KANSAS CITY (AP) — A black swastika was painted on the outside wall of an historically Black church in southwestern Missouri and police are investigating the vandalism as a hate crime.

Pitts Chapel United Methodist Church in Springfield reported that the swastika was spray painted on the building on May 18 or 19. The NAACP and the Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the vandalism. A county parks crew removed the swastika.

During a news conference with the NAACP at the church Friday, the pastor, the Rev. Tracy Wolff, said her congregation was particularly disturbed that their church was targeted given recent violent hate crimes nationwide, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-19514b0c6524bd428f4167ad9b490a12">deadly mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York</a>, that investigators have said was racially motivated.

“I want to be clear that this is not simply tagging. This is not graffiti. This is not vandalism," Wolff said. "This was a hate crime, and it is unacceptable.”

Pitts Chapel is Springfield's oldest historically Black church, Wolff said. It was founded in 1847 by a group of enslaved Africans.

“Though we are historically Black, on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m., we’re becoming one of the most diverse places in town. I don’t think a lot of people know that," she said.

Police have not identified a suspect and are asking witnesses or anyone with information to contact police. In the meantime, Wolff said, the church is beefing up security.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A black swastika was painted on the outside wall of an historically Black church in southwestern Missouri and police are investigating the vandalism as a hate crime.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPittsChapelUMC%2Fvideos%2F490958242780367%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=139" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Pitts Chapel United Methodist Church in Springfield reported that the swastika was spray painted on the building on May 18 or 19. The NAACP and the Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the vandalism. A county parks crew removed the swastika.During a news conference with the NAACP at the church Friday, the pastor, the Rev. Tracy Wolff, said her congregation was particularly disturbed that their church was targeted given recent violent hate crimes nationwide, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-19514b0c6524bd428f4167ad9b490a12">deadly mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York</a>, that investigators have said was racially motivated.“I want to be clear that this is not simply tagging. This is not graffiti. This is not vandalism," Wolff said. "This was a hate crime, and it is unacceptable.”Pitts Chapel is Springfield's oldest historically Black church, Wolff said. It was founded in 1847 by a group of enslaved Africans.“Though we are historically Black, on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m., we’re becoming one of the most diverse places in town. I don’t think a lot of people know that," she said.Police have not identified a suspect and are asking witnesses or anyone with information to contact police. In the meantime, Wolff said, the church is beefing up security.

🎥 Police investigate swastika painted on historically Black church

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Nearly 20 officers stood for about 45 minutes in the hallway outside the adjoining Texas classrooms where the gunman killed students and teachers this week before U.S. Border Patrol agents unlocked the door to confront and kill him, authorities said Friday.

At least some of the 911 calls made during the Tuesday attack on Robb Elementary School in Uvalde came from inside the connected classrooms where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was holed up, Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said during a contentious news conference.

The commander at the scene believed Ramos was barricaded inside and that the children were not at risk, McCraw said.

“It was the wrong decision,” he said.

McCraw released new details about the attack in which Ramos killed 19 children teachers, though his motive remains unclear.

The Border Patrol agents eventually used a master key to open the locked door of the classroom where they confronted and killed Ramos, he said.

There was a barrage of gunfire shortly after Ramos entered the classroom where officers eventually killed him, but that shots were “sporadic” for much of the 48 minutes when officers waited in the hallway, McCraw said. He said investigators do not know if or how many children died during that time.

Throughout the attack, teachers and children repeatedly called 911 asking for help, including a girl who pleaded: “Please send the police now,” McCraw said.

Questions have mounted over the amount of time it took officers to enter the school to confront the gunman.

It was 11:28 a.m. Tuesday when Ramos’ Ford pickup slammed into a ditch behind the low-slung Texas school and the driver jumped out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-texas-donald-trump-violence-212dfd1b57474f1ab208d4a72521a010">carrying an AR-15-style rifle</a>.

Twelve minutes after that, authorities say, Ramos entered the school and found his way to the fourth-grade classroom where he killed the 21 victims.

But it wasn’t until 12:58 p.m. that law enforcement radio chatter said Ramos had been killed and the siege was over.

What happened in those 90 minutes, in a working-class neighborhood near the edge of the town of Uvalde, has fueled mounting public anger and scrutiny over law enforcement’s response to Tuesday’s rampage.

“They say they rushed in,” said Javier Cazares, whose fourth-grade daughter, Jacklyn Cazares, was killed in the attack, and who raced to the school as the massacre unfolded. “We didn’t see that.”

Friday’s briefing came only after authorities spent three days providing often conflicting and incomplete information.

According to the new timeline provided by McCraw, After crashing his truck, Ramos fired on two people coming out of a nearby funeral home, officials said.

Contrary to earlier statements by officials, a school district police officer was not inside the school when Ramos arrived. When that officer did respond, he unknowingly drove past Ramos, who was crouched behind a car parked outside and firing at the building, McCraw said.

At 11:33 p.m., Ramos entered the school through a rear door that had been propped open and fired more than 100 rounds into a pair of classrooms, McCraw said.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Travis Considine said investigators haven’t yet determined why the door was propped open.

Two minutes later, three local police officers arrived and entered the building through the same door, followed soon after by four others, McCraw said. Within 15 minutes, as many as 19 officers from different agencies had assembled in the hallway, taking sporadic fire from Ramos, who was holed up in a classroom.

Ramos was still inside at 12:10 p.m. when the first U.S. Marshals Service deputies arrived. They had raced to the school from nearly 70 miles (113 kilometers) away in the border town of Del Rio, the agency said in a tweet Friday.

But the police commander inside the building decided the group should wait to confront the gunman, on the belief that the scene was no longer an active attack, McCraw said.

The crisis came to an end after a group of Border Patrol tactical officers entered the school at 12:45 p.m., said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Travis Considine. They engaged in a shootout with the gunman, who was holed up in the fourth-grade classroom. Moments before 1 p.m., he was dead.

Ken Trump, president of the consulting firm National School Safety and Security Services, said the length of the timeline raised questions.

“Based on best practices, it’s very difficult to understand why there were any types of delays, particularly when you get into reports of 40 minutes and up of going in to neutralize that shooter,” he said.

The motive for the massacre — the nation’s deadliest school shooting since Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago — remained under investigation, with authorities saying Ramos had no known criminal or mental health history.

During the siege, frustrated onlookers urged police officers to charge into the school, according to witnesses.

“Go in there! Go in there!” women shouted at the officers soon after the attack began, said Juan Carranza, 24, who watched the scene from outside a house across the street.

Carranza said the officers should have entered the school sooner: “There were more of them. There was just one of him.”

Cazares said that when he arrived, he saw two officers outside the school and about five others escorting students out of the building. But 15 or 20 minutes passed before the arrival of officers with shields, equipped to confront the gunman, he said.

As more parents flocked to the school, he and others pressed police to act, Cazares said. He heard about four gunshots before he and the others were ordered back to a parking lot.

“A lot of us were arguing with the police, ‘You all need to go in there. You all need to do your jobs.’ Their response was, ‘We can’t do our jobs because you guys are interfering,’” Cazares said.

Michael Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens International, which works to make schools safer, cautioned that it’s hard to get a clear understanding of the facts soon after a shooting.

“The information we have a couple of weeks after an event is usually quite different than what we get in the first day or two. And even that is usually quite inaccurate,” Dorn said. For catastrophic events, “you’re usually eight to 12 months out before you really have a decent picture.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653425371872.png" alt="Law enforcement authorities at the back of the school on the afternoon of the shooting -photo courtesy KSAT TV" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement authorities at the back of the school on the afternoon of the shooting -photo courtesy KSAT TV</figcaption>
 </figure>UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Nearly 20 officers stood for about 45 minutes in the hallway outside the adjoining Texas classrooms where the gunman killed students and teachers this week before U.S. Border Patrol agents unlocked the door to confront and kill him, authorities said Friday.At least some of the 911 calls made during the Tuesday attack on Robb Elementary School in Uvalde came from inside the connected classrooms where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was holed up, Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said during a contentious news conference.The commander at the scene believed Ramos was barricaded inside and that the children were not at risk, McCraw said.“It was the wrong decision,” he said.McCraw released new details about the attack in which Ramos killed 19 children teachers, though his motive remains unclear.The Border Patrol agents eventually used a master key to open the locked door of the classroom where they confronted and killed Ramos, he said.There was a barrage of gunfire shortly after Ramos entered the classroom where officers eventually killed him, but that shots were “sporadic” for much of the 48 minutes when officers waited in the hallway, McCraw said. He said investigators do not know if or how many children died during that time.Throughout the attack, teachers and children repeatedly called 911 asking for help, including a girl who pleaded: “Please send the police now,” McCraw said.Questions have mounted over the amount of time it took officers to enter the school to confront the gunman.It was 11:28 a.m. Tuesday when Ramos’ Ford pickup slammed into a ditch behind the low-slung Texas school and the driver jumped out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-texas-donald-trump-violence-212dfd1b57474f1ab208d4a72521a010">carrying an AR-15-style rifle</a>.Twelve minutes after that, authorities say, Ramos entered the school and found his way to the fourth-grade classroom where he killed the 21 victims.But it wasn’t until 12:58 p.m. that law enforcement radio chatter said Ramos had been killed and the siege was over.What happened in those 90 minutes, in a working-class neighborhood near the edge of the town of Uvalde, has fueled mounting public anger and scrutiny over law enforcement’s response to Tuesday’s rampage.“They say they rushed in,” said Javier Cazares, whose fourth-grade daughter, Jacklyn Cazares, was killed in the attack, and who raced to the school as the massacre unfolded. “We didn’t see that.”Friday’s briefing came only after authorities spent three days providing often conflicting and incomplete information.According to the new timeline provided by McCraw, After crashing his truck, Ramos fired on two people coming out of a nearby funeral home, officials said.Contrary to earlier statements by officials, a school district police officer was not inside the school when Ramos arrived. When that officer did respond, he unknowingly drove past Ramos, who was crouched behind a car parked outside and firing at the building, McCraw said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653425628486.png" alt="Contrary to earlier statements by officials, a school district police officer was not inside the school when Ramos arrived.-photo courtesy KSAT TV" />
 <figcaption>Contrary to earlier statements by officials, a school district police officer was not inside the school when Ramos arrived.-photo courtesy KSAT TV</figcaption>
 </figure>At 11:33 p.m., Ramos entered the school through a rear door that had been propped open and fired more than 100 rounds into a pair of classrooms, McCraw said.Department of Public Safety spokesman Travis Considine said investigators haven’t yet determined why the door was propped open.Two minutes later, three local police officers arrived and entered the building through the same door, followed soon after by four others, McCraw said. Within 15 minutes, as many as 19 officers from different agencies had assembled in the hallway, taking sporadic fire from Ramos, who was holed up in a classroom.Ramos was still inside at 12:10 p.m. when the first U.S. Marshals Service deputies arrived. They had raced to the school from nearly 70 miles (113 kilometers) away in the border town of Del Rio, the agency said in a tweet Friday.But the police commander inside the building decided the group should wait to confront the gunman, on the belief that the scene was no longer an active attack, McCraw said.The crisis came to an end after a group of Border Patrol tactical officers entered the school at 12:45 p.m., said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Travis Considine. They engaged in a shootout with the gunman, who was holed up in the fourth-grade classroom. Moments before 1 p.m., he was dead.Ken Trump, president of the consulting firm National School Safety and Security Services, said the length of the timeline raised questions.“Based on best practices, it’s very difficult to understand why there were any types of delays, particularly when you get into reports of 40 minutes and up of going in to neutralize that shooter,” he said.The motive for the massacre — the nation’s deadliest school shooting since Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago — remained under investigation, with authorities saying Ramos had no known criminal or mental health history.During the siege, frustrated onlookers urged police officers to charge into the school, according to witnesses.“Go in there! Go in there!” women shouted at the officers soon after the attack began, said Juan Carranza, 24, who watched the scene from outside a house across the street.Carranza said the officers should have entered the school sooner: “There were more of them. There was just one of him.”Cazares said that when he arrived, he saw two officers outside the school and about five others escorting students out of the building. But 15 or 20 minutes passed before the arrival of officers with shields, equipped to confront the gunman, he said.As more parents flocked to the school, he and others pressed police to act, Cazares said. He heard about four gunshots before he and the others were ordered back to a parking lot.“A lot of us were arguing with the police, ‘You all need to go in there. You all need to do your jobs.’ Their response was, ‘We can’t do our jobs because you guys are interfering,’” Cazares said.Michael Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens International, which works to make schools safer, cautioned that it’s hard to get a clear understanding of the facts soon after a shooting.“The information we have a couple of weeks after an event is usually quite different than what we get in the first day or two. And even that is usually quite inaccurate,” Dorn said. For catastrophic events, “you’re usually eight to 12 months out before you really have a decent picture.”

Police waited 45 minutes in Texas school before pursuing shooter

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/26/kansas-library-board-decides-to-keep-fred-gets-dressed-despite-mothers-complaint/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Oakley Public Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to keep a children’s book over&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/10/woman-wants-kansas-library-to-get-rid-of-childrens-book-about-boy-who-dresses-in-moms-clothes/">objections from a woman</a>&nbsp;who asked for its removal.

Janna Leitner tried to ban “Fred Gets Dressed,” by Peter Brown, from the public library after&nbsp;her two children, ages 9 and 11, discovered the book and brought it to their mother’s attention. Library staff told Kansas Reflector that the woman, who was identified in meeting minutes, was troubled by what she viewed as LGBTQ content.

The book is about a boy who loves to “romp through the house naked and wild and free” and tries on his mother’s clothes. Brown, a bestselling author of children’s books, is a straight,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cisgender">cisgender</a>&nbsp;man who wrote the book&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.peterbrownstudio.com/fred-gets-dressed/">about an experience he had as a little boy</a>.

The library board heard Leitner’s concerns during an April 27 meeting. The minutes from that meeting reference a discussion about whether the book is appropriate for children. The board decided “to table the censorship issue” until the May 25 board meeting, the minutes said.

During Wednesday’s meeting, library director Victoria Halbleib asked to provide a statement for the record, according to unofficial minutes obtained by Kansas Reflector.

“To ban a book is fundamentally wrong,” Halbleib said. “I am sorry that Mrs. Leitner and her children were disturbed by the content of this book, however, the content of any book has no power over us unless we open it and continue to look or read it. This is not about defending or condoning the content of this book or other material in this library. This is a censorship issue; it is about the right of every patron who comes through the door to have the freedom to decide for themselves what they will read. Please do not censor and remove this book from our collection.”

The board voted 6-0 not to remove the book, according to the minutes. The board also voted to order a plain hard copy of the book — the existing copy is a “wonderbook,” which includes audio — and place it on the regular bookshelf, rather than put it on display.

Brown previously said this was the first known attempt to ban his book.

“The woman trying to ban ‘Fred Gets Dressed’ has the right to keep her children from reading the book, but controlling what other people can read? That’s downright un-American,” Brown said. “I think everyone needs to lighten up, and let children be whoever they’re going to be, and let them read what they want to read. Everything is going to be fine.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653666865991.png" alt="“Fred Gets Dressed,” by Peter Brown, depicts a young boy who likes to romp naked through the house and gets dressed in his mother’s clothes. Brown based on the book on an experience from his own life. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>“Fred Gets Dressed,” by Peter Brown, depicts a young boy who likes to romp naked through the house and gets dressed in his mother’s clothes. Brown based on the book on an experience from his own life. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/26/kansas-library-board-decides-to-keep-fred-gets-dressed-despite-mothers-complaint/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Oakley Public Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to keep a children’s book over&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/10/woman-wants-kansas-library-to-get-rid-of-childrens-book-about-boy-who-dresses-in-moms-clothes/">objections from a woman</a>&nbsp;who asked for its removal.Janna Leitner tried to ban “Fred Gets Dressed,” by Peter Brown, from the public library after&nbsp;her two children, ages 9 and 11, discovered the book and brought it to their mother’s attention. Library staff told Kansas Reflector that the woman, who was identified in meeting minutes, was troubled by what she viewed as LGBTQ content.The book is about a boy who loves to “romp through the house naked and wild and free” and tries on his mother’s clothes. Brown, a bestselling author of children’s books, is a straight,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cisgender">cisgender</a>&nbsp;man who wrote the book&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.peterbrownstudio.com/fred-gets-dressed/">about an experience he had as a little boy</a>.The library board heard Leitner’s concerns during an April 27 meeting. The minutes from that meeting reference a discussion about whether the book is appropriate for children. The board decided “to table the censorship issue” until the May 25 board meeting, the minutes said.During Wednesday’s meeting, library director Victoria Halbleib asked to provide a statement for the record, according to unofficial minutes obtained by Kansas Reflector.“To ban a book is fundamentally wrong,” Halbleib said. “I am sorry that Mrs. Leitner and her children were disturbed by the content of this book, however, the content of any book has no power over us unless we open it and continue to look or read it. This is not about defending or condoning the content of this book or other material in this library. This is a censorship issue; it is about the right of every patron who comes through the door to have the freedom to decide for themselves what they will read. Please do not censor and remove this book from our collection.”The board voted 6-0 not to remove the book, according to the minutes. The board also voted to order a plain hard copy of the book — the existing copy is a “wonderbook,” which includes audio — and place it on the regular bookshelf, rather than put it on display.Brown previously said this was the first known attempt to ban his book.“The woman trying to ban ‘Fred Gets Dressed’ has the right to keep her children from reading the book, but controlling what other people can read? That’s downright un-American,” Brown said. “I think everyone needs to lighten up, and let children be whoever they’re going to be, and let them read what they want to read. Everything is going to be fine.”

Kan. library to keep ‘Fred Gets Dressed’ despite mother’s complaint

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A 25-year-old Missouri woman is accused of leaving four dogs locked in a hot car while she had lunch in a central Florida restaurant, police said.

The woman, identified in online jail records as Tesia C. White, who was visiting the area from Gainesville, Missouri, was arrested Thursday evening on charges of animal cruelty, New Smyrna Beach police officials said.

A police report said she left a 4-year-old Goldendoodle, 2-year-old Boxer and two 12-week-old Goldendoodle puppies in her car while she had lunch. There was no air conditioning and the windows were rolled up, the report said.

She told investigators she checked on the dogs once during the meal, but found them dead when she returned an hour later, police said.

She remained in the Volusia County Jail on Friday morning. Bond was set at $10,000.

New Smyrna Beach is near Daytona Beach on Florida's Atlantic Coast.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653658627958.png" alt="White photo Volusia County Jail" />
 <figcaption>White photo Volusia County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A 25-year-old Missouri woman is accused of leaving four dogs locked in a hot car while she had lunch in a central Florida restaurant, police said.The woman, identified in online jail records as Tesia C. White, who was visiting the area from Gainesville, Missouri, was arrested Thursday evening on charges of animal cruelty, New Smyrna Beach police officials said.A police report said she left a 4-year-old Goldendoodle, 2-year-old Boxer and two 12-week-old Goldendoodle puppies in her car while she had lunch. There was no air conditioning and the windows were rolled up, the report said.She told investigators she checked on the dogs once during the meal, but found them dead when she returned an hour later, police said.She remained in the Volusia County Jail on Friday morning. Bond was set at $10,000.New Smyrna Beach is near Daytona Beach on Florida's Atlantic Coast.

Woman accused of leaving 4 dogs to die in hot car

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal officer involved shooting have identified the suspect who died during the 9-hour standoff as 39-year-old Gregorio M. Banuelos, according to Wichita Police Captain Jason Stevens.

Just after 1:30a.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of a shooting at a home in the the 500 block of N. Milstead in Wichita.

A woman victim reported to police that a relative identified as Banuelos showed up at the home, where he does not live, and was intoxicated and&nbsp; accompanied by his girlfriend.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The girlfriend was asked to leave the residence which prompted a verbal disturbance with the victim. During the disturbance, Banuelos assaulted the victim which caused a minor, visible injury, according to Stevens.

Banuelos chased the victim into a room of the home and brandished a handgun and fired one shot that missed her. After Banuelos fired the gun, the woman and two other residents including a child escaped from the home as they waited for police to arrive.

When officers arrived, they saw Banuelos walk out the front door of the home and he was armed with the handgun, according to Stevens. He made some comments and went back into the house.

Due to the nature of the 911 call, police decided at 2 a.m., to activate the Wichita Police SWAT team along with crisis,&nbsp; hostage negotiators. Investigators also learned that Banuelos was prohibited from owning a handgun due to a felony drug conviction. In addition Banuelos had two felony warrants from 2021 aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal threat and a weapons violation, according to Stevens. Police also learned that Banuelos allegedly assaulted another family member earlier this month and used a firearm.

The SWAT team and negotiators worked to peacefully resolve the situation and make an arrest, according to Stevens. Banuelos refused to come out of the house and refused to take calls from anyone during the 9-hour standoff.

The SWAT team used a robot to enter the home to survey the situation and make verbal contact with Banuelos.&nbsp; He continued to refuse to leave the home. Police also used a K-9 in their effort to make an arrest.&nbsp;

Investigators were able to determine Banuelos was in a room in the basement of the home and still had the handgun.

At some point, police believe Banuelsos turned electricity off at the home. Later, officers heard a single gunshot and used the robot to pinpoint his location again.&nbsp;

As officers entered the home to investigate, Banuelos emerged from a position in the basement and pointed the gun. The officers responded in self defense.

After an exchange of gunfire, the officers retreated to defensive positions outside as Banuelos continued to fire the weapon. Not long after the officers retreated, Banuelos emerged aggressively from a walkout door from the house into the garage.&nbsp;

Officers acted in self defense and shot him. EMS crews on the scene were sent in to render aid. Banuelos was pronounced deceased.

The four officers involved in the shooting included two Sedgwick County sheriff's deputies and two Wichita police officers.&nbsp; The police officers each had twenty years of service with the department, according to Stevens. The deputies had 12 and 6-years of experience with the sheriff's office.

All four have been placed on administrative leave which is standard procedure.&nbsp; The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation, according to Stevens. There were no other injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653605174213.png" alt="Banuelos from his Oct. 2021 arrest on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, criminal threat and drug possession-photo Sedgwick Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Banuelos from his Oct. 2021 arrest on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, criminal threat and drug possession-photo Sedgwick Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal officer involved shooting have identified the suspect who died during the 9-hour standoff as 39-year-old Gregorio M. Banuelos, according to Wichita Police Captain Jason Stevens.Just after 1:30a.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of a shooting at a home in the the 500 block of N. Milstead in Wichita.A woman victim reported to police that a relative identified as Banuelos showed up at the home, where he does not live, and was intoxicated and&nbsp; accompanied by his girlfriend.&nbsp; &nbsp;The girlfriend was asked to leave the residence which prompted a verbal disturbance with the victim. During the disturbance, Banuelos assaulted the victim which caused a minor, visible injury, according to Stevens.Banuelos chased the victim into a room of the home and brandished a handgun and fired one shot that missed her. After Banuelos fired the gun, the woman and two other residents including a child escaped from the home as they waited for police to arrive.When officers arrived, they saw Banuelos walk out the front door of the home and he was armed with the handgun, according to Stevens. He made some comments and went back into the house.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653616854990.png" alt="SWAT team on the scene of the officer-involved shooting-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>SWAT team on the scene of the officer-involved shooting-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Due to the nature of the 911 call, police decided at 2 a.m., to activate the Wichita Police SWAT team along with crisis,&nbsp; hostage negotiators. Investigators also learned that Banuelos was prohibited from owning a handgun due to a felony drug conviction. In addition Banuelos had two felony warrants from 2021 aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal threat and a weapons violation, according to Stevens. Police also learned that Banuelos allegedly assaulted another family member earlier this month and used a firearm.The SWAT team and negotiators worked to peacefully resolve the situation and make an arrest, according to Stevens. Banuelos refused to come out of the house and refused to take calls from anyone during the 9-hour standoff.The SWAT team used a robot to enter the home to survey the situation and make verbal contact with Banuelos.&nbsp; He continued to refuse to leave the home. Police also used a K-9 in their effort to make an arrest.&nbsp;Investigators were able to determine Banuelos was in a room in the basement of the home and still had the handgun.At some point, police believe Banuelsos turned electricity off at the home. Later, officers heard a single gunshot and used the robot to pinpoint his location again.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653616799293.png" alt="Photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>As officers entered the home to investigate, Banuelos emerged from a position in the basement and pointed the gun. The officers responded in self defense.After an exchange of gunfire, the officers retreated to defensive positions outside as Banuelos continued to fire the weapon. Not long after the officers retreated, Banuelos emerged aggressively from a walkout door from the house into the garage.&nbsp;Officers acted in self defense and shot him. EMS crews on the scene were sent in to render aid. Banuelos was pronounced deceased.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653616891699.png" alt="The suspect's handgun located after the shooting-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>The suspect's handgun located after the shooting-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>The four officers involved in the shooting included two Sedgwick County sheriff's deputies and two Wichita police officers.&nbsp; The police officers each had twenty years of service with the department, according to Stevens. The deputies had 12 and 6-years of experience with the sheriff's office.All four have been placed on administrative leave which is standard procedure.&nbsp; The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation, according to Stevens. There were no other injuries.

Wanted Kansas man dies after 9-hour standoff with police

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats’ first attempt at responding to the back-to-back mass shootings in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/buffalo-supermarket-shooting">Buffalo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">Uvalde, Texas,</a>&nbsp;failed in the Senate Thursday as Republicans blocked a domestic terrorism bill that would have opened debate on difficult questions surrounding hate crimes and gun safety.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., tried to nudge Republicans into taking up a domestic terrorism bill that had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-new-york-voting-buffalo-gun-politics-f30b5f51f239fa776726efe077be008d">cleared the House</a>&nbsp;quickly last week after mass shootings at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and a church in Southern California targeting people of color. He said it could become the basis for negotiation.

But the vote failed along party lines, raising fresh doubts about the possibility of robust debate, let alone eventual compromise, on gun safety measures. The final vote was 47-47, short of the 60 needed to take up the bill. All Republicans including Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against it.

“We’re disappointed,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

She said it’s “shameful” that the National Rifle Association and others have stood in the way of advancing such measures but encouraged Congress to press ahead.

“The president has been very clear that’s it’s time to act,” she said.

Rejection of the bill, just two days after the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers, brought into sharp relief Congress’ persistent failure to pass legislation to curb the nation’s epidemic of gun violence. It also underscored the prevalence of mass shootings in the U.S. as Congress struggled to react to earlier shootings but was confronted by yet another massacre.

Schumer said he will give bipartisan negotiations in the Senate about two weeks, while Congress is away for a break, to try to forge a compromise bill that could pass the 50-50 Senate, where 60 votes will be needed to overcome a filibuster.

“None of us are under any illusions this will be easy,” Schumer said ahead of the vote.

A small, bipartisan group of about 10 senators who have sought to negotiate legislation on guns met Thursday afternoon for the second time searching for any compromise that could win approved in Congress.

They narrowed to three topics — background checks for guns purchased online or at gun shows,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-flag-gun-laws-buffalo-supermarket-shooting-fecdd8a10f1a1e0f99ac5c4d17db145a">red-flag laws</a>&nbsp;designed to keep guns away from those who could harm themselves or others, and programs to bolster security at schools and other buildings.

“We have a range of options that we’re going to work on,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who is leading the negotiations. They broke into groups and will report next week.

Murphy has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-chris-murphy-pleads-for-action-on-gun-violence-641fb7c7244ff497c7f9c4c1bc96366c">working to push</a>&nbsp;gun legislation since the 2012 attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 20 children and six educators. He was joined Thursday by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and others. Collins, a veteran of bipartisan talks, called the meeting “constructive.”

What is clear, however, is that providing funding for local gun safety efforts may be more politically viable than devising new federal policies.

GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina exited the meeting saying there is no appetite for a federal red flag law or a so-called yellow flag law — which permits temporary firearm confiscation from people in danger of hurting themselves or others, if a medical practitioner signs off.

But Graham said there could be interest in providing money to the states that already have red flag laws or that want to develop them. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who circulated a draft at the meeting, will work with Graham on a potential compromise.

“These laws save lives,” Blumenthal said.

Toomey told reporters that the Manchin-Toomey background check bill — which failed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting a decade ago — still does not have enough support. Manchin said he hoped this time would be different.

“I can’t get my grandchildren out of my mind. It could have been them,” Manchin said.

None of the lawmakers could say definitively if any of the efforts will be able to win all Democrats and have the 10 Republican senators it needs to advance past a GOP-led filibuster.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has said little about gun legislation since the several tragedies have unfolded, told reporters he met with Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas earlier and encouraged senators to collaborate across the aisle on workable outcomes.

“I am hopeful that we could come up with a bipartisan solution that’s directly related to the facts of this awful massacre,” McConnell said.

The domestic terrorism bill that failed Thursday dates back to 2017, when Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., first proposed it after mass shootings in Las Vegas and Southerland Springs, Texas.

The House passed a similar measure by a voice vote in 2020, only to have it languish in the Senate. Since then, Republicans have turned against the legislation, with only one GOP lawmaker supporting passage in the House last week.

“What had broad bipartisan support two years ago, because of the political climate we find ourselves in ... or to be more specific, the political climate Republicans find themselves in, we’re not able to stand up against domestic terrorism,” Schneider, who came into office in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, told The Associated Press.

Republicans say the bill doesn’t place enough emphasis on combating domestic terrorism committed by groups on the far left. Under the bill, agencies would be required to produce a joint report every six months that assesses and quantifies domestic terrorism threats nationally, including threats posed by white supremacists and neo-Nazi groups.

Proponents say the bill will fill the gaps in intelligence-sharing among the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI so that officials can better track and respond to the growing threat of white extremist terrorism.

The efforts would focus on the spread of racist ideology online like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/great-white-replacement-theory-explainer-c86f309f02cd14062f301ce6b9228e33">replacement theory,</a>&nbsp;which investigators say motivated an 18-year-old white gunman to drive three hours to carry out a racist, livestreamed shooting rampage two weeks ago in a crowded supermarket in Buffalo. Or the animus against Taiwanese parishioners at a church in Laguna Woods, California, that led to the shooting death the following day of one man and the wounding of five others.

While Schneider acknowledged that his legislation may not have stopped those attacks, he said it would ensure that those federal agencies work together to better identify, predict and stop threats.

Under current law, the three federal agencies already work to investigate, prevent and prosecute acts of domestic terrorism. But the bill would require each agency to open offices specifically dedicated to those tasks and create an interagency task force to combat the infiltration of white supremacy in the military.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653589652429.png" alt="Protesters joined democratic lawmakers during a Thursday news conference at the Capitol on crafting bipartisan legislation to address gun violence in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas. -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protesters joined democratic lawmakers during a Thursday news conference at the Capitol on crafting bipartisan legislation to address gun violence in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas. -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats’ first attempt at responding to the back-to-back mass shootings in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/buffalo-supermarket-shooting">Buffalo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">Uvalde, Texas,</a>&nbsp;failed in the Senate Thursday as Republicans blocked a domestic terrorism bill that would have opened debate on difficult questions surrounding hate crimes and gun safety.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., tried to nudge Republicans into taking up a domestic terrorism bill that had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-new-york-voting-buffalo-gun-politics-f30b5f51f239fa776726efe077be008d">cleared the House</a>&nbsp;quickly last week after mass shootings at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and a church in Southern California targeting people of color. He said it could become the basis for negotiation.But the vote failed along party lines, raising fresh doubts about the possibility of robust debate, let alone eventual compromise, on gun safety measures. The final vote was 47-47, short of the 60 needed to take up the bill. All Republicans including Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against it.“We’re disappointed,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.She said it’s “shameful” that the National Rifle Association and others have stood in the way of advancing such measures but encouraged Congress to press ahead.“The president has been very clear that’s it’s time to act,” she said.Rejection of the bill, just two days after the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers, brought into sharp relief Congress’ persistent failure to pass legislation to curb the nation’s epidemic of gun violence. It also underscored the prevalence of mass shootings in the U.S. as Congress struggled to react to earlier shootings but was confronted by yet another massacre.Schumer said he will give bipartisan negotiations in the Senate about two weeks, while Congress is away for a break, to try to forge a compromise bill that could pass the 50-50 Senate, where 60 votes will be needed to overcome a filibuster.“None of us are under any illusions this will be easy,” Schumer said ahead of the vote.A small, bipartisan group of about 10 senators who have sought to negotiate legislation on guns met Thursday afternoon for the second time searching for any compromise that could win approved in Congress.They narrowed to three topics — background checks for guns purchased online or at gun shows,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-flag-gun-laws-buffalo-supermarket-shooting-fecdd8a10f1a1e0f99ac5c4d17db145a">red-flag laws</a>&nbsp;designed to keep guns away from those who could harm themselves or others, and programs to bolster security at schools and other buildings.“We have a range of options that we’re going to work on,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who is leading the negotiations. They broke into groups and will report next week.Murphy has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-chris-murphy-pleads-for-action-on-gun-violence-641fb7c7244ff497c7f9c4c1bc96366c">working to push</a>&nbsp;gun legislation since the 2012 attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 20 children and six educators. He was joined Thursday by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and others. Collins, a veteran of bipartisan talks, called the meeting “constructive.”What is clear, however, is that providing funding for local gun safety efforts may be more politically viable than devising new federal policies.GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina exited the meeting saying there is no appetite for a federal red flag law or a so-called yellow flag law — which permits temporary firearm confiscation from people in danger of hurting themselves or others, if a medical practitioner signs off.But Graham said there could be interest in providing money to the states that already have red flag laws or that want to develop them. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who circulated a draft at the meeting, will work with Graham on a potential compromise.“These laws save lives,” Blumenthal said.Toomey told reporters that the Manchin-Toomey background check bill — which failed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting a decade ago — still does not have enough support. Manchin said he hoped this time would be different.“I can’t get my grandchildren out of my mind. It could have been them,” Manchin said.None of the lawmakers could say definitively if any of the efforts will be able to win all Democrats and have the 10 Republican senators it needs to advance past a GOP-led filibuster.Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has said little about gun legislation since the several tragedies have unfolded, told reporters he met with Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas earlier and encouraged senators to collaborate across the aisle on workable outcomes.“I am hopeful that we could come up with a bipartisan solution that’s directly related to the facts of this awful massacre,” McConnell said.The domestic terrorism bill that failed Thursday dates back to 2017, when Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., first proposed it after mass shootings in Las Vegas and Southerland Springs, Texas.The House passed a similar measure by a voice vote in 2020, only to have it languish in the Senate. Since then, Republicans have turned against the legislation, with only one GOP lawmaker supporting passage in the House last week.“What had broad bipartisan support two years ago, because of the political climate we find ourselves in ... or to be more specific, the political climate Republicans find themselves in, we’re not able to stand up against domestic terrorism,” Schneider, who came into office in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, told The Associated Press.Republicans say the bill doesn’t place enough emphasis on combating domestic terrorism committed by groups on the far left. Under the bill, agencies would be required to produce a joint report every six months that assesses and quantifies domestic terrorism threats nationally, including threats posed by white supremacists and neo-Nazi groups.Proponents say the bill will fill the gaps in intelligence-sharing among the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI so that officials can better track and respond to the growing threat of white extremist terrorism.The efforts would focus on the spread of racist ideology online like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/great-white-replacement-theory-explainer-c86f309f02cd14062f301ce6b9228e33">replacement theory,</a>&nbsp;which investigators say motivated an 18-year-old white gunman to drive three hours to carry out a racist, livestreamed shooting rampage two weeks ago in a crowded supermarket in Buffalo. Or the animus against Taiwanese parishioners at a church in Laguna Woods, California, that led to the shooting death the following day of one man and the wounding of five others.While Schneider acknowledged that his legislation may not have stopped those attacks, he said it would ensure that those federal agencies work together to better identify, predict and stop threats.Under current law, the three federal agencies already work to investigate, prevent and prosecute acts of domestic terrorism. But the bill would require each agency to open offices specifically dedicated to those tasks and create an interagency task force to combat the infiltration of white supremacy in the military.___

Moran, Marshall vote to block gun policy debate in Senate

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 5p.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Freightliner semi driven by John Mbera, 36, Aurora, Colorado, was eastbound on the ramp from Interstate 70 eastbound to Interstate 635 northbound. 

The driver failed to negotiate the curve on the ramp. The semi traveled off the road to the right and struck a northbound 1996 Chevy Silverado driven by Dwyane F. Stout, 51, Gallatin, Missouri.

 Both vehicles came to a rest in the right side ditch. Stout was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Foresnics.&nbsp;

EMS transported Mbera, a passenger in the semi Lazaro Garcia Torres, 51, Gulfport, Mississippi, and a passenger in the pickup Billy J, Eads, 42, Cameron, Missouri, to KU Medical Center. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653645418297.png" alt="First responders directing traffic near the fatal crash-photo courtesy KC Scout" />
 <figcaption>First responders directing traffic near the fatal crash-photo courtesy KC Scout</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 5p.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Freightliner semi driven by John Mbera, 36, Aurora, Colorado, was eastbound on the ramp from Interstate 70 eastbound to Interstate 635 northbound. The driver failed to negotiate the curve on the ramp. The semi traveled off the road to the right and struck a northbound 1996 Chevy Silverado driven by Dwyane F. Stout, 51, Gallatin, Missouri. Both vehicles came to a rest in the right side ditch. Stout was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Foresnics.&nbsp;EMS transported Mbera, a passenger in the semi Lazaro Garcia Torres, 51, Gulfport, Mississippi, and a passenger in the pickup Billy J, Eads, 42, Cameron, Missouri, to KU Medical Center. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

1 dead, 3 hospitalized after semi, pickup crash on Kan. highway

Still missing your federal tax refund? The Internal Revenue Service offers a way to track where your cash is at.

Click <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">HERE</a> to access the Where's My Refund tool.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Still missing your federal tax refund? The Internal Revenue Service offers a way to track where your cash is at.Click <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">HERE</a> to access the Where's My Refund tool.

Still missing your federal tax refund? Track it here

TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged theft.

The United State's Attorney's office reported Chelsea Pulse, 27, of Junction City is charged with one count of embezzlement of the mail, two counts of theft of the mail, and one count of delay of mail. The U.S. Postal Service is investigating the case.

TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged theft.The United State's Attorney's office reported Chelsea Pulse, 27, of Junction City is charged with one count of embezzlement of the mail, two counts of theft of the mail, and one count of delay of mail. The U.S. Postal Service is investigating the case.

Kansas woman charged with mail theft

SEDGWICK COUNTY– A Kansas has been sentenced for a shooting and for robbing a business in south Wichita. 

District Judge Bruce Brown sentenced Jacob Caddell, 21 of Wichita, to 17-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In May of 2021, a man in his 20’s told police three young men stole his 2001 Honda Accord.

 The suspects later called and said they were going to return it. While the man waited near 31st Street South and Meridian, one of the suspects, later identified as Caddell, shot him in the face. He was able to give officers a description of the man who shot him.

On June 1, of 2021, two suspect robbed the Kwik Shop at 2700 S. Oliver in Wichita. The men took $180.00 from the cash register and $770.00 in tobacco products.

On June 2nd, a Wichita police officer saw the stolen car travelling 80 mph on W. Kellogg. The officer tried to stop the car, but discontinued the chase near Grove and Central. A mile later, the stolen car crashed into another car near Central and Hillside.

The driver ran from the wreckage, carrying an AR-15 style rifle. With the help of a police service dog, officers found Jacob Caddell hiding in a garage in the 400 block of N. Chautauqua. He was treated at a hospital for dog bites. Police later found the AR-15 rifle and a semi-automatic pistol. They also located stolen cigarettes and cigars from the Kwik Trip in the wrecked car.

On April 14, 2022 Caddell pled guilty to two counts of aggravated battery and one count of aggravated robbery. One of the aggravated battery charges was for an injured person in the second car at Central and Hillside. Charges are pending against the other suspect in the armed robbery. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622716398129.png" alt="Police on the scene of the&nbsp; June 2021 crash during the chase-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the&nbsp; June 2021 crash during the chase-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY– A Kansas has been sentenced for a shooting and for robbing a business in south Wichita. District Judge Bruce Brown sentenced Jacob Caddell, 21 of Wichita, to 17-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622731882288.png" alt="Caddell-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Caddell-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>In May of 2021, a man in his 20’s told police three young men stole his 2001 Honda Accord. The suspects later called and said they were going to return it. While the man waited near 31st Street South and Meridian, one of the suspects, later identified as Caddell, shot him in the face. He was able to give officers a description of the man who shot him.On June 1, of 2021, two suspect robbed the Kwik Shop at 2700 S. Oliver in Wichita. The men took $180.00 from the cash register and $770.00 in tobacco products.On June 2nd, a Wichita police officer saw the stolen car travelling 80 mph on W. Kellogg. The officer tried to stop the car, but discontinued the chase near Grove and Central. A mile later, the stolen car crashed into another car near Central and Hillside.The driver ran from the wreckage, carrying an AR-15 style rifle. With the help of a police service dog, officers found Jacob Caddell hiding in a garage in the 400 block of N. Chautauqua. He was treated at a hospital for dog bites. Police later found the AR-15 rifle and a semi-automatic pistol. They also located stolen cigarettes and cigars from the Kwik Trip in the wrecked car.On April 14, 2022 Caddell pled guilty to two counts of aggravated battery and one count of aggravated robbery. One of the aggravated battery charges was for an injured person in the second car at Central and Hillside. Charges are pending against the other suspect in the armed robbery.

Kan. man sentenced for crime spree with AR-15 style rifle

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after a late night encounter.

Just before 11 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to the 200 block of Chestnut Street in Great Bend after report of&nbsp; an unknown man with a flashlight, according to a media release.

At the home, police made contact with 42-year-old Eduardo Torres.

During the encounter, Torres removed his hands from his pockets dropping items to the floor. Officers located and secured a small bag containing a white powdery substance, a small bag containing a green leafy vegetation and a broken glass pipe.

Officers field tested both substances. Each bag tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana.

Torres was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Torres was transported to the Barton County Jail where he was booked and held on a $10,000 bond.

If anyone has any information regarding this or any other investigation, they are encouraged to contact the Great Bend Police Department at (620) 793-4120 or Great Bend Crime Stoppers at (620) 792-1300.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653575749855.jpeg" alt="Torres-photo Barton County" />
 <figcaption>Torres-photo Barton County</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after a late night encounter.Just before 11 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to the 200 block of Chestnut Street in Great Bend after report of&nbsp; an unknown man with a flashlight, according to a media release.At the home, police made contact with 42-year-old Eduardo Torres.During the encounter, Torres removed his hands from his pockets dropping items to the floor. Officers located and secured a small bag containing a white powdery substance, a small bag containing a green leafy vegetation and a broken glass pipe.Officers field tested both substances. Each bag tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana.Torres was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Torres was transported to the Barton County Jail where he was booked and held on a $10,000 bond.If anyone has any information regarding this or any other investigation, they are encouraged to contact the Great Bend Police Department at (620) 793-4120 or Great Bend Crime Stoppers at (620) 792-1300.

Police: Kansas man with flashlight also had meth, marijuana

TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka indicted a U.S. Army service member for allegedly participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $149,476 from at least 25 individuals, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Innocent N. Ugwu, 24, of Fort Riley, Kansas, is charged with five counts of wire fraud, five counts of laundering monetary instruments, and one count of procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully. 

From an unknown date until January 2021, Ugwu is accused of conspiring with others to defraud money from individuals in the United States using false pretenses and promises, and the omission of material facts to carry out romance, advance fee and other fraudulent schemes.

The U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka indicted a U.S. Army service member for allegedly participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $149,476 from at least 25 individuals, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Innocent N. Ugwu, 24, of Fort Riley, Kansas, is charged with five counts of wire fraud, five counts of laundering monetary instruments, and one count of procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully. From an unknown date until January 2021, Ugwu is accused of conspiring with others to defraud money from individuals in the United States using false pretenses and promises, and the omission of material facts to carry out romance, advance fee and other fraudulent schemes.The U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case.

Kansas soldier indicted in romance fraud scheme

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) —&nbsp;Oklahoma&nbsp;Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed a bill requiring public school students to use only the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate.

About a dozen conservative states have passed laws targeting the transgender population over bathroom use, participation in school sports, and gender-affirming treatments or surgery for young people.

The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Republican-controlled House and Senate last week, and Stitt signed it on Wednesday.

“It’s about safety, it’s about protection, it’s about common sense,” said Republican Rep. Danny Williams, the House author of the bill. “The goal of this bill is to protect our children.”

Democrats who opposed the bill said it singles out and targets transgender students, putting them at risk of ridicule.

The bill was proposed after Stillwater Public Schools declined to change a policy allowing students to use the bathroom that agrees with their gender identity unless forced by law to do otherwise.

Nicole McAfee, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma which supports the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and queer people, said the bill violates federal law and she is discussing legal action with other organizations, including the ACLU and Lambda Legal.

“This law is unconstitutional, a violation of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, and more than anything it is unnecessarily cruel for the sake of cruelty," McAfee said in a statement. “Over the last day we’ve heard people talk about school safety over and over again. But with a flick of his pen, Governor Stitt said that safety doesn’t extend to already vulnerable transgender and Two Spirit young people."

Stitt, a Republican running for reelection, earlier this year signed bills to prevent transgender girls from playing on female sports teams in public schools or universities and to prohibit transgender people from changing their birth certificate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653584408671.png" alt="Democrats who opposed the bill said it singles out and targets transgender students, putting them at risk of ridicule -courtesy governor's office" />
 <figcaption>Democrats who opposed the bill said it singles out and targets transgender students, putting them at risk of ridicule -courtesy governor's office</figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) —&nbsp;Oklahoma&nbsp;Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed a bill requiring public school students to use only the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate.About a dozen conservative states have passed laws targeting the transgender population over bathroom use, participation in school sports, and gender-affirming treatments or surgery for young people.The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Republican-controlled House and Senate last week, and Stitt signed it on Wednesday.“It’s about safety, it’s about protection, it’s about common sense,” said Republican Rep. Danny Williams, the House author of the bill. “The goal of this bill is to protect our children.”Democrats who opposed the bill said it singles out and targets transgender students, putting them at risk of ridicule.The bill was proposed after Stillwater Public Schools declined to change a policy allowing students to use the bathroom that agrees with their gender identity unless forced by law to do otherwise.Nicole McAfee, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma which supports the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and queer people, said the bill violates federal law and she is discussing legal action with other organizations, including the ACLU and Lambda Legal.“This law is unconstitutional, a violation of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, and more than anything it is unnecessarily cruel for the sake of cruelty," McAfee said in a statement. “Over the last day we’ve heard people talk about school safety over and over again. But with a flick of his pen, Governor Stitt said that safety doesn’t extend to already vulnerable transgender and Two Spirit young people."Stitt, a Republican running for reelection, earlier this year signed bills to prevent transgender girls from playing on female sports teams in public schools or universities and to prohibit transgender people from changing their birth certificate.

Oklahoma transgender school bathroom bill effective immediately

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Thursday that her request for a federal disaster declaration for the winter storms that occurred in late March has been granted, according to a media release from Kelly's office.

Governor Kelly made the request on May 3. Its approval will open federal funding streams for rural electric cooperatives to repair or replace infrastructure damaged by the disaster.

“This federal disaster declaration will enable rural electric cooperatives to access the funding they need to get back on their feet,”&nbsp;said Governor Kelly, who issued a Governor’s Declaration of Emergency March 20.

Counties named in the declaration are Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Ford, Graham, Gray, Hodgeman, Kiowa, Lane, Meade, Ness, Pawnee, Phillips, Rooks, Rush, Stafford, Trego, and Wallace counties.

The declaration allows rural electric cooperatives to apply for Public Assistance funds for emergency and permanent work for the repair or replacement of infrastructure, including utility lines, damaged by the disaster. It also activates the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards.

“Our staff in the Kansas Division of Emergency Management will be working closely with the counties named in the declaration,”&nbsp;Maj. Gen. David Weishaar, the adjutant general and director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management,&nbsp;said.

This request was due to two late winter storms that impacted western and parts of central Kansas beginning on March 17 with impacts lasting into March 22. Each storm produced sticky wet heavy snow combined with strong winds of 50 to 70 mph that damaged power poles and power lines. Many power outages occurred especially during the second winter storm due to the previous storm’s damage to the utility infrastructure and rural electric cooperatives.

On March 31, due to the severity of the damage reported by local officials, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management requested a joint federal, state, and local survey of the damaged areas. On April 5, Governor Kelly requested an extension for enough time to complete the joint preliminary damage assessments which was approved until May 5.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653595554522.png" alt="In March, Midwest Energy crews worked on lines in the Burdett/Rozel area, where there were dozens upon dozens of poles down-photo courtesy Midwest Energy" />
 <figcaption>In March, Midwest Energy crews worked on lines in the Burdett/Rozel area, where there were dozens upon dozens of poles down-photo courtesy Midwest Energy</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Thursday that her request for a federal disaster declaration for the winter storms that occurred in late March has been granted, according to a media release from Kelly's office.Governor Kelly made the request on May 3. Its approval will open federal funding streams for rural electric cooperatives to repair or replace infrastructure damaged by the disaster.“This federal disaster declaration will enable rural electric cooperatives to access the funding they need to get back on their feet,”&nbsp;said Governor Kelly, who issued a Governor’s Declaration of Emergency March 20.Counties named in the declaration are Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Ford, Graham, Gray, Hodgeman, Kiowa, Lane, Meade, Ness, Pawnee, Phillips, Rooks, Rush, Stafford, Trego, and Wallace counties.The declaration allows rural electric cooperatives to apply for Public Assistance funds for emergency and permanent work for the repair or replacement of infrastructure, including utility lines, damaged by the disaster. It also activates the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards.“Our staff in the Kansas Division of Emergency Management will be working closely with the counties named in the declaration,”&nbsp;Maj. Gen. David Weishaar, the adjutant general and director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management,&nbsp;said.This request was due to two late winter storms that impacted western and parts of central Kansas beginning on March 17 with impacts lasting into March 22. Each storm produced sticky wet heavy snow combined with strong winds of 50 to 70 mph that damaged power poles and power lines. Many power outages occurred especially during the second winter storm due to the previous storm’s damage to the utility infrastructure and rural electric cooperatives.On March 31, due to the severity of the damage reported by local officials, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management requested a joint federal, state, and local survey of the damaged areas. On April 5, Governor Kelly requested an extension for enough time to complete the joint preliminary damage assessments which was approved until May 5.

Gov. secures disaster declaration for Kan. counties recovering from winter storm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Food and Drug Administration faced bipartisan fury from House lawmakers Wednesday over months of delays investigating problems at the nation’s largest baby formula plant that prompted an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">ongoing shortage</a>.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?520252-1/baby-formula-manufacturers-fda-commissioner-testify-shortage&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the hearing

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf laid out a series of setbacks in congressional testimony that slowed his agency’s response, including a COVID-19 outbreak at the plant and a whistleblower complaint that didn’t reach FDA leadership because it was apparently lost in the mail.

Califf testified before a House subcommittee investigating the shortage, which has snowballed into a national political controversy and forced the U.S. military to begin airlifting supplies from Europe.

The shortage largely stems from Abbott’s Michigan plant, which the FDA shut down in February due to contamination issues. Under fire from Congress, parents and the media, Califf gave the first detailed account Wednesday of why his agency took months to inspect and shutter the plant despite learning of potential problems as early as September.

The FDA’s response was: “Too slow and there were decisions that were suboptimal along the way,” Califf told lawmakers.

The FDA and President Joe Biden face mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">political pressure</a>&nbsp;to explain why they didn’t intervene sooner to head off the supply crisis.

“Why did it take an onslaught of national media attention for the Biden administration to act with a sense of urgency required to address an infant formula shortage?” asked Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, the committee’s ranking Republican.

Califf said the agency had been trying to monitor formula supplies since 2020 when COVID-related disruptions first emerged, but regulators have limited visibility into company supply chains.

The House panel also heard from three formula manufacturers, including a top Abbott Nutrition executive who apologized to parents for the shortage.

“We let you down,” said Abbott vice president Christopher Calamari. “We are deeply sorry.”

Calamari repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether any employees were disciplined or fired over the problems at the plant, which included standing water, a leaky roof and damaged equipment.

FDA staff began honing in on Abbott’s plant last fall while tracking several bacterial infections in infants who had consumed formula from the facility. The four cases occurred between September and January, causing hospitalizations and two deaths.

The FDA planned to begin inspecting the Sturgis, Michigan, plant on Dec. 30, according to Califf’s testimony. But Abbott warned that about a dozen plant employees had tested positive for COVID-19 and requested a delay. As a result, the FDA didn’t begin its inspection until Jan. 31.

After detecting positive samples of a rare-but-dangerous bacteria in multiple parts of the plant, the FDA closed the facility and Abbott announced a massive recall of its formula on Feb. 17.

“We knew that ceasing plant operations would create supply problems but we had no choice given the insanitary conditions,” said Califf, calling the problems “shocking” and “unacceptable.”

Abbott and the FDA have reached an agreement to reopen the plant next week, under which the company must regularly undergo outside safety audits.

Califf also struggled to explain delays in following up on a whistleblower complaint alleging numerous safety violations at Abbott’s plant, including employees falsifying records and failing to test formula before shipment.

Several FDA staffers reviewed the complaint in late October when it was sent to a regional FDA office, but an interview didn’t take place until two months later, in part due to the whistleblower’s scheduling conflicts.

Senior FDA officials eventually received the complaint via email, but not until February due to “an isolated failure in FDA’s mailroom, likely due to COVID-19 staffing issues,” according to the FDA testimony. A mailed copy addressed to then-acting commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock has still not been located.

Political outrage over the shortage has landed squarely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">the FDA and Califf</a>, who was confirmed to the FDA role for a second time in February. The problems have escalated into a political firestorm for the White House, which has invoked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-df586c2e52b5e5865ea9f8091d4d1f80">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;and emergency import measures.

The FDA contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Feb. 11. about a potential shortage, just days before Abbott’s recall, according to FDA’s timeline.

Califf said the FDA requested new authorities, funding and staff to track supply chain data that could have helped get ahead of the problem, but noted Congress has not provided them.

Several lawmakers raised longstanding concerns that the FDA’s food program — which oversees most U.S. foods except meat, poultry and eggs — is underfunded and needs restructuring.

The program has a convoluted leadership structure in which there is a director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and a separate deputy commissioner for “food policy and response.” The deputy commissioner has more of a safety focus, but has no direct authority over food center staff nor field staff who inspect company plants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653503720164.png" alt="Califf testified before a House subcommittee investigating the shortage, which has snowballed into a national political controversy and forced the U.S. military to begin airlifting supplies from Europe-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Califf testified before a House subcommittee investigating the shortage, which has snowballed into a national political controversy and forced the U.S. military to begin airlifting supplies from Europe-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Food and Drug Administration faced bipartisan fury from House lawmakers Wednesday over months of delays investigating problems at the nation’s largest baby formula plant that prompted an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">ongoing shortage</a>.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?520252-1/baby-formula-manufacturers-fda-commissioner-testify-shortage&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the hearingFDA Commissioner Robert Califf laid out a series of setbacks in congressional testimony that slowed his agency’s response, including a COVID-19 outbreak at the plant and a whistleblower complaint that didn’t reach FDA leadership because it was apparently lost in the mail.Califf testified before a House subcommittee investigating the shortage, which has snowballed into a national political controversy and forced the U.S. military to begin airlifting supplies from Europe.The shortage largely stems from Abbott’s Michigan plant, which the FDA shut down in February due to contamination issues. Under fire from Congress, parents and the media, Califf gave the first detailed account Wednesday of why his agency took months to inspect and shutter the plant despite learning of potential problems as early as September.The FDA’s response was: “Too slow and there were decisions that were suboptimal along the way,” Califf told lawmakers.The FDA and President Joe Biden face mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">political pressure</a>&nbsp;to explain why they didn’t intervene sooner to head off the supply crisis.“Why did it take an onslaught of national media attention for the Biden administration to act with a sense of urgency required to address an infant formula shortage?” asked Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, the committee’s ranking Republican.Califf said the agency had been trying to monitor formula supplies since 2020 when COVID-related disruptions first emerged, but regulators have limited visibility into company supply chains.The House panel also heard from three formula manufacturers, including a top Abbott Nutrition executive who apologized to parents for the shortage.“We let you down,” said Abbott vice president Christopher Calamari. “We are deeply sorry.”Calamari repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether any employees were disciplined or fired over the problems at the plant, which included standing water, a leaky roof and damaged equipment.FDA staff began honing in on Abbott’s plant last fall while tracking several bacterial infections in infants who had consumed formula from the facility. The four cases occurred between September and January, causing hospitalizations and two deaths.The FDA planned to begin inspecting the Sturgis, Michigan, plant on Dec. 30, according to Califf’s testimony. But Abbott warned that about a dozen plant employees had tested positive for COVID-19 and requested a delay. As a result, the FDA didn’t begin its inspection until Jan. 31.After detecting positive samples of a rare-but-dangerous bacteria in multiple parts of the plant, the FDA closed the facility and Abbott announced a massive recall of its formula on Feb. 17.“We knew that ceasing plant operations would create supply problems but we had no choice given the insanitary conditions,” said Califf, calling the problems “shocking” and “unacceptable.”Abbott and the FDA have reached an agreement to reopen the plant next week, under which the company must regularly undergo outside safety audits.Califf also struggled to explain delays in following up on a whistleblower complaint alleging numerous safety violations at Abbott’s plant, including employees falsifying records and failing to test formula before shipment.Several FDA staffers reviewed the complaint in late October when it was sent to a regional FDA office, but an interview didn’t take place until two months later, in part due to the whistleblower’s scheduling conflicts.Senior FDA officials eventually received the complaint via email, but not until February due to “an isolated failure in FDA’s mailroom, likely due to COVID-19 staffing issues,” according to the FDA testimony. A mailed copy addressed to then-acting commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock has still not been located.Political outrage over the shortage has landed squarely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">the FDA and Califf</a>, who was confirmed to the FDA role for a second time in February. The problems have escalated into a political firestorm for the White House, which has invoked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-df586c2e52b5e5865ea9f8091d4d1f80">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;and emergency import measures.The FDA contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Feb. 11. about a potential shortage, just days before Abbott’s recall, according to FDA’s timeline.Califf said the FDA requested new authorities, funding and staff to track supply chain data that could have helped get ahead of the problem, but noted Congress has not provided them.Several lawmakers raised longstanding concerns that the FDA’s food program — which oversees most U.S. foods except meat, poultry and eggs — is underfunded and needs restructuring.The program has a convoluted leadership structure in which there is a director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and a separate deputy commissioner for “food policy and response.” The deputy commissioner has more of a safety focus, but has no direct authority over food center staff nor field staff who inspect company plants.Both officials testified Wednesday, along with Califf.When Rep. Nanette Diaz-Barragan, D-Calif., asked who is in charge of food safety, Califf and food center director Susan Mayne gave extended answers, describing different roles and responsibilities.“I don’t think there’s one person that is responsible,” Diaz-Barragan responded. “I just think it goes to show there needs to be restructuring and it needs to be more clear who’s ultimately responsible.”Later Wednesday afternoon, Abbott’s Calamari told lawmakers his company plans to build extra capacity and redundancies into its supply chain to avoid future disruptions. He reiterated the company’s point that the FDA has not drawn a direct link between the illnesses reported in infants and bacteria samples collected from its plant.After the company restarts production next month it will be able to produce more formula than before the recall, he noted.“We’re going to learn from this. We’re going to get better as a result of this,” Calamari said.Executives from Reckitt and Gerber also testified on their efforts to boost production.