhattan, Kansas, pled guilty this week to one count of sexual exploitation of children. At sentencing, Kent faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years.“This case demonstrates the importance of knowing not only what your children are doing online, but also with whom they are communicating,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “There are dangerous people on the Internet who specifically target children.&nbsp; We will use every tool we have to find those people and bring them to justice, but parents also perform a critical part in educating and monitoring their children’s online activity.”According to court documents, in January 2023, Kent met a 14-year-old girl from Lynchburg, Virginia, on Twitter. Initially, Kent pretended to be a 20-year-old woman named “Tris.” He used this “Tris” persona to introduce his victim to a young man named “Leo.” In reality, both the “Tris” and “Leo” profiles were controlled by Kent.Kent told his victim that he was from Roanoke, Virginia, and sent generic pictures of Roanoke in order to further convince her of their geographic proximity to each other.When they began chatting, the victim informed Kent that she was only 14 years old. Kent told the her that he was 21 years old and that he was interested in meeting her someday in order to “take a kid’s virginity.”As the conversations progressed, Kent told the 14-year-old that she needed to call him “Daddy,” “Sir,” or “Master,” and then warned her that he might punish her if she failed to do so. Kent also directed violent language at the victim, telling her he wanted to cut her and make her bleed.After several weeks of chatting, Kent instructed the victim to send him nude photographs and videos of herself, to which she obliged.On June 16, 2023, Kent was arrested by law enforcement and interviewed by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At that time, he admitted to using Twitter, Snapchat, and Discord to contact minor girls for the purpose of getting them to send him naked pictures. He often used the “Tris” persona because he found it was easier to get minor girls to talk to him if he pretended to be a young woman.Kent estimated he solicited and received images of child sexual abuse material from approximately 200 minor girls.The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and the Lynchburg Police Department provided vital assistance.

Kan. man used social media to get sexual photos from minors

PAWNEE COUNTY—A man accused in a rural Pawnee County murder made his first court appearance Wednesday.

Michael EG Reynolds, 67 of Larned,&nbsp; was charged with Intentional Murder in the Second Degree, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Criminal Possession of a Firearm, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

The charges stem from a joint investigation by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and Coroner Dr. Lyle Noordhoek.&nbsp;

Just after 5:00 p.m., on Saturday, emergency dispatch was notified of a shooting that had just occurred at 1219 Kansas Highway 19 South, in rural Pawnee County. 

Emergency personnel discovered that <a href="https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituary/dr-tomas-garza">Dr. Tomas Garza, 52, of Larned</a>, had been shot multiple times during an argument with Michael Reynolds, 67, of Larned.

Garza was transported to an area hospital but died of his injuries. An individual that was with Garza at the time of the incident indicated the firearm in question had also been aimed at them. Reynolds was taken into custody at the scene without incident. It is the State’s position that Reynolds was not legally entitled to possess a firearm on the date in question due to an incident in 2015 involving a firearm, according to McNett.

Counsel was appointed to represent the defendant and a Preliminary Hearing was scheduled for April 16.

The Court granted the State’s request that Reynolds be held Without Bond due to community safety concerns. Reynolds remains in custody at the Pawnee County Jail

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712009351520.png" alt="Reynolds photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Reynolds photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY—A man accused in a rural Pawnee County murder made his first court appearance Wednesday.Michael EG Reynolds, 67 of Larned,&nbsp; was charged with Intentional Murder in the Second Degree, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Criminal Possession of a Firearm, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.The charges stem from a joint investigation by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and Coroner Dr. Lyle Noordhoek.&nbsp;Just after 5:00 p.m., on Saturday, emergency dispatch was notified of a shooting that had just occurred at 1219 Kansas Highway 19 South, in rural Pawnee County. Emergency personnel discovered that <a href="https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituary/dr-tomas-garza">Dr. Tomas Garza, 52, of Larned</a>, had been shot multiple times during an argument with Michael Reynolds, 67, of Larned. Garza was transported to an area hospital but died of his injuries. An individual that was with Garza at the time of the incident indicated the firearm in question had also been aimed at them. Reynolds was taken into custody at the scene without incident. It is the State’s position that Reynolds was not legally entitled to possess a firearm on the date in question due to an incident in 2015 involving a firearm, according to McNett.Counsel was appointed to represent the defendant and a Preliminary Hearing was scheduled for April 16.The Court granted the State’s request that Reynolds be held Without Bond due to community safety concerns. Reynolds remains in custody at the Pawnee County Jail

 Kansas man charged with killing doctor during an argument

TEXAS COUNTY, Okla. —&nbsp;Law enforcement authorities continue investigating the suspicious disappearance of two women from Hugoton, Kansas who have been missing since Saturday.

Based on the information obtained from the victim’s vehicle, investigators believe there was evidence to indicate foul play,&nbsp; according to a Wednesday afternoon statement from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

&nbsp;We are still searching for these victims and there are no arrests at this time. We ask that anyone with additional information to contact us.

On March 30, 2024, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/texascountysheriff?__cft__[0]=AZUN1RbenGKKSTbhUwrfs2POzCdB0jT1o_05xNnWDgxTOZM_kvYFhwzInEC_7C8da2AWdqEU2gV11pDpCTW1Mb3giHbODc12L4vGEmh7E5t8xvqag-qf2Mm9KZTsbAIg-4go4YlbXRBdW644Wiw2ID31O72PX0ulgCqL_gJRUQ9DEOk4GBSdNGTLD4p3iAeLs10&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Texas County Sheriff's Department</a>&nbsp;requested the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to investigate the suspicious disappearance of 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley.

They were traveling together to pick up children when they went missing, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

They never made it to the pickup location, the OSBI&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=801154808712956&amp;set=a.297085712453204" target="_blank">advisory</a>&nbsp;said. Their car was located abandoned on the side of the road.

Their car was found abandoned near Highway 95 and Road L, south of Elkhart, Kansas, in rural Texas County.&nbsp; The Yarbrough Schools in Texas County, Oklahoma have been operating on a locked down status with additional safety measures in place due to the search in the area, according to an online statement from the school district.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the OSBI at&nbsp;tips@osbi.ok.gov&nbsp;or 1-800-522-8017. This is still an ongoing investigation. The OSBI would like to thank the Texas County Sheriff’s Office,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Oklahoma.Highway.Patrol?__cft__[0]=AZUN1RbenGKKSTbhUwrfs2POzCdB0jT1o_05xNnWDgxTOZM_kvYFhwzInEC_7C8da2AWdqEU2gV11pDpCTW1Mb3giHbODc12L4vGEmh7E5t8xvqag-qf2Mm9KZTsbAIg-4go4YlbXRBdW644Wiw2ID31O72PX0ulgCqL_gJRUQ9DEOk4GBSdNGTLD4p3iAeLs10&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Oklahoma Highway Patrol</a>, and several other local agencies for assisting us with this case.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1711967700182.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TEXAS COUNTY, Okla. —&nbsp;Law enforcement authorities continue investigating the suspicious disappearance of two women from Hugoton, Kansas who have been missing since Saturday.Based on the information obtained from the victim’s vehicle, investigators believe there was evidence to indicate foul play,&nbsp; according to a Wednesday afternoon statement from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;We are still searching for these victims and there are no arrests at this time. We ask that anyone with additional information to contact us.On March 30, 2024, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/texascountysheriff?__cft__[0]=AZUN1RbenGKKSTbhUwrfs2POzCdB0jT1o_05xNnWDgxTOZM_kvYFhwzInEC_7C8da2AWdqEU2gV11pDpCTW1Mb3giHbODc12L4vGEmh7E5t8xvqag-qf2Mm9KZTsbAIg-4go4YlbXRBdW644Wiw2ID31O72PX0ulgCqL_gJRUQ9DEOk4GBSdNGTLD4p3iAeLs10&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Texas County Sheriff's Department</a>&nbsp;requested the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to investigate the suspicious disappearance of 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley.They were traveling together to pick up children when they went missing, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.They never made it to the pickup location, the OSBI&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=801154808712956&amp;set=a.297085712453204" target="_blank">advisory</a>&nbsp;said. Their car was located abandoned on the side of the road.Their car was found abandoned near Highway 95 and Road L, south of Elkhart, Kansas, in rural Texas County.&nbsp; The Yarbrough Schools in Texas County, Oklahoma have been operating on a locked down status with additional safety measures in place due to the search in the area, according to an online statement from the school district.Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the OSBI at&nbsp;tips@osbi.ok.gov&nbsp;or 1-800-522-8017. This is still an ongoing investigation. The OSBI would like to thank the Texas County Sheriff’s Office,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Oklahoma.Highway.Patrol?__cft__[0]=AZUN1RbenGKKSTbhUwrfs2POzCdB0jT1o_05xNnWDgxTOZM_kvYFhwzInEC_7C8da2AWdqEU2gV11pDpCTW1Mb3giHbODc12L4vGEmh7E5t8xvqag-qf2Mm9KZTsbAIg-4go4YlbXRBdW644Wiw2ID31O72PX0ulgCqL_gJRUQ9DEOk4GBSdNGTLD4p3iAeLs10&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Oklahoma Highway Patrol</a>, and several other local agencies for assisting us with this case.&nbsp;

OSBI: Evidence of foul play in case of 2 missing Kan. women

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan stood on a small stage in the second-floor lounge of the historic J. Rieger &amp; Co. distillery in Kansas City on Tuesday night, acknowledging the will of voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">who had rejected a sales tax initiative</a>&nbsp;that would have helped pay for a new downtown ballpark and renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.

“Won a baseball game tonight,” said Sherman, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-score-2c613ea12bd8fe9471d4426628c7c7a8">Royals had beaten the Orioles</a>, “but we didn't win this.”

The ballot measure didn't just lose, though. It lost decisively.

More than 58% of voters in Jackson County, Missouri, rejected the three-eighths of a cent sales tax. The Royals, who had promised $1 billion in private funding, wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to build a new ballpark as the centerpiece of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-kansas-city-mlb-ballpark-12fd8f2b405885461368ff8902a7a445">a $2 billion-plus downtown district</a>&nbsp;in a thriving arts neighborhood known as the Crossroads. The Chiefs, who had committed $300 million from their ownership, wanted to use their share for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-arrowhead-stadium-kansas-city-renovations-f63c4e33525cd1e616a3aad70107d958">an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium</a>.

“We will look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and organization as we move forward,” Donovan said Tuesday night.

Sherman and Donovan then walked off the stage and out a back door, leaving what had been an upbeat and festive watch party without taking questions, yet leaving many questions to be answered in the days and months ahead.

There was no single reason the tax failed;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-stadiums-kansas-city-3077b9fdb88cdf20e17e587811c23645">rather an accumulation of factors</a>&nbsp;soured voters. Among them were the location of the downtown ballpark, the messaging from the franchises and the very nature of their construction plans.

Last fall, the Royals floated ballpark concepts east of downtown and in neighboring Clay County, Missouri, and said they would decide by September on one of the sites. But that self-imposed deadline passed, and it wasn't until February that the club said it would move instead to the Crossroads, leaving less than two months to sway voters on the location.

Yet the Royals experienced serious pushback from business owners in the area, some of whom would have had to sell their property and relocate. Compounding the problem was the lack of concrete plans — the Royals could not even produce a current ballpark rendering by Tuesday night after agreeing last week to keep open a street in the stadium footprint.

That was just the start of messaging problems that plagued the campaign.

Along with lacking transparency, the Royals and Chiefs shifted their approach at the insistence of political strategists running a committee to keep the teams in Jackson County. Their once-positive and collaborative messages were replaced by veiled threats that they would leave if the tax failed, and the "vote yes-or-else” message turned many voters away.

Then there was the plans themselves. In the case of the Chiefs, the renovation would have upgraded concourses, video boards and the parking at Arrowhead Stadium. But the everyday fan, who in many cases already has been priced out of games, balked at helping to pay for exclusive endzone clubs, renovated suits, sideline clubs and VIP entry points.

The Chiefs and Royals have said they would explore all options if the tax failed. And while they could still agree to a revised deal with Jackson County, they also could be courted by locales offering tax breaks and other financial benefits.

Officials in Kansas have not been shy about trying to woo the Chiefs across the state line, possibly to an area that includes Kansas Speedway and Children's Mercy Park, the home of MLS club Sporting Kansas City. Meanwhile, cities such as Nashville that desire a big league ballclub could promise the Royals the funding they desire.

The two teams are deeply woven into the fabric of Kansas City, though. Sherman said one of the reasons the late David Glass sold him the Royals in 2019 is that he entrusted the Kansas City businessman with keeping the baseball team in town, where fans have supported it through far more losing seasons than winning ones.

The most likely scenario is the Chiefs and Royals try again in Jackson County, though rather than work together, each could seek its own deal. Jackson County executive Frank White, a member of the Royals' Hall of Fame, had been a vocal critic of the tax yet said Tuesday night he was hopeful the teams would “come back to the table.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who endorsed the tax initiative only late last week.

“The people of Kansas City and Jackson County love the Chiefs and the Royals. They rejected plans and processes they found inadequate," Lucas said. "I look forward to working with the Chiefs and Royals to build a stronger, more open and collaborative process that will ensure the teams, their events and investments remain in Kansas City for generations to come.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712112786193.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, address the media while Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan looks on during a news conference about a plan to extend a sales tax to provide funding to build a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvement for the Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)." />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, address the media while Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan looks on during a news conference about a plan to extend a sales tax to provide funding to build a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvement for the Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel).</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan stood on a small stage in the second-floor lounge of the historic J. Rieger &amp; Co. distillery in Kansas City on Tuesday night, acknowledging the will of voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">who had rejected a sales tax initiative</a>&nbsp;that would have helped pay for a new downtown ballpark and renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.“Won a baseball game tonight,” said Sherman, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-score-2c613ea12bd8fe9471d4426628c7c7a8">Royals had beaten the Orioles</a>, “but we didn't win this.”The ballot measure didn't just lose, though. It lost decisively.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712104528404.png" alt="photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>More than 58% of voters in Jackson County, Missouri, rejected the three-eighths of a cent sales tax. The Royals, who had promised $1 billion in private funding, wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to build a new ballpark as the centerpiece of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-kansas-city-mlb-ballpark-12fd8f2b405885461368ff8902a7a445">a $2 billion-plus downtown district</a>&nbsp;in a thriving arts neighborhood known as the Crossroads. The Chiefs, who had committed $300 million from their ownership, wanted to use their share for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-arrowhead-stadium-kansas-city-renovations-f63c4e33525cd1e616a3aad70107d958">an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium</a>.“We will look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and organization as we move forward,” Donovan said Tuesday night.Sherman and Donovan then walked off the stage and out a back door, leaving what had been an upbeat and festive watch party without taking questions, yet leaving many questions to be answered in the days and months ahead.WHY DID THE TAX FAIL?There was no single reason the tax failed;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-stadiums-kansas-city-3077b9fdb88cdf20e17e587811c23645">rather an accumulation of factors</a>&nbsp;soured voters. Among them were the location of the downtown ballpark, the messaging from the franchises and the very nature of their construction plans.Last fall, the Royals floated ballpark concepts east of downtown and in neighboring Clay County, Missouri, and said they would decide by September on one of the sites. But that self-imposed deadline passed, and it wasn't until February that the club said it would move instead to the Crossroads, leaving less than two months to sway voters on the location.Yet the Royals experienced serious pushback from business owners in the area, some of whom would have had to sell their property and relocate. Compounding the problem was the lack of concrete plans — the Royals could not even produce a current ballpark rendering by Tuesday night after agreeing last week to keep open a street in the stadium footprint.That was just the start of messaging problems that plagued the campaign.Along with lacking transparency, the Royals and Chiefs shifted their approach at the insistence of political strategists running a committee to keep the teams in Jackson County. Their once-positive and collaborative messages were replaced by veiled threats that they would leave if the tax failed, and the "vote yes-or-else” message turned many voters away.Then there was the plans themselves. In the case of the Chiefs, the renovation would have upgraded concourses, video boards and the parking at Arrowhead Stadium. But the everyday fan, who in many cases already has been priced out of games, balked at helping to pay for exclusive endzone clubs, renovated suits, sideline clubs and VIP entry points.WHAT IS NEXT?The Chiefs and Royals have said they would explore all options if the tax failed. And while they could still agree to a revised deal with Jackson County, they also could be courted by locales offering tax breaks and other financial benefits.Officials in Kansas have not been shy about trying to woo the Chiefs across the state line, possibly to an area that includes Kansas Speedway and Children's Mercy Park, the home of MLS club Sporting Kansas City. Meanwhile, cities such as Nashville that desire a big league ballclub could promise the Royals the funding they desire.The two teams are deeply woven into the fabric of Kansas City, though. Sherman said one of the reasons the late David Glass sold him the Royals in 2019 is that he entrusted the Kansas City businessman with keeping the baseball team in town, where fans have supported it through far more losing seasons than winning ones.The most likely scenario is the Chiefs and Royals try again in Jackson County, though rather than work together, each could seek its own deal. Jackson County executive Frank White, a member of the Royals' Hall of Fame, had been a vocal critic of the tax yet said Tuesday night he was hopeful the teams would “come back to the table.”Similar sentiments were echoed by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who endorsed the tax initiative only late last week.“The people of Kansas City and Jackson County love the Chiefs and the Royals. They rejected plans and processes they found inadequate," Lucas said. "I look forward to working with the Chiefs and Royals to build a stronger, more open and collaborative process that will ensure the teams, their events and investments remain in Kansas City for generations to come.”

After voters reject tax measure, Chiefs and Royals look toward future in KC or elsewhere

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. said Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>&nbsp;was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan.

Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. said in a statement that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, about 3.6% of its total flock, were destroyed after the infection, avian influenza, was found at a facility in Parmer County, Texas.

The plant is on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle about 85 miles (137 kilometers) southwest of Amarillo and about 370 miles (595 kilometers) northwest of Dallas. Cal-Maine said it sells most of its eggs in the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

“The Company continues to work closely with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response,” the statement said.

"Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers," the statement said.

The company said there is no known bird flu risk associated with eggs that are currently in the market and no eggs have been recalled.

Eggs that are properly handled and cooked are safe to eat,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/avian-influenza-food-safety-qa.pdf">according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.</a>

The announcement by Cal-Maine comes a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/355f1e288e72df8b81b0e2efd8b3ae2f">state health officials said</a>&nbsp;a person had been diagnosed with bird flu after being in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and that the risk to the public remains low. The human case in Texas marks the first known instance globally of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal, federal health officials said.

In Michigan, Michigan State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has detected bird flu in a commercial poultry facility in Ionia County, according to the Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The county is about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

The department said it received confirmation of the disease Monday from the lab and that it is the fourth time since 2022 that the disease was detected at a commercial facility in Michigan.

Department spokesperson Jennifer Holton said Tuesday that state law prohibits the department from disclosing the type of poultry at the facility. The facility has been placed under quarantine and the department does not anticipate any disruptions to supply chains across the state, Holton said.

Dairy cows in Texas and Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-dairy-cattle-usda-kansas-texas-c3040bb31a9a8293717d47362f006902">were reported</a>&nbsp;to be infected with bird flu last week — and federal agriculture officials later confirmed infections in a Michigan dairy herd that had recently received cows from Texas. A dairy herd in Idaho has been added to the list after federal agriculture officials confirmed the detection of bird flu in them, according to a Tuesday press release from the USDA.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707323317575.jpeg" alt="Photo Mo.gov" />
 <figcaption>Photo Mo.gov</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. said Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>&nbsp;was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan.Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. said in a statement that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, about 3.6% of its total flock, were destroyed after the infection, avian influenza, was found at a facility in Parmer County, Texas.The plant is on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle about 85 miles (137 kilometers) southwest of Amarillo and about 370 miles (595 kilometers) northwest of Dallas. Cal-Maine said it sells most of its eggs in the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.“The Company continues to work closely with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response,” the statement said."Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers," the statement said.The company said there is no known bird flu risk associated with eggs that are currently in the market and no eggs have been recalled.Eggs that are properly handled and cooked are safe to eat,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/avian-influenza-food-safety-qa.pdf">according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.</a>The announcement by Cal-Maine comes a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/355f1e288e72df8b81b0e2efd8b3ae2f">state health officials said</a>&nbsp;a person had been diagnosed with bird flu after being in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and that the risk to the public remains low. The human case in Texas marks the first known instance globally of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal, federal health officials said.In Michigan, Michigan State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has detected bird flu in a commercial poultry facility in Ionia County, according to the Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.The county is about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.The department said it received confirmation of the disease Monday from the lab and that it is the fourth time since 2022 that the disease was detected at a commercial facility in Michigan.Department spokesperson Jennifer Holton said Tuesday that state law prohibits the department from disclosing the type of poultry at the facility. The facility has been placed under quarantine and the department does not anticipate any disruptions to supply chains across the state, Holton said.Dairy cows in Texas and Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-dairy-cattle-usda-kansas-texas-c3040bb31a9a8293717d47362f006902">were reported</a>&nbsp;to be infected with bird flu last week — and federal agriculture officials later confirmed infections in a Michigan dairy herd that had recently received cows from Texas. A dairy herd in Idaho has been added to the list after federal agriculture officials confirmed the detection of bird flu in them, according to a Tuesday press release from the USDA.

Largest fresh egg producer in the US has found bird flu in chickens

Amendment of tribal compact with state mirrors deal with Prairie Band

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

TOPEKA — The Kansas House and Senate voted Tuesday to amend the state’s gambling compact with the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska to allow sports wagering on the tribe’s reservation land in northeast Kansas.

The joint legislative Committee on Inter-Tribal Relations endorsed Monday the sports-betting agreement applicable the tribe’s casino at White Cloud along the Missouri River. On Tuesday, the House passed the measure 101-20 and the Senate echoed that sentiment 30-5. The resolutions were forwarded to Gov. Laura Kelly. Before the Iowa Tribe initiated sports book betting, the revised gambling compact must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Interior for review and approval.

The Prairie Band Potawatomie Nation, which operates a casino about 15 miles north of Topeka, was the first tribe to complete the sports-wagering process in July 2023. In April 2023, the Senate approved the tribe’s revised compact 27-8 and it was endorsed 93-27 in the House.

“This is substantively, other than changing the names and dates, identical to the compact this committee approved last year for Prairie Band,” said attorney Russ Brien, a&nbsp;member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.

Sports betting expanded in states and on tribal lands following the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association that struck down federal law limiting legal sports wagering operations.

After years of debate, the Legislature approved a mobile and retail sports gambling bill in 2022 that was signed by Kelly. The bill applied to state-licensed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.500nations.com/casinos/ksBootHillCasino.asp">Boot Hill Casino &amp; Resort</a>&nbsp;in Dodge City,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.500nations.com/casinos/ksHollywoodCasino.asp">Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.500nations.com/casinos/ksKansasStarCasino.asp">Kansas Star Casino</a>&nbsp;in Mulvane and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.500nations.com/casinos/ksKansasCrossingCasino.asp">Kansas Crossing Casino</a>&nbsp;in Pittsburg.

Tribes in Kansas also could take part in sports gambling, including on professional and collegiate events, but had to follow a different procedure for full regulatory approval. Tribal casinos interested in sports betting must submit a request to the governor and engage with the executive branch in negotiations on tweaks to the compact.

Justin Whitten, chief counsel to the governor, said the revised compact would authorize in-person sports wagering on reservation land held by the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. The compact included a trigger mechanism that would open the door to remote online wagering from locations throughout the state, Whitten said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712080662752.png" alt=" Justin Whitten, general counsel for Gov. Laura Kelly, outlines details of a revised state-tribal gaming compact to allow sports wagering on land of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. A joint House and Senate committee approved the compact, but it must clear the Legislature and win approval of the U.S. Department of Interior. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Legislature’s YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption> Justin Whitten, general counsel for Gov. Laura Kelly, outlines details of a revised state-tribal gaming compact to allow sports wagering on land of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. A joint House and Senate committee approved the compact, but it must clear the Legislature and win approval of the U.S. Department of Interior. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Legislature’s YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Amendment of tribal compact with state mirrors deal with Prairie Band</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas House and Senate voted Tuesday to amend the state’s gambling compact with the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska to allow sports wagering on the tribe’s reservation land in northeast Kansas.The joint legislative Committee on Inter-Tribal Relations endorsed Monday the sports-betting agreement applicable the tribe’s casino at White Cloud along the Missouri River. On Tuesday, the House passed the measure 101-20 and the Senate echoed that sentiment 30-5. The resolutions were forwarded to Gov. Laura Kelly. Before the Iowa Tribe initiated sports book betting, the revised gambling compact must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Interior for review and approval.The Prairie Band Potawatomie Nation, which operates a casino about 15 miles north of Topeka, was the first tribe to complete the sports-wagering process in July 2023. In April 2023, the Senate approved the tribe’s revised compact 27-8 and it was endorsed 93-27 in the House.“This is substantively, other than changing the names and dates, identical to the compact this committee approved last year for Prairie Band,” said attorney Russ Brien, a&nbsp;member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.Sports betting expanded in states and on tribal lands following the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association that struck down federal law limiting legal sports wagering operations.After years of debate, the Legislature approved a mobile and retail sports gambling bill in 2022 that was signed by Kelly. The bill applied to state-licensed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.500nations.com/casinos/ksBootHillCasino.asp">Boot Hill Casino &amp; Resort</a>&nbsp;in Dodge City,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.500nations.com/casinos/ksHollywoodCasino.asp">Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.500nations.com/casinos/ksKansasStarCasino.asp">Kansas Star Casino</a>&nbsp;in Mulvane and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.500nations.com/casinos/ksKansasCrossingCasino.asp">Kansas Crossing Casino</a>&nbsp;in Pittsburg.Tribes in Kansas also could take part in sports gambling, including on professional and collegiate events, but had to follow a different procedure for full regulatory approval. Tribal casinos interested in sports betting must submit a request to the governor and engage with the executive branch in negotiations on tweaks to the compact.Justin Whitten, chief counsel to the governor, said the revised compact would authorize in-person sports wagering on reservation land held by the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. The compact included a trigger mechanism that would open the door to remote online wagering from locations throughout the state, Whitten said.

Kan. Legislature approves agreement with Iowa Tribe to allow sports gambling

KANSAS CITY— Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of a child and two adults at a Kansas City home on Monday have identified those involved as 38-year-old Domonique McGeachy, 38-year-old Jerel McGeachy and their son 12-year-old Jerel McGeachy, Jr., according to Kansas City Police Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The case is now being investigating as a suspected murder-suicide.

According to an investigation, Domonique and Jerel Jr. both appeared to have suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Jerel Sr. appeared to have taken his own life as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.&nbsp;

Investigators are not looking for anyone else involved at this time, according to DiMartino.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712001230493.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of a child and two adults at a Kansas City home on Monday have identified those involved as 38-year-old Domonique McGeachy, 38-year-old Jerel McGeachy and their son 12-year-old Jerel McGeachy, Jr., according to Kansas City Police Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The case is now being investigating as a suspected murder-suicide.According to an investigation, Domonique and Jerel Jr. both appeared to have suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Jerel Sr. appeared to have taken his own life as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.&nbsp;Investigators are not looking for anyone else involved at this time, according to DiMartino.

Police: 3 found dead in Kansas City home were family members

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — An Ambassador from NASA will join eclipse-viewers at Legends Outlets to view the rare solar eclipse.

According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://legendsshopping.com/" target="_blank">Legends Outlets</a>, 1843 Village West Parkway, NASA Ambassador Danielle Joines will be at The Lawn at Legends Outlets, 1843 Village West Pkwy., to answer questions and give partygoers information and interesting facts about the solar eclipse.

A total solar eclipse, or the “Great North American Eclipse,” will trace a narrow path of totality from Texas to Maine. While Kansas City is not in the path of totality - a 100% eclipse - the city will still get to witness a partial eclipse - 89% - which is still a rare and special experience.

&nbsp;Eclipse glasses will be provided for attendees’ safety. Due to limited quantities, glasses will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. NASA’s live feed will also be put on the big screen to provide live views of the eclipse from several locations in its path.

It is important to know that it is never safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. Click&nbsp;<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;review solar eclipse safety guidelines.

This will be the last total solar eclipse North America will see until 2044. A solar eclipse happens when the sun, moon and Earth are aligned.

Cloudy skies may impact visibility.&nbsp;&nbsp;

WATCH PARTY LOCATION:&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lawn at Legends Outlets (west end)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712158540990.png" alt="Ambassador Danielle Joines -photo courtesy NASA" />
 <figcaption>Ambassador Danielle Joines -photo courtesy NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. — An Ambassador from NASA will join eclipse-viewers at Legends Outlets to view the rare solar eclipse.According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://legendsshopping.com/" target="_blank">Legends Outlets</a>, 1843 Village West Parkway, NASA Ambassador Danielle Joines will be at The Lawn at Legends Outlets, 1843 Village West Pkwy., to answer questions and give partygoers information and interesting facts about the solar eclipse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712085263547.png" alt="Image AP" />
 <figcaption>Image AP</figcaption>
 </figure>A total solar eclipse, or the “Great North American Eclipse,” will trace a narrow path of totality from Texas to Maine. While Kansas City is not in the path of totality - a 100% eclipse - the city will still get to witness a partial eclipse - 89% - which is still a rare and special experience.&nbsp;Eclipse glasses will be provided for attendees’ safety. Due to limited quantities, glasses will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. NASA’s live feed will also be put on the big screen to provide live views of the eclipse from several locations in its path.It is important to know that it is never safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. Click&nbsp;<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;review solar eclipse safety guidelines.This will be the last total solar eclipse North America will see until 2044. A solar eclipse happens when the sun, moon and Earth are aligned.ECLIPSE SCHEDULE:<ul>
 <li>Begins at 12:37 PM</li><li>Peaks at 1:54 PM</li><li>Ends at 3:11 PM</li>
 </ul>Cloudy skies may impact visibility.&nbsp;&nbsp;WATCH PARTY LOCATION:&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lawn at Legends Outlets (west end)

NASA Ambassador to join eclipse-viewers at Legends Outlets

LAFAYETTE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

On Tuesday,&nbsp;a Trooper stopped a vehicle on Interstate 70 for traffic violations in Lafayette County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

 A Lafayette County K-9 responded to the scene and alerted to narcotics inside the vehicle. A vehicle search was conducted, resulting in 88 pounds of cocaine taken off the streets.&nbsp; The MSHP released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712090569360.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LAFAYETTE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On Tuesday,&nbsp;a Trooper stopped a vehicle on Interstate 70 for traffic violations in Lafayette County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A Lafayette County K-9 responded to the scene and alerted to narcotics inside the vehicle. A vehicle search was conducted, resulting in 88 pounds of cocaine taken off the streets.&nbsp; The MSHP released no additional details.

Troopers found 88 pounds of cocaine during I-70 traffic stop

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City was thrown into question Tuesday night when residents of Jackson County, Missouri, resoundingly voted down a sales tax measure that would have helped to fund a new downtown ballpark along with major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.

Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged long before the final tally that the initiative would fail.

 More than 58% of voters ultimately rejected the plan, which would have replaced an existing three-eighths of a cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Truman Sports Complex — the home for more than 50 years to Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums — with a similar tax that would have been in place for the next 40 years.

The Royals, who had pledged at least $1 billion from ownership for their project, wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to help fund a $2 billion-plus ballpark district. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who had committed $300 million in private money, would have used their share as part of an $800 million overhaul of Arrowhead Stadium.

“We’re deeply disappointed as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is better with the Chiefs and the Royals,” said Sherman, who left without taking questions. “As someone whose roots run deep in this town, who has been a dedicated fan and season-ticket holder for both of these teams, and now leading a remarkable ownership group.”

Donovan said the Chiefs would do “what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”

That could mean many things: The Chiefs could try again with a reworked plan more agreeable to voters, change their entire funding approach to include more private investment, or they could even listen to offers from competing cities and states — such as Kansas, just across the state line to the west — that would provide the public funding they desire.

“We’ve been talking a lot about the democratic process. We respect the process,” Donovan said. “We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We’re ready to extend the longstanding partnership the teams have enjoyed with this county.”

The current lease lease at Truman Sports Complex lasts through Jan. 31, 2031. And while Sherman has said the Royals would not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, the Chiefs are hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium.

The tax — or, more accurately, the stadium plans — received significant public pushback almost from the start, when the teams struggled to put concrete plans before voters and were accused of lacking transparency throughout the process.

Last fall, the Royals unveiled two potential locations for their ballpark district, one on the eastern edge of downtown and the other across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri.

But, a self-imposed deadline to finalize their location lapsed without a plan, and in February, they finally announced they had scrapped both concepts and chosen a different downtown spot.

The new area, known as the Crossroads, has a vibrant arts and restaurant scene, and it is just blocks away from the T-Mobile Center and the bustling Power &amp; Light entertainment district. It also is close to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the 18th &amp; Vine district, which is home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

But even then, plans remained vague. The latest ballpark renderings were made obsolete just last week when the Royals acquiesced to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ request that a major street that would have been part of the stadium footprint remain open; Lucas did not endorse the tax initiative until the Royals agreed to the change.

“I think everyone has the same mixed feelings,” said Deidre Chasteen, a voter from Independence, Missouri, who remembers attending games downtown at old Municipal Stadium when the Royals played there from 1969-72.

“It’s not that we mind paying the three-eighths-cent sales tax. I think the problem is putting the stadium where it is,” Chasteen said. “We’re saying don’t ruin businesses that have been established down there for years.”

The club also had not reached sales agreements with many landowners in the Crossroads, and other businesses had expressed concerns about traffic, congestion and parking in an already thriving residential neighborhood.

Sarah Tourville, the Royals’ executive vice president, said the goal was to move into the stadium for opening day in 2028.

The Royals moved from Municipal Stadium to Kauffman Stadium in 1973 and extensively renovated the ballpark from 2009-12. Arrowhead Stadium was built alongside Kauffman Stadium and also was renovated around the same time.

While the Royals insist on playing in a new ballpark, the Chiefs wanted to stay put with a renovation that would have touched every aspect of their 52-year-old building, from the seating bowl to luxury amenities to the tailgating scene.

“We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose father, Lamar Hunt, helped get the existing stadiums built, said before Tuesday’s vote. “The financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we’ve outlined.”

The Chiefs had hoped their success, including three Super Bowl titles in the last five years, would sway voters in their favor.

“What my dad loved best about the stadium was the connection the team had with our fanbase,” Hunt said. “He loved this building for what it means to the fans, and we still believe it is one of the best stadiums in the National Football League and a bucket-list destination for fans across the NFL.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712112749211.jpeg" alt="An Air Force B2 bomber flies over Kauffman Stadium before a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)." />
 <figcaption>An Air Force B2 bomber flies over Kauffman Stadium before a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel).</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City was thrown into question Tuesday night when residents of Jackson County, Missouri, resoundingly voted down a sales tax measure that would have helped to fund a new downtown ballpark along with major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged long before the final tally that the initiative would fail.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712104528404.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure> More than 58% of voters ultimately rejected the plan, which would have replaced an existing three-eighths of a cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Truman Sports Complex — the home for more than 50 years to Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums — with a similar tax that would have been in place for the next 40 years.The Royals, who had pledged at least $1 billion from ownership for their project, wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to help fund a $2 billion-plus ballpark district. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who had committed $300 million in private money, would have used their share as part of an $800 million overhaul of Arrowhead Stadium.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A statement from John Sherman regarding today&#39;s Jackson County election: <a href="https://t.co/t85qx0Cwfh">pic.twitter.com/t85qx0Cwfh</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1775347697345610113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’re deeply disappointed as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is better with the Chiefs and the Royals,” said Sherman, who left without taking questions. “As someone whose roots run deep in this town, who has been a dedicated fan and season-ticket holder for both of these teams, and now leading a remarkable ownership group.”Donovan said the Chiefs would do “what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”That could mean many things: The Chiefs could try again with a reworked plan more agreeable to voters, change their entire funding approach to include more private investment, or they could even listen to offers from competing cities and states — such as Kansas, just across the state line to the west — that would provide the public funding they desire.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonCountyMO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JacksonCountyMO</a>⁩ voters have spoken. I’ll say more on the election results and what happens next soon. Stay tuned! <a href="https://t.co/emqsBfJqYq">pic.twitter.com/emqsBfJqYq</a>&mdash; Frank White (@JCEFrankWhite) <a href="https://twitter.com/JCEFrankWhite/status/1775364416424280068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’ve been talking a lot about the democratic process. We respect the process,” Donovan said. “We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We’re ready to extend the longstanding partnership the teams have enjoyed with this county.”The current lease lease at Truman Sports Complex lasts through Jan. 31, 2031. And while Sherman has said the Royals would not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, the Chiefs are hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium.The tax — or, more accurately, the stadium plans — received significant public pushback almost from the start, when the teams struggled to put concrete plans before voters and were accused of lacking transparency throughout the process.Last fall, the Royals unveiled two potential locations for their ballpark district, one on the eastern edge of downtown and the other across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri.But, a self-imposed deadline to finalize their location lapsed without a plan, and in February, they finally announced they had scrapped both concepts and chosen a different downtown spot.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/ijleg960iH">pic.twitter.com/ijleg960iH</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1775340879663825097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The new area, known as the Crossroads, has a vibrant arts and restaurant scene, and it is just blocks away from the T-Mobile Center and the bustling Power &amp; Light entertainment district. It also is close to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the 18th &amp; Vine district, which is home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.But even then, plans remained vague. The latest ballpark renderings were made obsolete just last week when the Royals acquiesced to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ request that a major street that would have been part of the stadium footprint remain open; Lucas did not endorse the tax initiative until the Royals agreed to the change.“I think everyone has the same mixed feelings,” said Deidre Chasteen, a voter from Independence, Missouri, who remembers attending games downtown at old Municipal Stadium when the Royals played there from 1969-72.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712112786193.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, address the media while Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan looks on during a news conference about a plan to extend a sales tax to provide funding to build a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvement for the Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)." />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, address the media while Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan looks on during a news conference about a plan to extend a sales tax to provide funding to build a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvement for the Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel).</figcaption>
 </figure>“It’s not that we mind paying the three-eighths-cent sales tax. I think the problem is putting the stadium where it is,” Chasteen said. “We’re saying don’t ruin businesses that have been established down there for years.”The club also had not reached sales agreements with many landowners in the Crossroads, and other businesses had expressed concerns about traffic, congestion and parking in an already thriving residential neighborhood.Sarah Tourville, the Royals’ executive vice president, said the goal was to move into the stadium for opening day in 2028.The Royals moved from Municipal Stadium to Kauffman Stadium in 1973 and extensively renovated the ballpark from 2009-12. Arrowhead Stadium was built alongside Kauffman Stadium and also was renovated around the same time.While the Royals insist on playing in a new ballpark, the Chiefs wanted to stay put with a renovation that would have touched every aspect of their 52-year-old building, from the seating bowl to luxury amenities to the tailgating scene.“We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose father, Lamar Hunt, helped get the existing stadiums built, said before Tuesday’s vote. “The financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we’ve outlined.”The Chiefs had hoped their success, including three Super Bowl titles in the last five years, would sway voters in their favor.“What my dad loved best about the stadium was the connection the team had with our fanbase,” Hunt said. “He loved this building for what it means to the fans, and we still believe it is one of the best stadiums in the National Football League and a bucket-list destination for fans across the NFL.”

Voters reject stadium tax for Royals and Chiefs, leaving future in KC in question

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is poised to increase penalties for killing police dogs and horses after legislators gave their final approval Tuesday to a measure inspired by a suspect's strangling of a dog last year in the state's largest city.

The Republican-controlled state House approved a bill with a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20240402141729_401728/">115-6</a>&nbsp;vote that would allow a first-time offender to be sentenced to more than three years in prison for killing a police animal, an arson dog, a game warden's dog or a search-and-rescue dog and up to five years if the killing occurs when a suspect is trying to elude law enforcement. An offender also could be fined up to $10,000.

The current penalty for killing a police dog is up to a year behind bars and a fine of between $500 and $5,000, and the law doesn't specifically cover horses.

“There is a lot of time and money put into those animals,” said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who was the bill’s leading advocate. “They have to continually train all the time and so to have one killed, there’s got to be a pretty harsh penalty.”

The GOP-controlled Senate approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2583_02_0000.pdf">the measure</a>&nbsp;by a narrower&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20240327112425_941512/">25-15</a>&nbsp;margin last week, and the bill goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who has not said publicly whether she will sign it. Kelly typically signs measures with bipartisan support, but most of the 11 Democrats in the Senate opposed the bill.

Increased penalties have had bipartisan support&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-dogs-kansas-racial-disparties-policing-8e47eddc6193557b762e8245a55815f1">across the U.S.</a>&nbsp;In Colorado, the Democratically led General Assembly approved&nbsp;<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_1074_enr.pdf">a measure</a>&nbsp;last month. Proposals have advanced in GOP-controlled Legislatures in Missouri and West Virginia and introduced in at least four other states.

The Kansas measure was inspired by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-dog-strangled-memorial-kansas-833d090ca3d030f3e0b83a321ec5fd29">the November death</a>&nbsp;of Bane, an 8-year-old Wichita police dog. Authorities say a suspect in a domestic violence case took refuge in a storm drain and strangled Bane when a deputy sent the dog in to flush out the suspect.

But critics of such measures have questions about how dogs are used in policing, particularly when suspects of color are involved. Their use also has a fraught history, such as their use during by Southern authorities during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

“Police dogs have jaws strong enough to puncture sheet metal. Victims of attacks by police dogs have sustained serious and even fatal injuries,” Keisha James, a staff attorney for the National Lawyers Guild's National Police Accountability Project, said in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/committees/ctte_s_jud_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_s_jud_1_20240307_18_testimony.html">written testimony</a>&nbsp;to a Senate committee last month. “It follows that an individual being attacked by a police dog would respond by trying to defend themselves.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701304894824.png" alt="A memorial service held Nov. 29 for K9 officer Bane -photo Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A memorial service held Nov. 29 for K9 officer Bane -photo Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is poised to increase penalties for killing police dogs and horses after legislators gave their final approval Tuesday to a measure inspired by a suspect's strangling of a dog last year in the state's largest city.The Republican-controlled state House approved a bill with a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20240402141729_401728/">115-6</a>&nbsp;vote that would allow a first-time offender to be sentenced to more than three years in prison for killing a police animal, an arson dog, a game warden's dog or a search-and-rescue dog and up to five years if the killing occurs when a suspect is trying to elude law enforcement. An offender also could be fined up to $10,000.The current penalty for killing a police dog is up to a year behind bars and a fine of between $500 and $5,000, and the law doesn't specifically cover horses.“There is a lot of time and money put into those animals,” said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who was the bill’s leading advocate. “They have to continually train all the time and so to have one killed, there’s got to be a pretty harsh penalty.”The GOP-controlled Senate approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2583_02_0000.pdf">the measure</a>&nbsp;by a narrower&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20240327112425_941512/">25-15</a>&nbsp;margin last week, and the bill goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who has not said publicly whether she will sign it. Kelly typically signs measures with bipartisan support, but most of the 11 Democrats in the Senate opposed the bill.Increased penalties have had bipartisan support&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-dogs-kansas-racial-disparties-policing-8e47eddc6193557b762e8245a55815f1">across the U.S.</a>&nbsp;In Colorado, the Democratically led General Assembly approved&nbsp;<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_1074_enr.pdf">a measure</a>&nbsp;last month. Proposals have advanced in GOP-controlled Legislatures in Missouri and West Virginia and introduced in at least four other states.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700174387964.png" alt="Police K9 Bane -Photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Police K9 Bane -Photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas measure was inspired by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-dog-strangled-memorial-kansas-833d090ca3d030f3e0b83a321ec5fd29">the November death</a>&nbsp;of Bane, an 8-year-old Wichita police dog. Authorities say a suspect in a domestic violence case took refuge in a storm drain and strangled Bane when a deputy sent the dog in to flush out the suspect.But critics of such measures have questions about how dogs are used in policing, particularly when suspects of color are involved. Their use also has a fraught history, such as their use during by Southern authorities during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.“Police dogs have jaws strong enough to puncture sheet metal. Victims of attacks by police dogs have sustained serious and even fatal injuries,” Keisha James, a staff attorney for the National Lawyers Guild's National Police Accountability Project, said in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/committees/ctte_s_jud_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_s_jud_1_20240307_18_testimony.html">written testimony</a>&nbsp;to a Senate committee last month. “It follows that an individual being attacked by a police dog would respond by trying to defend themselves.”

Police dog's death has Kansas poised to increase penalties for killing K-9 officers

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating a deadly fire in Kansas City. Just before 2a.m. crews&nbsp;responded to a house fire in the 9900 block of Hillcrest Road in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins

First arriving crews reported heavy fire from a single-story home. . During the search of the home crews identified a single occupant in a hallway near the back of the home near the main fire room. 

The victim is a 35-year-old man who was pronounced deceased. The fire was placed under control at 2 am.&nbsp; The Kansas City Police Bomb and Arson squad has been asked to join the investigation due to the fatality. The victim appears to have lived alone. Authorities did not release his name early Wednesday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712225551645.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating a deadly fire in Kansas City. Just before 2a.m. crews&nbsp;responded to a house fire in the 9900 block of Hillcrest Road in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael HopkinsFirst arriving crews reported heavy fire from a single-story home. . During the search of the home crews identified a single occupant in a hallway near the back of the home near the main fire room. The victim is a 35-year-old man who was pronounced deceased. The fire was placed under control at 2 am.&nbsp; The Kansas City Police Bomb and Arson squad has been asked to join the investigation due to the fatality. The victim appears to have lived alone. Authorities did not release his name early Wednesday.&nbsp;

Man found dead in fire at home in Kansas City

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Some of Israel's closest allies, including the United States, on Tuesday condemned the deaths of seven aid workers who were killed by airstrikes in Gaza — a loss that prompted multiple charities to suspend food deliveries to Palestinians&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-18-2024-eefc526aec97821fe5f1e845801a6640">on the brink of starvation</a>.

The deaths of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victims-aid-workers-gaza-world-central-kitchen-f79eccaf93e34e36d39ae16c848dde92">World Central Kitchen workers</a>&nbsp;threatened to set back efforts by the U.S. and other countries to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-peir-plan-aid-world-central-kitchen-97e53ccaa9b54b436b2e6ede7dd9aa2d">open a maritime corridor</a>&nbsp;for aid from Cyprus to help ease the desperate conditions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-11-2024-c6835d50f91dff0443e0f7fdf5e3229f">in northern Gaza</a>.

President Joe Biden issued an unusually blunt criticism of Israel by its closest ally, suggesting that the incident demonstrated that Israel was not doing enough to protect civilians.

“Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians,” he said, adding he was “outraged and heartbroken" by their killings.

“Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen,” he added. "The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties.”

Ships still laden with some 240 tons of aid from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-central-kitchen-jose-andres-gaza-israel-a21b62edbfa1150d0eb78ed5597a03c8">the charitable group</a>&nbsp;turned back from Gaza just a day after arriving, according to Cyprus. Other humanitarian aid organizations also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-central-kitchen-gaza-humanitarian-aid-suspension-4a2d5bfa131ccd9984fe47076880b6b9">suspended operations</a>&nbsp;in Gaza, saying it was too dangerous to offer help. Israel has allowed only a trickle of food and supplies into Gaza's devastated north, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-18-2024-eefc526aec97821fe5f1e845801a6640">experts say famine is imminent</a>.

The dead from Monday night's strikes included three British citizens, Polish and Australia nationals, a Canadian-American dual national and a Palestinian. Those countries have been key backers of Israel's nearly 6-month-old offensive in Gaza, and several of them denounced the killings.

Israel already faces growing isolation as international criticism of the Gaza assault has mounted. On the same day as the deadly airstrikes, Israel stirred more fears by apparently striking Iran’s consulate in Damascus and killing two Iranian generals. The government also moved to shut down a foreign media outlet — Qatari-owned Al Jazeera television.

The hit on the charity’s convoy also highlighted what critics have called Israel’s indiscriminate bombing and lack of regard for civilian casualties in Gaza.

Israel's military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, announced the results of a preliminary investigation early Wednesday.

“It was a mistake that followed a misidentification – at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened,” he said. He gave no further details. He said an independent body would conduct a “thorough investigation” that would be completed in the coming days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier acknowledged the “unintended strike ... on innocent people” and said officials would work to ensure it does not happen again.

World Central Kitchen said it had coordinated with the Israeli military over the movement of its cars. Three vehicles moving at large distances apart were hit in succession. They were left incinerated and mangled, indicating multiple targeted strikes.

At least one of the vehicles had the charity’s logo printed across its roof to make it identifiable from the air, and the ordnance punched a large hole through the roof. Footage showed the bodies at a hospital in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, several of them wearing protective gear with the charity’s logo.

Israeli TV said the initial military investigation found that the army identified the cars carrying World Central Kitchen’s workers arriving at its warehouse in Deir al-Balah and observed suspected militants nearby. Half an hour later, the vehicles were struck by the air force as they headed south. The reports said it was not clear who ordered the strikes or why.

Throughout the war, Israel has said it seeks to avoid civilian casualties and uses sophisticated intelligence to target Hamas and other militants. Israeli authorities blame them for civilian deaths because they operate in populated areas.

At the same time, Israel has also insisted that no target is off-limits. Israeli forces have repeatedly struck ambulances and vehicles carrying aid, as well as relief organization offices and U.N. shelters, claiming that armed fighters were in them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712102552938.png" alt="Jacob Flickinger photo WCK" />
 <figcaption>Jacob Flickinger photo WCK</figcaption>
 </figure>DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Some of Israel's closest allies, including the United States, on Tuesday condemned the deaths of seven aid workers who were killed by airstrikes in Gaza — a loss that prompted multiple charities to suspend food deliveries to Palestinians&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-18-2024-eefc526aec97821fe5f1e845801a6640">on the brink of starvation</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712102615852.png" alt="World Central Kitchen" />
 <figcaption>World Central Kitchen</figcaption>
 </figure>The deaths of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/victims-aid-workers-gaza-world-central-kitchen-f79eccaf93e34e36d39ae16c848dde92">World Central Kitchen workers</a>&nbsp;threatened to set back efforts by the U.S. and other countries to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-peir-plan-aid-world-central-kitchen-97e53ccaa9b54b436b2e6ede7dd9aa2d">open a maritime corridor</a>&nbsp;for aid from Cyprus to help ease the desperate conditions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-11-2024-c6835d50f91dff0443e0f7fdf5e3229f">in northern Gaza</a>.President Joe Biden issued an unusually blunt criticism of Israel by its closest ally, suggesting that the incident demonstrated that Israel was not doing enough to protect civilians.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen, including one American, in Gaza yesterday. Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen. Here is my full statement. <a href="https://t.co/Nl2jq8wqTt">pic.twitter.com/Nl2jq8wqTt</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1775316042367094888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians,” he said, adding he was “outraged and heartbroken" by their killings.“Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen,” he added. "The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties.”Ships still laden with some 240 tons of aid from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-central-kitchen-jose-andres-gaza-israel-a21b62edbfa1150d0eb78ed5597a03c8">the charitable group</a>&nbsp;turned back from Gaza just a day after arriving, according to Cyprus. Other humanitarian aid organizations also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-central-kitchen-gaza-humanitarian-aid-suspension-4a2d5bfa131ccd9984fe47076880b6b9">suspended operations</a>&nbsp;in Gaza, saying it was too dangerous to offer help. Israel has allowed only a trickle of food and supplies into Gaza's devastated north, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-18-2024-eefc526aec97821fe5f1e845801a6640">experts say famine is imminent</a>.The dead from Monday night's strikes included three British citizens, Polish and Australia nationals, a Canadian-American dual national and a Palestinian. Those countries have been key backers of Israel's nearly 6-month-old offensive in Gaza, and several of them denounced the killings.Israel already faces growing isolation as international criticism of the Gaza assault has mounted. On the same day as the deadly airstrikes, Israel stirred more fears by apparently striking Iran’s consulate in Damascus and killing two Iranian generals. The government also moved to shut down a foreign media outlet — Qatari-owned Al Jazeera television.The hit on the charity’s convoy also highlighted what critics have called Israel’s indiscriminate bombing and lack of regard for civilian casualties in Gaza.Israel's military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, announced the results of a preliminary investigation early Wednesday.“It was a mistake that followed a misidentification – at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened,” he said. He gave no further details. He said an independent body would conduct a “thorough investigation” that would be completed in the coming days.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier acknowledged the “unintended strike ... on innocent people” and said officials would work to ensure it does not happen again.World Central Kitchen said it had coordinated with the Israeli military over the movement of its cars. Three vehicles moving at large distances apart were hit in succession. They were left incinerated and mangled, indicating multiple targeted strikes.At least one of the vehicles had the charity’s logo printed across its roof to make it identifiable from the air, and the ordnance punched a large hole through the roof. Footage showed the bodies at a hospital in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, several of them wearing protective gear with the charity’s logo.Israeli TV said the initial military investigation found that the army identified the cars carrying World Central Kitchen’s workers arriving at its warehouse in Deir al-Balah and observed suspected militants nearby. Half an hour later, the vehicles were struck by the air force as they headed south. The reports said it was not clear who ordered the strikes or why.Throughout the war, Israel has said it seeks to avoid civilian casualties and uses sophisticated intelligence to target Hamas and other militants. Israeli authorities blame them for civilian deaths because they operate in populated areas.At the same time, Israel has also insisted that no target is off-limits. Israeli forces have repeatedly struck ambulances and vehicles carrying aid, as well as relief organization offices and U.N. shelters, claiming that armed fighters were in them.Israeli forces have also shown a readiness to inflict widespread destruction on suspicion of a militant presence or out of tactical need. Homes with Palestinian families sheltering inside are leveled by strikes almost daily with no explanation of the intended target. Videos of strikes released by the military often show them hitting individuals without visible weapons, while identifying them as militants.More than 32,900 Palestinians have been killed in the war, around two-thirds of them women and children, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Gaza’s Health Ministry</a>, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.Celebrity chef José Andrés, who founded the World Central Kitchen charity, said he was “heartbroken” by the deaths of the staffers.“The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.The U.S., Britain, Poland, Australia and Canada all called on Israel to give answers on the deaths. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant launched an investigation and ordered the opening of a joint situation room enabling coordination between the military and aid groups.But anger among its allies could put new pressure on Israel.The British government summoned Israel’s ambassador for a rebuke and called for an immediate humanitarian pause to allow more aid in and the release of hostages.British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Netanyahu that he was “appalled” by the workers' deaths and described the situation in Gaza as “increasingly intolerable.”A senior Canadian government official said there will be a joint formal diplomatic rebuke at the foreign ministry in Israel on Wednesday. The official also said a top official with Canada’s Global Affairs department made a formal representation to Israel ambassador’s to Canada on Tuesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.The deaths sent a further chill through U.N. agencies and other aid groups that have said for months that sending truck convoys around Gaza — particularly in the north — has been extremely difficult because of the military’s failure to either grant permission or ensure safe passage. Israel has barred UNRWA, the main U.N. agency in Gaza, from making deliveries to the north.The U.S. and other countries have been working to set up the sea passage from Cyprus to get around the difficulties.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-workers-killed-world-central-kitchen-andres-explainer-04d1f8ad0ea7f1fe4c09769b75467fa1">World Central Kitchen</a>&nbsp;was key to the new route. It and the United Arab Emirates sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-15-2024-d4e2f9ed525914233e4cf16c217f5248">pilot shipment</a>&nbsp;last month. Their second delivery of around 400 tons of food and supplies arrived in three ships to Gaza hours before the strikes on the convoy.Around 100 tons were unloaded before the charity suspended operations, and the rest was being taken back to Cyprus, Cypriot Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said.Still, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said Tuesday that ship deliveries would continue.Anera, a Washington-based aid group that has been operating in the Palestinian territories for decades, said that in the wake of the strikes it was taking the “unprecedented” step of pausing its own operations in Gaza, where it had been helping to provide around 150,000 meals daily.“The escalating risks associated with aid delivery leave us with no choice,” it said in a statement.Jamie McGoldrick, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said the strikes were “not an isolated incident.” The U.N. says more than 180 humanitarian workers have been killed in the war.“This is nearly three times the death toll recorded in any single conflict in a year,” he said.The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel in a surprise attack on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. Israel responded with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-bombs-destruction-death-toll-scope-419488c511f83c85baea22458472a796">one of the deadliest and most destructive offensives</a>&nbsp;in recent history.Two other Israeli strikes late Monday killed at least 16 Palestinians, including eight children, in Rafah, where Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-hamas-gaza-israel-war-541e91c0f09196944a4dabeded94596f">has vowed to expand its ground operation</a>. The city on the Egyptian border is now home to some 1.4 million Palestinians, most of whom have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere.One strike hit a family home, killing 10 people, including five children, according to hospital records. Another hit a gathering near a mosque, killing at least six people, including three children.___