SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a robbery investigation.

On Tuesday, police&nbsp;located two individuals who were being sought by&nbsp; detectives in relation to a person robbery that occurred in the 2500 Block of SW 6th on March 31, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

The two individuals were brought to the law enforcement center to speak with detectives. As a result of the investigation Justin A. Ray, 18, and Benjamin T. Unrein, 19, both of Topeka were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Ray was booked on requested charges of Robbery and Theft.&nbsp;Unrein remains jailed on a requested charges of&nbsp;Robbery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689457989460.png" alt="Ray-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ray-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a robbery investigation.On Tuesday, police&nbsp;located two individuals who were being sought by&nbsp; detectives in relation to a person robbery that occurred in the 2500 Block of SW 6th on March 31, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689457890608.png" alt="Unrein-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Unrein-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The two individuals were brought to the law enforcement center to speak with detectives. As a result of the investigation Justin A. Ray, 18, and Benjamin T. Unrein, 19, both of Topeka were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Ray was booked on requested charges of Robbery and Theft.&nbsp;Unrein remains jailed on a requested charges of&nbsp;Robbery.

Two Kansas teens accused of robbery in March

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Friday's storm did considerable damage in many areas of central, southern and eastern Kansas and portions of Missouri.

As of 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, 75 percent of customers affected by the Friday afternoon thunderstorms across the Evergy service area have had power restored, according to a social media report from the company.

More than 186,000 Evergy customers lost power as the storm and high winds moved across Kansas and Missouri.&nbsp;

 All available Evergy and contract line crews continue to work around the clock to restore power and will do so until power is restored to all customers.

 Personnel from neighboring utilities (including from other states) were also in the field with more help continuing to arrive.

Evergy expected outages in the Topeka and Lawrence areas to be restored by Sunday night. 

Outages impacting small groups of customers in the Kansas City metro area are expected to continue into early next week. We ask that customers continue to be patient with line crews as they work through these outages to restore power for customers.

Evergy continue to receive reports of trees in power lines, poles and wires down. Significant tree damage is slowing restoration. On nearly all outage events, tree crews must clear debris from the lines before the line crews can make repairs. "Please keep at least 35 feet away from downed lines or debris on lines."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689462272446.png" alt="Photo courtesy Evergy" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Evergy</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Friday's storm did considerable damage in many areas of central, southern and eastern Kansas and portions of Missouri.As of 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, 75 percent of customers affected by the Friday afternoon thunderstorms across the Evergy service area have had power restored, according to a social media report from the company.More than 186,000 Evergy customers lost power as the storm and high winds moved across Kansas and Missouri.&nbsp; All available Evergy and contract line crews continue to work around the clock to restore power and will do so until power is restored to all customers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689462253922.png" alt="Photo courtesy Evergy" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Evergy</figcaption>
 </figure> Personnel from neighboring utilities (including from other states) were also in the field with more help continuing to arrive.Evergy expected outages in the Topeka and Lawrence areas to be restored by Sunday night. Outages impacting small groups of customers in the Kansas City metro area are expected to continue into early next week. We ask that customers continue to be patient with line crews as they work through these outages to restore power for customers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689462476741.png" alt="Photo courtesy Evergy" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Evergy</figcaption>
 </figure>Evergy continue to receive reports of trees in power lines, poles and wires down. Significant tree damage is slowing restoration. On nearly all outage events, tree crews must clear debris from the lines before the line crews can make repairs. "Please keep at least 35 feet away from downed lines or debris on lines."

Evergy continues work to restore power after Kansas storm

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon who spent over 40-years in prison was in court again Wednesday.

Samuel Neal, 71, Wichita, was charged with 3 counts of criminal discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;

On Tuesday Police had asked the public for help to locate him.

Just after 12:30a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting in the 1100 block of South Emporia, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Officers located a 21-year-old man with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

&nbsp;Through the investigation, detectives identified Samuel Neal as a suspect. He is also believed to be the suspect in another shooting on July 9.&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=741136">Police booked him into the</a> Sedgwick County Jail just after 1p.m. Tuesday on requested charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault and parole violations, according to online jail records.

Neal was released from prison in 2019 after a manslaughter conviction on a crime that occurred in 1979, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. His bond is currently $500,000 and he is due back in court on July 24.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689162169452.png" alt="Neal-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Neal-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon who spent over 40-years in prison was in court again Wednesday.Samuel Neal, 71, Wichita, was charged with 3 counts of criminal discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;On Tuesday Police had asked the public for help to locate him.Just after 12:30a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting in the 1100 block of South Emporia, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Officers located a 21-year-old man with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.&nbsp;Through the investigation, detectives identified Samuel Neal as a suspect. He is also believed to be the suspect in another shooting on July 9.&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=741136">Police booked him into the</a> Sedgwick County Jail just after 1p.m. Tuesday on requested charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault and parole violations, according to online jail records.Neal was released from prison in 2019 after a manslaughter conviction on a crime that occurred in 1979, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. His bond is currently $500,000 and he is due back in court on July 24.

Kan. man who spent 40-years in prison is charged with new crimes

Lisa Marie Presley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lisa-marie-presley">died</a>&nbsp;after developing a small bowel obstruction, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-death-cause-cbf0039dd8251a870f3ad8431dc78093">severe complication</a>&nbsp;of bariatric surgery years ago, according to an autopsy report released Thursday.

Experts say these types of complications are a known but rare risk after having weight-loss surgery. Here’s what to know:

The 54-year-old singer-songwriter and daughter of Elvis Presley was rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital on Jan. 12 after being found unresponsive at home and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">died hours later</a>.

The cause of death was from complications of a small bowel obstruction tied to previous bariatric surgery, the autopsy showed. Portions of Presley’s bowel became trapped, or “strangulated,” from scar tissue that formed following surgery, and she also had developed a severe buildup of acids in her blood.

WHAT IS BARIATRIC SURGERY? HOW COMMON IS IT?

Bariatric surgeries are operations performed on the stomach or intestines to spur weight loss. They’re usually done in cases of moderate or severe obesity when other methods haven’t worked.

There are several types of bariatric procedures, including those in which a portion of the stomach is removed or rerouted or when a band is placed around a part of the stomach to make it smaller.

It’s not clear from the autopsy report which type of surgery Presley had, though experts said it was not a sleeve gastrectomy, which is the most common procedure.

About 263,000 bariatric surgeries were done in 2021, according to Dr. Marina Kurian, the president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Only about 1% of people who qualify for the surgery receive it.

In general, bariatric surgery is “very safe,” Kurian said. The risk of major complications is about 4% overall and the risk of death is about 0.1%, according to ASMBS.

“It’s safer than gallbladder surgery,” Kurian said.

Scar tissue, known as adhesions, can form after surgery or other trauma to the abdomen. That can lead to kinks and blockages in the intestine, said Dr. Thomas Inge, chief surgeon and a bariatric surgery expert at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

In Presley’s case, it appeared that “she had a twist of her entire intestine,” said Inge, who reviewed the autopsy report.

If that's not quickly fixed, the blockage cuts off the flow of blood to the intestine, causing the bowel to become “strangulated” and creating a cascade of potentially deadly problems. In Presley’s case, it led to a toxic build-up of acids in her body and her heart stopped, the autopsy report said.

Presley reported abdominal pain and not feeling well the morning of her death, the report said. It’s not clear if the pain was new.

Anyone who has had abdominal surgery to seek prompt treatment for pain, Inge said. If diagnosed early, it’s possible to treat the problem.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674489309670.png" alt="More than a thousand people gathered on the front lawn of Graceland on a gray, chilly Memphis morning to mourn the death and remember the life of Lisa Marie Presley, who died Jan. 12 after she was taken to a hospital in California. photo by John Amis, Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>More than a thousand people gathered on the front lawn of Graceland on a gray, chilly Memphis morning to mourn the death and remember the life of Lisa Marie Presley, who died Jan. 12 after she was taken to a hospital in California. photo by John Amis, Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>Lisa Marie Presley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lisa-marie-presley">died</a>&nbsp;after developing a small bowel obstruction, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-death-cause-cbf0039dd8251a870f3ad8431dc78093">severe complication</a>&nbsp;of bariatric surgery years ago, according to an autopsy report released Thursday.Experts say these types of complications are a known but rare risk after having weight-loss surgery. Here’s what to know:WHAT HAPPENED TO LISA MARIE PRESLEY? The 54-year-old singer-songwriter and daughter of Elvis Presley was rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital on Jan. 12 after being found unresponsive at home and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">died hours later</a>.The cause of death was from complications of a small bowel obstruction tied to previous bariatric surgery, the autopsy showed. Portions of Presley’s bowel became trapped, or “strangulated,” from scar tissue that formed following surgery, and she also had developed a severe buildup of acids in her blood.WHAT IS BARIATRIC SURGERY? HOW COMMON IS IT? Bariatric surgeries are operations performed on the stomach or intestines to spur weight loss. They’re usually done in cases of moderate or severe obesity when other methods haven’t worked.There are several types of bariatric procedures, including those in which a portion of the stomach is removed or rerouted or when a band is placed around a part of the stomach to make it smaller.It’s not clear from the autopsy report which type of surgery Presley had, though experts said it was not a sleeve gastrectomy, which is the most common procedure.About 263,000 bariatric surgeries were done in 2021, according to Dr. Marina Kurian, the president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Only about 1% of people who qualify for the surgery receive it.HOW RISKY ARE THESE OPERATIONS? In general, bariatric surgery is “very safe,” Kurian said. The risk of major complications is about 4% overall and the risk of death is about 0.1%, according to ASMBS.“It’s safer than gallbladder surgery,” Kurian said.WHAT COMPLICATIONS CAN HAPPEN? Scar tissue, known as adhesions, can form after surgery or other trauma to the abdomen. That can lead to kinks and blockages in the intestine, said Dr. Thomas Inge, chief surgeon and a bariatric surgery expert at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.In Presley’s case, it appeared that “she had a twist of her entire intestine,” said Inge, who reviewed the autopsy report.If that's not quickly fixed, the blockage cuts off the flow of blood to the intestine, causing the bowel to become “strangulated” and creating a cascade of potentially deadly problems. In Presley’s case, it led to a toxic build-up of acids in her body and her heart stopped, the autopsy report said.Presley reported abdominal pain and not feeling well the morning of her death, the report said. It’s not clear if the pain was new.Anyone who has had abdominal surgery to seek prompt treatment for pain, Inge said. If diagnosed early, it’s possible to treat the problem.

How Lisa Marie Presley's weight-loss surgery contributed to her death

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting in Topeka.

Just before 5:30p.m. Friday,&nbsp; police were&nbsp;dispatched to a Topeka hospital after a victim arrived with an apparent gunshot wound, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.

One juvenile victim had arrived and was being treated for a life threatening injury.&nbsp; The victim later died.

&nbsp;Detectives were on scene and continue their work. Police released no additional details.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting in Topeka.Just before 5:30p.m. Friday,&nbsp; police were&nbsp;dispatched to a Topeka hospital after a victim arrived with an apparent gunshot wound, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.One juvenile victim had arrived and was being treated for a life threatening injury.&nbsp; The victim later died.&nbsp;Detectives were on scene and continue their work. Police released no additional details.

Police: Juvenile injured in Kansas shooting has died

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation into ChatGPT creator OpenAI and whether the artificial intelligence company violated consumer protection laws by scraping public data and publishing false information through its chatbot.

The agency sent OpenAI a 20-page letter requesting detailed information on its AI technology, products, customers, privacy safeguards and data security arrangements.

An FTC spokesperson had no comment on the investigation, which was first reported by The Washington Post on Thursday.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/67a7081c-c770-4f05-a39e-9d02117e50e8.pdf?itid=lk_inline_manual_4">FTC document the Post published</a>&nbsp;told OpenAI that the agency was investigating whether it has “engaged in unfair or deceptive privacy or data security practices” or practices harming consumers.

OpenAI founder Sam Altman tweeted disappointment that the investigation was disclosed in a “leak,” noting that would “not help build trust,” but added that the company will&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1679602638562918405">work with the FTC</a>.

“It’s super important to us that out technology is safe and pro-consumer, and we are confident we follow the law,” he wrote. “We protect user privacy and design our systems to learn about the world, not private individuals.”

OpenAI has faced scrutiny elsewhere. Italian regulators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-data-privacy-italy-b9ab3d12f2b2cfe493237fd2b9675e21">temporarily blocked ChatGPT</a>&nbsp;over privacy concerns, and privacy watchdogs in France, Spain, Ireland and Canada also are paying closer attention, including some that have launched investigations after receiving complaints.

The FTC's move is a serious regulatory threat to the nascent but fast-growing AI industry, although it's not the only challenge facing these companies.

Comedian Sarah Silverman and two other authors have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-silverman-suing-chatgpt-openai-ai-8927025139a8151e26053249d1aeec20">sued both OpenAI and Facebook parent Meta</a>&nbsp;for copyright infringement, claiming that the companies' AI systems were illegally “trained” by exposing them to datasets containing illegal copies of their works.

On Thursday, OpenAI and The Associated Press announced a deal under which the AI company will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-chatgpt-associated-press-ap-f86f84c5bcc2f3b98074b38521f5f75a">license AP’s archive of news stories</a>.

Altman has emerged as a global AI ambassador of sorts following his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-ceo-sam-altman-congress-73ff96c6571f38ad5fd68b3072722790">testimony before Congress in May</a>&nbsp;and a subsequent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-altman-artificial-intelligence-0687c5645c191bceeb6c481deb985177">worldwide tour</a>, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-artificial-intelligence-rules-europe-1a249ab94593356940d8f56d15e8a019">to Europe</a>, where officials are putting the final touches on the world's first comprehensive rules for AI.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-artificial-intelligence-europe-regulation-94e2b38703b38fdbfabc9580f845ef9a">regulations will focus on risky uses</a>&nbsp;such as predictive policing and social scoring and include provisions for generative AI to disclose any copyright material used to train its algorithms.

Altman himself has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-ceo-sam-altman-congress-73ff96c6571f38ad5fd68b3072722790">called for AI regulation</a>, although he has tended to emphasize difficult-to-evaluate existential threats such as the possibility that superintelligent AI systems could one day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-risk-of-extinction-ai-54ea8aadc60d1503e5a65878219aad43">turn against humanity</a>.

Some argue that focusing on a far-off “science fiction trope” of superpowerful AI could make it harder to take action against already existing harms that require regulators to dig deep on data transparency, discriminatory behavior and potential for trickery and disinformation.

“It’s the fear of these systems and our lack of understanding of them that is making everyone have a collective freak-out,” Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a Brown University computer scientist and former assistant director for science and justice at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, told the AP in May. “This fear, which is very unfounded, is a distraction from all the concerns we’re dealing with right now.”

News of the FTC's OpenAI investigation broke just hours after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republicans-ftc-khan-technology-companies-41610756160e10732f7ded6c587cec0e">combative House Judiciary Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;in which FTC Chair Lina Khan faced off against Republican lawmakers, who said she has been too aggressive in pursuing technology companies over allegations of wrongdoing.

Republicans said she has been harassing Twitter since its acquisition by Elon Musk, arbitrarily suing large tech companies and declining to recuse herself from certain cases. Khan pushed back, arguing that more regulation is necessary as the companies have grown and that tech conglomeration could hurt the economy and consumers.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation into ChatGPT creator OpenAI and whether the artificial intelligence company violated consumer protection laws by scraping public data and publishing false information through its chatbot.The agency sent OpenAI a 20-page letter requesting detailed information on its AI technology, products, customers, privacy safeguards and data security arrangements.An FTC spokesperson had no comment on the investigation, which was first reported by The Washington Post on Thursday.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/67a7081c-c770-4f05-a39e-9d02117e50e8.pdf?itid=lk_inline_manual_4">FTC document the Post published</a>&nbsp;told OpenAI that the agency was investigating whether it has “engaged in unfair or deceptive privacy or data security practices” or practices harming consumers.OpenAI founder Sam Altman tweeted disappointment that the investigation was disclosed in a “leak,” noting that would “not help build trust,” but added that the company will&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1679602638562918405">work with the FTC</a>.“It’s super important to us that out technology is safe and pro-consumer, and we are confident we follow the law,” he wrote. “We protect user privacy and design our systems to learn about the world, not private individuals.”OpenAI has faced scrutiny elsewhere. Italian regulators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-data-privacy-italy-b9ab3d12f2b2cfe493237fd2b9675e21">temporarily blocked ChatGPT</a>&nbsp;over privacy concerns, and privacy watchdogs in France, Spain, Ireland and Canada also are paying closer attention, including some that have launched investigations after receiving complaints.The FTC's move is a serious regulatory threat to the nascent but fast-growing AI industry, although it's not the only challenge facing these companies.Comedian Sarah Silverman and two other authors have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sarah-silverman-suing-chatgpt-openai-ai-8927025139a8151e26053249d1aeec20">sued both OpenAI and Facebook parent Meta</a>&nbsp;for copyright infringement, claiming that the companies' AI systems were illegally “trained” by exposing them to datasets containing illegal copies of their works.On Thursday, OpenAI and The Associated Press announced a deal under which the AI company will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-chatgpt-associated-press-ap-f86f84c5bcc2f3b98074b38521f5f75a">license AP’s archive of news stories</a>.Altman has emerged as a global AI ambassador of sorts following his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-ceo-sam-altman-congress-73ff96c6571f38ad5fd68b3072722790">testimony before Congress in May</a>&nbsp;and a subsequent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-altman-artificial-intelligence-0687c5645c191bceeb6c481deb985177">worldwide tour</a>, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-artificial-intelligence-rules-europe-1a249ab94593356940d8f56d15e8a019">to Europe</a>, where officials are putting the final touches on the world's first comprehensive rules for AI.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-artificial-intelligence-europe-regulation-94e2b38703b38fdbfabc9580f845ef9a">regulations will focus on risky uses</a>&nbsp;such as predictive policing and social scoring and include provisions for generative AI to disclose any copyright material used to train its algorithms.Altman himself has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-ceo-sam-altman-congress-73ff96c6571f38ad5fd68b3072722790">called for AI regulation</a>, although he has tended to emphasize difficult-to-evaluate existential threats such as the possibility that superintelligent AI systems could one day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-risk-of-extinction-ai-54ea8aadc60d1503e5a65878219aad43">turn against humanity</a>.Some argue that focusing on a far-off “science fiction trope” of superpowerful AI could make it harder to take action against already existing harms that require regulators to dig deep on data transparency, discriminatory behavior and potential for trickery and disinformation.“It’s the fear of these systems and our lack of understanding of them that is making everyone have a collective freak-out,” Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a Brown University computer scientist and former assistant director for science and justice at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, told the AP in May. “This fear, which is very unfounded, is a distraction from all the concerns we’re dealing with right now.”News of the FTC's OpenAI investigation broke just hours after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republicans-ftc-khan-technology-companies-41610756160e10732f7ded6c587cec0e">combative House Judiciary Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;in which FTC Chair Lina Khan faced off against Republican lawmakers, who said she has been too aggressive in pursuing technology companies over allegations of wrongdoing.Republicans said she has been harassing Twitter since its acquisition by Elon Musk, arbitrarily suing large tech companies and declining to recuse herself from certain cases. Khan pushed back, arguing that more regulation is necessary as the companies have grown and that tech conglomeration could hurt the economy and consumers.

FTC investigating ChatGPT creator OpenAI over consumer protection 

KANSAS CITY —A jury in Jackson County convicted 43-year-old Michael Hendricks and 33-year-old Maggie Ybarra in the murder of 32-year-old Kensie Aubry, whose body was found in garbage bags on a Grain Valley, Missouri, property, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Hendricks waived sentencing Thursday night, after the jury's verdict. He will be sentenced at a formal sentencing later. But his Murder in the 1st Degree conviction has a mandatory sentence of life without parole. Ybarra was to be sentenced Friday. The jury convicted her of Murder in the 2nd Degree and other felonies.

In Aug. 2021, a Jackson County grand jury indicted both on charges of Murder 1st Degree, Harassment 1st Degree and Sexual Misconduct 1st Degree. 

The indictment also charged Hendricks with the additional charges of Enticement of a Child and Child Molestation 3rd Degree.&nbsp;

 Ybarra was additionally charged with Enticement of a Child, Sexual Misconduct 1st Degree, a misdemeanor count of Tampering With Physical Evidence and three counts of Tampering With A Victim.

Aubry went missing in October 2020. A teenage girl who said Hendricks sexually assaulted her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-michael-brown-8bbb5388d4a5f00b1ea2bc5acf269cda">helped police find Aubry's body</a>.

At the time of the indictment, Prosecutor Baker &nbsp;praised the child victim in the case who came forward as a witness. On Thursday evening, following the jury's verdict, Baker stated: "I am grateful for a brave child who came forward to tell law enforcement what occurred, who endured, who testified, and who can only be described as an unmitigated hero."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689361413675.png" alt="Hendricks-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hendricks-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A jury in Jackson County convicted 43-year-old Michael Hendricks and 33-year-old Maggie Ybarra in the murder of 32-year-old Kensie Aubry, whose body was found in garbage bags on a Grain Valley, Missouri, property, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689361802956.png" alt="Police found Aubry's body buried on Hendricks' Grain Valley property-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police found Aubry's body buried on Hendricks' Grain Valley property-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Hendricks waived sentencing Thursday night, after the jury's verdict. He will be sentenced at a formal sentencing later. But his Murder in the 1st Degree conviction has a mandatory sentence of life without parole. Ybarra was to be sentenced Friday. The jury convicted her of Murder in the 2nd Degree and other felonies.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689361482049.png" alt="Ybarra-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Ybarra-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>In Aug. 2021, a Jackson County grand jury indicted both on charges of Murder 1st Degree, Harassment 1st Degree and Sexual Misconduct 1st Degree. The indictment also charged Hendricks with the additional charges of Enticement of a Child and Child Molestation 3rd Degree.&nbsp; Ybarra was additionally charged with Enticement of a Child, Sexual Misconduct 1st Degree, a misdemeanor count of Tampering With Physical Evidence and three counts of Tampering With A Victim.Aubry went missing in October 2020. A teenage girl who said Hendricks sexually assaulted her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-michael-brown-8bbb5388d4a5f00b1ea2bc5acf269cda">helped police find Aubry's body</a>.At the time of the indictment, Prosecutor Baker &nbsp;praised the child victim in the case who came forward as a witness. On Thursday evening, following the jury's verdict, Baker stated: "I am grateful for a brave child who came forward to tell law enforcement what occurred, who endured, who testified, and who can only be described as an unmitigated hero."

Jury: KC-area couple guilty of killing, dismembering woman

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is beefing up its use of fighter jets around the strategic Strait of Hormuz to protect ships from Iranian seizures, a senior defense official said Friday, adding that the U.S. is increasingly concerned about the growing ties between Iran, Russia and Syria across the Middle East.

Speaking to Pentagon reporters, the official said the U.S. will send F-16 fighter jets to the Gulf region this weekend to augment the A-10 attack aircraft that have been patrolling there for more than a week. The move comes after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gulf-iran-us-tensions-shipping-oil-127f8b77aa7e41dcd8266b6fbe5800dc">Iran tried to seize two oil tankers</a>&nbsp;near the strait last week, opening fire on one of them.

The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of military operations in the region, said the F-16s will give air cover to the ships moving through the waterway and increase the military's visibility in the area, as a deterrent to Iran.

The U.S. Navy said in both instances the Iranian naval vessels backed off when the USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived on the scene.

In addition, the defense official told reporters the U.S. is considering a number of military options to address increasing Russian aggression in the skies over Syria, which complicated efforts to strike an Islamic State group leader last weekend. The official declined to detail the options, but said the U.S. will not cede any territory and will continue to fly in the western part of the country on anti-Islamic State missions.

The Russian military activity, which has increased in frequency and aggression since March, stems from growing cooperation and coordination between Moscow, Tehran and the Syrian government to try to pressure the U.S. to leave Syria, the official said.

The official said Russia is beholden to Iran for its support in the war in Ukraine, and Tehran wants the U.S. out of Syria so it can more easily move lethal aid to Lebanese Hezbollah and threaten Israel. The U.S. has seen more cooperation, collaboration, planning and intelligence sharing, largely between mid-level Russian and Iranian Quds force leaders in Syria, to pressure the U.S. to remove troops from Syria, the official added.

There are about 900 U.S. forces in the country, and others move in and out to conduct&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-syria-islamic-state-drone-strike-3b7aa6e96273cf2360fce1015e2b1a86">missions targeting Islamic State group militants.</a>

The U.S. does not believe Russian aircraft plan to drop bombs on U.S. troops or shoot down manned aircraft. But there are concerns that Russian pilots will knock a Reaper drone out of the sky and that Moscow believes that type of action would not get a strong U.S. military response, the official said.

As an example, in March, a Russian warplane poured jet fuel on a U.S. surveillance drone and then struck its propeller, forcing the U.S. military to ditch the MQ-9 Reaper into the Black Sea. The incident spiked tensions between the two countries and triggered a call between their defense chiefs, but led to no direct military response.

Last week, Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov, head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, said the Russian and Syrian militaries have been doing joint training. In comments carried by Syrian state media, he said Moscow is concerned about drone flights by the U.S.-led coalition over northern Syria, calling them “systematic violations of protocols” designed to avoid clashes between the two militaries.

U.S. and Russian military commanders routinely communicate over a deconfliction phone line that has been in place for several years to avoid unintended clashes in Syria, where both sides have troops on the ground and in the air.

There are often many calls a day, and at times result in angry threats as commanders argue over an ongoing operation, said the U.S. official. Describing a conversation, the official said the Russians will often declare an area of space a restricted operating zone and say they are doing military exercises there.

The U.S. sees no exercises, and tells Russia that American forces are on a counterterror mission against the Islamic State group and plan to fly in that area. The Russians then say they can't guarantee U.S. aircraft safety if they go there. And once the mission begins, and the aircraft move into the zone, “it sometimes gets very heated,” said the official, as both sides loudly protest and reject the other's assertions.

The most recent incident was Friday morning, when a Russia aircraft flew repeatedly over the at-Tanf garrison in eastern Syria, where U.S. forces are training Syrian allies and monitoring Islamic State militant activity. The official said the Russian An-30 aircraft was collecting intelligence on the base.

The U.S. did not have fighter aircraft in the area and took no direct action against the Russian flight.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689381599161.png" alt="FILE - U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet is on display during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, France, Monday, June 19, 2023. The U.S. is beefing up its use of fighter jets around the strategic Strait of Hormuz to protect ships from Iranian seizures, a senior defense official said Friday, July 14, adding that the U.S. is increasingly concerned about the growing ties between Iran, Russia and Syria across the Middle East. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet is on display during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, France, Monday, June 19, 2023. The U.S. is beefing up its use of fighter jets around the strategic Strait of Hormuz to protect ships from Iranian seizures, a senior defense official said Friday, July 14, adding that the U.S. is increasingly concerned about the growing ties between Iran, Russia and Syria across the Middle East. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is beefing up its use of fighter jets around the strategic Strait of Hormuz to protect ships from Iranian seizures, a senior defense official said Friday, adding that the U.S. is increasingly concerned about the growing ties between Iran, Russia and Syria across the Middle East.Speaking to Pentagon reporters, the official said the U.S. will send F-16 fighter jets to the Gulf region this weekend to augment the A-10 attack aircraft that have been patrolling there for more than a week. The move comes after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gulf-iran-us-tensions-shipping-oil-127f8b77aa7e41dcd8266b6fbe5800dc">Iran tried to seize two oil tankers</a>&nbsp;near the strait last week, opening fire on one of them.The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of military operations in the region, said the F-16s will give air cover to the ships moving through the waterway and increase the military's visibility in the area, as a deterrent to Iran.The U.S. Navy said in both instances the Iranian naval vessels backed off when the USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived on the scene.In addition, the defense official told reporters the U.S. is considering a number of military options to address increasing Russian aggression in the skies over Syria, which complicated efforts to strike an Islamic State group leader last weekend. The official declined to detail the options, but said the U.S. will not cede any territory and will continue to fly in the western part of the country on anti-Islamic State missions.The Russian military activity, which has increased in frequency and aggression since March, stems from growing cooperation and coordination between Moscow, Tehran and the Syrian government to try to pressure the U.S. to leave Syria, the official said.The official said Russia is beholden to Iran for its support in the war in Ukraine, and Tehran wants the U.S. out of Syria so it can more easily move lethal aid to Lebanese Hezbollah and threaten Israel. The U.S. has seen more cooperation, collaboration, planning and intelligence sharing, largely between mid-level Russian and Iranian Quds force leaders in Syria, to pressure the U.S. to remove troops from Syria, the official added.There are about 900 U.S. forces in the country, and others move in and out to conduct&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-syria-islamic-state-drone-strike-3b7aa6e96273cf2360fce1015e2b1a86">missions targeting Islamic State group militants.</a>The U.S. does not believe Russian aircraft plan to drop bombs on U.S. troops or shoot down manned aircraft. But there are concerns that Russian pilots will knock a Reaper drone out of the sky and that Moscow believes that type of action would not get a strong U.S. military response, the official said.As an example, in March, a Russian warplane poured jet fuel on a U.S. surveillance drone and then struck its propeller, forcing the U.S. military to ditch the MQ-9 Reaper into the Black Sea. The incident spiked tensions between the two countries and triggered a call between their defense chiefs, but led to no direct military response.Last week, Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov, head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, said the Russian and Syrian militaries have been doing joint training. In comments carried by Syrian state media, he said Moscow is concerned about drone flights by the U.S.-led coalition over northern Syria, calling them “systematic violations of protocols” designed to avoid clashes between the two militaries.U.S. and Russian military commanders routinely communicate over a deconfliction phone line that has been in place for several years to avoid unintended clashes in Syria, where both sides have troops on the ground and in the air.There are often many calls a day, and at times result in angry threats as commanders argue over an ongoing operation, said the U.S. official. Describing a conversation, the official said the Russians will often declare an area of space a restricted operating zone and say they are doing military exercises there.The U.S. sees no exercises, and tells Russia that American forces are on a counterterror mission against the Islamic State group and plan to fly in that area. The Russians then say they can't guarantee U.S. aircraft safety if they go there. And once the mission begins, and the aircraft move into the zone, “it sometimes gets very heated,” said the official, as both sides loudly protest and reject the other's assertions.The most recent incident was Friday morning, when a Russia aircraft flew repeatedly over the at-Tanf garrison in eastern Syria, where U.S. forces are training Syrian allies and monitoring Islamic State militant activity. The official said the Russian An-30 aircraft was collecting intelligence on the base.The U.S. did not have fighter aircraft in the area and took no direct action against the Russian flight.

US sending F-16 fighter jets to protect ships from Iran

WALLACE COUNTY—Three people died in an accident just before 11a.m. Friday in Wallace County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 GMC Savana driven by Darlene A.&nbsp;Manene, 37, Spokane, Washington, was eastbound on U.S. Highway 40 eight miles east of Sharon Springs.

The van left the roadway to the south and the driver overcorrected.&nbsp; The vehicle came back on the road and the driver lost control. The van traveled into the south ditch and rolled.

EMS transported Manene to the Logan County Hospital and a passenger identified as Likbar&nbsp;Amanu, 70, Spokane, Washington, to Goodland Regional Medical Center where both were pronounced deceased.&nbsp; 

A third passenger Leilani&nbsp;Manene, 24, Spokane, Washington was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.&nbsp;&nbsp;

EMS transported passengers Matthias&nbsp;Manene, 26, Spokane, Washington, to the Logan County Hospital and Anneth&nbsp; Tarbiwillin, 70, Spokane, Washington, to the&nbsp;Greeley County Hospital in Tribune. The driver and identified passengers were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp; Ten Juveniles were present in the vehicle; juvenile records are protected data.

WALLACE COUNTY—Three people died in an accident just before 11a.m. Friday in Wallace County.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At 10:59 AM, Wallace Co requested KHP assistance for a van rollover crash on U-40 hwy, mile post 25, just west of Sharon Springs. One confirmed fatality, several occupants are being transported to several different hospital&#39;s in the area. The KHP CHART team is on scene! <a href="https://t.co/2fKIVLhc0v">pic.twitter.com/2fKIVLhc0v</a>&mdash; Trooper Tod (@TrooperTodKHP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrooperTodKHP/status/1679912248750243878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 GMC Savana driven by Darlene A.&nbsp;Manene, 37, Spokane, Washington, was eastbound on U.S. Highway 40 eight miles east of Sharon Springs.The van left the roadway to the south and the driver overcorrected.&nbsp; The vehicle came back on the road and the driver lost control. The van traveled into the south ditch and rolled.EMS transported Manene to the Logan County Hospital and a passenger identified as Likbar&nbsp;Amanu, 70, Spokane, Washington, to Goodland Regional Medical Center where both were pronounced deceased.&nbsp; A third passenger Leilani&nbsp;Manene, 24, Spokane, Washington was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS transported passengers Matthias&nbsp;Manene, 26, Spokane, Washington, to the Logan County Hospital and Anneth&nbsp; Tarbiwillin, 70, Spokane, Washington, to the&nbsp;Greeley County Hospital in Tribune. The driver and identified passengers were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp; Ten Juveniles were present in the vehicle; juvenile records are protected data.

3 women dead, 2 hospitalized after NW Kan. van rollover crash

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating an armed robbery&nbsp; that occurred at the Flying J, 2250 North Ohio in Salina on April 9, have made an arrest.

During the incident, a masked suspect displayed a handgun and demanded money from the clerk.

According to&nbsp;Salina Police Sergeant Kyle Tonniges, on Thursday, detectives arrested 41-year-old Michael Hamen and 24-year-old Destany Dirksen both Salina on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery in this case.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688220057772.jpeg" alt="Hamen-Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Hamen-Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating an armed robbery&nbsp; that occurred at the Flying J, 2250 North Ohio in Salina on April 9, have made an arrest.During the incident, a masked suspect displayed a handgun and demanded money from the clerk.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689335129661.png" alt="Dirksen photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Dirksen photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>According to&nbsp;Salina Police Sergeant Kyle Tonniges, on Thursday, detectives arrested 41-year-old Michael Hamen and 24-year-old Destany Dirksen both Salina on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery in this case.&nbsp;

Police capture suspects wanted for Kan. armed robbery

DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an incident that injured a police office who repeatedly punched in the head by a suspect during a disturbance at the Treatment and Recovery Center, 1000 W. 2nd Street in Lawrence, according to a media release.

The officer was attempting to intervene in the disturbance when the suspect began fighting the officer.

The officer was able to gain control over the subject with a taser and another officer arrived to assist in placing the subject into custody. 

The suspect was checked at the hospital for the taser exposure then transported to the Douglas County Correctional Facility. The officer suffered injuries that will keep him home for a short time, according to the release.

DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an incident that injured a police office who repeatedly punched in the head by a suspect during a disturbance at the Treatment and Recovery Center, 1000 W. 2nd Street in Lawrence, according to a media release.The officer was attempting to intervene in the disturbance when the suspect began fighting the officer.The officer was able to gain control over the subject with a taser and another officer arrived to assist in placing the subject into custody. The suspect was checked at the hospital for the taser exposure then transported to the Douglas County Correctional Facility. The officer suffered injuries that will keep him home for a short time, according to the release.

Kan. officer hospitalized after attempt to de-escalate fight 

OSAGE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the drowning death of a 2-year-old girl.

Just before 9p.m. Thursday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible drowning at Eisenhower State Park swim beach, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. Life-saving measures had been started at the time of the call.

Life-saving measures continued but were unsuccessful. The victim, a 2-year-old girl, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

In addition to Osage County Deputies, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Osage County Fire District #2 – Osage City, Osage County Fire District #3 – Melvern, a LifeSave air ambulance out of Emporia, and Osage County EMS responded to the scene.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is participating in the investigation of the incident.

OSAGE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the drowning death of a 2-year-old girl.Just before 9p.m. Thursday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible drowning at Eisenhower State Park swim beach, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. Life-saving measures had been started at the time of the call.Life-saving measures continued but were unsuccessful. The victim, a 2-year-old girl, was pronounced deceased at the scene.In addition to Osage County Deputies, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Osage County Fire District #2 – Osage City, Osage County Fire District #3 – Melvern, a LifeSave air ambulance out of Emporia, and Osage County EMS responded to the scene. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is participating in the investigation of the incident.

Sheriff: 2-year-old drowns at Kansas state park

A Jackson County judge ruled in May that the attorney general lacked any legal authority to order school districts to end COVID-19 mitigation measures

By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>

Time has run out for Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to appeal a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/27/judge-rules-missouri-ag-had-no-authority-to-order-end-of-school-mask-mandates/">judge’s decision limiting his authority</a>&nbsp;over school districts and clarifying that school boards can establish disease mitigation methods, such as mask mandates.

Bailey had 40 days from Jackson County Circuit Court&nbsp;Judge Marco Roldan’s&nbsp;May 27 ruling to ask for a new trial. That deadline passed on July 6 without an appeal being filed.

The case originated with his predecessor, Eric Schmitt, who stepped down as attorney general in January after being elected to the U.S. Senate.

In January 2022, Schmitt sued 47 Missouri school districts that implemented mask mandates to slow the spread of COVID-19. His lawsuits relied on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/11/23/missouri-judge-local-covid-orders/">Cole County judgment that took power away from local health departments</a>&nbsp;to enforce mandates.

<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/12/lees-summit-countersuit/">All but one of the lawsuits were dismissed</a>. But Lee’s Summit R-7 School District refused to let the case end — even as Schmitt attempted to dismiss his own lawsuit. The district hoped by seeing the case through to a verdict, a precedent would be set outlining the attorney general’s authority.

“Our primary focus has and will always be to serve and support our students,” the district’s spokesperson, Katy Bergen, said in a statement. “We are grateful to have the clarity this ruling provides as we continue to champion this mission.”

Roldan ruled that Schmitt was not following state law when he ordered Lee’s Summit and other school districts to end COVID-19 mitigation measures.

Besides, Roldan said, the Cole County lawsuit at the heart of Schmitt’s legal challenges did not cover school districts.

Neal Perryman, an attorney representing St. Louis County in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/12/missouri-supreme-court-to-decide-if-counties-can-appeal-ruling-striking-down-covid-orders/">an appeal of the Cole County case</a>, lauded Roldan’s ruling in a Missouri Supreme Court hearing Wednesday, noting Bailey’s decision not to appeal.

Roldan’s judgment also criticized Schmitt for opening tip hotlines to have parents and students report school districts they suspected were in violation of the Cole County order.

“There exists no Missouri law allowing the attorney general to involve himself in a school district’s efforts to manage COVID-19 or other disease within its schools,” Roldan ruled. “He had no authority even to issue an opinion on those matters to the school district. In neither of his orders nor in his social media communications did he identify a valid legal basis for asserting that the school district was acting contrary to Missouri law.”

Bergen said the district will not be seeking for the state to pay the district’s attorney’s fees. Lee’s Summit R-7 School District spent almost $73,000 in 2022 paying its attorneys for the case, according to receipts obtained by The Independent.

The attorney general’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688126091968.png" alt=" Lee’s Summit R-7 School District’s Tony L. Stansberry Leadership Center, as photographed December 30, 2022 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Lee’s Summit R-7 School District’s Tony L. Stansberry Leadership Center, as photographed December 30, 2022 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A Jackson County judge ruled in May that the attorney general lacked any legal authority to order school districts to end COVID-19 mitigation measures</h2>By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>Time has run out for Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to appeal a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/27/judge-rules-missouri-ag-had-no-authority-to-order-end-of-school-mask-mandates/">judge’s decision limiting his authority</a>&nbsp;over school districts and clarifying that school boards can establish disease mitigation methods, such as mask mandates.Bailey had 40 days from Jackson County Circuit Court&nbsp;Judge Marco Roldan’s&nbsp;May 27 ruling to ask for a new trial. That deadline passed on July 6 without an appeal being filed.The case originated with his predecessor, Eric Schmitt, who stepped down as attorney general in January after being elected to the U.S. Senate.In January 2022, Schmitt sued 47 Missouri school districts that implemented mask mandates to slow the spread of COVID-19. His lawsuits relied on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/11/23/missouri-judge-local-covid-orders/">Cole County judgment that took power away from local health departments</a>&nbsp;to enforce mandates.<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/12/lees-summit-countersuit/">All but one of the lawsuits were dismissed</a>. But Lee’s Summit R-7 School District refused to let the case end — even as Schmitt attempted to dismiss his own lawsuit. The district hoped by seeing the case through to a verdict, a precedent would be set outlining the attorney general’s authority.“Our primary focus has and will always be to serve and support our students,” the district’s spokesperson, Katy Bergen, said in a statement. “We are grateful to have the clarity this ruling provides as we continue to champion this mission.”Roldan ruled that Schmitt was not following state law when he ordered Lee’s Summit and other school districts to end COVID-19 mitigation measures.Besides, Roldan said, the Cole County lawsuit at the heart of Schmitt’s legal challenges did not cover school districts.Neal Perryman, an attorney representing St. Louis County in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/12/missouri-supreme-court-to-decide-if-counties-can-appeal-ruling-striking-down-covid-orders/">an appeal of the Cole County case</a>, lauded Roldan’s ruling in a Missouri Supreme Court hearing Wednesday, noting Bailey’s decision not to appeal.Roldan’s judgment also criticized Schmitt for opening tip hotlines to have parents and students report school districts they suspected were in violation of the Cole County order.“There exists no Missouri law allowing the attorney general to involve himself in a school district’s efforts to manage COVID-19 or other disease within its schools,” Roldan ruled. “He had no authority even to issue an opinion on those matters to the school district. In neither of his orders nor in his social media communications did he identify a valid legal basis for asserting that the school district was acting contrary to Missouri law.”Bergen said the district will not be seeking for the state to pay the district’s attorney’s fees. Lee’s Summit R-7 School District spent almost $73,000 in 2022 paying its attorneys for the case, according to receipts obtained by The Independent.The attorney general’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Time runs out for AG to appeal ruling in school mask mandate lawsuit

By ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The Department of Education and the White House announced Friday that more than 800,000 federal student loan borrowers will have their remaining debt wiped out.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-provide-804000-borrowers-39-billion-automatic-loan-forgiveness-result-fixes-income-driven-repayment-plans">The $39 billion in debt relief</a>&nbsp;will come through fixes to mismanagement of the agency’s income-driven repayment plans. Many long-time borrowers, including those who had been making payments for 20 years or more, were denied relief they were eligible for under the repayment plans. Qualified payments that were made were not accounted for.

“For far too long, borrowers fell through the cracks of a broken system that failed to keep accurate track of their progress towards forgiveness,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.

Starting Friday, the Department of Education will begin to notify those 804,000 borrowers of their forgiveness, and within 30 days their debts will be wiped out.

The plan includes borrowers with Direct Loans or Federal Family Education Loans held by the department (including Parent PLUS loans of either type) who have reached a forgiveness threshold specified by the department.

“By fixing past administrative failures, we are ensuring everyone gets the forgiveness they deserve, just as we have done for public servants, students who were cheated by their colleges, and borrowers with permanent disabilities, including veterans,” Cardona said.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/01/1089750113/student-loan-debt-investigation">A 2022 NPR investigation</a>&nbsp;found numerous problems with the agency’s handling of IDR plans, which are meant to help low-income borrowers. Loan servicers failed to keep track of borrowers’ progress toward forgiveness and payment histories were not properly transferred from one loan servicer to another.

Under IDR, after 20 years of payments, a borrower’s loan plan should be forgiven. But&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nclc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IB_IDR.pdf">a 2021 report&nbsp;</a>from the National Consumer Law Center found that more than 4 million borrowers had been making payments for at least 20 years, but only 32 had their debts canceled under the plan.

Because of this issue, the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-announces-actions-fix-longstanding-failures-student-loan-programs">&nbsp;Department of Education announced in 2022</a>&nbsp;that it would conduct an adjustment and fix past inaccuracies.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/new-federal-student-loan-repayment-plan-aimed-low-income-borrowers">The Department of Education in early January announced</a>&nbsp;its plans to overhaul the income-driven repayment plan.

Under the new plan, monthly payments would decline to 5% of a borrower’s income — down from 10% — and the repayment timeline for loan forgiveness would be decreased to 10 years from 20 or 25 if the initial loan is less than $12,000.

The announcement Friday followed the Supreme Court’s decision in late June&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/u-s-supreme-court-rules-against-biden-administration-student-loan-debt-relief-plan/">to strike down the Biden administration’s student debt relief program</a>&nbsp;that would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loan debt for some borrowers.

The Department of Education is now going through a rulemaking process to cancel that student loan debt under the Higher Education Act, an action likely to face the same legal challenges as the initial debt relief program.

Under the Biden administration, the Department of Education has canceled about $116 billion in student loan debt for borrowers who were misled by for-profit institutions, borrowers with disabilities and those with loans through Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

​​<a target="_blank" href="https://educationdata.org/how-many-people-have-student-loans">More than 43 million&nbsp;</a>Americans have student loan debt, and the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLOAS">estimates</a>&nbsp;that the total U.S. student loan debt is more than $1.76 trillion.

By ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The Department of Education and the White House announced Friday that more than 800,000 federal student loan borrowers will have their remaining debt wiped out.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Big news: <a href="https://twitter.com/usedgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usedgov</a> will begin notifying borrowers that their federal loans will be discharged following fixes to income driven repayment plans. This is a result of the Administration’s actions to ensure borrowers have an accurate count of payments qualifying for IDR forgiveness. <a href="https://t.co/t2x6XGsJmi">pic.twitter.com/t2x6XGsJmi</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1679862669912801280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-provide-804000-borrowers-39-billion-automatic-loan-forgiveness-result-fixes-income-driven-repayment-plans">The $39 billion in debt relief</a>&nbsp;will come through fixes to mismanagement of the agency’s income-driven repayment plans. Many long-time borrowers, including those who had been making payments for 20 years or more, were denied relief they were eligible for under the repayment plans. Qualified payments that were made were not accounted for.“For far too long, borrowers fell through the cracks of a broken system that failed to keep accurate track of their progress towards forgiveness,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.Starting Friday, the Department of Education will begin to notify those 804,000 borrowers of their forgiveness, and within 30 days their debts will be wiped out.The plan includes borrowers with Direct Loans or Federal Family Education Loans held by the department (including Parent PLUS loans of either type) who have reached a forgiveness threshold specified by the department.“By fixing past administrative failures, we are ensuring everyone gets the forgiveness they deserve, just as we have done for public servants, students who were cheated by their colleges, and borrowers with permanent disabilities, including veterans,” Cardona said.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/01/1089750113/student-loan-debt-investigation">A 2022 NPR investigation</a>&nbsp;found numerous problems with the agency’s handling of IDR plans, which are meant to help low-income borrowers. Loan servicers failed to keep track of borrowers’ progress toward forgiveness and payment histories were not properly transferred from one loan servicer to another.Under IDR, after 20 years of payments, a borrower’s loan plan should be forgiven. But&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nclc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IB_IDR.pdf">a 2021 report&nbsp;</a>from the National Consumer Law Center found that more than 4 million borrowers had been making payments for at least 20 years, but only 32 had their debts canceled under the plan.Because of this issue, the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-announces-actions-fix-longstanding-failures-student-loan-programs">&nbsp;Department of Education announced in 2022</a>&nbsp;that it would conduct an adjustment and fix past inaccuracies.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/new-federal-student-loan-repayment-plan-aimed-low-income-borrowers">The Department of Education in early January announced</a>&nbsp;its plans to overhaul the income-driven repayment plan.Under the new plan, monthly payments would decline to 5% of a borrower’s income — down from 10% — and the repayment timeline for loan forgiveness would be decreased to 10 years from 20 or 25 if the initial loan is less than $12,000.The announcement Friday followed the Supreme Court’s decision in late June&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/u-s-supreme-court-rules-against-biden-administration-student-loan-debt-relief-plan/">to strike down the Biden administration’s student debt relief program</a>&nbsp;that would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loan debt for some borrowers.The Department of Education is now going through a rulemaking process to cancel that student loan debt under the Higher Education Act, an action likely to face the same legal challenges as the initial debt relief program.Under the Biden administration, the Department of Education has canceled about $116 billion in student loan debt for borrowers who were misled by for-profit institutions, borrowers with disabilities and those with loans through Public Service Loan Forgiveness.​​<a target="_blank" href="https://educationdata.org/how-many-people-have-student-loans">More than 43 million&nbsp;</a>Americans have student loan debt, and the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLOAS">estimates</a>&nbsp;that the total U.S. student loan debt is more than $1.76 trillion.

White House: More than 800K student loan borrowers to have debt forgiven

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran,–Vice Chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation on Friday announced a new daily American Airlines direct flight from Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) in Wichita to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C. The new flights are set to begin on January 8, 2024.

“Wichita is growing with new business, educational opportunities and families choosing to make Kansas their home,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran. “Over the past several years I have hosted numerous business leaders and federal officials in Wichita to meet with local leaders and witness our aerospace, aviation and defense manufacturing capabilities. As companies in Wichita continue to secure federal work, I have seen a vital need of connecting “The Air Capital of the World” with the nation’s capital. The new direct American Airlines flight will allow federal officials to quickly travel to Wichita to see firsthand the great work being done in our region – amplifying our competitiveness as a city and state. This has long been a void I have heard from industry and business owners, and I am thrilled our hard work to fill this void is accomplished. It will also make travel to Washington, D.C. faster and more affordable for Kansans.”

“Thank you to Jesse Romo and airport staff for being a strong partner and making certain ICT is ready to accept these new flights,”&nbsp;continued Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“Thank you also to American Airlines for their commitment to Wichita as a destination for these flights. I look forward to Kansans packing the new direct flights to Washington, D.C., Phoenix and Miami.”

“American is excited to announce daily, nonstop service from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport to our nation’s capital,”&nbsp;Nate Gatten, Executive Vice President of American Airlines, said.&nbsp;“By early next year, Wichita will see service from five of our hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago-O’Hare, Phoenix, Miami, and Washington-Reagan, providing Kansans even greater access to our expansive global network.”

“Washington, D.C. is a highly coveted market so we’re extremely grateful that American Airlines is adding this destination,”&nbsp;said Jesse Romo, Director of Airports, City of Wichita.&nbsp;“It will be extremely beneficial to the business community and puts Wichita in a competitive position to enhance our economic opportunities.”

ICT and DCA – daily flights begin January 8, 2024:

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Depart DCA 11:30 a.m. ET – Arrive ICT 1:45 p.m. CT

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Depart ICT 3:30 p.m. CT – Arrive DCA 7:15 p.m. ET

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689346673033.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran,–Vice Chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation on Friday announced a new daily American Airlines direct flight from Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) in Wichita to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C. The new flights are set to begin on January 8, 2024.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mp3S3_wg8Rw?start=85" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“Wichita is growing with new business, educational opportunities and families choosing to make Kansas their home,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran. “Over the past several years I have hosted numerous business leaders and federal officials in Wichita to meet with local leaders and witness our aerospace, aviation and defense manufacturing capabilities. As companies in Wichita continue to secure federal work, I have seen a vital need of connecting “The Air Capital of the World” with the nation’s capital. The new direct American Airlines flight will allow federal officials to quickly travel to Wichita to see firsthand the great work being done in our region – amplifying our competitiveness as a city and state. This has long been a void I have heard from industry and business owners, and I am thrilled our hard work to fill this void is accomplished. It will also make travel to Washington, D.C. faster and more affordable for Kansans.”“Thank you to Jesse Romo and airport staff for being a strong partner and making certain ICT is ready to accept these new flights,”&nbsp;continued Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“Thank you also to American Airlines for their commitment to Wichita as a destination for these flights. I look forward to Kansans packing the new direct flights to Washington, D.C., Phoenix and Miami.”“American is excited to announce daily, nonstop service from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport to our nation’s capital,”&nbsp;Nate Gatten, Executive Vice President of American Airlines, said.&nbsp;“By early next year, Wichita will see service from five of our hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago-O’Hare, Phoenix, Miami, and Washington-Reagan, providing Kansans even greater access to our expansive global network.”“Washington, D.C. is a highly coveted market so we’re extremely grateful that American Airlines is adding this destination,”&nbsp;said Jesse Romo, Director of Airports, City of Wichita.&nbsp;“It will be extremely beneficial to the business community and puts Wichita in a competitive position to enhance our economic opportunities.”American Airlines Flight Details:ICT and DCA – daily flights begin January 8, 2024:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Depart DCA 11:30 a.m. ET – Arrive ICT 1:45 p.m. CT·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Depart ICT 3:30 p.m. CT – Arrive DCA 7:15 p.m. ET

🎥 Moran announces important new non-stop flight for Wichita 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz Club in Wichita's Old Town have charged a third suspect.

On Thursday,&nbsp; 23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita was charged with attempted 1st degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Thomas was the fourth suspect arrested from this incident. Five days ago police asked the public for help to locate him. Police took him into custody Wednesday.

On Tuesday prosecutors charged 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram and&nbsp;27-year-old John D. Houze&nbsp; with aggravated battery, 6 counts of aggravated assault, 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; 

All three suspects are being held on bonds of $500,000 and are due back in court July 24.

A Missouri man arrested in the case was not charged after the district attorney determined he was acting in self defense.

Just before 1a.m. July 2, police responded to the club in the 200 Block of North Washington, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.

There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.

The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.

The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later Sunday.

On Tuesday King-Ingram was charged with aggravated battery, 6 counts of aggravated assault, 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney. \  His bond is $500,000.&nbsp;

Houze was charged on Tuesday with 6 counts of aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city. His bond is $500,000. King-ingram and Houze are due back in court July 24.

The facts of Thomas’ involvement will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for a charging decision.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689162087966.png" alt="Thomas-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz Club in Wichita's Old Town have charged a third suspect.On Thursday,&nbsp; 23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita was charged with attempted 1st degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Thomas was the fourth suspect arrested from this incident. Five days ago police asked the public for help to locate him. Police took him into custody Wednesday.On Tuesday prosecutors charged 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram and&nbsp;27-year-old John D. Houze&nbsp; with aggravated battery, 6 counts of aggravated assault, 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; All three suspects are being held on bonds of $500,000 and are due back in court July 24.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688300318332.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>A Missouri man arrested in the case was not charged after the district attorney determined he was acting in self defense.Just before 1a.m. July 2, police responded to the club in the 200 Block of North Washington, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later Sunday.On Tuesday King-Ingram was charged with aggravated battery, 6 counts of aggravated assault, 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney. \ His bond is $500,000.&nbsp;Houze was charged on Tuesday with 6 counts of aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city. His bond is $500,000. King-ingram and Houze are due back in court July 24.The facts of Thomas’ involvement will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for a charging decision.

Third suspect charged in Kansas  mass shooting

SEDGWICK COUNTY —In May, the City of Wichita&nbsp; Parks and Rec installed a custom park bench painted by local artist Heather Byers depicting Black Bear Bosin in south Riverside Park, 551 W Central in Wichita.

This week grounds crews discovered the slats of the bench have been removed, ruining the bench for others to enjoy.

The city wants this one-of-a-kind piece returned, no questions asked. If you have any information, you can call us at (316) 268-4361.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689341466835.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —In May, the City of Wichita&nbsp; Parks and Rec installed a custom park bench painted by local artist Heather Byers depicting Black Bear Bosin in south Riverside Park, 551 W Central in Wichita.This week grounds crews discovered the slats of the bench have been removed, ruining the bench for others to enjoy.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689341639613.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The city wants this one-of-a-kind piece returned, no questions asked. If you have any information, you can call us at (316) 268-4361.&nbsp;

Custom painted bench stolen from Kansas park

Unanimous recommendation may run aground in GOP-led Legislature

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas State Board of Education voted unanimously to recommend Gov. Laura Kelly and the 2024 Legislature embrace a four-year initiative raising state aid to special education by $86.6 million annually to bring Kansas into compliance with the law.

The state board last year urged lawmakers to implement a five-year program that would have moved the state’s contribution to the required 92% in terms of extra spending by local districts to educate students with special-education needs. That recommendation was supported by the governor, but didn’t gain sufficient traction at the Capitol during the 2023 legislative session.

In the upcoming fiscal year, without changes approved by the Legislature and Kelly, the state would again provide 69% of special-education funding. The strategy adopted by the state Board of Education would move the state to the 92% level within four years by delivering a total of $346 million in new state aid to special education instruction.

Support among the 10 state Board of Education members at a Wednesday meeting reflected, in part, the state treasury’s fiscal year ending balance of $1.9 billion and deposits in the state’s separate rainy-day account of $1.5 billion.

“Right now, they’re not funding the law,” said state board chair Melanie Haas, with a district that included Blue Valley, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and Kansas City schools. “We certainly have the budget as a state right now to cover this. It’s time we caught up.”

Board member Jim Porter, who has responsibility for a 23-county district spreading out from southeast Kansas, made the motion to recommend the Democratic governor and the Republican-led Legislature tackle the funding shortfall in special education aid within four years.

It wasn’t fair to obligate local districts to fill the gap, he said, because those expenditures diverted resources in each district’s general fund.

“The special education students are not being cheated, but it very well could be to the detriment of everybody else,” Porter said. “It’s critical we make a strong statement.”

Board member Danny Zeck, a Leavenworth resident with a district extending to 16 counties in northeast Kansas, voted for the special-education funding recommendation. He did so despite suggesting local school districts were supercharging assessment programs with the goal of increasing the number of students labeled with some sort of educational disability.

He also said 30 years operating a car dealership taught him it was prudent to stockpile cash in anticipation of economic downturns.

“Cash is king,” Zeck said. “I don’t know anybody will disagree with that.”

Topeka state board member Ann Mah, with a district ranging from Wyandotte to Coffey counties, said Zeck misunderstood implications of making local districts responsible for unfunded costs of special education. She said there was no financial incentive for districts to draw more and more students into special education given the state’s failure to comply with the 92% standard.

In the 2011 fiscal year, the state covered 95.7% of additional special education costs incurred by local school districts. Generally, that percentage declined throughout the subsequent decade.

“You can see what’s been happening to that percentage over the years,” said Craig Neuenswander, deputy commissioner in the Kansas Department of Education. “It has declined primarily because costs increased each year and the increase in revenue has not kept up with one, inflation, and two, the need to provide additional services.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689332523059.png" alt="The Kansas State Board of Education voted unanimously to request the governor and Legislature support a four-year, $346 million plan to raise state aid to special education and comply with the law. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Board of Education’s YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas State Board of Education voted unanimously to request the governor and Legislature support a four-year, $346 million plan to raise state aid to special education and comply with the law. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Board of Education’s YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Unanimous recommendation may run aground in GOP-led Legislature</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas State Board of Education voted unanimously to recommend Gov. Laura Kelly and the 2024 Legislature embrace a four-year initiative raising state aid to special education by $86.6 million annually to bring Kansas into compliance with the law.The state board last year urged lawmakers to implement a five-year program that would have moved the state’s contribution to the required 92% in terms of extra spending by local districts to educate students with special-education needs. That recommendation was supported by the governor, but didn’t gain sufficient traction at the Capitol during the 2023 legislative session.In the upcoming fiscal year, without changes approved by the Legislature and Kelly, the state would again provide 69% of special-education funding. The strategy adopted by the state Board of Education would move the state to the 92% level within four years by delivering a total of $346 million in new state aid to special education instruction.Support among the 10 state Board of Education members at a Wednesday meeting reflected, in part, the state treasury’s fiscal year ending balance of $1.9 billion and deposits in the state’s separate rainy-day account of $1.5 billion.“Right now, they’re not funding the law,” said state board chair Melanie Haas, with a district that included Blue Valley, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and Kansas City schools. “We certainly have the budget as a state right now to cover this. It’s time we caught up.”Board member Jim Porter, who has responsibility for a 23-county district spreading out from southeast Kansas, made the motion to recommend the Democratic governor and the Republican-led Legislature tackle the funding shortfall in special education aid within four years.It wasn’t fair to obligate local districts to fill the gap, he said, because those expenditures diverted resources in each district’s general fund.“The special education students are not being cheated, but it very well could be to the detriment of everybody else,” Porter said. “It’s critical we make a strong statement.”Board member Danny Zeck, a Leavenworth resident with a district extending to 16 counties in northeast Kansas, voted for the special-education funding recommendation. He did so despite suggesting local school districts were supercharging assessment programs with the goal of increasing the number of students labeled with some sort of educational disability.He also said 30 years operating a car dealership taught him it was prudent to stockpile cash in anticipation of economic downturns.“Cash is king,” Zeck said. “I don’t know anybody will disagree with that.”Topeka state board member Ann Mah, with a district ranging from Wyandotte to Coffey counties, said Zeck misunderstood implications of making local districts responsible for unfunded costs of special education. She said there was no financial incentive for districts to draw more and more students into special education given the state’s failure to comply with the 92% standard.In the 2011 fiscal year, the state covered 95.7% of additional special education costs incurred by local school districts. Generally, that percentage declined throughout the subsequent decade.“You can see what’s been happening to that percentage over the years,” said Craig Neuenswander, deputy commissioner in the Kansas Department of Education. “It has declined primarily because costs increased each year and the increase in revenue has not kept up with one, inflation, and two, the need to provide additional services.”