WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland forcefully rebuked what he described as unprecedented attacks on the Justice Department Tuesday, telling Republicans who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-robert-hur-classified-documents-justice-department-edf67af3810ab877c7c195956b49b3a6">sought to hold him in contempt</a>&nbsp;that he will “not be intimidated.”

During a hearing before the the House Judiciary Committee, Garland condemned the “conspiracy theory” pushed by Donald Trump's allies that the department was behind Trump's state court prosecution in New York in which the former Republican president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">was convicted of 34 felony charges.</a>

Garland called the unsupported claim “an attack on the judicial process itself.”

And Garland pushed back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-fbi-d52b7468d93712dd86cbb8fe304d4b64">“baseless and extremely dangerous falsehoods”</a>&nbsp;being peddled about the FBI as well as threats to defund the special counsel prosecutions of former President Trump.

His appearance came as Republicans have moved to hold him in contempt for the Biden administration's refusal to hand over audio of President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, which focused on the president's handling of classified documents.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-beau-special-counsel-80eaaee6de62c0c7b455c03d39502ecb">A transcript of Biden's interview</a>&nbsp;has been made public, but the president asserted executive privilege over the audio last month to block its release. The White House has said Republican lawmakers only want the audio so they can chop it up and use it for political purposes.

The Justice Department has argued witnesses might be less likely to cooperate if they know their interviews might become public. Garland told lawmakers he would not “jeopardize the ability of our prosecutors and agents to do their jobs effectively in future investigations."

“I will not be intimidated,” Garland said. "And the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.”

Rep. Jim Jordan, the committee’s top Republican, criticized Garland in his opening statement for a broad array of what he depicted as politically motivated decisions by federal law enforcement -- including the conclusions by different special counsels that Trump criminally mishandled classified documents while Biden did not.

“Many Americans believe there’s now a double standard in our justice system. They believe that because there is,” Jordan said.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was investigated by the Justice Department but not charged in a sex trafficking inquiry, had a tense exchange early in the hearing when he demanded to know if the department would produce records related to the New York state case in which Trump was convicted last week.

Garland disputed as false allegations by Gaetz that he had “dispatched” to the Manhattan District Attorney office a Justice Department attorney who later became part of the Trump prosecution team, insisting that he had nothing to do with it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland forcefully rebuked what he described as unprecedented attacks on the Justice Department Tuesday, telling Republicans who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-robert-hur-classified-documents-justice-department-edf67af3810ab877c7c195956b49b3a6">sought to hold him in contempt</a>&nbsp;that he will “not be intimidated.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Attorney General Merrick Garland Opening Statement: &quot;I will not be intimidated and the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence and we will not back down from defending democracy.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/smgZOv9boA">pic.twitter.com/smgZOv9boA</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1798007391801262179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>During a hearing before the the House Judiciary Committee, Garland condemned the “conspiracy theory” pushed by Donald Trump's allies that the department was behind Trump's state court prosecution in New York in which the former Republican president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">was convicted of 34 felony charges.</a>Garland called the unsupported claim “an attack on the judicial process itself.”And Garland pushed back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-fbi-d52b7468d93712dd86cbb8fe304d4b64">“baseless and extremely dangerous falsehoods”</a>&nbsp;being peddled about the FBI as well as threats to defund the special counsel prosecutions of former President Trump.His appearance came as Republicans have moved to hold him in contempt for the Biden administration's refusal to hand over audio of President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, which focused on the president's handling of classified documents.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-beau-special-counsel-80eaaee6de62c0c7b455c03d39502ecb">A transcript of Biden's interview</a>&nbsp;has been made public, but the president asserted executive privilege over the audio last month to block its release. The White House has said Republican lawmakers only want the audio so they can chop it up and use it for political purposes.The Justice Department has argued witnesses might be less likely to cooperate if they know their interviews might become public. Garland told lawmakers he would not “jeopardize the ability of our prosecutors and agents to do their jobs effectively in future investigations."“I will not be intimidated,” Garland said. "And the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.”Rep. Jim Jordan, the committee’s top Republican, criticized Garland in his opening statement for a broad array of what he depicted as politically motivated decisions by federal law enforcement -- including the conclusions by different special counsels that Trump criminally mishandled classified documents while Biden did not.“Many Americans believe there’s now a double standard in our justice system. They believe that because there is,” Jordan said.Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was investigated by the Justice Department but not charged in a sex trafficking inquiry, had a tense exchange early in the hearing when he demanded to know if the department would produce records related to the New York state case in which Trump was convicted last week.Garland disputed as false allegations by Gaetz that he had “dispatched” to the Manhattan District Attorney office a Justice Department attorney who later became part of the Trump prosecution team, insisting that he had nothing to do with it.

🎥AG slams attacks on the Justice Department: I will not be intimidated

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Intrigue centers on Democrats’ bid to erode GOP’s supermajorities in House, Senate

TOPEKA — Minutes from the deadline for candidates to file for the Kansas Legislature, Rep. Brenda Landwehr withdrew from the ballot after more than 25 years in the Kansas House to spend more time with family and make way for a Republican she was comfortable endorsing.

Landwehr, a Republican from northwest Wichita and the influential chair of the House’s public health committee, said the decision to retire was easier after getting to know Jill Ward, who filed to run in the 105th District’s two-person GOP primary in August and, if successful, against a Democratic nominee in November.

“I love the people and the work, but it is time to devote more of myself to my husband, kids and grandkids,” Landwehr said.

Ward successfully lobbied the Legislature this year to pass Levi’s Law to increase penalties for people found guilty of leaving the scene of a deadly collision. Her son was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

“Drafting, introducing and shepherding the bill through to being signed by the governor taught me a lot about the process and the people that make policy affecting Kansas families and businesses,” Ward said. “It ignited a passion in me to make a difference for current and future Kansans.”

On Monday, Landwehr was among 19 members of the House and 11 in the Senate who chose not to seek reelection in 2024. The list included moderate Republican Rep. Susan Concannon of Beloit, who was involved in policy initiatives on child welfare, public health and rural life. Concannon was a fervent supporter of Medicaid expansion, to the consternation of GOP leadership, and she looked “forward to celebrating its passage someday.”

Under tragic circumstances, McPherson Rep. Les Mason’s candidacy for reelection in the 73rd District was withdrawn after he suffered a brain aneurysm Friday. He was unresponsive at a Wichita hospital before passing away Monday, said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita.

McPherson Sen. Rick Wilborn, who serves as vice president of the Senate and had decided not to seek reelection, filed for Mason’s seat in the House.

“We’ve been friends for 40 years,” Wilborn said. “We have served in the Legislature together, both serving McPherson County. We have a lot of common interests. I felt compelled, on behalf of Les. I cannot fill his shoes, but I can sure run for a seat.”

Secretary of State Scott Schwab, literally, brought a gavel down on new filings at noon Monday. Despite skepticism expressed by election-fraud conspiracy theorists in Kansas and elsewhere, the GOP secretary of state said he was convinced the 2024 elections would be fair, accurate and honest.

“Yes,” he said. “Our clerks will make it so.”

Overall, 41 candidates for the House, which amounts to nearly one-third of the chamber’s 125 seats, immediately won their 2024 campaigns because none attracted an opponent. Twenty-five Republicans and 16 Democrats were among lucky victors on filing deadline day. There also were five senators who didn’t draw a primary or general election opponent, and could only be defeated by a write-in or third party candidate.

Nine state representatives decided to leave the House to seek promotions to the Senate, and several former state legislators filed in an attempt to return to the Capitol.

Democrats fielded candidates in 92 of 125 House races, and placed a Democratic candidate in every House seat — except one — that was won by Gov. Laura Kelly in 2022. That fell in line with a quest of Democrats to break the Republican’s two-thirds majority in the House, which has made it easier for the GOP to override vetoes by the Democratic governor. Kelly and other organizations have set up political-action committees for the purpose of ending the GOP supermajority in the House.

House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat running for the Kansas Senate, said Democratic candidates also were motivated by GOP lawmakers intent on diminishing abortion rights in Kansas. He said that GOP agenda existed despite rejection by Kansas voters in 2022 of a state constitutional amendment designed to reverse a court decision declaring the right to abortion was embedded in the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

“It is no accident that so many women filed this year. Women are sick and tired of being silenced, and they’re not holding back. Our candidates reflect Kansans. They’re hard working, humble and diverse,” Miller said.

In Senate District 19, Miller is involved in a five-candidate race for the open seat with two Republicans and two other Democrats. Candidate Patrick Schmidt, a Topeka Democrat who previously ran for the U.S. House, said it was clear GOP extremists in the Legislature were eager to trample reproductive rights of women in Kansas.

Schmidt said the district required a senator who would be a “champion of women’s rights” and “bring new blood to the Legislature.”

In an intriguing move, Rep. Christina Haswood, D-Lawrence, filed to challenge incumbent Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, in the 2nd District. That political tangle became more interesting with the filing of Republican David Miller, 74. He served a dozen years in the Kansas House, was chairman of the Kansas Republican Party and in 1990 was a lieutenant governor running mate to GOP gubernatorial candidate Nestor Weigand.

“Douglas County has become a one-party county and we are all paying dearly for it,” David Miller said. “We must have real tax relief. Our taxes have skyrocketed and the Legislature failed to override the governor’s tax cut veto. It seems that she and her party care more about the government’s fat checkbook than they care about the taxpayers.”

In a maneuver comparable to that of Landwehr, Louisburg Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner withdrew her candidacy for reelection in the final hour. She arrived at the secretary of state’s office to submit written notification of her decision at the same time Doug Shane, a Miami County Republican, showed up to file for her 37th District seat. Democrat Sherry Giebler of Olathe also filed in that Senate district.

“In knowing the responsibilities facing me in the near future,” Baumgardner said, “this is an appropriate decision for the constituents I’ve had the honor to serve these past 10 years.”

Eleven senators opted not to run in 2024. Combined with three resignations and one death, it meant 15 of 40 senators elected in 2020 have or will have exited by January.

Sen. Dennis Pyle, the Hiawatha Republican who irritated some peers by running as an independent candidate for governor in 2022, decided to seek another four-year term. He said he didn’t object to assertions he was a maverick who “stands for the people and doesn’t take orders from the establishment.”

In the GOP primary in Senate District 1, he faces state Rep. John Eplee, R-Atchison, and Holton Republican Craig Bowser. No Democrat filed in that district.

“I am the only candidate with Senate experience and a proven conservative record fighting for traditional family values, 2nd Amendment, life, limited government and fiscal conservatism,” Pyle said.

Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat who didn’t draw an opponent, said 34 of 40 Senate seats were contested by Democrats. Eighteen of 39 Democrats seeking Senate seats were women, she said. Currently, Republicans outnumber Democrats in the Senate 29 to 11.

A goal of Senate Democrats was to increase their caucus by recruiting candidates capable of mounting campaigns to defeat “extremist Republicans trying to turn our state into a place that isn’t welcoming and that doesn’t respect or invest in its people,” Sykes said.

Sen. David Haley, the longest-serving state senator and a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, wound up with a primary challenger. Ephren Taylor, who has worked as an organizer for the nonprofit organization Loud Light, said he entered the 4th District contest to support public schools, expand Medicaid, create a more fair tax system and bring about gun control laws.

“Our people need someone in office that is accessible, who will listen to their needs and provide them a seat at the table,” Taylor said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717523993337.png" alt=" Rep. Brenda Landwehr, left, a Wichita Republican with 25 years of experience in the Kansas House, chose not to seek reelection and endorsed GOP candidate Jill Ward, a Republican from northwest Wichita, for her 105th District seat. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Brenda Landwehr, left, a Wichita Republican with 25 years of experience in the Kansas House, chose not to seek reelection and endorsed GOP candidate Jill Ward, a Republican from northwest Wichita, for her 105th District seat. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Intrigue centers on Democrats’ bid to erode GOP’s supermajorities in House, Senate</h2>TOPEKA — Minutes from the deadline for candidates to file for the Kansas Legislature, Rep. Brenda Landwehr withdrew from the ballot after more than 25 years in the Kansas House to spend more time with family and make way for a Republican she was comfortable endorsing.Landwehr, a Republican from northwest Wichita and the influential chair of the House’s public health committee, said the decision to retire was easier after getting to know Jill Ward, who filed to run in the 105th District’s two-person GOP primary in August and, if successful, against a Democratic nominee in November.“I love the people and the work, but it is time to devote more of myself to my husband, kids and grandkids,” Landwehr said.Ward successfully lobbied the Legislature this year to pass Levi’s Law to increase penalties for people found guilty of leaving the scene of a deadly collision. Her son was killed in a hit-and-run accident.“Drafting, introducing and shepherding the bill through to being signed by the governor taught me a lot about the process and the people that make policy affecting Kansas families and businesses,” Ward said. “It ignited a passion in me to make a difference for current and future Kansans.”On Monday, Landwehr was among 19 members of the House and 11 in the Senate who chose not to seek reelection in 2024. The list included moderate Republican Rep. Susan Concannon of Beloit, who was involved in policy initiatives on child welfare, public health and rural life. Concannon was a fervent supporter of Medicaid expansion, to the consternation of GOP leadership, and she looked “forward to celebrating its passage someday.”Under tragic circumstances, McPherson Rep. Les Mason’s candidacy for reelection in the 73rd District was withdrawn after he suffered a brain aneurysm Friday. He was unresponsive at a Wichita hospital before passing away Monday, said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita.McPherson Sen. Rick Wilborn, who serves as vice president of the Senate and had decided not to seek reelection, filed for Mason’s seat in the House.“We’ve been friends for 40 years,” Wilborn said. “We have served in the Legislature together, both serving McPherson County. We have a lot of common interests. I felt compelled, on behalf of Les. I cannot fill his shoes, but I can sure run for a seat.”Secretary of State Scott Schwab, literally, brought a gavel down on new filings at noon Monday. Despite skepticism expressed by election-fraud conspiracy theorists in Kansas and elsewhere, the GOP secretary of state said he was convinced the 2024 elections would be fair, accurate and honest.“Yes,” he said. “Our clerks will make it so.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717523960711.png" alt="House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, said a strong field of Democratic candidates were recruited in a bid to end Republicans’ two-thirds majority in the Kansas House. The GOP supermajority makes it easier to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, said a strong field of Democratic candidates were recruited in a bid to end Republicans’ two-thirds majority in the Kansas House. The GOP supermajority makes it easier to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Triumphs by default</h2>Overall, 41 candidates for the House, which amounts to nearly one-third of the chamber’s 125 seats, immediately won their 2024 campaigns because none attracted an opponent. Twenty-five Republicans and 16 Democrats were among lucky victors on filing deadline day. There also were five senators who didn’t draw a primary or general election opponent, and could only be defeated by a write-in or third party candidate.Nine state representatives decided to leave the House to seek promotions to the Senate, and several former state legislators filed in an attempt to return to the Capitol.Democrats fielded candidates in 92 of 125 House races, and placed a Democratic candidate in every House seat — except one — that was won by Gov. Laura Kelly in 2022. That fell in line with a quest of Democrats to break the Republican’s two-thirds majority in the House, which has made it easier for the GOP to override vetoes by the Democratic governor. Kelly and other organizations have set up political-action committees for the purpose of ending the GOP supermajority in the House.House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat running for the Kansas Senate, said Democratic candidates also were motivated by GOP lawmakers intent on diminishing abortion rights in Kansas. He said that GOP agenda existed despite rejection by Kansas voters in 2022 of a state constitutional amendment designed to reverse a court decision declaring the right to abortion was embedded in the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights.“It is no accident that so many women filed this year. Women are sick and tired of being silenced, and they’re not holding back. Our candidates reflect Kansans. They’re hard working, humble and diverse,” Miller said.In Senate District 19, Miller is involved in a five-candidate race for the open seat with two Republicans and two other Democrats. Candidate Patrick Schmidt, a Topeka Democrat who previously ran for the U.S. House, said it was clear GOP extremists in the Legislature were eager to trample reproductive rights of women in Kansas.Schmidt said the district required a senator who would be a “champion of women’s rights” and “bring new blood to the Legislature.”In an intriguing move, Rep. Christina Haswood, D-Lawrence, filed to challenge incumbent Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, in the 2nd District. That political tangle became more interesting with the filing of Republican David Miller, 74. He served a dozen years in the Kansas House, was chairman of the Kansas Republican Party and in 1990 was a lieutenant governor running mate to GOP gubernatorial candidate Nestor Weigand.“Douglas County has become a one-party county and we are all paying dearly for it,” David Miller said. “We must have real tax relief. Our taxes have skyrocketed and the Legislature failed to override the governor’s tax cut veto. It seems that she and her party care more about the government’s fat checkbook than they care about the taxpayers.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717523903387.png" alt=" McPherson Sen. Rick Wilburn, left, signs papers Monday at the Kansas secretary of state’s office to file for the Kansas House seat vacated when McPherson Rep. Les Mason experienced a medical emergency. He passed away later Monday. To Wilburn’s left is Eddy Martinez, a Lawrence Democrat, who filed to run for the Kansas House in the 42nd District. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> McPherson Sen. Rick Wilburn, left, signs papers Monday at the Kansas secretary of state’s office to file for the Kansas House seat vacated when McPherson Rep. Les Mason experienced a medical emergency. He passed away later Monday. To Wilburn’s left is Eddy Martinez, a Lawrence Democrat, who filed to run for the Kansas House in the 42nd District. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Baumgardner’s exit</h2>In a maneuver comparable to that of Landwehr, Louisburg Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner withdrew her candidacy for reelection in the final hour. She arrived at the secretary of state’s office to submit written notification of her decision at the same time Doug Shane, a Miami County Republican, showed up to file for her 37th District seat. Democrat Sherry Giebler of Olathe also filed in that Senate district.“In knowing the responsibilities facing me in the near future,” Baumgardner said, “this is an appropriate decision for the constituents I’ve had the honor to serve these past 10 years.”Eleven senators opted not to run in 2024. Combined with three resignations and one death, it meant 15 of 40 senators elected in 2020 have or will have exited by January.Sen. Dennis Pyle, the Hiawatha Republican who irritated some peers by running as an independent candidate for governor in 2022, decided to seek another four-year term. He said he didn’t object to assertions he was a maverick who “stands for the people and doesn’t take orders from the establishment.”In the GOP primary in Senate District 1, he faces state Rep. John Eplee, R-Atchison, and Holton Republican Craig Bowser. No Democrat filed in that district.“I am the only candidate with Senate experience and a proven conservative record fighting for traditional family values, 2nd Amendment, life, limited government and fiscal conservatism,” Pyle said.Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat who didn’t draw an opponent, said 34 of 40 Senate seats were contested by Democrats. Eighteen of 39 Democrats seeking Senate seats were women, she said. Currently, Republicans outnumber Democrats in the Senate 29 to 11.A goal of Senate Democrats was to increase their caucus by recruiting candidates capable of mounting campaigns to defeat “extremist Republicans trying to turn our state into a place that isn’t welcoming and that doesn’t respect or invest in its people,” Sykes said.Sen. David Haley, the longest-serving state senator and a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, wound up with a primary challenger. Ephren Taylor, who has worked as an organizer for the nonprofit organization Loud Light, said he entered the 4th District contest to support public schools, expand Medicaid, create a more fair tax system and bring about gun control laws.“Our people need someone in office that is accessible, who will listen to their needs and provide them a seat at the table,” Taylor said.

30 Kan. legislators decline to seek reelection, dozens to win campaigns by default

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation after two bodies were located near the 300 Block of River Road in rural Sumner County, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Sheriff’s Office has identified several suspects in the case. Authorities have not reported an arrest.

 One of the bodies was located on May 10,&nbsp; the other on May 13.&nbsp; Both bodies were transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center for further testing and examination. &nbsp;

On May 17, the sheriff's office received confirmation through DNA testing on the identities of the two deceased individuals as 30-year-old Monica R. Williams and 24-year-old Kevin M. Ledesma. Both had been reporteed missing and were last seen&nbsp;at a residence in the 9500 block South Hydraulic in Wichita on January 1, 2024. The sheriff's office also reported there were homicide victims.

The circumstances in which Williams and Ledesma were killed remains under investigation by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715979738614.png" alt="Williams photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation after two bodies were located near the 300 Block of River Road in rural Sumner County, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Sheriff’s Office has identified several suspects in the case. Authorities have not reported an arrest. One of the bodies was located on May 10,&nbsp; the other on May 13.&nbsp; Both bodies were transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center for further testing and examination. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715980197399.png" alt="Kevin Ledesma-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Kevin Ledesma-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>On May 17, the sheriff's office received confirmation through DNA testing on the identities of the two deceased individuals as 30-year-old Monica R. Williams and 24-year-old Kevin M. Ledesma. Both had been reporteed missing and were last seen&nbsp;at a residence in the 9500 block South Hydraulic in Wichita on January 1, 2024. The sheriff's office also reported there were homicide victims.The circumstances in which Williams and Ledesma were killed remains under investigation by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.

Homicide: Still no arrest reported after bodies found in rural Kansas

NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres infielder&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tucupita-marcano">Tucupita Marcano</a>&nbsp;was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">Major League Baseball</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday in the game’s biggest gambling scandal in decades.

MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues and a three minor leaguers also were banned for one year for betting on big league games: pitchers Jay Groome of San Diego and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, and infielder José Rodríguez of Philadelphia. Each of those four players wagered under $1,000.

“The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century. We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people.”

Marcano was the first active major leaguer banned for life under the sport's gambling provision since New York Giants outfielder Jimmy O'Connell in 1924. Pete Rose, baseball's career hits leader, agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation concluded he bet on Cincinnati Reds games while managing the team.

Major League Rule 21, posted in every clubhouse, states betting on any baseball game in which a player, umpire, league official or team employee has no duty to perform results in a one-year suspension. Betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform results in a lifetime ban.

Marcano became the second North American athlete banned for gambling in recent months.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-jontay-porter-banned-265ad5cb703d9483347037762ee90a8f#">The NBA gave Toronto's Jontay Porter a lifetime ban in April</a>&nbsp;after concluding he disclosed confidential information to bettors and wagered on games, including on the Raptors to lose.

MLB said it was tipped off about the betting activity by a legal sports betting operator. None of the players punished played in any games on which they wagered, and all players denied to MLB they had inside information relevant to their bets or the games they gambled on – testimonies that MLB says align with the data received from the sportsbook.

In its announcement, MLB detailed the bets alleged for each player,

Marcano’s 387 baseball bets included 231 MLB-related wagers for $87,319 between Oct. 16, 2022, and last Nov. 1. Twenty-five of those bets included wagers on Pirates games while he was on the team’s major league roster. Now 24, Marcano, has not played since tearing his right ACL last July 24 and was receiving medical treatment at PNC Park last year.

Marcano bet almost exclusively on the outcomes of games and lost all of his parlay bets involving the Pirates, winning just 4.3% of all of his MLB-related bets.

Marcano made his major league debut on April 1, 2021, and has a .217 average with five homers, 34 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 149 games. He has played in both the infield and outfield.

The other four players did not bet on games involving their assigned teams.

Kelly placed 10 bets on nine major league games from Oct. 5-17, 2021, while a minor league player assigned to Houston's Triple-A Sugar Land farm team. The bets included wagers on outcomes, over/under on runs and an individual pitcher’s strikeout total. Three of the nine games involved the major league Astros. His wagers totaled $99.22 and resulted in $28.30 of winnings.

Kelly, 31, was 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 28 games this season, last pitching on Saturday at Atlanta. The former first-round draft pick appeared in 46 games over the past three seasons.

Groome, a 25-year-old who had been on a minor league injured list since mid-April, placed 32 MLB-related bets from July 22, 2020, through July 24, 2021, including 24 on the Boston Red Sox major league team while he was assigned to Boston's High-A team in Greenville, South Carolina. The sport detailed he wagered $453.74 on 30 MLB games and had a net loss of $433.54, receiving payouts on only two wagers. His betting included parlays.

Rodríguez, 23, has been at Double-A Reading this season. He placed 31 bets on baseball on Sept. 30, 2021, and from June 5 through July 30 in 2022, including 28 on MLB and three on college baseball. The total included seven involving the Chicago White Sox at the time he was assigned to their Double-A team in Birmingham, Alabama. Two of the White Sox bets involved outcomes and the others were on runs scored. He bet $749.09 on baseball, of which $724.09 was on MLB-related bets that included parlays.

Saalfrank, 26, pitched in 21 games for Arizona last year between the regular season and postseason, including three World Series games, and two this year before he was optioned to Triple-A Reno on May 1. He placed 29 baseball bets from Sept. 9 through Oct. 29 in 2021 and on March 9, 2022, including 28 on MLB and one parlay on college baseball. He placed four bets on the big league Diamondbacks while on the injured list of their Low A farm team. His baseball bets totaled $445.87 on baseball, including $444.07 on MLB, and lost $272.64 on MLB bets and $1.80 on the college wager. He won just five of 28 MLB bets, which included outcomes, runs and pitcher strikeouts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717513899838.png" alt="Marcano photo courtesy San Diego Patres" />
 <figcaption>Marcano photo courtesy San Diego Patres</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres infielder&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tucupita-marcano">Tucupita Marcano</a>&nbsp;was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">Major League Baseball</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday in the game’s biggest gambling scandal in decades.MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling.Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues and a three minor leaguers also were banned for one year for betting on big league games: pitchers Jay Groome of San Diego and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, and infielder José Rodríguez of Philadelphia. Each of those four players wagered under $1,000.“The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century. We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people.”Marcano was the first active major leaguer banned for life under the sport's gambling provision since New York Giants outfielder Jimmy O'Connell in 1924. Pete Rose, baseball's career hits leader, agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation concluded he bet on Cincinnati Reds games while managing the team.Major League Rule 21, posted in every clubhouse, states betting on any baseball game in which a player, umpire, league official or team employee has no duty to perform results in a one-year suspension. Betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform results in a lifetime ban.Marcano became the second North American athlete banned for gambling in recent months.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-jontay-porter-banned-265ad5cb703d9483347037762ee90a8f#">The NBA gave Toronto's Jontay Porter a lifetime ban in April</a>&nbsp;after concluding he disclosed confidential information to bettors and wagered on games, including on the Raptors to lose.MLB said it was tipped off about the betting activity by a legal sports betting operator. None of the players punished played in any games on which they wagered, and all players denied to MLB they had inside information relevant to their bets or the games they gambled on – testimonies that MLB says align with the data received from the sportsbook.In its announcement, MLB detailed the bets alleged for each player,Marcano’s 387 baseball bets included 231 MLB-related wagers for $87,319 between Oct. 16, 2022, and last Nov. 1. Twenty-five of those bets included wagers on Pirates games while he was on the team’s major league roster. Now 24, Marcano, has not played since tearing his right ACL last July 24 and was receiving medical treatment at PNC Park last year.Marcano bet almost exclusively on the outcomes of games and lost all of his parlay bets involving the Pirates, winning just 4.3% of all of his MLB-related bets.Marcano made his major league debut on April 1, 2021, and has a .217 average with five homers, 34 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 149 games. He has played in both the infield and outfield.The other four players did not bet on games involving their assigned teams.Kelly placed 10 bets on nine major league games from Oct. 5-17, 2021, while a minor league player assigned to Houston's Triple-A Sugar Land farm team. The bets included wagers on outcomes, over/under on runs and an individual pitcher’s strikeout total. Three of the nine games involved the major league Astros. His wagers totaled $99.22 and resulted in $28.30 of winnings.Kelly, 31, was 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 28 games this season, last pitching on Saturday at Atlanta. The former first-round draft pick appeared in 46 games over the past three seasons.Groome, a 25-year-old who had been on a minor league injured list since mid-April, placed 32 MLB-related bets from July 22, 2020, through July 24, 2021, including 24 on the Boston Red Sox major league team while he was assigned to Boston's High-A team in Greenville, South Carolina. The sport detailed he wagered $453.74 on 30 MLB games and had a net loss of $433.54, receiving payouts on only two wagers. His betting included parlays.Rodríguez, 23, has been at Double-A Reading this season. He placed 31 bets on baseball on Sept. 30, 2021, and from June 5 through July 30 in 2022, including 28 on MLB and three on college baseball. The total included seven involving the Chicago White Sox at the time he was assigned to their Double-A team in Birmingham, Alabama. Two of the White Sox bets involved outcomes and the others were on runs scored. He bet $749.09 on baseball, of which $724.09 was on MLB-related bets that included parlays.Saalfrank, 26, pitched in 21 games for Arizona last year between the regular season and postseason, including three World Series games, and two this year before he was optioned to Triple-A Reno on May 1. He placed 29 baseball bets from Sept. 9 through Oct. 29 in 2021 and on March 9, 2022, including 28 on MLB and one parlay on college baseball. He placed four bets on the big league Diamondbacks while on the injured list of their Low A farm team. His baseball bets totaled $445.87 on baseball, including $444.07 on MLB, and lost $272.64 on MLB bets and $1.80 on the college wager. He won just five of 28 MLB bets, which included outcomes, runs and pitcher strikeouts.

MLB gambling scandal: Padres infielder banned for life

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.

Just before 3:30a.m. Monday police responded to a burglary alarm at the Bomgaars Retail Store, 605 South 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson 

When officers arrived they saw a man run from the scene into a nearby wooded area. Officers pursued the subject and located him hiding in the woods. 

It was determined that an attempted burglary into the store had occurred at the front door area of the store. Officers arrested 37-year-old Joshua A. Spurlock on requested charges of attempted burglary and criminal damage to property as well as interference with law enforcement which involved attempting to flee from the officers and giving the arresting officers a false name.&nbsp;

He has previous convictions for burglary, criminal damage and criminal trespass, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717447124991.png" alt="Spurlock-photo from an earlier arrest in Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Spurlock-photo from an earlier arrest in Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.Just before 3:30a.m. Monday police responded to a burglary alarm at the Bomgaars Retail Store, 605 South 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson When officers arrived they saw a man run from the scene into a nearby wooded area. Officers pursued the subject and located him hiding in the woods. It was determined that an attempted burglary into the store had occurred at the front door area of the store. Officers arrested 37-year-old Joshua A. Spurlock on requested charges of attempted burglary and criminal damage to property as well as interference with law enforcement which involved attempting to flee from the officers and giving the arresting officers a false name.&nbsp;He has previous convictions for burglary, criminal damage and criminal trespass, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon gave officers a fake name during arrest

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The State of Kansas ended May with total tax collections at $658.9 million. That is $193.0 million, or 22.7%, below the estimate. Total tax collections are down 23.1% from May 2023.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY29udGVudC5nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeS5jb20vYXR0YWNobWVudHMvS1NPRy8yMDI0LzA2LzAzL2ZpbGVfYXR0YWNobWVudHMvMjg5NjU2OS8xMV9NYXlfUmV2ZW51ZV9GWTIwMjRfMDYtMDMtMjAyNF9GaW5hbC5wZGYiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjQwNjAzLjk1NzEyNTMxIn0.R_w7KdhIIL8j8TRwu_QQsKNEz--_jF59y_vQS-k-uQY/s/1303160919/br/243518724559-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the May 2024 revenue numbers.

“The expected shortfall in May individual income tax collections can be largely attributed to the two additional processing days in April.”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said.&nbsp;“Combined with more efficient payment processing, the Department of Revenue was able to process significantly more payments in April which would have typically been processed in May.”

Individual income tax collections were $305.2 million. That is $144.8 million, or 32.2% below the estimate, and down 30.6% from May 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $39.8 million. That is $53.2 million, or 57.2% below the estimate and down 56.3% from May 2023.

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $281.9 million, which is $4.2 million, or 1.5% above the estimate, and down $7.7 million, or 2.7%, from May 2023.

Total tax collections for FY 2024 through May are $8.977 billion which is $92.0 million or 1.0% below the estimate. &nbsp;

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The State of Kansas ended May with total tax collections at $658.9 million. That is $193.0 million, or 22.7%, below the estimate. Total tax collections are down 23.1% from May 2023.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY29udGVudC5nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeS5jb20vYXR0YWNobWVudHMvS1NPRy8yMDI0LzA2LzAzL2ZpbGVfYXR0YWNobWVudHMvMjg5NjU2OS8xMV9NYXlfUmV2ZW51ZV9GWTIwMjRfMDYtMDMtMjAyNF9GaW5hbC5wZGYiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjQwNjAzLjk1NzEyNTMxIn0.R_w7KdhIIL8j8TRwu_QQsKNEz--_jF59y_vQS-k-uQY/s/1303160919/br/243518724559-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the May 2024 revenue numbers.“The expected shortfall in May individual income tax collections can be largely attributed to the two additional processing days in April.”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said.&nbsp;“Combined with more efficient payment processing, the Department of Revenue was able to process significantly more payments in April which would have typically been processed in May.”Individual income tax collections were $305.2 million. That is $144.8 million, or 32.2% below the estimate, and down 30.6% from May 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $39.8 million. That is $53.2 million, or 57.2% below the estimate and down 56.3% from May 2023.Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $281.9 million, which is $4.2 million, or 1.5% above the estimate, and down $7.7 million, or 2.7%, from May 2023.Total tax collections for FY 2024 through May are $8.977 billion which is $92.0 million or 1.0% below the estimate. &nbsp;

Sec. of Revenue explains why Kan. tax collections were down in May

KANSAS CITY—After ten days the alligator missing from a petting zoo at a Kansas City middle school was found alive.&nbsp;&nbsp;The KC Pet Project Animal Services Division pickup up the alligator Monday afternoon.

The KC Pet Project received an anonymous tip that the missing alligator was discovered to be outside of the school, on the first day of summer school.

The alligator’s mouth was still taped shut. The KC Pet Project team quickly drove the alligator to the campus, and they are conducting an investigation on where the alligator has been since it went missing. 

The Pet Project also has a veterinarian who works with exotic pets do an exam on the animal.

On May 23,&nbsp;staff with the Kansas City Pet Project responded to Lakeview Middle School, 6720 NW 64th Street in Kansas City,  working to locate a missing alligator that was brought to the school by a petting zoo.

Lakeview Middle School did not obtain an animal shows permit from the Animal Services Division for the petting zoo, which is required per Chapter 14 of the city code.

Alligators are not allowed in Kansas City, MO per Chapter 14 of the city code. Animal Services plans to issue citations for violations of Chapter 14 of the city code to the appropriate parties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717450609456.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—After ten days the alligator missing from a petting zoo at a Kansas City middle school was found alive.&nbsp;&nbsp;The KC Pet Project Animal Services Division pickup up the alligator Monday afternoon.The KC Pet Project received an anonymous tip that the missing alligator was discovered to be outside of the school, on the first day of summer school.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717450589965.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The alligator’s mouth was still taped shut. The KC Pet Project team quickly drove the alligator to the campus, and they are conducting an investigation on where the alligator has been since it went missing. The Pet Project also has a veterinarian who works with exotic pets do an exam on the animal.On May 23,&nbsp;staff with the Kansas City Pet Project responded to Lakeview Middle School, 6720 NW 64th Street in Kansas City, working to locate a missing alligator that was brought to the school by a petting zoo.Lakeview Middle School did not obtain an animal shows permit from the Animal Services Division for the petting zoo, which is required per Chapter 14 of the city code.Alligators are not allowed in Kansas City, MO per Chapter 14 of the city code. Animal Services plans to issue citations for violations of Chapter 14 of the city code to the appropriate parties.

Alligator found 10 days after escape from KC school petting zoo

DECATUR COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting authorities in northwest Kansas with an ongoing investigation of an abduction and holding a hostage that occurred June 1.

According to Decatur County Sheriff&nbsp; David Wachendorfer, Decatur County Dispatch in Oberlin received a report from a man that he had been kidnapped and had just escaped from his captors.

The victim was located and the incident appears to be valid, according to Wachendorfer. The kidnapping occurred in Oklahoma and the victim was able to escape while passing northwest Kansas. Law enforcement are asking for the public’s assistance in watching for a blue or green older model mini van with Oklahoma plates.

The vehicle is occupied by a white male about 5-foot-6, bald, with a long brown beard and tattoos on his chest.

The second subject is a black male 5-foot-10, chubby, with a mustache, goatee and face tattoos. The suspects are to be considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp; Do not approach them.

DECATUR COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting authorities in northwest Kansas with an ongoing investigation of an abduction and holding a hostage that occurred June 1.According to Decatur County Sheriff&nbsp; David Wachendorfer, Decatur County Dispatch in Oberlin received a report from a man that he had been kidnapped and had just escaped from his captors.The victim was located and the incident appears to be valid, according to Wachendorfer. The kidnapping occurred in Oklahoma and the victim was able to escape while passing northwest Kansas. Law enforcement are asking for the public’s assistance in watching for a blue or green older model mini van with Oklahoma plates.The vehicle is occupied by a white male about 5-foot-6, bald, with a long brown beard and tattoos on his chest.The second subject is a black male 5-foot-10, chubby, with a mustache, goatee and face tattoos. The suspects are to be considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp; Do not approach them.

KBI assisting with search for suspects in NW Kansas abduction

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City and have identified the victim as 33-year-old&nbsp;William C. Wright, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sgt. Phil DiMartino.

Just before 2p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting at the intersection of E. 9th Street and Van Brunt Boulevard, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

First responders were summoned to the sidewalk where Wright was located unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. Responding officers immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS could respond and take over. EMS personnel responded and declared the victim deceased shortly after arrival.

The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently unknown and no one is in custody, according to Gonzalez

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717372495605.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City and have identified the victim as 33-year-old&nbsp;William C. Wright, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sgt. Phil DiMartino.Just before 2p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting at the intersection of E. 9th Street and Van Brunt Boulevard, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.First responders were summoned to the sidewalk where Wright was located unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. Responding officers immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS could respond and take over. EMS personnel responded and declared the victim deceased shortly after arrival.The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently unknown and no one is in custody, according to Gonzalez

Police ID victim in Sunday homicide in Kansas City

MCPHERSON, Kan. — Les Mason, a state Representative from McPherson, died after suffering a brain aneurysm on Friday. He had been hospitalized in Wichita.

Mason had served in the Statehouse since 2014. He leaves behind a wife, Victoria.

Long-time retiring McPherson State Senator Rick Wilborn filed for Mason's seat before the deadline Monday. No Democrat has filed in the race in House District 73. Mason had already filed to run before his illness.

Governor Laura Kelly has announced that she will call a special session later this month, but has not done the official proclamation yet.

In accordance with Executive Order #20-30, Governor Laura Kelly has directed flags be lowered to half-staff on all state buildings, grounds, and facilities effective immediately until sundown on the day of interment in honor of Kansas House of Representatives Assistant Majority Leader Les Mason. He represented Kansas House District 73 of McPherson for 10 years.

“Assistant Majority Leader Mason was a devoted public servant,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“For the last decade, he represented his constituents and the McPherson community with honor. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717493160286.jpeg" alt="Les Mason courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Les Mason courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON, Kan. — Les Mason, a state Representative from McPherson, died after suffering a brain aneurysm on Friday. He had been hospitalized in Wichita.Mason had served in the Statehouse since 2014. He leaves behind a wife, Victoria.Long-time retiring McPherson State Senator Rick Wilborn filed for Mason's seat before the deadline Monday. No Democrat has filed in the race in House District 73. Mason had already filed to run before his illness.Governor Laura Kelly has announced that she will call a special session later this month, but has not done the official proclamation yet.Governor Laura Kelly has announced that she will call a special session later this month, but has not done the official proclamation yet.In accordance with Executive Order #20-30, Governor Laura Kelly has directed flags be lowered to half-staff on all state buildings, grounds, and facilities effective immediately until sundown on the day of interment in honor of Kansas House of Representatives Assistant Majority Leader Les Mason. He represented Kansas House District 73 of McPherson for 10 years.“Assistant Majority Leader Mason was a devoted public servant,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“For the last decade, he represented his constituents and the McPherson community with honor. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

State Representative from McPherson dies; flags to fly at half-staff

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man is going to prison a&nbsp;violent attack on his former girlfriend.

On May 30, a judge sentenced 44-year-old Kenton Grubbs to 7-years in&nbsp; &nbsp; prison for the attack, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; Earlier this year Grubbs entered a guilty plea to charges in the case.

Just after 11a.m. Oct. 28, 2020, police responded to an assault call at a residence in the 11300 block of East Lewis in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers made contact with a 64-year-old woman who was injured.&nbsp; EMS transported the woman to an area hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injures.&nbsp;

The investigation revealed an argument began between the woman and her boyfriend identified as Grubbs.&nbsp; During the argument, Grubbs strangled her multiple times, struck her with a baseball bat multiple times, battered and threatened her, according to Davidson. Police contacted Grubbs at the scene and he battered an officer while being arrested.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603990295790.png" alt="Grubbs-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Grubbs-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man is going to prison a&nbsp;violent attack on his former girlfriend.On May 30, a judge sentenced 44-year-old Kenton Grubbs to 7-years in&nbsp; &nbsp; prison for the attack, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; Earlier this year Grubbs entered a guilty plea to charges in the case.Just after 11a.m. Oct. 28, 2020, police responded to an assault call at a residence in the 11300 block of East Lewis in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers made contact with a 64-year-old woman who was injured.&nbsp; EMS transported the woman to an area hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injures.&nbsp;The investigation revealed an argument began between the woman and her boyfriend identified as Grubbs.&nbsp; During the argument, Grubbs strangled her multiple times, struck her with a baseball bat multiple times, battered and threatened her, according to Davidson. Police contacted Grubbs at the scene and he battered an officer while being arrested.

Kansas man used a baseball bat to attack his girlfriend

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is telling lawmakers that President Joe Biden is preparing to sign off on an executive order that would shut down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/asylum-seekers">asylum requests</a>&nbsp;at the U.S.-Mexico border once the average number of daily encounters hits 2,500 between ports of entry, with the border reopening only once that number declines to 1,500, according to several people familiar with the discussions.

The impact of the 2,500 figure means that the executive order could go into immediate effect, because daily figures are higher than that now.

The Democratic president is expected to unveil the actions — his most aggressive unilateral move yet to control the numbers at the border — at the White House on Tuesday at an event to which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-border-immigration-mayors-biden-edinburg-brownsville-c67840732b442d109a84a03754ce121b">border mayors</a>&nbsp;have been invited.

Five people familiar with the discussions on Monday confirmed the 2,500 figure, while two of the people confirmed the 1,500 number. The figures are daily averages over the course of a week. All the people insisted on anonymity to discuss an executive order that is not yet public.

While other border activity, such as trade, is expected to continue, the 1,500 threshold at which the border would reopen for asylum seekers could be hard to reach. The last time the daily average dipped to 1,500 encounters was in July 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senior White House officials, including chief of staff Jeff Zients and legislative affairs director Shuwanza Goff, have been informing lawmakers on Capitol Hill of details of the planned order ahead of the formal rollout Tuesday. But several questions remain about how the executive order would work, particularly how much cooperation the U.S. would need from Mexican officials to carry out the executive order.

The president has been deliberating for months over how to act on his own after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">bipartisan legislation to clamp down on asylum at the border</a>&nbsp;collapsed because Republicans defected from the deal en masse at the urging of Donald Trump, the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Biden continued to consider executive action even though the number of illegal crossings at the southern border has declined for months, partly because of a stepped-up effort by Mexico.

Biden administration officials had waited until after Mexico's presidential elections, held Sunday, to move on the U.S. president's border actions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-elections-president-governorships-lopez-obrador-d7fef5c7ac964072401ba6d9809dd7d4">Mexico elected Claudia Sheinbaum</a>, the nation's first female leader, and Biden said in a statement Monday that he was committed to “advancing the values and interests of both our nations to the benefit of our peoples.” The two spoke on the phone Monday, although White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to say whether they spoke about the pending order.

“We continue to look at all options on the table," Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling with Biden on Air Force One on Monday evening.

The executive order will allow Biden to declare that he has pushed the boundaries of his own power after lawmakers, specifically congressional Republicans, killed off what would have been the toughest border and asylum restrictions in some time. Biden's order is aimed at trying to head off any potential spike in border encounters that could happen later this year, closer to the November elections.

For Biden’s executive order, the White House is adopting some policies directly from the bipartisan Senate border deal, including the idea of limiting asylum requests once the encounters hit a certain number. The administration wants to encourage migrants to seek asylum at ports of entry by using the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One app, which schedules about 1,450 appointments per day.

Administration lawyers have been planning to tap executive powers outlined in Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which gives a president broad authority to block entry of certain immigrants into the U.S. if it is deemed “detrimental” to the national interest. It is the same legal rationale used by Trump to take some of his toughest actions on migration as president.

That has advocacy groups already preparing to challenge Biden's immigration order in court.

“We will need to review the (executive order) before making final litigation decisions,” said Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union who led several of the most high-profile challenges to Trump's border policies. "But a policy that effectively shuts down asylum would raise clear legal problems, just as (it) did when the Trump administration tried to end asylum.”

The White House is also sure to encounter vocal resistance from many Democratic lawmakers. California Sen. Alex Padilla, an outspoken critic of the Senate’s earlier border bill, said the pending executive order was “just not the solution we need and it’s very incomplete as a strategy.”

Padilla, who was also briefed by the White House on the proposal, wants an approach that works with countries throughout Latin America to address the poverty and unrest that drives migration to the United States. In recent weeks, Padilla has also pressed the White House for executive actions that benefit immigrants and said the message he has heard in return is, “We’re working on it.”

Biden will unveil his executive order flanked by several border mayors whom the White House invited for the announcement. Texas Mayors John Cowen of Brownsville and Ramiro Garza of Edinburg both confirmed their invitations, and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s office also said the White House invited the mayor, but he could not attend due to scheduling difficulties.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat who said he was briefed on the plan, said he wishes the White House would have taken executive action a long time ago and said cooperation from Mexico would continue to be critical as the administration implements the order.

“If you think about the logistics, where else can they go?” Cuellar said. “If they’re not going to let them in, where do they go? Do they return them (to Mexico), or do they try to deport as many as they can? We did add a lot more money into ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) so they can deport, but the easiest thing, of course, is just send them back to Mexico. You’ve got to have the help of Mexico to make this work.”

Jennifer Babaie, an attorney at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso, Texas, said she would be alarmed if Biden issued formal deportation orders without an opportunity to seek asylum. Advocates worry he may attempt that under the 212(f) provision.

Pandemic-era expulsion authority known as Title 42 had “a silver lining” for migrants because they could try again without fearing legal consequences, Babaie said. But a formal deportation order would expose them to felony prosecution if they attempted again and it would impose bars on legally entering the country in the future.

“This is even more extreme than (Title 42), while still putting people in harm’s way,” Babaie said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317779595.png" alt="Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is telling lawmakers that President Joe Biden is preparing to sign off on an executive order that would shut down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/asylum-seekers">asylum requests</a>&nbsp;at the U.S.-Mexico border once the average number of daily encounters hits 2,500 between ports of entry, with the border reopening only once that number declines to 1,500, according to several people familiar with the discussions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🧵The impacts of Joe Biden&#39;s border crisis compounded by Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies have been catastrophic. As Biden downplays the severity of this crisis, we will bring awareness to the violent crime happening across America &amp; we will not stop until we secure our borders.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1749908757969059912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Close the border now&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1797678333024756194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Biden is going to close the border if 4000 illegals came across on a single day? We already have 9+ million illegals here thanks to Biden! Close it now!&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1797663942749389081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The impact of the 2,500 figure means that the executive order could go into immediate effect, because daily figures are higher than that now.The Democratic president is expected to unveil the actions — his most aggressive unilateral move yet to control the numbers at the border — at the White House on Tuesday at an event to which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-border-immigration-mayors-biden-edinburg-brownsville-c67840732b442d109a84a03754ce121b">border mayors</a>&nbsp;have been invited.Five people familiar with the discussions on Monday confirmed the 2,500 figure, while two of the people confirmed the 1,500 number. The figures are daily averages over the course of a week. All the people insisted on anonymity to discuss an executive order that is not yet public.While other border activity, such as trade, is expected to continue, the 1,500 threshold at which the border would reopen for asylum seekers could be hard to reach. The last time the daily average dipped to 1,500 encounters was in July 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.Senior White House officials, including chief of staff Jeff Zients and legislative affairs director Shuwanza Goff, have been informing lawmakers on Capitol Hill of details of the planned order ahead of the formal rollout Tuesday. But several questions remain about how the executive order would work, particularly how much cooperation the U.S. would need from Mexican officials to carry out the executive order.The president has been deliberating for months over how to act on his own after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">bipartisan legislation to clamp down on asylum at the border</a>&nbsp;collapsed because Republicans defected from the deal en masse at the urging of Donald Trump, the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Biden continued to consider executive action even though the number of illegal crossings at the southern border has declined for months, partly because of a stepped-up effort by Mexico.Biden administration officials had waited until after Mexico's presidential elections, held Sunday, to move on the U.S. president's border actions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-elections-president-governorships-lopez-obrador-d7fef5c7ac964072401ba6d9809dd7d4">Mexico elected Claudia Sheinbaum</a>, the nation's first female leader, and Biden said in a statement Monday that he was committed to “advancing the values and interests of both our nations to the benefit of our peoples.” The two spoke on the phone Monday, although White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to say whether they spoke about the pending order.“We continue to look at all options on the table," Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling with Biden on Air Force One on Monday evening.The executive order will allow Biden to declare that he has pushed the boundaries of his own power after lawmakers, specifically congressional Republicans, killed off what would have been the toughest border and asylum restrictions in some time. Biden's order is aimed at trying to head off any potential spike in border encounters that could happen later this year, closer to the November elections.For Biden’s executive order, the White House is adopting some policies directly from the bipartisan Senate border deal, including the idea of limiting asylum requests once the encounters hit a certain number. The administration wants to encourage migrants to seek asylum at ports of entry by using the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One app, which schedules about 1,450 appointments per day.Administration lawyers have been planning to tap executive powers outlined in Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which gives a president broad authority to block entry of certain immigrants into the U.S. if it is deemed “detrimental” to the national interest. It is the same legal rationale used by Trump to take some of his toughest actions on migration as president.That has advocacy groups already preparing to challenge Biden's immigration order in court.“We will need to review the (executive order) before making final litigation decisions,” said Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union who led several of the most high-profile challenges to Trump's border policies. "But a policy that effectively shuts down asylum would raise clear legal problems, just as (it) did when the Trump administration tried to end asylum.”The White House is also sure to encounter vocal resistance from many Democratic lawmakers. California Sen. Alex Padilla, an outspoken critic of the Senate’s earlier border bill, said the pending executive order was “just not the solution we need and it’s very incomplete as a strategy.”Padilla, who was also briefed by the White House on the proposal, wants an approach that works with countries throughout Latin America to address the poverty and unrest that drives migration to the United States. In recent weeks, Padilla has also pressed the White House for executive actions that benefit immigrants and said the message he has heard in return is, “We’re working on it.”Biden will unveil his executive order flanked by several border mayors whom the White House invited for the announcement. Texas Mayors John Cowen of Brownsville and Ramiro Garza of Edinburg both confirmed their invitations, and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s office also said the White House invited the mayor, but he could not attend due to scheduling difficulties.Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat who said he was briefed on the plan, said he wishes the White House would have taken executive action a long time ago and said cooperation from Mexico would continue to be critical as the administration implements the order.“If you think about the logistics, where else can they go?” Cuellar said. “If they’re not going to let them in, where do they go? Do they return them (to Mexico), or do they try to deport as many as they can? We did add a lot more money into ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) so they can deport, but the easiest thing, of course, is just send them back to Mexico. You’ve got to have the help of Mexico to make this work.”Jennifer Babaie, an attorney at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso, Texas, said she would be alarmed if Biden issued formal deportation orders without an opportunity to seek asylum. Advocates worry he may attempt that under the 212(f) provision.Pandemic-era expulsion authority known as Title 42 had “a silver lining” for migrants because they could try again without fearing legal consequences, Babaie said. But a formal deportation order would expose them to felony prosecution if they attempted again and it would impose bars on legally entering the country in the future.“This is even more extreme than (Title 42), while still putting people in harm’s way,” Babaie said.

Biden to sign order to close southern US border to asylum seekers

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City woman pleaded guilty in federal court lat month to laundering more than $240,000 she unlawfully obtained from a New York business as part of an email compromise scheme.

Brianna S. Graves, 30, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to a federal information that charges her with one count of money laundering.

By pleading guilty, Graves admitted that she received a payment of $240,926 from ETS Contracting, Inc., located in Brooklyn, New York, as part of a business email compromise scheme.

According to the plea agreement, ETS Contracting was finalizing a contract with a vendor, who was communicating via email with the firm. On Dec. 12, 2022, ETS Contracting received a payment instruction email, which they believed originated from the owner of the vendor company, to wire $240,926 to a J.P. Morgan Chase Bank account. However, the instruction email actually came from a different email address that changed one letter in the domain name.

ETS Contracting authorized the payment on Dec. 18, 2022, and the funds were posted to the bank account the next day. The bank account, a business account in the name of Heavy Weight Maintenance LLC, actually belonged to Graves. Graves obtained a cashier’s check for the full amount of the wire fraud proceeds, which she then deposited into another bank account. Graves spent the money on car payments, vacations, cruises, airfare, and gambling.

On June 26, 2023, federal agents executed a warrant and seized $41,574 from Graves’s bank account.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Graves must pay $240,926 in restitution and must forfeit to the government $240,926, which represents the proceeds she obtained from her crime.

Under federal statutes, Graves is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City woman pleaded guilty in federal court lat month to laundering more than $240,000 she unlawfully obtained from a New York business as part of an email compromise scheme.Brianna S. Graves, 30, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to a federal information that charges her with one count of money laundering.By pleading guilty, Graves admitted that she received a payment of $240,926 from ETS Contracting, Inc., located in Brooklyn, New York, as part of a business email compromise scheme.According to the plea agreement, ETS Contracting was finalizing a contract with a vendor, who was communicating via email with the firm. On Dec. 12, 2022, ETS Contracting received a payment instruction email, which they believed originated from the owner of the vendor company, to wire $240,926 to a J.P. Morgan Chase Bank account. However, the instruction email actually came from a different email address that changed one letter in the domain name.ETS Contracting authorized the payment on Dec. 18, 2022, and the funds were posted to the bank account the next day. The bank account, a business account in the name of Heavy Weight Maintenance LLC, actually belonged to Graves. Graves obtained a cashier’s check for the full amount of the wire fraud proceeds, which she then deposited into another bank account. Graves spent the money on car payments, vacations, cruises, airfare, and gambling.On June 26, 2023, federal agents executed a warrant and seized $41,574 from Graves’s bank account.Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Graves must pay $240,926 in restitution and must forfeit to the government $240,926, which represents the proceeds she obtained from her crime.Under federal statutes, Graves is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KC woman admits role in $240,000 email fraud scheme

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Kansas inmate 62-year-old Michael Vonzell Jones died Sunday, according to the Sedgwick County Jail.

Jones, Sedgwick County inmate, was being housed in the medical infirmary for preexisting medical issues. On Friday EMS transported him to St. Francis Hospital. While at the hospital his medical condition continued to decline, and he was pronounced dead shortly before 9:27a.m. on Sunday. The preliminary cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy.

Jones was being held in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility on felony charges of Possession of Opiates, Burglary, and misdemeanor charges for theft, criminal damage to property and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia warrants through Sedgwick County 18th&nbsp;Judicial Courts since April 5.&nbsp;

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigation Division were notified.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717444768662.png" alt="Jones photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Jones photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Kansas inmate 62-year-old Michael Vonzell Jones died Sunday, according to the Sedgwick County Jail.Jones, Sedgwick County inmate, was being housed in the medical infirmary for preexisting medical issues. On Friday EMS transported him to St. Francis Hospital. While at the hospital his medical condition continued to decline, and he was pronounced dead shortly before 9:27a.m. on Sunday. The preliminary cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy.Jones was being held in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility on felony charges of Possession of Opiates, Burglary, and misdemeanor charges for theft, criminal damage to property and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia warrants through Sedgwick County 18th&nbsp;Judicial Courts since April 5.&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigation Division were notified.&nbsp;

Kansas inmate serving time for burglary, drugs has died

LaTurner’s departure inspires five Republicans, two Democrats to bid on 2nd District

TOPEKA — Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda and Libertarian-turned-Republican Michael Ogle filed Monday to expand to seven the major party candidates drawn to the 2nd District vacancy created by the decision of GOP Congressman Jake LaTurner to not seek reelection.

Boyda, the Baldwin City resident who defeated incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun in 2006, signed up to campaign in the Democratic primary against&nbsp;Matt Kleinmann, a community developer from Wyandotte County and a member of the University of Kansas basketball team that won a national championship in 2008.

“I have been asked why I want to be in Congress,” said Boyda, who joined a flurry of last-day filers at the secretary of state’s office in Topeka. “Congress isn’t just broken, its also become dangerous. So, why am I running? I cannot sit by and watch our country and communities be torn apart by distrust of each other.”

Boyda said her candidacy was an attempt to create a political movement drawing to the center people who struggled to speak across political, ideological and religious divides.

Ogle, who ran in 2013 for mayor of Topeka as a Libertarian, said he was inspired to make a run for the U.S. House because members of Congress had taken their eye off core obligations to promote liberty, domestic tranquility and preservation of the union.

“I want term limits,” said Ogle, who served as an officer in the U.S. Army. “Congressional term limits have to happen.”

On the GOP side of the ledger in the 2nd District, Ogle would be joined by former Kansas Attorney General and state Sen. Derek Schmidt of Independence, former Trump administration official Jeff Kahrs of Topeka, rancher Shawn Tiffany of Delavan and Chad Young of Lawrence.

Tiffany, another late addition to the GOP ballot in the 27-county eastern Kansas district, said he was running because weak-kneed politicians in the Republican Party had “enabled the socialist left and allowed them to push their extreme agenda on Kansas.

“It’s time to send a cowboy to Congress who will fight to stop the invasion at our southern border, end woke ideology and revive the values that make Kansas and America great,” Tiffany said.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the three-term Democrat in the 3rd District centered on Johnson County, won’t have an August primary opponent. In the November general election, she would face winner of a primary between Republicans Karen Crnkovich of Olathe and Prasanth Reddy of Lenexa.

First District Congressman Tracey Mann, the Republican elected to the U.S. House in 2020, attracted primary opponent Eric Bloom of Lawrence. The GOP winner would go up against Democrat Paul Buskirk of Lawrence. The heavily gerrymandered 1st District extends from Garden City in the west to Lawrence in the east.

“From what I see, our government today is self-serving and arrogant,” Buskirk said. “So many officials, appointed or elected, hold tightly to ideology, political party and their own welfare with little regard for governing ‘for the people.’ I want to change that.”

In the 4th District based in Wichita, U.S. Rep. Ron Estes of Wichita didn’t attract a primary challenger. He will be on the November ballot with Sedgwick Democrat Esau Freeman, who also didn’t draw a primary competitor. Estes has held that seat in Congress since prevailing in a 2017 special election.

Estes, who won full terms in 2018, 2020 and 2022, filed for reelection in February on the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth.

“More than a century after the end of the Civil War, our world is much different, but we face daunting divisions that are tearing our country apart,” Estes said. “While the word unity is often flung about to mask the user’s true intention of pulling opponents to their side, it would behoove us as a nation to look to Lincoln’s allegiance to this country, love for his fellow man, compassion for those who disagreed with him and devotion to God as a guide for restoring our nation and healing our land.”

On ballots in the November general election, the state’s three alternative political parties — No Label Kansas, Libertarian Party and United Kansas — provide voters additional choices through nominations at party conventions.

The candidate filing deadline was noon Monday. The deadline for registering to vote has been set for July 16. The first day of in-person advance voting would be July 17, the last day to apply for an advance mail ballot would be July 30 and in-person advance voting would draw to a close Aug. 5.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717444171272.png" alt="Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda filed Monday as a Democratic congressional candidate in the 2nd District and will run against Democrat Matt Kleinmann in the August primary. Five Republicans filed for the GOP nomination in the 2nd District. The seat will be vacated by U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, who chose not to seek reelection in 2024. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda filed Monday as a Democratic congressional candidate in the 2nd District and will run against Democrat Matt Kleinmann in the August primary. Five Republicans filed for the GOP nomination in the 2nd District. The seat will be vacated by U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, who chose not to seek reelection in 2024. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>LaTurner’s departure inspires five Republicans, two Democrats to bid on 2nd District</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda and Libertarian-turned-Republican Michael Ogle filed Monday to expand to seven the major party candidates drawn to the 2nd District vacancy created by the decision of GOP Congressman Jake LaTurner to not seek reelection.Boyda, the Baldwin City resident who defeated incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun in 2006, signed up to campaign in the Democratic primary against&nbsp;Matt Kleinmann, a community developer from Wyandotte County and a member of the University of Kansas basketball team that won a national championship in 2008.“I have been asked why I want to be in Congress,” said Boyda, who joined a flurry of last-day filers at the secretary of state’s office in Topeka. “Congress isn’t just broken, its also become dangerous. So, why am I running? I cannot sit by and watch our country and communities be torn apart by distrust of each other.”Boyda said her candidacy was an attempt to create a political movement drawing to the center people who struggled to speak across political, ideological and religious divides.Ogle, who ran in 2013 for mayor of Topeka as a Libertarian, said he was inspired to make a run for the U.S. House because members of Congress had taken their eye off core obligations to promote liberty, domestic tranquility and preservation of the union.“I want term limits,” said Ogle, who served as an officer in the U.S. Army. “Congressional term limits have to happen.”On the GOP side of the ledger in the 2nd District, Ogle would be joined by former Kansas Attorney General and state Sen. Derek Schmidt of Independence, former Trump administration official Jeff Kahrs of Topeka, rancher Shawn Tiffany of Delavan and Chad Young of Lawrence.Tiffany, another late addition to the GOP ballot in the 27-county eastern Kansas district, said he was running because weak-kneed politicians in the Republican Party had “enabled the socialist left and allowed them to push their extreme agenda on Kansas.“It’s time to send a cowboy to Congress who will fight to stop the invasion at our southern border, end woke ideology and revive the values that make Kansas and America great,” Tiffany said.U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the three-term Democrat in the 3rd District centered on Johnson County, won’t have an August primary opponent. In the November general election, she would face winner of a primary between Republicans Karen Crnkovich of Olathe and Prasanth Reddy of Lenexa.First District Congressman Tracey Mann, the Republican elected to the U.S. House in 2020, attracted primary opponent Eric Bloom of Lawrence. The GOP winner would go up against Democrat Paul Buskirk of Lawrence. The heavily gerrymandered 1st District extends from Garden City in the west to Lawrence in the east.“From what I see, our government today is self-serving and arrogant,” Buskirk said. “So many officials, appointed or elected, hold tightly to ideology, political party and their own welfare with little regard for governing ‘for the people.’ I want to change that.”In the 4th District based in Wichita, U.S. Rep. Ron Estes of Wichita didn’t attract a primary challenger. He will be on the November ballot with Sedgwick Democrat Esau Freeman, who also didn’t draw a primary competitor. Estes has held that seat in Congress since prevailing in a 2017 special election.Estes, who won full terms in 2018, 2020 and 2022, filed for reelection in February on the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth.“More than a century after the end of the Civil War, our world is much different, but we face daunting divisions that are tearing our country apart,” Estes said. “While the word unity is often flung about to mask the user’s true intention of pulling opponents to their side, it would behoove us as a nation to look to Lincoln’s allegiance to this country, love for his fellow man, compassion for those who disagreed with him and devotion to God as a guide for restoring our nation and healing our land.”On ballots in the November general election, the state’s three alternative political parties — No Label Kansas, Libertarian Party and United Kansas — provide voters additional choices through nominations at party conventions.The candidate filing deadline was noon Monday. The deadline for registering to vote has been set for July 16. The first day of in-person advance voting would be July 17, the last day to apply for an advance mail ballot would be July 30 and in-person advance voting would draw to a close Aug. 5.

15 GOP, Democratic candidates file to compete in Kan. 4 congressional campaigns

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military on Monday confirmed the deaths of four more hostages held by Hamas — including three older men seen in a Hamas video begging for their release.

The three men, Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger and Haim Peri, were all age 80 or older. Looking weak and wary, they appeared in a video in December released by Hamas under the title, “Don’t let us grow old here.”

The fourth hostage was identified as Nadav Popplewell.

Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the four men died together in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis when Israel was operating there. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Earlier Monday,&nbsp; the Israeli military says the body of a presumed hostage was found in a community near the Gaza border that Hamas militants had attacked on Oct. 7.

Dolev Yehud, 35, was thought to be among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">scores of hostages held in Gaza</a>&nbsp;until Monday, when the military announced the discovery of his body and said he had been killed in the initial attack.

His remains were found at Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he lived and worked as a paramedic. Dolev’s wife, Sigal, who was nine months pregnant on Oct. 7, gave birth to their fourth child nine days after the attack, according to Israeli media.

Medical professionals and scientists, including archaeologists, have spent months trying to identify remains found in communities attacked by Palestinian militants in the wide-ranging assault that ignited the war in Gaza.

The surprise attack into Israel killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants abducted around 250 people, more than 100 of whom were released during a cease-fire last year.

The Israeli government says militants in Gaza are still holding around 85 hostages and the remains of 39 others.

Israel launched a massive offensive in response to the attack that has killed over 36,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their count.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717414263257.png" alt="Dolev Yehud photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>Dolev Yehud photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military on Monday confirmed the deaths of four more hostages held by Hamas — including three older men seen in a Hamas video begging for their release.The three men, Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger and Haim Peri, were all age 80 or older. Looking weak and wary, they appeared in a video in December released by Hamas under the title, “Don’t let us grow old here.”The fourth hostage was identified as Nadav Popplewell.Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the four men died together in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis when Israel was operating there. The cause of death was not immediately known.Earlier Monday,&nbsp; the Israeli military says the body of a presumed hostage was found in a community near the Gaza border that Hamas militants had attacked on Oct. 7.Dolev Yehud, 35, was thought to be among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">scores of hostages held in Gaza</a>&nbsp;until Monday, when the military announced the discovery of his body and said he had been killed in the initial attack.His remains were found at Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he lived and worked as a paramedic. Dolev’s wife, Sigal, who was nine months pregnant on Oct. 7, gave birth to their fourth child nine days after the attack, according to Israeli media.Medical professionals and scientists, including archaeologists, have spent months trying to identify remains found in communities attacked by Palestinian militants in the wide-ranging assault that ignited the war in Gaza.The surprise attack into Israel killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants abducted around 250 people, more than 100 of whom were released during a cease-fire last year.The Israeli government says militants in Gaza are still holding around 85 hostages and the remains of 39 others.Israel launched a massive offensive in response to the attack that has killed over 36,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their count.

Israeli military says more hostages found dead

COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement in Cowley County are investigating a man in connection with multiple vehicle accidents on one evening.&nbsp;

On May 28, the Arkansas City Police Department responded to multiple reports of a reckless driver in a gray Ford truck in the area of Chestnut Avenue and 5th Street, according to a media release.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717165597272.png" alt="Cravens photo Cowley Co." />
 <figcaption>Cravens photo Cowley Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement in Cowley County are investigating a man in connection with multiple vehicle accidents on one evening.&nbsp;On May 28, the Arkansas City Police Department responded to multiple reports of a reckless driver in a gray Ford truck in the area of Chestnut Avenue and 5th Street, according to a media release.The vehicle was reportedly struck several vehicles and objects. Officers quickly responded and discovered that the gray Ford truck had been involved in another accident in the 400 block of North 3rd Street, where it had come to a stop. Officers identified the driver as Gunner Chase Cravens, 21, Arkansas City, and suspected he was under the influence of alcohol. A DUI investigation was promptly initiated. Additional officers began working multiple accident scenes at different locations. The incidents included damage to three vehicles in the 200 block of North 5th Street; damage to another vehicle and mailbox in the 400 block of West Birch Avenue; damage to a mailbox in the 700 block of North 3rd Street and damage to a tree and mailbox in the 400 block of North 3rd Street.The investigation revealed that the gray Ford truck was responsible for all four accidents. Cravens was arrested on requested charges of driving under the influence and three counts of duty to report or give aid. He was taken to the Cowley County Jail and held on a $1,200 bond. He is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.