The Junction City Area Chamber of commercce is hosting a Donation Drive for the Crisis Center. You can drop items off at the Chamber of Commerce before Dec. 11 or bring to the Jingle Mingle being hosted by the Chamber on Thursday.

Donation Drive supports the Crisis Center

Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information (LMI) division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.8% in September. This is unchanged from 3.8% in August and unchanged from 3.8% in September 2024. The labor force participation rate for Kansas increased to 67.1% in September, according to a media release from KDOL.

The unemployment rate in Riley County is down from 3.9 percent in August to 3.9 percent in September. The rate in Geary County dropped from 5.4 percent in July and August to 4.5 percent. The rate is also down significantly in Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee counties.

Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 300 from August. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs decreased by 2,000 over the month, while government increased by 1,700. The largest job gains in the private sector were in&nbsp;financial activities&nbsp;(+600 jobs). The largest decrease was in professional and business services&nbsp;(-2,300 jobs).

Since September 2024 Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have decreased by 1,700. This change is due to a decrease of 2,500 private sector jobs and an increase of 800 government jobs.

Technical Note: This statement includes nonfarm jobs and labor force estimates for September 2025, which are produced using data from two monthly surveys. Data for nonfarm job estimates is collected through a survey of employers while the main input for labor force estimates is a survey of households. Data collected for this report references the week including September 12.&nbsp;

<b>Due to the lapse in federal funding during the federal government shutdown, all Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) operations were suspended from Oct. 1, 2025, through Nov. 12, 2025. As a result, KDOL will not publish a separate report for the October 2025 Kansas Labor Report.</b>

Jobless rate down in Geary Co. and across the region

The Army reminds that the 1st Infantry Division Band takes the stage Friday evening at the C.L. Hoover Opera House for a holiday concert.

 Showtimes: are Dec. 12 at 7 PM and Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 PM.

1st Infantry Division Band will perform a holiday concert

According to the Abilene CVB ﻿last week, the Kansas I-70 Association received an $8,000&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lxpkejcab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001-BXEgii_3Jty0EnVtg7_Zd6q6fzIqc4jjBd-Bzzr4rHpJ9AyxYw9DCeCkbp6oJNTWmoXpc-qCatm1e3yYVjekzVk4ci0509A-_eDcfJO6vfUB5Y0kGpX0XU6h_plYLxV0T8BowCKP3mb_NuNER4tBBiBfaMZkwPsbDZ8hIOX-lJJAD4MnKu0-0OrxnnMHvPXpj-IO9rsYgG3cOgj554-HcJ9T5AmQfT4uWmhkYGaBBQQu6EhRnYSIMLF_Sgn_-OVReV-yYsSHdIus7EyyRGf6N_xyfxO__iaD2GtiMw0dkcxaaEXU7H_8zkq8QQZX04clTTn_0ISEvPYOzmgsp5xFb0TxVK-YxXo2mYRmVDB-sP4-UEvkVHh-5h2r0BWEFfjBYBT_IRa-3ea0QeNa_8h-hY_8KVue31WHyv28zg2N7KGLNc0w8IyCgUqBd__Rf1exMoN6paK_ulHpIeBclEfhBjX6NH0YG9d&amp;c=8Z5vH_Imp50N5I5LHpX2jQAmIaf_B4zr_y7IUgXP5mTiZoD_ZRKaAQ==&amp;ch=JUC4PuxPoJRiHah6cGKTHAdecbcE8a8QBWV6ZWmrI5P3NY7UHkuRLA==">Kansas Tourism</a>&nbsp;Marketing Grant to create a brand-new Digital Passport Program. This interactive experience will help travelers discover attractions all along the I-70 corridor and tie into both the World Cup and America 250 celebrations.

Kansas I-70 Association Receives Grant

--4-H Club Day will be held February 14, 2026 at the First Presbyterian Church in Junction City.  Note this change in date from the date that was originally published.  Further details and pre-entry information will be included in the January 4-H Newsletter. 

--As you begin planning for participation in 4-H Day, Kansas 4-H Communication Fact Sheets and event score sheets are available at http://www.geary.k-state.edu/4-h/resources.html. Applications for county 4-H scholarships are due by January 5th and will be submitted online. The link for the county scholarship application and information can be found online at http://www.geary.k-state.edu/4-h/forms.html.  The list of county scholarships that are available this year will be the Paul and Clara Gwin Scholarship, the Ralph Dietrich Scholarship, two Ray and Nellie Smith 4-H Scholarships, the Flint Hills Preservation Coalition Scholarship, and three Geary County 4-H Foundation Scholarships.&nbsp; &nbsp;

--The fair theme for 2026 will be a birthday theme in celebration of the 100th Geary County Fair and 100 years of Extension in Geary County.  The theme will be titled “Centennial Celebration. The Fair is scheduled July 19-23.

Geary County 4-H News Notes

RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating a hit-and-run incident involving a police vehicle in Manhattan.

Just before 3 a.m. on Dec. 10 in the 1600 block of Fair Lane, victims including&nbsp;a 37-year-old man, a 42-year-old man, a 41-year-old man and D &amp; I Rentals reported two suspects attempted to strike two officers with their 2014 Chevy Silverado before reversing and driving into an occupied patrol unit during a traffic stop, according to the Riley County Police Department Activity Report.

The suspects are wanted for allegedly fleeing or attempting to elude, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, interference with a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, criminal damage to property, possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute, possession of paraphernalia and possession of marijuana, according to the RCPD.

The suspects, identified as two 41-year-old men and a 42-year-old woman&nbsp; fled the scene. Anyone with information, contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward up to $1,000

RCPD: 3 wanted for hit-and-run crash into patrol vehicle

The First Day Hile Hike at Milford State Park starts at 1 pm on New Year's Day. The Hike will be approximately 2.5 miles long. 

The State Park posted via social media that they will start near the Sunset Ridge Cabin area (7296 S State Park Rd.) . Leashed pets are welcome. Participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to the local food bank. A valid state park vehicle permit is required.

KDWP - Milford State Park - First Day Hike

On December 10 at the Hampton Inn in Junction City, JC Breakfast Optimist Club members awarded the Hugh O’Brien Youth (H.O.B.Y) Leadership Scholarship to Jaelynn Rhone. Jaelynn is a sophomore at Junction City High School and will attend the Leadership Camp at Kansas State University. She is in the Business, Public Service and Hospitality Academy (BPSH) at JCHS and upon graduation from high school plans to apply to Howard University, study law and one day be the President of the United States. Her mother, Teandra, shared that “Jaelynn has stated for many years that she wants to be the President of the United States one day.”

Crystal Holzer, Junction City High School Freshman Success Academy Counselor and coordinator of the H.O.B.Y. Scholarship shared about Jaelynn’s involvement at school in the National Honor Society, Student2Student ambassador program and others.

Mrs. Holzer also explained the process of transitioning eighth graders from Fort Riley Middle and Junction City Middle Schools to the high school. “Having the current 460 freshmen students on teams similar to those student experience at the two middle schools helps make the transition smoother for them. Core subjects of Math, English, Science and Social Studies with only four teachers every other day, electives chosen by the student based upon interest and a focus on a career pathway can help guide students toward college, vo-tech or work following graduation.

Optimists Award Scholarship and Learn About FSA Counselor Role

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.

Joceline Magoum Takougang, Fleeing and eluding, arrested 11/26

Shavonnie Broughton, Outside warrant, arrested 11/26

Derek Watson, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Possession of controlled substance; Possession of marijuana; Criminal restraint; Theft &lt; $1,500 pocket picking; Burglary, vehicle to commit felony, Theft, Domestic violence, or sexually motivated crime, arrested 11/27

Malik Abdul, Failure to appear, arrested 11/27

Deshawn Brown, DUI-Liquor/Drugs, arrested 11/28

Ella Garcia, Aggravated battery, Knowingly use physical contact in angry/rude manner with weapon, arrested 11/28

Jacob Holloway, Arrest by LEO, warrant arrest, arrested 11/28

Yerko Mendoza Vidal, Driver's license without valid DL, arrested 11/28

Preston McLemore, Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, arrested 11/29

Lamont Ray, Identity theft, Defraud to receive benefits , $100,000; Theft &gt; $1,500 &lt; $25,000 pocket picking; Criminal use of financial card without consent of owner ($1,000 to $25,000) (Three counts), arrested 11/29

Ashley Demercurio, Transporting an open container; Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol; Flee or attempt to elude (Five or more moving violations), arrested 11/29

Jacob Langham, Failure to appear, arrested 11/30

Jacob Potter, Possession of controlled substance; Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, arrested 12/01

Isaac Johnson, Possession of drug paraphernalia; Possession of marijuana; Cancelled/suspended/revoked driver's license, arrested 12/01

Ignacio Rendon,&nbsp; Failure to appear, arrested 12/02

Omarion Mccrary, Failure to appear, arrested 12/02

Gabriel Latham,&nbsp; Failure to appear, arrested 12/03

Christopher Welling, Stalking, reckless conduct causing fear to person or family, arrested 12/04

Griselle Justiano Baez, Domestic battery, arrested 12/04

Alyssa Clark, Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license, arrested 12/05

Rafael Garcia, Failure to appear, arrested 12/05

Mylah Mitchell, Failure to appear, arrested 12/05

Gerald Cherry, Transporting an open container; Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license; DUI-Liquor/Drugs, arrested 12/06

Tracy Haden, Domestic battery, arrested 12/06

Derek Helton, Failure to appear; Theft-all other, arrested 12/06

Hyok Thomas, Domestic battery, arrested 12/07

Marjorie Harjani, Domestic battery, arrested 12/07

Brian Lipscomb, Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol, arrested 12/07

Johnny Rines, Failure to appear, arrested 12/08

Javon Bailey, Probation violation (Two counts); Failure to appear, arrested 12/09

Fred Morgan Jr., Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked, arrested 12/09

Geary County Booking Photos Nov. 27-Dec. 10

UPDATE:<br>Public Works crews finished repairs to a water main break about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Water service was returned to normal.

&nbsp; Junction City Public Work crews are currently working on an emergency water main break at Valley View Drive &amp; Ash Street.&nbsp;&nbsp;Residents near this area may experience low water pressure to No water until repairs are made.

Please call Junction City Public Works at 785-238-7142, with any questions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Junction City Public Works repairs water main break

The Geary County Historical Society will be hosting A Kaw Theater Christmas on Saturday, December 13th from 1-4pm. The original Kaw Theater candy—originally made by the Heyl family—will be on sale in three flavors: licorice, lemon, and, of course, cinnamon! 

Historical Society Executive Director Heather Hagedorn said that along with Kaw Theater candy, movie theater popcorn will be available to enjoy while watching classic Christmas movies.&nbsp;The gift shop at the Historical Society will also be open for local Christmas gifts including books, mugs, tea towels, and ornaments with Kansas and/or Geary County themes.

&nbsp;The Geary County Historical Society Museum is located at 530 N. Adams, Junction City and includes three floors of exhibits that will also be open for touring throughout the event.&nbsp; &nbsp;

A Kaw Theater Christmas is set for Saturday

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;announced Wednesday that his long-promised “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/investor-visas-trump-immigration-eb5-gold-cards-cdb943dd1633bc234bb715fa20914e05">gold card</a>&nbsp;” was officially going on sale, offering legal status and an eventual pathway to U.S. citizenship for individuals paying $1 million and corporations ponying up twice that per foreign-born employee.

A website accepting applications went live as Trump revealed the start of the program while surrounded by business leaders in the White House’s Roosevelt Room. It is meant to replace EB-5 visas, which Congress created in 1990 to generate foreign investment and had been available to people who spend about $1 million on a company that employs at least 10 people.

Trump sees the new version as a way for the U.S. to attract and retain top talent, all while generating revenue for federal coffers. He’s been promoting the gold card program for months, and once suggested that each card would cost $5 million, though he more recently revised that to the $1 million and $2 million pricing scheme.

The president said all funds taken in as part of the program will “go to the U.S. government” and predicted that billions would flow into an account run by the Treasury Department “where we can do things positive for the country.”

The new program is actually a green card, effectively offering permanent legal residency with the chance for citizenship.

“Basically, it’s a green card but much better,” Trump said. “Much more powerful, a much stronger path.”

The president made no mention of requirements for job creation for applying corporations or on overall caps on the program, which exist under the current EB-5 program. Instead, he said he’d heard complaints from business leaders who had been unable to recruit outstanding graduates from U.S. universities because they were from other countries and lacked permission to stay.

“You can’t hire people from the best colleges because you don’t know whether or not you can keep the person,” Trump said.

Trump has built his political career around clamping down on the U.S.-Mexico border and championing hard-line immigration policies. His second administration spent its first 10-plus months launching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-veterans-mass-deportation-5aa133955c5d378ac59da991b4ff5693">mass deportation pushes</a>&nbsp;and sweeping immigration crackdowns that have targeted cities including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-immigration-stops-los-angeles-trump-57cc1f85ceafda0f11052b326c8b7173">Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-immigration-arrests-new-orleans-trump-dc93314147e67a7642a429b228676766">Charlotte</a>.

But he’s also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maga-foreign-workers-training-americans-4eef9dbcbff4f4447105f52f50e33a9c">drawn criticism</a>&nbsp;from leading voices of his “Make America Great Again” movement for repeatedly suggesting that skilled immigrants should be allowed into the U.S. — something the gold card program could facilitate.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the program will include $15,000 for applicant vetting and that the thorough process used to scrutinize backgrounds would ”make sure these people absolutely qualify to be in America.” Companies will be able to receive multiple cards, but will be limited to one individual per card, he said.

Lutnick also said the current green card holders earn less money than the average American, and that Trump wanted to change that.

“So, same visas, but now just full of the best people,” Lutnick said.

Investors’ visas are common around the world, with dozens of countries offering versions of “golden visas” to wealthy individuals, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Malta, Australia, Canada and Italy.

Trump said the program means the U.S. is “getting somebody great coming into our country because we think these will be some tremendous people” and singled out top U.S. college graduates from China, India and France as among those who will possibly be receiving gold cards.

“The companies are going to be very happy,” he said.

Trump's $1 million 'gold card' immigration visa is now on sale

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man convicted&nbsp; of killing two people in a parking garage in&nbsp;Old Town in Wichita will learn his fate Wednesday.

Judge Faith Johnson will sentence 21-year-old Zachary Ramirez for the deaths of&nbsp;20-year-old Josephina Lerma-Dominguez and 21-year-old Bryan Lara-Hernandez both of Wichita,&nbsp; according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office.

In April of 2024, a jury found him guilty&nbsp;&nbsp;on two counts of first-degree murder, two alternative counts of second-degree murder, criminal discharge of a weapon, aggravated battery and two counts of battery, according to the district attorney's office.

Just before&nbsp; 4a.m. July 27, 2023, police responded to the 300 block of North Moore after a a street sweeper operator saw two gunshot victims in a vehicle in a parking garage in Wichita's Old Town and called 911, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

EMS&nbsp; arrived on the scene and attempted life-saving measures Lerma-Dominguez and Lara-Hernandez died at the scene.&nbsp;

Sentencing day for killing Kan. couple in parking garage

NEW YORK (AP) — The “Architects of AI” were named Time magazine's person of the year for 2025 on Thursday.

The magazine cited 2025 as the year when the potential of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;“roared into view" with no turning back.

“For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year,” Time said in a social media post.

The magazine was deliberate in selecting people — the “individuals who imagined, designed, and built AI” — rather than the technology itself, though there would have been some precedent for that.

“We’ve named not just individuals but also groups, more women than our founders could have imagined (though still not enough), and, on rare occasions, a concept: the endangered earth, in 1988, or the personal computer, in 1982,” wrote Sam Jacobs, the editor-in-chief, in an explanation of the choice. “The drama surrounding the selection of the PC over Apple’s Steve Jobs later became the stuff of books and a movie.”

It made sense for Time to anoint AI because 2025 was the year that it shifted from “a novel technology explored by early adopters to one where a critical mass of consumers see it as part of their mainstream lives,” Thomas Husson, principal analyst at research firm Forrester, said by email.

AI was a leading contender for the top slot, according to prediction markets, along with tech CEOs Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Sam Altman of OpenAI. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope whose election this year followed the death of Pope Francis, was also considered a contender, with President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani topping lists as well.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-stock-exchange-time-nyse-bell-ringing-91a59ff0f4ce77c0c6f87e55a38c6c75">Trump was named the 2024</a>&nbsp;person of the year by the magazine after his winning his second bid for the White House, succeeding Taylor Swift, who was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-time-person-of-year-2023-6c8ce1275db4cc326fe6ac94ea20bace">2023 person of the year</a>.

The magazine's selection dates from 1927, when its editors have picked the person they say most shaped headlines over the previous 12 months.

Time magazine reveals unusual person of the year for 2025

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a multi-state theft from Walmart stores and have made an arrest.

Just after 4p.m. Dec. 8, police were notified by another law enforcement agency about two suspects possibly heading towards the Walmart in Harrisonville, Missouri, approximately 39 miles south of Kansas City, according to a media release from the police department.

The suspects had reportedly been involved with an ongoing shoplifting scam from various Walmarts across the United States. The suspects were located by officers and placed under arrest for receiving stolen property. 

The suspects have allegedly stolen over $58,000 worth of merchandise in the last 6 months from Walmarts in at least four different states. 

Both suspects, who are not residents of the state of Missouri, were charged with Receiving Stolen Property (D Felony) and are currently being held at the Cass County jail.

Suspects arrested in $58,000 multi-state Walmart theft

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is hitting the Kansas City metro, Lawrence and surrounding areas hard right now, according to a media release from Operation Wildlife.

The organization reports fielding 15 or more calls per day with birds -mostly waterfowl - ducks, geese etc. exhibiting symptoms.

Symptoms include:-Neurological impairment: Birds may lack coordination, appear confused or disoriented, have tremors, seizures, or have a twisted neck.

Difficulty breathing: open mouth, wheezing-Nasal discharge, coughing, or sneezing: Birds may have blood-tinged discharge

Sudden death: Without any prior signs of illness 

Swelling: Of the eyelids, head-Other symptoms: Birds may stumble or fall down, have diarrhea, have a hunched appearance, or have ruffled feathers and die within a few hours or a day of intake.

Birds with HPAI may have additional injuries such as a broken leg or broken wing, sustained from falling from the sky from exhaustion during flight.

HPAI is not treatable and is a fatal disease for the bird.

Birds with this disease need to be humanely euthanized and properly disposed of to limit spread of disease.

HPAI is highly contagious to other birds, felines, and potentially to humans and other species. If you come across a bird you suspect is affected contact Operation Wildlife by email opwildlife@aol.com or 785-542-3625 and they can advise you on how to proceed.

In SOME cities, animal control is assisting by dispatching the bird in the field and removing it for cremation. For residents of cities that do not provide this service, Operation Wildlife are able to assist with euthanasia and cremation. The organization asks that you make a donation to help them offset these costs.

 It’s important to note that Operation Wildlife operates like a veterinary clinic, run by volunteers and funded by donations so we ARE NOT able to report out to pick these birds up. If you are bringing a sick bird to Operation Wildlife for these services please notify them ahead of time and do not bring the bird into the facility. They will meet you out on the driveway so as not to expose the birds in their care.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.htmld">Click here for more </a>information from the CDC.

Operation Wildlife warns deadly bird flu spreading in portions of Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">tensions mount</a>&nbsp;with the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Using U.S. forces to take control of a merchant ship is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administration’s latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charged with narcoterrorism</a>&nbsp;in the United States. The U.S. has built up the largest military presence in the region in decades and launched a series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-pacific-35a60ce3bc018e5f66c18b2d18b49c35">deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The campaign is facing growing scrutiny from Congress.

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding that "it was seized for a very good reason.”

Trump did not offer additional details. When asked what would happen to the oil aboard the tanker, Trump said, “Well, we keep it, I guess.”

The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official added that it was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority.

The Coast Guard members were taken to the oil tanker by helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the official said. The Ford is in the Caribbean Sea after arriving last month in a major show of force, joining a fleet of other warships.

<a href="https://x.com/agpambondi/status/1998875795151024337?s=46">Video posted to social media</a>&nbsp;by Attorney General Pam Bondi shows people fast-roping from one of the helicopters involved in the operation as it hovers just feet from the deck.

The Coast Guard members can be seen later in the video moving throughout the superstructure of the ship with their weapons drawn.

Bondi wrote that “for multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”

Half of ship's oil is tied to Cuban importer

The U.S. official identified the seized tanker as the Skipper.

The ship departed Venezuela around Dec. 2 with about 2 million barrels of heavy crude, roughly half of it belonging to a Cuban state-run oil importer, according to documents from the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA, that were provided on the condition of anonymity because the person did not have permission to share them.

The Skipper was previously known as the M/T Adisa, according to ship tracking data. The Adisa was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 over accusations of belonging to a sophisticated network of shadow tankers that smuggled crude oil on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group.

The network was reportedly run by a Switzerland-based Ukrainian oil trader, the U.S. Treasury Departmeny said at the time.

Hitting Venezuela's sanctioned oil business

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day.

PDVSA is the backbone of the country’s economy. Its reliance on intermediaries increased in 2020, when the first Trump administration expanded its maximum-pressure campaign on Venezuela with sanctions that threaten to lock out of the U.S. economy any individual or company that does business with Maduro’s government. Longtime allies Russia and Iran, both also sanctioned, have helped Venezuela skirt restrictions.

The transactions usually involve a complex network of shadowy intermediaries. Many are shell companies, registered in jurisdictions known for secrecy. The buyers deploy so-called ghost tankers that hide their location and hand off their valuable cargoes in the middle of the ocean before they reach their final destination.

Maduro did not address the seizure during a speech before a ruling-party organized demonstration in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. But he told supporters that the country is “prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary.”

Maduro, flanked by senior officials, said only the ruling party can “guarantee peace, stability, and the harmonious development of Venezuela, South America and the Caribbean.”

Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from office.

Democrat says the move is about ‘regime change’

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. seizing the oil tanker cast doubt on the administration’s stated reasons for the military buildup and boat strikes.

“This shows that their whole cover story — that this is about interdicting drugs — is a big lie,” the senator said. “This is just one more piece of evidence that this is really about regime change — by force.”

The seizure comes a day after the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-military-trump-fa18-fighter-jets-06fd7cdc5ac26e7a46165431b95508b0">flew a pair of fighter jets</a>&nbsp;over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appeared to be the closest that warplanes had come to the South American country’s airspace. Trump has said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-maduro-colombia-petro-boats-559a73dbfcbdc9245494f441be1aad39">land attacks are coming soon</a>&nbsp;but has not offered more details.

The Trump administration is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-pete-hegseth-venezuela-9f46a5f074b5b3c979ee41082949b196">increasing scrutiny from lawmakers</a>&nbsp;over the boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 87 people in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-petro-colombia-drugs-us-aid-c3955b2ce351737119920741178e0567">22 known strikes</a>&nbsp;since early September, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-strike-video-footage-boat-caribbean-3cf2ca9cbe4523978e935b99c2979caa">a follow-up strike that killed two survivors</a>&nbsp;clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">Some legal experts and Democrats say</a>&nbsp;that action may have violated the laws governing the use of deadly military force.

Lawmakers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-bill-ndaa-boat-strikes-video-152bef4ad429ae2c62937daeea2235a4">demanding to get unedited video</a>&nbsp;from the strikes, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional leaders at a classified briefing Tuesday that he was still weighing whether to release it.

The Coast Guard referred a request for comment about the tanker seizure to the White House.

🎥Video shows US commandos storm oil tanker off Venezuela coast

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are&nbsp;&nbsp;still looking for a driver who crashed into a van then a house, and took off on foot leaving three people injured in Lawrence, according to a media release.

The crash happened about 11:30 Tuesday night near 9th and Missouri. It appears the driver of a Volkswagen Jetta was heading north on Missouri Street, ran a stop sign and hit a van traveling east on 9th. 

 The impact sent the car into the porch of a nearby home. The driver took off and the passenger of that car ended up being transferred to an area trauma center with severe injuries. 

The two people in the van were also taken to the hospital but their injuries weren’t severe.

Officers conducted an extensive search of the area including launching a drone to help look for the driver of the Jetta, but were unable to locate him&nbsp; The homeowner was not home at the time of the crash. No one was injured there.&nbsp;

Police: Kansas driver fled after crash into van, house

JOHNSON COUNTY, Mo. —A suspect is in custody following an investigation into the online possession of child sexual abuse material.

In October, the Western Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children (WMICAC) Task Force received a cyber tip that prompted a joint investigation involving police, according to a media release from the Warrensburg Police Department.

 Detectives went to a residence in the corporate city limits of Warrensburg to contact their suspect identified as 20-year-old Noah Mclean Rogers.

Police took Rogers into custody on a warrant on requested charged of Possession of Child Pornography and Promotion of Child Pornography.

The court has set a bond at $75,000 cash only. Rogers is currently being held in the Johnson County Jail pending further legal proceedings.

Tip led to arrest for online possession of child sexual abuse material

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted to pass a sweeping defense policy bill Wednesday that authorizes $900 billion in military programs, including a pay raise for troops and an overhaul of how the Department of Defense buys weapons.

The bill's passage on a 312-112 vote comes at a time of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-hegseth-boat-strikes-e68621ec48c7886215359c0110d6d9ca">increasing friction</a>&nbsp;between the Republican-controlled Congress and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;administration over the management of the military. All four members of the Kansas Congressional Delegation voted in favor of the bill.

The annual National Defense Authorization Act typically gains bipartisan backing, and the White House has signaled “strong support” for the must-pass legislation, saying it is in line with Trump's national security agenda. Yet tucked into the over-3,000-page bill are several measures that push back against the Department of Defense, including a demand for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-strikes-boats-drugs-caribbean-hegseth-congress-93c513e28f38688f5582150c7675c072">more information on boat strikes</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean and support for allies in Europe, such as Ukraine.

Overall, the sweeping bill calls for a 3.8% pay raise for many military members as well as housing and facility improvements on military bases. It also strikes a compromise between the political parties — cutting climate and diversity efforts in line with Trump's agenda, while also boosting congressional oversight of the Pentagon and repealing several old war authorizations. Still, hard-line conservatives said they were frustrated that the bill does not do more to cut U.S. commitments overseas.

“We need a ready, capable and lethal fighting force because the threats to our nation, especially those from China, are more complex and challenging than at any point in the last 40 years,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP chair of the House Armed Services Committee.

Lawmakers overseeing the military said the bill would change how the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-weapons-purchases-6f9326c2bad4355541d1a02b54d899db">Pentagon buys weapons</a>, with an emphasis on speed after years of delay by the defense industry. It's also a key priority for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the armed services panel, called the bill “the most ambitious swing at acquisition reform that we’ve taken.”

Still, Smith lamented that the bill does not do as much as Democrats would like to rein in the Trump administration but called it “a step in the right direction towards reasserting the authority of Congress.”

“The biggest concern I have is that the Pentagon, being run by Secretary Hegseth and by President Trump, is simply not accountable to Congress or accountable to the law,” he said.

The legislation next heads to the Senate, where leaders are working to pass the bill before lawmakers depart Washington for a holiday break.

Several senators on both sides of the aisle have criticized the bill for not doing enough to restrict military flights over Washington. They had pushed for reforms after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">midair collision</a>&nbsp;this year between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft near Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board and families of the victims have also voiced opposition to that section of the bill, raising concerns that it would make the airspace more dangerous.

Here's what the defense bill does as it makes its way through Congress.

Boat strike videos and congressional oversight

Lawmakers included a provision that would cut Hegseth's travel budget by a quarter until the Pentagon provides Congress with unedited video of the strikes against alleged drug boats near Venezuela. Lawmakers are asserting their oversight role after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-drug-cartels-military-timeline-91e242e5c56eec39b6b7d72bf55dbd2d">Sept. 2 strike</a>&nbsp;where the U.S. military fired on two survivors who were holding on to a boat that had partially been destroyed.

The bill also demands that Hegseth allow Congress to review the orders for the strikes.

Trump's ongoing support for Ukraine and other allies in Eastern Europe has been under doubt over the last year, but lawmakers included several positions meant to keep up U.S. support for countering Russian aggression in the region.

The defense bill requires the Pentagon to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests. Around 80,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-eastern-flank-us-troops-drawdown-russia-40a1c731a866ce84d5c7721fe12c380e">are usually present</a>&nbsp;on European soil. It also authorizes $400 million for each of the next two years to manufacture weapons to be sent to Ukraine.

Additionally, there is a provision to keep U.S. troops stationed in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/south-korea">South Korea</a>, setting the minimum requirement at 28,500.

Cuts to climate and diversity initiatives

The bill makes $1.6 billion in cuts to climate change-related spending, the House Armed Services Committee said. U.S. military assessments have long found that climate change is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-joe-biden-business-lloyd-austin-a5c79e8a005c7c4db8a61cf0e6a4267a">threat to national security</a>, with bases being pummeled by hurricanes or routinely flooded.

The bill also would save $40 million by repealing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-culture-pentagon-hegseth-dei-tansgender-4c5f94c1235d29240b22677e3d66f0ed">diversity, equity and inclusion</a>&nbsp;offices, programs and trainings, the committee said. The position of chief diversity officer would be cut, for example.

Congress is putting an official end to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-invasion-war-timeline-saddam-hussein-50828061c98e410063753045179bdcfb">war in Iraq</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-war-powers-iraq-trump-a6bc311c0b0890022cb818550758c94e">repealing the authorization</a>&nbsp;for the 2003 invasion. Supporters in both the House and Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the U.S.

The 2002 resolution has been rarely used in recent years. But the first Trump administration cited it as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani.

Congress would permanently remove U.S. sanctions put on Syria after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-sanctions-trump-treasury-state-2ed65c895905e2e7bc385098a6ab1301">Trump administration temporarily lifted many penalties</a>.

Lawmakers imposed economically crippling sanctions on the country in 2019 to punish former leader Bashar Assad for human rights abuses during the nearly 14-year civil war. After Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa led a successful insurgency to depose Assad, he is seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-anniversary-assad-fall-a22746c8b8351b02d77cb62a6260c87e">rebuild his nation’s economy</a>.

Advocates of a permanent repeal have said international companies are unlikely to invest in projects needed for the country’s reconstruction as long as there is a threat of sanctions returning.

Democrats criticized Johnson for stripping a provision from the bill to expand coverage of in vitro fertilization for active duty personnel. An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2296/text">earlier version</a>&nbsp;covered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ivf-vitro-fertilization-trump-executive-order-65972cc1b10151bf1a0d9390fe5754d9">the medical procedure, known as IVF</a>, which helps people facing infertility have children.

Kan. lawmakers help House pass $900 billion defense policy bill

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

Just before 4:30p.m. Tuesday&nbsp;an officer on patrol observed a vehicle stopped in the southbound driving lane in the 400 block River Road in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 Stephen Oswalt, 62, was in the driver’s seat and appeared to be sleeping or passed out. During the investigation at the scene he was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was taken to the County Jail and is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;

Suspect was passed out in vehicle in driving lane of Kan. highway

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — P.J. Haggerty sank five of Kansas State's 19 3-pointers and scored 28, leading the Wildcats to a 108-49 romp over Mississippi Valley State on Monday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Haggerty made 11 of 14 shots with just one miss from beyond the arc for the Wildcats (6-4), who improved to 5-2 at home.

David Castillo came off the bench to hit 5 of 8 from 3-point range, scoring 19 for K-State. Abdi Bashir Jr. scored 15 on 5-for-10 shooting from distance as the Wildcats hot 53% from outside the arc. Nate Johnson had two 3s and scored 14, adding six assists and five steals.

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