USD 475 Communications Coordinator

JUNCTION CITY, Kan.&nbsp;– Fort Riley Elementary fifth grade teacher Emily Chandler was named one of seven statewide 2026 Kansas Master Teachers on Wednesday morning by Emporia State University.

By being chosen for the 2026 class, Chandler becomes the fourth Geary County Schools USD 475 teacher in the last five years to claim the prestigious honor. She is also the 11th individual in USD 475 history to be named a member of the Kansas Master Teachers.

Chandler was chosen alongside Casey Ewy of USD 383, Kathleen Gilliland of USD 253, Heather Hall of USD 229, Michelle Kelly of USD 458, Rachel Tanney of USD 233 and Kimberly Tate of USD 373.

Chandler, who is in her third year of teaching in USD 475 and is a Texas native, brings a wealth of passion, fun and expertise to the classroom as she not only teaches fifth grade English Language Arts and Social Studies at Fort Riley Elementary, but also recently created a journalism club at the school. Prior to her time in USD 475, Chandler, who is also the fourth and fifth grade team lead at FRE, taught at multiple schools in Arizona and Texas.

Through the support of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, each Master Teacher will be presented with a check for $1,000.

The recipients were selected by a committee including representatives from the Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas State Board of Education, K-12 Kansas Principal Association, Kansas Parent Teacher Association, Kansas National Education Association, United School Administrators, Kansas Association of Teacher Educators – Kansas, and representatives of the 2025 Kansas Master Teacher class.

The 2026 Master Teachers will be honored on Master Teacher Day on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Emporia State University. As part of several recognition activities, Chandler will tour the National Teachers Hall of Fame, one room schoolhouse and participate in the How We Teach This Podcast. The teachers will then be honored during a social hour at 5:45 p.m. in Webb Hall Lobby of Emporia State’s Memorial Union followed by the banquet and award ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in Webb Hall.

Tickets for the dinner cost $25, and reservations are required by Friday, March 20, 2026. For more information, go to www.emporia.edu/masterteacher.

ESU established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to selected teachers who demonstrate the attributes of exemplary professional educators.

Since 1980, Bank of America has pledged more than $100,000 to permanently endow the Kansas Master Teacher awards.

1961 - Jane E. Roether (Junction City)

1989 - Ada Ligia R. Paquette (Junction City)

USD 475's Emily Chandler Named a 2026 Master Teacher

Pawnee Mental Health has announced the promotion of Nate Bellamy to Director of Operations. Bellamy brings extensive experience in facilities leadership, safety oversight, and operational management to his new role.

Bellamy specializes in facilities and operations leadership across health care, industrial and government environments. His background includes regulatory compliance, project and risk management, ensuring organizations meet safety, building and security standards while effectively managing facility-related risks. He also has a strong record in project and process improvement management, leading capital projects, optimizing workflows, and driving cost-effective performance.

Before joining Pawnee Mental Health, Bellamy served in several leadership and operational roles, including assistant director of a summer camp, Loss Prevention contract manager, maintenance manager, small-business owner and as a security contractor. These roles strengthened his expertise in systems improvement, team leadership, and operational efficiency.

In his new role, Bellamy will oversee facilities operations, safety processes and organizational infrastructure. He will work closely with agency leadership to support daily operations, enhance system reliability and help maintain a safe, efficient environment for staff and clients.

“We are thrilled to congratulate Nate on this well-deserved promotion,” said Mike Rezkalla, CEO of Pawnee Mental Health.&nbsp;

Pawnee Mental Health Announces Promotion of Nate Bellamy to Director of Operations

The Junction City Blue Jay and Lady Jay basketball teams traveled to Emporia High School on Tuesday night. The Spartans got the best of Junction City in both the girls and the boys games, sweeping the Blue Jays.

Girls recap - Emporia 48, Junction City 20

The Junction City Lady Jays won the opening tip, and sophomore Isabel Pruitt made a right-wing three-pointer to put JCHS up 3-0 just 15 seconds into the game. The Lady Jays came out stingy on the defensive end, forcing five straight turnovers by the Spartans. Unfortunately, Junction City could not take advantage and only led 5-3 four minutes into the game. Emporia settled in and led 12-7 at the end of the first quarter.

From that moment, the Lady Jays struggled on the offensive end. Their defense was great, but Junction City turned the ball over and could never get going in its half-court offense. The Spartans led 22-9 at halftime and then pulled away, winning 48-20.

*Our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game was sophomore Isabel Pruitt, who had the first five points of the game for Junction City. For being our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game, Isabel receives a $20 free meal coupon voucher from Blu Restaurant in Junction City, located at 602 N. Washington St.

Boys Recap - Emporia 50, Junction City 46

The Spartans of Emporia jumped out to an early 6-0 lead over Junction City two minutes into the game. The Blue Jays responded with five straight points and cut it to 6-5 with four minutes left in the opening quarter. Both teams stayed stingy on the defensive end, and Emporia led 12-7 at the end of the first quarter.

In second-quarter action, it was a very similar story — a defensive battle, with Junction City's best ball handlers and scorers on the bench in foul trouble. Both Lovell Autry and Khaliel Walker had two fouls early in the first half. JCHS hung in there on the defensive end and trailed 26-19 at the break.

The third quarter is when Junction City finally made its run. Lovell Autry and Brody Boeckman connected on several shots near the basket, and the Blue Jays outscored Emporia 13-5 in the first six minutes of the third quarter. JCHS had cut the deficit to two, trailing 34-32. Like any good team, Emporia went on its own run and got its lead back up to seven before JCHS made two free throws at the end of the quarter. After three quarters, the Spartans led 41-36.

Junction City again went on a run to begin the fourth quarter and cut the deficit to 44-41. Junction City junior Brody Boeckman converted on a layup and was fouled, giving him a chance to tie the game with 2:50 to go. Boeckman missed the free throw, and JC still trailed 44-43. On the next possession, Emporia nailed a three-pointer to extend it back to a two-possession game. The Blue Jays got a layup from Autry to cut it to two at 47-45 with 1:40 to play. Junction City then forced back-to-back turnovers on the defensive end. On the first offensive possession for JC, Khaliel Walker missed a corner three, and on the second possession, Lovell Autry drove into a crowded area of Spartans and could not get his layup to go. Junction City played the foul game, and Emporia hit two free throws with 18 seconds to go to lead 49-45. Then, on Junction City's possession, Autry was fouled on a three-pointer with 4.4 seconds to go. Autry made one of the three free throws, and JC trailed 49-46. Emporia made one of its two free throws on the other end and won the game 50-46.

The Spartans improve to 15-3, while Junction City falls to 9-8.

*Our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game was junior Brody Boeckman, who had 13 points in the game for Junction City. For being our Blu Restaurant Player of the Game, Brody receives a $20 free meal coupon voucher from Blu Restaurant in Junction City, located at 602 N. Washington St.

Junction City boys and girls basketball is back on the road this Friday at Washburn Rural High School. You can hear both games on 107.9 FM / 1420 AM KJCK Radio.

🏀Emporia High Spartans sweep Junction City on Tuesday night

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce announced they are hosting a ribbon cutting on Thursday, February 12, at 11:30 a.m. *The ribbon-cutting will celebrate IHOP in Junction City now being open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) beginning Thursday, February 12.&nbsp; IHOP located at 321 East Ash Street in Junction City.&nbsp;

JC Chamber to host Ribbon-Cutting to Celebrate IHOP going 24/7

Abilene Physical Therapy &amp; Sports Rehab(APTSR), a trusted provider of physical therapy services in Abilene, Chapman and the surrounding areas, proudly announces a change in ownership. After 20 years of dedicated service, Tonya Mills, the original owner, is passing the torch to Taci Wilson, the new owner of APTSR.

While the ownership has changed, the faces of the organization remain the same. Tonya Mills will continue to work closely with patients, ensuring a seamless transition and ongoing personalized care. The clinic’s unwavering commitment to the communities of Abilene and Chapman remains at the heart of its mission.

Tonya Mills shared her enthusiasm about this new chapter, "I am incredibly excited for Taci and for the future of our clinic. Having worked alongside her, I am confident in her ability to lead APTSR with the same passion and dedication that has defined our practice for the past two decades. Our patients and community are in excellent hands."

APTSR continues to serve as a vital resource for residents recovering from injury, helping them return to their normal home, occupational, and recreational activities. With clinics in both Abilene and Chapman, APTSR remains committed to providing expert physical therapy and sports rehabilitation services tailored to the needs of the local community.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit the <a href="https://www.abileneptsportsrehab.com/">abileneptsportsrehab.com</a> or contact the clinics directly.

Abilene Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab Announces Change of Ownership

You can join the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FUMCJunctionCityKs?__cft__[0]=AZYVbvFTUKwktw-zKi5on774VReQToNRgmfWv45voTGvalfqP04Qjtwwe1lKBXp0Q29JRTiyqOo9QlrPPlTCVuecMEpSgHlFn4DzZ12jPaiEXuXZhKpF1vlO_IZroLfbb3hBCiZUXcvYDoASZ-DXJiWwIveRdykI0p5cy6MaOBNFFNBXI4O5LAMXnguDT12i1H8&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">First United Methodist Church of Junction City</a>&nbsp;for their Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner! Enjoy a delicious meal and support the church—free will donations are welcome.

&nbsp;The Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner is next Tuesday, February 17 -&nbsp;4:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. at&nbsp;JC 1st United Methodist Church, 804 N Jefferson St. in Junction City.&nbsp;

Show up hungry and bring your friends for a fun, tasty evening! - Use the Parking Lot entrance to the Bobo Room for the dinner.&nbsp;

JC 1st United Methodist Church hosting Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner on Feb. 17th

Col. Landgrave ( Tom ) Smith will be the guest speaker for the monthly Military Affairs Council Breakfast in&nbsp; Junction City. The Chamber of Commerce said that the breakfast is scheduled from 7:30 to 9 a.m. with check-in starting at 7 a.m.

The cost to attend is $20 for the event which will be held at JC NAZ, 1025 South Washington.&nbsp;

Smith is the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team Commander.

To register go to www.jcac.org/mac-breakfast or to mac@jcac.org by 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23.

MAC Breakfast is set for Feb. 26

Geary County Sheriff's Office numbers for Jan. 21 - Feb. 3 included an average daily inmate population of approximately 85 inmates, a total od 12 accidents for the period, two thefts ans 21 arrests. The information was contained in a report to the Geary County Commission from Sheriff Nate Boeckman.

In 2025 the Sheriff's Office attained National C.A.L.E.A. accreditation becoming the only S.O. in Kansas to do so. It is the result of a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation process that measures an agency's performance against standards for professionalism, accountability and service delivery.

Sheriff's Office Report

Geary County 4-H Club Day will be held Saturday, February 14th&nbsp;at the First Presbyterian Church in Junction City.&nbsp; Events will begin at 8:00am and are scheduled to be completed with an awards ceremony around 10:40am.&nbsp; 4-H members will be presenting speeches, music numbers, drama programs, dance routines, and parliamentary procedure demonstrations.&nbsp; Members will also be able to participate in photography and family and consumer sciences judging contests throughout the morning.

The public is welcome to attend this event and show your support of the youth in Geary County 4-H.&nbsp; If you have questions, please contact Ginger Kopfer at the Geary County K-State Research and Extension Office at 785-238-4161.

4-H Club Day will be Saturday

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that the Manhattan Housing Authority in Manhattan, Kansas has been placed under HUD Monitorship after being formally declared in Substantial Default for failing to comply with the terms of its federally-mandated Recovery Agreement, according to a media release from HUD.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PA/documents/KS063-Substantial-Default-Letter.pdf">Click here</a>&nbsp;to read the full letter notifying Manhattan Housing Authority.

This action reflects Secretary Scott Turner’s commitment to staunchly enforcing accountability across the public housing system and ensuring that federal housing dollars are managed prudently and in the best interests of the American people.

“HUD is restoring accountability to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) nationwide,”&nbsp;said Deputy Secretary Andrew Hughes. “Gone are the days where mismanagement, waste, and dysfunction are acceptable. HUD will use this opportunity to restore trust with tenants of the Manhattan Housing Authority, offering the stability needed to succeed.”

HUD determined that the Manhattan Housing Authority repeatedly failed to correct identified deficiencies despite clear notice, extensive technical assistance, and multiple opportunities to achieve compliance. Based on these findings of noncompliance, HUD exercised its statutory authority to impose Monitorship and require direct federal oversight of the Housing Authority’s operations.

Feds place Manhattan Housing Authority under federal monitorship following default declaration

TOPEKA, KS —&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has launched a new&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.kdhe.ks.gov%2F1508%2FTravel-Health%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/0100019c4318bcb6-f601b292-46cf-49a3-85ba-85445102d085-000000/sTGs7rrfv0GwWPFNaZ_7XHyT4TSHQETWeZBp2zIaWEY=443">Travel &amp; Health webpage</a>&nbsp;to provide healthcare and public health partners with educational and clinical resources ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026TM. This highly anticipated event is expected to bring increased domestic and international travel to the Kansas City metro area.

Higher travel volumes and mass gatherings increase the potential for the spread of infectious diseases, including conditions rarely seen in Kansas. Healthcare providers are encouraged to routinely “Think Travel History” when evaluating patients.

“With the World Cup approaching, early recognition starts with asking about travel,”&nbsp;KDHE Deputy Secretary for Public Health Ashley Goss said.&nbsp;“This new webpage gives providers a central resource to quickly access guidance and stay prepared for travel-related disease risks.”

The new Travel &amp; Health webpage includes:

In the upcoming weeks, new resources will continue to be added. These will include additional training webinars, a clinical support dashboard which will allow clinicians to search for outbreaks and endemic diseases by country, and a Kansas specific dashboard which will track emergency department visits and wastewater surveillance data.

KDHE launches Travel & Health webpage ahead of FIFA World Cup 

NEW YORK (AP) — James Van Der Beek, a heartthrob who starred in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/television">coming-of-age dramas</a>&nbsp;at the dawn of the new millennium, shooting to fame playing the titular character in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/michelle-williams-comments-on-james-van-der-beeks-cancer-diagnosis-e444132cc5154efa973fba7251e04139">“Dawson’s Creek”</a>&nbsp;and in later years mocking his own hunky persona, has died. He was 48.

“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come,” a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/vanderjames/p/DUoR_x4EkTm/">statement from the actor's family</a>&nbsp;that was posted on Instagram said. “For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”

Van Der Beek revealed in 2024 that he was being treated for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cancer-breast-colon-early-onset-obesity-b0cab8f95dea65f15fa099132f16f8d6">colorectal cancer.</a>

Van Der Beek made a surprise video appearance in September at a “Dawson's Creek” reunion charity event in New York City after previously dropping out due to illness.

He appeared projected onstage at the Richard Rodgers Theatre during a live reading of the show’s pilot episode to benefit F Cancer and Van Der Beek. Lin-Manuel Miranda subbed for him on stage. "Thank you to every single person here,” Van Der Beek said.

A one-time theater kid, Van Der Beek would star in the movie “Varsity Blues” and on TV in “CSI: Cyber” as FBI Special Agent Elijah Mundo, but was forever connected to “Dawson’s Creek,” which ran from 1998 to 2003 on The WB.

The series followed a high school group of friends as they learned about falling in love, creating real friendships and finding their footing in life. Van Der Beek, than 20, played 15-year-old Dawson Leery, who aspired to be a director of Steven Spielberg quality.

“Dawson’s Creek,” with the moody theme song Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want To Wait,” helped define The WB as a haven for teens and young adults who related to its hyper-articulate dialogue and frank talk about sexuality. And it made household names of Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams.

The show caused a stir when one of the teens embarked on a racy affair with a teacher 20 years his senior and when Holmes' character climbs through Dawson's bedroom window and they curl up together. Racier shows like “Euphoria” and “Sex Education” owe a debt to “Dawson's Creek.”

Van Der Beek sometimes struggled to get out from under the shadow of the show but eventually leaned into lampooning himself, like on Funny Or Die videos and on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFWX0hWCbng">Kesha's “Blow” music video,</a>&nbsp;which included his laser gun battle with the pop star in a nightclub and dead unicorns.

“It’s tough to compete with something that was the cultural phenomenon that ‘Dawson’s Creek’ was,” he told Vulture in 2013. “It ran for so long. That’s a lot of hours playing one character in front of people. So it’s natural that they associate you with that.”

More than a decade after the show went off the air, a scene at the end of the show’s third season became a GIF. Dawson was watching as his soul mate embarks on a love affair with his best friend and burst into tears.

“It wasn’t scripted that I was supposed to cry; it was just one of those things where it’s a magical moment and it just happens in the scene,” he told Vanity Fair. He seemed exasperated when he told the Los Angeles Times: “All of a sudden, six years of work was boiled down to one seven-second clip on loop.” (Van Der Beek himself recreated the GIF in 2011 for Funny or Die and gave it a second life.)

While still on “Dawson’s Creek,” Van Der Beek hosted “Saturday Night Live” — the musical guest was Everlast — and landed a plumb role in “Varsity Blues,” playing a second-string high school quarterback who leaps into the breach when the star suffers an injury.

Van Der Beek’s character, Mox, turns out to not be a football fanatic, preferring to read Kurt Vonnegut and yearning for the college education which will allow him to escape the jock mentality of his Texas town. “I don’t want your life,” he screams at one point. Critic Roger Ebert called him “convincing and likable.”

Some of his projects after “Dawson’s Creek” include co-creating and playing Wesley “Diplo” Pentz, a dull but likable music producer in the mockumentary satire on Viceland, “What Would Diplo Do?” In 2019, he made it to the semifinals of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and played a balding, out-of-shape ex-boyfriend on “How I Met Your Mother.”

“The more you make fun of yourself and don’t try to go for any kind of respect, the more people seem to respect you,” he told Vanity Fair in 2011. “I’ve always been a clown trapped in a leading man’s body.”

Between 2003 and 2013, he made appearances in shows like “Criminal Minds,” “One Tree Hill,” and “How I Met Your Mother.” He played himself with a crackpot intensity in the Krysten Ritter-led ABC drama “Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23,” and the short-lived “CSI” spinoff “CSI: Cyber” and CBS’ “Friends With Better Lives.”

He’s also appeared in a number of movies, such as Kevin Smith’s 2001 comedy “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” and its 2019 sequel, “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.” He also was in the Bret Easton Ellis adaptation of “The Rules of Attraction” in 2002 opposite Jessica Biel and Kate Bosworth.

In 2025, he was unmasked as Griffin on “The Masked Singer,” after singing a cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen.

Van Der Beek, who was raised in Cheshire, Connecticut, started acting at 13 after suffering a concussion playing football that prevented him from playing for a year on doctor’s orders. He landed the role of Danny Zuko in his school production of “Grease.”

He stuck with theater, landing at 16 in 1994 an off-Broadway role in “Finding the Sun” by Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Albee and one of the sons in a revival of “Shenandoah” at the prestigious Goodspeed Opera House in his home state.

He earned a scholarship to New Jersey’s Drew University but left school early when he got “Dawson’s Creek.” In 2024, he returned to campus to accept an honorary degree for his “selfless service and exemplary commitment to the mission of Drew,” the university said.

Drew University President Hilary Link welcomed Van Der Beek with a popular quote from his “Dawson’s Creek” character: “Edge is fleeting,” she said, “but heart lasts forever. So on this morning, we pay tribute to that heart.”

He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and six children, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.

'Dawson's Creek' star, who mocked his own hunky persona, has died at 48

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 — CoreCivic argued Tuesday for the right to begin holding prisoners in its closed Leavenworth facility, even as the company is working through a local permit process that could make the court case irrelevant.

CoreCivic challenged an injunction in the Kansas Court of Appeals that was made last year by the Leavenworth County District Court. The injunction kept the private prison from taking detainees from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while CoreCivic and the City of Leavenworth fought in court about reopening the company’s prison facility.

Complicating the issue, the two are now working through the city’s planning process as CoreCivic has applied for a special use permit that would allow it to reopen.&nbsp;

“This is a difficult case because it feels like there are all of these slippery parts that are not part of the matter before us,” said Chief Judge Sarah Warner. “There’s a separate lawsuit. There are ongoing administrative proceedings.”&nbsp;

CoreCivic operated a private prison in Leavenworth until 2021 when it lost a contract with the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2025, the company announced it planned to reopen the prison as the Midwest Regional Detention Center and house ICE detainees.&nbsp;

The city required CoreCivic to obtain a special use permit through its planning and zoning process before reopening, which is where the court cases originated last year. The two entities have been fighting it out in court, with CoreCivic insisting it did not need a permit.&nbsp;

After losses in Kansas district court, CoreCivic bowed to the city’s demands and began the process of obtaining the permit. Last week, the city’s planning commission&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/03/corecivic-receives-leavenworth-planning-commission-approval-in-contentious-meeting/" target="_blank">approved the permit</a>&nbsp;and sent it to the city commission for a final determination.&nbsp;

Although one court case between the two ended and one remains open but inactive, the Nashville-based private prison company continued its appeal Tuesday to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/04/leavenworth-wins-restraining-order-barring-corecivic-from-taking-ice-detainees/" target="_blank">argue the injunction prohibiting</a>&nbsp;it from taking prisoners immediately should be reversed.

Sara Fevurly, an attorney for CoreCivic, said the district court didn’t properly grant the injunction, and even if the decision were rendered moot after the permit was approved, the company may be entitled to fees and damages associated with an improper temporary injunction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the short hearing focused on legal technicalities of the case, both sides argued about the definition of “irreparable harm” and whether CoreCivic abandoned use of its property because it did not house prisoners there for about three years.&nbsp;

Joseph Hatley, an attorney for Leavenworth, told the court it was difficult to determine what “irreparable harm” would mean for the city, listing challenges the city had with CoreCivic during its operations before 2021. Those included not alerting local police to crimes at the facility and public works issues created by sewage.&nbsp;

Fevurly argued that past behavior cannot be used to determine harm.&nbsp;

“I don’t know how you calculate damages based on the police inability to investigate crimes,” Hatley said. “There are people who get hurt by that, there are victims in the facility who are hurt by that. Irreparable harm is the inability to calculate damages, and that’s what we have here.”

Warner said the judges would render a written opinion as soon as they could.&nbsp;

CoreCivic will know by March 10 whether the city will approve its special use permit to reopen the prison, Hatley said after the hearing. That will be the city commission’s second consideration of the permit, with the first consideration occurring Feb. 24. A public hearing is held as part of the process.&nbsp;

David Waters, the Leavenworth city attorney, said after the hearing that the public’s input is “certainly” part of determining whether the permit goes through.&nbsp;

“That is why we hold a public hearing,” he said. “The planning commission holds that public hearing to get the citizen input on that. It’s one of the most important parts of the zoning and planning process is to get that input from the residents as to what is best for the public health and safety and welfare of the community.”

Waters said CoreCivic has the option to appeal to the district court if the city commission refuses to grant the permit.

CoreCivic argues to overturn injunction keeping it from housing ICE detainees in Kansas prison

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas teen who admitted his role in a deadly drive-by shooting will learn his fate Wednesday.

Elias Cerda, 15,&nbsp; will appear in Judge Christopher Magana's courtroom for a sentencing hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In November, Cerda, who was charged as an adult, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, second degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery, according to the district attorney's office.

In January 2024, police responded to reports of shots being fired in the area of 5200 E Kensington in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Around the same time, officers were dispatched to an area hospital for the report of two walk-in shooting victims later identified as 14-year-old Emoni Shears and 19-year-old Jhiquez Roberts both of Wichita. They were later pronounced deceased at the hospital.

Detectives and patrol officers immediately began investigating this case and following up on leads. Police arrested Cerda, who was 14 at the time. He was booked into the Sedgwick County jail on November 27, according to online jail records.&nbsp;

Sentencing day for Kansas boy in drive-by double-murder

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Mexican cartel drone incursion prompted an hourslong closure of airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas that was lifted on Wednesday morning, the Trump administration said.

Just hours earlier, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-aviation-administration">Federal Aviation Administration</a>&nbsp;had announced a 10-day closure grounding all flights to and from the airport.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X that the FAA and the Defense Department “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.” He said normal flights were resuming Wednesday morning, but did not say how many drones were involved or what specifically was done to disable them.

The shutdown “for special security reasons” had been expected to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office referred questions to the FAA.

Steven Willoughby, the deputy director of the counter-drone program at the Department of Homeland Security, told lawmakers in July that nearly every day cartels are using drones to try to bring drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border and surveil Border Patrol agents.

More than 27,000 drones were detected within 500 meters (1,600 feet) of the southern border in the last six months of 2024, he testified, most flying late at night. Homeland Security has said agents have seized thousands of pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other drugs in recent years that cartels were trying to fly across the border using drones.

Mexican officials head to Washington following shutdown

El Paso,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-texas-migrants-a378073ed4e565570b4d4aa20f3a9ff8">a border city</a>&nbsp;with a population of nearly 700,000 people and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is hub of cross-border commerce alongside the neighboring city of Ciudad Juárez in Mexico. The brief closure did not include Mexican airspace.

Ciudad Juárez is home to about 1.5 million people, and some of its residents are accustomed to taking advantage of facilities including airports on both sides of the border. That easy access to the U.S. has also made Juarez, like other border cities, attractive to Mexico’s drug cartels that seek control in order to safeguard their smuggling routes for drugs and migrants headed north and cash and guns moving to the south.

The airport said in an Instagram post after the closure was announced that all flights to and from the airport would be grounded through late on Feb. 20, including commercial, cargo and general aviation flights. Local newscasts showed stranded travelers with luggage lining up at airline ticket counters and car rental desks at the El Paso airport hours after flights were grounded. The airport posted Wednesday morning that its operations had resumed and encouraged travelers to contact their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information.

Mexican defense and navy secretaries will meet with Northern Command officials in Washington on Wednesday in a meeting attended by several other countries, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during a news conference. Sheinbaum said the Mexican officials would “listen” in the meeting.

Sheinbaum said her government was going to look into “the exact causes” of the closure. Asked about the explanation given by U.S. officials, she said she had “no information about the use of drones on the border.” She noted that if U.S. authorities have more information they should contact Mexico’s government.

‘The information ... does not add up’

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, had urged the FAA to lift the restrictions in a statement Wednesday morning, saying neither her office, the city of El Paso nor airport operations received advance notice.

“I believe the FAA owes the community and the country an explanation as to why this happened so suddenly and abruptly and was lifted so suddenly and abruptly.” Escobar said during a news conference Wednesday morning.

“The information coming from the federal government does not add up,” Escobar said.

Escobar later said she believed the shutdown was not based on Mexican cartel drones in U.S. airspace, saying that “is not what we in Congress have been told.”

When asked about Escobar’s remarks, Pentagon officials said they didn’t have a comment.

The airport describes itself as the gateway to west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico. Southwest, United, American and Delta all operate flights there, among others.

A similar 10-day temporary flight restriction for special security reasons remained in place Wednesday morning around Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of the El Paso airport. FAA officials did not immediately explain why that restriction remained in place.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, a Democrat, said in a statement: “Keeping our communities informed and safe is critical. I’m demanding answers from the FAA and the administration about why the airspace was closed in the first place without notifying appropriate officials, leaving travelers to deal with unnecessary chaos.”

Associated Press reporters Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Mike Balsamo and Konstantin Toropin in Washington; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; and María Verza in Mexico City contributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-aviation-administration">Federal Aviation Administration</a>&nbsp;reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas on Wednesday morning, just hours after it announced a 10-day closure that would have grounded all flights to and from the airport.

The FAA said in a social media post that it has lifted the temporary closure of the airspace over El Paso, saying there was no threat to commercial aviation and that all flights will resume.

A Trump administration official told The Associated Press that the airspace over El Paso was closed after Mexican cartel drones breached the airspace, but that the Defense Department took action to disable the drones.

Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Defense Department have determined there is no threat to commercial travel, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a national security issue.

The official did not say how many drones were involved or what specifically was done to disable them.

The shutdown announced just hours earlier “for special security reasons” had been expected to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area.

El Paso,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-texas-migrants-a378073ed4e565570b4d4aa20f3a9ff8">a border city</a>&nbsp;with a population of nearly 700,000 people and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is hub of cross-border commerce alongside the neighboring city of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. The brief closure does not include Mexican airspace.

The airport said in an Instagram post after the closure was announced that all flights to and from the airport would be grounded from late Tuesday through late on Feb. 20, including commercial, cargo and general aviation flights. It suggested travelers contact their airlines to get up-to-date flight information.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, had urged the FAA to lift the restrictions in a statement Wednesday morning. There was no advance notice given to her office, the city of El Paso or airport operations, she said.

“The highly consequential decision by FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community,” Escobar said. “From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.”

A similar temporary flight restriction for special security reasons over the same time period was imposed around Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of the El Paso airport.

Southwest Airlines said in a statement that it has paused all operations to and from El Paso at the direction of the FAA.

“We have notified affected customers and will share additional information as it becomes available,” Southwest Airlines said. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees.”

EL PASO, Texas (AP) —The Federal Aviation Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-el-paso-texas-air-space-closed-1f774bdfd46f5986ff0e7003df709caa" target="_blank">reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport</a>&nbsp;in Texas on Wednesday morning, just hours after it announced a 10-day closure that would have grounded all flights to and from the airport.

The FAA announced in a social media post that it has lifted the temporary closure of the airspace over El Paso, saying that there was no threat to commercial aviation and all flights would resume.

The shutdown was expected to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-texas-migrants-a378073ed4e565570b4d4aa20f3a9ff8">a border city</a>&nbsp;with a population of nearly 700,000 and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is a hub of cross-border commerce alongside the neighboring city Ciudad Juárez in Mexico.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-aviation-administration">Federal Aviation Administration</a>&nbsp;is closing the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days, grounding all flights to and from the airport.

A notice posted on the FAA's website said the temporary flight restrictions were for “special security reasons,” but did not provide additional details. The closure does not include Mexican airspace.

The airport said in an Instagram post that all flights to and from the airport would be grounded from late Tuesday through late on Feb. 20, including commercial, cargo and general aviation flights. It suggested travelers contact their airlines to get up-to-date flight information.

The shutdown is likely to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-texas-migrants-a378073ed4e565570b4d4aa20f3a9ff8">a border city</a>&nbsp;with a population of nearly 700,000 and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is hub of cross-border commerce alongside neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, urged the FAA to lift the restrictions in a statement Wednesday morning. There was no advance notice given to her office, the city of El Paso or airport operations, she said.

New details on why FAA closed airspace round El Paso 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Parents who owe a significant amount of child support soon could lose their ability to travel internationally as the Trump administration expands and steps up enforcement of a 30-year-old law that allows the federal government to revoke American passports until payments are made, three U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

While passport revocations for unpaid child support of more than $2,500 have been permitted under 1996 federal legislation, the State Department had in the past acted only when someone applied to renew their travel document or sought other consular services. In other words, enforcement depended on the person approaching the department for assistance.

Starting soon, however, the department will begin to revoke passports on its own initiative based on data shared with it by the Health and Human Services Department, according to the U.S. officials familiar with the plan. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the change has not yet been publicly announced.

The number of people who could be affected was not immediately clear, but it is believed to be in the thousands. Because of the potentially large universe of those owing child support who currently hold passports, the State Department will make the change in tiers, the officials said.

The first group to be affected will be passport holders who owe more than $100,000 in past-due child support, the officials said. One of the officials said fewer than 500 people meet that threshold and could avoid having their passport revoked if they enter into a payment plan with HHS after being notified of the pending revocation.

The official acknowledged, though, that if and when the threshold is lowered to a smaller past-due amount, the number of those affected will rise significantly. The official could not say when any further changes would take effect or estimate how many people might then lose their passports.

In an emailed response to the AP’s queries about the change, the State Department said it “is reviewing options to enforce long-standing law to prevent those owing substantial amounts of child support from neglecting their legal and moral obligations to their children.” It added: “It is simple: deadbeat parents need to pay their child support arrears.”

Since the Passport Denial Program began with the 1996 passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, the initiative has taken in nearly $621 million in past-due child support payments, with nine collections of more than $300,000, according to the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS did not respond to questions about how many people are in arrears.

US to expand passport revocations for parents who owe child support

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

At 9:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of E. Armour Blvd. in Kansas City, Missouri, on a sound of shots call, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.

Multiple callers reported the sound of gunfire from behind an apartment building there. On arrival officers were directed to a parking lot in the back of an apartment building where they located a vehicle with two shooting victims, a man and woman, unresponsive inside.&nbsp;

Officers called for EMS who declared both victims deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Homicide detectives responded to the scene to conduct their investigation along with crime scene investigators who are processing the scene for available evidence.&nbsp; Police did not release any suspect information or the names of the victims.

Homicide: Man, woman found dead in car behind KC apartment building

RIO RICO, Ariz. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-b765fed6b9669441383b75860263ac99">Fresh surveillance images</a>&nbsp;from Nancy Guthrie’s porch the night she went missing, coupled with intense police activity across Arizona and the detention of a man raised hopes that authorities were nearing a major break.

By Wednesday, however, it was unclear where the investigation stood into last week’s disappearance of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>.

Just hours after the FBI released videos Tuesday of a person wearing a gun holster, ski mask and a backpack and approaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">Nancy Guthrie's home</a>&nbsp;in Tucson, authorities announced they had stopped a man near the U.S.-Mexico border for questioning.

The man, though, told several media outlets early Wednesday that he was released after several hours and had nothing to do with Guthrie's disappearance last week.

Authorities have not said what led them to stop the man and had not confirmed he was released. The sheriff's department said its deputies and FBI agents also searched a location Tuesday night in Rio Rico, a city south of Tucson where the man lives.

It was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-534c68bfb666ab8e08123f130f937c2d">the latest twist</a>&nbsp;in an investigation that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-534c68bfb666ab8e08123f130f937c2d">gripped the nation</a>&nbsp;since Nancy Guthrie disappeared on Feb. 1. Until Tuesday, it seemed authorities were making little headway in determining what happened to her or finding who was responsible.

The black and white images released by the FBI showing a masked person trying to cover a doorbell camera on Guthrie’s porch marked the first significant break in the case.

The videos — less than a combined minute in length — gave investigators and the public their first glimpse of who was outside Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson. But the images did not show&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">what happened to her</a>&nbsp;or help determine whether she is still alive.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-nest-camera-footage-kidnapper-bd5f1d886543e23f2d105535031c9445">videos were pulled</a>&nbsp;from data on “back-end systems” after investigators spent days trying to find lost, corrupted or inaccessible images.

Even though the images do not show the person's face, investigators are hopeful someone will know who was on the porch that night.

“Even when you have a person who appears to be completely covered, they’re really not. You can see their girth, the shape of their face, potentially their eyes or mouth,” said former FBI agent Katherine Schweit.

Authorities were back near Guthrie’s neighborhood on Tuesday, using vehicles to block her driveway. A few miles away, law enforcement was going door-to-door in the area where daughter Annie Guthrie lives, talking with neighbors as well as walking through a drainage area and examining the inside of a culvert with a flashlight.

Investigators have said for more than a week that they believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>. She was last seen at home Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day. DNA tests showed blood on her porch was hers, authorities said.

Savannah Guthrie posted the new surveillance images on social media Tuesday, saying the family believes their mother is still alive and offering phone numbers for the FBI and county sheriff.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/today-savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-2c0512333cfaa6cdb01a82d1992160b2">The longtime anchor</a>&nbsp;of NBC’s morning show and her two siblings have released a series of video statements pleading for the return of their mother and indicating a willingness to pay a ransom.

It is not known whether ransom notes demanding money with deadlines that have already passed were authentic, and whether the family has had any contact with whoever took Guthrie.

Authorities have described Nancy Guthrie as mentally sound but with limited mobility. She takes several medications and there was concern from the start that she could die without them, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said repeatedly.

RIO RICO, Ariz. (AP) — A person was detained for questioning Tuesday in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, hours after the FBI released surveillance videos of a masked person wearing a handgun holster outside Guthrie’s front door the night she vanished from her Arizona home.

Deputies detained the person during a traffic stop south of Tucson, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. It did not immediately provide details about the person or the location. The FBI referred questions to the sheriff’s office.

A Phoenix, Arizona, television station, KNXV-TV, interviewed a delivery man who said he had been detained by police on suspicions of kidnapping Guthrie. He said he was innocent and that police released him after several hours. Local and federal authorities have not confirmed that the person who they had detained was released.