TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The United States on Thursday carried out its second federal execution this week, killing by lethal injection a Kansas man whose lawyers contended he had dementia and was unfit to be executed.

Wesley Ira Purkey was put to death at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Purkey was convicted of kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old girl before dismembering, burning and dumping her body in a septic pond. He also was convicted in a state court in Kansas after using a claw hammer to kill an 80-year-old woman who had polio.

Purkey expressed remorse right before he was executed.

“I deeply regret the pain and suffering I caused to Jennifer’s family,” he said. “I am deeply sorry. I deeply regret the pain I caused to my daughter, who I love so very much. This sanitized murder really does not serve no purpose whatsoever.”

The Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution to take place just hours before, ruling in a 5-4 decision. The four liberal justices dissented, like they did for the first case earlier this week.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that “proceeding with Purkey’s execution now, despite the grave questions and factual findings regarding his mental competency, casts a shroud of constitutional doubt over the most irrevocable of injuries.” She was joined by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.

It was the federal government’s second execution after a 17-year hiatus. Another man,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/638826b00bba1b389756126e4cfae97a">Daniel Lewis Lee</a>, was put to death Tuesday after his eleventh hour legal bids failed.

Both executions were delayed into the day after they were scheduled as legal wrangling continued late into the night and into the next morning.

The Justice Department has been questioned for holding the executions in the middle of the worsening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>, prompting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1f1af3ed977d5ee94c6b2d9cc6a65bbb">lawsuits over fears those who would travel to the prison could become infected</a>. The decision to resume executions after nearly two decades was criticized as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c9e7b0c522b3be790b0ad3121bf96b06">dangerously political move</a>&nbsp;in an election year, forcing an issue that is not high on the list of American priorities considering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cddec060d38eacbb708a47120d34af51">the 11% unemployment rate</a>&nbsp;and the pandemic.

Purkey’s lawyers had argued his condition had deteriorated so severely that he didn’t understand why he was being executed. They said he was repeatedly sexually assaulted as a child and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions.

<a href="https://apnews.com/44465354fd8219a0bc2fec0962c526ec">The issue of Purkey’s mental health</a>&nbsp;arose in the run-up to his 2003 trial and when, after the verdict, jurors had to decide whether he should be put to death in the killing of 16-year-old Jennifer Long in Kansas City, Missouri. Prosecutors said he raped and stabbed her, dismembered her with a chainsaw, burned her and dumped her ashes 200 miles (320 kilometers) away in a septic pond in Kansas. Purkey was separately convicted and sentenced to life in the beating death of 80-year-old Mary Ruth Bales, of Kansas City, Kansas.

Purkey had a long history of childhood trauma, was sexually abused by family members and a Catholic priest and was beaten by other family members, said Liz Vartkessian, a mitigation specialist who worked with Purkey’s legal team and visited him dozens of times in the last five years.

“His case is replete with instances where he has expressed a deep remorse,” she said in an interview earlier this month.

But recently, Purkey’s mental health had seriously deteriorated to the point he didn’t have the stamina for long visits with his legal team and often forgot key facts and dates, she said.

Correction officers had to help him write down a schedule to remember his visits with his lawyers, she said.

He also had a long history of paranoia and delusions and believed the Justice Department was moving forward with his execution because of many complaints and lawsuits he brought in prison, even though most had failed, Vartkessian said.

The Supreme Court also lifted a hold placed on other executions set for Friday and next month.

<a href="https://apnews.com/4cc4065b575e7b051a1adedba2ab4ca4">Dustin Honken</a>, a drug kingpin from Iowa convicted of killing five people in a scheme to silence former dealers, was scheduled for execution Friday.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The Supreme Court early Thursday cleared the way for a second federal execution this week. The vote to allow the execution of Wesley Ira Purkey to go forward was 5-4, with the court's four liberal members dissenting.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that “proceeding with Purkey’s execution now, despite the grave questions and factual findings regarding his mental competency, casts a shroud of constitutional doubt over the most irrevocable of injuries.” She was joined by fellow liberal justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.

But a lower court put an emergency hold on the execution for one hour as it weighed issues in the case, further delaying what initially had been slated for Wednesday evening at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute,&nbsp;Indiana.

Purkey was convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing a 16-year-old girl before dismembering, burning and then dumping her body in a septic pond. He also was convicted in a state court in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;after using a claw hammer to kill an 80-year-old woman who suffered from polio.

On Tuesday, Daniel Lewis Lee was put to death at the facility after his eleventh hour legal bids failed. It was the first federal execution after a 17-year hiatus.

Lawyers for the 68-year-old Purkey, of Kansas, argued that he has dementia and is unfit to be executed. They said his condition has deteriorated so severely that he didn’t understand why he was being executed. They also said that if Purkey’s execution did not take place Wednesday, the government would need to set a new date. But government lawyers said there was no obstacle to going through with the execution Thursday if the Supreme Court lifted the injunctions.

The issue of Purkey’s mental health arose in the run-up to his 2003 trial and when, after the verdict, jurors had to decide whether he should be put to death in the killing of 16-year-old Jennifer Long in Kansas City,&nbsp;Missouri. Prosecutors said he raped and stabbed her, dismembered her with a chainsaw, burned her and dumped her ashes 200 miles (320 kilometers) away in a septic pond in Kansas. Purkey was separately convicted and sentenced to life in the beating death of 80-year-old Mary Ruth Bales, of Kansas City, Kansas, who suffered from polio.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday halted the execution of a man, said to be suffering from dementia, who had been set to die by lethal injection in the federal government’s second execution this week after a 17-year hiatus.

Wesley Ira Purkey, convicted of a gruesome 1998 kidnapping and killing, was scheduled for execution Wednesday night at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/638826b00bba1b389756126e4cfae97a">Daniel Lewis Lee was put to death</a>&nbsp;Tuesday after his eleventh-hour legal bids failed.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, D.C., imposed two injunctions prohibiting the federal Bureau of Prisons from moving forward with Purkey’s execution. The Justice Department immediately appealed in both cases. A separate temporary stay was already in place from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.

The legal wrangling suggested a volley of litigation would continue in the hours ahead of Purkey’s scheduled execution, similar to what happened before the government executed Lee following a ruling from the Supreme Court. One of the injunctions imposed Wednesday halts not only Purkey’s execution, but another scheduled for Friday and one in August.

Lee, convicted of killing an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation, was the first of four condemned men scheduled to die in July and August despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;raging inside and outside prisons.

This competency issue is a very strong issue on paper,” said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. “The Supreme Court has halted executions on this issue in the past. At a minimum, the question of whether Purkey dies is going to go down to the last minute.”

Judge Chutkan didn’t rule on whether Purkey was competent but said the court needed to evaluate the claim. She said there was no question he’d suffer “irreparable harm” if he was put to death before his claims could be evaluated.

Lee’s execution had gone forward a day late. It was scheduled for Monday afternoon, but the Supreme Court only gave the green light in a 5-4 ruling early Tuesday.

Repeatedly on Wednesday, a federal judge also denied a request from Dustin Lee Honkin, an Iowa drug kingpin scheduled to be executed on Friday, to delay his execution. The judge said he would not delay Honken’s execution date due to the coronavirus pandemic and said the Bureau of Prisons was in the best position to weigh the health risks.

The issue of Purkey’s mental health arose in the runup to his 2003 trial and when, after the verdict, jurors had to decide whether he should be put to death in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bb53ffa7c8564bdd9e6f0f130e8ef21b">16-year-old Jennifer Long</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City, Missouri. Prosecutors said he raped and stabbed her, dismembered her with a chainsaw, burned the body and dumped her ashes in a pond in Kansas. Purkey was separately convicted and sentenced to life in the beating death of 80-year-old Mary Ruth Bales, of Kansas City, Kansas.

But the legal questions of whether he was mentally fit to stand trial or to be sentenced to die are different from the question of whether he’s mentally fit enough now to be put to death. Purkey’s lawyers argue he clearly isn’t,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a494e22c8a4449118f7ee60963804f92">saying in recent filings he suffers from advancing Alzheimer’s disease</a>.

“He has long accepted responsibility for the crime that put him on death row,” one of this lawyers, Rebecca Woodman, said. “But as his dementia has progressed, he no longer has a rational understanding of why the government plans to execute him.”

Purkey believes his planned execution is part of a conspiracy involving his attorneys, Woodman said. In other filings, they describe delusions that people were spraying poison into his room and that drug dealers implanted a device in his chest meant to kill him.

While various legal issues in Purkey’s case have been hashed, rehashed and settled by courts over nearly two decades, “competency is something that is always in flux,” so the issue of mental fitness for execution can only be addressed once a date is set, according to Dunham, who teaches law school courses on capital punishment.

In a landmark 1986 decision, the Supreme Court ruled the Constitution prohibits executing someone who lacks a reasonable understanding of why he’s being executed. It involved the case of Alvin Ford, who was convicted of murder but whose mental health deteriorated behind bars to the point, according to his lawyer, he believed he was pope.

“I could say I was Napoleon,” Dunham said. “But if I say I understand that Napoleon was sentenced to death for a crime and is being executed for it — that could allow the execution to go ahead.”

Purkey’s mental issues go beyond Alzheimer’s, his lawyers have said. They say he was subject to sexual and mental abuse as a child and, at 14, was diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and psychosis.

Last week, three mental health organizations urged U.S. Attorney William Barr to commute Purkey’s sentence to life in prison without possibility of parole. The National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America and the Treatment Advocacy Center said executing mentally ailing people like Purkey “constitutes cruel and unusual punishment and does not comport with ‘evolving standards of decency.’”

Glenda Lamont, the mother of the slain teenager, told The Kansas City Star last year she planned to attend Purkey’s execution.

“I don’t want to say that I’m happy,” Lamont said. “At the same time, he is a crazy madman that doesn’t deserve, in my opinion, to be breathing anymore.”

President Donald Trump’s campaign touted the Lee execution in an email blast, saying the president “Ensured Total Justice for the Victims of an Evil Killer” and demanded his political opponent Joe Biden explain why he now opposes capital punishment.

There was an unofficial moratorium on federal executions after the Obama administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1d3518af20dc4849804c21e58b46ae15">ordered a review in 2014&nbsp;</a>following a botched execution in Oklahoma.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1564080385902.png" alt="Wesley Purkey, from Kansas, one of three federal inmates scheduled to be put to death this week- photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Wesley Purkey, from Kansas, one of three federal inmates scheduled to be put to death this week- photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The United States on Thursday carried out its second federal execution this week, killing by lethal injection a Kansas man whose lawyers contended he had dementia and was unfit to be executed.Wesley Ira Purkey was put to death at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Purkey was convicted of kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old girl before dismembering, burning and dumping her body in a septic pond. He also was convicted in a state court in Kansas after using a claw hammer to kill an 80-year-old woman who had polio.Purkey expressed remorse right before he was executed.“I deeply regret the pain and suffering I caused to Jennifer’s family,” he said. “I am deeply sorry. I deeply regret the pain I caused to my daughter, who I love so very much. This sanitized murder really does not serve no purpose whatsoever.”His time of death was 8:19 a.m. EDT.The Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution to take place just hours before, ruling in a 5-4 decision. The four liberal justices dissented, like they did for the first case earlier this week.Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that “proceeding with Purkey’s execution now, despite the grave questions and factual findings regarding his mental competency, casts a shroud of constitutional doubt over the most irrevocable of injuries.” She was joined by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.It was the federal government’s second execution after a 17-year hiatus. Another man,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/638826b00bba1b389756126e4cfae97a">Daniel Lewis Lee</a>, was put to death Tuesday after his eleventh hour legal bids failed.Both executions were delayed into the day after they were scheduled as legal wrangling continued late into the night and into the next morning.The Justice Department has been questioned for holding the executions in the middle of the worsening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>, prompting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1f1af3ed977d5ee94c6b2d9cc6a65bbb">lawsuits over fears those who would travel to the prison could become infected</a>. The decision to resume executions after nearly two decades was criticized as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c9e7b0c522b3be790b0ad3121bf96b06">dangerously political move</a>&nbsp;in an election year, forcing an issue that is not high on the list of American priorities considering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cddec060d38eacbb708a47120d34af51">the 11% unemployment rate</a>&nbsp;and the pandemic.Purkey’s lawyers had argued his condition had deteriorated so severely that he didn’t understand why he was being executed. They said he was repeatedly sexually assaulted as a child and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions.<a href="https://apnews.com/44465354fd8219a0bc2fec0962c526ec">The issue of Purkey’s mental health</a>&nbsp;arose in the run-up to his 2003 trial and when, after the verdict, jurors had to decide whether he should be put to death in the killing of 16-year-old Jennifer Long in Kansas City, Missouri. Prosecutors said he raped and stabbed her, dismembered her with a chainsaw, burned her and dumped her ashes 200 miles (320 kilometers) away in a septic pond in Kansas. Purkey was separately convicted and sentenced to life in the beating death of 80-year-old Mary Ruth Bales, of Kansas City, Kansas.Purkey had a long history of childhood trauma, was sexually abused by family members and a Catholic priest and was beaten by other family members, said Liz Vartkessian, a mitigation specialist who worked with Purkey’s legal team and visited him dozens of times in the last five years.“His case is replete with instances where he has expressed a deep remorse,” she said in an interview earlier this month.But recently, Purkey’s mental health had seriously deteriorated to the point he didn’t have the stamina for long visits with his legal team and often forgot key facts and dates, she said.Correction officers had to help him write down a schedule to remember his visits with his lawyers, she said.He also had a long history of paranoia and delusions and believed the Justice Department was moving forward with his execution because of many complaints and lawsuits he brought in prison, even though most had failed, Vartkessian said.The Supreme Court also lifted a hold placed on other executions set for Friday and next month.<a href="https://apnews.com/4cc4065b575e7b051a1adedba2ab4ca4">Dustin Honken</a>, a drug kingpin from Iowa convicted of killing five people in a scheme to silence former dealers, was scheduled for execution Friday.---------TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The Supreme Court early Thursday cleared the way for a second federal execution this week. The vote to allow the execution of Wesley Ira Purkey to go forward was 5-4, with the court's four liberal members dissenting.Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that “proceeding with Purkey’s execution now, despite the grave questions and factual findings regarding his mental competency, casts a shroud of constitutional doubt over the most irrevocable of injuries.” She was joined by fellow liberal justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.But a lower court put an emergency hold on the execution for one hour as it weighed issues in the case, further delaying what initially had been slated for Wednesday evening at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute,&nbsp;Indiana.Purkey was convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing a 16-year-old girl before dismembering, burning and then dumping her body in a septic pond. He also was convicted in a state court in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;after using a claw hammer to kill an 80-year-old woman who suffered from polio.On Tuesday, Daniel Lewis Lee was put to death at the facility after his eleventh hour legal bids failed. It was the first federal execution after a 17-year hiatus.Lawyers for the 68-year-old Purkey, of Kansas, argued that he has dementia and is unfit to be executed. They said his condition has deteriorated so severely that he didn’t understand why he was being executed. They also said that if Purkey’s execution did not take place Wednesday, the government would need to set a new date. But government lawyers said there was no obstacle to going through with the execution Thursday if the Supreme Court lifted the injunctions.The issue of Purkey’s mental health arose in the run-up to his 2003 trial and when, after the verdict, jurors had to decide whether he should be put to death in the killing of 16-year-old Jennifer Long in Kansas City,&nbsp;Missouri. Prosecutors said he raped and stabbed her, dismembered her with a chainsaw, burned her and dumped her ashes 200 miles (320 kilometers) away in a septic pond in Kansas. Purkey was separately convicted and sentenced to life in the beating death of 80-year-old Mary Ruth Bales, of Kansas City, Kansas, who suffered from polio.___TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday halted the execution of a man, said to be suffering from dementia, who had been set to die by lethal injection in the federal government’s second execution this week after a 17-year hiatus.Wesley Ira Purkey, convicted of a gruesome 1998 kidnapping and killing, was scheduled for execution Wednesday night at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/638826b00bba1b389756126e4cfae97a">Daniel Lewis Lee was put to death</a>&nbsp;Tuesday after his eleventh-hour legal bids failed.U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, D.C., imposed two injunctions prohibiting the federal Bureau of Prisons from moving forward with Purkey’s execution. The Justice Department immediately appealed in both cases. A separate temporary stay was already in place from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.The legal wrangling suggested a volley of litigation would continue in the hours ahead of Purkey’s scheduled execution, similar to what happened before the government executed Lee following a ruling from the Supreme Court. One of the injunctions imposed Wednesday halts not only Purkey’s execution, but another scheduled for Friday and one in August.Lee, convicted of killing an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation, was the first of four condemned men scheduled to die in July and August despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;raging inside and outside prisons.This competency issue is a very strong issue on paper,” said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. “The Supreme Court has halted executions on this issue in the past. At a minimum, the question of whether Purkey dies is going to go down to the last minute.”Judge Chutkan didn’t rule on whether Purkey was competent but said the court needed to evaluate the claim. She said there was no question he’d suffer “irreparable harm” if he was put to death before his claims could be evaluated.Lee’s execution had gone forward a day late. It was scheduled for Monday afternoon, but the Supreme Court only gave the green light in a 5-4 ruling early Tuesday.Repeatedly on Wednesday, a federal judge also denied a request from Dustin Lee Honkin, an Iowa drug kingpin scheduled to be executed on Friday, to delay his execution. The judge said he would not delay Honken’s execution date due to the coronavirus pandemic and said the Bureau of Prisons was in the best position to weigh the health risks.The issue of Purkey’s mental health arose in the runup to his 2003 trial and when, after the verdict, jurors had to decide whether he should be put to death in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bb53ffa7c8564bdd9e6f0f130e8ef21b">16-year-old Jennifer Long</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City, Missouri. Prosecutors said he raped and stabbed her, dismembered her with a chainsaw, burned the body and dumped her ashes in a pond in Kansas. Purkey was separately convicted and sentenced to life in the beating death of 80-year-old Mary Ruth Bales, of Kansas City, Kansas.But the legal questions of whether he was mentally fit to stand trial or to be sentenced to die are different from the question of whether he’s mentally fit enough now to be put to death. Purkey’s lawyers argue he clearly isn’t,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a494e22c8a4449118f7ee60963804f92">saying in recent filings he suffers from advancing Alzheimer’s disease</a>.“He has long accepted responsibility for the crime that put him on death row,” one of this lawyers, Rebecca Woodman, said. “But as his dementia has progressed, he no longer has a rational understanding of why the government plans to execute him.”Purkey believes his planned execution is part of a conspiracy involving his attorneys, Woodman said. In other filings, they describe delusions that people were spraying poison into his room and that drug dealers implanted a device in his chest meant to kill him.While various legal issues in Purkey’s case have been hashed, rehashed and settled by courts over nearly two decades, “competency is something that is always in flux,” so the issue of mental fitness for execution can only be addressed once a date is set, according to Dunham, who teaches law school courses on capital punishment.In a landmark 1986 decision, the Supreme Court ruled the Constitution prohibits executing someone who lacks a reasonable understanding of why he’s being executed. It involved the case of Alvin Ford, who was convicted of murder but whose mental health deteriorated behind bars to the point, according to his lawyer, he believed he was pope.“I could say I was Napoleon,” Dunham said. “But if I say I understand that Napoleon was sentenced to death for a crime and is being executed for it — that could allow the execution to go ahead.”Purkey’s mental issues go beyond Alzheimer’s, his lawyers have said. They say he was subject to sexual and mental abuse as a child and, at 14, was diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and psychosis.Last week, three mental health organizations urged U.S. Attorney William Barr to commute Purkey’s sentence to life in prison without possibility of parole. The National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America and the Treatment Advocacy Center said executing mentally ailing people like Purkey “constitutes cruel and unusual punishment and does not comport with ‘evolving standards of decency.’”Glenda Lamont, the mother of the slain teenager, told The Kansas City Star last year she planned to attend Purkey’s execution.“I don’t want to say that I’m happy,” Lamont said. “At the same time, he is a crazy madman that doesn’t deserve, in my opinion, to be breathing anymore.”President Donald Trump’s campaign touted the Lee execution in an email blast, saying the president “Ensured Total Justice for the Victims of an Evil Killer” and demanded his political opponent Joe Biden explain why he now opposes capital punishment.There was an unofficial moratorium on federal executions after the Obama administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1d3518af20dc4849804c21e58b46ae15">ordered a review in 2014&nbsp;</a>following a botched execution in Oklahoma.___

Kansas child killer apologizes just before his execution

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Protesters are demanding changes after a 3-year-old Kansas girl died despite her&nbsp;grandparents&nbsp;raising concerns about her safety with child protective services.

More than 30 people gathered Wednesday near the Kansas Department for Children and Families building in Kansas City, Kansas, chanting that they wanted justice for Olivia Ann Jansen.

The girl’s remains were discovered Friday after her father, Howard Jansen III, reported her missing. The 29-year-old and his 33-year-old girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, have since been charged with felony murder and other crimes. Authorities haven’t released how she died.

Olivia’s grandparents said they had raised concerns about Olivia in June, after not seeing her since March. The state’s child welfare agency said it is working alongside police during the investigation.

Lacey Langford, who organized the protest, said Olivia might still be alive if lawmakers had passed Adrian’s Act, a bill named for 7-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e3706cfe2a324e1c9e4f5368c4b544e0">Adrian Jones</a>, who was killed and fed to pigs. The bill would strengthen laws for reporting child abuse.

“The most important thing is we’re not going to give up this time,” Langford said. “We live in a time of movement. We live in a time of change, where we do have a voice.”

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Protesters are demanding changes after a 3-year-old Kansas girl died despite her&nbsp;grandparents&nbsp;raising concerns about her safety with child protective services.More than 30 people gathered Wednesday near the Kansas Department for Children and Families building in Kansas City, Kansas, chanting that they wanted justice for Olivia Ann Jansen.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594468009097.png" alt="Jansen" />
 <figcaption>Jansen</figcaption>
 </figure>The girl’s remains were discovered Friday after her father, Howard Jansen III, reported her missing. The 29-year-old and his 33-year-old girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, have since been charged with felony murder and other crimes. Authorities haven’t released how she died.Olivia’s grandparents said they had raised concerns about Olivia in June, after not seeing her since March. The state’s child welfare agency said it is working alongside police during the investigation.Lacey Langford, who organized the protest, said Olivia might still be alive if lawmakers had passed Adrian’s Act, a bill named for 7-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e3706cfe2a324e1c9e4f5368c4b544e0">Adrian Jones</a>, who was killed and fed to pigs. The bill would strengthen laws for reporting child abuse.“The most important thing is we’re not going to give up this time,” Langford said. “We live in a time of movement. We live in a time of change, where we do have a voice.”

Protesters demand changes following death of 3-year-old Kan. girl

By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Gas prices are steady this week, in spite of fluctuating fundamentals.

"Over
 the past week, gas demand increased to the highest level since March," 
said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "We're talking about 8.7 million 
barrels per day. The stock storage of gas decreased, but that 
combination wasn't enough to significantly impact prices at the pump."

The nationwide average is at $2.20 a gallon.

"The
 Kansas average is pretty much flat from where we were a week ago at 
$1.98 a gallon," Steward said. "That puts us at 10th cheapest in the 
nation."

To find out the best price wherever you travel, go to gasprices.aaa.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594914039771.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Gas prices are steady this week, in spite of fluctuating fundamentals."Over
 the past week, gas demand increased to the highest level since March," 
said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "We're talking about 8.7 million 
barrels per day. The stock storage of gas decreased, but that 
combination wasn't enough to significantly impact prices at the pump."The nationwide average is at $2.20 a gallon."The
 Kansas average is pretty much flat from where we were a week ago at 
$1.98 a gallon," Steward said. "That puts us at 10th cheapest in the 
nation."To find out the best price wherever you travel, go to gasprices.aaa.com.

Gas prices still low for summer

VINITA, Okla. (AP) — A Kansas man charged in the 1999 deaths of an Oklahoma couple and the disappearance and presumed deaths of their teenage daughter and her friend has pleaded guilty to an accessory to murder charge.

Ronnie Busick, 68, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday in an agreement with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 15 years, serving 10 years in Oklahoma Department of Corrections custody and five years under supervised release. Busick may get a lesser sentence is he provides information that leads to the recovery of the two Craig County teens.

Busick is the only suspect still alive. He is currently being held in the Craig County jail in Vinita, about 60 miles northeast of Tulsa. As part of the deal with prosecutors, charges of arson and kidnapping were dropped in the deaths of Danny and Kathy Freeman; their 16-year-old daughter, Ashley; and her best friend, Lauria Bible.

The two girls have not been found despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4b4ba6575e33f67906a01bddd82ec150">numerous searches</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576360772308.png" alt=" Ronnie Dean Busick-photo Butler Co." />
 <figcaption> Ronnie Dean Busick-photo Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>VINITA, Okla. (AP) — A Kansas man charged in the 1999 deaths of an Oklahoma couple and the disappearance and presumed deaths of their teenage daughter and her friend has pleaded guilty to an accessory to murder charge.Ronnie Busick, 68, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday in an agreement with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 15 years, serving 10 years in Oklahoma Department of Corrections custody and five years under supervised release. Busick may get a lesser sentence is he provides information that leads to the recovery of the two Craig County teens.Busick is the only suspect still alive. He is currently being held in the Craig County jail in Vinita, about 60 miles northeast of Tulsa. As part of the deal with prosecutors, charges of arson and kidnapping were dropped in the deaths of Danny and Kathy Freeman; their 16-year-old daughter, Ashley; and her best friend, Lauria Bible.The two girls have not been found despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4b4ba6575e33f67906a01bddd82ec150">numerous searches</a>.

Kansas man pleads guilty in Oklahoma cold-case deaths

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating five women in connection with a robbery and theft.

Just after 2:30 p.m.&nbsp; Tuesday, officers responded to a disturbance with weapons call at Academy Sports in the 2700 block of North Maize Road in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers contacted a 42-year-old male employee who reported five entering the business and attempting to leave with over $2,000 in merchandise without paying.

The employee attempted to stop the individuals as they were leaving, and he was sprayed with pepper spray. The employee was not injured.

With the assistance of witnesses, officers located a suspect vehicle at 13th and Tyler, and a second suspect vehicle was located at 17th and Tyler. 

Police arrested 20-year-old Kamirah Abbot; 20-year-old Brynaysha Clark, 26-year-old Cierra Hutton; 18-year-old Lakia Clark and 18-year-old Timesha Collins all of Wichita on requested charges of aggravated robbery and theft.  Lakia Clark was also arrested on traffic charges and Abbot on an outstanding warrant, according to Davidson.

The stolen merchandise was recovered and returned to the store.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594832459236.png" alt="Brynaysha Clark " />
 <figcaption>Brynaysha Clark </figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating five women in connection with a robbery and theft.Just after 2:30 p.m.&nbsp; Tuesday, officers responded to a disturbance with weapons call at Academy Sports in the 2700 block of North Maize Road in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594832394928.png" alt="Abbott" />
 <figcaption>Abbott</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594832486008.png" alt="Hutton" />
 <figcaption>Hutton</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon arrival, officers contacted a 42-year-old male employee who reported five entering the business and attempting to leave with over $2,000 in merchandise without paying.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594832524504.png" alt="Lakia Clark " />
 <figcaption>Lakia Clark </figcaption>
 </figure>The employee attempted to stop the individuals as they were leaving, and he was sprayed with pepper spray. The employee was not injured.With the assistance of witnesses, officers located a suspect vehicle at 13th and Tyler, and a second suspect vehicle was located at 17th and Tyler. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594832556997.png" alt="Timesha Collins" />
 <figcaption>Timesha Collins</figcaption>
 </figure>Police arrested 20-year-old Kamirah Abbot; 20-year-old Brynaysha Clark, 26-year-old Cierra Hutton; 18-year-old Lakia Clark and 18-year-old Timesha Collins all of Wichita on requested charges of aggravated robbery and theft. Lakia Clark was also arrested on traffic charges and Abbot on an outstanding warrant, according to Davidson.The stolen merchandise was recovered and returned to the store.

Police: Kan. women used pepper spray on employee during store robbery

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas says it will test for COVID-19 all students, faculty and staff who return to campus for the fall semester. 

&nbsp;Chancellor Douglas Girod said in a video message Wednesday that the university has made arrangements with the Clinical Reference Laboratory in nearby Lenexa to conduct the saliva testing. 

On-campus housing at the university will be setting aside rooms for quarantining if students do exhibit COVID-19 symptoms or test positive for the respiratory virus.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas says it will test for COVID-19 all students, faculty and staff who return to campus for the fall semester. &nbsp;Chancellor Douglas Girod said in a video message Wednesday that the university has made arrangements with the Clinical Reference Laboratory in nearby Lenexa to conduct the saliva testing. On-campus housing at the university will be setting aside rooms for quarantining if students do exhibit COVID-19 symptoms or test positive for the respiratory virus.

KU to test all students, staff for COVID-19

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman has been sentenced to life in prison for killing her estranged husband more than three years ago.

Barbara Frantz, 54, was sentenced Tuesday and will serve at least 25 years before she is eligible for parole.

Leavenworth County prosecutors said Frantz shot Gary Frantz five times on Jan. 27, 2017. Police found him gravely wounded in a parking lot in downtown Leavenworth. Before he died, he told officers his wife had shot him, police said, and investigators found shell casings in her apartment that matched ones found at the shooting scene.

Barbara Frantz had maintained that her son carried out the shooting, and her case was delayed when a judge ruled her mentally unfit to stand trial in 2017. She was later declared well enough to stand trial and was convicted by a jury in 2018.

Her sentencing was delayed after her defense attorneys filed a motion for a new trial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594821100361.png" alt="Frantz photo Leavenworth County" />
 <figcaption>Frantz photo Leavenworth County</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman has been sentenced to life in prison for killing her estranged husband more than three years ago.Barbara Frantz, 54, was sentenced Tuesday and will serve at least 25 years before she is eligible for parole.Leavenworth County prosecutors said Frantz shot Gary Frantz five times on Jan. 27, 2017. Police found him gravely wounded in a parking lot in downtown Leavenworth. Before he died, he told officers his wife had shot him, police said, and investigators found shell casings in her apartment that matched ones found at the shooting scene.Barbara Frantz had maintained that her son carried out the shooting, and her case was delayed when a judge ruled her mentally unfit to stand trial in 2017. She was later declared well enough to stand trial and was convicted by a jury in 2018.Her sentencing was delayed after her defense attorneys filed a motion for a new trial.

Kansas woman sentenced to life for killing estranged husband

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas building contractor was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in prison and fined $25,000 for conspiring to deprive the city of Lawrence of sales tax revenues in connection with the development of a seven-story hotel adjacent to the University of Kansas campus. After completing his sentence, the defendant will serve three years on supervised release.

Thomas S. Fritzel, 54, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of criminal conspiracy. Fritzel, part owner and manager of Oread Inn LC, was a party to an agreement with the city to finance the more than $40 million hotel project, including $11 million worth of street repairs and a public parking garage.

Oread Inn LC was to pay all costs up front and to be repaid $11 million for public improvements. The money to repay Oread Inn LC was to come from an incremental increase in property tax, a sales tax and an additional 1 percent tax on sales within a portion of the redevelopment district.

In his plea, Fritzel admitted that he and others caused false monthly Kansas sales tax returns to be submitted to the state of Kansas. The reports classified certain sales as occurring within the redevelopment district when in fact they occurred outside the district. As a result, the city of Lawrence lost a portion of sales taxes it was due.

The city of Lawrence filed a civil lawsuit against Fritzel seeking the lost revenue and the parties settled that case in 2017.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas building contractor was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in prison and fined $25,000 for conspiring to deprive the city of Lawrence of sales tax revenues in connection with the development of a seven-story hotel adjacent to the University of Kansas campus. After completing his sentence, the defendant will serve three years on supervised release.Thomas S. Fritzel, 54, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of criminal conspiracy. Fritzel, part owner and manager of Oread Inn LC, was a party to an agreement with the city to finance the more than $40 million hotel project, including $11 million worth of street repairs and a public parking garage.Oread Inn LC was to pay all costs up front and to be repaid $11 million for public improvements. The money to repay Oread Inn LC was to come from an incremental increase in property tax, a sales tax and an additional 1 percent tax on sales within a portion of the redevelopment district.In his plea, Fritzel admitted that he and others caused false monthly Kansas sales tax returns to be submitted to the state of Kansas. The reports classified certain sales as occurring within the redevelopment district when in fact they occurred outside the district. As a result, the city of Lawrence lost a portion of sales taxes it was due.The city of Lawrence filed a civil lawsuit against Fritzel seeking the lost revenue and the parties settled that case in 2017.

Contractor going to prison for Kansas hotel tax conspiracy

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A freshman Kansas congressman is accused of providing false information to a sheriff’s deputy to hamper an investigation into whether he broke state election laws by listing a UPS Inc. store postal box as his residence on a state voter registration form.

Republican Rep. Steve Watkins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9d6046fd12875b3664cf8388708105e8">has been charged</a>&nbsp;in state district court with two election fraud felonies, felony interference with law enforcement and a misdemeanor count of failing to inform the state’s Division of Vehicles of an address change. The charges were announced Tuesday evening by the district attorney in Shawnee County, which includes Watkins’ hometown of Topeka, the state capital.

But Kagay’s announcement did not provide any details about the charges, and he declined to discuss them. The Associated Press on Wednesday obtained a copy of the criminal complaint that Kagay’s office filed.

Watkins called the charges “hyper-political” and said he looks forward to clearing his name.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Watkins said Tuesday evening during the only televised debate for GOP candidates before the state’s Aug. 4 primary election. “We’ve cooperated with the district attorney completely.”

The charges against Watkins came three weeks before the state’s Aug. 4 primary election with fellow Republicans pushing to oust him from the eastern Kansas seat he won in 2018. In the primary, Watkins faces State Treasurer Jake LaTurner and Dennis Taylor, a Topeka attorney, businessman and former top administrator at several state agencies.

The UPS postal box was listed as Watkins’ residential address for voter registration purposes when he cast a mail-in ballot for a local City Council and school board election in November 2019. He later changed his residential listing to an apartment about 2 miles north of the UPS store — in a different city council district with no race last year.

Watkins has said he simply made a mistake by listing his mailing address instead of his residential address on the voter registration form and then corrected it.

Watkins faces a felony charge of voting without being qualified, and the complaint against him alleges that he voted in the race in the City Council district where the UPS store was located. Another felony charge, unlawful advance voting, alleges that Watkins falsely affirmed to a “material fact” in a form for a mail ballot.

The misdemeanor charge alleges that Watkins failed to comply with a state law requiring people to report a change of address to the state Division of Vehicles within 10 days of making the change.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A freshman Kansas congressman who had listed a UPS Inc. postal box as his residence on a state voter registration form was charged Tuesday with three felonies, including illegal voting.

The charges against GOP Rep. Steve Watkins came three weeks before the state’s Aug. 4 primary election with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/989ace6f0a2711cb2b96398da0a92dfa">fellow Republicans pushing to oust him</a>&nbsp;from the eastern Kansas seat he barely won in 2018, even though he’s largely toed the conservative policy line and supported President Donald Trump. GOP critics already had worried that the months-long investigation into whether Watkins violated state election laws puts the 2nd District seat in play if he wins the primary.

Watkins called the charges “hyper-political” even though the district attorney who filed them also is a Republican. The congressman said during a televised debate Tuesday evening that he hadn’t seen the charges but has done nothing wrong.

“I’ll get my name exonerated,” he said during his closing statement.

The charges were filed in state district court in Shawnee County, which includes Watkins’ hometown, the state capital of Topeka. District Attorney Mike Kagay announced them less than half an hour before the three GOP candidates’ only scheduled debate began on three stations.

The UPS postal box was listed as Watkins’ residential address for voter registration purposes when he cast a mail-in ballot for a local city council and school board election in November 2019. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/07b5cc37067da9b23bd489a8e6eaddbe">later changed</a>&nbsp;his residential listing.

The most serious criminal charge accuses Watkins of voting in the 2019 local city and school board election without being qualified. A first-time offender who’s convicted could face a year in prison, though the more typical sentence would be two years’ probation.

Kagay also charged Watkins with voting illegally in advance and interfering with law enforcement by providing false information. Both felonies could bring up to seven months in prison, though a year’s probation is the presumed sentence.

Watkins also was charged with failing to notify the state Division of Vehicles of a change of address, a misdemeanor.

Kagay’s announcement did not provide details about the alleged crimes, and the district attorney said in an email that he could not discuss them “until they are presented in open court.” A hearing in the case was set for Dec. 3 — a month after the November general election.

Watkins faces State Treasurer Jake LaTurner and Dennis Taylor, a Topeka attorney, businessman and former top administrator at several state agencies. LaTurner said the charges make the primary contest a two-person race between him and Taylor.

“We need to put our best foot forward,” LaTurner said during his opening debate statement. “Clearly, our current congressman, with three felony charges and a misdemeanor charge, is not the person to do that.”

Some Republicans had lingering misgivings about Watkins even before questions about his voter registrations. He is a former Army officer and military contractor who lived most of his adult life outside Kansas and hadn’t voted in its state or federal races until running for Congress.

Watkins won the November 2018 general election by less than a percentage point in a GOP-leaning district that Trump carried by a wide margin in 2016.

The presumed Democratic nominee this year is Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla. The national Democratic Party has said it sees&nbsp;<a href="https://dccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/01162020-Battlefield-Expansion.pdf" target="_blank">“an opportunity”</a>&nbsp;to pick up the seat.

“If you want to be trusted to write our laws, you should at least follow them,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a statement.

Watkins filed a state voter registration form in late August 2019 listing a postal box at a UPS store in southwest Topeka as his residential address. The postal box still was listed as his residential address when he cast a mailed-in ballot that included a Topeka City Council race in November.

The congressman and his staff have said he inadvertently listed his mailing address instead of his residential address by mistake.

Watkins filed a new form in December listing an address at an apartment complex about 2 miles north of the UPS store as his residence, but it was the address for the complex’s office. That address was not in the same City Council district as the UPS store but in a district with no council race last year.

In January, Watkins filed another form listing another address for an apartment in the same complex as his residence.

The Shawnee County sheriff’s department began investigating Watkins’ voter registrations in December. In late May, Kagay said in an email that his office had reviewed the investigation and “requested follow up be conducted on a specific issue,” without being more specific.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575500685589.png" alt="The UPS store store Rep. Watkins location Rep. Watkins listed as his residence on a state voter registration form." />
 <figcaption>The UPS store store Rep. Watkins location Rep. Watkins listed as his residence on a state voter registration form.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A freshman Kansas congressman is accused of providing false information to a sheriff’s deputy to hamper an investigation into whether he broke state election laws by listing a UPS Inc. store postal box as his residence on a state voter registration form.Republican Rep. Steve Watkins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9d6046fd12875b3664cf8388708105e8">has been charged</a>&nbsp;in state district court with two election fraud felonies, felony interference with law enforcement and a misdemeanor count of failing to inform the state’s Division of Vehicles of an address change. The charges were announced Tuesday evening by the district attorney in Shawnee County, which includes Watkins’ hometown of Topeka, the state capital.But Kagay’s announcement did not provide any details about the charges, and he declined to discuss them. The Associated Press on Wednesday obtained a copy of the criminal complaint that Kagay’s office filed.Watkins called the charges “hyper-political” and said he looks forward to clearing his name.“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Watkins said Tuesday evening during the only televised debate for GOP candidates before the state’s Aug. 4 primary election. “We’ve cooperated with the district attorney completely.”The charges against Watkins came three weeks before the state’s Aug. 4 primary election with fellow Republicans pushing to oust him from the eastern Kansas seat he won in 2018. In the primary, Watkins faces State Treasurer Jake LaTurner and Dennis Taylor, a Topeka attorney, businessman and former top administrator at several state agencies.The UPS postal box was listed as Watkins’ residential address for voter registration purposes when he cast a mail-in ballot for a local City Council and school board election in November 2019. He later changed his residential listing to an apartment about 2 miles north of the UPS store — in a different city council district with no race last year.Watkins has said he simply made a mistake by listing his mailing address instead of his residential address on the voter registration form and then corrected it.Watkins faces a felony charge of voting without being qualified, and the complaint against him alleges that he voted in the race in the City Council district where the UPS store was located. Another felony charge, unlawful advance voting, alleges that Watkins falsely affirmed to a “material fact” in a form for a mail ballot.The misdemeanor charge alleges that Watkins failed to comply with a state law requiring people to report a change of address to the state Division of Vehicles within 10 days of making the change.___TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A freshman Kansas congressman who had listed a UPS Inc. postal box as his residence on a state voter registration form was charged Tuesday with three felonies, including illegal voting.The charges against GOP Rep. Steve Watkins came three weeks before the state’s Aug. 4 primary election with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/989ace6f0a2711cb2b96398da0a92dfa">fellow Republicans pushing to oust him</a>&nbsp;from the eastern Kansas seat he barely won in 2018, even though he’s largely toed the conservative policy line and supported President Donald Trump. GOP critics already had worried that the months-long investigation into whether Watkins violated state election laws puts the 2nd District seat in play if he wins the primary.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591476738251.png" alt="Rep. Steve Watkins" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Steve Watkins</figcaption>
 </figure>Watkins called the charges “hyper-political” even though the district attorney who filed them also is a Republican. The congressman said during a televised debate Tuesday evening that he hadn’t seen the charges but has done nothing wrong.“I’ll get my name exonerated,” he said during his closing statement.The charges were filed in state district court in Shawnee County, which includes Watkins’ hometown, the state capital of Topeka. District Attorney Mike Kagay announced them less than half an hour before the three GOP candidates’ only scheduled debate began on three stations.The UPS postal box was listed as Watkins’ residential address for voter registration purposes when he cast a mail-in ballot for a local city council and school board election in November 2019. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/07b5cc37067da9b23bd489a8e6eaddbe">later changed</a>&nbsp;his residential listing.The most serious criminal charge accuses Watkins of voting in the 2019 local city and school board election without being qualified. A first-time offender who’s convicted could face a year in prison, though the more typical sentence would be two years’ probation.Kagay also charged Watkins with voting illegally in advance and interfering with law enforcement by providing false information. Both felonies could bring up to seven months in prison, though a year’s probation is the presumed sentence.Watkins also was charged with failing to notify the state Division of Vehicles of a change of address, a misdemeanor.Kagay’s announcement did not provide details about the alleged crimes, and the district attorney said in an email that he could not discuss them “until they are presented in open court.” A hearing in the case was set for Dec. 3 — a month after the November general election.Watkins faces State Treasurer Jake LaTurner and Dennis Taylor, a Topeka attorney, businessman and former top administrator at several state agencies. LaTurner said the charges make the primary contest a two-person race between him and Taylor.“We need to put our best foot forward,” LaTurner said during his opening debate statement. “Clearly, our current congressman, with three felony charges and a misdemeanor charge, is not the person to do that.”Some Republicans had lingering misgivings about Watkins even before questions about his voter registrations. He is a former Army officer and military contractor who lived most of his adult life outside Kansas and hadn’t voted in its state or federal races until running for Congress.Watkins won the November 2018 general election by less than a percentage point in a GOP-leaning district that Trump carried by a wide margin in 2016.The presumed Democratic nominee this year is Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla. The national Democratic Party has said it sees&nbsp;<a href="https://dccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/01162020-Battlefield-Expansion.pdf" target="_blank">“an opportunity”</a>&nbsp;to pick up the seat.“If you want to be trusted to write our laws, you should at least follow them,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a statement.Watkins filed a state voter registration form in late August 2019 listing a postal box at a UPS store in southwest Topeka as his residential address. The postal box still was listed as his residential address when he cast a mailed-in ballot that included a Topeka City Council race in November.The congressman and his staff have said he inadvertently listed his mailing address instead of his residential address by mistake.Watkins filed a new form in December listing an address at an apartment complex about 2 miles north of the UPS store as his residence, but it was the address for the complex’s office. That address was not in the same City Council district as the UPS store but in a district with no council race last year.In January, Watkins filed another form listing another address for an apartment in the same complex as his residence.The Shawnee County sheriff’s department began investigating Watkins’ voter registrations in December. In late May, Kagay said in an email that his office had reviewed the investigation and “requested follow up be conducted on a specific issue,” without being more specific.___

Update: Kan. congressman charged with providing false information

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The grandparents of a 3-year-old Kansas girl who was killed said they raised concerns about her safety with child protective services before her death in the latest tragedy involving the state agency responsible for overseeing young children.

Elisabeth and Howard Jansen II spoke out on Sunday after their 29-year-old son Howard Jansen III and his 33-year-old girlfriend Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick were charged in the death of Olivia Ann Jansen.

“She’s gone because of him, and her, and the system that wouldn’t help us,” the girl’s grandfather said.

Olivia’s body was found Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6898de844703fe103c38208407de1f21">nearly nine blocks from her Kansas City home</a>, from which her father had reported her missing. Authorities haven’t released how she died.

Elisabeth Jansen said she expressed fears to the Kansas Department for Children and Families on June 21 that drugs were in the home where Olivia lived.

“We knew it was bad, but we had no idea what we’re finding out now,” Howard Jansen II said.

Their son and Kirkpatrick kept Olivia from them, and they hadn’t seen the girl since March, the grandparents said, adding that Olivia’s biological mother was going to let them take care of the girl once she was released from prison.

Laura Howard, secretary of the Department for Children and Families, said her agency reviews critical incidents to determine if there are any policies or procedures that need to be addressed.

The grandparents were among the dozens of people gathered outside the Wyandotte County courthouse when District Attorney Mark Dupree announced that their son and his girlfriend had been charged with felony murder, aggravated endangering a child and criminal desecration in Olivia’s death.

Dupree said there was nothing he could say to ease their pain, but vowed to seek justice for “baby Olivia.”

Olivia’s grandparents said the little girl was once sassy but, at some point, she lost her spark.

“She knew she was going to die,” Elisabeth Jansen said.

Child welfare officials also have acknowledged that they received repeated reports about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b7a68cf41f8946c89df2a392b8b5a1ea">2-year-old Wichita boy</a>&nbsp;before he was found dead in a motel of a methadone overdose last May. A 3-year-old Wichita boy’s body was found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/45fc892f36244c818e8a83efd0e87d0e">encased in concrete</a>&nbsp;in 2017 after relatives repeatedly reported abuse. In the Kansas City area, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7ad45aca09d6470bb8f854bd731322bc/Unsealed-records-suggest-years-of-abuse-for-slain-Kansas-boy">7-year-old boy</a>&nbsp;was tortured, starved, killed and fed to pigs in 2015 despite extensive involvement with welfare officials.

Earlier this month, the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75be2df7f84e1921d68afa0f898663df">settled</a>&nbsp;a class-action lawsuit filed by child care advocates who accused the state of not providing foster children with adequate mental health care and moving them too frequently between homes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594468009097.png" alt="Howard Jansen III photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Howard Jansen III photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The grandparents of a 3-year-old Kansas girl who was killed said they raised concerns about her safety with child protective services before her death in the latest tragedy involving the state agency responsible for overseeing young children.Elisabeth and Howard Jansen II spoke out on Sunday after their 29-year-old son Howard Jansen III and his 33-year-old girlfriend Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick were charged in the death of Olivia Ann Jansen.“She’s gone because of him, and her, and the system that wouldn’t help us,” the girl’s grandfather said.Olivia’s body was found Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6898de844703fe103c38208407de1f21">nearly nine blocks from her Kansas City home</a>, from which her father had reported her missing. Authorities haven’t released how she died.Elisabeth Jansen said she expressed fears to the Kansas Department for Children and Families on June 21 that drugs were in the home where Olivia lived.“We knew it was bad, but we had no idea what we’re finding out now,” Howard Jansen II said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594490776368.png" alt="Kirkpatrick-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Kirkpatrick-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Their son and Kirkpatrick kept Olivia from them, and they hadn’t seen the girl since March, the grandparents said, adding that Olivia’s biological mother was going to let them take care of the girl once she was released from prison.Laura Howard, secretary of the Department for Children and Families, said her agency reviews critical incidents to determine if there are any policies or procedures that need to be addressed.The grandparents were among the dozens of people gathered outside the Wyandotte County courthouse when District Attorney Mark Dupree announced that their son and his girlfriend had been charged with felony murder, aggravated endangering a child and criminal desecration in Olivia’s death.Dupree said there was nothing he could say to ease their pain, but vowed to seek justice for “baby Olivia.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594403105823.png" alt="Olivia Jansen-photo KCK police" />
 <figcaption>Olivia Jansen-photo KCK police</figcaption>
 </figure>Olivia’s grandparents said the little girl was once sassy but, at some point, she lost her spark.“She knew she was going to die,” Elisabeth Jansen said.Child welfare officials also have acknowledged that they received repeated reports about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b7a68cf41f8946c89df2a392b8b5a1ea">2-year-old Wichita boy</a>&nbsp;before he was found dead in a motel of a methadone overdose last May. A 3-year-old Wichita boy’s body was found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/45fc892f36244c818e8a83efd0e87d0e">encased in concrete</a>&nbsp;in 2017 after relatives repeatedly reported abuse. In the Kansas City area, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7ad45aca09d6470bb8f854bd731322bc/Unsealed-records-suggest-years-of-abuse-for-slain-Kansas-boy">7-year-old boy</a>&nbsp;was tortured, starved, killed and fed to pigs in 2015 despite extensive involvement with welfare officials.Earlier this month, the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75be2df7f84e1921d68afa0f898663df">settled</a>&nbsp;a class-action lawsuit filed by child care advocates who accused the state of not providing foster children with adequate mental health care and moving them too frequently between homes.

Grandparents of dead Kansas girl raised concerns to agency

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly during her news conference announced that on Monday, she will sign an executive order to delay opening schools until after the Labor Day holiday.

“I can’t in good conscience open schools when cases in our state are at an all-time high and continuing to rapidly rise,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“Every action I have taken throughout this pandemic has been done to keep Kansans healthy, keep our state open for business and get our kids back in school.”

The Governor made this decision in consultation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Education, which continue to monitor health metrics and disease spread in the state.

On Monday, a record coronavirus spike pushed Kansas past 20,000 total cases. ICU capacity in some of the state’s hospitals are under threat, and nearly 300 Kansans have died.

The Governor will also issue an executive order requiring schools to mandate commonsense mitigation strategies outlined in the Kansas Board of Education’s fall plan for schools. Under the order, masks, social distancing, proper hygiene, and daily temperature checks will be enforced regardless of the Kansas school district.

“The additional three weeks before opening schools will provide schools time to work with their counties to get the necessary mitigation supplies like masks, thermometers, and hand sanitizer,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“The Kansas State Board of Education and I are united in prioritizing the health of our students and faculty, and ensuring we provide a world-class education for our students.”

Further details will be announced next week after the order is released.

On Wednesday morning, the State Board of Education voted unanimously to accept the recommendations for reopening Kansas K-12 schools this fall.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoyLrA98vHU&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of Wednesday's State Board of Education meeting.

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly during her news conference announced that on Monday, she will sign an executive order to delay opening schools until after the Labor Day holiday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F277260523563415%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“I can’t in good conscience open schools when cases in our state are at an all-time high and continuing to rapidly rise,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“Every action I have taken throughout this pandemic has been done to keep Kansans healthy, keep our state open for business and get our kids back in school.”The Governor made this decision in consultation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Education, which continue to monitor health metrics and disease spread in the state.On Monday, a record coronavirus spike pushed Kansas past 20,000 total cases. ICU capacity in some of the state’s hospitals are under threat, and nearly 300 Kansans have died.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594844055627.png" alt="Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson during Wednesday's news conference" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson during Wednesday's news conference</figcaption>
 </figure>The Governor will also issue an executive order requiring schools to mandate commonsense mitigation strategies outlined in the Kansas Board of Education’s fall plan for schools. Under the order, masks, social distancing, proper hygiene, and daily temperature checks will be enforced regardless of the Kansas school district.“The additional three weeks before opening schools will provide schools time to work with their counties to get the necessary mitigation supplies like masks, thermometers, and hand sanitizer,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“The Kansas State Board of Education and I are united in prioritizing the health of our students and faculty, and ensuring we provide a world-class education for our students.”Further details will be announced next week after the order is released.On Wednesday morning, the State Board of Education voted unanimously to accept the recommendations for reopening Kansas K-12 schools this fall.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoyLrA98vHU&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of Wednesday's State Board of Education meeting.

🎥  Gov. Kelly will delay school reopening in Kansas until after Labor Day

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 875 to a total of 20,933, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 875 to a total of 20,933, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 299.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594832874459.png" alt="June 15, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>June 15, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

FINNEY COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged criminal threat involving a church in Southwest Kansas.

&nbsp;On July 10, police were dispatched to the Apostolic Church, 3102 E Shulman Avenue in Garden City in reference to a previous criminal threat, according to Police&nbsp;Captain Randy Ralston.

Officers met with a woman about threatening messages from a man who was known to her.

She told police the man had been making threatening comments about the church and the pastor. 

The man&nbsp; identified as Dylan Stegman, 24, Marienthal, Kansas, allegedly disliked the woman attending the church, according to Ralston. 

The woman was concerned about the threatening messages and went to the church to inform the pastor.&nbsp; At that point, the pastor notified police.

Authorities located Stegman in Scott County and and Scott County sheriff's deputies arrested him.

Stegman was transported to the Finney County Law Enforcement Center and booked into the Finney County Jail on a requested charge of criminal threat, according to Ralston.

The case has been forwarded to the Finney County Attorney’s Office for further review.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594736254244.png" alt="Stegman" />
 <figcaption>Stegman</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged criminal threat involving a church in Southwest Kansas.&nbsp;On July 10, police were dispatched to the Apostolic Church, 3102 E Shulman Avenue in Garden City in reference to a previous criminal threat, according to Police&nbsp;Captain Randy Ralston.Officers met with a woman about threatening messages from a man who was known to her.She told police the man had been making threatening comments about the church and the pastor. The man&nbsp; identified as Dylan Stegman, 24, Marienthal, Kansas, allegedly disliked the woman attending the church, according to Ralston. The woman was concerned about the threatening messages and went to the church to inform the pastor.&nbsp; At that point, the pastor notified police.Authorities located Stegman in Scott County and and Scott County sheriff's deputies arrested him.Stegman was transported to the Finney County Law Enforcement Center and booked into the Finney County Jail on a requested charge of criminal threat, according to Ralston.The case has been forwarded to the Finney County Attorney’s Office for further review.

Police: Man accused of criminal threat involving Kan. church, pastor

Update: Mental fitness claim halts Kan. killer's execution-- for now

SALINE COUNTY — Two teens were injured in an accident early Tuesday in Saline County.

A 2001 Dodge Ram driven by Brody Murk, 16, Bennington, was northbound in the 4500 Block of North Gerard Road at high rate of speed, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

The driver swerved to avoid an oncoming truck pulling a trailer. The truck driver hit the brakes and Murk swerved the Ram off the road and into a tree.

EMS transported Murk and a passenger Jawuan Allen, 16, Salina, to the hospital in Salina, according to Soldan. The other driver was not injured.

The sheriff's office did not release seat belt usage details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594827893084.jpeg" alt="Photo Saline Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Saline Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY — Two teens were injured in an accident early Tuesday in Saline County.A 2001 Dodge Ram driven by Brody Murk, 16, Bennington, was northbound in the 4500 Block of North Gerard Road at high rate of speed, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.The driver swerved to avoid an oncoming truck pulling a trailer. The truck driver hit the brakes and Murk swerved the Ram off the road and into a tree.EMS transported Murk and a passenger Jawuan Allen, 16, Salina, to the hospital in Salina, according to Soldan. The other driver was not injured.The sheriff's office did not release seat belt usage details.

2 Kansas teens hospitalized after pickup crash into tree

TOPEKA— Members of the Kansas State Board of Education discussed the "Navigating Change: Kansas' Guide to Learning and School Safety Operations" document ahead of Governor Kelly's press conference on opening schools.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoyLrA98vHU&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;Wednesday's State Board of Education discussion.

&nbsp;The Board&nbsp; approved the “Navigating Change 2020” school reopening guidance document on a 9-0 vote. Board member Steve Roberts was not present.

Some of the operating guidance for schools includes:

— Students above fifth grade, staff and school visitors should wear masks

— Everyone should wash hands every hour

— Social distancing of at least six feet should occur wherever possible

— Students and employees who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 should be prohibited from school

— Meal service periods should be extended to allow for fewer students in the serving area at one time

— Staff temperatures should be taken daily

— Families should be responsible to take the temperatures of their children

State Board members made clear that the document did not contain any mandates and should be used only to assist school districts. Local school boards will make decisions on the policy for each district on an individual basis in consultation with local health officers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594825185462.png" alt="Members of the Kansas State Board of Education meet online Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>Members of the Kansas State Board of Education meet online Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA— Members of the Kansas State Board of Education discussed the "Navigating Change: Kansas' Guide to Learning and School Safety Operations" document ahead of Governor Kelly's press conference on opening schools. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoyLrA98vHU&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;Wednesday's State Board of Education discussion.&nbsp;The Board&nbsp; approved the “Navigating Change 2020” school reopening guidance document on a 9-0 vote. Board member Steve Roberts was not present.Some of the operating guidance for schools includes:— Students above fifth grade, staff and school visitors should wear masks— Everyone should wash hands every hour— Social distancing of at least six feet should occur wherever possible— Students and employees who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 should be prohibited from school— Meal service periods should be extended to allow for fewer students in the serving area at one time— Staff temperatures should be taken daily— Families should be responsible to take the temperatures of their childrenState Board members made clear that the document did not contain any mandates and should be used only to assist school districts. Local school boards will make decisions on the policy for each district on an individual basis in consultation with local health officers.

🎥  Kansas Board of Education on opening schools

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A U.S. casino company with 29 properties in 10 states is laying off thousands of employees, citing a slow restart to business following closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming Corp. said in a statement Monday that an unspecified number of furloughed employees will not return to work. 

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported 2,500 company workers in Nevada could be affected. The publicly traded company had about 10,000 employees in Nevada and another 14,300 nationally, according to its last annual report. 

It also has properties in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,&nbsp; Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A U.S. casino company with 29 properties in 10 states is laying off thousands of employees, citing a slow restart to business following closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming Corp. said in a statement Monday that an unspecified number of furloughed employees will not return to work. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported 2,500 company workers in Nevada could be affected. The publicly traded company had about 10,000 employees in Nevada and another 14,300 nationally, according to its last annual report. It also has properties in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,&nbsp; Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio and Pennsylvania.