TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two white Topeka police officers who fatally shot a Black man as he fled from them after a struggle that revealed he was armed have been removed from a federal lawsuit accusing them of using excessive force.

A second count in the lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/100cc5e397f549f0aa01d8720e88cfc0">brought by</a>&nbsp;the family of Dominique White, which contends the city failed to train its police officers adequately, continues to move forward. A trial date hasn’t been set.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree on Monday described the case as “particularly difficult," but that it wasn't clearly established that Officers Justin Mackey and Michael Cruse violated the 30-year-old White’s Fourth Amendment right protecting him from excessive force, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20200929/officers-removed-as-defendants-in-dominique-whitersquos-familyrsquos-lawsuit">reports.</a>&nbsp;The officers remain employed by the police force.

The ruling was made on the three-year anniversary of White's fatal shooting near a Topeka park. His death certificate says he died primarily from gunshots in the back.

The officers were responding to a report of gunfire in the area in September 2017 when they confronted White,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f736ffe89fbf42a39803f330f4cf3f35">who they discovered during a struggle was armed</a>.

Police body camera footage shows White fleeing from the officers before he was shot. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay ruled earlier that the shooting was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7eb8efdf3a8241d6a3ea6ff1d4531d44">justified</a>, saying White moved his hand over a pocket that contained a gun as he fled. An internal police investigation concluded that Mackey and Cruse had committed no policy violations.

“Unlike other cases where officers learned later that the suspect wasn’t armed, the officers here actually knew Mr. White had a gun in his pocket,” Crabtree wrote Monday. “Officer Mackey saw the gun in Mr. White’s pocket, and Officer Cruse later recovered it (along with additional magazines) from Mr. White’s pocket. Mr. White resisted the officers’ attempts to secure the weapon, and he ignored their commands to lie down and stop. Instead, Mr. White struggled against the officers’ attempts to secure the firearm, he broke free from them, and he ran away while armed with a gun in his pocket.”

But White’s family said the body camera footage shows he wasn’t an immediate threat to the officers. An attorney for White’s family, Andrew Stroth, said Tuesday that they were reviewing Crabtree’s ruling and would pursue all available legal options.

“Similar to other young Black males in America, Dominique White was unjustifiably killed by the police,” said Stroth, the managing director of the Chicago-based civil rights law firm Action Injury Law Group. “In this case, the two officers working within the scope of their employment with the Topeka Police Department tragically and without provocation killed Dominique.”

City of Topeka media relations coordinator Molly Hadfield on Tuesday released a one-sentence statement.

“The court found that the law was not clearly established that Mr. White’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated under the circumstances of this case, and that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity,” the city said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601408473933.png" alt="White-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>White-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two white Topeka police officers who fatally shot a Black man as he fled from them after a struggle that revealed he was armed have been removed from a federal lawsuit accusing them of using excessive force.A second count in the lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/100cc5e397f549f0aa01d8720e88cfc0">brought by</a>&nbsp;the family of Dominique White, which contends the city failed to train its police officers adequately, continues to move forward. A trial date hasn’t been set.U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree on Monday described the case as “particularly difficult," but that it wasn't clearly established that Officers Justin Mackey and Michael Cruse violated the 30-year-old White’s Fourth Amendment right protecting him from excessive force, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20200929/officers-removed-as-defendants-in-dominique-whitersquos-familyrsquos-lawsuit">reports.</a>&nbsp;The officers remain employed by the police force.The ruling was made on the three-year anniversary of White's fatal shooting near a Topeka park. His death certificate says he died primarily from gunshots in the back.The officers were responding to a report of gunfire in the area in September 2017 when they confronted White,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f736ffe89fbf42a39803f330f4cf3f35">who they discovered during a struggle was armed</a>.Police body camera footage shows White fleeing from the officers before he was shot. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay ruled earlier that the shooting was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7eb8efdf3a8241d6a3ea6ff1d4531d44">justified</a>, saying White moved his hand over a pocket that contained a gun as he fled. An internal police investigation concluded that Mackey and Cruse had committed no policy violations.“Unlike other cases where officers learned later that the suspect wasn’t armed, the officers here actually knew Mr. White had a gun in his pocket,” Crabtree wrote Monday. “Officer Mackey saw the gun in Mr. White’s pocket, and Officer Cruse later recovered it (along with additional magazines) from Mr. White’s pocket. Mr. White resisted the officers’ attempts to secure the weapon, and he ignored their commands to lie down and stop. Instead, Mr. White struggled against the officers’ attempts to secure the firearm, he broke free from them, and he ran away while armed with a gun in his pocket.”But White’s family said the body camera footage shows he wasn’t an immediate threat to the officers. An attorney for White’s family, Andrew Stroth, said Tuesday that they were reviewing Crabtree’s ruling and would pursue all available legal options.“Similar to other young Black males in America, Dominique White was unjustifiably killed by the police,” said Stroth, the managing director of the Chicago-based civil rights law firm Action Injury Law Group. “In this case, the two officers working within the scope of their employment with the Topeka Police Department tragically and without provocation killed Dominique.”City of Topeka media relations coordinator Molly Hadfield on Tuesday released a one-sentence statement.“The court found that the law was not clearly established that Mr. White’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated under the circumstances of this case, and that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity,” the city said.

White Kan. officers who fatally shot Black man dropped from suit

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday she supports new federal guidelines that will allow some visitations at nursing homes that accept Medicaid and Medicare if proper coronavirus-related safety measures are followed.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued guidance last week that provides ways for nursing facilities to allow families to make in-person visits, which have mostly been banned since the pandemic began.

Kelly said in a statement that it’s important to remain vigilant about protecting the health of nursing home residents and stopping the spread of the virus, but her administration recognizes that “prolonged separation of nursing facility residents from their loved ones has taken a significant mental health toll on everyone involved."

Nursing homes have been a major source of COVID-19 outbreaks in Kansas and other states. The state Department of Health and Environment’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-kansas-business-topeka-nursing-homes-1f6317285d954200a56094668c08e2c2">report</a>&nbsp;last week on coronavirus clusters showed 14 of 29 clusters in the state were tied to nursing homes in 11 counties.

The report on clusters, which is released on Wednesdays, defines a cluster as places that have five or more active cases within the past 14 days.

The federal guidance say nursing facilities should continue to follow basic safety measures, such as social distancing and temperature screenings. But nursing homes subject to the federal guidelines can allow indoor visits if they have no new COVID-19 cases for 14 days and are not conducting active outbreak testing.

The CMS said facilities could be fined if they don’t adopt the new guidelines without a valid reason.

The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services inspects state nursing homes to ensure that they comply with federal laws and standards.

“We’re glad to see the guidelines shift back to focus more on ‘resident rights’ and a standardized approach,” the agency’s deputy director of facilities, Scott Brunner, said in a news release.

He said it would take time to implement the new guidelines because every facility will have to follow the protocols based on their different challenges.

Some other long-term care centers in the state are not subject to the guidelines. KDADs said it would use the federal guidelines to issue state guidance in the coming weeks for those facilities.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday she supports new federal guidelines that will allow some visitations at nursing homes that accept Medicaid and Medicare if proper coronavirus-related safety measures are followed.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued guidance last week that provides ways for nursing facilities to allow families to make in-person visits, which have mostly been banned since the pandemic began.Kelly said in a statement that it’s important to remain vigilant about protecting the health of nursing home residents and stopping the spread of the virus, but her administration recognizes that “prolonged separation of nursing facility residents from their loved ones has taken a significant mental health toll on everyone involved."Nursing homes have been a major source of COVID-19 outbreaks in Kansas and other states. The state Department of Health and Environment’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-kansas-business-topeka-nursing-homes-1f6317285d954200a56094668c08e2c2">report</a>&nbsp;last week on coronavirus clusters showed 14 of 29 clusters in the state were tied to nursing homes in 11 counties.The report on clusters, which is released on Wednesdays, defines a cluster as places that have five or more active cases within the past 14 days.The federal guidance say nursing facilities should continue to follow basic safety measures, such as social distancing and temperature screenings. But nursing homes subject to the federal guidelines can allow indoor visits if they have no new COVID-19 cases for 14 days and are not conducting active outbreak testing.The CMS said facilities could be fined if they don’t adopt the new guidelines without a valid reason.The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services inspects state nursing homes to ensure that they comply with federal laws and standards.“We’re glad to see the guidelines shift back to focus more on ‘resident rights’ and a standardized approach,” the agency’s deputy director of facilities, Scott Brunner, said in a news release.He said it would take time to implement the new guidelines because every facility will have to follow the protocols based on their different challenges.Some other long-term care centers in the state are not subject to the guidelines. KDADs said it would use the federal guidelines to issue state guidance in the coming weeks for those facilities.

Kansas governor backs new guidelines on nursing home visits

CLEVELAND (AP) — The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden deteriorated into bitter taunts and near chaos Tuesday night as Trump repeatedly interrupted his opponent with angry — and personal — jabs that sometimes overshadowed the sharply different visions each man has for a nation facing historic crises.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/debates/">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the debate&nbsp;

In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-elections-c1eb47d330f6f074ea069abb999a2b2e">the most tumultuous presidential debate in recent memory</a>, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists who have supported him, telling one such group known as Proud Boys to “stand back, stand by.” There were also heated clashes over the president’s handling of the pandemic, the integrity of the election results, deeply personal attacks about Biden’s family and how the Supreme Court will shape the future of the nation’s health care.

But it was the belligerent tone that was persistent, somehow fitting for what has been an extraordinarily ugly campaign. The two men frequently talked over each other with Trump interrupting, nearly shouting, so often that Biden eventually snapped at him, “Will you shut up, man?”

“The fact is that everything he’s saying so far is simply a lie,” Biden said. “I’m not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows he’s a liar.”

The presidential race has been remarkably stable for weeks, despite the historic crises that have battered the country this year, including a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans and a reckoning over race and police brutality. With just five weeks until Election Day and voting already underway in some key states, Biden has maintained a lead in national polls and in many battlegrounds.

It’s unclear whether the debate will do much to change those dynamics.

Over and over, Trump tried to control the conversation, interrupting Biden and repeatedly talking over the moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-health-cbc3c669510b06475fef63fe766542b7">The president tried to deflect tough lines of questioning</a>&nbsp;— whether on his taxes or the pandemic — to deliver broadsides against Biden.

The president drew a lecture from Wallace, who pleaded with both men to stop talking over each other. Biden tried to push back against Trump, sometimes looking right at the camera to directly address viewers rather than the president and snapping, “It’s hard to get a word in with this clown.”

Again refusing to commit to honoring the results of the election, Trump spread falsehoods about mail voting. Without evidence, he suggested that the process — surging in popularity during the pandemic — was ripe for fraud and incorrectly claimed impropriety at a Pennsylvania voting site.

But despite his efforts to dominate the discussion, Trump was frequently put on the defensive and tried to sidestep when he was asked if he was willing to condemn white supremacists and paramilitary groups.

“What do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name,” Trump said, before Biden mentioned the far right, violent group known as the Proud Boys. Trump then pointedly did not condemn the group, instead saying: “Proud Boys, stand back, stand by. But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem.”

Biden attacked Trump’s handling of the pandemic, saying that the president “waited and waited” to act when the virus reached America’s shores and “still doesn’t have a plan.” Biden told Trump to “get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap” and go in his golf cart to the Oval Office to come up with a bipartisan plan to save people.

Trump snarled a response, declaring: “I’ll tell you Joe, you could never have done the job that we did. You don’t have it in your blood.”

“I know how to do the job,” was the solemn response from Biden, who served eight years as Barack Obama’s vice president.

The pandemic’s effects were in plain sight, with the candidates’ lecterns spaced far apart, all the guests in the small crowd tested and the traditional opening handshake scrapped. While neither candidate wore a mask to take the stage, their families did sport face coverings.

Trump struggled to define his ideas for replacing the Affordable Care Act on health care in the debate’s early moments and defended his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, declaring, “I was not elected for three years, I’m elected for four years.”

“We won the election. Elections have consequences. We have the Senate. We have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee, respected by all.”

Trump criticized Biden over the former vice president’s refusal to comment on whether he would try to expand the Supreme Court in retaliation if Barrett is confirmed to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. That idea has gained momentum on the party’s left flank but Biden tried to put distance between himself and the liberal wing, declining to endorse the Green New Deal and rejecting the assertion that he was under the control of radicals by declaring “I am the Democratic Party now.”

The scattershot debate bounced from topic to topic, with Trump again refusing to embrace the science of climate change while Biden accused Trump of walking away from the American promise of equity for all and making a race-based appeal.

“This is a president who has used everything as a dog whistle to try to generate racist hatred, racist division,” Biden said.

Recent months have seen major protests after the deaths of Black people at the hands of police. Biden said the country faces a problem with systemic racism and that while the vast majority of police officers are “decent, honorable men and women” there are “bad apples” and people have to be held accountable.

Trump in turn claimed that Biden’s work on a federal crime bill treated the African American population “about as bad as anybody in this country.” The president pivoted to his hardline focus on those protesting racial injustice and accused Biden of being afraid to use the words “law and order,” out of fear of alienating the left.

“Violence in response is never appropriate, “Biden said. “Never appropriate. Peaceful protest is.”

The attacks turned deeply personal when Trump returned to a campaign attack line by declaring that Biden’s son, Hunter, had inappropriately benefitted from his father’s connections while working in Ukraine. Biden rarely looked at Trump during the night but turned to face the president when he defended his sons, including his son Beau, an Army veteran who died of cancer in 2015, after the commander-in-chief’s reported insults of those who served in the military.

A new report from two Republican-led Senate committees alleged that Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine at the same time his father was vice president raised conflict-of-interest concerns for the Obama administration, but the report did not link Joe Biden to any wrongdoing or misconduct. Trump was impeached for pushing Kiev to investigate the Biden family.

The debate was arguably Trump’s best chance to try to reframe the campaign as a choice between candidates and not a referendum over his handling of the virus that has killed more people in America than any other nation. Americans, according to polling, have soured on his leadership in the crisis, and the president has struggled to land consistent attacks on Biden.

In the hours before the debate, Biden released his 2019 tax returns just days after the blockbuster revelations about Trump’s long-hidden tax history, including that he paid only $750 a year in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and nothing in many other years. The Bidens paid nearly $300,000 in taxes in 2019.

Trump, in the debate, insisted he paid millions in taxes — but refused to say how much he paid in federal income taxes — and insisted he had taken advantage of legal tax incentives, another angry exchange that led to Biden declaring that Trump was the “worst president” the nation has ever had.

CLEVELAND (AP) — The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden erupted in contentious exchanges Tuesday night over the coronavirus pandemic, job losses and how the Supreme Court will shape the future of the nation’s health care.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/debates/">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the debate replay

Fitting for an edge in their bitter campaign, the two men frequently interrupted each other with angry interjections, with Biden eventually snapping at Trump “Will you shut up, man?” That was after the president badgered him over his refusal to comment on whether he would try to expand the Supreme Court in retaliation if Trump’s high court pick, Amy Coney Barrett, was confirmed to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader

CLEVELAND (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden prepared to face off Tuesday in their crucial first debate of the 2020 campaign, the most pivotal opportunity yet for the candidates to outline starkly different visions for a country facing multiple crises.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/debates/">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the debate LIVE&nbsp;

Trump and Biden arrived in Cleveland hoping the debate would energize their bases of support, even as they competed for the slim slice of undecided voters who could decide the election. It has been generations since two men asked to lead a nation facing such tumult, with Americans both fearful and impatient about the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 of their fellow citizens and cost millions of jobs.

With just 35 days until the election, and early voting already underway in some states, Biden steps onto the stage holding leads in the polls — significant in national surveys, close in some battleground states — and looking to expand his support among suburban voters, women and seniors. Surveys show&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-religion-virus-outbreak-race-and-ethnicity-4b9c9d7a7aa46c523047a3a0e932e2a8">the president has lost significant ground among those groups</a>&nbsp;since 2016, but Biden faces his own questions encouraged by Trump’s withering attacks.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-health-e1362f5448c8988b2deee177e1256592">Trump will have arguably his best chance to try to reframe the campaign as a choice</a>&nbsp;between candidates and not a referendum over his handling of the virus that has killed more people in America than any other nation. Americans, according to polling, have soured on his leadership in the crisis, and the president has struggled to land consistent attacks on Biden.

Leaving the White House for Cleveland, Trump pumped his fist for supporters gathered on the White House lawn but did not address reporters. He spent the morning in informal debate preparations while a more formal session was set for the afternoon once he arrived in Ohio. Biden held an umbrella to ward off the Delaware rain as he boarded a new, bigger campaign plane en route to Cleveland. He, too, did not address reporters.

Though some Trump aides involved in the preparations urged the president to adopt a measured tone while selling his own accomplishments, Trump had told advisers he was preparing an all-out assault on Biden, claiming that the former senator’s 47 years in Washington have left him out of touch and that his family, namely his son Hunter, has benefited from corruption.

Biden’s performances during the primary debates were uneven, and some Democrats have been nervous as to how he would fare in an unscripted setting. But his team also viewed the night as a chance to illuminate Trump’s failings with the pandemic and economy, with the former vice president acting as a “fact checker on the floor” while bracing himself for the onslaught that was coming.

The tumult of 2020 was difficult to overstate: COVID-19 has rewritten the rules of everyday life; racial justice protests have swept into cities after several highly publicized killings of Black people by police, and the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg allowed Trump to nominate a conservative jurist to replace a liberal voice and perhaps reshape the high court for generations.

But the impact of the debate — and the two to follow — remained unclear. Despite the upheaval, the presidential race has seemed largely unchanged since Biden seized control of the Democratic field in March and opened a steady lead over Trump.

Both sides looked to one-up each other in the hours before the debate.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-politics-donald-trump-kamala-harris-c60c184e7b1b25fc089909d9f6370686">Biden released his 2019 tax returns just days after the blockbuster revelations about Trump’s</a>&nbsp;long-hidden tax history, including that he paid only $750 a year in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and nothing in many other years. The Bidens paid nearly $300,000 in taxes in 2019.

Meanwhile, trying to hammer home a claim that Biden is not up to the job of president, Trump’s campaign pushed out a number of pre-debate accusations, including that the former vice president asked for numerous breaks during the 90-minute debate and had backed out of a search meant to rule out that either man was wearing an earpiece from which he could be fed answers.

The Biden campaign denied the accusations and, in a conference call Tuesday afternoon, chided reporters for biting on a Trump gambit.

“We’re in the middle of a global pandemic,” Biden senior campaign adviser Symone Sanders said. “Is this what you all would really like to spend your time on, these false, crazy, random, ridiculous assertions by the Trump campaign?”

The president’s handling of the coronavirus was likely to dominate much of the debate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-health-campaigns-cleveland-e7b7c781ab07890df8901bffe45facda">The pandemic’s effects were in plain sight</a>, with the candidates’ lecterns spaced far apart, all of the guests in the small crowd tested and the traditional opening handshake scrapped.

The scene in Cleveland was notably understated compared to typical election years, with none of the pomp and pageantry. Instead of the usual auditorium, the debate was held in an atrium on Case Western University’s campus — one that had been temporarily converted into a COVID-19 hospital this spring — and signs were placed on two of every three three chairs reading, “Thank you for not sitting here in observance of social distancing.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601460930361.png" alt="President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden&nbsp; during Tuesday's tumultuous presidential debate -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden&nbsp; during Tuesday's tumultuous presidential debate -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND (AP) — The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden deteriorated into bitter taunts and near chaos Tuesday night as Trump repeatedly interrupted his opponent with angry — and personal — jabs that sometimes overshadowed the sharply different visions each man has for a nation facing historic crises.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/debates/">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the debate&nbsp;In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-elections-c1eb47d330f6f074ea069abb999a2b2e">the most tumultuous presidential debate in recent memory</a>, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists who have supported him, telling one such group known as Proud Boys to “stand back, stand by.” There were also heated clashes over the president’s handling of the pandemic, the integrity of the election results, deeply personal attacks about Biden’s family and how the Supreme Court will shape the future of the nation’s health care.But it was the belligerent tone that was persistent, somehow fitting for what has been an extraordinarily ugly campaign. The two men frequently talked over each other with Trump interrupting, nearly shouting, so often that Biden eventually snapped at him, “Will you shut up, man?”“The fact is that everything he’s saying so far is simply a lie,” Biden said. “I’m not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows he’s a liar.”The presidential race has been remarkably stable for weeks, despite the historic crises that have battered the country this year, including a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans and a reckoning over race and police brutality. With just five weeks until Election Day and voting already underway in some key states, Biden has maintained a lead in national polls and in many battlegrounds.It’s unclear whether the debate will do much to change those dynamics.Over and over, Trump tried to control the conversation, interrupting Biden and repeatedly talking over the moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-health-cbc3c669510b06475fef63fe766542b7">The president tried to deflect tough lines of questioning</a>&nbsp;— whether on his taxes or the pandemic — to deliver broadsides against Biden.The president drew a lecture from Wallace, who pleaded with both men to stop talking over each other. Biden tried to push back against Trump, sometimes looking right at the camera to directly address viewers rather than the president and snapping, “It’s hard to get a word in with this clown.”Again refusing to commit to honoring the results of the election, Trump spread falsehoods about mail voting. Without evidence, he suggested that the process — surging in popularity during the pandemic — was ripe for fraud and incorrectly claimed impropriety at a Pennsylvania voting site.But despite his efforts to dominate the discussion, Trump was frequently put on the defensive and tried to sidestep when he was asked if he was willing to condemn white supremacists and paramilitary groups.“What do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name,” Trump said, before Biden mentioned the far right, violent group known as the Proud Boys. Trump then pointedly did not condemn the group, instead saying: “Proud Boys, stand back, stand by. But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem.”Biden attacked Trump’s handling of the pandemic, saying that the president “waited and waited” to act when the virus reached America’s shores and “still doesn’t have a plan.” Biden told Trump to “get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap” and go in his golf cart to the Oval Office to come up with a bipartisan plan to save people.Trump snarled a response, declaring: “I’ll tell you Joe, you could never have done the job that we did. You don’t have it in your blood.”“I know how to do the job,” was the solemn response from Biden, who served eight years as Barack Obama’s vice president.The pandemic’s effects were in plain sight, with the candidates’ lecterns spaced far apart, all the guests in the small crowd tested and the traditional opening handshake scrapped. While neither candidate wore a mask to take the stage, their families did sport face coverings.Trump struggled to define his ideas for replacing the Affordable Care Act on health care in the debate’s early moments and defended his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, declaring, “I was not elected for three years, I’m elected for four years.”“We won the election. Elections have consequences. We have the Senate. We have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee, respected by all.”Trump criticized Biden over the former vice president’s refusal to comment on whether he would try to expand the Supreme Court in retaliation if Barrett is confirmed to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. That idea has gained momentum on the party’s left flank but Biden tried to put distance between himself and the liberal wing, declining to endorse the Green New Deal and rejecting the assertion that he was under the control of radicals by declaring “I am the Democratic Party now.”The scattershot debate bounced from topic to topic, with Trump again refusing to embrace the science of climate change while Biden accused Trump of walking away from the American promise of equity for all and making a race-based appeal.“This is a president who has used everything as a dog whistle to try to generate racist hatred, racist division,” Biden said.Recent months have seen major protests after the deaths of Black people at the hands of police. Biden said the country faces a problem with systemic racism and that while the vast majority of police officers are “decent, honorable men and women” there are “bad apples” and people have to be held accountable.Trump in turn claimed that Biden’s work on a federal crime bill treated the African American population “about as bad as anybody in this country.” The president pivoted to his hardline focus on those protesting racial injustice and accused Biden of being afraid to use the words “law and order,” out of fear of alienating the left.“Violence in response is never appropriate, “Biden said. “Never appropriate. Peaceful protest is.”The attacks turned deeply personal when Trump returned to a campaign attack line by declaring that Biden’s son, Hunter, had inappropriately benefitted from his father’s connections while working in Ukraine. Biden rarely looked at Trump during the night but turned to face the president when he defended his sons, including his son Beau, an Army veteran who died of cancer in 2015, after the commander-in-chief’s reported insults of those who served in the military.A new report from two Republican-led Senate committees alleged that Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine at the same time his father was vice president raised conflict-of-interest concerns for the Obama administration, but the report did not link Joe Biden to any wrongdoing or misconduct. Trump was impeached for pushing Kiev to investigate the Biden family.The debate was arguably Trump’s best chance to try to reframe the campaign as a choice between candidates and not a referendum over his handling of the virus that has killed more people in America than any other nation. Americans, according to polling, have soured on his leadership in the crisis, and the president has struggled to land consistent attacks on Biden.In the hours before the debate, Biden released his 2019 tax returns just days after the blockbuster revelations about Trump’s long-hidden tax history, including that he paid only $750 a year in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and nothing in many other years. The Bidens paid nearly $300,000 in taxes in 2019.Trump, in the debate, insisted he paid millions in taxes — but refused to say how much he paid in federal income taxes — and insisted he had taken advantage of legal tax incentives, another angry exchange that led to Biden declaring that Trump was the “worst president” the nation has ever had._________CLEVELAND (AP) — The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden erupted in contentious exchanges Tuesday night over the coronavirus pandemic, job losses and how the Supreme Court will shape the future of the nation’s health care.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/debates/">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the debate replayFitting for an edge in their bitter campaign, the two men frequently interrupted each other with angry interjections, with Biden eventually snapping at Trump “Will you shut up, man?” That was after the president badgered him over his refusal to comment on whether he would try to expand the Supreme Court in retaliation if Trump’s high court pick, Amy Coney Barrett, was confirmed to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader--------CLEVELAND (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden prepared to face off Tuesday in their crucial first debate of the 2020 campaign, the most pivotal opportunity yet for the candidates to outline starkly different visions for a country facing multiple crises.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/debates/">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the debate LIVE&nbsp;Trump and Biden arrived in Cleveland hoping the debate would energize their bases of support, even as they competed for the slim slice of undecided voters who could decide the election. It has been generations since two men asked to lead a nation facing such tumult, with Americans both fearful and impatient about the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 of their fellow citizens and cost millions of jobs.With just 35 days until the election, and early voting already underway in some states, Biden steps onto the stage holding leads in the polls — significant in national surveys, close in some battleground states — and looking to expand his support among suburban voters, women and seniors. Surveys show&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-religion-virus-outbreak-race-and-ethnicity-4b9c9d7a7aa46c523047a3a0e932e2a8">the president has lost significant ground among those groups</a>&nbsp;since 2016, but Biden faces his own questions encouraged by Trump’s withering attacks.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-health-e1362f5448c8988b2deee177e1256592">Trump will have arguably his best chance to try to reframe the campaign as a choice</a>&nbsp;between candidates and not a referendum over his handling of the virus that has killed more people in America than any other nation. Americans, according to polling, have soured on his leadership in the crisis, and the president has struggled to land consistent attacks on Biden.Leaving the White House for Cleveland, Trump pumped his fist for supporters gathered on the White House lawn but did not address reporters. He spent the morning in informal debate preparations while a more formal session was set for the afternoon once he arrived in Ohio. Biden held an umbrella to ward off the Delaware rain as he boarded a new, bigger campaign plane en route to Cleveland. He, too, did not address reporters.Though some Trump aides involved in the preparations urged the president to adopt a measured tone while selling his own accomplishments, Trump had told advisers he was preparing an all-out assault on Biden, claiming that the former senator’s 47 years in Washington have left him out of touch and that his family, namely his son Hunter, has benefited from corruption.Biden’s performances during the primary debates were uneven, and some Democrats have been nervous as to how he would fare in an unscripted setting. But his team also viewed the night as a chance to illuminate Trump’s failings with the pandemic and economy, with the former vice president acting as a “fact checker on the floor” while bracing himself for the onslaught that was coming.The tumult of 2020 was difficult to overstate: COVID-19 has rewritten the rules of everyday life; racial justice protests have swept into cities after several highly publicized killings of Black people by police, and the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg allowed Trump to nominate a conservative jurist to replace a liberal voice and perhaps reshape the high court for generations.But the impact of the debate — and the two to follow — remained unclear. Despite the upheaval, the presidential race has seemed largely unchanged since Biden seized control of the Democratic field in March and opened a steady lead over Trump.Both sides looked to one-up each other in the hours before the debate.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-politics-donald-trump-kamala-harris-c60c184e7b1b25fc089909d9f6370686">Biden released his 2019 tax returns just days after the blockbuster revelations about Trump’s</a>&nbsp;long-hidden tax history, including that he paid only $750 a year in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and nothing in many other years. The Bidens paid nearly $300,000 in taxes in 2019.Meanwhile, trying to hammer home a claim that Biden is not up to the job of president, Trump’s campaign pushed out a number of pre-debate accusations, including that the former vice president asked for numerous breaks during the 90-minute debate and had backed out of a search meant to rule out that either man was wearing an earpiece from which he could be fed answers.The Biden campaign denied the accusations and, in a conference call Tuesday afternoon, chided reporters for biting on a Trump gambit.“We’re in the middle of a global pandemic,” Biden senior campaign adviser Symone Sanders said. “Is this what you all would really like to spend your time on, these false, crazy, random, ridiculous assertions by the Trump campaign?”The president’s handling of the coronavirus was likely to dominate much of the debate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-health-campaigns-cleveland-e7b7c781ab07890df8901bffe45facda">The pandemic’s effects were in plain sight</a>, with the candidates’ lecterns spaced far apart, all of the guests in the small crowd tested and the traditional opening handshake scrapped.The scene in Cleveland was notably understated compared to typical election years, with none of the pomp and pageantry. Instead of the usual auditorium, the debate was held in an atrium on Case Western University’s campus — one that had been temporarily converted into a COVID-19 hospital this spring — and signs were placed on two of every three three chairs reading, “Thank you for not sitting here in observance of social distancing.”

🎥 Chaotic first debate: Taunts overpower Trump, Biden visions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country star Mac Davis, who launched his career crafting the Elvis hits “A Little Less Conversation” and “In the Ghetto,” and whose own hits include “Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me,” has died. He was 78.

His longtime manager Jim Morey said in a press release that Davis died in Nashville on Tuesday after heart surgery and was surrounded by family and friends.

Davis had a long and varied career in music for decades as a writer, singer, actor and TV host and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006. He was named 1974’s entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“Thank you, dear Lord Jesus, for letting us know the man to whom you gave the most incredible talent,” said Reba McEntire in a statement. “He entertained and spread joy to so many people. What a wonderful legacy he left all of us with his music. Mac was one of a kind. I’m so blessed to have been one of his many friends.”

Born in Lubbock, Texas, and raised in Georgia, Davis was inspired by fellow Lubbock native Buddy Holly, but it was Elvis who gave him his first musical big break. Davis worked as a staff songwriter in Los Angeles for Nancy Sinatra's publishing company when in 1968 Presley cut “A Little Less Conversation.”

Although it had a little success at the time, the song became a bigger hit after Presley's death, being covered by more than 30 artists and became Davis' most licensed TV soundtrack song. The song reached the top of the UK charts in 2002 after it was used in a Nike commercial and was featured in the hit movie “Ocean's 11.”

Davis also helped craft the song “Memories” that was a cornerstone of Elvis’ big 1968 comeback TV special.

“A small town boy who’d achieved the greatest kinds of fame, he remained a good guy, a family man,” said country star Kenny Chesney. “That was Mac: a giant heart, quick to laugh and a bigger creative spirit. I was blessed to have it shine on me. And Mac, who was joyous, funny and created a family around him, never stopped writing great songs, creating music and inspiring everyone around him."

Davis got a recording deal of his own in 1970, recording “Hooked on Music," “It’s Hard to be Humble,” and “Texas in my Rearview Mirror,” and getting crossover success on pop charts. He had his own TV series, “The Mac Davis Show” on NBC, and also acted in TV and film, including alongside Nick Nolte in the football film “North Dallas Forty.” He even starred on Broadway, in “The Will Rogers Follies” and toured with the musical. The group Gallery had a hit on his song “I Believe in Music.”

“He was the songwriter behind some of the most iconic and timeless songs that transcend genres and generations and was named a BMI Icon in 2015,” said BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neil. “Beyond his extraordinary talent, Mac was a dedicated friend and advocate for songwriters everywhere.”

He also wrote songs recorded by Kenny Rogers (“Something’s Burning”), Dolly Parton ("White Limozeen") and Ray Price (“Lonesomest Lonesome”). He was still writing later in life, getting co-writing credits on songs by Avicii ( “Addicted to You") and Bruno Mars ("Young Girls.")

“Today our country community lost an amazing entertainer, songwriter and artist,” said Sarah Trahern, CEO of CMA. “I remember watching Mac’s TV show as a kid as well as his three years co-hosting the CMA Awards with Barbara Mandrell, which proved his command of the TV medium as well as the music.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601472500598.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country star Mac Davis, who launched his career crafting the Elvis hits “A Little Less Conversation” and “In the Ghetto,” and whose own hits include “Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me,” has died. He was 78.His longtime manager Jim Morey said in a press release that Davis died in Nashville on Tuesday after heart surgery and was surrounded by family and friends.Davis had a long and varied career in music for decades as a writer, singer, actor and TV host and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006. He was named 1974’s entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.“Thank you, dear Lord Jesus, for letting us know the man to whom you gave the most incredible talent,” said Reba McEntire in a statement. “He entertained and spread joy to so many people. What a wonderful legacy he left all of us with his music. Mac was one of a kind. I’m so blessed to have been one of his many friends.”Born in Lubbock, Texas, and raised in Georgia, Davis was inspired by fellow Lubbock native Buddy Holly, but it was Elvis who gave him his first musical big break. Davis worked as a staff songwriter in Los Angeles for Nancy Sinatra's publishing company when in 1968 Presley cut “A Little Less Conversation.”Although it had a little success at the time, the song became a bigger hit after Presley's death, being covered by more than 30 artists and became Davis' most licensed TV soundtrack song. The song reached the top of the UK charts in 2002 after it was used in a Nike commercial and was featured in the hit movie “Ocean's 11.”Davis also helped craft the song “Memories” that was a cornerstone of Elvis’ big 1968 comeback TV special.“A small town boy who’d achieved the greatest kinds of fame, he remained a good guy, a family man,” said country star Kenny Chesney. “That was Mac: a giant heart, quick to laugh and a bigger creative spirit. I was blessed to have it shine on me. And Mac, who was joyous, funny and created a family around him, never stopped writing great songs, creating music and inspiring everyone around him."Davis got a recording deal of his own in 1970, recording “Hooked on Music," “It’s Hard to be Humble,” and “Texas in my Rearview Mirror,” and getting crossover success on pop charts. He had his own TV series, “The Mac Davis Show” on NBC, and also acted in TV and film, including alongside Nick Nolte in the football film “North Dallas Forty.” He even starred on Broadway, in “The Will Rogers Follies” and toured with the musical. The group Gallery had a hit on his song “I Believe in Music.”“He was the songwriter behind some of the most iconic and timeless songs that transcend genres and generations and was named a BMI Icon in 2015,” said BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neil. “Beyond his extraordinary talent, Mac was a dedicated friend and advocate for songwriters everywhere.”He also wrote songs recorded by Kenny Rogers (“Something’s Burning”), Dolly Parton ("White Limozeen") and Ray Price (“Lonesomest Lonesome”). He was still writing later in life, getting co-writing credits on songs by Avicii ( “Addicted to You") and Bruno Mars ("Young Girls.")“Today our country community lost an amazing entertainer, songwriter and artist,” said Sarah Trahern, CEO of CMA. “I remember watching Mac’s TV show as a kid as well as his three years co-hosting the CMA Awards with Barbara Mandrell, which proved his command of the TV medium as well as the music.”

Country star and hit Elvis songwriter Mac Davis dies at 78

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy after refusing to pull over was unarmed and posed no danger to him or the public, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.

The court filing paints a different picture to that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3bad2e32dc7ec2b3a50140691a175275">recounted by authorities</a>&nbsp;following the fatal shooting in Wichita of 51-year-old Debra Arbuckle of Andover by Sedgwick County Deputy Kaleb Dailey in the early morning hours of Dec. 30, 2019.

Authorities said at the time that the deputy fired several rounds after Arbuckle put her car into reverse and accelerated toward deputies. The sheriff’s department said the deputy feared for his life.

The family’s attorney, Michael Kuckelman, said multiple law enforcement videos show that while Arbuckle did put her car in reverse and the backup lights came on, she never accelerated toward the deputies. Furthermore, Dailey had just rammed her car onto a grassy area and her vehicle was surrounded by patrol cars so she couldn’t go anywhere, Kuckelman said. Dailey got out of his car and positioned himself so his vehicle separated him from Arbuckle.

“He wasn’t in any sort of danger,” Kuckelman said. “He shot her through the passenger window and he shot over his patrol car in order to shoot her.”

Arbuckle couldn’t have reached him even if she had wanted to, he said, noting that authorities had earlier spiked her tires during a pursuit so she was unable to drive faster than 15 mph (24 kilometers per hour). Deputies chased Arbuckle because her Volkswagen sedan had a license plate that belonged on a Chevy pickup truck.

The lawsuit, filed by Arbuckle’s son Alek Hansen, seeks unspecified general and punitive damages.

Lt. Benjamin Blick said the Sedgwick County sheriff’s office would not comment on the complaint. A home phone number for Dailey could not be found.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said in an emailed statement that the case remains under review and that no charging decision has been made. He declined to comment further.

Arbuckle’s family wants the sheriff’s department to fire Dailey and for his law enforcement certification to be revoked. They also want Bennett to file criminal charges, Kuckelman said.

Dailey had been on the other side of Wichita when the chase began shortly after 3 a.m., and he raced across the city to join in, at one point reaching 142 mph (230 kilometers per hour).

“That in of itself should result in termination,” Kuckleman said. “We can’t have law enforcement driving at speeds of 142 miles an hour through Wichita to go to the east side and join a chase already underway about a wrong license plate being on a vehicle. That is reckless.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577828011429.png" alt="Arbuckle-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Arbuckle-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy after refusing to pull over was unarmed and posed no danger to him or the public, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.The court filing paints a different picture to that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3bad2e32dc7ec2b3a50140691a175275">recounted by authorities</a>&nbsp;following the fatal shooting in Wichita of 51-year-old Debra Arbuckle of Andover by Sedgwick County Deputy Kaleb Dailey in the early morning hours of Dec. 30, 2019.Authorities said at the time that the deputy fired several rounds after Arbuckle put her car into reverse and accelerated toward deputies. The sheriff’s department said the deputy feared for his life.The family’s attorney, Michael Kuckelman, said multiple law enforcement videos show that while Arbuckle did put her car in reverse and the backup lights came on, she never accelerated toward the deputies. Furthermore, Dailey had just rammed her car onto a grassy area and her vehicle was surrounded by patrol cars so she couldn’t go anywhere, Kuckelman said. Dailey got out of his car and positioned himself so his vehicle separated him from Arbuckle.“He wasn’t in any sort of danger,” Kuckelman said. “He shot her through the passenger window and he shot over his patrol car in order to shoot her.”Arbuckle couldn’t have reached him even if she had wanted to, he said, noting that authorities had earlier spiked her tires during a pursuit so she was unable to drive faster than 15 mph (24 kilometers per hour). Deputies chased Arbuckle because her Volkswagen sedan had a license plate that belonged on a Chevy pickup truck.The lawsuit, filed by Arbuckle’s son Alek Hansen, seeks unspecified general and punitive damages.Lt. Benjamin Blick said the Sedgwick County sheriff’s office would not comment on the complaint. A home phone number for Dailey could not be found.Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said in an emailed statement that the case remains under review and that no charging decision has been made. He declined to comment further.Arbuckle’s family wants the sheriff’s department to fire Dailey and for his law enforcement certification to be revoked. They also want Bennett to file criminal charges, Kuckelman said.Dailey had been on the other side of Wichita when the chase began shortly after 3 a.m., and he raced across the city to join in, at one point reaching 142 mph (230 kilometers per hour).“That in of itself should result in termination,” Kuckleman said. “We can’t have law enforcement driving at speeds of 142 miles an hour through Wichita to go to the east side and join a chase already underway about a wrong license plate being on a vehicle. That is reckless.”

Lawsuit: Kansas woman posed no danger when deputy killed her

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a case involving an unknown suspect impersonating a police officer.

Just after 8p.m. Monday, a citizen reported being stopped by an unknown suspect in the area of MacArthur and Seneca in Wichita who was driving a dark blue or black Buick 4-door sedan with red and blue emergency lights in the upper windshield, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

The unknown suspect approached the vehicle, asked for a driver’s license and insurance.&nbsp; The suspect looked at the documents, gave them back, walked back to the Buick, and left.

The suspect is described as a man with average build and height, wearing a dark blue or black uniform and armed with a handgun.

Anyone with information on the case, please call detectives at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.&nbsp; If a similar situation has occurred to you, you can file a police report by calling WPD police case desk at 316-268-4221.

All uniformed WPD officers are issued WPD badges, displayed clearly on their uniform to signify that they are a WPD officer.&nbsp; Additionally, if any question exists on the legitimacy of an officer, you can call 911.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a case involving an unknown suspect impersonating a police officer.Just after 8p.m. Monday, a citizen reported being stopped by an unknown suspect in the area of MacArthur and Seneca in Wichita who was driving a dark blue or black Buick 4-door sedan with red and blue emergency lights in the upper windshield, according to Officer Charley Davidson.The unknown suspect approached the vehicle, asked for a driver’s license and insurance.&nbsp; The suspect looked at the documents, gave them back, walked back to the Buick, and left.The suspect is described as a man with average build and height, wearing a dark blue or black uniform and armed with a handgun.Anyone with information on the case, please call detectives at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.&nbsp; If a similar situation has occurred to you, you can file a police report by calling WPD police case desk at 316-268-4221.All uniformed WPD officers are issued WPD badges, displayed clearly on their uniform to signify that they are a WPD officer.&nbsp; Additionally, if any question exists on the legitimacy of an officer, you can call 911.

Police: Suspect reported impersonating a police officer

FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's death and after asking the public for help with information have made an arrest.

On Tuesday morning, police arrested Christian Benitez, 16, Garden City, on on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree and Aggravated Robbery, according to Sgt. Lana Urgeaga. He is being held in the Southwest Kansas Juvenile Detention Center.

Just before 11:30 a.m., Sunday,&nbsp; police responded to the Sunflower Inn, 1311 East Fulton in Garden City in reference to a man not breathing, according to Urteaga.

Officers arrived and were taken to room 115 by motel staff. Upon entering the room, officers found 23-year-old Alec Cantu&nbsp; dead on the floor. Cantu had signs of trauma to his body, and it was apparent an altercation took place inside the motel room.

Just before 10a.m. Sunday morning, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office responded to 4100 W. Railroad Ave. for an abandoned vehicle in the Arkansas River. The car was registered to Alec Cantu and had been vandalized.

The case has been turned over to the Finney County Attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601321333410.png" alt="Sunflower Inn Google image" />
 <figcaption>Sunflower Inn Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's death and after asking the public for help with information have made an arrest.On Tuesday morning, police arrested Christian Benitez, 16, Garden City, on on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree and Aggravated Robbery, according to Sgt. Lana Urgeaga. He is being held in the Southwest Kansas Juvenile Detention Center.Just before 11:30 a.m., Sunday,&nbsp; police responded to the Sunflower Inn, 1311 East Fulton in Garden City in reference to a man not breathing, according to Urteaga.Officers arrived and were taken to room 115 by motel staff. Upon entering the room, officers found 23-year-old Alec Cantu&nbsp; dead on the floor. Cantu had signs of trauma to his body, and it was apparent an altercation took place inside the motel room.Just before 10a.m. Sunday morning, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office responded to 4100 W. Railroad Ave. for an abandoned vehicle in the Arkansas River. The car was registered to Alec Cantu and had been vandalized.The case has been turned over to the Finney County Attorney's office.

SW Kan. teen arrested after dead man's car found vandalized, in river

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Following emotional statements from family members and a video honoring their loved one, Judge Bruce Brown sentenced 38-year-old Rachael Hilyard to life in prison with no chance for parol for 50-years for beheading 63-year-old Miki Davis in 2017. 

Hillyard apologized to the family and also said she often asks herself, "why did you do this?"

During the trial, prosecutors say Hilyard cut off&nbsp; Davis' head using two steak knives on April 9, 2017. Hilyard left the woman's head in the kitchen sink.

Prosecutor said the 38-year-old Hilyard attacked Davis without provocation then grabbed a knife “to finish what she started.”

Hilyard testified that she thought Davis was dead when she cut off her head. Her defense attorney says his client made bad decisions with horrible consequences.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas woman convicted of first-degree murder in the decapitation death of her ex-boyfriend's mother is scheduled for sentencing Tuesday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

The judge is allowing family members of the victim, Micki Davis, to be in the courtroom along with two prosecutors, the defense attorney, deputies, and the defendant. 

Prosecutors say Rachael Hilyard cut off 63-year-old Micki Davis' head using two steak knives on April 9, 2017. Hilyard left the woman's head in the kitchen sink.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601413947421.png" alt="A view of the court room as shown via Zoom prior to the sentencing Tuesday afternoon -courtesy Sedgwick County District Attorney's office" />
 <figcaption>A view of the court room as shown via Zoom prior to the sentencing Tuesday afternoon -courtesy Sedgwick County District Attorney's office</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Following emotional statements from family members and a video honoring their loved one, Judge Bruce Brown sentenced 38-year-old Rachael Hilyard to life in prison with no chance for parol for 50-years for beheading 63-year-old Miki Davis in 2017. Hillyard apologized to the family and also said she often asks herself, "why did you do this?"<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601326324188.png" alt="Hilyard-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Hilyard-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>During the trial, prosecutors say Hilyard cut off&nbsp; Davis' head using two steak knives on April 9, 2017. Hilyard left the woman's head in the kitchen sink.Prosecutor said the 38-year-old Hilyard attacked Davis without provocation then grabbed a knife “to finish what she started.”Hilyard testified that she thought Davis was dead when she cut off her head. Her defense attorney says his client made bad decisions with horrible consequences.SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas woman convicted of first-degree murder in the decapitation death of her ex-boyfriend's mother is scheduled for sentencing Tuesday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.The judge is allowing family members of the victim, Micki Davis, to be in the courtroom along with two prosecutors, the defense attorney, deputies, and the defendant. Prosecutors say Rachael Hilyard cut off 63-year-old Micki Davis' head using two steak knives on April 9, 2017. Hilyard left the woman's head in the kitchen sink.Prosecutor said the 38-year-old Hilyard attacked Davis without provocation then grabbed a knife “to finish what she started.”Hilyard testified that she thought Davis was dead when she cut off her head. Her defense attorney says his client made bad decisions with horrible consequences.-----

Update: Kan. woman sentenced for beheading ex-boyfriend's mother

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon arrested in connection with a fatal shooting made his first court appearance Friday.

Christian Wohlford was charged with 1st degree murder, aggravated robbery, attempted 1st degree murder, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp;

Just before 3:30a.m. Sept. 22, police responded to a&nbsp;police responded to a check shots call in the 500 block of North Edwards in Wichita, according to&nbsp;according to police Lt. Christian Cory.

Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive victim identified as 42-year-old Jeremy Hutchins in a white Nissan Xterra who had been shot in his upper torso.

Fire and EMS arrived on scene and attempted life-saving measures, but Hutchins died on the scene, according to Cory. Police also contacted a female acquaintance at the scene of the shooting.

Investigators learned that Hutchins met Wholford in the&nbsp;2700 Block of West Newell Street to make a property transaction.&nbsp;There was a disturbance between the two while in the SUV and Wholford shot Hutchins, according to Cory. Wholford also shop at the female acquaintance but she was not injured.

Later that morning, police arrested Wohlford during a traffic stop at South Washington Avenue and East Luther Street. Police have not released details on what property was involved in the transaction.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600873022540.png" alt="Wohlford has previous convictions for theft and burglary, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He had been on parol since since June -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Wohlford has previous convictions for theft and burglary, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He had been on parol since since June -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon arrested in connection with a fatal shooting made his first court appearance Friday.Christian Wohlford was charged with 1st degree murder, aggravated robbery, attempted 1st degree murder, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp;Just before 3:30a.m. Sept. 22, police responded to a&nbsp;police responded to a check shots call in the 500 block of North Edwards in Wichita, according to&nbsp;according to police Lt. Christian Cory.Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive victim identified as 42-year-old Jeremy Hutchins in a white Nissan Xterra who had been shot in his upper torso.Fire and EMS arrived on scene and attempted life-saving measures, but Hutchins died on the scene, according to Cory. Police also contacted a female acquaintance at the scene of the shooting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600798039296.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday morning -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday morning -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators learned that Hutchins met Wholford in the&nbsp;2700 Block of West Newell Street to make a property transaction.&nbsp;There was a disturbance between the two while in the SUV and Wholford shot Hutchins, according to Cory. Wholford also shop at the female acquaintance but she was not injured.Later that morning, police arrested Wohlford during a traffic stop at South Washington Avenue and East Luther Street. Police have not released details on what property was involved in the transaction.

Kan. felon on parol since June charged with murder

COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for allegedly leaving the scene of an injury DUI accident.

Just before 10p.m. Sept. 26, police were dispatched to the 1500 block of North C Street for a report of a hit-and-run injury accident, according to Arkansas City police.

They made contact with an 18-year-old Arkansas City resident who reported that while he was southbound in his red Chevrolet Equinox, he saw a northbound truck crossing into his lane of travel.

The driver reported stopping, thinking the other driver would correct his course and avoid a collision.

Instead, the white truck hit the Chevrolet head-on and its driver, later identified as&nbsp;Marcos Martin-Marcos, 46, allegedly fled the scene. The driver of the Equinox was evaluated at the scene by the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department, but declined to be transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Police made a social media post about the incident and soon received a tip about a possible match to the suspect’s vehicle. Police responded about 10:56 p.m. to the 100 block of East Windsor Road, where Martin-Marcos was contacted, identified and subsequently taken into custody.

He was booked into the Cowley County Jail on requested charges of misdemeanor driving under the influence (second offense). He also was cited for failure to report an injury accident, improper driving on a laned roadway, leaving the scene of an injury accident and no driver’s license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601413411082.png" alt="Martin-Marcos-photo Cowley Co." />
 <figcaption>Martin-Marcos-photo Cowley Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for allegedly leaving the scene of an injury DUI accident.Just before 10p.m. Sept. 26, police were dispatched to the 1500 block of North C Street for a report of a hit-and-run injury accident, according to Arkansas City police.They made contact with an 18-year-old Arkansas City resident who reported that while he was southbound in his red Chevrolet Equinox, he saw a northbound truck crossing into his lane of travel.The driver reported stopping, thinking the other driver would correct his course and avoid a collision.Instead, the white truck hit the Chevrolet head-on and its driver, later identified as&nbsp;Marcos Martin-Marcos, 46, allegedly fled the scene. The driver of the Equinox was evaluated at the scene by the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department, but declined to be transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.Police made a social media post about the incident and soon received a tip about a possible match to the suspect’s vehicle. Police responded about 10:56 p.m. to the 100 block of East Windsor Road, where Martin-Marcos was contacted, identified and subsequently taken into custody.He was booked into the Cowley County Jail on requested charges of misdemeanor driving under the influence (second offense). He also was cited for failure to report an injury accident, improper driving on a laned roadway, leaving the scene of an injury accident and no driver’s license.

Police use social media to find Kan. man who fled head-on crash

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former employee of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, has won a $125,000 settlement after her boss was convicted of grabbing her by the shirt and pushing her into a wall.

The Unified Government also apologized to Madeline Waldeck for the hostile work environment she faced while working for Dennis “Tib” Laughlin, the former director of general services.

Her lawsuit says she called police in May 2018 after Laughlin shoved her, leading to a misdemeanor battery conviction and Laughlin’s resignation. The suit said said she had complained previously about Laughlin’s conduct but that no action was taken.

“I hope that by me sharing my story things will change for the good and that I can help others,” Waldeck told The Star on Monday.

A message seeking comment from Laughlin, was not returned. The Unified Government did not respond to a message seeking comment, either.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601386117534.png" alt="Dennis Laughlin -photo courtesy Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Dennis Laughlin -photo courtesy Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former employee of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, has won a $125,000 settlement after her boss was convicted of grabbing her by the shirt and pushing her into a wall.The Unified Government also apologized to Madeline Waldeck for the hostile work environment she faced while working for Dennis “Tib” Laughlin, the former director of general services.Her lawsuit says she called police in May 2018 after Laughlin shoved her, leading to a misdemeanor battery conviction and Laughlin’s resignation. The suit said said she had complained previously about Laughlin’s conduct but that no action was taken.“I hope that by me sharing my story things will change for the good and that I can help others,” Waldeck told The Star on Monday.A message seeking comment from Laughlin, was not returned. The Unified Government did not respond to a message seeking comment, either.

Unified Govt. apologizes to ex-employee battered by boss

By AJ DOME <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/29/deal-strikes-balance-between-quivira-wildlife-refuge-agriculture-producers/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Officials say a new 
agreement benefits both a national wildlife refuge and local agriculture
 producers in central Kansas, and it involves the extraction of several 
invasive plant species in the area along with water augmentation for a 
local creek.

Water usage at the 
22,135-acre Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Stafford, Rice and Reno 
counties has been in discussion among interested parties for nearly a 
decade, beginning with a water impairment notice filed by the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Meetings were held in St. 
John last year over the future of water in the area. Managers of the 
refuge met with local ag producers, as well as members of KDA and the 
Big Bend Groundwater Management District 5, over the course of several 
months. On July 25 of this year, the stakeholders signed a memorandum of
 agreement.

“It’s not the final 
agreement,” said Mike Oldham, manager of the Quivira refuge. “It is 
something which will lead to a much larger legal document, as the 
groundwater management district is in the process of doing more things 
for conservation.”

The state engineer 
oversees water right distribution and evaluation. The discussions over 
who was first in right to the water involved Oldham, as well as local 
stakeholders and political leanings from Sen. Jerry Moran.

Moran said he shared the 
water rights dispute with U.S. Fish and Wildlife director Aurelia 
Skipwith, explaining the need for farmers and ranchers to be able to 
utilize groundwater in the basin.

“The agreement reached 
works to meet the needs of both local agricultural producers and the 
wildlife refuge by augmenting the streamflow of Rattlesnake Creek, and 
encouraging voluntary conservation efforts,” Moran said.

Water augmentation makes 
up a good portion of the plan, as well as retiring water rights out of 
sensitive areas of the district and moving some of those water rights to
 less sensitive areas. Oldham said the removal of invasive tree species 
will also help. He said they are currently trying to control four 
specific species of tree.

“We don’t want them to creep in and basically invade the grassland habitat we have,” Oldham said.

Salt cedar, or tamarisk, 
is the biggest invasive offender. Oldham said he came from the Colorado 
River, where the plant grows into a full-size tree, whereas in Kansas it
 grows more like a problematic shrub.

“They grow a lot bigger in a warmer climate,” Oldham said. “The roots go fairly deep and can tap into more water reserves.”

Oldham said these tamarisk
 plants grow out and reaching for water where they can, and they can 
certainly out-compete Kansas’ native species of trees for water 
resources. Mitigation tactics for the salt cedar and other invasive 
trees will include excavation from the earth, roots and all. When that 
option is not available, workers will chop the tree off at the stump, 
then kill the stump with a federally-approved herbicide.

“You have to look at each 
tree, how it grows and when it grows,” Oldham said. “If you look at salt
 cedar, it’s got a root crown, which sits about 18 inches below root 
surface. Basically, you’re chopping down the top and it’ll root-sprout 
and clone itself. A lot of these species require multiple treatments.”

The biggest portion of the
 plan involves augmenting Rattlesnake Creek close to the refuge by 
pumping groundwater from a relatively untapped basin nearby. Jim Butler,
 senior geohydrology scientist at the Kansas Geological Survey, says the
 stream flow into the refuge would increase under that scenario, 
benefitting ag producers and the refuge, but there would not necessarily
 be any water savings or conservation.

“The water savings from 
vegetation removal are going to be short term and would be difficult to 
quantify or recognize using data,” Butler said. “The major reason for 
the low flows coming into the refuge is the pumping of groundwater. 
Water use by vegetation is vastly overwhelmed by that.”

Butler said there is a 
wide range of opinions on whether that plan can actually meet the needs 
of the refuge for the long term. Butler used an example of a project he 
worked on previously along the Cimarron River near Ashland, in which he 
said a large swath of salt cedar was removed. Scientists then looked at 
the impact on shallow groundwater.

“The impact was 
short-lived, as other plants moved in to fill the empty niche,” Butler 
said. “The most positive impact was rangeland restoration.”

Butler said it will take 
“constant vigilance” to keep the invasive species from moving back in. 
Oldham said, as far as the refuge goes, it is an ongoing thing.

“I don’t think you ever 
get to the point where you remove your last invasive tree and say, ‘I’m 
done,’ ” Oldham said. “You’re always continuing the control.”

Oldham said refuge management is going for a balanced approach.

“The thing we have to 
remember: There’s still value of that invasive tree species, whether to 
migratory birds or other wildlife,” Oldham said. “Maybe it’s not a good 
thing to remove 100% of those trees. Doing it little by little is a good
 thing, but it’s a balancing act. We don’t want to do too much at one 
time.”

AJ Dome is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster from southwest Kansas. When he’s not writing, he’s helping people receive pandemic unemployment benefits for the Kansas Department of Labor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601414535613.png" alt="A spectacular sunset sets the waters of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge ablaze in November 2014. (Submitted by Mike Umscheid to Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>A spectacular sunset sets the waters of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge ablaze in November 2014. (Submitted by Mike Umscheid to Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AJ DOME <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/29/deal-strikes-balance-between-quivira-wildlife-refuge-agriculture-producers/">Kansas Reflector</a>Officials say a new 
agreement benefits both a national wildlife refuge and local agriculture
 producers in central Kansas, and it involves the extraction of several 
invasive plant species in the area along with water augmentation for a 
local creek.Water usage at the 
22,135-acre Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Stafford, Rice and Reno 
counties has been in discussion among interested parties for nearly a 
decade, beginning with a water impairment notice filed by the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Agriculture.Meetings were held in St. 
John last year over the future of water in the area. Managers of the 
refuge met with local ag producers, as well as members of KDA and the 
Big Bend Groundwater Management District 5, over the course of several 
months. On July 25 of this year, the stakeholders signed a memorandum of
 agreement.“It’s not the final 
agreement,” said Mike Oldham, manager of the Quivira refuge. “It is 
something which will lead to a much larger legal document, as the 
groundwater management district is in the process of doing more things 
for conservation.”The state engineer 
oversees water right distribution and evaluation. The discussions over 
who was first in right to the water involved Oldham, as well as local 
stakeholders and political leanings from Sen. Jerry Moran.Moran said he shared the 
water rights dispute with U.S. Fish and Wildlife director Aurelia 
Skipwith, explaining the need for farmers and ranchers to be able to 
utilize groundwater in the basin.“The agreement reached 
works to meet the needs of both local agricultural producers and the 
wildlife refuge by augmenting the streamflow of Rattlesnake Creek, and 
encouraging voluntary conservation efforts,” Moran said.Water augmentation makes 
up a good portion of the plan, as well as retiring water rights out of 
sensitive areas of the district and moving some of those water rights to
 less sensitive areas. Oldham said the removal of invasive tree species 
will also help. He said they are currently trying to control four 
specific species of tree.“We don’t want them to creep in and basically invade the grassland habitat we have,” Oldham said.Salt cedar, or tamarisk, 
is the biggest invasive offender. Oldham said he came from the Colorado 
River, where the plant grows into a full-size tree, whereas in Kansas it
 grows more like a problematic shrub.“They grow a lot bigger in a warmer climate,” Oldham said. “The roots go fairly deep and can tap into more water reserves.”Oldham said these tamarisk
 plants grow out and reaching for water where they can, and they can 
certainly out-compete Kansas’ native species of trees for water 
resources. Mitigation tactics for the salt cedar and other invasive 
trees will include excavation from the earth, roots and all. When that 
option is not available, workers will chop the tree off at the stump, 
then kill the stump with a federally-approved herbicide.“You have to look at each 
tree, how it grows and when it grows,” Oldham said. “If you look at salt
 cedar, it’s got a root crown, which sits about 18 inches below root 
surface. Basically, you’re chopping down the top and it’ll root-sprout 
and clone itself. A lot of these species require multiple treatments.”The biggest portion of the
 plan involves augmenting Rattlesnake Creek close to the refuge by 
pumping groundwater from a relatively untapped basin nearby. Jim Butler,
 senior geohydrology scientist at the Kansas Geological Survey, says the
 stream flow into the refuge would increase under that scenario, 
benefitting ag producers and the refuge, but there would not necessarily
 be any water savings or conservation.“The water savings from 
vegetation removal are going to be short term and would be difficult to 
quantify or recognize using data,” Butler said. “The major reason for 
the low flows coming into the refuge is the pumping of groundwater. 
Water use by vegetation is vastly overwhelmed by that.”Butler said there is a 
wide range of opinions on whether that plan can actually meet the needs 
of the refuge for the long term. Butler used an example of a project he 
worked on previously along the Cimarron River near Ashland, in which he 
said a large swath of salt cedar was removed. Scientists then looked at 
the impact on shallow groundwater.“The impact was 
short-lived, as other plants moved in to fill the empty niche,” Butler 
said. “The most positive impact was rangeland restoration.”Butler said it will take 
“constant vigilance” to keep the invasive species from moving back in. 
Oldham said, as far as the refuge goes, it is an ongoing thing.“I don’t think you ever 
get to the point where you remove your last invasive tree and say, ‘I’m 
done,’ ” Oldham said. “You’re always continuing the control.”Oldham said refuge management is going for a balanced approach.“The thing we have to 
remember: There’s still value of that invasive tree species, whether to 
migratory birds or other wildlife,” Oldham said. “Maybe it’s not a good 
thing to remove 100% of those trees. Doing it little by little is a good
 thing, but it’s a balancing act. We don’t want to do too much at one 
time.”AJ Dome is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster from southwest Kansas. When he’s not writing, he’s helping people receive pandemic unemployment benefits for the Kansas Department of Labor.

Deal strikes balance between Quivira refuge, ag producers

TOPEKA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly Tuesday toured the Meade State Park and Fish Hatchery in Meade, Kansas, and signed proclamations to celebrate both Hispanic Heritage Month and National Hunting and Fishing Day.

<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.kansas.gov%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F09%2FHispanic-Heritage-Month-English.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C0d4127ee681946e9dfca08d86497f3e3%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637369951071624884&amp;sdata=FJO8tsRupuIF8ZDFxBfb%2F4sR0Xh07ZRX%2BbIKmorOz0E%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Read the Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation here.</a>

“I am a firm believer in the importance of outdoor recreation and our State Parks to the health and well-being of our citizens,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“My National Hunting and Fishing Day proclamation is a celebration of Kansas’ many outdoor opportunities – and also recognition of the tremendous impact these activities have on our economy, particularly in rural parts of Kansas.”

Governor Kelly was joined by Brad Loveless, Secretary for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, and Audé Negrete, Executive Director of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission. Through a new partnership between their organizations, they announced during Tuesday’s visit a new language access program that will give Spanish-speaking Kansans access to KDWPT communications.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that more than 85,000 Kansans identify Spanish as their preferred language.

“Our state’s abundant hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities are known nationwide – but we need to ensure that all Kansans can enjoy these opportunities equally,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“This exciting new partnership is a significant first step toward making our services more accessible and inclusive.”

During the visit, Governor Kelly signed a proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and highlighted the far-reaching contributions of Hispanic and Latino Kansans.

“Kansas is home to dedicated Latino farmworkers, doctors and nurses, business owners, educators, servicemembers, and many others who undoubtedly make our state a better place – many of whom have worked as frontline workers during the pandemic,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“My Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation is not only a celebration but also a reminder that we must continue to advocate for equal representation and opportunity for all people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601401197199.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly at Meade State Park Tuesday -photo courtesy office of Kan. Governor" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly at Meade State Park Tuesday -photo courtesy office of Kan. Governor</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly Tuesday toured the Meade State Park and Fish Hatchery in Meade, Kansas, and signed proclamations to celebrate both Hispanic Heritage Month and National Hunting and Fishing Day.<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.kansas.gov%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F09%2FHispanic-Heritage-Month-English.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C0d4127ee681946e9dfca08d86497f3e3%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637369951071624884&amp;sdata=FJO8tsRupuIF8ZDFxBfb%2F4sR0Xh07ZRX%2BbIKmorOz0E%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Read the Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation here.</a>“I am a firm believer in the importance of outdoor recreation and our State Parks to the health and well-being of our citizens,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“My National Hunting and Fishing Day proclamation is a celebration of Kansas’ many outdoor opportunities – and also recognition of the tremendous impact these activities have on our economy, particularly in rural parts of Kansas.”Governor Kelly was joined by Brad Loveless, Secretary for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, and Audé Negrete, Executive Director of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission. Through a new partnership between their organizations, they announced during Tuesday’s visit a new language access program that will give Spanish-speaking Kansans access to KDWPT communications.Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that more than 85,000 Kansans identify Spanish as their preferred language.“Our state’s abundant hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities are known nationwide – but we need to ensure that all Kansans can enjoy these opportunities equally,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“This exciting new partnership is a significant first step toward making our services more accessible and inclusive.”During the visit, Governor Kelly signed a proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and highlighted the far-reaching contributions of Hispanic and Latino Kansans.“Kansas is home to dedicated Latino farmworkers, doctors and nurses, business owners, educators, servicemembers, and many others who undoubtedly make our state a better place – many of whom have worked as frontline workers during the pandemic,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“My Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation is not only a celebration but also a reminder that we must continue to advocate for equal representation and opportunity for all people.”

Governor celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, Hunting and Fishing Day 

By PATRICIA WEEMS GASTON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/27/what-it-meant-for-one-young-kansan-to-be-in-the-room-with-gale-sayers/">For the Kansas Reflector</a>

I will never forget Gale 
Sayers sitting for an interview with us high school journalists in 1976 
during summer camp at the University of Kansas. I don’t recall his exact
 words, what current event we talked about, but I am sure we sat there 
with starry eyes as he discussed his storied Kansas and NFL careers. He 
was in the room.

That summer, there were a 
lot of people in the room at the Midwestern Music and Art Camp and the 
Urban Journalism Workshop. There was <a href="https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/george-l-brown-1926-2006-first-african-american-hold-statewide-office-us">Lt. Gov. George Brown of Colorado</a>
 (J’ 52, second black KU journalism graduate); Emory Greene, manager of 
Technological Operations with the Public Broadcasting System (PBS); <a href="https://www.nabj.org/news/142589/NABJ-Founding-Executive-Director-honored-by-the-National-Black-Public-Relations-Society-NBPRS.htm">Paul Brock</a>, vice president of the Mutual Black Network; Owen T. Wilkerson, news executive of Scouting, USA; <a href="https://news.stthomas.edu/dave-nimmer-honored-by-threesixty-urban-journalism-workshop/">David Nimmer</a>, managing editor of the Minneapolis Star; <a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/jim-richardson/19750">Jim Richardson</a>, staff photographer for the Topeka Capital Journal.

“The Urban Journalism 
Workshop is intended to make minority students aware of career 
opportunities in journalism communication. It provides them with 
abilities to write that will help them in whatever career area they will
 go,” associate professor <a href="https://klcjournal.com/ku-journalism-professor-led-with-love-amid-hate/">Samuel L. Adams</a> told The Kamper Kansan at the time.

<a href="https://kuathletics.com/kansas-comet-gale-sayers-passes-away-at-77/">Sayers’s death last week</a>
 reminded me of that heady June day, but it also reminded me that access
 is key whatever age in school you are. Without it our eyes are closed 
to the beauty and possibilities that the world has for each of us.

As a 16-year-old, my eyes 
to another world were opened by Adams, and before him my high school 
journalism teacher, Maryanne Lyons. I got a chance to roam the Lawrence 
campus for two weeks, live in a dorm, make new friends (some of whom I 
am still friends with today), report on events, sit in hot, stuffy Flint
 Hall classrooms and get tips and tools from academics and see that 
there was a place in journalism for me.

I knew I was going to 
college and I always knew it would be KU. I come from a long line of 
thinkers, teachers, musicians, doctors and nurses. My aunt, Christine 
Weems Northern, was the first black graduate of KU’s School of Nursing 
in 1952. My great uncle, Bertram Caruthers Sr., studied zoology in the 
1930s on Mount Oread.

But the journalism space 
was foreign turf. In my house, we got every newspaper and magazine 
available. And my parents, Charles and Camille Weems, were very familiar
 with the <a href="https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/b/bluford/">Lucile Bluford</a>-run <a href="https://kccallnews.com/">Kansas City Call</a> and Helen Gray’s articles on religion in the Kansas City Star. But they didn’t see their little girl in the profession.

It was through my hard work and from the encouragement of Lyons, Adams, and associate dean <a href="http://archive.news.ku.edu/2008/august/6/shaw.shtml">Susanne Shaw</a>
 that my parents saw that I could make journalism mine and would be able
 to take care of myself. Shaw led me through the matriculation process 
and I got a copy editing job in Rochester, New York, the August after I 
graduated in 1981. Again, these people welcomed me into the room. And it
 was left up to me what I did with it. It was as simple as that.

In recent years, I learned
 of things they did to help me further my career: Putting in a good word
 for me at The Washington Post, helping me sort out work-family balance,
 providing a listening ear when things got tough in the newsroom, and 
now giving me encouraging words and ideas as <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/16/how-it-feels-to-come-home-to-kansas-after-decades-away/">I am still new in the classroom</a>. Before Adams died in 2019 at age 93, we chatted about my new role as the <a href="https://journalism.ku.edu/patricia-weems-gaston">Lacy C. Haynes professor</a>,
 how I could mentor students as he had done for me and countless others 
and more importantly, what I would mean to the students because I was in
 the room.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601318884001.png" alt="A detail of a photo in the June 25, 1976, edition of The Kamper Kansan. The caption read: "Gale Sayers in a news conference with high school Midwestern Journalism Camp and Urban Workshop students reaches out to express himself. (Photo by Dawn Price)."" />
 <figcaption>A detail of a photo in the June 25, 1976, edition of The Kamper Kansan. The caption read: "Gale Sayers in a news conference with high school Midwestern Journalism Camp and Urban Workshop students reaches out to express himself. (Photo by Dawn Price)."</figcaption>
 </figure>By PATRICIA WEEMS GASTON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/27/what-it-meant-for-one-young-kansan-to-be-in-the-room-with-gale-sayers/">For the Kansas Reflector</a>I will never forget Gale 
Sayers sitting for an interview with us high school journalists in 1976 
during summer camp at the University of Kansas. I don’t recall his exact
 words, what current event we talked about, but I am sure we sat there 
with starry eyes as he discussed his storied Kansas and NFL careers. He 
was in the room.That summer, there were a 
lot of people in the room at the Midwestern Music and Art Camp and the 
Urban Journalism Workshop. There was <a href="https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/george-l-brown-1926-2006-first-african-american-hold-statewide-office-us">Lt. Gov. George Brown of Colorado</a>
 (J’ 52, second black KU journalism graduate); Emory Greene, manager of 
Technological Operations with the Public Broadcasting System (PBS); <a href="https://www.nabj.org/news/142589/NABJ-Founding-Executive-Director-honored-by-the-National-Black-Public-Relations-Society-NBPRS.htm">Paul Brock</a>, vice president of the Mutual Black Network; Owen T. Wilkerson, news executive of Scouting, USA; <a href="https://news.stthomas.edu/dave-nimmer-honored-by-threesixty-urban-journalism-workshop/">David Nimmer</a>, managing editor of the Minneapolis Star; <a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/jim-richardson/19750">Jim Richardson</a>, staff photographer for the Topeka Capital Journal.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601318965531.png" alt="A page of stories produced by the high school journalism staff of the Kamper Kansan in June 1976." />
 <figcaption>A page of stories produced by the high school journalism staff of the Kamper Kansan in June 1976.</figcaption>
 </figure>“The Urban Journalism 
Workshop is intended to make minority students aware of career 
opportunities in journalism communication. It provides them with 
abilities to write that will help them in whatever career area they will
 go,” associate professor <a href="https://klcjournal.com/ku-journalism-professor-led-with-love-amid-hate/">Samuel L. Adams</a> told The Kamper Kansan at the time.<a href="https://kuathletics.com/kansas-comet-gale-sayers-passes-away-at-77/">Sayers’s death last week</a>
 reminded me of that heady June day, but it also reminded me that access
 is key whatever age in school you are. Without it our eyes are closed 
to the beauty and possibilities that the world has for each of us.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As a 16-year-old, my eyes 
to another world were opened by Adams, and before him my high school 
journalism teacher, Maryanne Lyons. I got a chance to roam the Lawrence 
campus for two weeks, live in a dorm, make new friends (some of whom I 
am still friends with today), report on events, sit in hot, stuffy Flint
 Hall classrooms and get tips and tools from academics and see that 
there was a place in journalism for me.I knew I was going to 
college and I always knew it would be KU. I come from a long line of 
thinkers, teachers, musicians, doctors and nurses. My aunt, Christine 
Weems Northern, was the first black graduate of KU’s School of Nursing 
in 1952. My great uncle, Bertram Caruthers Sr., studied zoology in the 
1930s on Mount Oread.But the journalism space 
was foreign turf. In my house, we got every newspaper and magazine 
available. And my parents, Charles and Camille Weems, were very familiar
 with the <a href="https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/b/bluford/">Lucile Bluford</a>-run <a href="https://kccallnews.com/">Kansas City Call</a> and Helen Gray’s articles on religion in the Kansas City Star. But they didn’t see their little girl in the profession.It was through my hard work and from the encouragement of Lyons, Adams, and associate dean <a href="http://archive.news.ku.edu/2008/august/6/shaw.shtml">Susanne Shaw</a>
 that my parents saw that I could make journalism mine and would be able
 to take care of myself. Shaw led me through the matriculation process 
and I got a copy editing job in Rochester, New York, the August after I 
graduated in 1981. Again, these people welcomed me into the room. And it
 was left up to me what I did with it. It was as simple as that.In recent years, I learned
 of things they did to help me further my career: Putting in a good word
 for me at The Washington Post, helping me sort out work-family balance,
 providing a listening ear when things got tough in the newsroom, and 
now giving me encouraging words and ideas as <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/16/how-it-feels-to-come-home-to-kansas-after-decades-away/">I am still new in the classroom</a>. Before Adams died in 2019 at age 93, we chatted about my new role as the <a href="https://journalism.ku.edu/patricia-weems-gaston">Lacy C. Haynes professor</a>,
 how I could mentor students as he had done for me and countless others 
and more importantly, what I would mean to the students because I was in
 the room.One of my students upon 
her graduation in May wrote that when she got to KU she had so wished 
she had a Black female professor to work with, that her dream came true 
and she was so grateful. She got a job and is now working as a reporter.The day Sayers died, I 
sent students (past and present) announcements about internship and 
election fellowship opportunities. And I began mentoring a new faculty 
member who can teach me as much about teaching as I can about the 
journalism profession.Every day is a good day because I am in the room and can bestow on my students what others have given me.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601318993375.png" alt="Patricia E. Weems Gaston is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the Lacy C. Haynes Professor at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Gaston graduated from KU in 1981; she has a master's degree in sports management from The George Washington University. Before joining The Washington Post in 1997, she worked at the Dallas Morning News, where she was an assistant foreign editor and was co-editor of the 1994 Pulitzer Prize-winning series on violence against women." />
 <figcaption>Patricia E. Weems Gaston is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the Lacy C. Haynes Professor at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Gaston graduated from KU in 1981; she has a master's degree in sports management from The George Washington University. Before joining The Washington Post in 1997, she worked at the Dallas Morning News, where she was an assistant foreign editor and was co-editor of the 1994 Pulitzer Prize-winning series on violence against women.</figcaption>
 </figure>