Future adjustments would reflect 3-year rolling average of increase in Kansas wages

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

TOPEKA — A bipartisan commission led by former state lawmakers Thursday endorsed recommendations raising the base salary of House and Senate members to $43,000 per year and establishing a method of indexing annual adjustments linked to a three-year rolling average of growth in overall Kansas wages.

The commission was given authority by the 2023 Legislature to study compensation provided the state’s 165 lawmakers. The group’s proposal will be subject to public comment prior to a final vote of the commission Oct. 19 at the Capitol. Approval would forward the report to the 2024 Legislature, which could vote to block the plan or allow it to be implemented. Unlike a regular bill, Gov. Laura Kelly has no role in the decision.

“This gets the Legislature on a better course,” said former Rep. Mark Kahrs, a Republican. “We’ve reached a very good product. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done here. We represent a pretty broad political spectrum, yet we’ve worked well together.”

Former Democratic Rep. Ed McKechnie said the package forged by the commission was the product of efficient deliberations.

“Almost gives myself goose bumps,” McKechnie said. “This is how the republic was supposed to work. Commission is formed. We come in. We do our work. We go home.”

Former GOP Rep. Mark Hutton, who chaired the commission, said the core of the proposal was the move to set a base annual salary for each legislator at $43,000. It would be equivalent to one-fourth of the salary paid a member of the U.S. Congress, but would represent a 50% raise for Kansas legislators.

Hutton said the proposed salary figure was drawn from a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report of average annual wages among Kansans employed in the private and public sectors. It assumed a legislator was dedicated to the job 100% of the time for five months during the legislative session from January to May. It also assumed legislators were committed to state government duties 50% of the time in the other seven months.

The workload equivalent to 8.5 months, accounting for roughly 70% of the year, helped establish the $43,000 base salary.

Hutton suggested the commission tie annual adjustments in legislator salary to the latest yearly percentage increase or decrease in wages earned among Kansas workers. Several commissioners sought to avoid situations in which legislator pay suddenly surged or had to be cut due to economic forces.

“If the rest of Kansas takes a hit,” Hutton argued, “I don’t see any reason that a legislator shouldn’t take a hit.”

Instead, the commission decided to rely on a three-year rolling average of the statewide increase in wages reported by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. For example, the average salary earned by Kansans in 2021, 2022 and 2023 would be the basis for determining the percentage raise for legislators in 2025.

The commission said the per diem daily allowance paid legislators for lodging, meals and incidental expenditures should be unchanged at $157 per day. The per diem is available to legislators during the annual session, on special session days and for interim committee meetings.

Former Sen. Tom Hawk, a Democrat, said it was important to set a salary and calculate raises in a way viewed as fair by legislators and taxpayers.

“One of our side tasks is making sure the public thinks we did a solid job of looking at this,” Hawk said.

Commissioners included a strategy for providing salary premiums to legislative leaders of the House and Senate. The base salary of the House speaker and Senate president would be bumped 64% to $68,680. Legislators in 10 other leadership posts would earn premiums ranging from 33% to 58% of base salary.

The commission recommended members of the Legislature not receive a windfall from annual raises in salary when determining benefits for those enrolled in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.

A plan to create a stipend for legislators with large geographic districts was discarded, despite wide variation in square miles served by House and Senate members. The idea was to provide 22% of representatives and 35% of senators a boost in annual compensation ranging from as little as $15 to as much as $3,750 per year. Overall, the provision rejected by the commission would have cost the state about $33,000 each year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696616153812.png" alt=" A special commission created by the Kansas Legislature approved a draft plan Thursday that would raise the base salary of state legislators to $43,000 and link annual raises to the three-year rolling average of increases in wages earned by Kansans in the private and public sectors. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> A special commission created by the Kansas Legislature approved a draft plan Thursday that would raise the base salary of state legislators to $43,000 and link annual raises to the three-year rolling average of increases in wages earned by Kansans in the private and public sectors. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Future adjustments would reflect 3-year rolling average of increase in Kansas wages</h2>By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A bipartisan commission led by former state lawmakers Thursday endorsed recommendations raising the base salary of House and Senate members to $43,000 per year and establishing a method of indexing annual adjustments linked to a three-year rolling average of growth in overall Kansas wages.The commission was given authority by the 2023 Legislature to study compensation provided the state’s 165 lawmakers. The group’s proposal will be subject to public comment prior to a final vote of the commission Oct. 19 at the Capitol. Approval would forward the report to the 2024 Legislature, which could vote to block the plan or allow it to be implemented. Unlike a regular bill, Gov. Laura Kelly has no role in the decision.“This gets the Legislature on a better course,” said former Rep. Mark Kahrs, a Republican. “We’ve reached a very good product. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done here. We represent a pretty broad political spectrum, yet we’ve worked well together.”Former Democratic Rep. Ed McKechnie said the package forged by the commission was the product of efficient deliberations.“Almost gives myself goose bumps,” McKechnie said. “This is how the republic was supposed to work. Commission is formed. We come in. We do our work. We go home.”Former GOP Rep. Mark Hutton, who chaired the commission, said the core of the proposal was the move to set a base annual salary for each legislator at $43,000. It would be equivalent to one-fourth of the salary paid a member of the U.S. Congress, but would represent a 50% raise for Kansas legislators.Hutton said the proposed salary figure was drawn from a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report of average annual wages among Kansans employed in the private and public sectors. It assumed a legislator was dedicated to the job 100% of the time for five months during the legislative session from January to May. It also assumed legislators were committed to state government duties 50% of the time in the other seven months.The workload equivalent to 8.5 months, accounting for roughly 70% of the year, helped establish the $43,000 base salary.Hutton suggested the commission tie annual adjustments in legislator salary to the latest yearly percentage increase or decrease in wages earned among Kansas workers. Several commissioners sought to avoid situations in which legislator pay suddenly surged or had to be cut due to economic forces.“If the rest of Kansas takes a hit,” Hutton argued, “I don’t see any reason that a legislator shouldn’t take a hit.”Instead, the commission decided to rely on a three-year rolling average of the statewide increase in wages reported by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. For example, the average salary earned by Kansans in 2021, 2022 and 2023 would be the basis for determining the percentage raise for legislators in 2025.The commission said the per diem daily allowance paid legislators for lodging, meals and incidental expenditures should be unchanged at $157 per day. The per diem is available to legislators during the annual session, on special session days and for interim committee meetings.Former Sen. Tom Hawk, a Democrat, said it was important to set a salary and calculate raises in a way viewed as fair by legislators and taxpayers.“One of our side tasks is making sure the public thinks we did a solid job of looking at this,” Hawk said.Commissioners included a strategy for providing salary premiums to legislative leaders of the House and Senate. The base salary of the House speaker and Senate president would be bumped 64% to $68,680. Legislators in 10 other leadership posts would earn premiums ranging from 33% to 58% of base salary.The commission recommended members of the Legislature not receive a windfall from annual raises in salary when determining benefits for those enrolled in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.A plan to create a stipend for legislators with large geographic districts was discarded, despite wide variation in square miles served by House and Senate members. The idea was to provide 22% of representatives and 35% of senators a boost in annual compensation ranging from as little as $15 to as much as $3,750 per year. Overall, the provision rejected by the commission would have cost the state about $33,000 each year.

Kansas commission recommends raising annual base salary of state legislators 

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union said Friday it will not expand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-negotiations-progress-gm-stellantis-ford-4dc51e9f463022bc3794e9615d8a705b">its strikes</a>&nbsp;against Detroit's three automakers after General Motors made a breakthrough concession on unionizing electric vehicle battery plants.

Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a video appearance that additional plants could be added to the strikes later.

The announcement of the pause in expanding the strikes came shortly after GM agreed to bring electric vehicle battery plants into the UAW's national contract, essentially assuring that they will be unionized.

Fain said GM's move will change the future of the union and the auto industry.

He said GM made the change after the union threatened to strike at a plant in Arlington, Texas, that makes highly profitable large SUVs.

“Today, under the threat of a major financial hit, they leapfrogged the pack in terms of a just transition” from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-electric-cars-uaw-strike-d73f259bf5e9242340e912ad1e9b4aa9">combustion engines to electric vehicles</a>, he said. “Our strike is working, but we’re not there yet.”

In addition to large general pay raises, cost of living pay, restoration of pensions for new hires and other items, the union wanted to represent 10 battery factories proposed by the companies.

The companies have said the plants, mostly joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, had to be bargained separately.

Friday's change means the the four U.S. GM battery plants would now be covered under the union's master agreement and GM would bargain with the union' “which I think is a monumental development,” said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.

He said the details of GM's offer, made in writing, will have to be scrutinized.

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union said Friday it will not expand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-negotiations-progress-gm-stellantis-ford-4dc51e9f463022bc3794e9615d8a705b">its strikes</a>&nbsp;against Detroit's three automakers after General Motors made a breakthrough concession on unionizing electric vehicle battery plants.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/GM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GM</a> has agreed in writing to place their electric battery manufacturing under the UAW&#39;s National Master Agreement. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandUpUAW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandUpUAW</a> <a href="https://t.co/FZcR6TV0wp">pic.twitter.com/FZcR6TV0wp</a>&mdash; AFL-CIO ✊ (@AFLCIO) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFLCIO/status/1710359460521062858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a video appearance that additional plants could be added to the strikes later.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fuaw.union%2Fposts%2Fpfbid021vJoPoyF3x6ScSAQhxKLbscwJJP5cC1j6rCzLMrzm19WQ2maWyfoo24rEMsjqhb9l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="298" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The announcement of the pause in expanding the strikes came shortly after GM agreed to bring electric vehicle battery plants into the UAW's national contract, essentially assuring that they will be unionized.Fain said GM's move will change the future of the union and the auto industry.He said GM made the change after the union threatened to strike at a plant in Arlington, Texas, that makes highly profitable large SUVs.“Today, under the threat of a major financial hit, they leapfrogged the pack in terms of a just transition” from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-electric-cars-uaw-strike-d73f259bf5e9242340e912ad1e9b4aa9">combustion engines to electric vehicles</a>, he said. “Our strike is working, but we’re not there yet.”In addition to large general pay raises, cost of living pay, restoration of pensions for new hires and other items, the union wanted to represent 10 battery factories proposed by the companies.The companies have said the plants, mostly joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, had to be bargained separately.Friday's change means the the four U.S. GM battery plants would now be covered under the union's master agreement and GM would bargain with the union' “which I think is a monumental development,” said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.He said the details of GM's offer, made in writing, will have to be scrutinized.

🎥 Auto workers stop expanding strikes; GM makes battery plant concession

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal crash involving a bicyclist and a sport utility vehicle in Johnson County have identified the man who died as 28-year-old Eduardo Loredo-Martinez of Olathe, Kansas, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

Just after 6a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the crash scene in the area of South Lone Elm Road and West 159th Street, according to Olathe Police. 

First responders found the bicyclist&nbsp;Loredo-Martinez .He was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the SUV, a 64-year-old woman, remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696515388372.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal crash involving a bicyclist and a sport utility vehicle in Johnson County have identified the man who died as 28-year-old Eduardo Loredo-Martinez of Olathe, Kansas, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.Just after 6a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the crash scene in the area of South Lone Elm Road and West 159th Street, according to Olathe Police. First responders found the bicyclist&nbsp;Loredo-Martinez .He was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the SUV, a 64-year-old woman, remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

Police ID Kansas bicyclist killed after struck by SUV

BOURBON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident involving a school bus taking students home from an after school program just before 5:30p.m. Thursday in Bourbon County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by Andrew S. Callahan, 23, Fort Scott, was westbound on Maple Road at 145th Street one mile south of U.S. 54.

The car struck the side of a southbound USD 235 Uniontown school bus driven by 77-year-old Johnny K. Speer of Redfield as the bus entered the intersection.&nbsp;&nbsp;

EMS treated Callahan at the scene for minor injuries.&nbsp; Speer and multiple students who participate in the school district's after school program were on their way home, according to the district office. They were not injured.

BOURBON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident involving a school bus taking students home from an after school program just before 5:30p.m. Thursday in Bourbon County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by Andrew S. Callahan, 23, Fort Scott, was westbound on Maple Road at 145th Street one mile south of U.S. 54.The car struck the side of a southbound USD 235 Uniontown school bus driven by 77-year-old Johnny K. Speer of Redfield as the bus entered the intersection.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS treated Callahan at the scene for minor injuries.&nbsp; Speer and multiple students who participate in the school district's after school program were on their way home, according to the district office. They were not injured.

Students in after school program involved in Kan. bus crash

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 25-year-old homeless man was charged Thursday in the rape and killing of a 5-year-old Kansas girl who died despite firefighters' efforts to save her life in a gas station parking lot.

Mickel Cherry faces one count of capital murder — which would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty — and one count each of first-degree murder and rape in the death of Zoey Felix on Monday. He was jailed in Topeka on a $2 million bond, and his next court appearance has not yet been determined.

Shawnee County District Attorney Michael Kagay told reporters that a decision about seeking a death sentence won't be made until after a preliminary hearing to determine whether Cherry stands trial. That is standard in capital cases.

Mark Manna, of the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit, said his office would represent Cherry, but that he had no further comment. Cherry’s family didn’t respond to messages.

Authorities have released no details about the cause of Zoey’s death, but former neighbors of the girl and her family believe she, her father and Cherry had lived the past few weeks in a grove of trees on a wooded lot near the gas station, just blocks from the home where her mother lived. They believed she was carried from the wooded lot to the gas station, but police have not confirmed any of those details.

Kagay said in a news release that Topeka police rushed to a gas station where fire crews were attempting to save Zoey’s life. She was later pronounced dead. A medical examination at the hospital revealed injuries consistent with sexual assault.

“I think the investigation into the murder and rape of this 5-year-old girl is fairly complete,” Kagay told reporters during a brief news conference.

Asked about potentially charging other people, Kagay said, “I’m willing to consider any actionable investigations brought to me,” but when he was asked whether he is aware of any other investigations, he said, “I’m not.”

Timothy Phelps, deputy director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, confirmed that Cherry used to live at the same address as Zoey, but at the time of his arrest, Cherry was homeless.

Cherry has no criminal record in Kansas, but he does have a misdemeanor criminal trespass conviction in Amarillo, Texas.

Neighbors said they had raised concerns that Zoey's family home had no electricity and that they called the police and child welfare.

“She just had a good spirit to her. Honestly, very outgoing, smart. She was curious about everything. She’d ask you a 1,001 questions, and she demanded answers for those too,” said Shaniqua Bradley, a neighbor.

Topeka police confirmed Thursday that they made three visits to the home in September: one on Sept. 5 for a welfare check following a report that the home had no electricity; and two domestic disturbance calls in the afternoon and evening of Sept. 19, a little more than an hour apart. Police did not provide details about those two calls.

City spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said in an email that during the first call officers confirmed there was no electricity and that they were told the child wasn't staying there. Police met with the child, saw she was in “good spirits” but still made a report to child welfare and property officials, Spiker said.

The city moved to condemn the house but backed off when the utilities were turned back on. Neighbors said that everyone but the mother had moved out by then.

One tent and a tarp were set up in the woods a few blocks away from the home, in an area about a football field away from the pumps at a Dillons grocery store where fire crews tried to resuscitate Zoey.

Her dad worked at the gas station; a coworker said Wednesday that he was taking time off and the company hasn't responded to an email from The Associated Press.

A makeshift memorial of flowers, balloons and toys sat nearby.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696600819324.png" alt="Zoey Felix <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/zoey-felix-funeral-expenses">photo GoFundMe</a>" />
 <figcaption>Zoey Felix <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/zoey-felix-funeral-expenses">photo GoFundMe</a></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 25-year-old homeless man was charged Thursday in the rape and killing of a 5-year-old Kansas girl who died despite firefighters' efforts to save her life in a gas station parking lot.Mickel Cherry faces one count of capital murder — which would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty — and one count each of first-degree murder and rape in the death of Zoey Felix on Monday. He was jailed in Topeka on a $2 million bond, and his next court appearance has not yet been determined.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696342029742.png" alt="Cherryp-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Cherryp-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Shawnee County District Attorney Michael Kagay told reporters that a decision about seeking a death sentence won't be made until after a preliminary hearing to determine whether Cherry stands trial. That is standard in capital cases.Mark Manna, of the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit, said his office would represent Cherry, but that he had no further comment. Cherry’s family didn’t respond to messages.Authorities have released no details about the cause of Zoey’s death, but former neighbors of the girl and her family believe she, her father and Cherry had lived the past few weeks in a grove of trees on a wooded lot near the gas station, just blocks from the home where her mother lived. They believed she was carried from the wooded lot to the gas station, but police have not confirmed any of those details.Kagay said in a news release that Topeka police rushed to a gas station where fire crews were attempting to save Zoey’s life. She was later pronounced dead. A medical examination at the hospital revealed injuries consistent with sexual assault.“I think the investigation into the murder and rape of this 5-year-old girl is fairly complete,” Kagay told reporters during a brief news conference.Asked about potentially charging other people, Kagay said, “I’m willing to consider any actionable investigations brought to me,” but when he was asked whether he is aware of any other investigations, he said, “I’m not.”Timothy Phelps, deputy director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, confirmed that Cherry used to live at the same address as Zoey, but at the time of his arrest, Cherry was homeless.Cherry has no criminal record in Kansas, but he does have a misdemeanor criminal trespass conviction in Amarillo, Texas.Neighbors said they had raised concerns that Zoey's family home had no electricity and that they called the police and child welfare.“She just had a good spirit to her. Honestly, very outgoing, smart. She was curious about everything. She’d ask you a 1,001 questions, and she demanded answers for those too,” said Shaniqua Bradley, a neighbor.Topeka police confirmed Thursday that they made three visits to the home in September: one on Sept. 5 for a welfare check following a report that the home had no electricity; and two domestic disturbance calls in the afternoon and evening of Sept. 19, a little more than an hour apart. Police did not provide details about those two calls.City spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said in an email that during the first call officers confirmed there was no electricity and that they were told the child wasn't staying there. Police met with the child, saw she was in “good spirits” but still made a report to child welfare and property officials, Spiker said.The city moved to condemn the house but backed off when the utilities were turned back on. Neighbors said that everyone but the mother had moved out by then.One tent and a tarp were set up in the woods a few blocks away from the home, in an area about a football field away from the pumps at a Dillons grocery store where fire crews tried to resuscitate Zoey.Her dad worked at the gas station; a coworker said Wednesday that he was taking time off and the company hasn't responded to an email from The Associated Press.A makeshift memorial of flowers, balloons and toys sat nearby.

Man could face death penalty for murder of 5-year-old Kan. girl

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Biden administration will resume deporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tps-border-asylum-venezuela-temporary-status-2fa052ceacb020b861bb82332912bc92">Venezuelan migrants</a>, the largest single group encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border last month, back to their economically troubled country as their arrivals continue to grow.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, speaking in Mexico City Thursday, cited the new measure as one of the “strict consequences” the Biden administration is pairing with the expansion of legal pathways for asylum seekers.

“Our two countries are being challenged by an unprecedented level of migration throughout our hemisphere,” Mayorkas said, referring to Mexico.

The repatriation flights are expected to begin shortly, said two U.S. officials, though they did not provide specific details on when the flights would begin taking off. The officials were not authorized to disclose details of the government’s plan and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-border-migrant-venezuela-b914be14aaeef14eb01bd10ee23067f4">The resumption of deportation flights comes not long after the administration increased protected status</a>&nbsp;for thousands of Venezuelans who had previously arrived to the U.S., they must have entered the country before July 31 of this year to be eligible for temporary protected status.

In making the recent expansion of protections official, President Joe Biden's administration said just this week that it had determined that “extraordinary and temporary conditions continue to prevent Venezuelan nationals from returning in safety.”

Mayorkas on Thursday addressed the contrast with the announcement just days later of more deportations, saying “we have made a determination it is safe to return Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the United States subsequent to July 31 and do not have a legal basis to remain here.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who led a U.S. delegation to Mexico, added that “we have an ironclad commitment to provide protection for those who qualify. That remains paramount in everything we’re doing.”

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service criticized the move to resume deportations noting the apparent contradiction with the expansion of temporary protected status.

“Returning thousands of Venezuelans to the same unimaginably dangerous conditions they just fled is a profoundly problematic policy for the world’s humanitarian leader to adopt,” the organization’s CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said in a statement.

Administration officials would not discuss details about how frequently deportation flights would be going to Venezuela or describe how Venezuela agreed to accept back their citizens except to say that, like other countries around the world, the U.S. has long encouraged Venezuela to accept back its nationals. Cuba, another U.S. adversary, announced earlier this year that it would begin accepting Cuban deportees but there has only been one flight a month.

The U.S. had been returning some Venezuelans via commercial flights, but in relatively small numbers and through third countries.

In Venezuela, the government said it had reached an agreement with U.S. officials for a safe and orderly repatriation.

“Venezuelan migration in recent years is a direct result of the application of unilateral coercive measures and a blockade of our economy,” Venezuela's foreign ministry said via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It said the government would support repatriated Venezuelans.

The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.

The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/antony-blinken">Blinken</a>&nbsp;and other top Biden administration officials met with their counterparts in Mexico City on security issues.

Blinken discussed migration flows with Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena, as well as foreign ministers from Panama and Colombia, Wednesday. Talks continued Thursday, including meetings by Blinken and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland with López Obrador.

Bárcena said Thursday that some 10,000 migrant encounters were registered at the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday.

“We are going to continue taking forceful actions, including continuing some efforts we already have in relation to assisted returns, coordinating the dismantling of trafficking networks and human trafficking,” Bárcena said.

Blinken said the U.S. government is working to support those efforts.

“We're taking steps to aid the most vulnerable, those most vulnerable to organized crime, training nearly 200 Mexican immigration officials to better screen, identify and assist potential human trafficking victims,” Blinken said.

“The scale of this challenge demands that we redouble our efforts, that we do more to increase legal migration ... more to address root causes and more to deter irregular migration humanely,” Blinken said.

López Obrador said Thursday during his daily news briefing that Mexico has reiterated in talks its position that there should be investment to spur development in the countries that migrants leave.

“The people don't abandon their towns because they want to, but rather out of necessity,” the president said. He also criticized the Biden administration's announcement Wednesday that it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction. López Obrador had previously praised Biden for not building more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">border wall</a>&nbsp;during his presidency.

In August, the U.S. Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, up 37% from July but little changed from August 2022 and well below the more than 220,000 in December, according to figures released in September.

The U.S. has tried to get Mexico and countries farther south to do more. In April, the U.S., Panama and Colombia announced a campaign to slow migration through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/darien-gap-panama-colombia-us-migrants-cf0cd1e9de2119208c9af186e53e09b7">treacherous Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama</a>. But migration through the jungle has only accelerated and is expected to approach some 500,000 people this year - the vast majority from Venezuela.

Venezuelans were stopped 25,777 times the first 17 days of September, up 63% from the same period a month earlier, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures released by López Obrador. Those included some people admitted for scheduled asylum appointments, but the vast majority were illegal entries.

Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain.

The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years.

Deportation flights had been paused in part because the U.S. has few diplomatic relations with the nation.

U.S. and Mexican officials also discussed efforts aimed at combating the trafficking of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Mexican officials continued to explain with some difficulty López Obrador’s blanket assertion — false according to available evidence and the U.S. government — that Mexico does not produce fentanyl.

Bárcena, the foreign relations secretary, said “there is no contradiction, chemical precursors are not produced in Mexico.” It was tacit admission that Mexican cartels import precursors, mainly from China, and process them chemically into fentanyl. But since the entire chemical process is not carried out in Mexico the government maintains that fentanyl is not produced here.

U.S. officials highlighted the recent extradition of Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges as a sign of cooperation between the two governments.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317742720.png" alt="The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.- Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.- Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Biden administration will resume deporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tps-border-asylum-venezuela-temporary-status-2fa052ceacb020b861bb82332912bc92">Venezuelan migrants</a>, the largest single group encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border last month, back to their economically troubled country as their arrivals continue to grow.U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, speaking in Mexico City Thursday, cited the new measure as one of the “strict consequences” the Biden administration is pairing with the expansion of legal pathways for asylum seekers.“Our two countries are being challenged by an unprecedented level of migration throughout our hemisphere,” Mayorkas said, referring to Mexico.The repatriation flights are expected to begin shortly, said two U.S. officials, though they did not provide specific details on when the flights would begin taking off. The officials were not authorized to disclose details of the government’s plan and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-border-migrant-venezuela-b914be14aaeef14eb01bd10ee23067f4">The resumption of deportation flights comes not long after the administration increased protected status</a>&nbsp;for thousands of Venezuelans who had previously arrived to the U.S., they must have entered the country before July 31 of this year to be eligible for temporary protected status.In making the recent expansion of protections official, President Joe Biden's administration said just this week that it had determined that “extraordinary and temporary conditions continue to prevent Venezuelan nationals from returning in safety.”Mayorkas on Thursday addressed the contrast with the announcement just days later of more deportations, saying “we have made a determination it is safe to return Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the United States subsequent to July 31 and do not have a legal basis to remain here.”U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who led a U.S. delegation to Mexico, added that “we have an ironclad commitment to provide protection for those who qualify. That remains paramount in everything we’re doing.”The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service criticized the move to resume deportations noting the apparent contradiction with the expansion of temporary protected status.“Returning thousands of Venezuelans to the same unimaginably dangerous conditions they just fled is a profoundly problematic policy for the world’s humanitarian leader to adopt,” the organization’s CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said in a statement.Administration officials would not discuss details about how frequently deportation flights would be going to Venezuela or describe how Venezuela agreed to accept back their citizens except to say that, like other countries around the world, the U.S. has long encouraged Venezuela to accept back its nationals. Cuba, another U.S. adversary, announced earlier this year that it would begin accepting Cuban deportees but there has only been one flight a month.The U.S. had been returning some Venezuelans via commercial flights, but in relatively small numbers and through third countries.In Venezuela, the government said it had reached an agreement with U.S. officials for a safe and orderly repatriation.“Venezuelan migration in recent years is a direct result of the application of unilateral coercive measures and a blockade of our economy,” Venezuela's foreign ministry said via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It said the government would support repatriated Venezuelans.The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/antony-blinken">Blinken</a>&nbsp;and other top Biden administration officials met with their counterparts in Mexico City on security issues.Blinken discussed migration flows with Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena, as well as foreign ministers from Panama and Colombia, Wednesday. Talks continued Thursday, including meetings by Blinken and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland with López Obrador.Bárcena said Thursday that some 10,000 migrant encounters were registered at the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday.“We are going to continue taking forceful actions, including continuing some efforts we already have in relation to assisted returns, coordinating the dismantling of trafficking networks and human trafficking,” Bárcena said.Blinken said the U.S. government is working to support those efforts.“We're taking steps to aid the most vulnerable, those most vulnerable to organized crime, training nearly 200 Mexican immigration officials to better screen, identify and assist potential human trafficking victims,” Blinken said.“The scale of this challenge demands that we redouble our efforts, that we do more to increase legal migration ... more to address root causes and more to deter irregular migration humanely,” Blinken said.López Obrador said Thursday during his daily news briefing that Mexico has reiterated in talks its position that there should be investment to spur development in the countries that migrants leave.“The people don't abandon their towns because they want to, but rather out of necessity,” the president said. He also criticized the Biden administration's announcement Wednesday that it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction. López Obrador had previously praised Biden for not building more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">border wall</a>&nbsp;during his presidency.In August, the U.S. Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, up 37% from July but little changed from August 2022 and well below the more than 220,000 in December, according to figures released in September.The U.S. has tried to get Mexico and countries farther south to do more. In April, the U.S., Panama and Colombia announced a campaign to slow migration through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/darien-gap-panama-colombia-us-migrants-cf0cd1e9de2119208c9af186e53e09b7">treacherous Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama</a>. But migration through the jungle has only accelerated and is expected to approach some 500,000 people this year - the vast majority from Venezuela.Venezuelans were stopped 25,777 times the first 17 days of September, up 63% from the same period a month earlier, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures released by López Obrador. Those included some people admitted for scheduled asylum appointments, but the vast majority were illegal entries.Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain.The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years.Deportation flights had been paused in part because the U.S. has few diplomatic relations with the nation.U.S. and Mexican officials also discussed efforts aimed at combating the trafficking of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.Mexican officials continued to explain with some difficulty López Obrador’s blanket assertion — false according to available evidence and the U.S. government — that Mexico does not produce fentanyl.Bárcena, the foreign relations secretary, said “there is no contradiction, chemical precursors are not produced in Mexico.” It was tacit admission that Mexican cartels import precursors, mainly from China, and process them chemically into fentanyl. But since the entire chemical process is not carried out in Mexico the government maintains that fentanyl is not produced here.U.S. officials highlighted the recent extradition of Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges as a sign of cooperation between the two governments.__

Biden administration will resume deportation flights 

FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in Franklin County.

Just after 4p.m. Oct. 3, police officers were dispatched to the 800 Block of North Mulberry Street after a 911 call was made to the Franklin County Emergency Communications Center.  The caller provided little information and then disconnected from the dispatcher, according to a media release from Ottawa Police.

 When officers arrived at the address, a 65-year-old Ottawa man was located who was in distress. After an investigation, police arrested 59-year-old Lynette Russell of Ottawa on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery.&nbsp; She is being held in the Franklin County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696514050594.png" alt="Russell photo Franklin County" />
 <figcaption>Russell photo Franklin County</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in Franklin County.Just after 4p.m. Oct. 3, police officers were dispatched to the 800 Block of North Mulberry Street after a 911 call was made to the Franklin County Emergency Communications Center. The caller provided little information and then disconnected from the dispatcher, according to a media release from Ottawa Police. When officers arrived at the address, a 65-year-old Ottawa man was located who was in distress. After an investigation, police arrested 59-year-old Lynette Russell of Ottawa on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery.&nbsp; She is being held in the Franklin County Jail.&nbsp;

Kan. woman accused of kidnapping after police found man in distress

FINNEY COUNTY —The victims who died in the southwest Kansas house fire have been identified as 53-year-old&nbsp;Cresenciano Aguirre-Ortega and 24-year-old&nbsp; Viridiana Aguirre-Abarca, according to Garden City Fire Marshal Gene Robertson.

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental due to unattended cooking.

Just after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, fire crews were dispatched to the report of a house fire with possible trapped individuals at 613 N. 9th Street, Garden City, according to a media release.

First arriving crews found a multi-story residence with heavy fire and visible smoke. Firefighters made contact with three victims in the front yard who alerted them of additional victims inside.

Personnel entered the house to begin fire attack and search and rescue, and were met with heavy fire and intense heat. During the search, personnel located&nbsp;Aguirre-Ortega and Aguirre-Abarca. After retrieving them from the home, fire personnel were joined by EMS to begin life-saving measures.

The victims were loaded into ambulances and care was transferred to EMS. Just before 3a.m., the City of Holcomb Fire Department was requested to provide mutual aid. Personnel reentered the residence to complete the primary search and fire attack.

Additional fire was located in the attic and extinguished. The fire was called under control at 3:22 a.m. and turned over to Garden City Fire Investigators.

In addition to the deaths, three victims were treated for smoke inhalation, and one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696551997925.png" alt="Cresenciano&nbsp; Aguirre-Ortega photo courtesy Robson Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Cresenciano&nbsp; Aguirre-Ortega photo courtesy Robson Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —The victims who died in the southwest Kansas house fire have been identified as 53-year-old&nbsp;Cresenciano Aguirre-Ortega and 24-year-old&nbsp; Viridiana Aguirre-Abarca, according to Garden City Fire Marshal Gene Robertson.The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental due to unattended cooking.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696552076275.png" alt="Viridiana Aguirre-Abarca-photo Robson Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Viridiana Aguirre-Abarca-photo Robson Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, fire crews were dispatched to the report of a house fire with possible trapped individuals at 613 N. 9th Street, Garden City, according to a media release.First arriving crews found a multi-story residence with heavy fire and visible smoke. Firefighters made contact with three victims in the front yard who alerted them of additional victims inside.Personnel entered the house to begin fire attack and search and rescue, and were met with heavy fire and intense heat. During the search, personnel located&nbsp;Aguirre-Ortega and Aguirre-Abarca. After retrieving them from the home, fire personnel were joined by EMS to begin life-saving measures.The victims were loaded into ambulances and care was transferred to EMS. Just before 3a.m., the City of Holcomb Fire Department was requested to provide mutual aid. Personnel reentered the residence to complete the primary search and fire attack.Additional fire was located in the attic and extinguished. The fire was called under control at 3:22 a.m. and turned over to Garden City Fire Investigators.In addition to the deaths, three victims were treated for smoke inhalation, and one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation.

Fire Marshal IDs Kan. victims in fire blamed on unattended cooking 

By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>

An American F-16 fighter aircraft shot down a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle that had been observed conducting airstrikes in a U.S.-restricted operating zone about a kilometer from U.S. forces in Syria Thursday.

During a phone call between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, the two leaders discussed the incident and agreed that while it is regrettable, the focus must remain on the important mission to defeat ISIS in Syria, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday.

"The secretary reaffirmed that the United States remains in Syria exclusively in support of the campaign to defeat ISIS," Ryder said. "The secretary also acknowledged Turkey's legitimate security concerns and underscored the importance of close coordination between the United States and Turkey to prevent any risk to U.S. forces or the global coalition’s defeat-ISIS mission."&nbsp;

At around 7:30 a.m. local time, U.S. forces observed UAVs conducting airstrikes in the vicinity of Hasakah, Syria, Ryder said. Some of the strikes were inside a declared U.S.-restricted operating zone.

"At approximately 11:30 local time, a Turkish UAV reentered the ROZ on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located," Ryder said. "U.S. commanders assessed that the UAV, which was now less than a half a kilometer from U.S. forces, to be a potential threat, and U.S. F-16 fighters subsequently shot down the UAV in self-defense at approximately 11:40 local time."&nbsp;

No U.S. forces were injured, Ryder said, also adding there is no indication that Turkey had intentionally been targeting U.S. forces.&nbsp;

"It's a regrettable incident, but U.S. commanders on the ground did assess that there was a potential threat and so they took prudent action in this scenario," Ryder said. "But again, the secretary has talked to his counterpart. They had the opportunity to have a fruitful conversation and ... commit to one another that the U.S. and Turkey will continue to closely communicate and coordinate. And as I mentioned, Turkey does remain a very important and valuable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nato.int/" target="_blank">NATO</a>&nbsp;ally and partner to the United States."&nbsp;

In addition to the phone call between Austin and Guler, newly sworn-in chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., also discussed the incident with his counterpart, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Gen. Metin Gurak. Those two leaders discussed the U.S. and Turkey's shared objective of defeating ISIS and the importance of following common deconfliction protocols.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696554283148.png" alt="Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday. courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday. courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>An American F-16 fighter aircraft shot down a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle that had been observed conducting airstrikes in a U.S.-restricted operating zone about a kilometer from U.S. forces in Syria Thursday.During a phone call between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, the two leaders discussed the incident and agreed that while it is regrettable, the focus must remain on the important mission to defeat ISIS in Syria, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I called Turkish Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler (<a href="https://twitter.com/tcsavunma?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tcsavunma</a>) today to discuss national security and defense-related matters of mutual interest. I reiterated U.S. commitment to continue working together to defeat ISIS and ensure security and stability in the region.…&mdash; Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1710028976465252425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"The secretary reaffirmed that the United States remains in Syria exclusively in support of the campaign to defeat ISIS," Ryder said. "The secretary also acknowledged Turkey's legitimate security concerns and underscored the importance of close coordination between the United States and Turkey to prevent any risk to U.S. forces or the global coalition’s defeat-ISIS mission."&nbsp;At around 7:30 a.m. local time, U.S. forces observed UAVs conducting airstrikes in the vicinity of Hasakah, Syria, Ryder said. Some of the strikes were inside a declared U.S.-restricted operating zone."At approximately 11:30 local time, a Turkish UAV reentered the ROZ on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located," Ryder said. "U.S. commanders assessed that the UAV, which was now less than a half a kilometer from U.S. forces, to be a potential threat, and U.S. F-16 fighters subsequently shot down the UAV in self-defense at approximately 11:40 local time."&nbsp;No U.S. forces were injured, Ryder said, also adding there is no indication that Turkey had intentionally been targeting U.S. forces.&nbsp;"It's a regrettable incident, but U.S. commanders on the ground did assess that there was a potential threat and so they took prudent action in this scenario," Ryder said. "But again, the secretary has talked to his counterpart. They had the opportunity to have a fruitful conversation and ... commit to one another that the U.S. and Turkey will continue to closely communicate and coordinate. And as I mentioned, Turkey does remain a very important and valuable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nato.int/" target="_blank">NATO</a>&nbsp;ally and partner to the United States."&nbsp;In addition to the phone call between Austin and Guler, newly sworn-in chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., also discussed the incident with his counterpart, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Gen. Metin Gurak. Those two leaders discussed the U.S. and Turkey's shared objective of defeating ISIS and the importance of following common deconfliction protocols.

Focus remains on defeat of ISIS after U.S. shoots down drone over Syria

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.

Just before 11p.m. Sept. 30, a sheriff's deputy was searching for an individual who had a Hiawatha Police Department warrant in the vicinity of 207 Lodge Road, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

The deputy located the wanted suspect 25-year-old Elaine Moore&nbsp; in a bathroom&nbsp; at Fairbridge Inn.&nbsp;

A search warrant was obtained for Room 312 at 207 Lodge Road.&nbsp; Upon completion of the warrant deputies arrested Moore of Hiawatha on requested charges of&nbsp;charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Obstruction and the Failure to Appear Warrant. 

They also arrested 34-year-old Kevin Hall of Hiawatha on requested charges of Possession of Meth and Possion of Drug Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696368734572.png" alt="Hall-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Hall-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.Just before 11p.m. Sept. 30, a sheriff's deputy was searching for an individual who had a Hiawatha Police Department warrant in the vicinity of 207 Lodge Road, according to Sheriff John Merchant.The deputy located the wanted suspect 25-year-old Elaine Moore&nbsp; in a bathroom&nbsp; at Fairbridge Inn.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696368709554.png" alt="Moore-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Moore-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A search warrant was obtained for Room 312 at 207 Lodge Road.&nbsp; Upon completion of the warrant deputies arrested Moore of Hiawatha on requested charges of&nbsp;charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Obstruction and the Failure to Appear Warrant. They also arrested 34-year-old Kevin Hall of Hiawatha on requested charges of Possession of Meth and Possion of Drug Paraphernalia.

Deputy finds wanted Kansas drug suspect in motel bathroom

LANSING, KAN. – Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) resident Michael Aineta died Wednesday after being transported to the KU Medical Center where hospital staff pronounced him dead, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Aineta, 40, was serving a 190-month sentence for one count of rape and one count of criminal sodomy convictions involving a victim under the age of 14 in Seward County.

He had been listed as a registered sex offender since December of 2022.&nbsp; He was originally assigned to the El Dorado Correctional Facility in December and transferred to Lansing in February, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696512334107.png" alt="Aineta photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Aineta photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>LANSING, KAN. – Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) resident Michael Aineta died Wednesday after being transported to the KU Medical Center where hospital staff pronounced him dead, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Aineta, 40, was serving a 190-month sentence for one count of rape and one count of criminal sodomy convictions involving a victim under the age of 14 in Seward County.He had been listed as a registered sex offender since December of 2022.&nbsp; He was originally assigned to the El Dorado Correctional Facility in December and transferred to Lansing in February, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;

Kansas child sex offender dies after 10 months in prison 

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Army officials have identified two soldiers killed when their large transport vehicle crashed while heading to a training area in interior Alaska.

There were among 17 soldiers on board the vehicle that flipped when the driver lost control on a dirt road leading to the Yukon Training Area near the community of Salcha, or about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Fairbanks, officials said earlier. Twelve other soldiers were injured.

The two soldiers killed were Spcs. Jeremy Daniel Evans and Brian Joshua Snowden, the Army said in a statement late Wednesday.

Both were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Combat Team with the 11th Airborne Division.

Evans, 23, arrived in Alaska in January 2021 after completing training at Fort Moore in Georgia. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native joined the Army in July 2020.

Snowden, 22, also joined the Army in July 2020 and trained at Fort Moore. Snowden, a Lonedell, Missouri, native arrived for duty in Alaska in March 2021.

“This is an incredible loss for all of us across the division,” Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the statement.

“While we’re always challenged by the environment, we’re Arctic Angels, we overcome these challenges and accomplish our mission by being a team, and teams take care of one another, especially in times like these,” Eifler said.

Among the 12 other soldiers injured, eight were treated and released the same day from Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, the Army said. Two injured soldiers remain in stable condition in Fairbanks.

Two other soldiers who were taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage were also in stable condition, officials said.

The accident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696538573987.png" alt="Spc. Brian Joshua Snowden -photo U.S. Army&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Spc. Brian Joshua Snowden -photo U.S. Army&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Army officials have identified two soldiers killed when their large transport vehicle crashed while heading to a training area in interior Alaska.There were among 17 soldiers on board the vehicle that flipped when the driver lost control on a dirt road leading to the Yukon Training Area near the community of Salcha, or about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Fairbanks, officials said earlier. Twelve other soldiers were injured.The two soldiers killed were Spcs. Jeremy Daniel Evans and Brian Joshua Snowden, the Army said in a statement late Wednesday.Both were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Combat Team with the 11th Airborne Division.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696538650360.png" alt="Spc. Jeremy Daniel Evans-photo U.S. Army" />
 <figcaption>Spc. Jeremy Daniel Evans-photo U.S. Army</figcaption>
 </figure>Evans, 23, arrived in Alaska in January 2021 after completing training at Fort Moore in Georgia. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native joined the Army in July 2020.Snowden, 22, also joined the Army in July 2020 and trained at Fort Moore. Snowden, a Lonedell, Missouri, native arrived for duty in Alaska in March 2021.“This is an incredible loss for all of us across the division,” Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the statement.“While we’re always challenged by the environment, we’re Arctic Angels, we overcome these challenges and accomplish our mission by being a team, and teams take care of one another, especially in times like these,” Eifler said.Among the 12 other soldiers injured, eight were treated and released the same day from Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, the Army said. Two injured soldiers remain in stable condition in Fairbanks.Two other soldiers who were taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage were also in stable condition, officials said.The accident remains under investigation.

Army IDs Missouri soldier as 1 of 2 who died in training accident

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp;continue to investigate a hit-and-run collision that fatally injured 49-year-old Paul Piepmeier of Wichita.

Just after 2a.m. September 30, police were dispatched to the 4500 block of South Broadway Avenue in Wichita for a vehicle vs. pedestrian collision, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located Piepmeier unconscious and with multiple injuries.&nbsp; EMS transported him to a local hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.

The investigation revealed Piepmeier entered the street when he was struck by southbound dark-colored SUV.&nbsp;&nbsp;Detectives are asking for help to&nbsp;identify the driver and locate the vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696522499514.png" alt="Security camera images Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera images Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp;continue to investigate a hit-and-run collision that fatally injured 49-year-old Paul Piepmeier of Wichita.Just after 2a.m. September 30, police were dispatched to the 4500 block of South Broadway Avenue in Wichita for a vehicle vs. pedestrian collision, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696522750920.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located Piepmeier unconscious and with multiple injuries.&nbsp; EMS transported him to a local hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.The investigation revealed Piepmeier entered the street when he was struck by southbound dark-colored SUV.&nbsp;&nbsp;Detectives are asking for help to&nbsp;identify the driver and locate the vehicle.

Police ask for help to ID suspect in fatal Kan. hit-and-run

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce continue to dominate the headlines in the football and entertainment world. The birding community has been chasing its own star. Last week, an American flamingo was spotted at Chase County State Fishing Lake near Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Kansas Wetlands Education Center Director Curtis Wolf said it's only the third time a flamingo has been spotted in Kansas, and the first time in 50 years.

"One of those first sightings is actually at Quivira," he said. "They had, I think it was multiple birds that were there in the 1920s. Strangely enough, one of those was actually shot and mounted. There's a mount down at Quivira of this flamingo that was taken there at Quivira."

Hurricane Idalia moved through the Florida region at the end of August, and it is believed that storm displaced many bird species. Flamingos have been spotted as far north as Wisconsin, Missouri, and now Kansas.

"I think at one time they were a lot more common down in the Everglades area of Florida," said Wolf. "In the United States, that's the only place you can see them. I don't think they're real common there anymore."

  Bird enthusiasts have flocked to the lake in Chase County to take photos of the flamingo and cross it off their birding list. Wolf said the bird will not survive a Kansas winter, so the hope is its time in Kansas is just a brief layover.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696337625379.jpeg" alt="An American flamingo was spotted in Chase County last week, the first of its kind in Kansas in 50 years. (photo by Jarrett Thurman)" />
 <figcaption>An American flamingo was spotted in Chase County last week, the first of its kind in Kansas in 50 years. (photo by Jarrett Thurman)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce continue to dominate the headlines in the football and entertainment world. The birding community has been chasing its own star. Last week, an American flamingo was spotted at Chase County State Fishing Lake near Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Kansas Wetlands Education Center Director Curtis Wolf said it's only the third time a flamingo has been spotted in Kansas, and the first time in 50 years."One of those first sightings is actually at Quivira," he said. "They had, I think it was multiple birds that were there in the 1920s. Strangely enough, one of those was actually shot and mounted. There's a mount down at Quivira of this flamingo that was taken there at Quivira."Hurricane Idalia moved through the Florida region at the end of August, and it is believed that storm displaced many bird species. Flamingos have been spotted as far north as Wisconsin, Missouri, and now Kansas."I think at one time they were a lot more common down in the Everglades area of Florida," said Wolf. "In the United States, that's the only place you can see them. I don't think they're real common there anymore." Bird enthusiasts have flocked to the lake in Chase County to take photos of the flamingo and cross it off their birding list. Wolf said the bird will not survive a Kansas winter, so the hope is its time in Kansas is just a brief layover.

Bird chasers enjoying craze of flamingo spotted in Kansas

Regulators will hold a hearing on the agreement on Monday.

By ALLISON KITE, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/10/04/evergy-regulators-near-deal-on-kansas-electric-rates/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Evergy is close to a deal with state regulators that would reduce electric rates in the Kansas City area and raise costs for the company’s other Kansas customers.

If the deal is approved by the Kansas Corporation Commission, Evergy’s Kansas Central territory —&nbsp;including Topeka, Manhattan and Wichita —&nbsp;would see rates increase by 4.05%, about $4.64 per month. Customers on the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro would see a 4.75% decrease, or about $6.07.

The deal,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergy-reaches-unanimous-settlement-parties-kansas-rate-case">announced late Friday</a>, is a major departure from the rate increases Evergy requested: a 9.7% increase for Kansas Central and a 1.95% increase for the metro.

“This settlement is a very strong result for our customers,” Evergy’s president and CEO, David Campbell, said in a news release.&nbsp;

Evergy serves 1.6 million electric customers in Kansas and Missouri. It formed from the merger of Kansas City Power &amp; Light, which supplied energy to the metro area, and Westar, which covered most of the rest of eastern and central Kansas, in 2018. Since then, it has been under a rate moratorium as a condition of the merger. This&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/11/evergy-requests-first-rate-increase-in-five-years-rates-outside-kansas-city-would-jump-10/">rate case</a>, filed with the Kansas Corporation Commission in April, is the first in five years.

In its April filing,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/portal/kscc/PSC/DocketDetails.aspx?DocketId=e82552a6-1ad1-472b-a482-162270692d33">Evergy requested rate increases</a>&nbsp;in both of its Kansas territories that would bring in a combined $218 million to the company.

For Kansas Central customers, Evergy’s request would have increased bills by $14.24. Kansas City-area customers would have seen bills jump by $3.47.

But staff of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/11/evergy-requests-first-rate-increase-in-five-years-rates-outside-kansas-city-would-jump-10/">Kansas Corporation Commission said Evergy’s request was too steep</a>.

In a filing in August, the commission’s staff recommended only a 1.66% increase for Kansas Central and a 7.32% drop for the Kansas City metro. Under staff’s recommendation, Evergy would have seen an overall decline of $40 million.

The settlement deal filed with regulators last week lands in the middle.&nbsp;

The deal —supported by Evergy, the commission staff and numerous consumer, environmental and business groups —&nbsp;still has to be approved by the commission.

If approved, the rate changes in the deal would bring in another $41 million for Evergy, less than one-fifth of the revenue it hoped to bring in from customers.

In a filing in support of the negotiated deal, Justin Grady, who works in the utilities division of the Kansas Corporation Commission, said the compromise includes “just and reasonable rates, is in the public interest and is supported by substantial competent evidence in the record.”&nbsp;

Noting the wide variety of interest groups that signed onto the deal, Grady wrote, “the fact that these varied interests were able to collaborate and present a unanimous resolution … strongly indicates the public interest standard has been met.”&nbsp;

The three-member Kansas Corporation Commission is expected to hold a hearing about the deal Monday and decide whether to approve it by December.

While this rate case could soon be settled, another one is likely to follow soon.

Normally, utilities file general rate cases every few years, but Evergy requested permission to file another one next year to deal with the spike in demand expected from the Panasonic plant planned in DeSoto.&nbsp;

According to filings with the KCC, the Panasonic plant is expected to use twice as much energy as Evergy’s largest current commercial customer. The plant, which will produce batteries for electric vehicles, requires an amount of energy Evergy likened to a small city.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687004047927.png" alt=" Evergy headquarters in downtown Topeka (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)." />
 <figcaption> Evergy headquarters in downtown Topeka (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Regulators will hold a hearing on the agreement on Monday.</h2>By ALLISON KITE, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/10/04/evergy-regulators-near-deal-on-kansas-electric-rates/">Kansas Reflector</a>Evergy is close to a deal with state regulators that would reduce electric rates in the Kansas City area and raise costs for the company’s other Kansas customers.If the deal is approved by the Kansas Corporation Commission, Evergy’s Kansas Central territory —&nbsp;including Topeka, Manhattan and Wichita —&nbsp;would see rates increase by 4.05%, about $4.64 per month. Customers on the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro would see a 4.75% decrease, or about $6.07.The deal,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergy-reaches-unanimous-settlement-parties-kansas-rate-case">announced late Friday</a>, is a major departure from the rate increases Evergy requested: a 9.7% increase for Kansas Central and a 1.95% increase for the metro.“This settlement is a very strong result for our customers,” Evergy’s president and CEO, David Campbell, said in a news release.&nbsp;Evergy serves 1.6 million electric customers in Kansas and Missouri. It formed from the merger of Kansas City Power &amp; Light, which supplied energy to the metro area, and Westar, which covered most of the rest of eastern and central Kansas, in 2018. Since then, it has been under a rate moratorium as a condition of the merger. This&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/11/evergy-requests-first-rate-increase-in-five-years-rates-outside-kansas-city-would-jump-10/">rate case</a>, filed with the Kansas Corporation Commission in April, is the first in five years.In its April filing,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/portal/kscc/PSC/DocketDetails.aspx?DocketId=e82552a6-1ad1-472b-a482-162270692d33">Evergy requested rate increases</a>&nbsp;in both of its Kansas territories that would bring in a combined $218 million to the company.For Kansas Central customers, Evergy’s request would have increased bills by $14.24. Kansas City-area customers would have seen bills jump by $3.47.But staff of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/11/evergy-requests-first-rate-increase-in-five-years-rates-outside-kansas-city-would-jump-10/">Kansas Corporation Commission said Evergy’s request was too steep</a>.In a filing in August, the commission’s staff recommended only a 1.66% increase for Kansas Central and a 7.32% drop for the Kansas City metro. Under staff’s recommendation, Evergy would have seen an overall decline of $40 million.The settlement deal filed with regulators last week lands in the middle.&nbsp;The deal —supported by Evergy, the commission staff and numerous consumer, environmental and business groups —&nbsp;still has to be approved by the commission.If approved, the rate changes in the deal would bring in another $41 million for Evergy, less than one-fifth of the revenue it hoped to bring in from customers.In a filing in support of the negotiated deal, Justin Grady, who works in the utilities division of the Kansas Corporation Commission, said the compromise includes “just and reasonable rates, is in the public interest and is supported by substantial competent evidence in the record.”&nbsp;Noting the wide variety of interest groups that signed onto the deal, Grady wrote, “the fact that these varied interests were able to collaborate and present a unanimous resolution … strongly indicates the public interest standard has been met.”&nbsp;The three-member Kansas Corporation Commission is expected to hold a hearing about the deal Monday and decide whether to approve it by December.While this rate case could soon be settled, another one is likely to follow soon.Normally, utilities file general rate cases every few years, but Evergy requested permission to file another one next year to deal with the spike in demand expected from the Panasonic plant planned in DeSoto.&nbsp;According to filings with the KCC, the Panasonic plant is expected to use twice as much energy as Evergy’s largest current commercial customer. The plant, which will produce batteries for electric vehicles, requires an amount of energy Evergy likened to a small city.

Evergy, regulators near deal on Kansas electric rates

By NATE KING Salina Post

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a couple in Salina in connection with children and drugs.

Just after 6p.m. Wednesday, police and paramedics responded to a 911 call for an unresponsive 1o month-year-old child in north Salina, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Sergeant Kyle Tonniges.

When officers arrived at the&nbsp;300 block of North Penn Avenue they found the child breathing, but somewhat unresponsive.

Salina Police Sergeant Kyle Tonniges said tthat paramedics transported the child to SRHC where the child was treated and released into police protective custody.

According to Tonniges the 911 call was placed by the child's parents. Officers who responded suspected the child had possibly been exposed to drugs.&nbsp;

"At this time we're not quite sure what specific drugs or how that's just what we suspected," Tonniges said. "Our detectives ended up getting a search warrant for this residence, where we did locate some drugs and paraphernalia."

During the search of residence, officers discovered methamphetamine, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana.&nbsp;

The child's parents, Phoenix Leonard, 28, and Sadie Marvin, 22, of Salina, were both arrested on requested charges of aggravated child endangerment, possession of controlled substances, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696503830839.jpeg" alt="Leonard-photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Leonard-photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING Salina PostSALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a couple in Salina in connection with children and drugs.Just after 6p.m. Wednesday, police and paramedics responded to a 911 call for an unresponsive 1o month-year-old child in north Salina, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Sergeant Kyle Tonniges.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696503928781.jpeg" alt="Marvin -photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Marvin -photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>When officers arrived at the&nbsp;300 block of North Penn Avenue they found the child breathing, but somewhat unresponsive.Salina Police Sergeant Kyle Tonniges said tthat paramedics transported the child to SRHC where the child was treated and released into police protective custody.According to Tonniges the 911 call was placed by the child's parents. Officers who responded suspected the child had possibly been exposed to drugs.&nbsp;"At this time we're not quite sure what specific drugs or how that's just what we suspected," Tonniges said. "Our detectives ended up getting a search warrant for this residence, where we did locate some drugs and paraphernalia."During the search of residence, officers discovered methamphetamine, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana.&nbsp;The child's parents, Phoenix Leonard, 28, and Sadie Marvin, 22, of Salina, were both arrested on requested charges of aggravated child endangerment, possession of controlled substances, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

10-month-old hospitalized after drugs found at Kansas home

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatality crash involving a bicyclist and a sport utility vehicle that occurred just before 6a.m.Thursday in Johnson County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696515388372.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatality crash involving a bicyclist and a sport utility vehicle that occurred just before 6a.m.Thursday in Johnson County.Officers were dispatched to the crash scene in the area of South Lone Elm Road and West 159th&nbsp;Street, according to Olathe Police. First responders found a 28-year-old bicyclist. He was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the SUV, a 64-year-old woman, remained on scene and is cooperating.&nbsp; Police have not released the victim's name.