&nbsp; With over 30 educational programs, field trips, and presentations in 2025 - we were busy! From STEAM Saturdays, and Hands-on History programs to school trips and Kansas Day trunks, we loved every opportunity to share the rich and important history of Geary County and Kansas. 



We had an amazing year of visitation.&nbsp; Of the 4,741 visitors we had this year, 3,032 of them attended our education programming! 

We hosted new events, old favorites, and joined different community organizations throughout the year.&nbsp;

Thank you everyone who helped make 2025 such a success. We can't wait to see what 2026 brings.

Geary County Historical Society recaps Successful Year at the Museum

The Local Health Equity Action Team (LHEAT) in Geary County announces a partnership to address access to winter resources as a health equity concern during the harsh winter months.&nbsp;

In Geary County, nearly 19% of residents and almost 29% of children live below the poverty line. Combined with economic challenges and limited access to transportation, these conditions can leave individuals and families without adequate cold-weather items. During freezing temperatures, the lack of proper coats, hats, and gloves increases the risk of hypothermia, missed school days, and lost work hours.

To help address these challenges, LHEAT has partnered with several local organizations to expand access to warm winter clothing and related resources. Partner organizations include:

As pictured, LHEAT and House of Ruth provided warmth for the 2025 Christmas Socks for Seniors. Items were delivered to residents at the Tallgrass Nursing Facility in Junction City. Together, these partners are coordinating clothing distribution efforts and increasing awareness of available community resources to help families and individuals stay warm, safe, and healthy throughout the winter season.

This initiative is supported through funding from Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMed).

About the Local Health Equity Action Team (LHEAT):

LHEAT is a coalition within Live Well Geary County that works to identify and address factors impacting health outcomes across the community. Through collaboration and partnership, LHEAT strives to advance health equity and create a healthier Geary County for all.&nbsp;Community members interested in attending the next LHEAT meeting can email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:livewellgearycounty@gmail.com">livewellgearycounty@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;for more information.

LHEAT Partners to Expand Winter Resources in Geary County

U.S. Army&nbsp; - Media Release&nbsp;

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Army will retain military working equid (MWE) programs at Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Riley, Kansas, previously slated for discontinuation. MWE programs include horses, mules, and donkeys owned by the Department of War and housed on Army installations. The decision follows a thorough assessment of resources and support capabilities.

"After careful consideration, the Army has determined that retaining these MWE programs is in the best interests of the force," said Col. James Fuhriman, assistant deputy for Army health affairs. "These programs provide unique capabilities and benefits that are difficult to replicate, and their continuation aligns with our broader commitment to readiness and community engagement."

The Fort Hood and Fort Riley MWE programs will be formally established as Army programs and serve as a link between the Army and the American people through public demonstrations, educational outreach, and participation in local events. They also represent a connection between the Army's past and present, honoring its heritage.

Fuhriman affirmed the Army’s commitment to the continued safety and effectiveness of the programs. "Our commitment is reflected in the ongoing investments in resources, personnel, and infrastructure to support both the animals and Soldiers," Fuhriman stated.

The Army recently established a new military occupational specialty (MOS), "Army Equestrian" (08H), as an example of that investment. The new MOS replaces the "military horseman" identifier (D2) and creates a specialized career path dedicated to the professional care of military working equines. It is currently open to infantry Soldiers in grades E5-E9.

“Supplying trained personnel and animals allows us to maintain the program's high standards,” said Fuhriman. “It empowers the Fort Hood and Riley MWE programs, much like The Old Guard, to continue their legacy of excellence in preserving the Army's equine heritage.”

Fort Riley's Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard to Continue Operations

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.

Alexis Lucas-Webster, Failure to appear, arrested 12/31

Jeffery Dancy, DUI- Liquor/Drugs, arrested 01/01

Gage Foreman, Possession of marijuana; DUI - Liquor or drugs, arrested 01/01

Geary County Booking Photos Jan. 1-2, 2026

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman talks to Ty Masterson, president of the Kansas Senate on the Chiefs relocation to Kansas.

🎙 Forward Ever: Kan. Senate president Ty Masterson on Chiefs move to Kansas

Beginning Monday, January 5, 2026, a portion of Boller Road will be closed to all traffic. This closure will impact traffic flow on Boller Road from Hwy K18 as well as any traffic wanting to access Hwy K18 from Boller Road. Residents or the traveling public may access Boller Road via Whiskey Lake Road off Interstate 70 Exit 301.

This closure is expected to last approximately eight (8) weeks as this is directly related to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT)’s Flyover Bridge Project. More information on the project<a href="https://www.ksdot.gov/projects/north-central-kansas-projects/k-18-and-i-70-interchange?fbclid=IwY2xjawPEuRBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETE5ZGNuZGFNRDZBcTZmb3Uxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqgRqip4_P0CyzZRX-hG9w-RSMKDrkf7GsSmxj6suG7m9if6-YrmX8LUwiZj_aem_HDmnvEaIadSn4ecHye4LvQ"> can be found here.&nbsp;</a>

For questions or concerns, please contact the Geary County Public Works Department at 785-238-3612.

Portion of Boller Road in Geary County to close on Monday, January 5th

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran says a new $222 million infusion of federal funding will provide critical relief for Kansas hospitals and help keep rural communities viable across the state.

During a recent interview, Moran discussed visits to hospitals in Russell and Belleville, where administrators echoed what he has heard statewide: Kansas hospitals are financially fragile, and the new funding arrives at a pivotal moment.

The dollars come through the Rural Health Transformation Act, included in the federal reconciliation package addressing Medicaid policy. Moran said lawmakers were concerned that changes to Medicaid reimbursement could further strain already vulnerable rural hospitals.

“I don’t think there’s a hospital in Kansas that’s not fragile,” Moran said. “The finances of our health care system are fragile as well. We were looking for ways to make certain that hospitals in our state did not suffer significant consequences financially.”

Moran said he advocated strongly for the program and pushed to ensure it did not require a state match — a key provision, he noted, that allows Kansas to fully access the funds. The state is expected to receive $222 million this year, with similar amounts projected annually for the next five years.

Those resources, Moran said, should help keep hospital doors open across Kansas, though he cautioned the funding will not make hospitals flush with cash.

“No hospital is going to be swimming in money,” he said. “But it’s certainly going to make staying in business and keeping the doors open a bit easier.”

Moran emphasized that health care access and agriculture are inseparable pillars of rural Kansas. Without hospitals, he said, communities risk losing pharmacies, businesses, and families.

“If our hospital doors close, there’s no pharmacy on Main Street,” Moran said. “Young families won’t take the chance of raising their kids where there’s not access to health care, and senior citizens are often told they need to move where there’s a doctor and a hospital.”

He pointed to western Kansas communities where struggling farm economies combined with hospital closures could accelerate population decline.

“Often the hospital is the largest employer in a small town,” Moran said. “So the consequences ripple through the entire community.”

Moran said preserving rural hospitals and supporting a strong farm economy have long been central to his work in Washington, dating back to conversations he has had with Kansas broadcasters and constituents over many years.

“A significant component of why I asked for this job was to fight to keep rural Kansas — rural America — alive and well,” Moran said. “At the top of the list is access to health care and a successful farm economy. Those two things determine whether towns like my hometown of Plainville, and communities across Kansas, have a future.”

Moran said he will continue working to ensure the funding produces the intended results and helps strengthen rural Kansas in the years ahead.

“We want to grow Kansas and make sure the entire state has a bright future,” he said. “These two topics — health care and agriculture — really help determine whether that happens.”

Moran: $222M rural health funding a ‘Sigh of Relief’ for hospitals

BY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/29/kansan-returns-to-the-catholic-church-as-the-states-first-woman-priest/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE — Tina Thompson found a different way to be Catholic.

She was ordained in November as a Roman Catholic Woman Priest, an international group that has tethered itself to the Catholic Church but isn’t officially recognized.

“This is about something so much bigger than me,” Thompson said in an interview on the Kansas Reflector podcast. “This is about women who want to show the world that we are the Roman Catholic Church.”

Thompson said she is the first Roman Catholic Woman Priest in Kansas, but she is one of hundreds of women Catholic priests around the world.

“We are still the church, but we are different in that we open the tent,” Thompson said. “We want everyone to feel like they are welcome.”

The organization’s mission focuses on ordaining mostly women who feel called to priesthood. It is often oriented toward social justice, Thompson said. The organization says its ordinations are valid because they have abided by apostolic succession, which refers to the transition of power from bishops and popes that originated with the Apostles. Each person who performs an ordination is connected to that line of authority.

A 10-member commission created by the late Pope Francis affirmed in a study made public earlier this month that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/papal-commission-votes-against-ordaining-women-deacons" target="_blank">women are not allowed to be ordained deacons</a>, which are a rank below priests.

Thompson was raised Catholic. The religion was rooted in her family’s everyday. Her grandfather prayed each morning, she said. As she got older, Thompson drifted from the church. She did not condone its views, including those against divorce, women and same-sex marriage, and condemned its handling of cases of sexual abuse.

She was away from the church for roughly 20 years, but she said Catholicism was always a part of her.

“It sort of gets in your DNA,” she said.

It wasn’t until her 60s that Catholicism piqued her interest again.

It came after Thompson lost her younger brother unexpectedly. Reflecting upon his death, Thompson said he never lost his faith, even in the face of addiction and health issues. Following his burial, she began searching online for Catholic woman priests. She said she felt called to do something bigger, which led her to the organization.

Women priests do not perform their duties in Catholic churches, and they cannot be officially ordained in one either. They are not recognized and are often excommunicated from the Catholic Church if they are heavily involved before their ordination as Roman Catholic women priests.

“We’re just a schism, as they say,” Thompson said.

Thompson was ordained at Lawrence’s Unity Church, a religious movement founded in Kansas City, Missouri, that blends Christianity with spiritualism, emphasizing inclusivity, a loose approach to worship and embracing personal transformation.

Thompson said she loves the Catholic Church’s sacraments, celebration of the Eucharist and singing.

“If you said, ‘Well, go be an Episcopal priest,’ it’s not the same. It’s just not the same,” Thompson said. “And I believe the Roman Catholic institutional church could be so much more, and I don’t want to give up on the church.”

A lot of good things come out of the traditional Catholic Church, Thompson said, “but they’re misguided in so many ways. And male-guided, in so many ways.”

Her ministry as a priest isn’t yet clear. She said she gravitates toward art and ensuring an inclusive spiritual practice, but she also said she doesn’t want to limit herself so early into her priesthood. Ultimately, priests “want everyone to feel this mystery,” she said. But it can be difficult to explain.

“Faith is about being together,” she said,” and celebrating in community and recognizing the gifts that we each have to offer to make the world a much better place.”

Kansan returns to the Catholic Church as the state’s first woman priest

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said Monday he did not think farmers would fare well through a prolonged trade war.

Moran spoke to the Hays Noon Rotary on Monday.

"The longer this trade battle goes, the more difficult it is for there to be a future for the farm."

Moran said he favors a free market.&nbsp;

Moran said his aim as a congressman is to make sure rural America has a future.

"I want my hometown to be around," said Moran, who is a native of Plainville and a 30-year resident of Hays. "I want your hometowns to be around."

He said as costs increase, it becomes more difficult for rural businesses to make it.

"I use LaCrosse as my example," he said. " How many more hammers can the hardware store in LaCrosse sell when the price of something goes up, tariffs, for example, but also taxes, insurance, workers' compensation premiums and health care.

He said he had represented the First Congressional District in Kansas for years, where there was no growth.

"How can the hardware store in LaCrosse sell when the price of a hammer goes up, and your population is declining?" Moran said.

Agriculture determines so much of success in Kansas communities, he said.

"Not everyone who lives in Hays is a farmer or rancher, but I don't think there is anyone in this room who is not impacted when agriculture is doing poorly," Moran said. ...

"Agriculture determines if our hometowns have a future," he said. ... "Right now, agriculture is in terrible condition. In my experience, this is as bad as it has been during my time in office."

Input prices are high and commodity prices are low.

He said President Trump wanted to lower cattle prices, but livestock is the only sector of agriculture that is doing well now.

Because of tariffs, China and other countries have left the U.S. markets and are buying from Brazil. He said he heard on the ag report Monday morning that the weather in Brazil will determine wheat prices.

"We are now dependent on the weather of other countries rather than the markets of our own," he said.

"I don't know how you ever fill the gap of China buying corn, soy beans and grain sorghum," Moran said.

He added, "A trade war reduces the stability and the certainty of those markets. ... "Once you lose a customer, how do you get them back?"

Moran said if President Trump could negotiate some easing of tariffs on U.S. goods imposed by other countries, that would be a good outcome.

However, he said a prolonged trade war will be very difficult for farmers.

Despite this hardship, Moran said most American farmers he spoke with said they still support Trump.

"Most of my farmers in Kansas give President Trump the benefit of the doubt on this and see that they are going to get something better at the end of the day, and they are willing to put up with the pain," Moran said.

"In the meantime, they want money to survive the pain."

President Trump announced in early December that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would make $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to American farmers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.

Farmers who qualify for the&nbsp;Farmer Bridge Assistance Program can expect payments to be released by Feb. 28.

Moran said he sponsored a bill requiring Congressional approval to impose tariffs. President Trump has been operating under emergency executive power. The U.S. Supreme Court is still considering whether he can do so.

Sen. Moran serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ec8a94ca-e2a2-403e-aa5d-616658687575">Iranian President&nbsp;Masoud Pezeshkian&nbsp;said Saturday his country is in a full-scale war with the U.S., Israel and Europe.</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/9072827a-202e-4587-985b-a0747c4fbb20">SEE RELATED STORY: Trump issues new warning to Iran of future U.S. strikes</a>

Moran was asked about his level of concern over&nbsp;Pezeshkian's&nbsp;declaration.

"I think we need to be seriously concerned with Iran and its capabilities," he said. "We have demonstrated some of our own, as has Israel.

"Iran is unpredictable and dangerous. The question is, what can you do about it?"

"It's not just about armies and navies and air forces, it's the capability of an individual or people being able to kill other individuals or groups of people in terrorism," Moran said. "They have great capabilities to do us damage.

"Everything we can do to contain them is important for us to do."

He also said he thought Russia had been the aggressor in Ukraine and should be kept from that aggression.

He said the outcome of the war should discourage others from thinking they could invade another country, or that Russia could invade an additional country.&nbsp;

Moran: Prolonged trade war would be difficult on farmers

From all of us here at Eagle Media, we want to wish you a Happy New Year! We hope that 2026 is a great year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Kansans are invited to start the New Year outdoors as Kansas State Parks participate in the nationwide First Day Hikes program on New Year’s Day.

First Day Hikes is a national initiative sponsored by America’s State Parks, designed to encourage individuals and families to welcome the New Year with a healthy, outdoor activity. The program offers guided and self-guided hikes in state parks across the country, giving participants an opportunity to exercise, enjoy nature, and connect with friends and family.

Kansas State Parks will host multiple First Day Hike events at parks throughout the state. Park staff encourage participants to come prepared for winter conditions. Recommended items include water, snacks, weather-appropriate clothing such as hats, gloves and heavy coats, sturdy hiking shoes, binoculars, a hiking stick, and a camera.

For Milford State Park, the following information has been posted.&nbsp;

The Hike starts at 1:00 pm on Thursday (New Year's Day). The hike will be approximately 2.5 miles long. We will start near the Sunset Ridge Cabin area (7296 S State Park Rd Milford, Ks 66514). 

Leashed pets are welcome. Participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to our local food bank. A valid state park vehicle permit is required.

For Tuttle Creek State Park, the following information has been posted.&nbsp;

The hike starts at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday (New Year's Day), and will start at the Park Office. Leashed pets are welcome. The Hike will be 2.5–4 miles long.&nbsp;

Participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to our local food bank.&nbsp;A valid state park vehicle permit is required.

To learn more about the First Day Hikes, visit<a href="https://ksoutdoors.gov/"> ksoutdoors.gov</a> or call 785-539-7941.

First Day Hikes scheduled for New Year's Day at Milford and Tuttle Creek State Parks

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a murder on New Year's Day in Johnson County.

Just before 2a.m. Thursday, police responded to a residence in the 16900 block of Walter Street in Gardner on reports of an armed disturbance.  The caller advised the 911 operator that a man had been stabbed.&nbsp; Upon arrival, the officer contacted the occupants of the home and observed a man on the ground with serious injuries.  The victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene. A preliminary investigation has revealed that a disturbance ensued inside the home, which led to the victim being stabbed.  The victim has been  identified as Jason A. Rosado, a 28-year-old of Overland Park.

A suspect identified as 34-year-old Kavin Moreno was taken into custody on a requested charge of First Degree Murder. He is being held on a $1 million bond and is due in court on Monday, according to online jail records.

Man accused of fatal New Year's Day knife attack at Kansas home

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a series of burglaries on December 19, in Salina have a suspect in custody.

Police investigators developed&nbsp; information that 43-year-old Matthew Hewitt was a possible suspect, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman. On Christmas Eve officers located Hewitt at the Value Inn on 1640 W. Crawford in Salina. When officers arrived they discovered Hewitt was inside a hotel room with a woman identified as 51-year-old Mindy Burr.

Officers made announcements that Hewitt was under arrest and that all occupants needed to exit the room. However, there was no response and a Salina Police negotiator made contact with Hewitt by phone.

During the phone call, Hewitt stated he was armed and that "officers should not come inside the room if they want to make it Christmas."

Later as Hewitt started to exit the room, he failed to comply with the officer's attempt to make the arrest. A K9 was then released and it bit Hewitt.

 Hewitt was then taken into custody and transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of minor injuries.

Burr was also arrested on the scene and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Felony Interference with Law Enforcement and Harboring a Subject with a warrant.

A search warrant was then conducted inside the hotel room and a AR rifle, items taken in the burglay from the&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/a431e1b9-e3e6-4322-a431-f2e9e0776864">Boy Scouts of America</a>, along with several other items were recovered.&nbsp;

Hewitt was booked into jail on requested charges of Burglary, Interference with Law Enforcement, Criminal Use of a Firearm and Criminal Threat.

He also had a federal&nbsp;warrant for Probation violation for Firearms Violation that was issued by the US Marshals Service.

Hewitt is expected to face more charges as he is also a suspect connected to the burglaries in downtown Salina at the end of November.

Kansas man accused of three burglaries in one day

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The FBI said Friday it disrupted a New Year’s Eve attack plot targeting a grocery store and fast-food restaurant in North Carolina, arresting an 18-year-old man who authorities say pledged loyalty to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-islamic-state-hegseth-trump-61dcee09576ce806de3a04aaec152495">Islamic State group</a>.

Christian Sturdivant was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Investigators said he told an undercover FBI employee posing as a supportive confidant about his plans to attack people. Their online messages, along with a recent search of his home, indicated attacks would occur with knives and hammers, according to prosecutors and records.

Worried Sturdivant might attempt violence before New Year’s Eve, the FBI placed him under constant surveillance for days, including on Christmas, U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina Russ Ferguson said.

Agents were prepared to arrest him earlier if he left his home with weapons, Ferguson said at a news conference in Charlotte. “At no point was the public in harm’s way.”

Sturdivant was arrested Wednesday and remained in custody after a federal court appearance Friday. An attorney representing him did not immediately respond to an email or phone message seeking comment. Another hearing was scheduled for Jan. 7.

The alleged attack would have taken place one year after 14 people were killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-bourbon-attack-security-1298ae460051ab9d80e04f41ed7b6802">in New Orleans</a>&nbsp;by a U.S. citizen and Army veteran who proclaimed support for IS on social media.

The FBI has foiled several alleged attacks through sting operations in which agents posed as terror supporters, supplying advice or equipment. Critics say the strategy can amount to entrapment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-334730f048af4529ad328f60315b5c7d">mentally vulnerable</a>&nbsp;people who wouldn’t have the wherewithal to act alone.

Searches of Sturdivant’s home and phone uncovered what investigators described as a manifesto detailing plans for the attack, FBI Special Agent in Charge James Barnacle told reporters.

“He was willing to sacrifice himself,” Barnacle said.

A handwritten note found in a trash can at Sturdivant's home listed details of the planned attacks and the number of intended victims at a Burger King restaurant and unnamed grocery store, according to an FBI affidavit.

The note also said he would attack arriving officers and “hoped to die by the hands of police.” Ferguson said the attack was to take place in Mint Hill, a bedroom community of Charlotte.

The affidavit said a database check indicated Sturdivant worked at Burger King in Mint Hill. It wasn't clear if that was the same restaurant cited in the note. Ferguson declined to identify the specific targeted businesses, citing the ongoing investigation.

If convicted, Sturdivant faces up to 20 years in prison, according to court documents.

The fact that Sturdivant encountered two undercover officers while allegedly planning the attack should reassure the public, Ferguson said.

The affidavit says the investigation began last month after authorities linked Sturdivant to a social media account that posted content supportive of IS, including imagery that appeared to promote violence. The account’s display name referenced Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former leader of the extremist group.

Some experts argue that IS is powerful today partly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-crash-islamic-state-lone-wolves-4bb6446c484737fbe9dd1b9c26a899a9">as a brand</a>, inspiring both militant groups and individuals in attacks that the group itself may have no real role in.

The affidavit says Sturdivant had been on the FBI's radar in January 2022, when he was a minor, after officials learned he'd been in contact with a suspected IS member in Europe, and received instructions to dress in black, knock on people's doors and commit attacks with a hammer.

At that time, Sturdivant set out for a neighbor’s house armed with a hammer and a knife but was restrained by his grandfather, the affidavit says.

No charges were filed at that time, but Sturdivant underwent psychological treatment and the FBI was told he no longer had access to social media, Ferguson said. But the FBI found out weeks ago that he was back on it, he added.

The FBI in Los Angeles last month announced the disruption of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-new-years-eve-turtle-liberation-arrests-a84a26742ecbd5fe813ab959162268d2">separate New Year’s Eve plot</a>, arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group who federal officials said planned to bomb multiple sites in southern California.

Other IS-inspired attacks over the past decade include a 2015 shooting rampage by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-f42318ce395a471d8ffd19607c651a36">a husband-and-wife team</a>&nbsp;who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, and a 2016 massacre at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/domestic-news-domestic-news-general-news-fa93fb3237aa41f591c1b0c026d6c7c3">a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida</a>, by a gunman who fatally shot 49 people.

Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed.

FBI disrupted a New Year's Eve attack plan inspired by ISIS

GREELEY COUNTY&nbsp;– The Greeley County Sheriff’s Office requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Tribune man.

The whereabouts of 77-year-old Juan Arias Vasquez are unknown, and public assistance is requested to help locate him.

Vasquez was last seen on Friday, Jan. 2, leaving his home at around 10:30 a.m. He is likely driving a maroon 2017 Dodge Ram bearing the plate 452NWX.

Vasquez is 5-feet-8 inches tall and weighs around 185 pounds. He has brown eyes and black/gray hair, and was last seen wearing&nbsp;a black jacket,&nbsp;tan pants, and a black and brown ballcap.

Vasquez has dementia, and family members are concerned about his safety.&nbsp;

If you see Juan Arias Vasquez, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Greeley County Sheriff’s Office at (620) 376-4233.

KBI: Silver Alert for missing Kansas man

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating human remains found in Shawnee County.

On Friday, police reported that just after 5:30p.m. Tuesday,&nbsp;officers responded to a report of a deceased individual in the area of NE U.S. 24 Highway and NE Calhoun Bluff Road, according to a media release. Upon arrival, officers discovered human remains.

At this time, foul play is not suspected. Police have not released the name of the deceased until official confirmation and the&nbsp;next of kin have been notified.

Police: Human remains found in northeast Kansas

A woman was killed in a suspected mountain lion attack while she was hiking alone in the mountains of northern Colorado on Thursday, in what would be the first fatal attack by one of the predators in the state in more than 25 years, authorities said.

Wildlife officers later in the day located two mountain lions in the area and fatally shot the animals, said Kara Van Hoose with Colorado Parks and Wildlife

The attack occurred in the mountains south of the small community of Glen Haven, about 7 miles northeast of Estes Park and considered the gateway to the eastern entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Shortly before noon, two hikers encountered a mountain lion near the woman’s body along a remote section of the Crosier Mountain trail, which is on a national forest.

The hikers threw rocks at the animal to scare it from the immediate area so they could try to help the woman, Van Hoose said. One of the hikers was a physician who attended to the victim and did not find a pulse, she said.

Details on the woman's injuries and cause of death were not immediately released.

Van Hoose said the search for other mountain lions in the area was ongoing. She said circumstances would dictate whether any additional lions that are found are killed.

Sightings of mountain lions are common in the forested area where the suspected attack occurred, but there have not been any recent documented attacks on humans, Van Hoose said.

“This is a very common time of year to take mountain lion sightings and reports and especially in Larimer County, where this is very good mountain lion habitat,” she said. “Trails in this area are in pretty remote land, so it’s wooded, it’s rocky, there’s elevation gains and dips.”

Mountain lion attacks are rare and Colorado's last suspected fatal attack was in 1999, when a 3-year-old was killed. Two years before that, a 10-year-old boy was killed by a lion and dragged away while hiking with family members in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mountain-lion-kills-man-dc8f26db4da45bd32550eadce7cf496c">in Northern California</a>&nbsp;two brothers were stalked and then attacked by a lion that they tried to fight off. One of the brothers was killed.

The animals, also known as cougars, catamounts and other names, can weigh 130 pounds (60 kilograms) and grow to more than six feet (1.8meters) long1. They eat primarily deer.

Colorado has an estimated 3,800-4,400 of the animals, which are classified as a big game species in the state and can be hunted.

Woman killed in mountain lion attack while hiking in Colorado

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump and top Iranian officials exchanged dueling threats Friday as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-traders-protest-rial-currency-ddc955739fb412b642251dee10638f03">widening protests</a>&nbsp;swept across parts of the Islamic Republic, further escalating tensions between the countries after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">America bombed Iranian nuclear sites in June</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-economy-israel-us-nuclear-8533eacbc3c502ccc5f5339ae4384399">At least seven people have been killed</a>&nbsp;so far in violence surrounding the demonstrations, which were sparked in part by the collapse of Iran’s rial currency but have increasingly seen crowds chanting anti-government slogans.

The protests, now in their sixth day, have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-mahsa-amini-protests-un-report-366a199119720e69696a123560ef4018">22-year-old Mahsa Amini</a>&nbsp;in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, the demonstrations have yet to be countrywide and have not been as intense as those surrounding the death of Amini, who was detained over not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities.

Trump initially wrote on his Truth Social platform, warning Iran that if it “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States “will come to their rescue.”

“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump wrote, without elaborating.

Shortly after, Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker who serves as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, alleged on the social platform X that Israel and the U.S. were stoking the demonstrations. He offered no evidence to support the allegation, which Iranian officials have repeatedly made during years of protests sweeping the country.

“Trump should know that intervention by the U.S. in the domestic problem corresponds to chaos in the entire region and the destruction of the U.S. interests,” Larijani wrote on X, which the Iranian government blocks. “The people of the U.S. should know that Trump began the adventurism. They should take care of their own soldiers.”

Larijani’s remarks likely referenced America’s wide military footprint in the region.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-qatar-udeid-air-base-attack-us-aace65a65a0ce69090a7b65fe85cfac8">Iran in June attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar</a>&nbsp;after the U.S. strikes on three nuclear sites during Israel's 12-day war on the Islamic Republic. No one was injured, though a missile did hit a radome there.

No major changes have been made to U.S. troop levels in the Middle East or their preparations following Trump’s Iran post, said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who previously was the council's secretary for years, separately warned that “any interventionist hand that gets too close to the security of Iran will be cut.”

“The people of Iran properly know the experience of ‘being rescued’ by Americans: from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza,” he added on X.

Iran's hard-liner parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf also threatened that all American bases and forces would be “legitimate targets.”

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also responded, citing a list of Tehran's longtime grievances against the U.S., including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-1953-coup-cia-218323db3cc1aca6bde1e54827527e8d">a CIA-backed coup</a>&nbsp;in 1953, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/de425ed9833b4bdaa03306f37182995f">downing of a passenger jet</a>&nbsp;in 1988 and taking part in the June war.

The Iranian response came as the protests shake what has been a common refrain from officials in the theocracy — that the country broadly backed its government after the war.

Trump's online message marked a direct sign of support for the demonstrators, something that other American presidents have avoided out of concern that activists would be accused of working with the West.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ab649e2190834e19b1f006f76493645f">During Iran's 2009 Green Movement demonstrations</a>, President Barack Obama held back from publicly backing the protests — something he said in 2022 "was a mistake."

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