LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — The Biden administration can’t delay consideration of projects aimed at exporting liquefied natural gas while a legal challenge by Kansas and 15 other Republican-led states plays out in federal court, a Louisiana judge said Monday.

U.S. District Judge James Cain, Jr. sided with the states, granting a preliminary injunction that puts the Biden administration’s delay on hold.

It was unlikely, however, that any of the projects would be on a fast track for consideration as the U.S. Department of Energy said late Monday that it disagreed with the court's ruling and was evaluating its next steps. The White House also voiced disappointment.

“We remain committed to informing our decisions with the best available economic and environmental analysis, underpinned by sound science,” White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández said in an email to The Associated Press.

President Joe Biden in January decided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lng-exports-biden-europe-climate-russia-3c2bfd853c0d53531a677b142b009dbc">his administration would delay consideration</a>&nbsp;of new natural gas export terminals in the United States, even as gas shipments to Europe and Asia soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The move aligned the Democrat with environmentalists who fear an increase in exports — in the form of liquefied natural gas, or LNG — is locking in potentially catastrophic planet-warming emissions.

A coalition of states including Louisiana, Alaska, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming sued in March, claiming that the administration was violating the U.S. Constitution and other federal laws by banning exportation of LNG to countries without a free trade agreement.

In temporarily blocking the Biden ban on new approvals, Cain said the states will likely succeed in their case. He cited evidence submitted by the plaintiffs that showed loss of revenues and deferred investments in LNG projects due to the Biden administration's actions.

The ruling comes just days after a federal commission approved what would be the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/natural-gas-lng-louisiana-19ed2d5f546280b19599fba03269fa32">largest export terminal for liquefied natural gas</a>. Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass 2 southwestern Louisiana project, often referred to as CP2, was approved last week with little discussion by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

That project still needs DOE approval. The agency has said the project’s application was pending.

Republican members of Congress from Louisiana to Alaska have derided the administration's pause as shortsighted and a boon to foreign adversaries that produce energy, including Iran and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-eu-sanctions-ukraine-war-lng-gas-c56cf96fd7930a12044f36a36984607b">Russia</a>. Other supporters have argued that projects such as CP2 will be critical to global energy security.

The environmental group Evergreen Action was among those to criticize Cain's ruling, alleging that the judge was “bending the law to hand the oil industry a win.”

“Pause or no pause, the science is clear: No sound analysis that accounts for the climate and environmental hard inflicted by LNG exports could possibly determine that these deadly facilities are in the public interest,” Craig Segall, the group's vice president, said.

According to the DOE, current authorizations for exports of LNG to non-free trade agreement countries stand at over 48 billion cubic feet per day, or more than 45% of our current domestic production of natural gas. The agency also said the U.S. will continue to be the largest exporter of LNG by a substantial margin for at least the next six years based on the current export capacity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719927364316.png" alt="Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach joined the lawsuit in March-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach joined the lawsuit in March-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — The Biden administration can’t delay consideration of projects aimed at exporting liquefied natural gas while a legal challenge by Kansas and 15 other Republican-led states plays out in federal court, a Louisiana judge said Monday.U.S. District Judge James Cain, Jr. sided with the states, granting a preliminary injunction that puts the Biden administration’s delay on hold.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Yesterday&#39;s court ruling on our pause on Liquified Natural Gas exports is incredibly disappointing. I&#39;ll continue doing everything I can to protect our environment and our communities, while ensuring America’s energy security.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1808264984075350067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It was unlikely, however, that any of the projects would be on a fast track for consideration as the U.S. Department of Energy said late Monday that it disagreed with the court's ruling and was evaluating its next steps. The White House also voiced disappointment.“We remain committed to informing our decisions with the best available economic and environmental analysis, underpinned by sound science,” White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández said in an email to The Associated Press.President Joe Biden in January decided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lng-exports-biden-europe-climate-russia-3c2bfd853c0d53531a677b142b009dbc">his administration would delay consideration</a>&nbsp;of new natural gas export terminals in the United States, even as gas shipments to Europe and Asia soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The move aligned the Democrat with environmentalists who fear an increase in exports — in the form of liquefied natural gas, or LNG — is locking in potentially catastrophic planet-warming emissions.A coalition of states including Louisiana, Alaska, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming sued in March, claiming that the administration was violating the U.S. Constitution and other federal laws by banning exportation of LNG to countries without a free trade agreement.In temporarily blocking the Biden ban on new approvals, Cain said the states will likely succeed in their case. He cited evidence submitted by the plaintiffs that showed loss of revenues and deferred investments in LNG projects due to the Biden administration's actions.The ruling comes just days after a federal commission approved what would be the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/natural-gas-lng-louisiana-19ed2d5f546280b19599fba03269fa32">largest export terminal for liquefied natural gas</a>. Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass 2 southwestern Louisiana project, often referred to as CP2, was approved last week with little discussion by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.That project still needs DOE approval. The agency has said the project’s application was pending.Republican members of Congress from Louisiana to Alaska have derided the administration's pause as shortsighted and a boon to foreign adversaries that produce energy, including Iran and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-eu-sanctions-ukraine-war-lng-gas-c56cf96fd7930a12044f36a36984607b">Russia</a>. Other supporters have argued that projects such as CP2 will be critical to global energy security.The environmental group Evergreen Action was among those to criticize Cain's ruling, alleging that the judge was “bending the law to hand the oil industry a win.”“Pause or no pause, the science is clear: No sound analysis that accounts for the climate and environmental hard inflicted by LNG exports could possibly determine that these deadly facilities are in the public interest,” Craig Segall, the group's vice president, said.According to the DOE, current authorizations for exports of LNG to non-free trade agreement countries stand at over 48 billion cubic feet per day, or more than 45% of our current domestic production of natural gas. The agency also said the U.S. will continue to be the largest exporter of LNG by a substantial margin for at least the next six years based on the current export capacity.

Judge sides with Kan., stops Biden's delay of consideration of gas export projects

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration told emergency room doctors they must perform emergency abortions when necessary to save a pregnant woman’s health, following last week’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-mifepristone-fda-4073b9a7b1cbb1c3641025290c22be2a">Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;that failed to settle a legal dispute over whether state abortion bans override a federal law requiring hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment.

<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/07/02/biden-harris-administration-reaffirms-commitment-emtala-enforcement.html">Click here to read the letter</a>

In a letter sent Tuesday to doctor and hospital associations, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Chiquita Brooks-LaSure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-idaho-emergency-room-hospitals-7fd5f3026778b9e65ca2afe2f399a877">reminded hospitals of their legal duty to offer stabilizing treatment, which could include abortions</a>. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

“No pregnant woman or her family should have to even begin to worry that she could be denied the treatment she needs to stabilize her emergency medical condition in the emergency room,” the letter said.

It continued, “And yet, we have heard story after story describing the experiences of pregnant women presenting to hospital emergency departments with emergency medical conditions and being turned away because medical providers were uncertain about what treatment they were permitted to provide.”

CMS will also resume investigations into complaints against emergency rooms in Idaho, after the Supreme Court ruled last week that hospitals there must be allowed to perform emergency abortions for now, despite the state’s abortion ban.

But enforcement in Texas, the country’s most populous state with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/map-of-abortion-access-us">strict six-week abortion ban</a>, will still be on hold because of a lower court ruling.

The letter is the Biden administration’s latest attempt to raise awareness about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-emergency-treatment-pregnancy-emtala-9795e3cd144f0e6e02278a44fcade7c7">40-year-old federal law</a>&nbsp;that requires almost all emergency rooms — any that receive Medicare dollars — to provide stabilizing treatment for patients in a medical emergency.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">When hospitals turn away patients or refuse to provide that care,</a>&nbsp;they are subject to federal investigations, hefty fines and loss of Medicare funding.

The emergency room is the last place that the Democratic White House has argued it can federally require rare emergency abortions to be performed, despite strict state abortion bans.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">After Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022</a>, and U.S. women lost the constitutional right to an abortion, HHS quickly sent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/emergency-medical-care-letter-to-health-care-providers.pdf" target="_blank">letters</a>&nbsp;to doctors,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-government-and-politics-4221f9306a596904b9af2e0d1fad23b9">saying</a>&nbsp;that they were required to provide abortions in emergency medical situations when they were needed to keep a woman medically stable.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">An AP investigation</a>&nbsp;found that complaints about pregnant women being turned away from emergency rooms spiked in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, raising concerns about emergency pregnancy care in states that have enacted strict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;laws.

In Idaho, enforcement of the federal law in emergency abortion cases had been on hold since January, when the state’s strict abortion ban took effect. Idaho’s state law threatens doctors with prison sentences if they perform an abortion, with an exception only if a pregnant woman’s life, not her health, is at risk.

The Biden administration has argued that this conflicts with a federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, or EMTALA. Roughly 50,000 women every year develop serious pregnancy complications, like blood loss, sepsis or organ loss. Some of those women may show up in emergency rooms and in the most serious cases where a fetus is unlikely to be viable, doctors may recommend a termination of the pregnancy.

For example, if a woman’s water breaks during the second trimester, a condition known as a preterm premature rupture of membranes, the fetus may not be viable, and continuing the pregnancy means that the patient may risk developing sepsis, an infection that can be deadly.

Texas is also suing the Biden administration over its guidance around the law. The Department of Justice has appealed a lower court ruling that said the law could be enforced to the Supreme Court, which could decide on taking up the case later this year.

HHS has also sought in recent months to make it easier for any patient who is turned away or not appropriately transferred to file complaints against hospitals. Earlier this year, CMS unveiled a new web page that allows anyone to submit a complaint in a straightforward, three-step process.

“We will continue to build on our recent actions to educate the public about their rights to emergency medical care and to help support efforts of hospitals and health care professionals to meet their obligations under EMTALA,” the letter said.

The department said the complaint webpage will also be available in Spanish, starting today.

Lupe Rodriguez, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, said her team has had conversations for a few months with the HHS secretary to encourage the office to make tools available in Spanish.

Latinas are more likely to be uninsured, lack access to prenatal care and live in states with abortion bans, she said. This is even more of a concern for Latinas with limited English language skills or who are in mixed immigration status families, she said.

“It’s incredibly important to be centering Latinas and people of color because we’re the most impacted by these abortion bans and attempts to restrict emergency care,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644446940182.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration told emergency room doctors they must perform emergency abortions when necessary to save a pregnant woman’s health, following last week’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-mifepristone-fda-4073b9a7b1cbb1c3641025290c22be2a">Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;that failed to settle a legal dispute over whether state abortion bans override a federal law requiring hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment.<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/07/02/biden-harris-administration-reaffirms-commitment-emtala-enforcement.html">Click here to read the letter</a>In a letter sent Tuesday to doctor and hospital associations, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Chiquita Brooks-LaSure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-idaho-emergency-room-hospitals-7fd5f3026778b9e65ca2afe2f399a877">reminded hospitals of their legal duty to offer stabilizing treatment, which could include abortions</a>. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Associated Press.“No pregnant woman or her family should have to even begin to worry that she could be denied the treatment she needs to stabilize her emergency medical condition in the emergency room,” the letter said.It continued, “And yet, we have heard story after story describing the experiences of pregnant women presenting to hospital emergency departments with emergency medical conditions and being turned away because medical providers were uncertain about what treatment they were permitted to provide.”CMS will also resume investigations into complaints against emergency rooms in Idaho, after the Supreme Court ruled last week that hospitals there must be allowed to perform emergency abortions for now, despite the state’s abortion ban.But enforcement in Texas, the country’s most populous state with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/map-of-abortion-access-us">strict six-week abortion ban</a>, will still be on hold because of a lower court ruling.The letter is the Biden administration’s latest attempt to raise awareness about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-emergency-treatment-pregnancy-emtala-9795e3cd144f0e6e02278a44fcade7c7">40-year-old federal law</a>&nbsp;that requires almost all emergency rooms — any that receive Medicare dollars — to provide stabilizing treatment for patients in a medical emergency.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">When hospitals turn away patients or refuse to provide that care,</a>&nbsp;they are subject to federal investigations, hefty fines and loss of Medicare funding.The emergency room is the last place that the Democratic White House has argued it can federally require rare emergency abortions to be performed, despite strict state abortion bans.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">After Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022</a>, and U.S. women lost the constitutional right to an abortion, HHS quickly sent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/emergency-medical-care-letter-to-health-care-providers.pdf" target="_blank">letters</a>&nbsp;to doctors,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-government-and-politics-4221f9306a596904b9af2e0d1fad23b9">saying</a>&nbsp;that they were required to provide abortions in emergency medical situations when they were needed to keep a woman medically stable.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">An AP investigation</a>&nbsp;found that complaints about pregnant women being turned away from emergency rooms spiked in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, raising concerns about emergency pregnancy care in states that have enacted strict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;laws.In Idaho, enforcement of the federal law in emergency abortion cases had been on hold since January, when the state’s strict abortion ban took effect. Idaho’s state law threatens doctors with prison sentences if they perform an abortion, with an exception only if a pregnant woman’s life, not her health, is at risk.The Biden administration has argued that this conflicts with a federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, or EMTALA. Roughly 50,000 women every year develop serious pregnancy complications, like blood loss, sepsis or organ loss. Some of those women may show up in emergency rooms and in the most serious cases where a fetus is unlikely to be viable, doctors may recommend a termination of the pregnancy.For example, if a woman’s water breaks during the second trimester, a condition known as a preterm premature rupture of membranes, the fetus may not be viable, and continuing the pregnancy means that the patient may risk developing sepsis, an infection that can be deadly.Texas is also suing the Biden administration over its guidance around the law. The Department of Justice has appealed a lower court ruling that said the law could be enforced to the Supreme Court, which could decide on taking up the case later this year.HHS has also sought in recent months to make it easier for any patient who is turned away or not appropriately transferred to file complaints against hospitals. Earlier this year, CMS unveiled a new web page that allows anyone to submit a complaint in a straightforward, three-step process.“We will continue to build on our recent actions to educate the public about their rights to emergency medical care and to help support efforts of hospitals and health care professionals to meet their obligations under EMTALA,” the letter said.The department said the complaint webpage will also be available in Spanish, starting today.Lupe Rodriguez, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, said her team has had conversations for a few months with the HHS secretary to encourage the office to make tools available in Spanish.Latinas are more likely to be uninsured, lack access to prenatal care and live in states with abortion bans, she said. This is even more of a concern for Latinas with limited English language skills or who are in mixed immigration status families, she said.“It’s incredibly important to be centering Latinas and people of color because we’re the most impacted by these abortion bans and attempts to restrict emergency care,” she said.

Biden Admin.: Doctors must now provide emergency abortions

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Educators in Kansas’ largest public school district discriminated against Black and disabled students when disciplining them, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, which announced an agreement Tuesday that will have the district revising its policies.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1358976/dl">Click here to read</a> the cover letter sent to Wichita Public Schools

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1358961/dl">Click here to read </a>the settlement agreement between the Department of Justice and Wichita Public Schools.

Changes the Wichita district has agreed to include restraining unruly students less often and ending the practice of putting misbehaving students alone in rooms by Jan. 1, 2025, the DOJ said.

The district also agreed to offer counseling or tutoring to every student who was confined alone in a room during the past three schools years, with the number of hours matching those for which the student was secluded. The department said the district already is writing a new code of conduct for students and has scheduled crisis-prevention training for staff.

The agreement comes amid an ongoing national debate about classroom discipline and whether punishments for minority and disabled students are disproportionately harsh. The Justice Department has previously reached similar agreements with other school districts in the U.S.

The settlement “sends a powerful message to Kansas schools and schools across the nation to ensure that they must no longer alienate or target Black students or students with disabilities,” said Rocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas.

The Department of Justice said in a letter to the Wichita district's attorney that it investigated disciplinary practices for the past three school years and visited the district in March 2023. It concluded that the district disciplined Black students more often and more severely than white students.

The DOJ also said that in the more than 3,000 times over three years that the district restrained or secluded students, 98% of those students were disabled. And it noted that hundreds of the cases involved students in kindergarten, first or second grade. More than 40 students were restrained or secluded more than 20 times each, the DOJ said.

“We substantiated allegations that the District discriminated against Black students in its administration of school discipline and referral of student conduct to law enforcement,” the department said in its letter. "We also found evidence that the District denied students with disabilities equal opportunity to participate in or benefit from its education program.”

The Wichita district has more than 46,000 students, nearly 10% of all students in Kansas. About 64% of the students are Black, Hispanic or have multiple ethnicities, according to State Department of Education figures, and the state considers nearly 78% to be at risk of failing academically.

The DOJ said the district cooperated throughout its investigation and had “expressed a desire to make positive improvements.”

“We can and must create a more equitable school district by changing some of our practices and procedures,” Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said in an online statement after the Wichita school board approved the agreement. “Safe learning communities — for students and staff — will always be of the utmost importance.”

Disability rights advocates in numerous states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/815cb0a71de34fd8b395941bf03bada8">for years have criticized</a>&nbsp;restraints and seclusion for disabled students, saying the punishments are overused and dangerous.

In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-iowa-des-moines-cedar-rapids-us-department-of-justice-e7eee4ff22ad33732539d9969163fa61">Iowa's second-largest school district</a>&nbsp;promised to end the use of seclusion rooms after the Department of Justice concluded that it had violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-justice-alaska-anchorage-education-f3caf723c4adc40d605389388e984128">Alaska's largest district</a>&nbsp;agreed to stop secluding students and to use restraints only when there is a real risk of physical harm to the student or others.

Kansas law already dictates that restraint can be used only when there is an imminent risk that students will seriously harm themselves or others, according to Nichols.

"Wichita public schools should have been following that requirement all along," he said.

In other states,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teaching-school-boards-district-of-columbia-newport-news-education-124a978f3f76f53f1cb90ae4da21da4a">pressure to do more</a>&nbsp;about unruly students has led officials to go in a different direction.

Arkansas last year expanded its restraint law so that — in addition to teachers — other school staff can restrain students in some cases. Some states still allow corporal punishment: A southwestern Missouri district&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-school-boards-missouri-springfield-cassville-d3f3e3228be5a2209eb9761885795470">reinstituted student spanking</a>&nbsp;in 2022 as a form of discipline, but only in cases where the parents agree.

In Wichita, the Department of Justice said, the difference in discipline for Black and white girls was “particularly pronounced.” At one middle school, Black girls faced being punished for insubordination 4.5 times as often as white girls and were cited for dress code violations 3.6 times as often, the DOJ letter said. Wichita schools restrained students 1,570 times over three years and put them in seclusion 1,450 times, the letter added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707789312106.png" alt="Screen image from a USD 259 board meeting in 2023" />
 <figcaption>Screen image from a USD 259 board meeting in 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Educators in Kansas’ largest public school district discriminated against Black and disabled students when disciplining them, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, which announced an agreement Tuesday that will have the district revising its policies.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1358976/dl">Click here to read</a> the cover letter sent to Wichita Public Schools<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1358961/dl">Click here to read </a>the settlement agreement between the Department of Justice and Wichita Public Schools.Changes the Wichita district has agreed to include restraining unruly students less often and ending the practice of putting misbehaving students alone in rooms by Jan. 1, 2025, the DOJ said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719962108457.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The district also agreed to offer counseling or tutoring to every student who was confined alone in a room during the past three schools years, with the number of hours matching those for which the student was secluded. The department said the district already is writing a new code of conduct for students and has scheduled crisis-prevention training for staff.The agreement comes amid an ongoing national debate about classroom discipline and whether punishments for minority and disabled students are disproportionately harsh. The Justice Department has previously reached similar agreements with other school districts in the U.S.The settlement “sends a powerful message to Kansas schools and schools across the nation to ensure that they must no longer alienate or target Black students or students with disabilities,” said Rocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas.The Department of Justice said in a letter to the Wichita district's attorney that it investigated disciplinary practices for the past three school years and visited the district in March 2023. It concluded that the district disciplined Black students more often and more severely than white students.The DOJ also said that in the more than 3,000 times over three years that the district restrained or secluded students, 98% of those students were disabled. And it noted that hundreds of the cases involved students in kindergarten, first or second grade. More than 40 students were restrained or secluded more than 20 times each, the DOJ said.“We substantiated allegations that the District discriminated against Black students in its administration of school discipline and referral of student conduct to law enforcement,” the department said in its letter. "We also found evidence that the District denied students with disabilities equal opportunity to participate in or benefit from its education program.”The Wichita district has more than 46,000 students, nearly 10% of all students in Kansas. About 64% of the students are Black, Hispanic or have multiple ethnicities, according to State Department of Education figures, and the state considers nearly 78% to be at risk of failing academically.The DOJ said the district cooperated throughout its investigation and had “expressed a desire to make positive improvements.”“We can and must create a more equitable school district by changing some of our practices and procedures,” Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said in an online statement after the Wichita school board approved the agreement. “Safe learning communities — for students and staff — will always be of the utmost importance.”Disability rights advocates in numerous states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/815cb0a71de34fd8b395941bf03bada8">for years have criticized</a>&nbsp;restraints and seclusion for disabled students, saying the punishments are overused and dangerous.In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-iowa-des-moines-cedar-rapids-us-department-of-justice-e7eee4ff22ad33732539d9969163fa61">Iowa's second-largest school district</a>&nbsp;promised to end the use of seclusion rooms after the Department of Justice concluded that it had violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-justice-alaska-anchorage-education-f3caf723c4adc40d605389388e984128">Alaska's largest district</a>&nbsp;agreed to stop secluding students and to use restraints only when there is a real risk of physical harm to the student or others.Kansas law already dictates that restraint can be used only when there is an imminent risk that students will seriously harm themselves or others, according to Nichols."Wichita public schools should have been following that requirement all along," he said.In other states,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teaching-school-boards-district-of-columbia-newport-news-education-124a978f3f76f53f1cb90ae4da21da4a">pressure to do more</a>&nbsp;about unruly students has led officials to go in a different direction.Arkansas last year expanded its restraint law so that — in addition to teachers — other school staff can restrain students in some cases. Some states still allow corporal punishment: A southwestern Missouri district&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-school-boards-missouri-springfield-cassville-d3f3e3228be5a2209eb9761885795470">reinstituted student spanking</a>&nbsp;in 2022 as a form of discipline, but only in cases where the parents agree.In Wichita, the Department of Justice said, the difference in discipline for Black and white girls was “particularly pronounced.” At one middle school, Black girls faced being punished for insubordination 4.5 times as often as white girls and were cited for dress code violations 3.6 times as often, the DOJ letter said. Wichita schools restrained students 1,570 times over three years and put them in seclusion 1,450 times, the letter added.

Read the settlement: Kan. largest school district discriminated against Black students

DOUGLAS. COUNTY —Police are investigating a bank robbery and&nbsp; asking neighbors in a certain area to check home cameras as the search continues for the suspect.

Just before 9:30a.m. Tuesday, police responded to&nbsp;the Bank of America at 900 Ohio Street in Lawrence, after a bank robbery was reported, according to a media release from Lawrence Police.

A person, who said they were inside the bank when the robbery began, ran out to call police. Several people were in the bank doing business when the robbery occurred.&nbsp; Witnesses told police the suspect demanded money and quickly fled south in the alley between Tennessee and Ohio Streets.&nbsp; 

Police can not confirm reliably whether there was or was not a weapon involved. The suspect was wearing a black beanie cap with distinctive lettering and a mask with a design.&nbsp; The suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of cash and nobody was physically hurt.&nbsp;

Police want anyone with home security cameras from 8th&nbsp;Street to 13th&nbsp;between Louisiana and Vermont to check their recordings for anything they may have captured leading up to the event and following.&nbsp; The FBI Kansas City office responded immediately to assist in the investigation.

If you have any information, please call dispatch at (785) 832-7509 or&nbsp;Douglas County Crime Stoppers (785) 843-TIPS (8477) to remain anonymous.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719968756971.png" alt="Photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS. COUNTY —Police are investigating a bank robbery and&nbsp; asking neighbors in a certain area to check home cameras as the search continues for the suspect.Just before 9:30a.m. Tuesday, police responded to&nbsp;the Bank of America at 900 Ohio Street in Lawrence, after a bank robbery was reported, according to a media release from Lawrence Police.A person, who said they were inside the bank when the robbery began, ran out to call police. Several people were in the bank doing business when the robbery occurred.&nbsp; Witnesses told police the suspect demanded money and quickly fled south in the alley between Tennessee and Ohio Streets.&nbsp; Police can not confirm reliably whether there was or was not a weapon involved. The suspect was wearing a black beanie cap with distinctive lettering and a mask with a design.&nbsp; The suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of cash and nobody was physically hurt.&nbsp;Police want anyone with home security cameras from 8th&nbsp;Street to 13th&nbsp;between Louisiana and Vermont to check their recordings for anything they may have captured leading up to the event and following.&nbsp; The FBI Kansas City office responded immediately to assist in the investigation.If you have any information, please call dispatch at (785) 832-7509 or&nbsp;Douglas County Crime Stoppers (785) 843-TIPS (8477) to remain anonymous.

Police ask for home camera video to catch Kan. bank robbery suspect

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that June's total tax collections were $1.03 billion. That is $24.1 million, or 2.4%, more than the estimate. Total tax collections are up 3.9% from June 2023, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Revenue.

The state ended May with total tax collections at $658.9 million, 22.7%, below the estimate.&nbsp;

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY29udGVudC5nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeS5jb20vYXR0YWNobWVudHMvS1NPRy8yMDI0LzA3LzAyL2ZpbGVfYXR0YWNobWVudHMvMjkyNjQxNS8xMl9KdW5lX1JldmVudWVfRlkyMDI0XzA3LTAyLTIwMjRfRmluYWwucGRmIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDI0MDcwMi45NzA5NDY5MSJ9.4RWHnEXs6E9Spkdo0xVnRKNzXj8vWg_ft6SxHxufW-w/s/1303160919/br/245164441867-l">here</a>&nbsp;to view the June 2024 revenue numbers.

“While the tax revenue collected for June is encouraging, we must remain committed to fiscal responsibility,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “By continuing our work to put our state on solid fiscal ground, we can ensure Kansans have the services and quality of life they deserve.”

Individual income tax collections were $452.4 million. That is $82.4 million, or 22.3% more than the estimate, and up 19.4% from June 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $193.1 million. That is $53.9 million, or 21.8% less than the estimate, and down 14.6% from June 2023.

“Individual income tax receipts exceeded the June estimate because of higher-than-expected withholding tax and individual estimated payments and the fact that fewer refunds were paid than in June 2023,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart. “Withholding tax receipts are 17.0% greater than in June 2023, and that source continues to be the State’s most reliable revenue stream.”

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $292.1 million. That is $2.2 million, or 0.7% more than the estimate, but down $11.4 million, or 3.8%, from June 2023.

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that June's total tax collections were $1.03 billion. That is $24.1 million, or 2.4%, more than the estimate. Total tax collections are up 3.9% from June 2023, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Revenue.The state ended May with total tax collections at $658.9 million, 22.7%, below the estimate.&nbsp;Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY29udGVudC5nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeS5jb20vYXR0YWNobWVudHMvS1NPRy8yMDI0LzA3LzAyL2ZpbGVfYXR0YWNobWVudHMvMjkyNjQxNS8xMl9KdW5lX1JldmVudWVfRlkyMDI0XzA3LTAyLTIwMjRfRmluYWwucGRmIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDI0MDcwMi45NzA5NDY5MSJ9.4RWHnEXs6E9Spkdo0xVnRKNzXj8vWg_ft6SxHxufW-w/s/1303160919/br/245164441867-l">here</a>&nbsp;to view the June 2024 revenue numbers.“While the tax revenue collected for June is encouraging, we must remain committed to fiscal responsibility,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “By continuing our work to put our state on solid fiscal ground, we can ensure Kansans have the services and quality of life they deserve.”Individual income tax collections were $452.4 million. That is $82.4 million, or 22.3% more than the estimate, and up 19.4% from June 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $193.1 million. That is $53.9 million, or 21.8% less than the estimate, and down 14.6% from June 2023.“Individual income tax receipts exceeded the June estimate because of higher-than-expected withholding tax and individual estimated payments and the fact that fewer refunds were paid than in June 2023,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart. “Withholding tax receipts are 17.0% greater than in June 2023, and that source continues to be the State’s most reliable revenue stream.”Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $292.1 million. That is $2.2 million, or 0.7% more than the estimate, but down $11.4 million, or 3.8%, from June 2023.

Kansas total tax collections back up in June

KANSAS CITY—Authorities&nbsp; investigating the drowning death of a two-year old at home near Kansas City have identified the child&nbsp;Carson Bryant-Ferrantell.

Just before noon June 28, deputies were dispatched to a home in the 38600 block of E. Parrent Road, Oak Grove,&nbsp;according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp; First responders found the toddler had drowned.

The sheriff's office released no additional details.

KANSAS CITY—Authorities&nbsp; investigating the drowning death of a two-year old at home near Kansas City have identified the child&nbsp;Carson Bryant-Ferrantell.Just before noon June 28, deputies were dispatched to a home in the 38600 block of E. Parrent Road, Oak Grove,&nbsp;according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp; First responders found the toddler had drowned.The sheriff's office released no additional details.

Sheriff's office IDs 2-year-old who drowned at KC area home

SEDGWICK COUNTY—&nbsp;A man with a previous abuse conviction is scheduled for sentencing Wednesday afternoon for the violent beating death of his 8-year-old daughter.

In March,&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740792">Thomas Gatewood, </a>52, Wichita, plead no contest to first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated battery, abuse of a child, rape, criminal sodomy, aggravated endangering of a child aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated intimidation of a witness, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On May 8, of 2023 police&nbsp;were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of N. Oliver in Wichita after report of an&nbsp;unresponsive 8-year-old girl, according to Officer&nbsp; Kris Gupilan. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene.

&nbsp;A warrant was issued for Gatewood's arrest for the murder of his 8-year-old daughter

Wichita Police Officers utilized FLOCK technology and Thomas was quickly located and taken into custody within hours of the warrant being issued.&nbsp;

The Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit and Homicide detectives investigated the incident and presented a case to the District Attorney’s office. Prosecutors say Gatewood had repeatedly beaten and even stomped on the 8-year-old and an autopsy revealed that her heart had ruptured. Another child in the house was also abused.

Court documents show he was previously charged with child abuse in Oklahoma in 2009.&nbsp;

Gatewood was scheduled to face a trial in the case March 11.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687976261144.png" alt="Gatewood photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Gatewood photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—&nbsp;A man with a previous abuse conviction is scheduled for sentencing Wednesday afternoon for the violent beating death of his 8-year-old daughter.In March,&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740792">Thomas Gatewood, </a>52, Wichita, plead no contest to first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated battery, abuse of a child, rape, criminal sodomy, aggravated endangering of a child aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated intimidation of a witness, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On May 8, of 2023 police&nbsp;were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of N. Oliver in Wichita after report of an&nbsp;unresponsive 8-year-old girl, according to Officer&nbsp; Kris Gupilan. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;A warrant was issued for Gatewood's arrest for the murder of his 8-year-old daughterWichita Police Officers utilized FLOCK technology and Thomas was quickly located and taken into custody within hours of the warrant being issued.&nbsp;The Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit and Homicide detectives investigated the incident and presented a case to the District Attorney’s office. Prosecutors say Gatewood had repeatedly beaten and even stomped on the 8-year-old and an autopsy revealed that her heart had ruptured. Another child in the house was also abused.Court documents show he was previously charged with child abuse in Oklahoma in 2009.&nbsp;Gatewood was scheduled to face a trial in the case March 11.&nbsp;-The AP contributed to this report.

Kan. man who killed 8-year-old daughter will learn his fate

JOHNSON COUNTY—A man who worked for over two dozen years in a Kansas school district is in jail on child sex crime allegations.

On June 26,&nbsp; police arrested 43-year-old Jason Barrett on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties and furnishing alcohol to a minor for illicit purposes. The victim was under the age of 16 but over than 14, according to court records.

He worked as a paraprofessional in USD 233 Olathe starting in 2009, according to online records. He remains jailed on a&nbsp;$250,000 bond and is due back in court July 10, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719776149678.png" alt="Barrett-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Barrett-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—A man who worked for over two dozen years in a Kansas school district is in jail on child sex crime allegations.On June 26,&nbsp; police arrested 43-year-old Jason Barrett on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties and furnishing alcohol to a minor for illicit purposes. The victim was under the age of 16 but over than 14, according to court records.He worked as a paraprofessional in USD 233 Olathe starting in 2009, according to online records. He remains jailed on a&nbsp;$250,000 bond and is due back in court July 10, according to online jail records.

Former Kan. school employee accused of child sex crimes

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita have arrested a man and his father.

Just after 11a.m. Monday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

First responders located 25-year-old Sebastian Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Multiple other individuals, including two juveniles, were located inside the apartment. EMS transported a woman to an area hospital to be evaluated for a condition apparently unrelated to the shooting.&nbsp;No other injuries were reported.

Homicide investigators responded to the scene and worked with patrol officers to understand what led up to the shooting. According to Sedgwick County booking records, police arrested 22-year-old Peter McKinney on a requested charge of Second-Degree Reckless Murder and 50-year-old Jeffrey McKinney on a requested charge of Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jeffrey McKinney is Peter's father, according to Ford.

At this time, police believe that Crawford and the suspect knew each other and were involved in an argument before the shooting.

The facts of this case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration. This is the 18th criminal homicide in Wichita this year, according to Ford.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719921077048.png" alt="Peter McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Peter McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita have arrested a man and his father.Just after 11a.m. Monday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719885319829.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located 25-year-old Sebastian Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.Multiple other individuals, including two juveniles, were located inside the apartment. EMS transported a woman to an area hospital to be evaluated for a condition apparently unrelated to the shooting.&nbsp;No other injuries were reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719921323757.png" alt="Jeffrey McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Homicide investigators responded to the scene and worked with patrol officers to understand what led up to the shooting. According to Sedgwick County booking records, police arrested 22-year-old Peter McKinney on a requested charge of Second-Degree Reckless Murder and 50-year-old Jeffrey McKinney on a requested charge of Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jeffrey McKinney is Peter's father, according to Ford.At this time, police believe that Crawford and the suspect knew each other and were involved in an argument before the shooting.The facts of this case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration. This is the 18th criminal homicide in Wichita this year, according to Ford.&nbsp;

Father and son arrested in Kansas apartment complex killing

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. government will pay the vaccine maker Moderna $176 million to develop a pandemic vaccine that could be used to treat bird flu in people as cases in dairy cows continue to mount across the country, federal officials announced Tuesday.

The funds are targeted for release through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and will pay for continued development of a vaccine that uses the same mRNA technology that allowed rapid development and rollout of vaccines to protect against COVID-19. The award was made through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a program that focuses on medical treatments for potential pandemics.

Moderna will launch trials to test the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine that could be used to scale up a response to a bird flu pandemic, if needed.

The H5N1 virus was detected earlier this year in dairy cows and has spread to more than 135 herds in 12 states and infected three people to date, all with mild cases. Federal health officials stress that the risk to the wider population remains low.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697809177329.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. government will pay the vaccine maker Moderna $176 million to develop a pandemic vaccine that could be used to treat bird flu in people as cases in dairy cows continue to mount across the country, federal officials announced Tuesday.The funds are targeted for release through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and will pay for continued development of a vaccine that uses the same mRNA technology that allowed rapid development and rollout of vaccines to protect against COVID-19. The award was made through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a program that focuses on medical treatments for potential pandemics.Moderna will launch trials to test the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine that could be used to scale up a response to a bird flu pandemic, if needed.The H5N1 virus was detected earlier this year in dairy cows and has spread to more than 135 herds in 12 states and infected three people to date, all with mild cases. Federal health officials stress that the risk to the wider population remains low.

US will pay Moderna $176 million for new mRNA pandemic flu vaccine

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 9p.m. June 30,&nbsp;Sac and Fox Police and Brown County Sheriff's deputies investigated a suspicious vehicle which was disabled&nbsp; int he vicinity of 320th and Kestrel Road, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

 K-9 Carla indicated on the vehicle and spoke with the driver and sole occupant Robert Hendricks, 64, Marysville.

Deputies arrested him on requested charges of Possession of Meth,&nbsp; Felony Distribution of Meth, No Drug Tax Stamp, Possession of&nbsp; Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.&nbsp; Investigators found 20 grams of methamphetamine, scales, pipes, baggies and more was located within the vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719875809214.png" alt="-K-9 SGT Fee with Carla" />
 <figcaption>-K-9 SGT Fee with Carla</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 9p.m. June 30,&nbsp;Sac and Fox Police and Brown County Sheriff's deputies investigated a suspicious vehicle which was disabled&nbsp; int he vicinity of 320th and Kestrel Road, according to Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719875791068.png" alt="Hendricks photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Hendricks photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure> K-9 Carla indicated on the vehicle and spoke with the driver and sole occupant Robert Hendricks, 64, Marysville.Deputies arrested him on requested charges of Possession of Meth,&nbsp; Felony Distribution of Meth, No Drug Tax Stamp, Possession of&nbsp; Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.&nbsp; Investigators found 20 grams of methamphetamine, scales, pipes, baggies and more was located within the vehicle.

Kan. sheriff's K9 helped catch man allegedly selling meth

FINNEY COUNTY —Fire officials in Finney County are investigating an arson fire.

Just before 6 a.m. on Monday,&nbsp;the Garden City Fire Department was dispatched to the report of house fire 1027 N. Boots Road, Garden City, Kansas, according to a media release.

Fire personnel identified a single-story home with heavy fire visible from all windows. Personnel established a water supply, completed initial knockdown of the fire, and completed the primary and secondary searches of the structure. The home was confirmed to be vacant.

The fire was called under control at approximately 6:02 a.m.

Fire Marshal Gene Robertson notified the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s office of the fire and requested assistance with the investigation. During the investigation, Accelerant Detection Canine Karma alerted multiple areas of the home for possible accelerants. The cause of the fire was determined to be arson.

No injuries were reported, and no damage estimates are known at this time.

Any individuals with tips or information are requested to contact Fire Marshal Gene Robertson at (620) 276-1140 or Finney County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Colleen Bascue at (620) 272-3700.

FINNEY COUNTY —Fire officials in Finney County are investigating an arson fire.Just before 6 a.m. on Monday,&nbsp;the Garden City Fire Department was dispatched to the report of house fire 1027 N. Boots Road, Garden City, Kansas, according to a media release.Fire personnel identified a single-story home with heavy fire visible from all windows. Personnel established a water supply, completed initial knockdown of the fire, and completed the primary and secondary searches of the structure. The home was confirmed to be vacant.The fire was called under control at approximately 6:02 a.m.Fire Marshal Gene Robertson notified the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s office of the fire and requested assistance with the investigation. During the investigation, Accelerant Detection Canine Karma alerted multiple areas of the home for possible accelerants. The cause of the fire was determined to be arson.No injuries were reported, and no damage estimates are known at this time.Any individuals with tips or information are requested to contact Fire Marshal Gene Robertson at (620) 276-1140 or Finney County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Colleen Bascue at (620) 272-3700.#

Arson fire under investigation at SW Kansas home

NEW YORK (AP) —Former President Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case was postponed until at least September as the judge agreed Tuesday to weigh the possible impact of a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-immunity-2dc0d1c2368d404adc0054151490f542">Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity</a>.

The delay is a major reprieve for Trump, who had been scheduled to face sentencing July 11 on his New York conviction on felony charges of falsifying business records. He denies any wrongdoing.

The postponement sets the sentencing for Sept. 18 at the earliest — if it happens at all, since Trump's lawyers are arguing that the Supreme Court ruling merits not only delaying the sentencing but tossing out his conviction.

The new date is well after this month's Republican National Convention, where Trump is set formally to accept the party’s nomination for president in this year’s race.

September, however, is far closer to Election Day, which could put the issue top-of-mind for voters just as they seriously tune into the race. Because of absentee voting timelines in certain states, some voters may already have cast ballots before anyone knows whether the former president will have to spend time in jail or on home confinement.

There was no immediate comment on the postponement from Trump's campaign or Manhattan prosecutors, who brought the case.

The delay caps a string of political and legal wins for Trump in recent days, including the Supreme Court's immunity ruling and a debate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debate-democrats-trump-trapped-c10c872f8436966096b45b6089adee8b">widely seen as a disaster</a>&nbsp;for Democratic President Joe Biden.

The immunity decision all but closed the door on the possibility that Trump could face trial in his 2020 election interference case in Washington before this November's vote. The timeline in itself is a victory for the former president, who has sought to delay his four criminal cases past the balloting.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fani-willis-georgia-election-indictment-3c852370fe7888eaf331fb95dcf9f26f">appeals court recently paused</a>&nbsp;a separate election interference case against Trump, in Georgia; no trial date has been set. His federal classified documents case in Florida remains bogged down by pretrial disputes that have resulted in an indefinite cancelation of the trial date.

Monday's Supreme Court ruling granted broad immunity protections to presidents, while also restricting prosecutors from citing any official acts as evidence in trying to prove a president’s unofficial actions violated the law.

The high court held that former presidents are absolutely immune from prosecution for actions that fall within their core constitutional duties, such as interacting with the Justice Department, and at least presumptively immune for all other official acts. The justices left intact the longstanding principle that no immunity exists for purely personal acts.

It's not clear how the decision will affect the New York hush money case.

Its underpinnings involved allegations that a pre-presidency Trump participated in a scheme to stifle sex stories that he feared would be damaging to his 2016 campaign. But the actual charges had to do with payments made in 2017 to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, who had shelled out hush money on Trump's behalf. Trump was president when he signed relevant checks to Cohen.

Trump's lawyers sought unsuccessfully before the trial to keep out certain evidence that they said concerned official acts, including social media posts he made as president. They may face a similar uphill climb in trying to argue now that the Supreme Court ruling warrants tossing out the New York conviction.

When Trump vied unsuccessfully last year to get the hush-money case moved from state court to federal court,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-york-indictment-stormy-daniels-cohen-e673f673d205a70275d05510793672f2">U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected the former president's claim</a>&nbsp;that allegations in the hush money indictment involved official duties.

“The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was a purely personal item of the president — a cover-up of an embarrassing event," Hellerstein wrote last year.

Hours after Monday's Supreme Court ruling, Trump’s attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24787589-20240701-letter-to-justice-merchan-re-immunity-decision?responsive=1&amp;title=1">requested</a>&nbsp;that New York Judge Juan M. Merchan set aside the jury’s guilty verdict and delay the sentencing to consider how the high court’s ruling could affect the hush money case.

Merchan wrote that he'll rule Sept. 6, and the next date in the case would be Sept. 18, “if such is still necessary.”

In their filing Monday, defense attorneys argued that Manhattan prosecutors had placed “highly prejudicial emphasis on official-acts evidence,” including Trump's social media posts and witness testimony about Oval Office meetings.

Prosecutors said before the judge's decision Tuesday that they believed those arguments were “without merit” but that they wouldn't oppose adjourning the sentencing for two weeks as the judge considers the matter.

Trump was convicted May 30 on 34 counts of falsifying business records arising from what prosecutors said was an attempt to cover up a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.

Daniels claims she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 after meeting him at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. Trump has repeatedly denied that claim, saying at his June 27 debate with Biden: “I didn’t have sex with a porn star.”

Prosecutors said the Daniels payment was part of a broader scheme to buy the silence of people who might have gone public during the campaign with embarrassing stories alleging Trump had extramarital sex. Trump said they all were false.

Cohen paid Daniels and was later reimbursed by Trump, whose company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses.

Trump's defense argued that the payments were indeed for legal work and so were correctly categorized.

Falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years behind bars. Other potential sentences include probation, a fine or a conditional discharge which would require Trump to stay out of trouble to avoid additional punishment. Trump is the first ex-president convicted of a crime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714517455009.png" alt="File photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —Former President Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case was postponed until at least September as the judge agreed Tuesday to weigh the possible impact of a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-immunity-2dc0d1c2368d404adc0054151490f542">Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity</a>.The delay is a major reprieve for Trump, who had been scheduled to face sentencing July 11 on his New York conviction on felony charges of falsifying business records. He denies any wrongdoing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719950796354.png" alt="" />
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 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719950816458.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The postponement sets the sentencing for Sept. 18 at the earliest — if it happens at all, since Trump's lawyers are arguing that the Supreme Court ruling merits not only delaying the sentencing but tossing out his conviction.The new date is well after this month's Republican National Convention, where Trump is set formally to accept the party’s nomination for president in this year’s race.September, however, is far closer to Election Day, which could put the issue top-of-mind for voters just as they seriously tune into the race. Because of absentee voting timelines in certain states, some voters may already have cast ballots before anyone knows whether the former president will have to spend time in jail or on home confinement.There was no immediate comment on the postponement from Trump's campaign or Manhattan prosecutors, who brought the case.The delay caps a string of political and legal wins for Trump in recent days, including the Supreme Court's immunity ruling and a debate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debate-democrats-trump-trapped-c10c872f8436966096b45b6089adee8b">widely seen as a disaster</a>&nbsp;for Democratic President Joe Biden.The immunity decision all but closed the door on the possibility that Trump could face trial in his 2020 election interference case in Washington before this November's vote. The timeline in itself is a victory for the former president, who has sought to delay his four criminal cases past the balloting.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fani-willis-georgia-election-indictment-3c852370fe7888eaf331fb95dcf9f26f">appeals court recently paused</a>&nbsp;a separate election interference case against Trump, in Georgia; no trial date has been set. His federal classified documents case in Florida remains bogged down by pretrial disputes that have resulted in an indefinite cancelation of the trial date.Monday's Supreme Court ruling granted broad immunity protections to presidents, while also restricting prosecutors from citing any official acts as evidence in trying to prove a president’s unofficial actions violated the law.The high court held that former presidents are absolutely immune from prosecution for actions that fall within their core constitutional duties, such as interacting with the Justice Department, and at least presumptively immune for all other official acts. The justices left intact the longstanding principle that no immunity exists for purely personal acts.It's not clear how the decision will affect the New York hush money case.Its underpinnings involved allegations that a pre-presidency Trump participated in a scheme to stifle sex stories that he feared would be damaging to his 2016 campaign. But the actual charges had to do with payments made in 2017 to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, who had shelled out hush money on Trump's behalf. Trump was president when he signed relevant checks to Cohen.Trump's lawyers sought unsuccessfully before the trial to keep out certain evidence that they said concerned official acts, including social media posts he made as president. They may face a similar uphill climb in trying to argue now that the Supreme Court ruling warrants tossing out the New York conviction.When Trump vied unsuccessfully last year to get the hush-money case moved from state court to federal court,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-york-indictment-stormy-daniels-cohen-e673f673d205a70275d05510793672f2">U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected the former president's claim</a>&nbsp;that allegations in the hush money indictment involved official duties.“The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was a purely personal item of the president — a cover-up of an embarrassing event," Hellerstein wrote last year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719936693746.png" alt="People v. Trump defense letter on immunity- image NY State Courts" />
 <figcaption>People v. Trump defense letter on immunity- image NY State Courts</figcaption>
 </figure>Hours after Monday's Supreme Court ruling, Trump’s attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24787589-20240701-letter-to-justice-merchan-re-immunity-decision?responsive=1&amp;title=1">requested</a>&nbsp;that New York Judge Juan M. Merchan set aside the jury’s guilty verdict and delay the sentencing to consider how the high court’s ruling could affect the hush money case.Merchan wrote that he'll rule Sept. 6, and the next date in the case would be Sept. 18, “if such is still necessary.”In their filing Monday, defense attorneys argued that Manhattan prosecutors had placed “highly prejudicial emphasis on official-acts evidence,” including Trump's social media posts and witness testimony about Oval Office meetings.Prosecutors said before the judge's decision Tuesday that they believed those arguments were “without merit” but that they wouldn't oppose adjourning the sentencing for two weeks as the judge considers the matter.Trump was convicted May 30 on 34 counts of falsifying business records arising from what prosecutors said was an attempt to cover up a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.Daniels claims she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 after meeting him at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. Trump has repeatedly denied that claim, saying at his June 27 debate with Biden: “I didn’t have sex with a porn star.”Prosecutors said the Daniels payment was part of a broader scheme to buy the silence of people who might have gone public during the campaign with embarrassing stories alleging Trump had extramarital sex. Trump said they all were false.Cohen paid Daniels and was later reimbursed by Trump, whose company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses.Trump's defense argued that the payments were indeed for legal work and so were correctly categorized.Falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years behind bars. Other potential sentences include probation, a fine or a conditional discharge which would require Trump to stay out of trouble to avoid additional punishment. Trump is the first ex-president convicted of a crime.___

Judge delays Trump’s sentencing after high court immunity ruling

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ann-wilson">Ann Wilson</a>, lead singer of rock band Heart, says she has cancer and the band is postponing the remaining shows on its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hart-tour-wilson-royal-flush-e82a5cecf9dc482e58ad5893d06d97c8">Royal Flush Tour</a>&nbsp;while she undergoes treatment.

Wilson said in a statement Tuesday that she underwent a surgery to remove a cancerous growth and is recovering steadily, but that her doctors urged her to undergo preventive chemotherapy and take time off from performing “in order to fully recover.” That meant the rest of the shows on the North American tour will be postponed to dates in 2025.

“To the ticket buyers, I really do wish we could do these gigs. Please know that I absolutely plan to be back on stage in 2025,” Wilson said in the statement. “My team is getting those details sorted &amp; we’ll let you know the plan as soon as we can.”

All previously purchased tickets for the now-postponed shows will be honored. The rescheduled dates will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the release.

“This is merely a pause. I’ve much more to sing,” Wilson continued in the statement before adding, “Respectfully, this is the last public statement l’d like to make on the matter.”

Over 50 shows at stadium and arena venues in dozens of cities across the U.S. and Canada are impacted by the postponement. Select shows were set to include performances from Def Leppard and Journey, and Heart has not announced whether those bands will accompany them at the rescheduled performances.

The band, led by Wilson and her sister Nancy Wilson on the guitar, canceled the European leg of their tour in May, citing that the singer had to have "a time-sensitive but routine procedure for which the minimum recovery time is six weeks.”

Wilson posted on Instagram at the time of the European shows' cancellation, writing, “I’m okay! Please don’t worry. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. It’s certainly an inconvenience for me.”

The Wilson sisters, who made hits like “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” and “Alone,” formed the band in 1973. The Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Famers were honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2023.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719948376539.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ann-wilson">Ann Wilson</a>, lead singer of rock band Heart, says she has cancer and the band is postponing the remaining shows on its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hart-tour-wilson-royal-flush-e82a5cecf9dc482e58ad5893d06d97c8">Royal Flush Tour</a>&nbsp;while she undergoes treatment.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/YIFNJxF5MY">pic.twitter.com/YIFNJxF5MY</a>&mdash; Ann Wilson (@annwilson) <a href="https://twitter.com/annwilson/status/1808198828438270228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Wilson said in a statement Tuesday that she underwent a surgery to remove a cancerous growth and is recovering steadily, but that her doctors urged her to undergo preventive chemotherapy and take time off from performing “in order to fully recover.” That meant the rest of the shows on the North American tour will be postponed to dates in 2025.“To the ticket buyers, I really do wish we could do these gigs. Please know that I absolutely plan to be back on stage in 2025,” Wilson said in the statement. “My team is getting those details sorted &amp; we’ll let you know the plan as soon as we can.”All previously purchased tickets for the now-postponed shows will be honored. The rescheduled dates will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the release.“This is merely a pause. I’ve much more to sing,” Wilson continued in the statement before adding, “Respectfully, this is the last public statement l’d like to make on the matter.”Over 50 shows at stadium and arena venues in dozens of cities across the U.S. and Canada are impacted by the postponement. Select shows were set to include performances from Def Leppard and Journey, and Heart has not announced whether those bands will accompany them at the rescheduled performances.The band, led by Wilson and her sister Nancy Wilson on the guitar, canceled the European leg of their tour in May, citing that the singer had to have "a time-sensitive but routine procedure for which the minimum recovery time is six weeks.”Wilson posted on Instagram at the time of the European shows' cancellation, writing, “I’m okay! Please don’t worry. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. It’s certainly an inconvenience for me.”The Wilson sisters, who made hits like “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” and “Alone,” formed the band in 1973. The Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Famers were honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2023.

Ann Wilson announces cancer diagnosis, postpones Heart tour

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– The 22nd Air Refueling Wing put its global mission to the test by flying a KC-46 nonstop, around the world, June 29-July 1, according to a media release from the base.

The flight was the latest Maximum Endurance Operation (MEO) for the KC-46A Pegasus, Air Mobility Command’s newest tanker aircraft.

To make the 43-hour, global flight happen, the KC-46 relied on several aerial refuelings along the way, provided by six additional tankers from McConnell – two KC-135R Stratotankers and four KC-46 Pegasus tankers – which were prepositioned at key points around the world to provide critical refueling.

During the flight, the McConnell KC-46 aircrews operationalized procedures for MEOs and rotated duties and rest cycles between two complete aircrews.

MEOs go beyond the standard flight duty period, when the requirements for Rapid Global Mobility meet the challenge of extreme distance paired with accelerated timelines. Long flights are the norm in the airlift and air refueling communities, but MEOs acknowledge the potential need to rapidly deploy forces across long distances to deter, and if required, defeat potential adversaries.

In addition to the endurance training, the aircrew trained in the use of beyond line-of-sight communication systems to exercise command and control, onloaded fuel from supporting tankers and offloaded fuel to other military aircraft along the route.

The personnel on board consisted of: Col. Brent Toth, aircraft commander; Capt. Cody Donahue, instructor pilot; Capt. Daison Batangan, instructor pilot; Capt. T.J. Buckley, instructor plot; Master Sgt Jonathan Lauterbach instructor boom operator; Master Sgt Patrick Murray, instructor boom operator; Capt. Jacob Heyrend, flight surgeon; Staff Sgt Alejandro Melendez, flying crew chief; and Staff Sgt Dustin Shaffer, flying crew chief.

Mission planning and coordination was extensive, including balancing operational taskings with weather and training requirements, staging multiple aircraft around the globe to explode into theater and create an air bridge, and coordinating with several combatant commands.

This isn’t the first MEO for the 22nd ARW. In 2022, McConnell aircrews flew a KC-46 for a&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.mcconnell.af.mil%2fNews%2fArticle%2f3024819%2famcs-longest-refueling-flight-242-hours-in-a-kc-46a%2f&amp;c=E,1,PDZnz1wRnHlU9sIKA3y23MFit93wKaz7CaT0lPJRhMJd7KYTcEGHBGJdN5E3sHfHIq0pfUl8AMFjKG4umxp-ttWZB6dpGoJGsKiAu_vM8g,,&amp;typo=1">24.2-hour</a>,&nbsp;nonstop flight over 9,000 miles, originating from and landing back at McConnell. This flight helped refine many of the metrics for crew-rest cycles and crew fatigue monitoring for the current mission and advanced the knowledge-base for future MEOs.&nbsp;

Additionally, the 157th ARW based at Pease Air National Guard Base flew a KC-46 for&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.amc.af.mil%2fNews%2fArticle-Display%2fArticle%2f3223946%2fkc-46a-flies-36-hour-record-breaking-endurance-mission%2f%23%3a~%3atext%3dA%2520KC%252D46A%2520Pegasus%2520from%2cCommand%27s%2520longest%2520mission%2520to%2520date.&amp;c=E,1,DmFZvbrMKSUxuH47ICFRLgbmhe2WpWqo5q-ObGPOQVo6-ZsrsLeAZyRaP5GtHm9s6yQCbBgTMJS0s9HIe8CJeJnXrH9orHlf6_Nrgaot2eU,&amp;typo=1">36-hours</a>&nbsp;on a nonstop MEO covering 16,000 miles. The aircrew on that flight included two pilots from the 64th Air Refueling Squadron, a unit that is assigned to the 22nd ARW and operates with the 157th ARW in seamless Total Force Integration.

The last aerial refueling of the global KC-46 flight was performed by another KC-46 with the 22nd Air Refueling Wing commander Col. Cory Damon on board.

"The 22nd ARW's recent MEO around the world showcased not only the unmatched endurance of the KC-46 aircraft, but also the incredible resilience and professionalism of our aircrew,” said Damon. “This mission was a true test of our capabilities and a shining example of the critical role our tankers play in providing fuel and support to the Joint Force. I'm incredibly proud of our team's achievement in pushing the boundaries of what our tankers and their crews can do, and I have no doubt that this historic mission will serve as a foundation for future maximum endurance operations and further solidify our position as a key enabler of global power projection.”

This is also not the first time a KC-46 has flown an around-the-world mission, better known as global circumnavigation. In 2019, a McConnell KC-46 completed the&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.amc.af.mil%2fNews%2fArticle-Display%2fArticle%2f2043872%2fkc-46-completes-first-around-the-world-flight%2f&amp;c=E,1,gVjsslCLBeKFN8B1i7SJ_xDgaYI4c3p1JIDsiibtiNqkzxrn5S--K9ey0mn-4fiUBjwVhJ_dMsZjbNTC8Ar-SsHgfVveLRBN0CeSQ7xXln01YA,,&amp;typo=1">first around-the-world flight</a>&nbsp;of a KC-46, with six stops along its global route.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719931548229.png" alt="Photo courtesy McConnell Air Force Base" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy McConnell Air Force Base</figcaption>
 </figure>MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– The 22nd Air Refueling Wing put its global mission to the test by flying a KC-46 nonstop, around the world, June 29-July 1, according to a media release from the base.The flight was the latest Maximum Endurance Operation (MEO) for the KC-46A Pegasus, Air Mobility Command’s newest tanker aircraft.To make the 43-hour, global flight happen, the KC-46 relied on several aerial refuelings along the way, provided by six additional tankers from McConnell – two KC-135R Stratotankers and four KC-46 Pegasus tankers – which were prepositioned at key points around the world to provide critical refueling.During the flight, the McConnell KC-46 aircrews operationalized procedures for MEOs and rotated duties and rest cycles between two complete aircrews.MEOs go beyond the standard flight duty period, when the requirements for Rapid Global Mobility meet the challenge of extreme distance paired with accelerated timelines. Long flights are the norm in the airlift and air refueling communities, but MEOs acknowledge the potential need to rapidly deploy forces across long distances to deter, and if required, defeat potential adversaries.In addition to the endurance training, the aircrew trained in the use of beyond line-of-sight communication systems to exercise command and control, onloaded fuel from supporting tankers and offloaded fuel to other military aircraft along the route.The personnel on board consisted of: Col. Brent Toth, aircraft commander; Capt. Cody Donahue, instructor pilot; Capt. Daison Batangan, instructor pilot; Capt. T.J. Buckley, instructor plot; Master Sgt Jonathan Lauterbach instructor boom operator; Master Sgt Patrick Murray, instructor boom operator; Capt. Jacob Heyrend, flight surgeon; Staff Sgt Alejandro Melendez, flying crew chief; and Staff Sgt Dustin Shaffer, flying crew chief.Mission planning and coordination was extensive, including balancing operational taskings with weather and training requirements, staging multiple aircraft around the globe to explode into theater and create an air bridge, and coordinating with several combatant commands.This isn’t the first MEO for the 22nd ARW. In 2022, McConnell aircrews flew a KC-46 for a&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.mcconnell.af.mil%2fNews%2fArticle%2f3024819%2famcs-longest-refueling-flight-242-hours-in-a-kc-46a%2f&amp;c=E,1,PDZnz1wRnHlU9sIKA3y23MFit93wKaz7CaT0lPJRhMJd7KYTcEGHBGJdN5E3sHfHIq0pfUl8AMFjKG4umxp-ttWZB6dpGoJGsKiAu_vM8g,,&amp;typo=1">24.2-hour</a>,&nbsp;nonstop flight over 9,000 miles, originating from and landing back at McConnell. This flight helped refine many of the metrics for crew-rest cycles and crew fatigue monitoring for the current mission and advanced the knowledge-base for future MEOs.&nbsp;Additionally, the 157th ARW based at Pease Air National Guard Base flew a KC-46 for&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.amc.af.mil%2fNews%2fArticle-Display%2fArticle%2f3223946%2fkc-46a-flies-36-hour-record-breaking-endurance-mission%2f%23%3a~%3atext%3dA%2520KC%252D46A%2520Pegasus%2520from%2cCommand%27s%2520longest%2520mission%2520to%2520date.&amp;c=E,1,DmFZvbrMKSUxuH47ICFRLgbmhe2WpWqo5q-ObGPOQVo6-ZsrsLeAZyRaP5GtHm9s6yQCbBgTMJS0s9HIe8CJeJnXrH9orHlf6_Nrgaot2eU,&amp;typo=1">36-hours</a>&nbsp;on a nonstop MEO covering 16,000 miles. The aircrew on that flight included two pilots from the 64th Air Refueling Squadron, a unit that is assigned to the 22nd ARW and operates with the 157th ARW in seamless Total Force Integration.The last aerial refueling of the global KC-46 flight was performed by another KC-46 with the 22nd Air Refueling Wing commander Col. Cory Damon on board."The 22nd ARW's recent MEO around the world showcased not only the unmatched endurance of the KC-46 aircraft, but also the incredible resilience and professionalism of our aircrew,” said Damon. “This mission was a true test of our capabilities and a shining example of the critical role our tankers play in providing fuel and support to the Joint Force. I'm incredibly proud of our team's achievement in pushing the boundaries of what our tankers and their crews can do, and I have no doubt that this historic mission will serve as a foundation for future maximum endurance operations and further solidify our position as a key enabler of global power projection.”This is also not the first time a KC-46 has flown an around-the-world mission, better known as global circumnavigation. In 2019, a McConnell KC-46 completed the&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.amc.af.mil%2fNews%2fArticle-Display%2fArticle%2f2043872%2fkc-46-completes-first-around-the-world-flight%2f&amp;c=E,1,gVjsslCLBeKFN8B1i7SJ_xDgaYI4c3p1JIDsiibtiNqkzxrn5S--K9ey0mn-4fiUBjwVhJ_dMsZjbNTC8Ar-SsHgfVveLRBN0CeSQ7xXln01YA,,&amp;typo=1">first around-the-world flight</a>&nbsp;of a KC-46, with six stops along its global route.

Kan. Air Force base completes nonstop, around-the-world KC-46 flight

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for killing a Sedgwick County Sheriff's K9 officer.

&nbsp;Kaylon Kirkwood, 25, Wichita, was sentenced to nearly 2 and one half years for battery of a law enforcement officer and and another year in jail for harming or killing the the K9, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In November,&nbsp;the Wichita Police Domestic intervention and Violence Reduction team was in the area of Pawnee and Rock attempting to locate a robbery suspect later identified as Kirkwood according to Wichita Police Lt.&nbsp;Lieutenant Aaron Moses.

Just after noon, police located Kirkwood but he fled into a creek and barricaded himself in a storm drain and refused to come out.

Sheriff's deputies and police used extended leashes and sent K9 officers into the drain.&nbsp; There was an altercation between the Kirkwood and&nbsp; Sedgwick County Sheriff K9 Bane. The dog was pronounced deceased on scene, according to Moses.

Just after 2:30p.m. Kirkwood was finally taken into custody and transported for treatment of minor injuries from the K9. After Kirwood was released, police booked him into the Sedgwick County Detention Center.

In May, Kansas legislators voted to override a veto of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2583/">House Bill 2583</a>, known as “Bane’s Law.” &nbsp;The law increases penalties for inflicting harm on law enforcement animals, including horses. The felony crime is now punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a minimum fine of $10,000.

The law was inspired by Sedgwick County K9 officer Bane.

Officers were chasing Kirkwood in November, 2023. Kirkwood tried to hide in a storm drain near Rock Road and Pawnee. The K9 officer Bane was sent in after Kirkwood. Police said Kirkwood strangled Bane.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Judge Eric Williams ordered $38,379.98 in restitution to cover the cost of a new dog, a K9 ballistic vest, training along with Bane's necropsy and cremation.&nbsp; Restitution was payable to several parties because the Sheriff's office received donations that covered some of the items.

In an unrelated case Kirkwood pleaded guilty to aggravated battery with sexual motivation and interference with law enforcement. Kirkwood was sentenced to 29 months for the battery case and seven months for the interference case. All sentences are to run consecutively. The sentences are the maximum allowed under Kansas law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700237992193.png" alt="Kirkwood-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Kirkwood-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for killing a Sedgwick County Sheriff's K9 officer.&nbsp;Kaylon Kirkwood, 25, Wichita, was sentenced to nearly 2 and one half years for battery of a law enforcement officer and and another year in jail for harming or killing the the K9, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In November,&nbsp;the Wichita Police Domestic intervention and Violence Reduction team was in the area of Pawnee and Rock attempting to locate a robbery suspect later identified as Kirkwood according to Wichita Police Lt.&nbsp;Lieutenant Aaron Moses.Just after noon, police located Kirkwood but he fled into a creek and barricaded himself in a storm drain and refused to come out.Sheriff's deputies and police used extended leashes and sent K9 officers into the drain.&nbsp; There was an altercation between the Kirkwood and&nbsp; Sedgwick County Sheriff K9 Bane. The dog was pronounced deceased on scene, according to Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700174387964.png" alt="PSD Bane was 8 years old and had been with the Sheriff’s Office for 1 year.-photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>PSD Bane was 8 years old and had been with the Sheriff’s Office for 1 year.-photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 2:30p.m. Kirkwood was finally taken into custody and transported for treatment of minor injuries from the K9. After Kirwood was released, police booked him into the Sedgwick County Detention Center.In May, Kansas legislators voted to override a veto of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2583/">House Bill 2583</a>, known as “Bane’s Law.” &nbsp;The law increases penalties for inflicting harm on law enforcement animals, including horses. The felony crime is now punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a minimum fine of $10,000.The law was inspired by Sedgwick County K9 officer Bane.Officers were chasing Kirkwood in November, 2023. Kirkwood tried to hide in a storm drain near Rock Road and Pawnee. The K9 officer Bane was sent in after Kirkwood. Police said Kirkwood strangled Bane.&nbsp;&nbsp;Judge Eric Williams ordered $38,379.98 in restitution to cover the cost of a new dog, a K9 ballistic vest, training along with Bane's necropsy and cremation.&nbsp; Restitution was payable to several parties because the Sheriff's office received donations that covered some of the items.In an unrelated case Kirkwood pleaded guilty to aggravated battery with sexual motivation and interference with law enforcement. Kirkwood was sentenced to 29 months for the battery case and seven months for the interference case. All sentences are to run consecutively. The sentences are the maximum allowed under Kansas law.

Man who killed Kansas K9 officer is headed to prison

DOUGLAS. COUNTY —Police are investigating a bank robbery and searching for a suspect.

Police are looking for a man in a black beanie, black mask with unknown design on it, and possibly all black clothing. The suspect fled to the south on foot. No injuries were reported.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719940216705.png" alt="Photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS. COUNTY —Police are investigating a bank robbery and searching for a suspect.Just before 9:30a.m. Tuesday, police responded to&nbsp;the Bank of America at 900 Ohio Street in Lawrence, after a bank robbery was reported, according to a media release from Lawrence Police.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">KU Emergency Alert: Officers continue to search the area. There is no indication that the suspect entered campus. Remain aware and call 911, if needed.&mdash; The University of Kansas Police Department (@KUPoliceDept) <a href="https://twitter.com/KUPoliceDept/status/1808168375853412610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Police are looking for a man in a black beanie, black mask with unknown design on it, and possibly all black clothing. The suspect fled to the south on foot. No injuries were reported.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Police: Kansas bank robbery suspect wore black beanie, mask

BARBER COUNTY —Early Tuesday, crews restored power to customers impacted by the outage as a result of the oil spill, according to Southern Pioneer Electric.

Crews constructed a temporary bypass line that will provide power until the company is able to make permanent repairs. 

Southern Pioneer thanked consumers for their patience while crews worked through the night to restore power to the affected area.

BARBER COUNTY —Early Tuesday, crews restored power to customers impacted by the outage as a result of the oil spill, according to Southern Pioneer Electric.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBarberCountyEM%2Fvideos%2F849198383746061%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=1" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Crews constructed a temporary bypass line that will provide power until the company is able to make permanent repairs. Southern Pioneer thanked consumers for their patience while crews worked through the night to restore power to the affected area.Kansas Highway 2 west of Kiowa from Northstar to Highway 281 is shut down due to the oil well blowing out across the highway, according to the Barber County Sheriff.&nbsp;----------BARBER COUNTY —An oil spill is causing power outages and closing a portion of a highway in Barber County, Kansas.Kansas Highway 2 west of Kiowa from Northstar to Highway 281 is shut down due to the oil well blowing out across the highway, according to the Barber County Sheriff.&nbsp;The power is also out in the community of Hardtner and outside Kiowa until officials can get the spill under control, according to Southern Pioneer Electric.&nbsp;Oil from the well near Pioneer infrastructure coated&nbsp; lines and caused them to trip and open.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBarberCountyEM%2Fvideos%2F849198383746061%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=1" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Overnight, the utility reported "We have a better understanding of the situation but unfortunately do not have a restoration time for those impacted by the outage impacting areas near Hardtner.""This situation has provided many difficulties, mostly centered around safety risks. The primary concern is the impact of salt water on our infrastructure. Renergizing the line at this time could pose increased risks of arcing or shorts. Additionally, gas fumes are restricting access to the area." "We are looking into constructing a temporary line to bypass the impacted area. However, it has its own set of difficulties that we must consider." " Ultimately, this is a situation in which we have to weigh various risks and ensure that we are keeping the safety of our consumers and crews in mind. Again, we will work to provide updates to consumers as they become available."