LEAVENWORTH COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred in Leavenworth, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Just before 9 p.m. Saturday, a man called 911 to request police so that he could report a crime. He also stated that he was armed.

A short time later officers from the Leavenworth Police Department arrived at the location, which was in the 400 block of N. 5th&nbsp;Street in Leavenworth. 

When officers arrived, they observed a 44-year-old man in the front yard of the residence armed with a knife. Several verbal commands were given to him to stop and to drop the knife. The man charged toward an officer and that officer fired multiple rounds striking him.

Medical aid was provided, and EMS transported the man to a Leavenworth hospital. Despite life-saving measures, he died from his injuries. The KBI did not release the name of the man who died.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704655735251.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred in Leavenworth, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.Just before 9 p.m. Saturday, a man called 911 to request police so that he could report a crime. He also stated that he was armed.A short time later officers from the Leavenworth Police Department arrived at the location, which was in the 400 block of N. 5th&nbsp;Street in Leavenworth. When officers arrived, they observed a 44-year-old man in the front yard of the residence armed with a knife. Several verbal commands were given to him to stop and to drop the knife. The man charged toward an officer and that officer fired multiple rounds striking him.Medical aid was provided, and EMS transported the man to a Leavenworth hospital. Despite life-saving measures, he died from his injuries. The KBI did not release the name of the man who died.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

KBI: Man dead after Kansas officer-involved shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday allowed Idaho to enforce its strict abortion ban, even in medical emergencies, while a legal fight continues.

The justices said they would hear arguments in April and put on hold a lower court ruling that had blocked the Idaho law in hospital emergencies, based on a lawsuit filed by the Biden administration.

The Idaho case gives the court its second major abortion dispute since the justices in 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and allowed states to severely restrict or ban abortion. The court also in the coming months is hearing a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration's rules for obtaining mifepristone, one of two medications used in the most common method of abortion in the United States.

In the case over hospital emergencies, the Biden administration has argued that hospitals that receive Medicare funds are required by federal law to provide emergency care, potentially including abortion, no matter if there's a state law banning abortion.

The administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-government-and-politics-4221f9306a596904b9af2e0d1fad23b9">issued guidance about the federal law</a>, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, two weeks after the high court ruling in 2022. The Democratic administration sued Idaho a month later.

U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Idaho&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-xavier-becerra-4ccc7296f015270b0dc66c64e975689c">agreed with the administration</a>. But in a separate case in Texas, a judge sided with the state.

In a statement Friday night, President Joe Biden objected to the high court's decision and said his administration “will continue to defend a woman’s ability to access emergency care under federal law.”

Idaho makes it a crime with a prison term of up to five years for anyone who performs or assists in an abortion.

The administration argues that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-idaho-government-and-politics-7c316e07d0889ec5f9c9657a4da2a1d3">EMTALA</a>&nbsp;requires health care providers to perform abortions for emergency room patients when needed to treat an emergency medical condition, even if doing so might conflict with a state’s abortion restrictions.

Those conditions include severe bleeding, preeclampsia and certain pregnancy-related infections.

“For certain medical emergencies, abortion care is the necessary stabilizing treatment,” Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote in an administration filing at the Supreme Court.

The state argued that the administration was misusing a law intended to prevent hospitals from dumping patients and imposing “a federal abortion mandate” on states. “EMTALA says nothing about abortion,” Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador told the court in a brief.

Just Tuesday, the federal appeals court in New Orleans came to the same conclusion as Labrador. A three-judge panel ruled that the administration cannot use EMTALA to require hospitals in Texas to provide abortions for women whose lives are at risk due to pregnancy. Two of the three judges are appointees of President Donald Trump, and the other was appointed by another Republican president, George W. Bush.

The appeals court affirmed a ruling by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, also a Trump appointee. Hendrix wrote that adopting the Biden administration's view would force physicians to place the health of the pregnant person over that of the fetus or embryo even though EMTALA “is silent as to abortion.”

After Winmill, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, issued his ruling, Idaho lawmakers won an order allowing the law to be fully enforced from an all-Republican, Trump-appointed panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But a larger contingent of 9th Circuit judges threw out the panel’s ruling and had set arguments in the case for late January.

The justices' order Friday takes the case away from the appeals court. A decision is expected by early summer.

Friday’s development is just one of several legal battles currently making their way through the courts in Idaho.

Separately, four women and several physicians have filed a lawsuit asking an Idaho court to clarify the circumstances that qualify patients to legally receive an abortion. That lawsuit was recently granted the greenlight to move forward despite attempts by the Attorney General’s office to dismiss the case.

Meanwhile, a federal judge in November temporarily blocked Idaho’s “abortion trafficking” law from being enforced while a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality is underway. That law, which Idaho lawmakers passed last year, was designed to prevent minors from getting abortions in states where the procedure is legal if they don’t have their parents’ permission.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday allowed Idaho to enforce its strict abortion ban, even in medical emergencies, while a legal fight continues.The justices said they would hear arguments in April and put on hold a lower court ruling that had blocked the Idaho law in hospital emergencies, based on a lawsuit filed by the Biden administration.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today’s Supreme Court order allows Idaho’s abortion ban to go back into effect, denying women emergency abortion care required by law. These bans threaten women’s health, force them to travel, and make it harder for doctors to provide care. This should never happen in America. <a href="https://t.co/jfPOI2DXmI">pic.twitter.com/jfPOI2DXmI</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1743454834223641073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Idaho case gives the court its second major abortion dispute since the justices in 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and allowed states to severely restrict or ban abortion. The court also in the coming months is hearing a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration's rules for obtaining mifepristone, one of two medications used in the most common method of abortion in the United States.In the case over hospital emergencies, the Biden administration has argued that hospitals that receive Medicare funds are required by federal law to provide emergency care, potentially including abortion, no matter if there's a state law banning abortion.The administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-government-and-politics-4221f9306a596904b9af2e0d1fad23b9">issued guidance about the federal law</a>, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, two weeks after the high court ruling in 2022. The Democratic administration sued Idaho a month later.U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Idaho&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-xavier-becerra-4ccc7296f015270b0dc66c64e975689c">agreed with the administration</a>. But in a separate case in Texas, a judge sided with the state.In a statement Friday night, President Joe Biden objected to the high court's decision and said his administration “will continue to defend a woman’s ability to access emergency care under federal law.”Idaho makes it a crime with a prison term of up to five years for anyone who performs or assists in an abortion.The administration argues that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-idaho-government-and-politics-7c316e07d0889ec5f9c9657a4da2a1d3">EMTALA</a>&nbsp;requires health care providers to perform abortions for emergency room patients when needed to treat an emergency medical condition, even if doing so might conflict with a state’s abortion restrictions.Those conditions include severe bleeding, preeclampsia and certain pregnancy-related infections.“For certain medical emergencies, abortion care is the necessary stabilizing treatment,” Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote in an administration filing at the Supreme Court.The state argued that the administration was misusing a law intended to prevent hospitals from dumping patients and imposing “a federal abortion mandate” on states. “EMTALA says nothing about abortion,” Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador told the court in a brief.Just Tuesday, the federal appeals court in New Orleans came to the same conclusion as Labrador. A three-judge panel ruled that the administration cannot use EMTALA to require hospitals in Texas to provide abortions for women whose lives are at risk due to pregnancy. Two of the three judges are appointees of President Donald Trump, and the other was appointed by another Republican president, George W. Bush.The appeals court affirmed a ruling by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, also a Trump appointee. Hendrix wrote that adopting the Biden administration's view would force physicians to place the health of the pregnant person over that of the fetus or embryo even though EMTALA “is silent as to abortion.”After Winmill, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, issued his ruling, Idaho lawmakers won an order allowing the law to be fully enforced from an all-Republican, Trump-appointed panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But a larger contingent of 9th Circuit judges threw out the panel’s ruling and had set arguments in the case for late January.The justices' order Friday takes the case away from the appeals court. A decision is expected by early summer.Friday’s development is just one of several legal battles currently making their way through the courts in Idaho.Separately, four women and several physicians have filed a lawsuit asking an Idaho court to clarify the circumstances that qualify patients to legally receive an abortion. That lawsuit was recently granted the greenlight to move forward despite attempts by the Attorney General’s office to dismiss the case.Meanwhile, a federal judge in November temporarily blocked Idaho’s “abortion trafficking” law from being enforced while a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality is underway. That law, which Idaho lawmakers passed last year, was designed to prevent minors from getting abortions in states where the procedure is legal if they don’t have their parents’ permission.

Biden rips latest Supreme Court ruling on abortion ban even in medical emergencies

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Kansas City.

Just after midnight officers responded to 62nd and Prospect on a medical call, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found a man lying in a parking lot, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;The incident is being investigated as a homicide. Police has not reported an arrest or identified the victim.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704631133794.png" alt="Police on the scene early Sunday-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene early Sunday-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Kansas City.Just after midnight officers responded to 62nd and Prospect on a medical call, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found a man lying in a parking lot, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;The incident is being investigated as a homicide. Police has not reported an arrest or identified the victim.&nbsp;

Homicide: Man found dead in Kansas City parking lot

BY:&nbsp;TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;AND&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

GOP legislators question merit of a task force mandated by statute

TOPEKA — Rep. Kristey Williams and Sen. Renee Erickson agreed there was little value in convening a task force to study the state’s shortfall in funding public school special education programs because the financial issues were too complex and the only remedy suggested by education advocacy groups was too simplistic.

The lawmakers said it would be folly to hold hearings of the Special Education and Related Services Task Force with legislators, teachers, parents and other stakeholders to gather testimony and shape recommendations on a fix for the 2024 Legislature.

The goal of the task force, required by a bill approved by the 2023 Legislature, was to figure out how best to comply with an older statute mandating that state funding cover 92% of the extra cost of providing services to K-12 special education students statewide. Currently, state aid was sufficient to address 69% of school districts’ excess special education costs. The balance must be made up by local school districts.

“There is no way a funding task force could begin to crack that code,” said Williams, an Augusta Republican.

Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said the Kansas State Board of Education and an assortment of public education organizations had offered one remedy to the 92% dilemma — appropriation of nearly $200 million annually to close the gap.

“We do not need a special education task force meeting to consider their position,” she said. “We have their input, which is just more money. We don’t need a task force to convene to discuss that part.”

On Friday afternoon, however, Williams and Erickson were expected to sit down with others on the task force for their first and, perhaps, only meeting. The gathering might not have occurred had a six-person majority of task force members not invoked parliamentary procedure in November to force Williams’ hand. She relented and set the meeting for three days prior to start of the 2024 session.

Interim legislative meetings typically take place in summer and fall to give committee members time to write reports pulling together expert testimony and outlining reform proposals for review by lawmakers during the next legislative session.

Williams, who was placed in charge of the task force pending the members’ election of a chair, said a mere two hours would be dedicated to oral testimony of subject-matter experts and for task force deliberations. She said written testimony would be accepted by the task force comprised of five members of the House or Senate — four Republicans, one Democrat — and six people not in the Legislature.

The list of 13 given a chance to speak for five minutes each to the task force included people with the Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas National Education Association, Kansas PTA, Game On for Kansas Schools as well as the Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Policy Institute. School administrators and a teacher will be give a turn at the microphone, but its not clear the task force could comprehensively take input, consider options and prepare recommendations for legislators in 120 minutes.

The first order of business must be to select a chairperson of the task force. Legislators, lobbyists and educators said that step became a flash point several months ago when it appeared Williams lacked votes among task force peers to retain the position of task force chair. In response, special education advocates said, Williams stonewalled and publicly expressed skepticism the task force was worthwhile.

In an interview in October, Louisburg GOP Sen. Molly Baumgardner, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, dismissed that theory. She said the delay wasn’t inspired by Williams’ unwillingness to give up narrative control of the task force.

“Anytime you’re trying to schedule when we’re not in session, it is a real juggling match to get folks together,” said Baumgardner, who is on the special education task force. “You’re trying to satisfy a variety of different schedules so that the largest number of folks can be there and participate and we’ve had some problems with interim meetings, just scheduling times.”

A majority of the task force made multiple requests of Williams to move ahead with the task force’s work before deploying a procedural maneuver to compel the meeting. Williams set the meeting for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday in Room 112-North of the Capitol.

Kansas spends more than $500 million annually in federal, state and local funding on special education services in public schools, but hasn’t complied with the 92% requirement since 2011. However, the statute didn’t include enforcement mechanisms to compel the Legislature to meet the obligation.

The idea of convening a task force was viewed as an alternative to the 2023 Legislature dealing with a situation in which districts had to pull money from the general education budget to fill the special education gap. Instead of allocating $182 million to meet the statewide shortfall in the 2023-2024 school year, the Legislature agreed to increase appropriations for special education by $7.6 million for the year.

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, endorsed a plan to add $72 million in 2024 to initiate a five-year plan to surge special education aid to 92%. The state Board of Education preferred a four-year strategy that would infuse $82 million annually to reach that threshold.

Williams and other legislators rejected the phased concepts and endorsed appointment of a task force on special education. She also urged the Legislature to complete a rewrite of the state’s special education funding blueprint by 2027.

Rep. Adam Thomas, an Olathe Republican on the task force, said he was convinced the Legislature had to rework the state’s special education formula to correct inconsistencies in distribution of money to districts.

“The formula itself is confusing. There’s some flaws in statute,” he said. “Obviously, we know after all these conversations about special ed, it’s not something that’s going to go away.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704491538276.png" alt=" Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, belatedly called the first meeting of a state task force required by law to consider solutions to the state's underfunding of special education programs in K-12 public schools. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, belatedly called the first meeting of a state task force required by law to consider solutions to the state's underfunding of special education programs in K-12 public schools. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;AND&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>GOP legislators question merit of a task force mandated by statute</h2>TOPEKA — Rep. Kristey Williams and Sen. Renee Erickson agreed there was little value in convening a task force to study the state’s shortfall in funding public school special education programs because the financial issues were too complex and the only remedy suggested by education advocacy groups was too simplistic.The lawmakers said it would be folly to hold hearings of the Special Education and Related Services Task Force with legislators, teachers, parents and other stakeholders to gather testimony and shape recommendations on a fix for the 2024 Legislature.The goal of the task force, required by a bill approved by the 2023 Legislature, was to figure out how best to comply with an older statute mandating that state funding cover 92% of the extra cost of providing services to K-12 special education students statewide. Currently, state aid was sufficient to address 69% of school districts’ excess special education costs. The balance must be made up by local school districts.“There is no way a funding task force could begin to crack that code,” said Williams, an Augusta Republican.Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said the Kansas State Board of Education and an assortment of public education organizations had offered one remedy to the 92% dilemma — appropriation of nearly $200 million annually to close the gap.“We do not need a special education task force meeting to consider their position,” she said. “We have their input, which is just more money. We don’t need a task force to convene to discuss that part.”On Friday afternoon, however, Williams and Erickson were expected to sit down with others on the task force for their first and, perhaps, only meeting. The gathering might not have occurred had a six-person majority of task force members not invoked parliamentary procedure in November to force Williams’ hand. She relented and set the meeting for three days prior to start of the 2024 session.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704491498246.png" alt=" Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said a task force on special education didn’t need to meet because public school advocates were only interested in expanding state appropriations to districts rather than explore reform of the state financing formula. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said a task force on special education didn’t need to meet because public school advocates were only interested in expanding state appropriations to districts rather than explore reform of the state financing formula. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Task force rebellion</h2>Interim legislative meetings typically take place in summer and fall to give committee members time to write reports pulling together expert testimony and outlining reform proposals for review by lawmakers during the next legislative session.Williams, who was placed in charge of the task force pending the members’ election of a chair, said a mere two hours would be dedicated to oral testimony of subject-matter experts and for task force deliberations. She said written testimony would be accepted by the task force comprised of five members of the House or Senate — four Republicans, one Democrat — and six people not in the Legislature.The list of 13 given a chance to speak for five minutes each to the task force included people with the Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas National Education Association, Kansas PTA, Game On for Kansas Schools as well as the Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Policy Institute. School administrators and a teacher will be give a turn at the microphone, but its not clear the task force could comprehensively take input, consider options and prepare recommendations for legislators in 120 minutes.The first order of business must be to select a chairperson of the task force. Legislators, lobbyists and educators said that step became a flash point several months ago when it appeared Williams lacked votes among task force peers to retain the position of task force chair. In response, special education advocates said, Williams stonewalled and publicly expressed skepticism the task force was worthwhile.In an interview in October, Louisburg GOP Sen. Molly Baumgardner, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, dismissed that theory. She said the delay wasn’t inspired by Williams’ unwillingness to give up narrative control of the task force.“Anytime you’re trying to schedule when we’re not in session, it is a real juggling match to get folks together,” said Baumgardner, who is on the special education task force. “You’re trying to satisfy a variety of different schedules so that the largest number of folks can be there and participate and we’ve had some problems with interim meetings, just scheduling times.”A majority of the task force made multiple requests of Williams to move ahead with the task force’s work before deploying a procedural maneuver to compel the meeting. Williams set the meeting for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday in Room 112-North of the Capitol.<h2>‘Not … going away’</h2>Kansas spends more than $500 million annually in federal, state and local funding on special education services in public schools, but hasn’t complied with the 92% requirement since 2011. However, the statute didn’t include enforcement mechanisms to compel the Legislature to meet the obligation.The idea of convening a task force was viewed as an alternative to the 2023 Legislature dealing with a situation in which districts had to pull money from the general education budget to fill the special education gap. Instead of allocating $182 million to meet the statewide shortfall in the 2023-2024 school year, the Legislature agreed to increase appropriations for special education by $7.6 million for the year.Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, endorsed a plan to add $72 million in 2024 to initiate a five-year plan to surge special education aid to 92%. The state Board of Education preferred a four-year strategy that would infuse $82 million annually to reach that threshold.Williams and other legislators rejected the phased concepts and endorsed appointment of a task force on special education. She also urged the Legislature to complete a rewrite of the state’s special education funding blueprint by 2027.Rep. Adam Thomas, an Olathe Republican on the task force, said he was convinced the Legislature had to rework the state’s special education formula to correct inconsistencies in distribution of money to districts.“The formula itself is confusing. There’s some flaws in statute,” he said. “Obviously, we know after all these conversations about special ed, it’s not something that’s going to go away.”

Kansas special ed task force to convene — finally — for quick study of funding shortfall

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY — The search continues for an inmate who escaped from a satellite camp at the Leavenworth Penitentiary, according to a statement from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

Just after 4p.m. Nov. 10, authorities discovered&nbsp; 50-year-old James Thompson was missing.

Thompson is described as white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He’s 6-foot-2 and weighs approximately 202 pounds.

U.S. Marshals and the FBI were informed that he’s missing from the minimum security facility. 

Last week, a federal grand jury indicted James Thompson on one count of escape from custody.&nbsp;

Thompson was sentenced to 80 months in prison in the Northern District of Georgia for mail fraud.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699585891299.png" alt="Thompson-photo U.S. Bureau of Prisons" />
 <figcaption>Thompson-photo U.S. Bureau of Prisons</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH COUNTY — The search continues for an inmate who escaped from a satellite camp at the Leavenworth Penitentiary, according to a statement from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.Just after 4p.m. Nov. 10, authorities discovered&nbsp; 50-year-old James Thompson was missing.Thompson is described as white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He’s 6-foot-2 and weighs approximately 202 pounds.U.S. Marshals and the FBI were informed that he’s missing from the minimum security facility. Last week, a federal grand jury indicted James Thompson on one count of escape from custody.&nbsp;Thompson was sentenced to 80 months in prison in the Northern District of Georgia for mail fraud.

Inmate who escaped from Kan. penitentiary camp is still missing

JERUSALEM —At approximately 9:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen was shot down in self-defense by USS LABOON (DDG 59) in international waters of the Southern Red Sea in the vicinity of multiple commercial vessels, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

There were no casualties or damage reported.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-hamas-gaza-iran-lebanon-hezbollah-houthis-10ead93b054519d6e8739438455d48b7">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;met with the leaders of Turkey and Greece on Saturday during the opening stops of his latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-hamas-gaza-iran-lebanon-hezbollah-houthis-10ead93b054519d6e8739438455d48b7">Mideast diplomatic mission</a>&nbsp;as fears grow that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s war against Hamas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza may expand into a broader conflict.

Blinken’s fourth visit in three months comes as developments in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-beirut-explosion-suburbs-hezbollah-israel-2a43fe948e8cb49c64b34bb963d77f64">Lebanon</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-06-2024-4ea42d6459496468ae39258e31832011">northern Israel</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-hamas-houthis-red-sea-fef8d446852b6eae33d38ffd8f6b2d64">Red Sea</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-militia-pmf-airstrike-baghdad-e6cd1c3c7ad16c953495e1d625a1154a">Iraq</a>&nbsp;have put intense strains on what had been a modestly successful U.S. push to prevent a regional conflagration since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and as international criticism of Israel’s military operation mounts.

Blinken held talks with Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, in Istanbul about what Turkey and others can do to exert influence, particularly on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-hezbollah-houthis-iran-militant-groups-745bfc36e23997ee3f0bc499a9f5c16d">Iran and its proxies</a>, to ease tensions, speed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and begin planning for reconstruction and governance of postwar Gaza. Much of the territory has been reduced to rubble by Israeli bombardments.

America's top diplomat later stopped in Chania, a port city on the Mediterranean island of Crete, to see Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at his residence. “These are difficult and challenging times,” Mitsotakis said.

Hours before Blinken's meetings, Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-06-2024-4ea42d6459496468ae39258e31832011">fired dozens of rockets</a>&nbsp;at northern Israel and said the barrage was an initial response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-beirut-explosion-suburbs-hezbollah-israel-2a43fe948e8cb49c64b34bb963d77f64">targeted killing, presumably by Israel, of a top leader</a>&nbsp;from the allied Hamas group in Lebanon’s capital this past week.

Stepped-up attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have disrupted international trade and led to increased efforts by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/attacks-red-sea-navy-mission-missiles-286d51bfd65e741e839e185f0f4a455b">U.S. and its allies</a>&nbsp;to patrol the vital commercial waterway and respond to threats. The coalition of countries issued what amounted to a final warning to the Houthis on Wednesday to cease their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-shipping-houthi-attacks-drones-missiles-1acc4ca5ebcaf6fee932a2061d451f59">attacks on vessels</a>&nbsp;or face potential targeted military action. Since Dec. 19, the militants have carried out at least two dozen attacks in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

From the Turkish officials, Blinken sought at least consideration of potential monetary or in-kind contributions to reconstruction efforts in Gaza and participation in security arrangements, according to U.S. officials. Erdogan has been harshly critical of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the prosecution of the war and the impact it has had on Palestinian civilians.

Blinken “emphasized the need to prevent the conflict from spreading ... and work toward broader, lasting peace that ensures Israel’s security and advances the establishment of a Palestinian state,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement summarizing Blinken's meeting with Erdogan.

Blinken also stressed the importance that the U.S. places on Turkey's ratification of Sweden’s membership in NATO, a long-delayed process that the Turks have said they will complete soon. Sweden’s entry to the alliance is seen as a significant response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A Turkish official said Fidan told Blinken that Israel’s “increasing aggression” in Gaza was a threat to the region and he called for an immediate cease-fire and the delivery of “uninterrupted” humanitarian aid. Fidan said negotiations for a two-state solution should begin “as soon as possible,” according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issues in the private talks.

Fidan also said Turkey was awaiting the outcome of its request to upgrade its fleet of F-16 fighter jets and stressed that the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership lay in the hands of the Turkish parliament.

Blinken's day was ending in Jordan, which apart from Israel has been his most frequent stop on his recent Middle East tours.

He plans to be in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday. Blinken will visit Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday before wrapping up the trip in Egypt.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

JERUSALEM —At approximately 9:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen was shot down in self-defense by USS LABOON (DDG 59) in international waters of the Southern Red Sea in the vicinity of multiple commercial vessels, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.There were no casualties or damage reported.Meanwhile,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-hamas-gaza-iran-lebanon-hezbollah-houthis-10ead93b054519d6e8739438455d48b7">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;met with the leaders of Turkey and Greece on Saturday during the opening stops of his latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-hamas-gaza-iran-lebanon-hezbollah-houthis-10ead93b054519d6e8739438455d48b7">Mideast diplomatic mission</a>&nbsp;as fears grow that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s war against Hamas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza may expand into a broader conflict.Blinken’s fourth visit in three months comes as developments in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-beirut-explosion-suburbs-hezbollah-israel-2a43fe948e8cb49c64b34bb963d77f64">Lebanon</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-06-2024-4ea42d6459496468ae39258e31832011">northern Israel</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-hamas-houthis-red-sea-fef8d446852b6eae33d38ffd8f6b2d64">Red Sea</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-militia-pmf-airstrike-baghdad-e6cd1c3c7ad16c953495e1d625a1154a">Iraq</a>&nbsp;have put intense strains on what had been a modestly successful U.S. push to prevent a regional conflagration since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and as international criticism of Israel’s military operation mounts.Blinken held talks with Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, in Istanbul about what Turkey and others can do to exert influence, particularly on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-hezbollah-houthis-iran-militant-groups-745bfc36e23997ee3f0bc499a9f5c16d">Iran and its proxies</a>, to ease tensions, speed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and begin planning for reconstruction and governance of postwar Gaza. Much of the territory has been reduced to rubble by Israeli bombardments.America's top diplomat later stopped in Chania, a port city on the Mediterranean island of Crete, to see Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at his residence. “These are difficult and challenging times,” Mitsotakis said.Hours before Blinken's meetings, Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-06-2024-4ea42d6459496468ae39258e31832011">fired dozens of rockets</a>&nbsp;at northern Israel and said the barrage was an initial response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-beirut-explosion-suburbs-hezbollah-israel-2a43fe948e8cb49c64b34bb963d77f64">targeted killing, presumably by Israel, of a top leader</a>&nbsp;from the allied Hamas group in Lebanon’s capital this past week.Stepped-up attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have disrupted international trade and led to increased efforts by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/attacks-red-sea-navy-mission-missiles-286d51bfd65e741e839e185f0f4a455b">U.S. and its allies</a>&nbsp;to patrol the vital commercial waterway and respond to threats. The coalition of countries issued what amounted to a final warning to the Houthis on Wednesday to cease their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-shipping-houthi-attacks-drones-missiles-1acc4ca5ebcaf6fee932a2061d451f59">attacks on vessels</a>&nbsp;or face potential targeted military action. Since Dec. 19, the militants have carried out at least two dozen attacks in response to the Israel-Hamas war.From the Turkish officials, Blinken sought at least consideration of potential monetary or in-kind contributions to reconstruction efforts in Gaza and participation in security arrangements, according to U.S. officials. Erdogan has been harshly critical of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the prosecution of the war and the impact it has had on Palestinian civilians.Blinken “emphasized the need to prevent the conflict from spreading ... and work toward broader, lasting peace that ensures Israel’s security and advances the establishment of a Palestinian state,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement summarizing Blinken's meeting with Erdogan.Blinken also stressed the importance that the U.S. places on Turkey's ratification of Sweden’s membership in NATO, a long-delayed process that the Turks have said they will complete soon. Sweden’s entry to the alliance is seen as a significant response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.A Turkish official said Fidan told Blinken that Israel’s “increasing aggression” in Gaza was a threat to the region and he called for an immediate cease-fire and the delivery of “uninterrupted” humanitarian aid. Fidan said negotiations for a two-state solution should begin “as soon as possible,” according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issues in the private talks.Fidan also said Turkey was awaiting the outcome of its request to upgrade its fleet of F-16 fighter jets and stressed that the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership lay in the hands of the Turkish parliament.Blinken's day was ending in Jordan, which apart from Israel has been his most frequent stop on his recent Middle East tours.He plans to be in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday. Blinken will visit Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday before wrapping up the trip in Egypt.-The Associated Press contributed to this report

U.S. warship shot down another attack drone in Red Sea 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen on child sex allegations.

Just before 10:30p.m. Jan. 3, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff's office responded to the Law Enforcement Center to assist Topeka Police with a child sex crime investigation, according to Sheriff's Lt. Scott Wanamaker.

Some of the alleged crimes occurred outside the city limits of Topeka in the 6700 Block of SW Windwood Lane in the unincorporated community of Montara. Deputies arrested 18-year-old Christopher M. Belk of Topeka on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to Wanamaker.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704386510889.png" alt="Belk-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Belk-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen on child sex allegations.Just before 10:30p.m. Jan. 3, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff's office responded to the Law Enforcement Center to assist Topeka Police with a child sex crime investigation, according to Sheriff's Lt. Scott Wanamaker.Some of the alleged crimes occurred outside the city limits of Topeka in the 6700 Block of SW Windwood Lane in the unincorporated community of Montara. Deputies arrested 18-year-old Christopher M. Belk of Topeka on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to Wanamaker.

Kansas teen accused of child sex crimes

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Biden administration leaders, top Pentagon officials and members of Congress were unaware for days that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;had been hospitalized since Monday, U.S. officials said Saturday, as questions swirled about his condition and the secrecy surrounding it.

The Pentagon did not inform the White House National Security Council or top adviser Jake Sullivan of Austin’s hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, until Thursday, according to two administration officials. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization for days reflects a stunning lack of transparency about his illness, how serious it was and when he may be released. Such secrecy, at a time when the United States is juggling myriad national security crises, runs counter to normal practice with the president and other senior U.S. officials and Cabinet members.

Still, President Joe Biden spoke with Austin on Saturday, and expressed confidence in him, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly about internal discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity.

In a statement issued Saturday evening, Austin took responsibility for the delays in notification.

“I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better,” said Austin, acknowledging the concerns about transparency. "But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”

Austin, 70, remained hospitalized due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, his press secretary said, as it became increasingly clear how closely the Pentagon held information about his stay at Walter Reed. In his statement, Austin said he is on the mend and is looking forward to returning to the Pentagon soon, but he provided no other details about his ailment.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the White House and the Joint Chiefs of Staff were notified about Austin's hospitalization, but he would not confirm when that notice happened.

A number of U.S. officials said Saturday that many of the most senior Pentagon service leaders were unaware until Friday that Austin was in the hospital. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Politico was the first to report the White House learned of his condition on Thursday.

Ryder said members of Congress were told late Friday afternoon, and other officials said lawmakers were informed after 5 p.m. It was not clear when key senior members of Austin's staff were told, but across the Pentagon, many staff found out when the department released a statement about Austin's hospital stay just minutes after 5 p.m. Many believed Austin was out on vacation for the week.

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who took over when Austin was hospitalized, was also away. A U.S. official said she had a communications setup with her in Puerto Rico that allowed her to do the job while Austin, who spent 41 years in the military and retired as a four-star Army general in 2016, was incapacitated.

Ryder said Saturday that Austin is recovering well and resumed his full duties Friday evening from his hospital bed. Asked why the hospital stay was kept secret for so long, Ryder said on Friday that it was an “evolving situation,” and that due to privacy and medical issues, the Pentagon did not make Austin’s absence public. Ryder declined to provide any other details about Austin’s medical procedure or health.

“The Department of Defense deliberately withheld the Secretary of Defense’s medical condition for days. That is unacceptable,” said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We are learning more every hour about the Department’s shocking defiance of the law.”

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, also criticized the delayed notice.

“The Secretary of Defense is the key link in the chain of command between the president and the uniformed military, including the nuclear chain of command, when the weightiest of decisions must be made in minutes,” said Cotton in a statement, adding that if Austin didn't immediately tell the White House, "there must be consequences for this shocking breakdown.”

The Pentagon Press Association, which represents media members who cover the Defense Department, sent a letter of protest on Friday evening to Ryder and Chris Meagher, the assistant defense secretary for public affairs.

“The fact that he has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for four days and the Pentagon is only now alerting the public late on a Friday evening is an outrage,” the PPA said in its letter. “At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader.”

Other senior U.S. leaders have been much more transparent about hospital stays. When Attorney General Merrick Garland went in for a routine medical procedure in 2022, his office informed the public a week in advance and outlined how long he was expected to be out and when he would return to work.

Austin's hospitalization comes as Iranian-backed militias have repeatedly launched drones, missiles and rockets at bases where U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq and Syria, leading the Biden administration to strike back on a number of occasions. Those strikes often involve sensitive, top-level discussions and decisions by Austin and other key military leaders.

The U.S. is also the chief organizer behind a new international maritime coalition using ships and other assets to patrol the southern Red Sea to deter persistent attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi militants in Yemen.

In addition, the administration, particularly Austin, has been at the forefront of the effort to supply weapons and training to Ukraine, and he's also been communicating frequently with the Israelis on their war against Hamas.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;has been hospitalized since Monday due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, his press secretary said, in the Defense Department’s first acknowledgement that Austin had been admitted five days earlier to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Friday that it was not clear when Austin would be released from the hospital, but said the secretary was “recovering well."

The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization is counter to normal practice with the president and other senior U.S. officials and Cabinet members. The Pentagon Press Association, which represents media members who cover the Defense Department, sent a letter of protest to Ryder and Chris Meagher, the assistant defense secretary for public affairs.

The White House has refused to say when or how it had been notified of Austin’s hospitalization, and it referred questions to the Pentagon.

When Attorney General Merrick Garland went in for a routine medical procedure in 2022, his office informed the public a week in advance and outlined how long he was expected to be out and when he would return to work.

Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, cited an “evolving situation,” and said that due to privacy and medical issues, the Pentagon did not make Austin’s absence public. He declined to provide any other details about Austin’s medical procedure or health.

Austin, 70, spent 41 years in the military, retiring as a four-star Army general in 2016.

In a statement, Ryder said that at all times, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks “was prepared to act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary, if required.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702947351254.png" alt="Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III greets Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel, Dec. 18, 2023. -photo Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III greets Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel, Dec. 18, 2023. -photo Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Biden administration leaders, top Pentagon officials and members of Congress were unaware for days that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;had been hospitalized since Monday, U.S. officials said Saturday, as questions swirled about his condition and the secrecy surrounding it.The Pentagon did not inform the White House National Security Council or top adviser Jake Sullivan of Austin’s hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, until Thursday, according to two administration officials. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization for days reflects a stunning lack of transparency about his illness, how serious it was and when he may be released. Such secrecy, at a time when the United States is juggling myriad national security crises, runs counter to normal practice with the president and other senior U.S. officials and Cabinet members.Still, President Joe Biden spoke with Austin on Saturday, and expressed confidence in him, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly about internal discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity.In a statement issued Saturday evening, Austin took responsibility for the delays in notification.“I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better,” said Austin, acknowledging the concerns about transparency. "But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”Austin, 70, remained hospitalized due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, his press secretary said, as it became increasingly clear how closely the Pentagon held information about his stay at Walter Reed. In his statement, Austin said he is on the mend and is looking forward to returning to the Pentagon soon, but he provided no other details about his ailment.Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the White House and the Joint Chiefs of Staff were notified about Austin's hospitalization, but he would not confirm when that notice happened.A number of U.S. officials said Saturday that many of the most senior Pentagon service leaders were unaware until Friday that Austin was in the hospital. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Politico was the first to report the White House learned of his condition on Thursday.Ryder said members of Congress were told late Friday afternoon, and other officials said lawmakers were informed after 5 p.m. It was not clear when key senior members of Austin's staff were told, but across the Pentagon, many staff found out when the department released a statement about Austin's hospital stay just minutes after 5 p.m. Many believed Austin was out on vacation for the week.Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who took over when Austin was hospitalized, was also away. A U.S. official said she had a communications setup with her in Puerto Rico that allowed her to do the job while Austin, who spent 41 years in the military and retired as a four-star Army general in 2016, was incapacitated.Ryder said Saturday that Austin is recovering well and resumed his full duties Friday evening from his hospital bed. Asked why the hospital stay was kept secret for so long, Ryder said on Friday that it was an “evolving situation,” and that due to privacy and medical issues, the Pentagon did not make Austin’s absence public. Ryder declined to provide any other details about Austin’s medical procedure or health.“The Department of Defense deliberately withheld the Secretary of Defense’s medical condition for days. That is unacceptable,” said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We are learning more every hour about the Department’s shocking defiance of the law.”Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, also criticized the delayed notice.“The Secretary of Defense is the key link in the chain of command between the president and the uniformed military, including the nuclear chain of command, when the weightiest of decisions must be made in minutes,” said Cotton in a statement, adding that if Austin didn't immediately tell the White House, "there must be consequences for this shocking breakdown.”The Pentagon Press Association, which represents media members who cover the Defense Department, sent a letter of protest on Friday evening to Ryder and Chris Meagher, the assistant defense secretary for public affairs.“The fact that he has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for four days and the Pentagon is only now alerting the public late on a Friday evening is an outrage,” the PPA said in its letter. “At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader.”Other senior U.S. leaders have been much more transparent about hospital stays. When Attorney General Merrick Garland went in for a routine medical procedure in 2022, his office informed the public a week in advance and outlined how long he was expected to be out and when he would return to work.Austin's hospitalization comes as Iranian-backed militias have repeatedly launched drones, missiles and rockets at bases where U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq and Syria, leading the Biden administration to strike back on a number of occasions. Those strikes often involve sensitive, top-level discussions and decisions by Austin and other key military leaders.The U.S. is also the chief organizer behind a new international maritime coalition using ships and other assets to patrol the southern Red Sea to deter persistent attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi militants in Yemen.In addition, the administration, particularly Austin, has been at the forefront of the effort to supply weapons and training to Ukraine, and he's also been communicating frequently with the Israelis on their war against Hamas.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;has been hospitalized since Monday due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, his press secretary said, in the Defense Department’s first acknowledgement that Austin had been admitted five days earlier to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Friday that it was not clear when Austin would be released from the hospital, but said the secretary was “recovering well."The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization is counter to normal practice with the president and other senior U.S. officials and Cabinet members. The Pentagon Press Association, which represents media members who cover the Defense Department, sent a letter of protest to Ryder and Chris Meagher, the assistant defense secretary for public affairs.“The fact that he has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for four days and the Pentagon is only now alerting the public late on a Friday evening is an outrage,” the PPA said in its letter. “At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader.”The White House has refused to say when or how it had been notified of Austin’s hospitalization, and it referred questions to the Pentagon.When Attorney General Merrick Garland went in for a routine medical procedure in 2022, his office informed the public a week in advance and outlined how long he was expected to be out and when he would return to work.Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, cited an “evolving situation,” and said that due to privacy and medical issues, the Pentagon did not make Austin’s absence public. He declined to provide any other details about Austin’s medical procedure or health.Austin, 70, spent 41 years in the military, retiring as a four-star Army general in 2016.In a statement, Ryder said that at all times, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks “was prepared to act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary, if required.”Austin's hospitalization comes as Iranian-backed militias have repeatedly launched drones, missiles and rockets at bases where U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq and Syria, leading the Biden administration to strike back on a number of occasions. Those strikes often involve sensitive, top-level discussions and decisions by Austin and other key military leaders.The U.S. is also the chief organizer behind a new international maritime coalition using ships and other assets to patrol the southern Red Sea to deter persistent attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi militants in Yemen.In addition, the administration, particularly Austin, has been at the forefront of the effort to supply weapons and training to Ukraine, and he's also been communicating frequently with the Israelis on their war against Hamas.

Biden, Pentagon officials unaware defense secretary was hospitalized

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man is going to prison for a home-invasion killing.

On Wednesday,&nbsp;Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 40-year-old Shannon Cavitt to life with parole eligibility after 25 years, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

Just before 8a.m. August 15, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 5200 block of East Gilbert in Wichita, according to a Officer Chad Ditch.

First responders located 49-year-old Dennis Haynes unconscious and not breathing. Officers began life-saving measures.&nbsp; EMS&nbsp; transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The investigation revealed that Haynes and several other people were inside the residence when two armed men later identified as<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=302365">&nbsp;Cavitt </a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20069997">Caviontay Conway</a>, 21,&nbsp;both of Wichita entered and shot the victim.

&nbsp;Caviontay Conway is scheduled for a hearing on January 11, according to the district attorney's office. He is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661169987651.png" alt="Cavitt-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Cavitt-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man is going to prison for a home-invasion killing.On Wednesday,&nbsp;Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 40-year-old Shannon Cavitt to life with parole eligibility after 25 years, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;Just before 8a.m. August 15, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 5200 block of East Gilbert in Wichita, according to a Officer Chad Ditch.First responders located 49-year-old Dennis Haynes unconscious and not breathing. Officers began life-saving measures.&nbsp; EMS&nbsp; transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.The investigation revealed that Haynes and several other people were inside the residence when two armed men later identified as<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=302365">&nbsp;Cavitt </a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20069997">Caviontay Conway</a>, 21,&nbsp;both of Wichita entered and shot the victim.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661171453509.png" alt="Conway-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Conway-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Caviontay Conway is scheduled for a hearing on January 11, according to the district attorney's office. He is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping.

Kansas man sentenced for home-invasion murder

By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas wildlife officials will begin evaluating necessary protections for skink, fish and turtle species in the new year.&nbsp;

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks reviews lists of species that need conservation or are otherwise endangered or threatened every&nbsp;five years. The process begins with petitions to move species from one category to another. A seven-member task committee then reviews all of the petitions and determines which petitions need reviews.

Three species have been selected for review, with the petitions asking that these species move from the threatened list to the species in need of conservation list.&nbsp;

The shoal chub, a small fish with black speckling, stays in shallow water areas where there is moving sand, including the Republican River.

The broadhead skink inhabits oak woodlands in Bourbon, Crawford, Linn and Miami Counties, and has five yellow stripes on its back and sides, with two yellow stripes on the head.

The northern map turtle, found in counties such as Allen, Anderson, Bourbon and Franklin, has a short tail and ridges on its shell, with a yellow spot behind each eye.&nbsp;

Experts will examine evidence of decline or vulnerability for these species, the extent of the threat they face and how large the species population is, among other factors during the review process.&nbsp;

The review process will include public informational meetings and other consultations. After final recommendations for the species, the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission will vote on changing categories for them.&nbsp;

Currently,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Threatened-and-Endangered-Wildlife/Kansas-Threatened-and-Endangered-Species-Statewide">the state has 30 species</a>&nbsp;listed as threatened and 22 species categorized as endangered.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704469925677.png" alt=" The northern map turtle is among the species to be reviewed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. (Missouri Department of Conservation)" />
 <figcaption> The northern map turtle is among the species to be reviewed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. (Missouri Department of Conservation)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas wildlife officials will begin evaluating necessary protections for skink, fish and turtle species in the new year.&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks reviews lists of species that need conservation or are otherwise endangered or threatened every&nbsp;five years. The process begins with petitions to move species from one category to another. A seven-member task committee then reviews all of the petitions and determines which petitions need reviews.Three species have been selected for review, with the petitions asking that these species move from the threatened list to the species in need of conservation list.&nbsp;The shoal chub, a small fish with black speckling, stays in shallow water areas where there is moving sand, including the Republican River.The broadhead skink inhabits oak woodlands in Bourbon, Crawford, Linn and Miami Counties, and has five yellow stripes on its back and sides, with two yellow stripes on the head.The northern map turtle, found in counties such as Allen, Anderson, Bourbon and Franklin, has a short tail and ridges on its shell, with a yellow spot behind each eye.&nbsp;Experts will examine evidence of decline or vulnerability for these species, the extent of the threat they face and how large the species population is, among other factors during the review process.&nbsp;The review process will include public informational meetings and other consultations. After final recommendations for the species, the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission will vote on changing categories for them.&nbsp;Currently,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Threatened-and-Endangered-Wildlife/Kansas-Threatened-and-Endangered-Species-Statewide">the state has 30 species</a>&nbsp;listed as threatened and 22 species categorized as endangered.

Protections for 3 threatened Kansas species to be reviewed by panel

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a suspicious death have made an arrest.

Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a welfare check in the 600 Block of SW 14th Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Upon arrival, the Officers located an individual who was found deceased. On Jan. 4, police reported they were&nbsp; investigating this death as a homicide and investigators believe the incident occurred sometime on December 28.

Police identified a suspect and arrested 22-year-old as Daniel V. Hesler of Topeka and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges: 1st Degree Murder and robbery, according to online jail records.

On Jan. 5, police reported their investigation led to a second arrest. Officers located 28-year-old Jordan R. Reynolds Taylor, 28, of Topeka and arrested him on requested charges of 1st Degree Murder and Aggravated Robbery, according to police Lt. Edward Stanley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704547559509.png" alt="Reynolds-Taylor-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Reynolds-Taylor-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a suspicious death have made an arrest.Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a welfare check in the 600 Block of SW 14th Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Upon arrival, the Officers located an individual who was found deceased. On Jan. 4, police reported they were&nbsp; investigating this death as a homicide and investigators believe the incident occurred sometime on December 28.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704317558256.png" alt="Hesler-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hesler-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Police identified a suspect and arrested 22-year-old as Daniel V. Hesler of Topeka and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges: 1st Degree Murder and robbery, according to online jail records.On Jan. 5, police reported their investigation led to a second arrest. Officers located 28-year-old Jordan R. Reynolds Taylor, 28, of Topeka and arrested him on requested charges of 1st Degree Murder and Aggravated Robbery, according to police Lt. Edward Stanley.

2nd suspect accused in robbery, murder at Kansas home

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita accounting services business and its owner have entered into a consent judgment with the Office of the Sedgwick County District Attorney, according to a media release.

The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division investigated Bookkeeping N Beyond LLC and Nicole Clem after receiving a consumer complaint regarding unfiled tax returns.

The District Attorney’s Office alleged Clem and the business at 10333 E. 21st violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (”KCPA”) by failing to timely file 2021 tax returns as promised, failing to disclose to consumers that Clem and the business could not electronically file taxes at the time the services were solicited, and misleading consumers about the reason for the delay with expected tax refunds. 

As part of the investigation, the Consumer Protection Division identified at least sixteen (16) impacted consumers, at least two of which were over the age of 60 making them “protected consumers” under the KCPA.

Violations of the KCPA that impact a protected consumer can result in an enhanced civil penalty per violation. K.S.A. 50-677. Protected consumers include the disabled, veterans, members of the military and persons over the age of 60. K.S.A. 50-676.

While Clem and the business denied intentionally violating the KCPA, they accepted a consent judgment to resolve the matter. The agreement calls for the Defendants to be liable for $120,000.00 in civil penalties, additional investigative expenses, and court costs while on a 12-month probationary period with the Consumer Protection Division. Clem and the business promised to refund impacted consumers whose 2021 tax returns were filed late or had to be filed by another accounting service. 

They also agreed to reimburse consumers forced to pay a late fee or penalty based on the failure to file the returns in a timely manner. The business cooperated with the investigation and has already begun the process of notifying potentially impacted consumers. The consent judgment also calls for a permanent injunction from engaging in deceptive or unconscionable acts and cooperation with any future complaints.

"The District Attorney reminds residents that when hiring a professional for a service, you should make sure to get the scope of work and all promises in writing. All deadlines should be documented and agreed to by the professional so that you can determine if they met your expectations. When selecting a professional you should research the provider, including on available websites such as the Better Business Bureau. When filing taxes electronically the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicates a refund should be received within three weeks."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704465937849.png" alt="FILE - (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita accounting services business and its owner have entered into a consent judgment with the Office of the Sedgwick County District Attorney, according to a media release.The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division investigated Bookkeeping N Beyond LLC and Nicole Clem after receiving a consumer complaint regarding unfiled tax returns.The District Attorney’s Office alleged Clem and the business at 10333 E. 21st violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (”KCPA”) by failing to timely file 2021 tax returns as promised, failing to disclose to consumers that Clem and the business could not electronically file taxes at the time the services were solicited, and misleading consumers about the reason for the delay with expected tax refunds. As part of the investigation, the Consumer Protection Division identified at least sixteen (16) impacted consumers, at least two of which were over the age of 60 making them “protected consumers” under the KCPA.Violations of the KCPA that impact a protected consumer can result in an enhanced civil penalty per violation. K.S.A. 50-677. Protected consumers include the disabled, veterans, members of the military and persons over the age of 60. K.S.A. 50-676.While Clem and the business denied intentionally violating the KCPA, they accepted a consent judgment to resolve the matter. The agreement calls for the Defendants to be liable for $120,000.00 in civil penalties, additional investigative expenses, and court costs while on a 12-month probationary period with the Consumer Protection Division. Clem and the business promised to refund impacted consumers whose 2021 tax returns were filed late or had to be filed by another accounting service. They also agreed to reimburse consumers forced to pay a late fee or penalty based on the failure to file the returns in a timely manner. The business cooperated with the investigation and has already begun the process of notifying potentially impacted consumers. The consent judgment also calls for a permanent injunction from engaging in deceptive or unconscionable acts and cooperation with any future complaints."The District Attorney reminds residents that when hiring a professional for a service, you should make sure to get the scope of work and all promises in writing. All deadlines should be documented and agreed to by the professional so that you can determine if they met your expectations. When selecting a professional you should research the provider, including on available websites such as the Better Business Bureau. When filing taxes electronically the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicates a refund should be received within three weeks."

Kan. accounting firm agrees to judgment over unfiled client tax returns

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On Friday, Marburger and two students remained hospitalized.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704505064411.png" alt="Dan Marburger-photo courtesy KCCI TV" />
 <figcaption>Dan Marburger-photo courtesy KCCI TV</figcaption>
 </figure>PERRY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa principal critically injured in a school shooting put himself in harm's way so students could try to escape from a teenage shooter who opened fire in a cafeteria as students were gathering for breakfast before school, authorities said Friday.Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger and six others, including two staff members and four teenage students, were injured in the Thursday morning shooting that left one sixth-grader dead. The 17-year-old student who opened fire also died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.The state Department of Public Safety said Marburger, who is being treated in a Des Moines hospital, “acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704382094941.png" alt="photo courtesy KCCI TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy KCCI TV</figcaption>
 </figure>A day after the shooting, the small community of Perry was somber. Yellow crime tape still lined the campus that Perry High School shares with the town’s middle school, flowers and stuffed toys had cropped up in mini memorials, and classes across the district were canceled Friday in favor of counseling.Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks said the soonest classes will resume in the town will be next Friday.“This is an extremely painful and difficult time for our entire school community, and in our grief, we will take time to remember,” Wicks said.The shooting happened just after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, shortly before classes were set to begin on the first day back after winter break. Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt said the shooting started in the cafeteria, where students from several grades were eating breakfast, then spilled outside the cafeteria but was contained to the north end of the school.The student killed was identified as 11-year-old Ahmir Jollif. An autopsy showed he had been shot three times.The news that seven students and staff suffered “wounds or injuries of varying degree” during the shooting was two more than authorities said Thursday afternoon. Mortvedt said the number of injured increased after investigators later learned about two more wounded faculty members. All seven are believed to have been either wounded or grazed by bullets, and suffered injuries ranging from significant to minor.On Friday, Marburger and two students remained hospitalized.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fclaire.marburger%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0BgPwav4UoxVYxrbDp1cb3Pot934KkT1cuZBb8UaqoTiCZCotGkatJrJJgFyFCm4dl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="278" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>In a Facebook post Thursday night, the principal’s daughter said he was in “surgery all day, and is currently stable.”Claire Marburger called her father a “gentle giant” and it wasn't surprising that her father tried to protect his students.“As I heard of a gunman, I instantly had a feeling my Dad would be a victim as he would put himself in harms way for the benefit of the kids and his staff,” his daughter wrote. “That’s just Dad.”Authorities said the suspect, identified as Dylan Butler, had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mortvedt told The Associated Press that authorities also found a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive device in Butler's belongings, and that experts advised “it was something that they needed to disarm.” It was rendered safe.Mortvedt said Marburger, who has been principal since 1995, did some “pretty significant things” to protect others during the shooting, but didn't release details. Wicks, the superintendent, said Marburger was a “hero” who intervened with Butler so students could escape. Wicks said other staff also acted heroically, including Middle School Assistant Principal Adam Jessen who “carried a wounded student into a safe area.”A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said federal and state investigators were interviewing Butler’s friends and analyzing Butler’s social media profiles, including posts on TikTok and Reddit. However, authorities have provided no information about a possible motive.Shortly before Thursday’s shooting, Butler posted a photo on TikTok inside the bathroom of Perry High School, the official said. The photo was captioned “now we wait” and the song “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM accompanied it. Investigators also have found photos Butler posted posing with firearms, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.Two friends and their mother who spoke with the AP said Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied relentlessly since elementary school. Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, said alongside their mother, Alita, that it escalated recently when Butler's younger sister started getting picked on, too.“He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," Yesenia Roeder Hall said. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”Police said Thursday they believe that Butler acted alone. But investigators have not said how Butler obtained the firearms.Investigators are still working to get a “good grasp of who Dylan was,” and the parents have been cooperating, Mortvedt said. The investigation will include Butler’s background along with the “environment of the school,” he said.Wicks wouldn’t discuss whether Butler had been bullied but he defended the way his district responds to those situations.“We take every bullying situation seriously and our goal is to always have that safe and inviting atmosphere, but I’m not going to comment on this individual case as well as any other individual case,” Wicks said.Butler’s parents have been fixtures of the Perry community. His father is director of the city’s airport after serving as its public works director for years, where he won praise helping clean up Perry after a devastating wind storm in 2020. His mother has also owned a small business and served on a city development board. The parents have not responded to messages seeking comment.On Thursday night, hundreds gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil at a park where hours earlier, students had been brought to reunite with their families after the shooting. Bundled up against freezing temperatures, they listened to clergy from many faiths and heard a message of hope in both English and Spanish.Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital’s metropolitan area. It is home to a large pork-processing plant and low-slung, single-story homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter.The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Perry is more diverse than Iowa as a whole. Census figures show 31% of its residents are Hispanic, compared with less than 7% statewide. Those figures also show nearly 19% of the town’s residents were born outside the U.S.Despite the shock of the shooting, Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh expressed confidence the community would get through the painful experience.“We are a small town, but we will pull together in a big way to get through this.”

Police: Principal injured in school shooting risked himself to protect students

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating after the body of a preterm baby was found in a pond.

Just after 4:30p.m. Friday,&nbsp;police officers were dispatched to a call about a baby in a pond near University Drive and Hillpoint Way in Dodge City, according to a media release from Dodge City Police.

First responders discovered a deceased infant, estimated to be between 22 to 24 weeks gestation. 

The officers searched the area for witnesses or camera footage. 

If you saw anything suspicious or have cameras in the area, please reach out to the Dodge City Police Department at 620-227-4646, submit a tip through TIP411, or send a message via our Facebook page or website at <a href="http://www.dodgecitypd.org/?fbclid=IwAR3FnGijbmNg5vWL-J6MLSu0WCeWlmpD-D4tkj22Mvj_u8TcBb-qVemv-AI" target="_blank">www.dodgecitypd.org.</a>

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating after the body of a preterm baby was found in a pond.Just after 4:30p.m. Friday,&nbsp;police officers were dispatched to a call about a baby in a pond near University Drive and Hillpoint Way in Dodge City, according to a media release from Dodge City Police.First responders discovered a deceased infant, estimated to be between 22 to 24 weeks gestation. The officers searched the area for witnesses or camera footage. If you saw anything suspicious or have cameras in the area, please reach out to the Dodge City Police Department at 620-227-4646, submit a tip through TIP411, or send a message via our Facebook page or website at <a href="http://www.dodgecitypd.org/?fbclid=IwAR3FnGijbmNg5vWL-J6MLSu0WCeWlmpD-D4tkj22Mvj_u8TcBb-qVemv-AI" target="_blank">www.dodgecitypd.org.</a>

Police: Body of preterm baby found in Kansas pond

GARDNER, Kansas. –Kansas Department of Corrections inmate 52-year-old Clifford Leon Evans is still on escape status after it was reported at 2:45p.m. December 18, that he did not return to the facility while serving his sentence at the Johnson County Work Release center, according to a statement from the KDOC.

Evans is described as a white male, has brown hair, brown eyes, is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 131 pounds.

He currently serving a sentence for violating his parole. Evans was convicted in Johnson County for possession of opiates. He is serving that sentence at the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents who have release plans that are appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC to promote their successful reintegration back into the community.

Anyone with information on Evans can call EAI at 816-266-2102, JCDOC 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911. Kansans can also contact EAI via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:KDOC_EAI_Intel@ks.gov">KDOC_EAI_Intel@ks.gov</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702940092760.png" alt="Evans-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Evans-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>GARDNER, Kansas. –Kansas Department of Corrections inmate 52-year-old Clifford Leon Evans is still on escape status after it was reported at 2:45p.m. December 18, that he did not return to the facility while serving his sentence at the Johnson County Work Release center, according to a statement from the KDOC.Evans is described as a white male, has brown hair, brown eyes, is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 131 pounds.He currently serving a sentence for violating his parole. Evans was convicted in Johnson County for possession of opiates. He is serving that sentence at the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents who have release plans that are appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC to promote their successful reintegration back into the community.Anyone with information on Evans can call EAI at 816-266-2102, JCDOC 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911. Kansans can also contact EAI via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:KDOC_EAI_Intel@ks.gov">KDOC_EAI_Intel@ks.gov</a>