MILFORD, KS&nbsp;— The City of Milford, KS and Acorns Resort, in coordination with official data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in Kansas City, MO, are excited to announce a landmark year for North Central Kansas tourism. In 2025, Milford Lake welcomed&nbsp;1,374,209 visitors, officially cementing its status as a top-tier destination in the Sunflower State.

This visitation surge places the state’s largest lake among the elite tier of Kansas outdoor attractions. Outpacing many of the state’s metropolitan cultural icons, Milford Lake’s 1.37 million visitors highlight a growing national trend of travelers seeking high-quality outdoor recreation and "lake life" experiences."

Welcoming 1.37 million people is a massive achievement that underscores the importance of Milford Lake to the local, regional, and state economy," said&nbsp;Mike Harris, Owner of Acorns Resort. "Whether they are here for our fishing, boating, hunting, or hiking the Flint Hills, it is clear that Milford Lake is the heavyweight champion of the Kansas outdoors."

The growth is translating into more than just weekend tourism; it is driving a shift in the regional housing market.

"The impact of Milford Lake’s growth is visible everywhere, even in our housing market," stated&nbsp;Brad Roether, Mayor of the City of Milford. "We are seeing growth across&nbsp;Geary and Clay County&nbsp;because our natural resources, especially the fishing—have turned us into a multi-state regional attraction. People are buying homes here just to be closer to our outdoors; I don’t know if that is good or bad, but it is certainly taking place."

The economic impact of this visitation level is a vital engine for the region, supporting local businesses, infrastructure, and job creation through a massive influx of tourism dollars into North Central Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Milford Lake Achieves "Heavyweight" Status with Over 1.3 Million Visitors in 2025

On Monday, President Trump at a White House ceremony&nbsp;presented the Congressional Medal of Honor to&nbsp;three U.S. Army soldiers for extraordinary valor.

Among the honorees was Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Terry P. Richardson of Fort Riley, who was awarded the nation’s highest military decoration for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War on September 14, 1968. On that day, his courage and decisive leadership under enemy fire saved the lives of 85 fellow soldiers.

🎥Fort Riley’s 39th Medal of Honor recipient recognized at White House

&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly,&nbsp;in accordance with&nbsp;Executive Order #20-30,&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;directed flags&nbsp;be flown at half-staff on all state buildings, grounds, and facilities&nbsp;effective&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;until sundown on the day of interment in honor of Kansas State Representative John Resman.

 He&nbsp;represented&nbsp;Kansas House District&nbsp;121&nbsp;since 2017.&nbsp;

“Representative Resman&nbsp;has a decorated history of serving&nbsp;his community, our state, and our country throughout his time in the Army, Kansas National Guard,&nbsp;the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kansas Legislature,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends&nbsp;during this&nbsp;difficult time.&nbsp;

This flag order will be updated when the date of interment is&nbsp;determined.&nbsp;

Gov. Kelly orders flags to be flown at half-staff

RILEY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 9p.m. Sunday in Riley County.

A 2022 Toyota Camry driven by Pamela Martin, 59, of Blue Rapids, slid on ice and crashed on a bridge&nbsp;on Tuttle Creek Blvd near Randolph, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

EMS transported Martin to Via Christi Hospital. The RCPD released no additional details.

Kansas woman injured after car crash on icy bridge

The Geary County Sheriff's Office said that on Saturday afternoon Deputies responded to I70 W/B MM 308 for a single vehicle injury accident. Maricris M. Solano of Junction City was traveling westbound in a 2014 Infiniti Q Series when it went off the road, striking a tree. 

Solano was transported to Irwin Army Community Hospital due to her injuries.

Sheriff's authorities respond to injury accident

MARION COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Sunday in Marion County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford Mustang driven by Sheldon Edward Cook, 19, Wamego, was northbound on U.S. 77. two miles north of U.S. 50.

The driver lost control of the car while crossing the bridge. The vehicle crossed the center line, struck the west edge of the bridge barrier, bounced off and struck a southbound 2015 Ford Explorer driven by Logan Joseph&nbsp;Wakefield, 29, El Dorado.&nbsp;

EMS transported Cook to&nbsp;St Lukes Hospital. Wakefield and four passengers in the SUV were not injured. All were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas teen hospitalized after car, SUV crash on a bridge

Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Clay-Riley-Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Dickinson-Geary-Morris-Wabaunsee-Shawnee

Including the cities of Maple Hill, Clay Center, Alma, Nortonville, Herington, Blue Rapids, Junction City, Horton, Manhattan, Harveyville, Sabetha, St. Marys, Seneca, Frankfort, Holton, Wamego, McLouth, McFarland, Abilene, Oskaloosa, Hiawatha, Alta Vista, Council Grove, Topeka, Paxico, Grantville, Eskridge, Valley Falls, Marysville, Meriden, and Perry

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST MONDAY...

* WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations up  to one inch and ice accumulations around a light glaze. Portions of central, east central, north central, and  northeast Kansas.

* IMPACTS...Minor snow and ice accumulations could make travel  hazardous. These conditions could impact the Monday morning  commute.

Winter Weather Advisory

The 2026 6A Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) State Wrestling Tournament wrapped up on Saturday in Overland Park. Below are the final results for the Junction City Boys and Girls wrestling teams.&nbsp;

Junction City Girls Wrestling Results

Six Junction City High School Girl wrestlers placed at the 6A State Wrestling Tournament.

-- (115 lbs) Juliana “Bree” Villanueva - STATE CHAMPION (Back-to-back State Champion at 115 lbs, and three-time State Champion overall). Bree won the finals match (9-2). Following the match, she announced her commitment to Fort Hays State University to wrestle.

(130 lbs) Elizabeth Edgerton-Diaz - STATE CHAMPION (Edgerton-Diaz rallied back in the match after falling behind 4-0 early in the match. She secured a takedown with 0:09 seconds left in the third period and won the match 7-6). (She placed sixth at State last year).

Other Placers for Junction City Girls Wrestling

The Lady Jay wrestling team qualified 12 for the state tournament. The girls wrestling team is coached by Carl Laughlin. "Our girls have worked very hard to get here," Coach Laughlin said. "We set our goals early in the season, and our girls found that switch, and turned it on this weekend and did a great job."&nbsp;

Speaking on the performances of the the two state champions, Junction City High School girls head Wrestling Coach Carl Laughlin commended the work ethic and quality of people both Bree Villanueva and Elizabeth Edgerton-Diaz are. "Starting with Bree, nobody in this state realizes how good this kid is," Laughlin said. "She goes 36-0 this season, and only wrestled two full matches all year. This is her fourth state finals appearances and her third state championship. I'm really going to miss Bree."

As for junior Elizabeth Edgerton-Diaz, Laughlin discussed her work ethic and always being active in several different sports. "Liz is so special, and nobody outworks her," Coach Carl Laughlin said. "She comes to wrestling practice and works hard, then goes to another volleyball practice, and is also always lifting weights. She is such a special athlete and has not lost a match since January 2nd.&nbsp; I told Liz I can do that again, I'm going have a heart attack and die on the side of the mat next time," Laughlin said.

"This whole team came together and it's so good to see how they just supported each other," Coach Laughlin said.&nbsp; Junction City finished sixth as a team with 122 points. 

Junction City Boys Wrestling results

For the Junction City High School boys wrestling team, senior Chris Coy, placed 3rd at weight class 215 lbs.

"Chris did an outstanding job for us this weekend," Junction City boys Wrestling Coach Rick Bazan said. "He beat three kids this weekend that he lost to previously. He really wrestled well and beat those three kids that were all ranked ahead of him, so Chris did an outstanding job."&nbsp;

Overall, six wrestlers qualified for the state tournament. Four of the six wrestlers made it into the "blood round". Chris Coy was the only placer.

STATE RESULTS: Villanueva and Edgerton-Diaz win State Titles for JCHS, Coy finished Third for the Boys

The Emporia High Spartans swept the Junction City boys and girls basketball teams on Friday night at Junction City High School inside the Nest.

Girls recap Emporia 36, Junction City 26

In the girls matchup, Junction City senior Kalia Riley made a three-pointer to begin the game, and the Lady Jays jumped out to an early lead. JCHS sophomore Laniyah Warmack then scored the next two baskets, and the Lady Jays trailed 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.

In second-quarter action, not much happened for either side. Junction City sophomore Isabel Pruitt made a three-pointer right before halftime, and the Lady Jays trailed 14-10 at the break.

In the second half, neither team could really get going. Defense was the story of the game. Emporia led 28-17 after the third period and held on to win the game. The final score was 36-26 in favor of the Spartans.

Junction City finished the year at 2-20 and 0-10 in Centennial League play.

All five seniors were honored after the game. They are: Breya Allen, Morgan Nabus, Nevaeh Rushing, Kalia Riley, and Ava Uhlman.

Boys recap - Emporia 71, Junction City 65

In boys action, this one was a stunner. Junction City led for most of the game, but the Spartans pulled through, ending the game on a remarkable run.

Emporia’s Harrison Trelc made the first basket of the game on a mid-range jumper, and the two teams then traded baskets back and forth throughout the rest of the quarter. It featured a game of runs, as Emporia went on a 10-2 run, and the Blue Jays countered with a 12-2 run. At the end of the first quarter, JCHS led 19-16.

In second-quarter action, it was very evenly matched, as neither team scored much and the defenses really settled in. The Blue Jays outscored the Spartans 8-6 in the quarter, and JCHS led 27-22 at halftime.

In third-quarter action, it certainly seemed as if Junction City were cruising. The Blue Jays started the half on a 15-5 run and led by 15 at 42-27. They then led 50-35 before Emporia hit a corner three at the buzzer to end the third period.

The Spartans certainly used the buzzer-beating three to spark them. EHS started the fourth quarter on an 11-4 run and trailed 54-49. Emporia cranked up their defensive press and gave Junction City fits. The Spartans tied the game at 58 with three minutes to go. The two teams went back and forth, neither able to get a stop down the stretch. The game was tied at 65 with one minute to go, and then Emporia hit a huge three to take the lead. EHS made their free throws down the stretch and won the game 71-65, sweeping Junction City on the season.

Emporia improves to 16-7 on the year, while Junction City falls to 12-10.

The Blue Jays honored all three seniors prior to the game: Lovell Autry, Jackson Hollie, and Jett Thompson.

Junction City is the #6 seed in 6A West and will host #11 seed Dodge City on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.

Emporia Spartans sweep Junction City on Senior Night

14 Junction City School Wrestlers advanced to Day 2 of the 6A Kansas State High School Activities (KSHSAA) State Wrestling Tournament. (18 Wrestlers qualified for State.)

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; -- 100 lbs. Khishauna&nbsp; Williams (1-1)

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;-- 110 lbs. Isha Kagoni (1-1)

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; --&nbsp;115 lbs. Juliana “Bre” Villanueva (3-0) - Will Wrestle in Championship Match

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;-- 120 lbs. Kiera Lawton (1-1)

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;--&nbsp;130 lbs. Elizabeth Edgerton-Diaz -&nbsp;(3-0) - Will Wrestle in Championship Match

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;-- 135 lbs. Miracle Simon (1-1)&nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;-- 140 lbs. Elaina Twitty (1-1)

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;-- 170 lbs. Myrah Gutierrez (1-1)

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;-- 190 lbs. Shalina Hicks (2-1) - Will Wrestle in consolation semifinals.&nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;-- 235 lbs. Ka’Ori Herring (1-1)

Two Lady Jay wrestlers eliminated were (145 lbs) Kimaya Celestin, and&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;(155 lbs) Ameris Blackmon.

The Junction City High School Girls Head Wrestling Coach is Carl Laughlin.&nbsp;

&nbsp;-- 113 lbs. Riley Luckenbill (1-1)&nbsp;

-- 215 lbs. Chris Coy (2-1) -&nbsp;Will Wrestle in consolation semifinals. 

Two Blue Jay wrestlers eliminated were (126 lbs.) Jayden Melton, and               (165 lbs.) Cody Owens.

The Junction City High School Boys Head Wrestling Coach is Rick Bazan.

Wrestling begins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Updates after each round can be heard on 107.9 FM / 1420 AM KJCK Radio.&nbsp;

14 Blue Jay Wrestlers Advance to Day 2 at 6A State Wrestling

Geary County Historical Society&nbsp; Executive Director

The Geary County Historical Society is preparing for a busy spring season starting this weekend with the debut of SMOOCH, a 1980s murder mystery which will be held the last weekend of February and the first weekend of March.&nbsp; Only five tickets remain for the March 6th&nbsp;show. All other shows are sold out.&nbsp; 

Tickets can be purchased at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://gchs1980murdermystery.eventbrite.com/">http://GCHS1980murdermystery.eventbrite.com</a>

<a target="_blank" href="http://gchs1980murdermystery.eventbrite.com/"></a>Other upcoming spring events at the Geary County Historical Society and their historic sites include:&nbsp;

March 21st, 1:00pm-3:30pm: Join the Geary County Historical Society for a history experience all about life on the homefront during World War II. Identify airplane shadows, test your rationing skills, taste war-ration cake, and interact with real World War I and World War II era artifacts. The On the Homefront history experience is sponsored by the United Way Junction City Geary Couty and is a free come-and-go style event.&nbsp;

March 28th, 3:00pm: Memories at the Museum is returning and the focus is all about family farms. The Historical Society invites anyone with memories of a Geary County family farm or ranch to join us for this round-table discussion. Conversations will be recorded so that important local history will be preserved for future generations. Your history is Geary County history.

April 1st, 10am—Hands on History Homeschool Class will focus on pioneer living. More information coming soon. RSVPS are required. Contact Kim at gearyhistoryprograms@gmail.com&nbsp; to RSVP.&nbsp;

April 17th&nbsp;&amp; April 18th: History Alive! is returning to Spring Valley Historic Site. Travel back in time, to experience life in the past and learn a skill lost to time with knowledgeable living historians from across the Midwest. History isn’t just taught here, it comes ALIVE here. History Alive! Reenactment Weekend is held each April at the Spring Valley Historic Site, located west of Junction City. 

Friday, April 17th is an all-schools day for Middle and High School students. Teachers interested in scheduling a field trip, should contact Kim at gearyhistoryprograms@gmail.com. 

Saturday, April 18th, Spring Valley Site will be open to visitors from 10am-4pm. More information to come. 

May 9th, 1:00-3:30pm: On May 8, 1886 (140 years ago), Coca Cola was invented. In 1916 (110 years ago), the Deppish family began to bottle the beverage in their Junction City bottling plant. Now the Historical Society is celebrating the history of Coca Cola with a 1950s themed day of drink samples, activities and historic fun.&nbsp;

The Geary County Historical Society museum, located at 530 N. Adams, will also maintain regular hours, open to the public from 1:00-4:00pm, Tuesday-Saturday. Visits to the museum are free to the public, but donations are accepted.&nbsp;

Geary County Historical Society prepares for spring season

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal pedestrian accident in Cowley County have released the name of the victim as Kasey Joe Barclay, 32, formerly of Ponca City, Oklahoma, according to Cowley County Undersheriff Christina McDonald.

Just before 7:30p.m. Saturday, the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to an injury accident involving a vehicle versus a pedestrian on US 77 Highway at 242nd Road, according to Undersheriff Christina McDonald.

&nbsp;Deputies determined that a silver Nissan Rogue driven by&nbsp;Stacy Gisick, 62, of Wichita, was&nbsp;northbound on US 77 and struck Barclay who was walking in the roadway. Barclay sustained critical injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Gisick remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sheriff IDs woman who died after struck by SUV in Kansas

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The war in the Middle East spiraled further Monday as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/iran-us-israel-hezbollah-strikes-03-02-2026">Israel and the United States pounded</a>&nbsp;Iran in a campaign that U.S. President Donald Trump said would likely take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-israel-war-where-things-stand-e3c003aef4479cd179967a63bb1236f4">several weeks</a>. Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, Gulf states and targets critical to the world’s energy production.

The intensity of the attacks, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>, and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-dubai-emirates-tourism-attack-b256f514b290c987b3004cc87744f038">Safe havens in the Mideast</a>&nbsp;like Dubai have seen incoming fire; hundreds of thousands of airline passengers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-travel-airlines-mideast-flights-93f2559eb57f05989fb1de8fda7f21ec">are stranded around the globe</a>; oil prices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-prices-iran-us-hormuz-tanker-8a6d6fb35c89d9b0db4c4846f290c2c3">shot up</a>; and U.S. allies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-reactions-03-01-2026-961f288c645f6cbc7fa9d63e0502df36">pledged to help</a>&nbsp;stop Iranian missiles and drones.

With no sign of the conflict abating anytime soon, Trump said operations are likely to last four to five weeks but that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”

He said U.S. forces were determined to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, wipe out its naval capacity, stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensure that Iran cannot continue to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-proxies-us-israel-hezbollah-war-b0f919b657bb33c464f6d943d7142464">support allied groups</a>&nbsp;like Lebanon's Hezbollah, which fired missiles at Israel, drawing retaliatory airstrikes.

"This was our last, best chance to strike -- what we’re doing right now -- and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Trump said.

The chaos of the conflict became apparent when the U.S. military said Kuwait had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-jets-downed-kuwait-friendly-fire-iran-f15-1151e092db4597e93e83c04f3b44bddc">“mistakenly shot down”</a>&nbsp;three American F-15E Strike Eagles while Iran was attacking with aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones. U.S. Central Command said all six pilots ejected safely and are in stable condition.

As several airstrikes hit Iran’s capital of Tehran, the top security official Ali Larijani vowed on X: “We will not negotiate with the United States.”

The death toll grew on all sides. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that the U.S.-Israeli operation has killed at least 555 people. In Israel, where several locations were hit by Iranian missiles, 11 people were killed. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group also targeted Israel, which responded with strikes on Lebanon, killing more than two dozen people. Meanwhile, four American troops have been killed, and three people were reported killed in the United Arab Emirates and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iran expands attacks to regional oil infrastructure

With world markets already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-oil-gold-iran-trump-25fd9bfa1b20549a6cbbdee61b2ea05f">rattled by the fighting</a>, QatarEnergy said it would stop its production of liquefied natural gas, taking one of the world’s top suppliers off the market. It offered no timeline for restoring its production. European natural gas prices surged by 40% in response.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery came under attack from drones, with defenses downing the incoming aircraft, a military spokesman told the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The refinery has a capacity of over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.

Several ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-strait-hormuz-us-protests-persian-gulf-db7159d715453977279ab9cfd918e6e4">a fifth of all oil trade passes</a>&nbsp;and where Iran has threatened attacks.

The Gulf state of Qatar said its air force had shot down two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bombers.

“The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran’s sights,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft. “An extended period of uncertainty lies ahead.”

The region is also a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-travel-airlines-mideast-flights-93f2559eb57f05989fb1de8fda7f21ec">hub for air travel</a>, and passengers have been stranded around the world as carriers based in the Gulf grounded flights. Long-haul carriers Etihad and Emirates restarted limited flights Monday.

Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters that airstrikes targeted the Natanz nuclear enrichment site on Sunday.

“Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie,” he said.

Israel and the U.S. have not acknowledged strikes at the site, which the U.S. bombed in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June. Israel has said that it is targeting the “leadership and nuclear infrastructure.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-enrichment-c0079c38746a896e2967a9a9cc2799d5">Iran has said it has not enriched uranium since June</a>, though it has maintained its right to do so while saying its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

Hezbollah fires on Israel, prompting massive response

Hezbollah said it fired missiles on Israel early Monday in response to Khamenei’s killing and “repeated Israeli aggressions.” It was the first time in more than a year that the militant group has claimed an attack.

There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Israel retaliated with strikes on Lebanon, killing at least 31 people and wounding 149 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Associated Press journalists in Beirut were jolted awake by loud explosions that shook buildings and shattered windows.

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israeli army chief of staff, said the military would not end its offensive against Hezbollah “before the threat from Lebanon is eliminated.”

An Israeli airstrike in the Lebanese capital heavily damaged a building, as the military said it targeted a senior Hezbollah official.

In Iraq, the Iran-allied militia Saraya Awliya al-Dam claimed a drone attack Monday targeting U.S. troops at the airport in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. It claimed another drone attack on Sunday against a U.S. air base in Iraq’s north.

No end in sight to the US-Israeli campaign

The U.S. military said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-b2-bombers-missouri-446725660815e45bb1b9a787a324e71f">B-2 stealth bombers</a>&nbsp;struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Trump said on social media on Sunday that nine Iranian warships had been sunk and that the Iranian navy’s headquarters was “largely destroyed.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the U.S. is not engaged in a nation-building effort in Iran, and there is a clear mission. “This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Hegseth said.

It’s not completely clear what the U.S. objectives are. In announcing the initial strikes, Trump referred to the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. But he also listed various grievances dating back to Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and urged Iranians to “take over” their government.

There have been no signs yet of any such uprising.

Trump, however, has also signaled he would be open to dialogue with Iran's new leadership —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-war-khamenei-successor-supreme-leader-f7b8be4a356b449b591492ff9d57661c">which could be chosen soon</a>.

In an indication that the conflict could draw in other nations, Britain, France and Germany said Sunday they were ready to work with the U.S. to help stop Iran’s attacks.

Tehran’s streets have been largely deserted with people sheltering during airstrikes.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-577c596775fb9a78d78107004d29d0f9">The paramilitary Basij</a>&nbsp;force, which has played a central role in crushing recent nationwide protests, set up checkpoints across the city, witnesses said.

In the northern Iranian city of Babol, a student, speaking anonymously over concerns of retribution, told the AP that armed riot police were on the streets Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday after the death of Khamenei.

“We don’t know whether to be happy about the elimination of the criminals who oppress us or to remain silent in the face of the U.S. and Israel’s war against the country and its interests and the terror that is taking place,” he said.

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

🎥President Trump updates timeline of Iran campaign 

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City, Missouri woman pleaded guilty to attempted bank fraud last week for altering and depositing stolen checks into her bank account. At the time of the fraud, she was employed by the United States Postal Service, according to the United State's Attorney.

Shawneasha L. Watson, 30, participated in a scheme to defraud a credit union by allowing the use of her account to deposit stolen checks. She provided both her debit card and her PIN to another individual to facilitate the deposit. In June 2023, the individual deposited checks that had been altered to show her name in the payee line and were endorsed with a signature bearing her name. The credit union flagged the deposits as fraudulent and froze the account before any withdrawals or transfers could be made. The victims all stated they had placed these checks into United States Postal Service blue collection boxes for mailing. The checks were originally intended to pay various bills including one intended for medical expenses and another for a monthly mortgage payment.

Investigators also discovered that Watson obtained a Pandemic Paycheck Protection loan under false pretenses in 2021 in the amount of $20,832.50. The loan application stated she was the sole proprietor of a men’s clothing business, and she needed the money to cover her payroll expenses. She later admitted that was false and she spent the money on herself. That loan was ultimately forgiven by the Small Business Administration.

Under federal statutes, Watson is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Former KC postal worker admits to stolen checks fraud scheme 

The Kansas State Fair announced rising country music star Russell Dickerson as the latest addition to its 2026 grandstand concert lineup.

Dickerson is scheduled to perform Friday, Sept. 18, at the Kansas Star Casino Grandstand in Hutchinson. Fair officials said they are still working to secure an opening act.

Dickerson, known for hits including “Yours,” “Every Little Thing,” “Love You Like I Used To” and “God Gave Me a Girl,” has emerged as one of country music’s fast-rising performers. He is preparing to launch a European tour this spring, with stops in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz said the booking reflects an effort to blend established favorites with newer artists gaining national and international attention.

Tickets for the Sept. 18 concert range from $35 for general admission grandstand seating to $110 for VIP deck standing room, which includes two beverages and hors d’oeuvres. Reserved VIP tables for six are available for $835. Track seating is priced at $85, and reserved grandstand seats are $55.

Presale access begins Thursday for customers who have signed up for the fair’s email list. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday morning at kansasstatefair.gov or through the fair’s ticket office at 2000 N. Poplar in Hutchinson.

Officials urged buyers to purchase tickets only through the fair’s official website or ticket office to avoid third-party resellers and potential scams. Gate admission is included in the ticket price.

Rising country music star to appear at Kansas State Fair

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The two online bookies who financed the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/opponents-of-missouri-sports-betting-amendment-pull-tv-ads-in-campaigns-homestretch/">campaign to legalize sports wagering</a>&nbsp;in Missouri have won $120 million from bets placed in the state but so far have not had to pay any tax on those profits.

FanDuel and DraftKings handled 73% of the $928 million wagered in Missouri during the first two months of legal sports wagering, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mgc.dps.mo.gov/SportsWagering/sw_financials/FY26_SWFinReport/01_Jan/SW%20Monthly%20Financials%200126.pdf" target="_blank">latest financial report</a>&nbsp;from the Missouri Gaming Commission. The two companies have 77% of the profits from those bets, but offset the entire amount won from players by deductions for promotional wagers and other costs.

Their winnings so far are about three times what it cost the companies in the 2024 election.

Missouri taxes the operator winnings of mobile platforms and casino-based retail sports at 10%, but the constitutional amendment passed in 2024 allows a write-off of all promotional costs, federal taxes and other business costs, from the taxable amount.

Sports wagering launched in Missouri on Dec. 1, and bettors&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/30/missouri-sports-betting-tops-543m-in-first-month-but-deductions-leave-state-with-only-521k/">placed $543 million in bets</a>. The total fell in January but in the two months combined, the eight mobile providers and the eight retail locations have netted $157.7 million from lost wagers, with 99% of the profits going to mobile platforms.

The state has received $659,196 in taxes over two months, or just less than one-half of 1% of the amount won by the online and retail bookmakers.

“The latest data shows more Missourians are ditching their bookies and illegal websites and enjoying the safeguards and convenience of placing sports bets legally,” Jack Cardetti, spokesman for the&nbsp;&nbsp;Sports Betting Alliance, said in a statement to The Independent. “This initial success is building a rock-solid foundation that will ensure Missouri receives the ongoing benefits of legal, regulated sports betting for decades to come, including millions in permanent, dedicated tax revenues.”

DraftKings and FanDuel are dominating the market.

The two companies are almost equal in their share so far. Players wagered $339.7 million on the DraftKings platform and $338.4 million on the FanDuel app. DraftKings reported it won $54.4 million over the first two months, while FanDuel won $65.6 million.

During the 2024 campaign, FanDuel and DraftKings each contributed $20 million for the $43 million effort. Major Missouri sports teams contributed the rest.

Other than licensing fees, neither company has paid the state any taxes.

DraftKings has $20.6 million in net write-offs it will carry forward before it has any tax due. FanDuel has $8.1 million.

The total amount of unrealized write-offs for all eight mobile bookmakers is $33.8 million.

FanDuel, DraftKings take Mo. profits nearly triple their cost for sports wagering campaign

U.S. embassies in the Middle East updated security advisories for Americans traveling and residing in these regions to exercise caution amid the ongoing Iran conflict, according to the&nbsp;Department of State Consular Affairs.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs provides detailed destination-specific travel and risk information to allow U.S. citizens to make informed international travel decisions. U.S. embassies and consulates across the globe provide services that support the welfare and protection of U.S. citizens abroad.

<a href="https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel.html">Click here</a> to get the latest updates and enroll to receive alerts directly at <a href="https://t.co/tn90vcSWRE" target="_blank">http://step.state.gov</a>. Americans who need consular help can reach help 24/7 by phone: +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) and +1-888-407-4747 (from the U.S. and Canada).

3 countries designated with a ‘Do Not Travel For Any Reason’ warning

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday spoke to widening concerns that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-02-2026-cb42936de1d8c261be8f30f11c6665fa">the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran</a>&nbsp;could spiral into a protracted regional conflict by declaring, “This is not Iraq. This is not endless.”

Hegseth, along with Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held the Trump administration's first news briefing since Saturday's strikes. President Donald Trump, while he’s conducted a few phone interviews with individual reporters, has not taken questions on camera and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-trump-address-f662a4f3378535d81197be699fb35a3e">only released two videos</a>&nbsp;since the operation began.

Hegseth said the operation had a “clear, devastating, decisive mission” to “destroy the missile threat” from Iran, destroy its navy and “no nukes.”

“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives,” Hegseth said.

He also suggested the U.S. was not seeking to change the Iraninan regime with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>,

“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.

The briefing comes as the conflict has intensified into a wider war in the region. Iran and its allied armed groups have launched missiles at Israel, Arab states and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.

Four American troops have been killed in action. Trump on Sunday predicted there would be more U.S. casualties.

Caine on Monday said the U.S. expected to have additional losses.

“We grieve with you, and we will never forget you," he said of the family members of those killed.

The latest sign of the escalating upheaval came when U.S. ally Kuwait “mistakenly shot down”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-jets-downed-kuwait-friendly-fire-iran-f15-1151e092db4597e93e83c04f3b44bddc">three American fighter jets</a>&nbsp;during a combat mission as Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones were attacking. U.S. Central Command said all six pilots ejected safely from the American F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition.

U.S. officials have not offered any exit plan or offered signs that the conflict would end anytime soon, and the Khamenei cast doubt on the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">the Islamic Republic</a>&nbsp;and hurtled the region into broader instability.

In laying out a case for the strikes, Hegseth pointed to the Iranian regime as having started the conflict from its inception, declaring that for 47 years it has "waged a savage, one-sided war against America.”

“Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatolloah and his death cult,” he said.

He did not point to any threat of an imminent nuclear threat from Iran, and he said again that last summer’s strikes by the U.S. and Israel “obliterated their nuclear program to rubble.”

Instead, Hegseth pointed to threats from other weaponry such as ballistic missiles and drones that justified the operation.

“Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions,” Hegseth said.

He said that during negotiations with U.S. officials leading up to the attack, Iranian officials were “stalling."

“The former regime had every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal. But Tehran was not negotiating," Hegseth said.

Trump, in an interview Sunday with The New York Times, said the assault could last “four to five weeks.”

Hegseth dismissed questions about the time frame and said, “President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take. Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up. It could move back.”

The Republican president said the U.S. and Israel had struck hundreds of targets already. That included Israel and the U.S. bombing Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships.

Caine said that, as with the operation that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-trump-bomber-news-06-22-2025-c2baca52babe915e033ae175ce8b2687">dropped massive bunker-buster bombs</a>&nbsp;on Iranian nuclear facilities last year, Epic Fury also utilized B-2 stealth bombers, which the chairman said made a 37-hour round trip.

Caine several times referenced the use of cyber technologies in the strikes, which he said had “effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks,” leaving “the adversary without the ability to coordinate or respond effectively.”

Without giving specifics, Caine said the U.S. military “delivered synchronized and layered effects designed to disrupt, degrade, deny and destroy Iran’s ability to conduct and sustained combat operations on the U.S. side.”

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said at least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign. Eleven people have been killed in Israel and 31 in Lebanon, according to authorities there.

Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Charleston, S.C., David Klepper and Ben Finley in Washington and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.

🎥Pentagon officials answer questions on Iran strikes

WASHINGTON (AP) —A U.S. soldier has died during the war with Iran, the U.S. Central Command announced on Monday, bringing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-us-military-troops-casualties-793c3ea29a399c9a405e70b14c548595">official tota</a>&nbsp;l to four.

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