Last week St. Xavier School held their homecoming festivities.&nbsp;Ram fans participated in dress up days, held a pep rally, crowned a king and queen, hosted a basketball scrimmage, and ended the week with a dance. Gotta love that school spirit!

&nbsp;Other homecoming activity photos can be found on our facebook page at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://saintxrams.org/">saintxrams.org</a>.&nbsp;Royal Court from left to right: Josh W., Kaydence W., Charles Q, Taylor S., Dana D., Josh E., Cassiel P.

King &amp; Queen: Charles Q., Taylor S.

St. Xavier celebrates Homecoming Week

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran delivered good news to members of the community on Friday announcing that $4,038,000 in federal funding has been authorizef for improvements at Freeman Field, the Junction City airport.

Moram had a message for taxpayer constituents. "The money is not added on. It helps us take money that's already going to be spent someplace and direct it in some place that we believe has merit." The money is included in a transportation bill that has been approved by the House and Senate, and signed into law by the President. The funds will be used for rehabilation of the runway and for adding asphalt.

Juncion City Public Works Director Ray Ibarra said that the airport's runway needs to be done. Nearly two years were spent pursuing the money. He outlined the plan for the project. "It's going to be a full depth reclamation on the runway. It's going to be a rehab where they're going to pulverize that base that's currently out there to be able to give us a good standard base and we're going to white top it with concrete." Ibarra added that the work should take care of the runway for several years. 

Ibarra also noted that with a small amount of extra money that the city might get from that, they might be able to do some needed taxiway improvements.&nbsp;

City Commissioner Pat Landes said the local hospital makes extensive use of the airport. With a rural hospital area everything can't be taken taken care of here so they've got to get people to the care that they need. He added that there are also businesses at the airport that work on and build airplanes plus a lot of enthusiats that use the facility.

Mayor Terry Butler pointed out that a Freedom Fest fundraiser, Balloons Bands and Barbecue will be held at the airport on the second Saturday in May.

Federal funds are targeted for Freeman Field

Both the Junction City High School boys and girls teams continued their road trip, this time at Washburn Rural High School. It was homecoming night for the Junior Blues in Topeka.

Girls recap - Washburn Rural 56, Junction City 14

It was the same story as the past three games for the Junction City Lady Jays. The first four minutes were high intensity and back and forth. Junction City sophomore guard Isabel Pruitt scored the first five points for Junction City, and sophomore Taliyah Campbell knocked down a free-throw line jumper to cut the deficit to one, down 8-7 with 4:00 to play in the first quarter. From this point forward, it was all Washburn Rural. The Junior Blues finished the quarter on a 7-0 run, and led 15-7 after one.&nbsp;

In second quarter action, Washburn Rural expanded their lead, and Junction City only scored two points in the quarter. JCHS trailed 31-9 at the half, and lost the game 56-14.&nbsp;

With the loss, the Lady Jays fall to 2-15 and are swept by Washburn Rural this season. The Junior Blues improved to 12-6 on the year.&nbsp;

*Our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game was senior Ava Uhlman. For bring our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game, Ava receives a $20 free meal coupon voucher from Blu Restaurant in Junction City, located at 602 N. Washington St.&nbsp;

Boys recap - Washburn Rural 56, Junction City 40

It was the start the Blue Jays were looking for! Junction City jumped out to an early 11-0 lead over Washburn Rural, thanks to back-to-back baskets by senior Jackson Hollie to begin the game which put all the momentum on the side of the Blue Jays. After the first quarter, JCHS led 13-3.&nbsp;

The second quarter was the polar opposite of the first quarter. Washburn Rural began the quarter with back-to-back baskets and continued that momentum until halftime. The Junior Blues got an offensive rebound and put-back to go in right before half, and led Junction City 17-16. Washburn Rural outscored JCHS 14-3 in the quarter.&nbsp;

To begin the third quarter, Washburn Rural kept the momentum and blasted out of the halftime break on a 14-5 run in the first four minutes of the quarter. The Junior Blues led 31-21, and then traded baskets with JC the rest of the quarter, and Washburn led 39-27. (Combined between the second and third quarter, Washburn Rural outscored Junction City 36-14).&nbsp;

Fourth quarter action featured a strong comeback by Junction City. Senior Lovell Autry converted a three-point play, and Khaliel Walker nailed a three-pointer to cut the lead to six. Then senior Jett Thompson converted on a three-point play, and Junction City trailed 43-40 with just under 4:00 minutes to go. Then, Washburn Rural sophomore Brooks Ballard came to life. Ballard was left open and hit three-straight three's and the Junior Blues pulled away to win, 56-40 and sweep Junction City on the season.&nbsp;

With the loss, JCHS falls to 9-9, and Washburn Rural goes to 10-8.&nbsp;

**Our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game was senior Jett Thompson. For bring our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game, Jett receives a $20 free meal coupon voucher from Blu Restaurant in Junction City, located at 602 N. Washington St.

The Junction City Blue Jays go back on the road on Tuesday night, playing at Topeka High School.&nbsp;

Washburn Rural sweeps the Blue Jays for the season

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. - Three years ago, Nicola Capriotti walked into the H.D. Karns Alternative School not just as a staff member, but as someone who understands what it feels like to sit in some of those student seats.See, Capriotti, who is a computer-based mentor at H.D. Karns, didn’t have a normal childhood as he was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., and then moved to Wellington, Kan., when he was seven years old to live with his grandmother.

He attended Wellington High School, but his path wasn’t traditional as he dropped out and earned his GED in 2019, the same year he was supposed to graduate from WHS. Shortly after, he joined the military.“I grew up in a good neighborhood but was financially very poor. My family was on EBT, and I had to get a job very early in life to help support my family. Before that took all my time, I played football, wrestled and was a part of several social study academic games. I even started a cancer awareness club for every month that represents a cancer type,” said Capriotti.

Today, Capriotti can be found using his childhood as an example for his students, pushing them to better their situation, and its one that he does not take lightly.“Being able to work in this building is super meaningful to me. It means committing selfless service to the future of students every single day. It means going above and beyond for the betterment of the students and overall community. It’s long hours, sometimes thankless, but never does a day go by that you do not have a chance to make a positive impact. You get to be the adult in the education system you wish you had growing up. Every day you have a chance to impact a student’s life or future. I think that is a gift and should be treated as such,” said Capriotti, who is currently finishing an associate’s degree in business administration and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in human resources management.

Capriotti has also been able to have that impact away from the Karns building as he started a high school rugby club, the Junction City Jaguars, for area youth that travels all over the area and battles teams in Manhattan, Abilene and Chapman. The club currently has eight students from USD 475 and will open its season on March 14 if it can find enough student athletes to field a team. If you are interested in joining the team, please reach out to Capriotti at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nicolacapriotti@usd475.org">nicolacapriotti@usd475.org</a>.“I started the team as I was very passionate about coaching and didn’t have a way to get into coaching other sports, so I made my own path. Coaching the rugby team has been one of the best things I have ever done for myself or the community. To help shape these young men into leaders and honorable men is a privilege I will always cherish,” said Capriotti.

In the classroom, Capriotti has been a shining star as he has made a difference in countless number of students lives in his short tenure at Karns. At the start of every semester, he shares his story with his students. Not because it’s perfect but because it’s real and he believes vulnerability is a strength.“I think them seeing an authoritative figure open up shows them there is strength in vulnerability. I am often told by many students that I am easy to talk to about things and have helped multiple students through their tough situations. I think they are comfortable with me because I reached that helping hand out first by telling them things I have been through. I have always believed in leading from the front and I can’t expect them to do anything I would not do myself,” said Capriotti.

Capriotti Making a Difference at H.D. Karns

Through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, that Geary County Public Works was awarded, Geary County is aiming to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on the roads with a Transportation Safety Action Plan. 

Using recent crash data and input from stakeholders and the community, this plan will identify the roads and intersections in greatest need of safety improvements. This is where the public's help is needed.

Click here -&nbsp;<a href="https://olssonengage.mysocialpinpoint.com/geary-county-safety-action-plan">https://olssonengage.mysocialpinpoint.com/geary-countysafety-action-plan </a>or search ‘gearycountytsap.com’ to view the engagement map. Here, you can provide input on transportation safety concerns throughout Geary County. This information will help to build Geary County’s Transportation Safety Action Plan.

  The Geary County website (gearycounty.gov) has more information to view as needed. Under the Government Header, navigate to the Public Works Department’s page, then find a tab labeled ‘Safe Streets &amp; Roads for All (SS4A) Grant.’&nbsp;&nbsp;

Geary County Public Works needs your help! 

Junction City High School boys and girls basketball playing at Washburn Rural tonight.&nbsp;

Girls will tip-off at 6:00 p.m. and the boys will follow around 7:45 p.m.&nbsp;

You can hear the games on 107.9 FM / 1420 AM KJCK Radio. You can also <a href="https://streamdb9web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KJCKAM">hear the games by clicking here.&nbsp;</a>

LISTEN LIVE: 🏀 Junction City Blue Jays at Washburn Rural High School

At our monthly training, we were able to THANK Clark Carroll for serving Geary County for the past 24 years as a Volunteer Firefighter.

He was presented a Certificate of Appreciation from the Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office.  It was presented to him by Geary County Commission Chair Kathy Tremont. 

 Asst. Fire Chief Curt Janke then presented Clark his fire helmet, a plaque thanking him for his service, along with a gift card to a restaurant and some flowers for his wife.

Geary County Rural Fire honors Clark Carroll for 24 years as Volunteer Firefighter

IHOP in Junction City cut the ribbon today to officially announce they are now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) at their location at 321 East Ash Street.

Mohanad Khmous, the owner, was in attendance to cut the ribbon at the ribbon-cutting ceremony held Thursday at the restaurant. The ribbon-cutting was hosted by the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce.

"I am very proud of our team for making this happen," Khmous said. "I really appreciate their efforts to do this. We are now excited to serve the Junction City community 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

IHOP in Junction City originally opened their doors in 2009. For more information about IHOP, or to check out their menu,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/IHOP-Junction-City-KS-100063651124937/"> check out their Facebook page here.&nbsp;</a>

IHOP cuts the Ribbon to Announce being open 24/7 in Junction City

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.

Sirvoria Swinson, Failure to appear, arrested 02/11

Darzita Rojas, Failure to appear, arrested 02/11

Geary County Booking Photos Feb. 12, 2026

**Photos by Junction City Fire Department

The damage estimate from a house fire Thursday at 602 Stone Ridge in Junction City has been placed in the $300,000 to $500, 000 dollar range. Fire Chief Jason Lankas noted Friday that the house is now not believed to be a total loss. It's value was listed at $1.2 million dollars.&nbsp;

The resident was identified as Sue Ann Magana.

Lankas also confirmed new information on Friday morning that the blaze began in a burn barrel on a neighbor's property and then spread through tall grass to the house that was damaged.

The fire cause has been determined to be unintentional accidental.

Assisting in battling the fire were multiple agencies including Junction City, Geary County, Fort Riley, Grandview Plaza and with a drone the Junction City Police Department.

Fire Chief Jason Lankas confirmed early Thursday evening that the fire was out. The blaze began near an outdoor shed and then spread through tall grass to the house. There were not any injuries.

The Red Cross and a State Fire Marshall's Office were called in to assist. The female resident of the house received private help.

Junction City Fire Department, Geary County Rural Fire, Fort Riley Fire, and Grandview Plaza Fire Department on Thursday worked a large house fire located just southeast of K-18 and U.S. 77 in Junction City.

As of 2:15 p.m., the fire was under control, according to Geary County Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges. Approximately 50 personnel were on scene assisting with fire suppression and overhaul operations. Firefighters expected to remain on scene for the next several hours to monitor the structure and ensure the fire is fully extinguished.

**K-18 off U.S. 77 into Junction City is currently shut down due to the fire, and to allow responding agencies to bring in water. Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.

Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

Several local Fire Departments worked a house fire in Junction City on Thursday

In observance of Presidents’ Day, the Geary County Public Works Department, Geary County Landfill / Tree Debris Site and Geary County Recycling Center/HHW will be closed on Monday, February 16, 2026. 

T hey will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The Geary County Transfer Station will operate normal hours on Monday, February 16, 2026.&nbsp;

Geary County Public Works Holiday Schedule

PAWNEE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2a.m. Saturday in Pawnee County&nbsp;

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Chrysler 300 driven by Jon Myles Woelk&nbsp; Blakely, 36, Rozell, was westbound on K156 Highway three miles west of the U.S. 183 Junction. The car traveled off the roadway to the left and the driver corrected.&nbsp; The vehicle returned to the road and rolled into the ditch.

&nbsp;Blakely was pronoumced dead at the scene and was transported to Beckwith Mortuary. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after car rolls into a ditch

An Arizona sheriff's department got more than 4,000 calls within 24 hours after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-b765fed6b9669441383b75860263ac99">release of videos</a>&nbsp;of a masked person on Nancy Guthrie's porch. Many tips will be worthless. Others could have merit. Experts say one thing's certain: They can't be ignored.

Tips can solve crimes — big or small — and eerie images of a mysterious male covered head to toe have been the most significant clues shared with the public during Guthrie's nearly 2-week-old disappearance in the Tucson area.

“It's a tremendous amount of work,” said Roberto Villaseñor, a former Tucson police chief.

“In a situation like this, you really cannot do what's been done without tips and public input,” he said. “They have processed the scene. But once that’s done and exhausted, it's hard to move forward without additional information coming in.”

The Pima County sheriff and the FBI announced&nbsp;<a href="https://pimasheriff.org/">phone numbers</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/home">website</a>&nbsp;to offer tips about the apparent kidnapping of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>. Several hundred detectives and agents have been assigned to the case, the sheriff's department said.

The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff's department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.

"Every tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance, and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement," the FBI said Thursday on X, adding that the effort is a 24-hour operation. It said it won't comment on the tips received.

Meanwhile, many people stopped Friday at KVOA-TV in Tucson, an NBC affiliate, to sign a large outdoor banner with a photo of Nancy Guthrie and the message “Bring her home.”

“They're like family, you know,” said Sandy Bryant, referring to her yearslong enjoyment of the “Today” show and the Guthrie family's local ties. “It's painful. It's scary, very scary.”

Major U.S. crimes for years have been cracked with a tip. In 1995, the brother and sister-in-law of Ted Kaczynski recognized certain tones in an anonymous, widely published anti-technology manifesto. Known by the FBI as the “Unabomber,” Kaczynski was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ted-kaczynski-unabomber-dies-federal-prison-95fdd4f398fbfe20aaadf5d53a91dc26">found living in a shack</a>&nbsp;in Montana and subsequently admitted to committing 16 bombings over 17 years, killing three people.

The 1989 murders of an Ohio woman and two teen daughters in Florida were solved three years later when St. Petersburg police asked the public if they recognized handwriting found in the victims' car. A former neighbor led investigators to Oba Chandler.

Retired Detroit homicide investigator Ira Todd recalled how images from a gas station camera solved the disappearance and death of a 3-month-old baby — and stopped authorities from pursuing the wrong person in 2001. “A niece of this guy saw it on TV and says, ‘That’s my uncle,’” he said.

The murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022 generated nearly 40,000 tips to state and federal authorities. None had a direct role in the capture of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bryan-kohberger">Bryan Kohberger</a>, but the public's involvement nonetheless was “absolutely” important, said Lt. Darren Gilbertson of the Idaho State Police.

“That's one of the things that kept us going for weeks,” he said, while authorities awaited DNA and other evidence.

Gilbertson said much of the early vetting in the Idaho murders was done by the FBI. He said agents and analysts who were screening tips had a good grasp of what information could be spiked and what should be handed up to key investigators. Some tips arrived by regular mail.

“Aliens to bears to crazy conspiratorial ideas — don't even pass that along,” Gilbertson said.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Hours before her family knew she was gone, a porch camera recorded video of a person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves — images that were released by the FBI along with a public plea for help.

The FBI on Thursday said the person, now a suspect, is a man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build. The agency also named the brand and model of the backpack.

Neighborhood resident Laura Gargano said she's tried to be helpful. She recommended that authorities look at an underground tank at Guthrie’s home, which was checked last weekend. She also told them that a rental house, not typical for the neighborhood, had recently been vacated.

“I noticed the cars were gone,” she told The Associated Press. “It could have been nothing, it could have been coincidental, but it was a change.”

The sheriff's department has not said whether any tips from the videos have advanced the investigation.

“I'm hopeful,” said Villaseñor, the former Tucson chief. “I have seen cases where simpler and less detailed information has helped bring somebody about. Maybe someone recognizes clothing, maybe the bag. You never know what someone will key on.”

Anyone with information: (800) 225-5324; (520) 351-4900;&nbsp;<a href="https://t.co/8PjMoU17mh">http://tips.fbi.gov</a>

Sorting through tips in cases like the Nancy Guthrie mystery

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alex-veiga">ALEX VEIGA</a> Associated Press

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell sharply in January as higher home prices and possibly harsh winter weather kept many prospective homebuyers on the sidelines despite easing mortgage rates.

Existing home sales sank 8.4% last month from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.91 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That’s the biggest monthly decline in nearly four years and the slowest annualized sales pace in more than two years.

Sales fell 4.4% compared with January last year. The latest sales figure fell short of the 4.105 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.

“The decrease in sales is disappointing,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “The below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation this January make it harder than usual to assess the underlying driver of the decrease and determine if this month’s numbers are an aberration.”

Home sales slowed sharply across the Northeast, Midwest, South and West. But sales had their biggest annual and monthly drop in the West, which wasn’t as affected by last month’s winter storm as the other regions of the country. Plus, there’s usually a month or two lag between a contract signing and when the sale is finalized, so many of January’s sales reflect contracts signed late last year.

Despite the sharp drop in sales, home prices continued to climb last month. The national median sales price increased 0.9% in January from a year earlier to $396,800. Home prices have risen on an annual basis for 31 months in a row.

The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. The combination of higher mortgage rates, years of skyrocketing home prices and a chronic shortage of homes nationally following more than a decade of below-average home construction have left many aspiring homeowners priced out of the market.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-d14d4f80bb90d6031292d1f0c377d708">Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes remained stuck last year at 30-year lows.</a>

Sales have been hovering close to a 4-million annual pace now going back to 2023. That’s well short of the 5.2-million annual pace that’s historically been the norm.

Still, mortgage rates have been trending lower for months, which helped give home sales a boost in December and brightened the outlook for the upcoming spring home-buying season — at least for home shoppers who can afford to buy at current rates.

Many of the homes purchased last month likely went under contract in November and December, when mortgage rates eased to their lowest levels of the year.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage briefly dropped last month to 6.06%, the lowest level since September 2022, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. It has since inched higher, remaining this week at just&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-8078c72e225e45b9298e0bf3e0d2236f">above 6%</a>, but close to a percentage point lower than a year ago.

Even so, affordability remains a challenge for many aspiring homeowners, especially first-time buyers who don’t have equity from an existing home to put toward a new home purchase. They accounted for 31% of homes sales last month. Historically, they made up 40% of home sales.

“Today we have minimal foreclosures, housing wealth continues to build out, it’s just that renters who want to become homeowners are finding difficulty,” Yun said.

Uncertainty over the job market is also likely keeping many would-be buyers on the sidelines.

While the economy has been registering solid growth, the labor market has been sluggish for months.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-labor-economy-ai-layoffs-1304701fb238015de750a931c4175579">U.S. job openings fell in December</a>&nbsp;to the lowest level in more than five years. And while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-unemployment-labor-c760d3f86988833bc9ccb3936d44d61b">hiring by U.S. employers was surprisingly strong in January,</a>&nbsp;government revisions reduced the number of jobs created last year to the weakest total since 2020, when the pandemic began.

The sales slowdown means more homes are staying on the market longer.

There were 1.22 million unsold homes at the end of January, down 0.8% from December and up 3.4% from January last year, NAR said. That’s still well short of the roughly 2 million homes for sale that was typical before the COVID-19 pandemic.

January’s month-end inventory translates to a 3.7-month supply at the current sales pace. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

More homes traditionally go on the market ahead of the spring home-buying season, which could give prospective buyers a wider selection.

“Buyers will find a more favorable market as we head into spring,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS. “More inventory, lower rates and slower price growth will give buyers more room for negotiation.”

Why US homes sales fell sharply in January

Five individuals were federally indicted this week for their roles in an alleged $220 million nationwide fraud scheme involving purported cattle purchase contracts, according to United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Those indicted by a Fort Worth federal grand jury on February 11, 2026, were:

“Thousands of unwitting investors, ranchers, and others in the cattle industry nationwide were drawn in and victimized by the defendants’ multi-million dollar scheme alleged in this indictment,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.&nbsp; “My office, in concert with our law enforcement partners, will hold these defendants accountable and pursue justice on behalf of the victims.”

“The defendants allegedly used false promises to lure prospective clients into their scheme and then misappropriated client funds to enrich themselves. One individual, Joshua Robert Link, remains a fugitive. We are asking the public to contact the FBI if they have any information regarding Link’s location,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

As alleged in the indictment, each of the defendants were associated with Agridime LLC, a business headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas that offered cattle sales and meat processing and retail services to the public.&nbsp; Jed Wood served as the Operations Director.&nbsp; Joshua Link served as the Executive Director.&nbsp; Tia Link served as the Marketing Director.&nbsp; Taylor Bang served as a cattle broker, and Royana Thomas served as the financial controller.

The indictment alleges that, from January 2021 through December 2023, the five defendants, acting through Agridime, perpetrated a fraud scheme in which they falsely represented to individual cattle purchasers, cattle ranchers, and feedlots that Agridime would use their funds to purchase specific individual cattle for each victim, raise the cattle, and eventually sell the meat from the same specific individual cattle for a profit.&nbsp; In reality, as the indictment charges, the defendants did not use victim funds as promised and instead used newer cattle purchaser funds to pay Agridime operating expenses, pay funds owed by Agridime to earlier cattle purchasers, pay personal expenses, and purchase real property.&nbsp;

As alleged, the defendants fraudulently collected more than $220 million from over 2,200 individual victims located throughout the United States due to fraudulent misrepresentations the defendants made in public and private advertising statements.

If convicted, the defendants face up to twenty years in federal prison on each wire fraud count for which they were indicted as well as twenty years’ imprisonment for the charged wire fraud conspiracy.&nbsp; Additionally, the defendants face up to ten years’ imprisonment for each money laundering count in which they are charged.

Tia Link and Taylor Bang appeared for arraignment before a United States Magistrate Judge in Fort Worth today.&nbsp; Both were released under pretrial supervision.&nbsp; Jed Wood and Royana Thomas are set to appear for arraignment in Fort Worth before a United States Magistrate Judge on February 25, 2026.

Joshua Robert Link remains a fugitive. The FBI requests that the public contact the FBI with any information regarding Link’s location.

FBI: Man with ties to Kansas wanted for $220 million fraud scheme

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">Morgan Chilson</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 — Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a controversial bill that forces transgender people to use bathrooms that match their biological sex at birth, saying the poorly drafted legislation would have far-reaching consequences.

The Democratic governor now hands House Substitute for&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb244/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 244</a>&nbsp;back to a Legislature that has enough Republican votes to override her veto and put the bill into law.

The bill requires government entities to police bathrooms and other private spaces in their buildings, and levies fines against the governing body for failing to comply. It also sets up escalating penalties for individuals who use a bathroom that doesn’t match their sex at birth.

In a statement Friday, Kelly cited multiple situations that would be affected by HB 244.

“If your grandfather is in a nursing home in a shared room, as a granddaughter, you would not be able to visit him,” Kelly said. “If your sister is living in a dorm at K-State, as a brother, you would not be able to visit her in her room.”

Kelly said she vetoed the bill because of those “numerous and significant consequences.”

“I believe the Legislature should stay out of the business of telling Kansans how to go to the bathroom and instead stay focused on how to make life more affordable for Kansans,” she said.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, said he didn’t understand why the governor would veto a “common sense” bill.

“That’s not extreme — it’s basic clarity, truth, and dignity,” he said in a statement. “Kansans expect their laws to reflect reality and protect privacy. Instead of standing with the overwhelming majority of Kansans on this issue, the Governor chose to appease her most radical supporters at the cost of women and girls in our state.”

Senate President Ty Masterson said he was surprised to see Kelly “turn her back on women.”

“Sadly, our governor has decided she will side with they/them over simple, scientific truth,” Masterson said in a statement. “Kansans need not worry — the Kansas Senate will restore sanity, and override her veto.”

The House and Senate, through a series of procedural devices, passed SB 244 without allowing public input on the bathroom portion of the bill.

The legislation originated in the House Judiciary Committee as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2426/" target="_blank">House Bill 2426</a>, which originally dealt with gender markers on driver’s licenses and birth certificates. Despite little advance notice of the hearing on the bill, more than 200 people opposed HB 2426 through written testimony.

A week later, the committee debated the bill with no advance notice. Rep. Bob Lewis, R-Garden City, proposed an amendment to ban transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice and prohibiting anyone from taking a child older than 10 into a bathroom for the opposite sex.

In a “gut and go” move, the committee then placed HB 2426 into SB 244, which was completely unrelated. The move allowed the Senate, following passage by the House, to hold an immediate vote without a committee hearing first.

Numerous Democrats blasted the lack of transparency in the process&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/01/28/this-bill-spits-on-basic-human-decency-kansas-legislature-passes-bathroom-ban-without-hearing/">during a six-hour House debate</a>.

In a statement Friday, House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard said SB 244 was a failure of “process and priorities.”

“The bill was rushed through the Legislature without meaningful public input or debate. Beyond its flawed process, the legislation targets a small and vulnerable group of Kansans while creating sweeping and unintended consequences for communities across our state,” he said in a statement.

Like Kelly, Woodard expressed concern for the far-reaching implications of SB 244. It would affect shared hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation and treatment rooms, dorm rooms and sporting events, he said.

“This bill is bad legislation and has bad unintended consequences,” Woodard said.

Local government officials have said the bill could cost local governments&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/12/kansas-local-government-leaders-question-millions-in-costs-lack-of-detail-in-bathroom-bill/">millions of&nbsp; dollars to implement</a>.

Harper Seldin, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the Kansas bill stands out as “particularly pernicious” and different from similar legislation that has passed across the country.

“I think this bill is particularly extreme and harmful. It’s unique in that it contains these escalating criminal penalties against individual people, as well as this private right of action,” he said. “I think also the provision regarding municipal liability is particularly harmful, because it puts the price of this kind of discrimination on local taxpayers in a way that feels deeply unjust.”

SB 244 sets an initial penalty if a local government entity doesn’t comply with the bill at $25,000, with penalties escalating to $125,000 after subsequent violations. City and county officials&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/12/kansas-local-government-leaders-question-millions-in-costs-lack-of-detail-in-bathroom-bill/">have expressed concern</a>&nbsp;about the bill’s lack of clarity.

Seldin said the language in the bill is confusing for parents, who must decide whether they have to leave their 10-year-old son standing alone outside the restroom if they are using the women’s room.

“This bill is particularly poorly worded and constructed in ways that are going to create confusion and anxiety, and certainly real material harm in the event it’s enforced,” he said.

Seldin said Kansas legislators, no matter their feelings about transgender people, should consider whether the bill should be passed in its current form.

“I think that’s exactly the intent of bills like this, including the poor wording, which is to create the kind of fear and uncertainty that causes trans folks to self police and over comply, even in restrooms where they are perfectly permitted to be,” Seldin said.

Although there has been a “wave” of restroom bans across the country, Seldin said it is a solution in search of a problem.

“Trans people are much more likely to be the victims of violence than than they are to be causing it,” he said. “Public restrooms are not a site of a lot of violence or harm. I think that the assumption of these bills is that trans people are unworthy to be in society, or that there’s something dangerous about us, because we don’t conform to ideas of what men and women are. But there’s no evidence to support that.”

Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson said SB 244’s focus on attacking transgender people is “appalling.”

“SB 244 is about invading privacy, forcing people into the wrong bathrooms, stripping transgender Kansans of accurate IDs, and inviting government-sanctioned harassment — all pushed through using cynical procedural tricks to silence public opposition,” Robinson said in a statement. “Shameful policies like this are part and parcel of a national right-wing anti-LGBTQ+ campaign, and they don’t make anyone safer.”

Brittany Jones, president of Kansas Family Voice, said the legislation supports the “Kansas Women’s Bill of Rights” by ensuring women and girls have private, sex-specific spaces.

“Most kindergartners know the difference between a boy and a girl and can tell you which restroom each should use, yet the governor of our state cannot seem to recognize the distinction,” she said in a written statement.

About 50 transgender people and their allies gathered&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/06/trans-kansans-and-allies-use-statehouse-restrooms-in-act-of-malicious-compliance/">Feb. 6 at the Statehouse</a>&nbsp;to use the bathroom. Calling the action a “pee-in,” they demonstrated how the bill would require people who look like men to use the women’s room, and vice versa.

“With everything going on in our government right now, why was Kansas’ main priority to target marginalized communities?” asked Matthew Neumann, executive director of the LGBTQ Foundation of Kansas.

Kansas governor vetoes anti-trans bathroom bill, citing ‘numerous and significant consequences’

A shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that took effect early Saturday impacts the agency responsible for screening passengers and bags at airports across the country. Travelers with airline reservations may be nervously recalling a 43-day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;that led to historic flight cancellations and long delays last year.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/transportation-security-administration">Transportation Security Administration</a>&nbsp;officers are expected to work without pay while lawmakers remain without an agreement on Homeland Security's annual funding. TSA officers also worked through the record shutdown that ended Nov. 12, but aviation experts say this one may play out differently.

Trade groups for the U.S. travel industry and major airlines nonetheless warned that the longer DHS appropriations are lapsed, the longer security lines at the nation's commercial airports could get.

Here’s what to know about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-shutdown-ice-funding-7bf62bc50ca0a6a6013a714bee2ffdb4">the latest shutdown</a>&nbsp;and how to plan ahead.

Funding for Homeland Security&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-shutdown-ice-e5df415c1fd77b0609dded445edbb9d7">expired at midnight</a>. But the rest of the federal government is funded through Sept. 30. That means air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will receive paychecks as usual, reducing the risk of widespread flight cancellations.

According to the department’s contingency plan, about 95% of TSA workers are deemed essential personnel and required to keep working. Democrats in the House and Senate say Homeland Security won’t get funded until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations.

During past shutdowns, disruptions to air travel tended to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flight-delays-cancellations-government-shutdown-5034216cb5bb41bd40e27bb7861b2dd3">build over time</a>, not overnight. About a month into last year’s shutdown, for example, TSA temporarily closed two checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport. That same day, the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-airlines-faa-e39c423facec2b0dcc2544af48de0fa1">took the extraordinary step</a>&nbsp;of ordering all commercial airlines to reduce their domestic flight schedules.

John Rose, chief risk officer for global travel management company Altour, said strains could surface at airports more quickly this time because the TSA workforce also will be remembering the last shutdown.

“It’s still fresh in their minds and potentially their pocketbooks,” Rose said.

It’s hard to predict whether, when or where security screening snags might pop up. Even a handful of unscheduled TSA absences could quickly lead to longer wait times at smaller airports, for example, if there's just a single security checkpoint.

That’s why travelers should plan to arrive early and allow extra time to get through security.

“I tell people to do this even in good times,” Rose said.

Experts say flight delays also are a possibility even though air traffic controllers are not affected by the DHS shutdown.

Airlines might decide to delay departures in some cases to wait for passengers to clear screening, said Rich Davis, senior security advisor at risk mitigation company International SOS. Shortages of TSA officers also could slow the screening of checked luggage behind the scenes.

Most airports display security line wait times on their websites, but don't wait until the day of a flight to check them, Rose advised.

“You may look online and it says two-and-a-half hours," he said. "Now it’s two-and-a-half hours before your flight and you haven't left for the airport yet.”

Passengers should also pay close attention while packing since prohibited items are likely to prolong the screening process. For carry-on bags, avoid bringing full-size shampoo or other liquids, large gels or aerosols and items like pocketknives in carry-on bags.

TSA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/all">has a full list</a>&nbsp;on its website of what is and isn't allowed in carry-on and checked luggage.

At the airport, Rose said, remember to “practice patience and empathy."

“Not only are they not getting paid,” he said of TSA agents, “they’re probably working with reduced staff and dealing with angry travelers.”

The White House has been negotiating with Democratic lawmakers, but the two sides failed to reach a deal by the end of the week before senators and members of Congress were set to leave Washington for a 10-day break.

Lawmakers in both chambers were on notice, however, to return if a deal to end the shutdown is struck.

Democrats have said they won’t help approve more funding for Homeland Security until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-immigration-enforcement-democrats-homeland-security-trump-bcde78c38605732106fb77e46373dc9a">new restrictions</a>&nbsp;are placed on federal immigration operations after the fatal shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;in Minneapolis last month.

In a joint statement, U.S. Travel, Airlines for America and the American Hotel &amp; Lodging Association warned that the shutdown threatens to disrupt air travel as the busy spring break travel season approaches.

“Travelers and the U.S. economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay, which increases the risk of unscheduled absences and call outs, and ultimately can lead to higher wait times and missed or delayed flights,” the statement said.

TSA agents are working without pay at US airports due to another shutdown

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Friday in Kansas City, Missouri.

A white Nissan Murano was southbound on Virginia in Kansas City at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The Nissan failed to stop for the posted stop sign at Rockhurst and Virginia. 

The Nissan continued southbound and struck a gold Jeep wrangler that was unoccupied and parked on Rockhurst. After striking the Jeep, the Nissan continued over the curb and up the grassy hill where it began to roll. The struck the Rockhurst College’s “Corcoran Building” before coming to rest. 

The driver and sole occupant of the Nissan was transported to a local hospital with Life-threatening injuries. The driver was pronounced deceased by hospital staff. This is fatality #7 compared to #5 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.

Local

Region

Sports