On Saturday at approximately 4:15 p.m., officers with the Junction City Police Department were dispatched to the 300 block of West 4th Street in Junction City for a subject reported to be suffering from possible gunshot wounds.

Upon arrival, officers located John Day, a 66-year-old white man and Junction City resident, suffering from what was believed to be a gunshot wound. Day was transported to Stormont Vail Flint Hills Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

This incident remains an active investigation. The Junction City Police Department has identified and interviewed all individuals present during the incident. At this time, no arrests have been made.

There is no ongoing threat to the community related to this incident.

Upon completion of the investigation, the case will be presented to the Geary County Attorney's Office for review to determine whether any charges are appropriate.

Anyone with additional information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Junction City Police Department at (785) 762-5912 or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at (785) 762-8477.

Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, no further information will be released at this time.&nbsp;

Police conduct a homicide investigation in Junction City

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.&nbsp;

Riley County Arrest Report January 17, 18

The Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony in Junction City on Monday will focus on youth involvement. A goal is to keep the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. before the youth.

Event Coordinator Daphne Maxwell pointed to a need to resurrect a loss of history for young people. "Some don't know who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is, let alone what he stood for, the impact of his life and legacy, and freedoms they enjoy today."

With the youth-centered focus, the event will feature performances and presentations by local youth and serve as a day of learning, reflection, and historical enrichment. Students from the JAG program at Junction City High School will be among the participants.

The ceremony Monday begins at 10 a.m. at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.

MLK Jr. Ceremony is set for Monday

&nbsp; Geary USD 475 will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 

The District announced that students will also be off Tuesday, Jan. 20 since the district is having a professional development day.&nbsp; &nbsp;

USD 475 will be closed Monday 

K-State Research and Extension will host a series of regional Local Food Producer Workshops in February and March, offering farmers and small food businesses practical guidance on expanding their reach in local markets.

The annual workshops are held in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture &amp; Alternative Crops. They are designed to help producers learn more about selling through farmers markets, direct-to-consumer channels, and other local food market opportunities, while also providing a forum to connect with peers and share best practices.

According to organizers, the workshops focus on improving business success for local food producers by combining educational sessions with networking opportunities. Each workshop location will offer free scale certification and lunch. Select locations will also include training for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program; participants are encouraged to review the agenda for their chosen location to confirm available topics.

The workshops are organized through K-State Research and Extension, the statewide outreach arm of Kansas State University.

Additional details, including dates, locations, and agendas, are available online through K-State Research and Extension’s workshop page.

K-State Research and Extension to host local food producer workshops across Kansas

On Friday night inside the Blue Jay Event Center, Junction City High School hosted the Topeka Trojans in boys and girls action. Topeka swept the Blue Jays, winning big in the girls game and an overtime thriller in the boys game.

<i>Girls recap – Topeka High 63, Junction City 29</i>

Topeka High jumped out to an early lead and led 16–5 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, it was all T-High as well, as they extended their lead to 24 points, leading 35–11 at halftime. Junior Ahsieryrhuajh ("Shy") Rayton had 22 first-half points.

T-High continued to roll and went on to win the game 63–29. With the victory, Topeka earned its first win in Centennial League play and is 4-6 on the season. Junction City falls to 1-8 on the year.

For Junction City, the main highlight again was sophomore Aniyah Henry-Rivers. She finished the game with 17 points. *Aniyah Henry-Rivers was named the Blu Restaurant Player of the Game. For being selected as Player of the Game, she receives a $20 free meal coupon from Blu Restaurant in Junction City, located at 602 North Washington Street.

Boys recap - Topeka High 72, Junction City 69 (OT)

In boys action, Topeka High got out to a quick start, as they led Junction City early by a score of 13–2. Coach Easton Burgardt burned an early timeout to get his team fired up. The Trojans then led 18–7 at the end of the first quarter after a sluggish start from Junction City.

The Trojans expanded that lead to 27–11, leading by 16, which was their largest lead of the game. Junction City junior Trevon Briley then pulled down a big defensive rebound and scored on the offensive end, followed by another takeaway to spark the Blue Jays on both ends of the floor. Junction City ended the half on a 20–5 run and trailed the Trojans 32–31 at halftime.

Junction City started the second half with the ball and scored on the opening possession to take a 33–32 lead, completing the comeback. Topeka High quickly responded, as the Trojans went on a big run of their own and led 55–45 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, much like the second quarter, the Junction City Blue Jays responded and came back once more. They trailed by 13 points but ultimately tied the game late and then led 60–59 with under a minute to go. The Blue Jays had a chance to win it in regulation, but a straightaway three-pointer by Khaliel Walker was no good, sending the game to overtime.

In overtime, the Blue Jays fell behind but had a chance to tie the game with two free throws by senior Lovell Autry. He made one of two, and Junction City trailed by one with less than 10 seconds to go. The Blue Jays then fouled and Topeka hit both free throws. JC had a chance to tie it late, but Autry’s three-pointer was off the mark, and Topeka High won the game in overtime, 72–69. Autry finished the game with a career high 29 points.

The Blue Jays fall to 0–3 in Centennial League play and 5–5 overall. *Our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game tonight was Brody Boeckman, who finished with 15 points. For being our Player of the Game, Boeckman receives a $20 free meal coupon from Blu Restaurant of Junction City, located at 602 North Washington Street.

Next up for Junction City, the Blue Jays will play three games in the Spring Hill Invitational Tournament on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Topeka High sweeps Junction City on Friday night in the Blue Jay Event Center

Centennial League play continues Friday night at Junction City High School. The Blue Jays and Lady Jays host the Topeka High Trojans. You can hear both games live on 107.9 FM / 1420 AM KJCK Radio. You can also <a href="https://streamdb9web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KJCKAM">listen live by clicking here.&nbsp;</a>

Girls tip-off at 6:00 p.m. - You can listen live on the radio or watch the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/au_9mZyAMYc?si=9xxqptWSaMYoeAkk">livestream provided by BlueJayMedia by clicking here.&nbsp;</a>

Boys tip-off around 7:30 p.m. - You can listen live on the radio or watch the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/Jb7-7i18tBA?si=qrL3a6ocLZctZPei">livestream provided by BlueJayMedia by clicking here.&nbsp;</a>

🏀WATCH/LISTEN LIVE: Junction City hosts Topeka Trojans

RILEY COUNTY— An elementary school was briefly evacuated on Friday due a fire.

Just before noon Friday, crews responded to a small fire at Marlatt Elementary School,&nbsp;2715 Hobbs Drive in Manhattan, according to a social media report from the Manhattan Fire Department.. Before 1p.m. the fire was extinguished and students&nbsp; allowed back into the building. No injuries were reported.&nbsp; The fire department has not released details on what cause the fire ore additional information.

Manhattan elementary school evacuated due to fire

There will be no trash/garbage pick-up by the City of Junction City on Monday, January 19th due to the Martin Luther King Holiday.

However, trash/garbage pick-up will be picked up the next workday as follows:

Monday’s pickup day will be Tuesday, January 20th

Tuesday’s pickup day will be Wednesday, January 21st

Wednesday’s pickup day will be Thursday, January 22nd

Thursday’s pickup day will be Friday, January 23rd

Friday’s pickup day will be Saturday, January 24th

City sanitation schedule

<i>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman talks to Leslie Grant with Wichita State University's Community Education program to discuss their free lifelong learning program.</i>

For more details go to the web site Wichita.edu/lifelonglearning&nbsp; &nbsp;Or call the office 316-978-3731

🎙 Forward Ever: Leslie Grant with WSU's Community Education Program

TOPEKA, Kan. – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland encourages jobseekers and employers searching for available talent to take part in this year’s first Virtual Statewide Job Fair, hosted by&nbsp;KANSASWORKS, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday, January 22.

“The new year is all about new doors opening and new opportunities on the horizon,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “And what better way to kickstart your new year than exploring the wide array of fulfilling career opportunities available in Kansas.”

The Virtual Job Fair format allows anyone searching for a new job to fill out applications, chat live and interview virtually with participating employers.

This month’s Virtual Statewide Job Fair portal features helpful information such as a jobseeker training video, a list of participating employers and channels for attendees to register and log in. Jobseekers are encouraged to dress professionally, as they might be asked to engage in an interview.

Candidates can participate through any digital device. Any individual with a disability may request accommodation by contacting their nearest workforce center at (877) 509-6757 prior to the event.

Registration is required to participate in virtual job fairs, regardless of previous participation. To register, click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fapp.premiervirtual.com%2Fevents%2F4fa13887-56f5-4f70-8a8e-15ad40a883d7%2Fkansasworks-virtual-statewide-job-fair-january-22,-2026/1/0101019b9e563bde-3582bec5-c4b5-4a92-b26a-425ebfb89d80-000000/AcS4yBb1tab0tbPVNUe0q3N2geF3QYIdyaodDh0okxU=439">here</a>.

State to hold first virtual job fair of the year

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education, for now, is backtracking on plans to garnish wages and seize tax refunds of student loan borrowers in default, the department announced Friday.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-garnish-wages-defaulted-student-loans" target="_blank">Less than a month</a>&nbsp;after the agency said it would begin garnishing wages by sending notices to roughly 1,000 borrowers in default the first full week of January, the department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-delays-involuntary-collections-amid-ongoing-student-loan-repayment-improvements" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that the temporary delay would allow it to implement “major student loan repayment reforms” under Republicans’ tax and spending cut bill that President Donald Trump signed into law in 2025.

The delay would “give borrowers more options to repay their loans,” the department said.&nbsp;

It was not immediately clear from the announcement how long the pause would last.&nbsp;

Education Secretary Linda McMahon signaled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/AsuO9zf7WxY?t=685s" target="_blank">earlier this week</a>&nbsp;during the&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/01/12/us-education-secretary-promotes-returning-school-autonomy-to-states/" target="_blank">Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;portion of her Returning Education to the States Tour that wage garnishment has been “put on pause for a bit.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The agency resumed collections for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-restart-defaulted-student-loan-collections" target="_blank">defaulted federal student loans</a>&nbsp;in May after a pause that began during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A borrower can have their wages garnished as a consequence of defaulting on their loans, and a loanholder can order an employer to withhold up to 15% of their disposable pay to collect defaulted debt without being taken to court, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/what-is-wage-garnishment" target="_blank">Federal Student Aid</a>, an office of the Education Department.

The delay also applies to the Treasury Offset Program, which “allows the federal government to collect income tax refunds and certain government benefits (for example, Social Security benefits) from individuals who owe debts to the federal government,” per&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/offset" target="_blank">FSA</a>.&nbsp;

Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director for the advocacy group Protect Borrowers, said in a Friday statement that “after months of pressure and countless horror stories from borrowers, the Trump Administration says it has abandoned plans to snatch working people’s hard-earned money directly from their paychecks and tax refunds simply for falling behind on their student loans.”&nbsp;

“Amidst the growing affordability crisis, the Administration’s plans would have been economically reckless and would have risked pushing nearly 9 million defaulted borrowers even further into debt,” she added, while pointing to a&nbsp;<a href="https://protectborrowers.org/new-analysis-finds-that-a-student-loan-borrower-defaulted-every-nine-seconds-in-2025-as-trump-restarts-wage-garnishment/" target="_blank">Jan. 7 letter</a>&nbsp;from Protect Borrowers and other organizations calling on McMahon to “immediately halt its plan to resume garnishment of millions of struggling borrowers’ wages.”

US Education Dept. delays plan to garnish wages of student borrowers in default

KANSAS CITY—One person was injured in a house fire in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 4:30p.m. Saturday, Kansas City Fire Department&nbsp;companies were dispatched to a reported fire in the 7800 block of 48th Terrace, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

On arrival, crews reported the 1-story home was fully involved in fire. All residents were reported to be out of the house, and after performing searches, crews confirmed it was all clear

One occupant was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for burns sustained in the fire.&nbsp;

The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD and Bomb and Arson. &nbsp;City Planning and Dangerous Buildings have been requested to the scene.&nbsp;

One hospitalized after fire at home in Kansas City

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Thursday announced the outlines of a health care plan he wants Congress to take up as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-obamacare-affordable-care-act-616758c58942125f34552913e24832ef">Republicans have faced increasing pressure to address rising health costs</a>&nbsp;after lawmakers let&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/affordable-care-act-health-subsidies-expire-35060610e82ca3257821c53f2a34ecf6">subsidies expire</a>.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Great-Healthcare-Plan.pdf">Click here to read </a>additional details on the plan

The cornerstone is his proposal to send money directly to Americans for health savings accounts so they can handle insurance and health costs as they see fit. Democrats have rejected the idea as a paltry substitute for the tax credits that had helped lower monthly premiums for many people.

“The government is going to pay the money directly to you,” Trump said in a taped video the White House released to announce the plan. “It goes to you and then you take the money and buy your own health care.”

Trump’s plan also focuses on lowering drug prices and requiring insurers to be more upfront with the public about costs, revenues, rejected claims and wait times for care.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-affordable-care-act-health-subsidies-expire-2d9fad3c8132ae49a2b9bc27a7ac8531">has long been dogged by his lack of a comprehensive health care plan</a>&nbsp;as he and Republicans have sought to unwind former President Barack Obama’s signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act. Trump was thwarted during his first term in trying to repeal and replace the law.

When he ran for president in 2024, Trump said he had only “concepts of a plan” to address health care. His new proposal, short on many specifics, appeared to be the concepts of a plan.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oz-hhs-cms-kennedy-health-medicare-medicaid-ef02cafd3100a4794d8e882fdf2ad7b0">Dr. Mehmet Oz</a>, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, described it to reporters on a telephone briefing as a “framework that we believe will help Congress create legislation.”

A White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and described some details on condition of anonymity said the administration had been discussing the proposal with allies in Congress, but was unable to name any lawmakers who were working to address the plan.

Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the Republican chair of the Senate health committee, said in a social media post praising Trump’s plan that his committee “has and will take action on the President’s affordability agenda.”

The White House did not offer any details about how much money it envisioned being sent to consumers to shop for insurance, or whether the money would be available to all “Obamacare” enrollees or just those with lower-tier bronze and catastrophic plans.

The idea mirrors one floated among Republican senators last year. Democrats largely rejected it, saying the accounts would not be enough to cover costs for most consumers. Currently, such accounts are used disproportionately by the wealthiest Americans, who have more income to fund them and a bigger incentive to lower their tax rate.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked Thursday whether the president could guarantee that under his plan, people would be able to cover their health costs. She did not directly answer, but said, “If this plan is put in place, every single American who has health care in the United States will see lower costs as a result.”

Enhanced tax credits that helped reduce the cost of insurance for the vast majority of Affordable Care Act enrollees expired at the end of 2025 even though Democrats had forced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">43-day government shutdown</a>&nbsp;over the issue.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has been leading a bipartisan group of 12 senators trying to devise a compromise that would extend those subsidies for two years while adding new limits on who can receive them. That proposal would create the option, in the second year, of a health savings account that Trump and Republicans prefer.

The White House official denied that Trump was closing the door completely on those bipartisan negotiations, and said the White House preferred to send money directly to consumers.

Plan follows massive cuts to health programs

Trump’s plan comes months after the Republicans’ big tax and spending bill last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-cuts-snap-ed0d2c7c20b43c54265dbc9cb215b647">cut more than $1 trillion</a>&nbsp;over a decade in federal health care and food assistance, largely by imposing work requirements on those receiving aid and shifting certain federal costs to the states.

Democrats have blasted those cuts as devastating for vulnerable people who rely on programs such as Medicaid for their health care. The GOP bill included an infusion of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rural-hospitals-fund-medicaid-cuts-48fb63019a6e73504eb13411abc6bc1e">$50 billion over five years</a>&nbsp;for rural health programs, an amount experts have said is inadequate to fill the gap in funding.

The White House said Trump’s new proposal will seek to bring down premiums by fully funding cost-sharing reductions, or CSRs, a type of financial help that insurers give to low-income ACA enrollees on silver-level, or mid-tier plans.

From 2014 until 2017, the federal government reimbursed insurance companies for CSRs. In 2017, the first Trump administration stopped making those payments. To make up for the lost money, insurance companies raised premiums for silver-level plans. That ended up increasing the financial assistance many enrollees got to help them pay for premiums.

As a result, health analysts say that while restoring money for CSRs would likely bring down silver-level premiums, as Trump says, it could have the unwelcome ripple effect of increasing many people’s net premiums on bronze and gold plans.

Oz said Trump’s plans also seeks to have certain medications made available over the counter instead of by prescription if they are deemed safe enough. He mentioned higher-dose nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and peptic ulcer drugs as two examples.

It was unclear whether the White House is asking Congress to take steps to make more prescription drugs available over the counter. For decades, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-food-and-drug-administration">Food and Drug Administration</a>&nbsp;has had the ability to do that.

The heartburn drug Prilosec, as well as numerous allergy medications, are among those the FDA has approved for over-the-counter sales. The FDA only approves such changes if studies show patients can safely take the drug after reading the package labeling. Companies must apply for the switch.

The White House said Trump’s plan would also codify his efforts to lower drug prices by tying prices to the lowest price paid by other countries.

Trump has already struck deals with a number of drugmakers to get them to lower the prices. As part of that, the drugmakers have agreed to sell pharmacy-ready medicines directly to consumers who can shop online at the White House’s website for selling drugs directly to consumers, TrumpRx.gov.

TrumpRx did not yet have any drugs listed on Thursday. Oz said drugs will be available on the website at the end of the month.

AP Health Writer Matthew Perrone contributed to this report.

More details on the Great Health Care Plan Trump wants Congress to consider

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. overdose deaths fell through most of last year, suggesting a lasting improvement in an epidemic that had been worsening for decades.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm">Federal data</a>&nbsp;released last week showed that overdose deaths have been falling for more than two years — the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-overdose-deaths-opioids-1561a9f189255ad60c533462f10490a2">longest drop in decades</a>&nbsp;— but also that the decline was slowing.

And the monthly death toll is still not back to what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, let alone where it was before the current overdose epidemic struck decades ago, said Brandon Marshall, a Brown University researcher who studies overdose trends.

“Overall I think this continues to be encouraging, especially since we're seeing declines almost across the nation,” he said.

Overdose deaths began steadily climbing in the 1990s with overdoses involving opioid painkillers, followed by waves of deaths from heroin and — more recently — illicit fentanyl. Deaths peaked nearly 110,000 in 2022, fell a little in 2023 and then plummeted 27% in 2024, to around 80,000. That was the largest one-year decline ever recorded.

The new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data runs through August 2025 and represents the first update of monthly provisional drug overdose deaths since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">federal government shutdown</a>.

An estimated 73,000 people died from overdoses in the 12-month period that ended August 2025, down about 21% from the 92,000 in the previous 12-month period.

CDC officials reported that deaths were down in all states except Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, New Mexico and North Dakota. But they noted it's likely that not all overdose deaths have been reported yet in every state, and additional data in the future might affect that state count.

Researchers cannot yet say with confidence why deaths have gone down. Experts have offered multiple possible explanations: increased availability of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/narcan-naloxone-overdose-opioids-9ad693795ce31e3a867a4dd4b65dbde8">overdose-reversing drug naloxone</a>, expanded addiction&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methadone-opioids-addiction-treatment-6dc1634de4cdac06410149e6a1372e18">treatment</a>, shifts in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/smoking-injection-overdoses-fentanyl-cbaf9c258b4fdbcc93ac164902629c35">how people use</a>&nbsp;drugs, and the growing impact of billions of dollars in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opioids-settlement-money-recovery-addiction-d186d72250f35056892bc9d70b5ab2c3">opioid lawsuit settlement money</a>.

Some also point to&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2841441">research</a>&nbsp;that suggests the number of people likely to overdose has been shrinking, as fewer teens take up drugs and many illicit drug users have died.

Two other theories recently joined the list.

China regulation changes may be having an impact

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aea6130?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D436067792935069%5B%E2%80%A6%5DGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1767899004">a paper</a>&nbsp;published last week in the journal Science, University of Maryland researchers point to the drug supply. They say regulatory changes in China a few years ago appear to have diminished the availability of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.

Their argument is based partly on information from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which last year reported that the purity — and dangerous potency — of fentanyl rose early in the COVID-19 pandemic but fell after 2022. It suggests it became harder to make fentanyl and its potency was diluted.

One piece of evidence for that: More U.S.-based Reddit users reported a fentanyl “drought” in 2023.

The authors connect that to signs that the Chinese government — at the urging of U.S. officials — took steps in 2023 to clamp down on the selling of substances used to make drugs. Information is limited on exactly what the Chinese government did, and the paper is a bit speculative, but “we thought we could make a case,” said Peter Reuter, one of the authors.

The recent deceleration of overdose deaths could be because producers in Canada and Mexico found alternative sources, Reuter and his colleagues think.

Their paper drew inspiration from a team of University of Pittsburgh researchers, who earlier concluded that regulatory changes in China concerning the drug carfentanil were an important explanation for a dip in U.S. overdose deaths in 2018.

Did pandemic stimulus payments play a role?

Those same Pittsburgh researchers — Dr. Donald Burke and Dr. Hawre Jalal — are now focused on another theory for what's happened to overdose deaths. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395925003937?dgcid=raven_sd_aip_email">a paper</a>&nbsp;published last week in the International Journal of Drug Policy, they say overdose trends may be at least partly tied to federal stimulus checks sent out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The researchers tracked the three rounds of pandemic stimulus payments to U.S. households in 2020 and 2021, and saw surges in overdose deaths after each one.

That money alleviated economic hardship for many families, but some of it also helped people pay for illicit drugs, the Pittsburgh researchers say. And the end of those payments helps explain why overdoses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/overdose-deaths-us-drugs-epidemic-cdc-e0dfd9d1ae140004af64186aa21774da">stabilized in 2022</a>&nbsp;and began falling afterward, they say.

Both arguments seem to have merit, though they do not prove causation, said Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a drug policy expert at the University of California, San Francisco.

“I personally think it's more complicated,” with those partial explanations layering on other trends, he said.

The Maryland and Pittsburgh researchers raised questions about whether Trump administration policies could slow momentum.

They noted relations between the U.S. and China strained last year when Trump placed sharply higher tariffs on imports from China, and speculated China might ease efforts to police fentanyl precursors.

They also noted Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-dividends-election-supreme-court-21ee2da1ab7966fa6566b81bc91b11d4">promised a $2,000 check</a>&nbsp;to Americans to help offset the rising prices resulting from tariffs placed on China. Those checks could cause some drug users to splurge and overdose, said Burke, who urged federal officials to think through how the money is disbursed.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/samhsa-grants-mental-health-substance-abuse-trump-32a9766ff2d2ed02721b5ee2dde9c2cc">canceled some 2,000 grants</a>&nbsp;in a move expected to jeopardize programs that provide mental health and drug treatment and prevention services.

Report: US overdose deaths down in 45 states; not in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — A third round of retaliatory strikes by the U.S. in Syria resulted in the death of an Al-Qaeda-affiliated leader, who officials say had a direct tie to the Islamic State member responsible for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-military-attack-palmyra-is-22f67e54c1a15fcc643de2672b83aacb">last month’s ambush</a>&nbsp;that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in the country.

U.S. Central Command announced that the strike in northwest Syria on Friday killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, who they claim was “an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was directly connected” to the Dec. 13 attack that killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat.

“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a statement. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”

It was the latest strike as part of a broader U.S. operation ordered by President Donald Trump following the ambush of the Americans to target “ISIS thugs” trying to regroup after the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago.

The Republican president has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside American troops, as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-syria-troops-islamic-state-kurds-3354f71e88d278427994d209b2d16d9c">U.S. military is expanding its cooperation</a>&nbsp;with security forces as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-coalition-islamic-state-79ceed4666aef43465221734fca899d5">coalition fighting the militant group</a>. He added at the time that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-syria-sharaa-first-visit-cf01c5d6c9af7e47ec0bae585634d845">Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa</a>&nbsp;was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack.”

CENTCOM said that the operation, titled “Hawkeye Strike,” has resulted in U.S. and partners like Jordan and Syria targeting more than 100 Islamic State infrastructure and weapons site targets.

US launches another deadly retaliatory strike in Syria

CRAWFORD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 5p.m. Saturday in Crawford County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1995 Ford F150 driven by Craig&nbsp; Silvey, 37, Cherokee, was westbound on Kansas 126 approximately two and one half miles west of U.S. 69.

The pickup was passing multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed and&nbsp; collided&nbsp; head-on with an eastbound 2023 Chevy Malibu driven by Layla&nbsp; Sharbutt, 16, Girard.&nbsp; After impact the pickup traveled off the&nbsp;roadway to the north and rolled.

Silvey was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Sharbutt and a passenger in the Chevy identified as Heather&nbsp;Burgess, 48, Girard, to Pittsburg Mercy. Silvy was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to the KHP.

Kan. man dead, 16-year-old driver injured after head-on crash

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A Kansas man convicted of killing his estranged wife is going to prison.

This week, 34-year-old Miguel Flores was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least 25-year-old, according to the Wyandotte County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

The sentence follows his conviction of first degree murder in the shooting death of his wife 23-year-old Loren Flores on November 21, 2022.

Detectives reported the couple were married, but in the process of a divorce when he shot her outside a residence.

Flores then fled the scene, but was taken into custody a short time later by police.&nbsp;

Kansas man going to prison for killing his wife

ROOKS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Saturday in Rooks County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp; Joseph P.. Plante, 46, Natoma, was westbound on Z Road six miles south of Plainville. The Silverado and a 1999 Ford F250 Super Duty driven by Derek T.&nbsp;Pfannebecker, 25, Norwalk, Iowa, collided in the middle of the road, on a hill just east of 23rd Road.

&nbsp;EMS traansported both driver to the Rooks County Health Center where Plante was pronounced deceased. The drivers were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident, according to the KHP..

Kansas man dies after pickups collide on a hill

KANSAS CITY– A member of the Los Valerosos Motorcycle Gang, a support club for the Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, for his involvement in an armed assault against a member of rival motorcycle club, according to the United State's Attorneyh.

Graham S. Gattis, also known as “Dro,” 41, of East Ridge, Tn., pleaded guilty this week to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

On Sept. 17, 2022, Gattis and other members of the Pagan’s and Los Valerosos chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo.&nbsp; Various members of the Pagan’s and Los Valerosos were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle.&nbsp; Gattis and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg.

Under federal statutes, Gattis is subject to a sentence of not less than five years and up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI,&nbsp;<a></a>the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.&nbsp;

Biker gang member admits KC area armed assault against rival

LYON COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just before 11a.m. Friday in Lyon County.

The Lyon County Sheriff's office reported a John Deere tractor driven by 78-year-old Kenneth DeDonder of Reading was eastbound in the 1700 Block of of Road 270 in rural Lyon County. The tractor struck a guardrail and overturned.

First responders&nbsp;located DeDonder still in the cab of the tractor. Emporia EMS was able to extricate him from the cab of the tractor. EMS and LifeSave personnel provided care for him. However, he was pronounced deceased on scene.&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation.

Sheriff IDs Kansas man who died in farm tractor accident

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos wrangled their biggest win in a decade from Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills but suffered an enormous loss in the process.

About an hour after second-year quarterback Bo Nix led the Broncos to a 33-30 win on Wil Lutz's 23-yard field goal in overtime Saturday, Denver coach Sean Payton returned to the postgame lectern to deliver the stunning news.

He said Nix broke his right ankle a few plays before Lutz's kick sent the top-seeded Broncos (15-3) to the AFC championship game against either New England or Houston.

Nix will have season-ending surgery Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama.

“We celebrate the season for him," Payton said. “And listen, the city's ready and we'll be ready for the next challenge.”

Backup QB Jarrett Stidham takes over for Nix. He took just one snap this season, a kneel-down in a blowout win over Dallas in Week 8.

“Stiddy’s ready,” Payton declared. “He's ready. I said this at the beginning of the season I've got a 2 that's capable of starting for a number of teams. And I know he feels the same way. So, watch out."

Stidham has appeared in 20 games in six NFL seasons, starting four and winning one.

Nix got hurt on a keeper where he lost 2 yards and was tackled by safety Cole Bishop. Nix was limping after the play, but there was no indication that he suffered such a serious injury.

On the next play, Nix threw a deep pass to Marvin Mims Jr. that drew a 30-yard pass interference flag and got the Broncos well into field-goal range. Nix then took a knee to center the ball for Lutz’s game-ending field goal.

Nix tied Russell Wilson’s NFL record with two dozen victories in his first two seasons. Saturday’s victory was his first in the playoffs. The Broncos lost last year at Buffalo but Nix led Denver to the AFC’s top seed this season.

“He’s a tough cookie,” Payton said. “And this team all year has lost key players and will rise up for the next challenge.”

Before word of Nix's injury broke, Denver was jubilant over the Broncos' first playoff victory in a decade.

Denver's game-winning drive came after nickel back Ja'Quan McMillian intercepted Allen's deep pass in overtime.&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/2012692527359651953">McMillian's pick</a>&nbsp;was Denver's fifth takeaway of the game after they were minus-3 in turnover differential during the season.

McMillian wrested the ball away from Brandin Cooks at the Broncos 20-yard line when a field goal would have won the game for Buffalo (13-6).

“He actually had the ball coming down and I had my hand on the ball,” McMillian said. “I was able to take it from him. I fell on top of him, just held the ball up, showed the fans some love.”

“I feel that way,” he said. "But at the end of the day, you don’t, you know, no matter, ultimately this is where we’re sitting now.”

Referee Carl Cheffers said in a pool report, “The receiver has to complete the process of a catch. He was going to the ground as part of the process of the catch and he lost possession of the ball when he hit the ground. The defender gained possession of it at that point. The defender is the one that completed the process of the catch, so the defender was awarded the ball.”

Cooks said he just has to make sure next time not to leave it in the "officials' hands.”

Nix said nothing about being hurt&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFLonCBS/status/2012696279042711683">during a postgame interview</a>&nbsp;with CBS, and he sounded as if he was looking forward to the next game.

“It’s great to have home-field advantage in a situation like this. It’s exciting. This is why you play the game, this is why you compete. You get to playoff football, and good things happen,” Nix said.

Former Broncos kicker Matt Prater nailed a 50-yard field goal with 5 seconds left in regulation, knotting it up at 30-all. That came after Nix's 26-yard touchdown throw to Mims with 55 seconds left had given Denver a 30-27 lead.

Allen, who hadn't turned the ball over in his previous six playoff appearances, threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles.

“I felt like I let my teammates down," a teary-eyed Allen said.

The Bills failed once again to reach the Super Bowl with Allen under center even though Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson weren’t standing in his way this time as that trio of franchise quarterbacks all missed the postseason party.

Coming off the first road playoff win of his career, Allen’s first three turnovers helped Denver built a 23-10 lead before he threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman and a 14-yarder to Dalton Kincaid to give Buffalo a 24-23 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Broncos scored 10 points in the final 22 seconds of the first half to take a 20-10 lead into the locker room, and they got their third takeaway just two plays into the second half on Nik Bonitto’s strip-sack of Allen that was recovered by Malcolm Roach at the Bills 17, leading to a field goal.

Denver avenged a 31-7 loss at Buffalo in the playoffs last year.

“We weren't ready last year,” Payton said. “But we were ready today.”

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