The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Riley is preparing for a deployment next fall to Europe. Ahead of that in March will be a deployment to the National Training Center.

That information was conveyed by the Brigade's commander, Col. Landgrave ( Tom ) Smith, to an audience at a Military Affairs Council Breakfast on Thursday in Junction City. "It is hard work for everybody to build readiness in an armored brigade." 

The audience also learned that the 1st Brigade is in Europe now and will return to Fort Riley in a few months.

--On other topics there was a question from the public asking about soldier families that were impacted by the recent fire at the Bluffs Apartments in Junction City. The response was that the Fort Riley community came together, and every soldier that needed a room got help.

--The Armed Forces Community Foundation helps military families but they do span out to other areas. Some areas supported range from Operation Santa Claus to Apple Day to the Combined Scholarship Fund. The Foundation was a Gold Sponsor for the MAC Breakfast.&nbsp;

--There will be an AUSA fundraiser at Freddy's, 802 E.Chestnut,&nbsp; from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday March 8th.

--The Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner will be Thursday, March 12. Purchase tickets at jcacc.org/annual dinner

Second Brigade prepares for future deployment

The Geary County Health Department supports community health. According to a County newsletter this being done through clinical services, outreach and emergency preparedness efforts.

During the first quarter the staff conducted six influenza clinics in partnership with Jim Clark, Bicentennial Manor, Foot Locker warehouse, Cloud County Community College and Dorothy Bramlage Public Library to increase vaccine access.

Through Safe Kids Geary County, families receive education on home safety car seat use, safe walking routes and injury prevention related to swimming, biking and sports, including free car seat installation checks.

Geary County Newsletter updates

Geary County Historical Society Researcher

Jack Roosevelt Robinson&nbsp;(January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball &nbsp;player who was the first African American &nbsp;to play in&nbsp;Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the color line&nbsp;when he started at first base&nbsp;for the Brooklyn Dodgers&nbsp;on April 15, 1947.

After graduating from high school, Robinson attended&nbsp;Pasadena Junior College (PJC), where he continued his athletic career by participating in basketball, football, baseball, and track.&nbsp;On the football team, he played quarterback and safety. He was a shortstop and leadoff hitter &nbsp;for the baseball team,&nbsp;and he broke an American junior college broad-jump record. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

On April 3, 1942, Jackie Robinson reported to the Pasadena National Guard Armory&nbsp; from where he was transported to Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, California.&nbsp; After four days of initial processing, Jackie and other inductees boarded a train to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he joined B Company, 8th Training Squadron, Cavalry Replacement Center for thirteen weeks of basic training.&nbsp; Kansas, settled in the mid-nineteenth century by abolitionists and “free states,” was generally tolerant of blacks, but Fort Riley, which enforced segregation policies&nbsp; - despite a black regiment on post – had a population from across the country, including some officers and enlisted men who could not or did not set aside their prejudices and racism when they put on a uniform.

Jackies natural athleticism served him well in basic training and it was there that he became aware of the Cavalry Officers Candidate School at Fort Riley.&nbsp; He applied but was not admitted.&nbsp; Jackie later wrote, “The men in our unit had passed all the tests of OCS, but we were not allowed to start school; we were kept sitting around for at least three months and we could get no answers to our questions about the delay.”

While waiting on the decision about attending OCS, Jackie remained assigned to the Replacement Center. He and others cleaned stalls, groomed horses, and assisted in administering vaccinations. &nbsp;Eventually, Jackie and seventy-seven others were admitted to the OCS program and later graduated at Fort Riley.&nbsp;

Robinson's character, his use of&nbsp;nonviolence, and his talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation that had then marked many other aspects of American life. He influenced the culture of and contributed significantly to the civil rights movement. Robinson's character, his use of&nbsp;nonviolence and his talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation that had then marked many other aspects of American life. &nbsp;

If you are interested in&nbsp;learning more about local Black history, visit the Geary County Historical Society Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4 pm to visit the newest exhibit: The Missing Piece, Black History in Geary County, and pick up your map of the Black History Trail to explore Black history throughout Geary County.&nbsp;

Source:&nbsp;The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson&nbsp;by Michael Lee Lanning

History Is Made Here: Jackie Robinson’s Challenging Days at Fort Riley

KDOT announced that beginning Monday, March 2, the traveling public should be prepared for traffic changes on I-70 in Geary County as work progresses to the next phase for interchange improvements at the K-18/I-70 interchange.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane on eastbound I-70 from exit 301 at Marshall Field to exit 303 at K-18 for about a week to install a safety barrier. Once this work is complete, all lanes will reopen at a reduced speed.

King Construction of Hesston is the prime contractor for this $27.5 million interchange project and has scheduled the project to be completed in Fall 2027.

Traffic changes at I-70/K-18 interchange to begin March 2 in Geary County

Carol Settgast, retired teacher and librarian at Sheridan Elementary School in USD 475 Geary County Schools, was the guest speaker at the JC Breakfast Optimist Club meeting on February 25 in the Hampton Inn Meeting Room. In 2010, Carol applied for and received a Fulbright Award led by the Kansas State University and Ethiopia Reads to learn about the cultures of Ethiopia to share those cultures with her students upon return. .

A partnership developed from that trip with “Jane Kurtz, who was a co-founder of Ethiopia Reads. The non-profit group focuses on children’s reading by strengthening early education ecosystem across the country through teacher/librarian professional development, mother-tongue resources, literacy advocacy, and family literacy events. Eighty libraries have been planted in every region of that country. Even in places where there are no roads a teacher is deployed on a horse or carts pulled by donkeys are used to bring reading materials to children who have never held a book”, Carol said.

Ethiopia has almost no books for children in Ethiopian languages (beyond textbooks). Ready-Set-Go books are printed by Open Hearts Big Dreams in dual languages of English and mother tongue languages. Sheridan Elementary students had two different opportunities to be involved in writing, illustrating books which were published and shared with Ethiopian children. The most recent book was about the migration of Painted Lady Butterflies in Ethiopia, which was a project completed in 2021.

“This is a trainer of trainer’s model, in which librarians, teachers, and administrators are nurtured with professional development seminars that promote sustainability”, Mrs. Settgast stated. Carol will be returning to Ethiopia soon to attend the 6th Annual Children’s Reading Summit sponsored by Ethiopia Reads promoting literacy initiatives, encouraging the love of reading, and creating a culture of reading among families and education systems. “Those who read, bloom!”

The video of Carol’s entire presentation can be viewed on the JC Breakfast Optimist Club Facebook Page or on Youtube.

Optimists Learn About Ethiopia Reads

RILEY COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Wednesday in Riley County.

According to the Riley County Police Department activity report, a 2017 Ford F-250 driven by Christopher Bunnel, 43, of Manhattan and a 2016 Ford Edge driven by Renee Novak, 51, of Manhattan, collided&nbsp;near Northfield Road and Tuttle Creek Blvd.

Riley County EMS transported Jerome Novak, 51, of Manhattan, a passenger in the Ford Edge, to Via Christi for treatment of minor injuries.

Bunnel was issued a citation for failing to yield at a stop sign and Renee Novak was issued a citation for no liability insurance. 

Manhattan man hospitalized after pickup, SUV crash

Those were the words of Black History Trail Director Jim Sands during this Black History Month of February.&nbsp; There are 12 dedicated historical sites on the Trail ranging from three churches to Rathert Field and the Geary County Historical Museum to the Buffalo Soldier Monument. ""We want people to come to Junction City and see what's here because there is so much history."

The Ninth and Tenth Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers were here along with Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson and the former East 9th Street Business District. More than 40 dialects are spoken in the community.

The Black History Trail includes both a web site and Facebook page. One goal is to bring&nbsp; in visitors and encourage them to stay during their visit. Sands noted that there is also an exhibit running for two years at the Historical Musuem.

Black History Trail of Geary County

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has arrested a Manhattan man connected to his role in an officer-involved shooting that occurred Jan. 3, in Manhattan, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, at around 4 p.m., KBI agents and officers from the KU Medical Center Department of Public Safety arrested Brian J. Lovgren, 38, on a warrant for two counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer. Lovgren was booked into the Wyandotte County Detention Center after being released from KU Medical Center, where he was being treated for his injuries.&nbsp;

On Jan. 3, at approximately 3:50 p.m., the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office requested KBI assistance. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to investigate.

Preliminary information indicates that shortly after 3 p.m., two deputies from the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from a homeowner who indicated their shed and garage had been damaged by gunfire. While taking the report, deputies heard gunshots in the area. As they approached 8655 Josie Lane, they heard additional gunshots which they believed were coming from the residence. They identified themselves as law enforcement and began giving various commands to the shooter.

A man, later identified as Brian J. Lovgren, 38, of Manhattan, came out of a door of the house armed with a handgun. One of the responding deputies fired multiple times, striking Lovgren. Life-saving measures were provided at the scene. EMS then transported Lovgren to a Kansas City hospital.&nbsp;

The Pottawatomie County Attorney is expected to prosecute the case.&nbsp;

Manhattan man arrested in officer-involved shooting 

Not all of Geary County Historical Society projects are visible to the public. Over the winter, Museum custodian John Sterling and Board Members Bob Petri and Bill Powers took on the museum storage space that is called "the dungeon." This space holds a combination of exhibition props, event paper products, education costumes, and had become the dumping ground for everything and anything. 

According to the Historical Society with John's leadership, everything was pulled out, windows were cleaned and lined with a film, shelves were built, fresh concrete was poured, clothing racks were installed and the entire space transformed into a usable and organized space for the first time in decades. 

"Dungeon" is redone at the Museum

As of 4:30pm Wednesday, February 25, 2026 no more burning will be allowed in Geary County for the day. Please continue to check and recheck your recent burns. Winds are expected to increase up to and around 30mph. Please report any fires by calling 911.

Burning banned for remainder of Wednesday

RILEY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Tuesday in Riley County.

According to the Riley County Police Department activity report a 2020 Jeep Cherokee driven by Jesse McDonald, 25, of Mound City struck a 2018 Harley Motorcycle driven by Donald George, 59, of Manhattan&nbsp;at the intersection of Bluemont Avenue and Tuttle Creek Boulevard. The motorcycle then struck a 2020 Ford Explorer, driven by Layrnn Reed, 31, of Manhattan.

EMS transported George to Via Christi Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. McDonald was issued a citation for following too closely.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The RCPD released no additional details.

Manhattan man hospitalized after 3-vehicle motorcycle crash

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating more credit card skimmers on gas pumps in Salina.

On Wednesday afternoon, police made contact with employees of Flying J Travel Center, 2250 N. Ohio in Salina in reference to finding two more skimmers on two diesel pumps, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.

The employees reported after finding the initial two skimmers Tuesday they had checked the pumps and had not located any others. 

Prior to calling they checked the pumps and located two new skimmers. The business checked their security cameras and observed a white dually pickup pull up to both pumps for a short amount of time before leaving. 

The vehicle was at the pumps between 4:30 AM and 4:45 AM on the morning Wednesday.&nbsp;

More credit card skimmers found in central Kansas

SEATTLE (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hilary-knight">Hilary Knight</a>&nbsp;doesn’t want to let what she called a “distasteful” joke by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-canada-womens-hockey-olympic-final-141b5904352673676656cbe2a1c253e5">gold-medal winning</a>&nbsp;U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team get in the way of a historic performance by American women across all sports at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics">Milan Cortina Games</a>.

“I just thought the joke was distasteful and unfortunate,” Knight said on Wednesday alongside fellow Olympians Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes at the Seattle Space Needle ahead of their return to play for the Seattle Torrent of the Professional Women’s Hockey League. “And, I think just the way women are represented, it’s a great teaching point and really shines light on how women should be championed for their amazing feats.”

Knight, a two-time gold medalist whose 15 goals and 33 points in Olympic competition are the most by a U.S. hockey player at the Games, said she’s not focusing on an offhand comment by Trump after the American men topped Canada for gold in overtime on Sunday.

Talking on a speakerphone in the postgame locker room, Trump extended an invitation to the White House to the men’s team, then added, “We’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that.” The president later joked that if he didn’t extend the invitation, he would probably be impeached.

While the vast majority of the men’s team flew to Washington on Tuesday and visited Trump in the White House before being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-union-hockey-olympics-trump-89fff7bdec947251ff926e09ac24d4e4">guests at the State of the Union</a>, many of the women’s players were on the way back to their professional or college clubs.

USA Hockey, which said it was “honored” by the invitation, cited logistical issues as the major hurdle that prevented the women’s team from stopping by the White House. The team was originally scheduled to fly commercially into New York on Monday, but was forced to reroute through Atlanta due to a snowstorm in the Northeast.

Several players were going to stick around New York for promotional purposes, even ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Those scheduled appearances had to be canceled because of flight changes.

Knight lamented that the video — which included several players laughing after Trump’s comments — took on a life of its own and didn’t convey the true nature of the relationship between the men’s and women’s US hockey programs.

“The men’s and the women’s team did it together,” Knight said. “And, that’s super special. It’s never been done in our program’s history. It’s something we’re extremely proud about. But these women are amazing. And whatever’s going on should never outshine or minimize their work and our success on the world stage.”

Kelly Pannek, a forward on the women’s team, told reporters “the video is what it is” but added it was a “special feeling” spending time with the men’s team after they won the first Olympic gold for the U.S. in 46 years. Pannek believes there is mutual respect and support on both sides.

Goaltender Jeremy Swayman told reporters in Boston after returning to practice with the Bruins that the men “should have reacted differently” to Trump’s remarks.

“To share that gold medal with them is something that we’re forever grateful for,” Swayman said. “And now that we’re home we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support we have from the USA and share this incredible gold medal.”

Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal in overtime for the U.S., also said the moment did not reflect the views of the men’s team.

“You’re in the moment and the president calls. We’re blaring the music. It is what it is,” Hughes said Wednesday night after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sabres-devils-score-0eb145127b212254164b4d837c11204d">his first game back</a>&nbsp;with the New Jersey Devils. “We have so much respect for the women’s team and they have so much respect for us. We are all just proud Americans.”

The earliest the U.S. women could make a White House visit would be in late spring after the conclusion of the PWHL season.

The U.S. won 12 gold medals in Milan Cortina, with women playing a hand in eight of them. The women’s hockey team outscored opponents 33-2 on its way to the top of the podium.

“This was the best American women’s hockey team, the best American team we’ve ever put together on the world stage when the lights have been the brightest ever,” Knight said. “And so, I think everybody felt that going through the tournament. And, I want to celebrate. I want people to be remembered for that. I want the legacy of this team to be remembered.”

AP freelancer Everett Merrill in Newark, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Woman's Olympic hockey star: President's call to men's team 'distasteful' 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused in a fatal shooting at an American Legion Hall in Wichita is scheduled to return to court Thursday..

Darrell E. Buckner, Jr., 52, will attend a hearing in the courtroom of Judge Tyler Roush in an attempt to have the one-million dollar bond reduced, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

He is charged with First degree murder and aggravated battery in connection with the killing at the American Legion in Wichita.

Just before 7:30p.m. October 11, police responded to a report of a shooting inside the American Legion, 1135 North Hydraulic in Wichita, according t a media release.&nbsp; First responders found 55-year-old Anthony Grayson from Wichita unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 7:55 p.m.

A second victim, a 56-year-old man, arrived at a hospital by private vehicle with a gunshot wound to the torso.&nbsp;

Investigators confirmed that the suspect, identified as Buckner, and Grayson were involved in a fight inside the bar. Buckner then left, retrieved a firearm from his vehicle, and returned. Employees attempted to prevent him from reentering, but he pushed past them and went back inside, where another fight broke out. During the altercation, Buckner fired the gun, striking Grayson and the second victim, who was attempting to intervene.

Buckner was taken into custody at the scene and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;Earlier this month, a preliminary hearing for Buckner was delayed.

Suspect in Kan. American Legion killing returns to court

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer

Instagram said Thursday it will start alerting parents if their kids repeatedly search for terms clearly associated with suicide or self-harm. The alerts will only go to parents who are enrolled in Instagram’s parental supervision program.

Instagram says it already blocks such content from showing up in teen accounts’ search results and directs people to helplines instead.

The announcement comes as Meta is in the midst of two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-trials-meta-zuckerberg-youtube-tiktok-addiction-85c4d813c42845aeb3f913ec8f2f3e86">trials over harms to children</a>. A trial underway in Los Angeles questions whether Meta’s platforms&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mark-zuckerberg-trial-testimony-instagram-c8cbaa32ccbf4933ec3a7beebd6cf34b">deliberately addict and harm</a>&nbsp;minors. Another, in New Mexico, seeks to determine whether Meta failed to protect kids from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-child-exploitation-trial-19195fc680dba782fb971d68082e11a4">sexual exploitation on its platforms</a>. Thousands of families — along with school districts and government entities — have sued Meta and other social media companies claiming they deliberately design their platforms to be addictive and fail to protect kids from content that can lead to depression, eating disorders and suicide.

Meta executives including CEO Mark Zuckerberg have disputed that the platforms cause addiction. During questioning by the plaintiff’s lawyer, in Los Angeles, Zuckerberg said he still agrees with a previous statement he made that the existing body of scientific work has not proved that social media causes mental health harms.

The alerts will be sent via email, text or WhatsApp, depending on the parent's contact information available, as well as a notification through the parent's Instagram account.

“Our goal is to empower parents to step in if their teen’s searches suggest they may need support. We also want to avoid sending these notifications unnecessarily, which, if done too much, could make the notifications less useful overall,” Meta said in a blog post.

Meta said it is also working on similar notifications to parents about their kids' interactions with artificial intelligence.

“These will notify parents if a teen attempts to engage in certain types of conversations related to suicide or self-harm with our AI,” Meta said. “This is important work and we’ll have more to share in the coming months.”

Instagram to send parents teens' search alerts

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged with murder for the fatal shooting of a teenage girl late last year in Independence, Missouri.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2813/Phillips-COMP">Eric R. Phillips II</a>, 28,&nbsp;faces 1st Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Abandonment of a Corpse, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2812/PhillipsEric---PC-Statement_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police received a call on November 28, 2025, reporting that an 18-year-old victim had been shot multiple times in a vehicle at a location in Independence earlier that morning. Detectives began using investigative leads to locate the vehicle.&nbsp;

Due to the circumstances, the victim was entered as a missing person in Independence.&nbsp;

Through multiple witness reports and surveillance footage, detectives identified Phillips as the shooter. Detectives determined he shot the victim multiple times while she was in the back of his vehicle in the early morning hours of Nov. 28.&nbsp; Ring camera footage captured the sound of gunshots coming from the location of his vehicle where it had been reported the shooting had occurred, and Phillips was seen in video footage multiple times carrying a firearm.&nbsp;

On November 29, police found the victim deceased in Kansas City. Phillips' cell phone pinged in the area where the victim’s body was located.

A Jackson County judge set Phillips’s bond at $350,000 cash only.&nbsp;

Prosecutors charged the defendant on December 3, 2025, under seal. The case has been unsealed this week.

Phillips is not yet in custody and law enforcement are working to locate him. If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact police or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers over the phone: 816-474-8477 or online at kccrimestoppers.com.&nbsp;

Wanted suspect chargeed in fatal shooting of Kansas City girl

House cuts $60M in revenue sharing, makes it easy for dissenters to stop increases

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas House voted Wednesday to alter significant provisions of a bipartisan property tax reform bill granting the public a direct voice in decisions by local government to raise property taxes more than 3% annually.

The House agreed to an amendment lowering by half the signature threshold on protest petitions used to block a city or county from exceeding the cap. The House also passed an amendment deleting a $60 million state fund to compensate local units of government that held annual growth in property taxes under the cap. The revised bill advanced on a vote of 87-22.

Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican and chair of the House Taxation Committee, said the committee’s version of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2745/" target="_blank">House Bill 2745</a>&nbsp;respected the necessity of local units of government to secure operating revenue that tracked with inflation.

He said the objective of the bill was to require cities or counties to more aggressively lower mill levies whenever property valuations surged.

“This is really the heart of the problem,” Smith said. “As assessed valuations rise, the mill levy doesn’t go down enough.”

Smith said it was important the 2026 Legislature take action to curb outlandish increases in property taxes at the local level. Exceptions to the bill’s cap would be made for economic development programs, abatements, annexations, new construction projects or changes in land use. In addition, the bill wouldn’t apply the lid to public school districts.

Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, convinced House colleagues to adopt the amendment deleting $60 million in state appropriations to reward local units of government for avoiding property tax increases higher than 3%. She expressed appreciation for the House committee’s work to pressure local government to control tax increases and spending, but argued the state “cannot afford” the $60 million appropriation. The bill would have attached a 2% annual inflation adjustment for the fund.

Williams and other House Republicans said the GOP-controlled Legislature was annually spending $500 million or $600 million more each year than was raised in state tax revenue.

“Every $60 million we approve here is $60 million not available for core state obligations, tax relief or reserve stability,” Williams said.

The House bill would have earmarked new state aid to local governments for public services, including roads and bridges, law enforcement, elections, public health and other services mandated by state law.

Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, D-Overland Park, said the state could afford to use some of its $2 billion rainy-day fund to bring about tax relief through local units of government. She also encouraged city and county officials in Johnson County to appreciate some legislators in Topeka were convinced the original draft of the bill was overly generous to local governments.

“I just want you to get a bit of a reality check here and see that we have colleagues that even think this is too much,” she said.

Rep. Troy Waymaster, a Bunker Hill Republican and chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said he didn’t appreciate the $60 million property tax relief account nor the idea of drawing down the state’s emergency fund.

“That fund was not created to backfill spending regardless if its something for social services or property taxes,” Waymaster said.

The House also accepted an amendment proposed by Rep. Shannon Francis, R-Liberal, to lower the bar for voters to advance petitions to thwart annual property tax increases greater than 3%.

Under the revised bill, 5% of the number of a taxing jurisdiction’s voters who participated in the previous election would have to sign a protest petition to block a property tax increase above the cap. The original version of the bill set that signature requirement at 10% of voters in a previous election.

Francis said the reason for the adjustment was Seward County’s decision to adopt a 41% increase in property taxes for 2026.

“My community is honestly the poster child for why we have to do something,” he said. “The people in my community felt betrayed. They felt like they had no voice.”

Rep. Tom Sawyer, D-Wichita, said the 10% threshold should be restored. He said a 5% petition requirement would make it too easy for a fraction of voters to undermine tax increases to complete projects supported by the public. The 5% threshold would make it especially challenging for smaller communities to finance priority projects with property tax revenue, he said.

Kansas House amends bill aimed at constraining local property tax increases

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba’s government said late Wednesday that the 10 passengers on a boat that opened fire on its soldiers were armed Cubans living in the U.S. who were trying to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism.

The announcement came hours after Cuba said its soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speed boat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire on the soldiers first, injuring one Cuban officer.

Cuba’s government said the majority of the 10 people on the boat “have a known history of criminal and violent activity.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told reporters earlier that he was made aware of the incident and that the U.S. is now gathering its own information to determine if the victims were American citizens or permanent residents.

“We have various different elements of the U.S. government that are trying to identify elements of the story that may not be provided to us now,” Rubio said while at the airport in Basseterre, St. Kitts, where he was attending a regional summit with Caribbean leaders.

The Cuban government identified two of the boat passengers as Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, who are wanted by Cuban authorities “based on their involvement in the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission of actions carried out in the national territory or in other countries, in connection with acts of terrorism.”

The government said it also had arrested Duniel Hernández Santos, adding that he was “sent from the United States to guarantee the reception of the armed infiltration, who at this time has confessed to his actions.”

The Associated Press was not immediately able to independently verify that information.

Cuba’s government said it obtained the details about the passengers aboard the boat from the suspects detained following the shootout.

It identified seven of the 10 passengers, including Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra. Cuba's government said that one of the four killed was Michel Ortega Casanova. Three others have not yet been identified.

“The investigation process continues until the facts are fully clarified,” the ministry said in a statement.

Misael Ortega Casanova, brother of Michel Ortega Casanova, told The Associated Press late Wednesday that he was mourning his brother’s death but lamented that he fell into what he called an “obsessive and diabolical” quest for Cuba’s freedom.

“Only us Cubans who have lived over there understand,” Misael Ortega Casanova said, referring to the “great suffering” that he and other Cubans on the island have faced.

He noted that his brother, who was a truck driver and an American citizen who lived for more than 20 years in the U.S., leaves behind his wife, his mother, two sisters — one of whom lives in Cuba — and a daughter who is pregnant.

“No one knew,” Misael said of his brother’s plans. “My mother is devastated.”

He added: “They became so obsessed that they didn’t think about the consequences nor their own lives.”

Misael said that he did not recognize any of the names that the Cuban government released.

He said that while he doesn’t believe in heroes — “because that is ignorance” — he hopes that his brother’s death might be a worthwhile sacrifice: “maybe it will justify that some day Cuba will be free.”

U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cuba-venezuela-maduro-oil-economy-b9ffd24928e34dc7e3fc1fdcb22709a1">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;top diplomat refused to speculate on what happened, saying that it could be a “wide range of things,” and that the U.S. will not solely rely on what the Cuban authorities have provided thus far.

“Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It’s not something that happens every day. It’s something, frankly, that hasn’t happened with Cuba in a very long time,” Rubio said.

He said both the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the incident and stressed that he wants to verify the facts.

“The majority of the facts being publicly reported are those by the information provided by the Cubans. We will verify that independently as we gather more information, and we’ll be prepared to respond accordingly," Rubio said. "We’re going to have our own information on this. We’re going to figure out exactly what happened.”

He said it was not a U.S. government operation and that he wasn’t "going to speculate about whose boat it was, what they were doing, why they were there, what actually happened.”

One of the men identified by the Cuban government, Conrado Galindo Sariol, was interviewed in June 2025 by Martí Noticias, a U.S.-based news site that has long called for a change of government in Cuba.

Galindo, whom the host called “a legend” and a former political prisoner, was quoted as saying that he wants to support the struggles that Cubans face, especially in the eastern part of the island “to achieve the freedom that is needed.”

He said that the protests in Cuba at that time were “not a spark that’s going to be extinguished.”

“The regime’s leaders are crisscrossing Cuba, trying to mitigate what’s coming very soon because ... they know they’re out of power, that they can’t do anything about it, and they’re looking for ways to prevent the protests from growing in other parts of the country,” Galindo was quoted as saying.

Rubio said he found out about the shooting before the Cuban government posted on social media, noting that the U.S. has “constant contact” with the country “at the Coast Guard level.”

Earlier, Cuba’s Interior Ministry issued a statement that provided few details about the shooting, but noted that the boat was roughly 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) northeast of Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s north coast.

The government provided the boat’s registration number, but The Associated Press was unable to readily verify details of the boat because boat registrations are not public in the state of Florida.

It wasn’t immediately known what the boat and its occupants were doing in Cuban waters. In the statement, the ministry said Cuba’s government was “safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said it would pursue answers “through every legal and diplomatic channel available,” adding that “facts remain unclear and conflicting.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said late Wednesday afternoon that Rubio had briefed him on the incident. He added that the White House was monitoring the situation.

“Hopefully it’s not as bad as we fear it could be,” Vance said.

The shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuba-health-care-us-energy-embargo-crisis-33ad8447dc4b442ea9b614eb91392be5">threatens to increase tensions</a>&nbsp;between the U.S. and Cuba. Following the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump and top administration officials have taken an increasingly aggressive stance toward Cuba, which had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuba-airplanes-fuel-shortages-us-blockade-oil-18d79e2f138520dcbf28c24c1599b1a5">largely kept economically afloat</a>&nbsp;by Venezuela’s oil.

The energy crisis Cuba has been grappling with in recent years entered new extremes last month when Trump signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba. The move put pressure on Mexico, which Cuba became largely dependent on for petroleum after Trump halted oil shipments from Venezuela.

Meanwhile, James Uthmeier, Florida’s attorney general, said he has ordered prosecutors to work with federal, state and law enforcement partners to start an investigation.

“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” he wrote on X.

Lee reported from Basseterre, St. Kitts and Coto from San José, Costa Rica. Associated Press reporters Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Michael Biesecker, Aamer Madhani and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.

🎥Why did Cuba kill 4 on speedboat from U.S.?

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for an allege violent crime.

On September 16, 2025 police investigated an incident that had occurred at 12:30a.m. at a residence in the 300 block North 5th in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 A 44 year old woman reported that she was at the residence visiting the suspect when he became angry and physically assaulted her. She later went to the hospital for examination of injuries at which time she notified police.

Just before 1p.m. Tuesday, police arrested 33-year-old Donald E. Harvey III, of Atchison in the 1000 block Main Street on a District Court warrant for aggravated battery and a Leavenworth County warrant for failure to appear in court.&nbsp;

Police: Kansas man jailed for violent attack on a woman

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday that the Trump administration would “temporarily halt” some Medicaid funding to the state of Minnesota&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-fraud-charges-fbad68312012dc02a4060852474f72ee">over fraud concerns</a>, as part of what he described as an aggressive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-minnesota-covid-nutrition-cc55a566c806a29a7f2e64c762975a09">crackdown on misuse of public funds</a>.

Vance, who made the announcement with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the administration was taking the action “in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people’s tax money.”

Oz, who referred to people committing fraud as “self-serving scoundrels,” said the federal government would hold off on paying $259.5 million to Minnesota in funding for Medicaid, the health care safety net for low-income Americans.

“This is not a problem with the people of Minnesota, it’s a problem with the leadership of Minnesota and other states who do not take Medicaid preservation seriously,” Oz said.

Wednesday’s move is part of a larger Trump administration effort to spotlight fraud around the country. That effort comes after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-fraud-immigration-enforcement-somali-76e246b70d582f1dd42f1242cf7d7a66">allegations of fraud</a>&nbsp;involving day care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis prompted a massive immigration crackdown in the Midwestern city, resulting in widespread protests. President Donald Trump, in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, announced Vance would spearhead a national “war on fraud.”

Trump also recently nominated Colin McDonald to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fraud-division-colin-mcdonald-trump-91da4a174aa88706c3b6bfbd67399689">serve as the first assistant attorney general</a>&nbsp;in charge of a Justice Department division dedicated to rooting out fraud.

Oz said the administration was simultaneously notifying Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz as he was making the announcement publicly.

“We will give them the money, but we’re going to hold it and only release it after they propose and act on a comprehensive corrective action plan to solve the problem,” Oz said.

He said Walz would have 60 days to respond and advised health care providers and Medicaid beneficiaries who were concerned to contact Walz’s office.

Walz, former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 running mate, said in a pair of social media posts that the administration’s move had nothing to do with fraud.

“This is a campaign of retribution. Trump is weaponizing the entirety of the federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota,” Walz said. “These cuts will be devastating for veterans, families with young kids, folks with disabilities, and working people across our state.”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement that his team has secured over 300 Medicaid fraud convictions since he took office in 2019. And he noted that he called on the Legislature earlier Wednesday to give him more staff and new legal tools to combat Medicaid fraud.

"Courts have repeatedly found that their pattern of cutting first and asking questions later is illegal, and if the federal government is unlawfully withholding money meant for the 1.2 million low-income Minnesotans on Medicaid, we will see them in court,” Ellison said.

Oz said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were also taking action to crack down on fraud in Medicare, the health care system relied upon by millions of older adults.

He said CMS for six months would block any new Medicare enrollments for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics or other supplies used to treat chronic conditions or assist in injury recovery.

The Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found last year that Medicare improperly paid suppliers nearly $23 million for durable medical equipment from 2018 through 2024. But it found that most of that was before January 2020, when changes to the system were implemented.

Oz also announced a new crowdsourcing effort he said would help “crush fraud” by soliciting Americans’ tips and suggestions.

“All of us are smarter than any one of us,” he said.

In a news release accompanying the announcement, CMS said the funding being paused in Minnesota included some $244 million in unsupported or potentially fraudulent Medicaid claims and about $15 million in claims involving “individuals lacking a satisfactory immigration status.”

Immigrants who are not living in the U.S. legally, as well as some lawfully present immigrants, are not allowed to enroll in the Medicaid program that provides nearly-free coverage for health services.

CMS said in the release that if Minnesota fails to satisfy its requirements, it may defer up to $1 billion in federal funds to the state over the next year. CMS spokesperson Catherine Howden said the agency's review of potential fraud cases would include sampling claims to see if they comply with federal requirements, and potentially requesting more information about specific claims.

Akeiisa Coleman, the senior program officer for Medicaid at the Commonwealth Fund, said CMS was taking a “highly unusual step" in deferring funding. She said if the state doesn't have enough funds available, it may have to halt payments to providers, which could affect care.

The administration has threatened to cut off funding for various programs for some Democratic-run states over fraud concerns over the last few months.

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