The cost of maintaining the elementary schools in Milford and Grandview Plaza has been a recent issue in Geary USD 475. There is not any plan to close those schools but the topic came up for discussion earlier last fall .

Tuesday night the City of Milford offered to. cover water, sewer and trash bills for Milford Elementary School and there could be&nbsp; an effort to find out when the contract was due with waste management. Mayor Brad Roether presented the ideas from the Milford City Council.

USD 475 Superintencdent Dr. Reginald Eggleston confirmed that the District will review the proposal. The ideas were greeted with positive reaction from the school board but no formal action was taken.

Back in October advantages cited for potentially closing Milford and Grandview Plaza included a reduction in overhead expense and for transferring staff to fill vacancies within the district as USD 475 transitioned&nbsp; into another school year. The closures could also possibly help the district become eligible for federal heavy impact aid in the future, which could help meet facility needs. There was opposition from Milford and Grandview Plaza, especially citizens in Milford at that time.

Milford offers to help USD 475

Tuesday night was the first basketball games of the 2025–26 high school basketball season. The Blue Jays and Lady Jays traveled to Lawrence Free State High School for the season openers. The teams split, with Free State winning the girls game and the Blue Jays winning the boys game.

Girls Recap – Lawrence Free State 53, Junction City 28

The Lady Jays started the game playing well, and sophomore Aniyah Henry-Rivers scored the first basket of the season. The girls played great defense in the first quarter and led 7–0 after one. In the second quarter, the Firebirds of Lawrence Free State woke up. Right out of the timeout, Free State came out firing and hitting shots. They outscored JC 20–8 in the second quarter and led 20–15 at the half.

In the second half, the Lady Jays kept up the good defense, but shots were not falling, and the Firebirds scored several second-chance points off their offensive rebounds. After three quarters, Free State led 35–23. In the fourth, the Firebirds pulled away and won the game by a final score of 53–28.

Six players scored for Junction City. Sophomore Isabel Pruitt led the way with eight points; sophomore Laniyah Warmack and freshman Alexis Douglas both added five points; sophomore Aniyah Henry-Rivers and senior Morgan Nabus both scored four points; and junior Kayla Covington added two for the Lady Jays.

The JC girls fall to 0–1 on the season and will host Atchison on Friday night at Blue Jay Event Center.

Our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game was freshman Alexis Douglas. (For being our player of the game, Alexis receives a free meal coupon from Blu Restaurant in Junction City.)

Boys Recap – Junction City 64, Lawrence Free State 51

Similar to the girls game, the Blue Jays started out fast. Senior Lovell Autry stole the ball on the first possession and broke away for a layup for the first basket of the boys’ season. The defense continued to play well, which then led to a three-pointer by junior Khaliel Walker. The Blue Jays began the game on a 9–0 run, which led to a Free State timeout. The hot start continued; after the first quarter, JC led 23–9.

Second-quarter action picked up with the Firebirds beginning to hit some shots. Free State went on a run to cut the lead down to six, but the Blue Jays expanded it back to a nine-point halftime lead and led 38–29 at the break.

Both teams settled in defensively in the third quarter, and again, Free State threatened, trailing 43–37. The Firebirds had multiple chances to cut into the lead more, but at the end of three, the Blue Jays were on top 49–41.

In the fourth quarter, the three bigs for Junction City helped seal the deal. Senior 6'6" Jackson Hollie, junior 6'7" Brody Boeckman, and junior 6'3" Trevon Briley came up big down the stretch and helped the Blue Jays hold on to win 64–51. *This was the first official win for new Junction City boys head coach Easton Burgardt.

Senior Lovell Autry led the team with 20 points, senior Jet Thompson added 13 points, and junior Brody Boeckman added 10. Several other boys scored for the Blue Jays as well.

Our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game was senior Jet Thompson. (For being our player of the game, Jet receives a free meal coupon from Blu Restaurant in Junction City.)

JC is now 1-0, and up next for the Blue Jays is their home opener on Friday night, hosting Atchison.&nbsp;

🏀Boys win, girls fall in first JCHS basketball games of the season

The USD 475 Board of Education met Tuesday Night.

--Board of Education member Jason Butler was honored for his service. His term ends in January. Butler did not seek reelection.

--The construction of the new early childhood center is moving forward. Substantial completion is expected in January. The keys to the facility will be turned over to the District in April and the ribbon cutting will be on May 8. The facility will be put into service for the 2026 - 2027 school year.

--The current ECC buildings could serve as proposed locations to serve technology, safety and health needs, with the Hauge building in that complex potentially serving as a location for homeless students. That latter option would have to go through a process with the state.

--There are 7,330 students in USD 475 including early childhood students. Of that total using September count numbers 3, 663 are military connected students.Five buildings are Title 1 where more than 60% of the student population is at poverty level. A total of 24% of the students in the District overall were at poverty level. There were 61 gifted students.

--The Board approved an idea to develop a request for proposal for a grant writer ( or writers ).

USD 475 news notes

Salina’s nightlife will get a smooth, soulful boost this weekend as “R&amp;B Me, Please”—an R&amp;B-only party—takes over The Back Alley on Saturday, December 6, from 8 pm to 2 am.

The event, located at 1820 S. 9th behind Sky Trampoline Park, promises a night dedicated entirely to R&amp;B hits spanning the ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, and today.

A stacked DJ lineup featuring CashontheAux, DJ Fluid, DJ 4theWin, and Maxx Gruv will keep the crowd moving with classic slow jams, upbeat grooves, and modern favorites.

General admission is $10, with VIP tables available for $125, including a dedicated bar line and two bottles of champagne. The event is open to ages 18 and up.

For more information, text event coordinator, Cash Hollistah at:&nbsp;785-251-3702.

“R&B Me, Please” set to bring smooth vibes to Salina 

RILEY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 11a.m. Tuesday in Riley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Ford Super Duty driven by Avery Gene&nbsp;Lindsey, 17, Manhattan, was northbound on Kansas 177 approximately one mile south of Deep Creek Road. The pickup rear-ended a 2012 Hyundai Accent driven by James Edgar&nbsp;Echols, 54, Overland Park. After impact the car traveled into the east ditch.

Echols was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Irvin-Parkview Funeral Home. EMS transported a passenger in the car identified as&nbsp; Nakeenya Marie&nbsp;Echols, 52, Las Vegas, Nevada, to Via Christi.&nbsp; Lindsey was not injured. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage details.

Manhattan teen involved in fatal rear-end pickup accident

The 2025-26 High School basketball season has arrived! The Junction City Blue Jays and Lady Jays are playing their first games of the season tonight, at Lawrence Free State High School.&nbsp;Girls tip at 5:30, and the boys are expected to tip around 7:00. You can hear both games on the radio in Junction City on 107.9 FM / 1420 AM KJCK Radio. You can also <a href="https://streamdb9web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KJCKAM">hear the&nbsp; games by clicking here.</a>&nbsp;

The girls program is being led by recently appointed interim head coach Tim Testa. He takes over for Bri Little who led the program last year. Testa has previously led the girls program in the past.&nbsp;

The boys program is led by first-year head coach Easton Burgardt. He takes over for Nick Perez who resigned at the end of last basketball season and took a job in the state of Missouri. Burgardt has been on staff as an assistant for the past seven years.&nbsp;

LISTEN LIVE: Junction City High School Basketball at Lawrence Free State

Geary County Fire Auxiliary will host a Bake and Craft Sale on Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM at 236 E. 8th Street. Free will donatiions will be accepted.

Quilt drawing tickets will be available for purchase of&nbsp;one ticket for $1 or six tickets for $5.

Donations will benefit the Geary County Rural Firefighters.

Bake and Craft Sale

The 1st Infantry Division Band will offer four free holiday concerts with the theme “The Most Wonderful Time” for the Flint Hills community. 

 • Dec. 4, 7 p.m., Rex Theatre, Clay Center 

• Dec. 6, 7 p.m., All Faiths Chapel, Kansas State University, Manhattan 

• Dec. 12, 7 p.m., C. L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City 

 • Dec. 14., 2 p.m., C. L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City 

All concerts are free and open to everyone, with no tickets issued and no reserved seating.&nbsp;

The 1st Infantry Division Band presents “Most Wonderful Time” Holiday Concerts

The Geary County Sheriff's Department reported that on Monday at 5:31 PM Deputies were dispatched to the 2100 Block of Munson Road for a single vehicle accident. Leighland Collins of Junction City was traveling west on Rucker Road and attempted to turn onto Munson and over corrected the vehicle which caused him to roll into the ditch. 

No injuries were reported and the vehicle was removed from the scene by Gross Wrecker Service.

Deputies respond to rollover accident

Cold weather is here, and Evergy urges customers to be safe when using space heaters, electric blankets and other portable home heating devices. 

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports space heaters cause more than 20,000 housefires each year. While central heating is more efficient and cost-effective, space heaters can provide extra comfort when safely used during colder temperatures. &nbsp;

An Evergy representative is available to talk about space heater and electric blanket safety, and the proper ways to use both.

Evergy provides safety precautions when using space heaters or electric blankets during cold temps

Grandview Plaza firefighters were notified of a fire at a trailer residence in the 100 block of East Anchor Monday afternoon. The resident was not injured.

Fire Chief Jeremy Bramwell noted that upon arrival there was light to heavy smoke coming from the trailer. It took approximately 25-30 minutes to put out the fire which occurred primarily in the kitchen and dining room area. The trailer is uninhabitable.

The damage estimate was placed at approximately $50,000. The cause of the blaze is suspected to be an accidental cooking fire.&nbsp;

In addition to Grandview Plaza, volunteers from the Gary County Rural Fire Depatment assisted in putting out the blaze.

Fire call in Grandview Plaza

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

The proposed constitutional amendment also includes a ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, a provision opponents say violates a state law requiring amendments only cover one subject

A state appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether Missouri Republicans erred in how they drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/bts_web/bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=13399177" target="_blank">a constitutional amendment banning abortion</a>&nbsp;that voters will see on next year’s ballot.

Last year, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">enshrined the right to abortion&nbsp;</a>in the state constitution.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">The GOP-dominated legislature responded six months later by&nbsp;</a>voting to put a new constitutional amendment on the ballot that would reimpose an abortion ban.&nbsp;

Proponents of abortion rights filed a lawsuit in July arguing that the summary of the proposed abortion ban amendment that will appear on ballots was intentionally deceptive because it failed to state the amendment would repeal the abortion rights amendment. A Cole County judge agreed, in part, and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite it.&nbsp;</a>

On his second attempt, Hoskins crafted a summary that Judge Daniel Green deemed “fair and sufficient.”&nbsp;

But attorneys representing Dr. Anna Fitz-James —&nbsp;who submitted the language for the reproductive rights initiative petition in 2023 — believe Green was too hasty in giving the language the OK, arguing the current language “fails to tell voters that a right is being eliminated and replaced with fewer rights.”

They filed an appeal of Green’s ruling, which will be argued before the Western District Court of Appeals Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which is representing Hoskins, said the court doesn’t need to determine if the current ballot language is the best wording possible, “but whether it gives the voter a sufficient idea of what the proposed amendment would accomplish.”

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would be slightly less restrictive than the near-total ban implemented in June 2022. Unlike the prior ban, it would allow abortions for survivors or rape or incest up to 12 weeks gestation, though it is not clear if or how a survivor would need to prove the assault in order to receive medical care.&nbsp;

All other abortions would be banned, aside from cases of medical emergencies.

Attorneys Chuck Hatfield and Tori Schafer,&nbsp;in briefings to the court of appeals on behalf of Fitz-James, argue the proposed amendment is a “mess” and violates a&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III+++50&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;that prevents ballot measures from encompassing more than one subject. They are asking the higher court to remove the amendment from the ballot or re-write the summary.

The crux of the issue, they say, is that gender-affirming health care is separate from reproductive health care. Including a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, they say, “logrolls” two unrelated subjects to make the amendment more popular. Gender-affirming health care for minors is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/15/how-missouri-became-a-battleground-over-gender-affirming-care/">currently banned in Missouri,&nbsp;</a>though a challenge to the law is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/ruling-upholding-missouri-transgender-care-ban-had-factual-errors-attorneys-argue/">before the state supreme court.&nbsp;</a>

The attorney general’s office on behalf of Hoskins said Fitz-James’ interpretation of the single subject rule is too narrow. Gender-affirming health care, they contend, includes “procedures that frequently render children sterile.”&nbsp;

Fitz-James’ attorneys said assuming gender-affirming surgeries always involve reproductive organs is flawed.

“A wide variety of surgeries accomplish that purpose — from breast augmentation to hair reconstruction—that never implicate a reproductive organ,” they wrote.&nbsp;

Fitz-James’ attorneys argue the current wording “obscures” the fact that the proposed amendment would ban most abortions by making it sounds as if the abortion rights it keeps in place would be new, rather than rights that are already protected.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Most voters, they argue, will have no idea what Article 1, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution is.&nbsp;

“The words ‘approved in 2024’ are similarly devoid of context or meaning,” Fitz-James’ attorneys wrote in court filings. “Approved by whom? Some random bureaucrat? The legislature? Good Housekeeping? The voter is left to wonder.”

The attorney general’s office argues Missourians should be given more credit when they show up to the polls.

“Voters are certainly intelligent enough to know that ‘random bureaucrat[s]’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’ do not approve constitutional amendments,” the attorney general’s office wrote.

Court filings briefly delved into the use of a semi-colon in the fourth bullet point, with attorneys for Fitz-James lambasting its misuse while the attorney general’s office called on grammar gurus Strunk and White to defend the punctuation.&nbsp;

However the court of appeals rules, the case will almost certainly end up in hands of the Missouri Supreme Court.

Appeals court takes up fight over wording of Missouri abortion ban ballot measure

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man found guilty in the murder of a woman in Wichita will learn his fate Wednesday.

Jose Velazquez-Carillo, now 25, will appear in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom for sentencing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In October, a jury convicted Velazquez-Carillo of second degree murder.

In February of 2024, police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd. in&nbsp; Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses

The victim, identified as 42-year-old Candace Amack of Wichita, was found outside of a residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was&nbsp; was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Employing FLOCK, cutting-edge technology, Wichita Police Officers were able to identify a possible suspect vehicle leaving the area after the reported shooting.

Officers quickly identified and located the vehicle at a residence in the 1300 block of North Jackson in Wichita.&nbsp; Just before 8p.m., in collaboration with the Kansas Highway Patrol air section, the Wichita Police Department coordinated efforts resulting in the safe apprehension of&nbsp; Velazquez-Carillo and 33-year-old Martin Velazquez-Villa during a vehicle stop near 13th and Hydraulic.

Sentencing Day for murder of Kan. woman found outside her home

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday that it will move to withhold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">SNAP food aid</a>&nbsp;from recipients in Kansas and other Democratic-controlled states starting next week unless those states provide information about those receiving the assistance.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the action is looming because those states are refusing to provide data the department requested such as the names and immigration status of aid recipients. She said the cooperation is needed to root out fraud in the program. Democratic states have sued to block the requirement, saying they verify eligibility for SNAP beneficiaries and that they never share large swaths of sensitive data on the program with the federal government.

Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, was skeptical about whether funding will really be taken away.

“We no longer take the Trump Administration’s words at face value — we’ll see what they actually do in reality,” she said in a statement. “Cutting programs that feed American children is morally repugnant.”

Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-deportation-snap-trump-usda-8da2d74038ede32b65059f96c07a50ef">previously sued</a>&nbsp;over the request for information, which was initially made in February. A San Francisco-based federal judge has barred the administration, at least for now, from collecting the information from those states.

The federal government last week sent the states a letter saying that it was time to comply, as other states have, but the parties all agreed to give the states until Dec. 8 to respond.

Administration says data is needed to spot fraud

About 42 million lower-income Americans, or 1 in 8, rely on SNAP to help buy groceries. The average monthly benefit is about $190 per person, or a little over $6 a day.

Rollins has cited information provided by states that have complied, saying it shows that 186,000 deceased people are receiving SNAP benefits and that 500,000 are getting benefits more than once.

“We asked for all the states for the first time to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud, to make sure that those who really need food stamps are getting them,” Rollins said, “but also to ensure that the American taxpayer is protected.”

Her office has not released detailed data, including on how much in benefits obtained by error or fraud are being used.

It's also not clear which states have handed over the information. Rollins said 29 have complied and 21 have not. But 22 have sued to block the order.

Additionally, Kansas, which was not part of the lawsuit, has not provided it. The USDA told the state in September that SNAP funds would be cut off. The state asked the agency to reverse the action. A spokesperson for Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said there had not yet been a reply as of Tuesday. North Carolina appears to be the only state with a Democratic governor that has handed over the information.

Experts say that while there is certainly fraud in a $100 billion-a-year program, the far bigger problems are organized crime efforts to steal the benefit cards or get them in the name of made-up people — not wrongdoing by beneficiaries.

Democratic officials question administration's motives

U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Connecticut Democrat who is a co-sponsor of legislation to undo recent SNAP changes, said Rollins is trying to make changes without transparency — or without a role for Congress — and that she is mischaracterizing the program.

“Individuals who are just trying to buy food, those aren’t the ones who are gaming the system in the way that the administration is trying to portray,” Hayes said in an interview on Tuesday before Rollins announced her intention.

Democratic officials responded to Rollins' announcement by blasting the administration.

“The Governor wishes President Trump would be a president for all Americans rather than taking out his political vendettas on the people who need these benefits the most," said Claire Lancaster, a spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. "Whether it’s threatening highway funding or food assistance, the President is making malicious decisions that will raise prices and harm families.”

In response to Rollins’ comments, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted, “Genuine question: Why is the Trump Administration so hellbent on people going hungry?”

The program is not normally in the political spotlight, but it has been this year.

As part of Trump's big tax and policy bill earlier in the year, work requirements are expanding to include people between the ages of 55 and 64, homeless people and others.

And amid the recent federal government shutdown, the administration planned not to fund the benefits for November. There was a back-and-forth in the courts about whether they could do so, but then the government reopened and benefits resumed before the final word.

In the meantime, some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-food-states-6cef598c92000bdff8384a9da1bfd23c">states scrambled to fund benefits</a>&nbsp;on their own and most increased or accelerated money for food banks.

Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey. Reporters Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; and Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed.

🎥 Why USDA may withhold SNAP food aid from Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Police investigating a shooting that left two dead in Topeka have identified the victim as 76-year-old as Melvin Gerstenkorn and the deceased suspect is identified as&nbsp; 51-year-old Dallas Dehart both are from Topeka.

Just before 8:30p.m. Nov. 23,&nbsp; police responded to report of a shooting at McDonalds restaurant in the 1200 block of SW Gage Boulevard in Topeka, according to Topeka Police LT Jayme Green.

At the scene, first responders located&nbsp;Gerstenkorn and Dehart&nbsp; who were&nbsp;deceased. EMS transported a third victim identified as a 22-year-old man to a hospital with life-threatening injuries

On Nov. 26, police reported they were investigating this incident as a murder-suicide. Gerstenkorn died from apparent gunshot wound. The 22-year-old&nbsp; had a life-threatening gunshot injury and remains hospitalized, according to a statement from police on Tuesday.

Dehart died from what appears to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound.&nbsp;

Police ID victims in deadly shooting near Kan. fast-food restaurant

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforce are alerting drivers to slow down and move over for flashing lights, every single time.

On Monday, while working a crash on Interstate 435, a passing vehicle struck a Trooper’s patrol car, according to a social media report from the KHP.

At the time of the collision, the Trooper was inside his vehicle, parked on the right shoulder with emergency lights on. He sustained only minor injuries and has since been treated and released back to full duty.

This could have ended much worse. Do your part, slow down and move over. Give first responders the space they need to stay safe.

Kan. Trooper injured when his vehicle was struck while working a crash

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday said he did not want Somali immigrants in the U.S., saying residents of the war-ravaged eastern African country are too reliant on U.S. social safety net and add little to the United States.

Trump’s contemptuous description of the entire immigrant community is the latest example of him pointedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-somalia-refugee-5ebb043e13023188cdd4e6baebd1f42c">attacking the Somali diaspora</a>&nbsp;in the United States. Somalis have been coming to Minnesota and other states, often as refugees, since the 1990s. The president made no distinction between citizens and non-citizens.

The president’s comment came days after his administration announced it is halting all asylum decisions following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington. The suspect in last week’s incident is originally from Afghanistan but Trump has used the moment to raise questions about immigrants from other nations, including Somalia.

“They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country,” Trump told reporters near the end of a lengthy Cabinet meeting. He added: “Their country is no good for a reason. Your country stinks and we don’t want them in our country.”

Trump for years has criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who emigrated from Somalia in 1995 as a child. But he picked up the pace of his attacks on Somalis on social media last week after Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist, published unsubstantiated allegations in a magazine called City Journal, citing unnamed sources, that money stolen from Minnesota programs has gone to al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group that controls parts of Somalia.

Trump vowed last week in a social media post to send Somalis “back to where they came from,” and alleged Minnesota,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-somalia-refugee-5ebb043e13023188cdd4e6baebd1f42c">home to the largest Somali</a>&nbsp;community in the United States, is “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.” On Tuesday, the president said Somalis in the U.S. should “go back to where they came from and fix it.”

He specifically pledged to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-minnesota-somali-immigrants-temporary-protective-status-e595731327be6ca37a27a28397a7d826">terminate temporary legal protections</a>&nbsp;for Somalis living in Minnesota, a move that is triggering fear in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-minnesota-somali-immigrants-temporary-protective-status-e75404860523512ffc5af7363664d168">state’s deeply-rooted immigrant community</a>, along with doubts about whether the White House has the legal authority to enact the directive as described.

The announcement drew immediate pushback from some state leaders and immigration experts, who characterized Trump’s declaration as a legally dubious effort to sow suspicion toward Minnesota’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-somalia-refugee-5ebb043e13023188cdd4e6baebd1f42c">Somali community</a>.

The move would affect only a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of Somalis living in Minnesota. A report produced for Congress in August put the number of Somalis covered by Temporary Protected Status at just 705 nationwide.

Trump also renewed his criticism of Omar, whose family fled the civil war in Somalia and spent several years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the U.S.

“We can go one way or the other, and we’re going to go the wrong way, if we keep taking in garbage into our country,” Trump said. “Ilhan Omar is garbage. She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage.”

On Tuesday, Omar punched back at Trump on social media, saying: “His obsession with me is creepy. I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.”

Trump added about Somali immigrants: “These aren’t people that work. These aren’t people that say, ‘Let’s go, c’mon. Let’s make this place great.’ These are people that do nothing but complain.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called Trump’s message “wrong” and said Somali immigrants have helped improve his community.

“They have started businesses and created jobs. They have added to the cultural fabric of what Minneapolis is,” Frey said. “To again, villainize an entire group is ridiculous under any circumstances. And the way that Donald Trump is consistent in doing it, I think calls into question major constitutional violations. And it certainly violates the moral fabric of what we stand by in this country as Americans.”

🎥What President Trump said about Somali immigrants in the U.S.

House Speaker Mike Johnson lit the Capitol Christmas Tree on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;A fourth grade Nevada student who won an essay contest joined Johnson in lighting the tree.

This year's tree is a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada.

The tree lights will be on each evening from dusk until 11 p.m. now through early January 2026.&nbsp;

4th grader joins House speaker in lighting U.S. Capitol Christmas tree

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Four suspects are in custody after they stole at least $2,500 worth of gaming equipment from Best Buy, 2020 West 31st Street in Lawrence on Sunday and then left town. 

Police with the help of the Kansas Highway Patrol and the store’s asset manage tracked them down. 

Just after 9p.m. November 30, police were called to the store after the thieves bypassed an employee, went behind the counter, grabbed boxes of games, and quickly took off. 

 They were only in the store for about two minutes. They left a vehicle running out front while four men went into the store just as it was closing.

The vehicle’s license plate was registered to Sedgwick County. The investigating officer sent a message to surrounding agencies and a KHP Trooper pulled the car over just north of Emporia.

The group was transported back to Douglas County. One was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center and the others to the Douglas County Correctional Facility.The trooper turned over a total of seven gaming consoles found in the vehicle.

KHP helps track down brazen electronic store theft suspects 

NEW YORK (AP) — Billionaires Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion Tuesday to provide 25 million American children under 10 an incentive to claim the new investment accounts for children created as part of President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">tax and spending legislation</a>.

The historic gift has little precedent, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bloomberg-philanthropy-john-hopkins-university-53ed82c14c4d4b07cb2675a9ca1829f9">few single charitable commitments</a>&nbsp;in the past 25 years exceeding $1 billion, much less multiple billions. Announced on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-giving-tuesday-when-is-giving-tuesday-nonprofit-donations-c8feb2d45382ea7ea6885e3d58a6efbe">GivingTuesday</a>, the Dells believe it’s the largest single private commitment made to U.S. children.

Its structure is also unusual. Essentially, it builds on the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-bonds-trump-child-poverty-8503180dc5c57a2f20dd59d7ece01d6a">Trump Accounts</a>&nbsp;" program, where the U.S. Department of the Treasury will deposit $1,000 into investment accounts set up by Treasury for American children born between Jan. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2028. The Dells' gift will use the “Trump Accounts” infrastructure to give $250 to each qualified child under 10.

“We believe that if every child can see a future worth saving for, this program will build something far greater than an account. It will build hope and opportunity and prosperity for generations to come,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-trump-ellison-dell-murdoch-algorithm-c175ddc4bdeaa269543870f1227cd0d9">Michael Dell</a>, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies whose estimated net worth is $148 billion, according to Forbes.

Though the “Trump Accounts” became law as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-snap-baby-bond-25c03837e9b2a0a4d6f60384ec5d0677">president's signature legislation</a>&nbsp;in July, the Dells say the accounts will not launch until July 4, 2026. Michael Dell said they wanted to mark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-america-250th-birthday-iowa-e6fb5df832cdba107ae4e9c62f2577e9">250th anniversary</a>&nbsp;of U.S. independence.

“We want these kids to know that not only do their families care, but their communities care, their government, their country cares about them,” said Susan Dell. “And we’re all rooting for them to have a wonderful future, a bright future, and that that’s available to them.”

Under the new law, “Trump Accounts” are available to any American child under 18 with a Social Security number and their families can fund the accounts, which must be invested in an index fund that tracks the overall stock market. When the children turn 18, they can withdraw the funds to put toward their education, to buy a home or to start a business.

The Dells will put money into the accounts of children 10 and younger who live in ZIP codes with a median family income of $150,000 or less and who won't get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury. The Dells hope their gift will encourage families to claim the accounts and deposit more money into it, even small amounts, so it will grow over time along with the stock market.

President Trump plans to celebrate the commitment later on Tuesday and a White House spokesperson Kush Desai said the Dell's gift will be the first of many new pledges to fund the accounts.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill’s Trump Accounts are a revolutionary investment by the federal government into the next generation of American children,” Desai said. “It’s also President Trump’s call to action for American businesses and philanthropists to do their part, too."

“It’s hard to give effective dollars away at scale, particularly to the country’s neediest kids in a way that you have confidence that those dollars are going to compound with the upside of the U.S. economy," Brad Gerstner, a venture capitalist, who advocated for the passage of this legislation. "And so, this is a unique platform that’s being created by the government that I think can unlock major giving.”

Gerstner is also the founder of Invest America Charitable Foundation, which is supporting the Treasury in launching the accounts. He said the goal of the accounts is to give young people funds to jump start their lives but also to help them benefit from the growth of the U.S. economy through investing in stocks.

“Fundamentally, we need to include everybody in the upside of the American experiment. Otherwise, it won’t last. And so, at its core, we think it can re-energize people’s belief in free market, capitalist democracy,”″ Gerstner said of the accounts.

About&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/data-research/statistics-data-visualizations/us-households-participation-capital-markets">58% of U.S. households</a>&nbsp;held stocks or bonds in 2022, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, though the&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WFRBST01122">wealthiest 1%</a>&nbsp;owned almost half the value of stocks in that same year and the bottom 50% owned about&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WFRBSB50203">1% of stocks</a>.

In 2024, about 13% of children and young people in the U.S. lived in poverty, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and experts link the high child poverty rates to the lack of social supports for new parents, like paid parental leave.

While the funds in the Trump Accounts may help young adults whose families or employers can contribute to them over time, they won’t immediately help to diminish childhood poverty. Cuts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-snap-baby-bond-25c03837e9b2a0a4d6f60384ec5d0677">Medicaid, food stamps and child care</a>&nbsp;that were also included in the spending package are likely to reduce the support children from low-income families receive.

Ray Boshara, senior policy advisor with both the Aspen Institute and Washington University in St. Louis, said he is excited about the idea that the Trump Accounts will be able to receive contributions from the business, philanthropic and governmental sectors.

“We would like to see this idea continue and get better over time, just like any big policy,’ said Boshara, who co-edited the book “The Future of Building Wealth.” "The ACA, Social Security – they start off fairly flawed, but get much better and more progressive and inclusive over time. And that’s how we think about Trump Accounts. It’s a down payment on a big idea that deserves to be improved and there’s bipartisan interest in improving them."

Through the Michael &amp; Susan Dell Foundation, the Dell's have reported giving $2.9 billion since 1999, with a large focus on education.

Michael Dell said they had not initially envisioned committing so much to boost the child investment accounts, but Susan Dell said over time, they decided to increase the size of their commitment.

“We’re thrilled to be spearheading this in the philanthropy sector and are so excited because we know that more people are going to jump on board because really, we can’t think of a better idea and better way to help America’s children,” she said.

AP writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

🎥Historic $6.25 billion gift for millions of kids in America

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

Just after 2:40a.m. on Tuesday, police conducted a traffic stop in the 600 block Kansas Avenue in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.. During the stop the driver, 55-year-old Paul Surber, was found to be in possession of illegal drugs.

Police arrested Surber on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and dug paraphernalia and&nbsp;Possession of stimulant; Unlawful sell of prescription drug and Possession with intent to sell, according to online jail records.

Kansas man accused of illegally selling prescription drugs

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Solo Ball scored 17 points, Braylon Mullins also had 17 in a breakout performance by the freshman guard, and fifth-ranked UConn overcame a seven-point deficit in the second half to beat No. 21 Kansas 61-56 on Tuesday night in Allen Fieldhouse.

Eric Reibe added 12 points and Alex Karaban scored 11 for the Huskies (7-1), who defeated the Jayhawks (6-3) for the first time in five tries while picking up their third — and arguably most impressive — win over a ranked opponent already this season.

Kansas had a chance to tie the game late after Silas Demary Jr. missed a short jumper. But rather than attempt a tying 3-pointer, the Jayhawks' Jamari McDowell drove to the rim and had his shot blocked by Mullins with just under 10 seconds to go.

Mullins was fouled and made a pair of free throws to put away the game.

Flory Bidunga had 11 points and 12 rebounds to lead Kansas. Melvin Council Jr. added 12 points and Elmark Jackson scored 11.

Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-darryn-peterson-442e30890932697161787fbe8c8e6ade">teams were missing stars</a>: Kansas was without five-star prospect Darryn Peterson for the seventh time because of a lingering hamstring injury, and UConn played without big man Tarris Reed Jr. because of his own ankle injury.

Still, the showdown between storied programs that each claim six national championships lived up to the hype.

The Jayhawks, coming off three wins without Peterson at the Players Era Festival, leaned into the same formula of tough defense and aggressive rebounding, while the Huskies tried to get into the open court and run. And through the first 20 minutes, Kansas was able to set the tone, threatening a double-digit lead on a couple of occasions and leading 33-28 at the break.

The Huskies clawed their way back into the game behind some defense of their own. They held the Jayhawks to two field goals over the first 12-plus minutes of the second half, and Mullins finally helped UConn regain the lead with 10 minutes to go.

Ball helped stretch it to 55-49 before back-to-back baskets by Bidunga and Council tightened it up again.

Eventually, the Huskies had enough to hold on down the stretch.

UConn plays East Texas A&amp;M on Friday night.

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