FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly building explosion have identified the victims as 26-year-old Jerry Isakson; 29-year-old Robyn Hamilton and 19-month-old Stormi Isakson all of Dodge City, according to Ford County Sheriff Bill Carr.

Just before 5:30p.m. Saturday,&nbsp;Ford County Communications received calls of an explosion in the 100 block of west Center Street in Bucklin, according to a statement from Sheriff Bill Car.

First responders found three inside the building deceased and a fourth identified as 26-year-old Christian Stimpert of Bucklin who was&nbsp;transported to St. Catherine Hospital in Dodge City for medical treatment.

The cause of the explosion and deaths are being investigated as an accident, according to Carr. The Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office and Ford County Fire are assisting with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697410646387.png" alt="Photo courtesy Ford Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Ford Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly building explosion have identified the victims as 26-year-old Jerry Isakson; 29-year-old Robyn Hamilton and 19-month-old Stormi Isakson all of Dodge City, according to Ford County Sheriff Bill Carr.Just before 5:30p.m. Saturday,&nbsp;Ford County Communications received calls of an explosion in the 100 block of west Center Street in Bucklin, according to a statement from Sheriff Bill Car.First responders found three inside the building deceased and a fourth identified as 26-year-old Christian Stimpert of Bucklin who was&nbsp;transported to St. Catherine Hospital in Dodge City for medical treatment.The cause of the explosion and deaths are being investigated as an accident, according to Carr. The Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office and Ford County Fire are assisting with the investigation.

Toddler among 3 who died in SW Kansas building explosion

WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department says the number of Americans killed since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas has risen to 30.

“At this time, we can confirm the deaths of 30 U.S. citizens. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected," the State Department said in a statement released Sunday. The U.S. is also aware of 13 missing citizens and has been in contact with their families.

Hamas militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7 and murdered more than 1,400 Israelis, the vast majority of them civilians. The militants also kidnapped at least 155 people — a number that includes babies and the elderly — and are holding them hostage in Gaza. Their whereabouts are not publicly known, but their families have been urgently pressing for their release.

“The U.S. government is working around the clock to determine their whereabouts and is working with the Israeli government on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to advise the Israeli government on hostage recovery efforts,” the statement said.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 2,670 Palestinians have been killed so far.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;is considering a trip to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israel</a>&nbsp;in the coming days but no travel has been finalized, a senior administration official said Sunday. It would be a powerful symbol of sympathy and support following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">the brutal attack by Hamas</a>.

A trip would be a chance for Biden to personally affirm to the Israeli people the U.S. is standing firm behind them. But it would come amid growing fears that a looming Israeli move into Gaza could spark a wider war with devastating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-civilians-humanitarian-crisis-shortages-fuel-water-937b474fa16970f36ac44615e9797fbc">humanitarian consequences</a>.

And Biden’s presence could be seen as a provocative move by Hamas’ chief sponsor, Iran, or potentially viewed as tone deaf by Arab nations as civilian casualties mount in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already been traveling around the Mideast this past week trying to prevent the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6cf0ff04e513ecec12cf9152656ac1b6">war with Hamas</a>&nbsp;from igniting a broader regional conflict.

The official could not publicly discuss internal deliberations about the potential presidential travel and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Biden also made his strongest public statements yet to restrain Israel after the Oct. 7 attack that killed more than 1,400 people including at least 30 U.S. citizens, warning in an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes that aired Sunday that Israel should not reoccupy Gaza.

“I think it’d be a big mistake,” Biden said. “Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas, and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people. And I think that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again.”

Israel left Gaza in 2005; Hamas won the elections the next year.

Still, Biden said, “taking out the extremists ... is a necessary requirement.”

Biden and his administration officials have refused to criticize Israel or its bombing campaign that has killed civilians in Gaza. But they've urged Israel, Egypt and other nations to allow for humanitarian aid and supplies into the worsening conflict zone.

“I’m confident that Israel is going to act under the rules of war," Biden said in the interview. ”There’s standards that democratic institutions and countries go by. And I’m confident that there’s going to be an ability for the innocents in Gaza to be able to have access to medicine and food and water."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696679013332.png" alt="File photo-Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)" />
 <figcaption>File photo-Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department says the number of Americans killed since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas has risen to 30.“At this time, we can confirm the deaths of 30 U.S. citizens. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected," the State Department said in a statement released Sunday. The U.S. is also aware of 13 missing citizens and has been in contact with their families.Hamas militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7 and murdered more than 1,400 Israelis, the vast majority of them civilians. The militants also kidnapped at least 155 people — a number that includes babies and the elderly — and are holding them hostage in Gaza. Their whereabouts are not publicly known, but their families have been urgently pressing for their release.“The U.S. government is working around the clock to determine their whereabouts and is working with the Israeli government on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to advise the Israeli government on hostage recovery efforts,” the statement said.The Gaza Health Ministry said 2,670 Palestinians have been killed so far.President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;is considering a trip to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israel</a>&nbsp;in the coming days but no travel has been finalized, a senior administration official said Sunday. It would be a powerful symbol of sympathy and support following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">the brutal attack by Hamas</a>.A trip would be a chance for Biden to personally affirm to the Israeli people the U.S. is standing firm behind them. But it would come amid growing fears that a looming Israeli move into Gaza could spark a wider war with devastating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-civilians-humanitarian-crisis-shortages-fuel-water-937b474fa16970f36ac44615e9797fbc">humanitarian consequences</a>.And Biden’s presence could be seen as a provocative move by Hamas’ chief sponsor, Iran, or potentially viewed as tone deaf by Arab nations as civilian casualties mount in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already been traveling around the Mideast this past week trying to prevent the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6cf0ff04e513ecec12cf9152656ac1b6">war with Hamas</a>&nbsp;from igniting a broader regional conflict.The official could not publicly discuss internal deliberations about the potential presidential travel and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Biden also made his strongest public statements yet to restrain Israel after the Oct. 7 attack that killed more than 1,400 people including at least 30 U.S. citizens, warning in an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes that aired Sunday that Israel should not reoccupy Gaza.“I think it’d be a big mistake,” Biden said. “Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas, and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people. And I think that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again.”Israel left Gaza in 2005; Hamas won the elections the next year.Still, Biden said, “taking out the extremists ... is a necessary requirement.”Biden and his administration officials have refused to criticize Israel or its bombing campaign that has killed civilians in Gaza. But they've urged Israel, Egypt and other nations to allow for humanitarian aid and supplies into the worsening conflict zone.“I’m confident that Israel is going to act under the rules of war," Biden said in the interview. ”There’s standards that democratic institutions and countries go by. And I’m confident that there’s going to be an ability for the innocents in Gaza to be able to have access to medicine and food and water."

State Department: 30 Americans killed in Israel, 13 still missing 

JOHNSON COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hit-and-run that occurred October 9 on Interstate 435 and Metcalf Avenue and asked the public for assistance in locating a white Truck Tractor with silver tank trailer as shown on security cameras.

&nbsp;On Saturday night the Overland Park Police Department reported that after a number of tips from the public, investigators were able to identify the truck. The trucking company and driver are cooperating with the investigation, according to Officer John Lacy.

On the night of the accident, the semi pulled over and stopped westbound Interstate 435 in the area of Antioch Road.  After a brief time, the driver continued westbound&nbsp; and then exited to southbound Interstate 35. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697226335288.png" alt="Photo Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hit-and-run that occurred October 9 on Interstate 435 and Metcalf Avenue and asked the public for assistance in locating a white Truck Tractor with silver tank trailer as shown on security cameras.&nbsp;On Saturday night the Overland Park Police Department reported that after a number of tips from the public, investigators were able to identify the truck. The trucking company and driver are cooperating with the investigation, according to Officer John Lacy.On the night of the accident, the semi pulled over and stopped westbound Interstate 435 in the area of Antioch Road. After a brief time, the driver continued westbound&nbsp; and then exited to southbound Interstate 35.

Police ID semi truck, driver in fatal Kansas hit-and-run

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Two Kansas men convicted for for their role in an April 2020 shooting death are going to prison.

On Tuesday,&nbsp;Judge Bruce Brown sentenced William Moore, 54 of Wichita, to just over 22-years in the Kansas Department of Corrections and Jesse Sweeney, 32 of Wichita, to just over 7 and one half years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Last month, 32-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=224582">Jesse Sweeney&nbsp;</a>pleaded guilty to&nbsp;kidnapping and aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

On April 23, of 2020, police responded to a shooting call at a home in the 200 block of North Charles in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp;

Upon arrival, police found 30-year-old Blake Mayes on the front porch of the home with a gunshot wound to his body.&nbsp; EMS transported him to an area hospital where he died.

The investigation revealed a disturbance occurred at the home between Mayes and three other individuals including Sweeney, Moore and Mayes' girlfriend 36-year-old Bobbie Williams of Topeka. During the disturbance, Mayes was shot one time, causing his fatal injuries.

Police arrested Moore in Wichita and Williams in the Topeka.&nbsp;

Two weeks after the shooting, an alert citizen called 911 reporting seeing Sweeney at an apartment complex in the 200 block of North Topeka in Wichita, according to&nbsp; Davidson. Upon arrival, officers attempted to contact Sweeney at an apartment, and he fled out a window onto the fire escape and onto a separate floor of the apartments.

Police closed off the area, located Sweeney, and arrested him without further incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sweeney had previously been arrested and convicted of charges of possession of narcotic drugs, according to Davidson.

In February, 38-year-old Bobbie Williams was sentenced to 27-years in prison, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587856746805.png" alt="Moore photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Moore photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Two Kansas men convicted for for their role in an April 2020 shooting death are going to prison.On Tuesday,&nbsp;Judge Bruce Brown sentenced William Moore, 54 of Wichita, to just over 22-years in the Kansas Department of Corrections and Jesse Sweeney, 32 of Wichita, to just over 7 and one half years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587762685888.png" alt="Sweeney-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Sweeney-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Last month, 32-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=224582">Jesse Sweeney&nbsp;</a>pleaded guilty to&nbsp;kidnapping and aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;On April 23, of 2020, police responded to a shooting call at a home in the 200 block of North Charles in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp;Upon arrival, police found 30-year-old Blake Mayes on the front porch of the home with a gunshot wound to his body.&nbsp; EMS transported him to an area hospital where he died.The investigation revealed a disturbance occurred at the home between Mayes and three other individuals including Sweeney, Moore and Mayes' girlfriend 36-year-old Bobbie Williams of Topeka. During the disturbance, Mayes was shot one time, causing his fatal injuries.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587900733026.png" alt="Williams-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Police arrested Moore in Wichita and Williams in the Topeka.&nbsp;Two weeks after the shooting, an alert citizen called 911 reporting seeing Sweeney at an apartment complex in the 200 block of North Topeka in Wichita, according to&nbsp; Davidson. Upon arrival, officers attempted to contact Sweeney at an apartment, and he fled out a window onto the fire escape and onto a separate floor of the apartments.Police closed off the area, located Sweeney, and arrested him without further incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sweeney had previously been arrested and convicted of charges of possession of narcotic drugs, according to Davidson.In February, 38-year-old Bobbie Williams was sentenced to 27-years in prison, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp;

Two Kan. men sentenced for murder of woman's boyfriend

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp;

Just before 10:30 a.m., Oct. 12, the Brown County law enforcement dispatch received a call about a suspicious vehicle parked on the side of the road on Prairie near 280th with an individual possibly passed out, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

&nbsp;Deputies arrived and a male subject later identified as 50-year-old William Smalley of Independence, Missouri, was outside of the vehicle. 

As deputies approached, Smalley got back in to the vehicle.&nbsp; Upon speaking with Smalley, he gave deputies&nbsp; false information when asked for identification.&nbsp; Deputies&nbsp; also determined that the license plate on the vehicle was expired and came back to an entirely different vehicle.&nbsp; 

Smalley refused to comply with a request to exit the vehicle and obtained possession of a small black bag that was within his reach.

Deputies subsequently removed Smalley and after a short struggle placed him under arrested.&nbsp; 

The black bag had fallen to the ground during the struggle and contained a 9mm pistol which was in plain view.&nbsp; 

Only minor injuries were reported by the two deputies. Smalley is being held on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Obstruction, Illegal Registration, No Proof of Insurance,Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697232112238.png" alt="Smalley-Photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Smalley-Photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp;Just before 10:30 a.m., Oct. 12, the Brown County law enforcement dispatch received a call about a suspicious vehicle parked on the side of the road on Prairie near 280th with an individual possibly passed out, according to Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;Deputies arrived and a male subject later identified as 50-year-old William Smalley of Independence, Missouri, was outside of the vehicle. As deputies approached, Smalley got back in to the vehicle.&nbsp; Upon speaking with Smalley, he gave deputies&nbsp; false information when asked for identification.&nbsp; Deputies&nbsp; also determined that the license plate on the vehicle was expired and came back to an entirely different vehicle.&nbsp; Smalley refused to comply with a request to exit the vehicle and obtained possession of a small black bag that was within his reach.Deputies subsequently removed Smalley and after a short struggle placed him under arrested.&nbsp; The black bag had fallen to the ground during the struggle and contained a 9mm pistol which was in plain view.&nbsp; Only minor injuries were reported by the two deputies. Smalley is being held on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Obstruction, Illegal Registration, No Proof of Insurance,Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Kansas deputies injured during arrest of drug suspect

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Suzanne Somers, the effervescent blonde actor known for playing Chrissy Snow on the television show “Three’s Company” as well as her business endeavors, has died. She was 76.

Somers had breast cancer for over 23 years and died Sunday morning, her family said in a statement provided by her longtime publicist, R. Couri Hay. Her husband Alan Hamel, her son Bruce and other immediate family were with her in Palm Springs, California.

“Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th,” the statement read. “Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”

In July, Somers shared on Instagram that her breast cancer had returned.

“Like any cancer patient, when you get that dreaded, ‘It’s back’ you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war," she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. "This is familiar battleground for me and I’m very tough.”

She was first diagnosed in 2000, and also had skin cancer. She faced some backlash for her reliance on what she's described as a chemical-free and organic lifestyle to combat the cancers. She argued against the use of chemotherapy, in books and on platforms like “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which drew criticism from the American Cancer Society.

Somers was born in 1946 in San Bruno, California, to a gardener father and a medical secretary mother. She began acting in the late 1960s, playing the blonde driving the white Thunderbird in George Lucas’s 1973 film “American Graffiti.” Her only line was mouthing the words “I love you” to Richard Dreyfuss’s character.

At her audition, Lucas just asked her if she could drive. She later said that moment “changed her life forever.”

Somers would later stage a one-woman Broadway show entitled “The Blonde in the Thunderbird,” which drew largely scathing reviews.

She appeared in many television shows in the 1970s, including “The Rockford Files,” “Magnum Force” and “The Six Million Dollar Man,” but her most famous part came with “Three’s Company,” which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984 — though her participation ended in 1981.

On “Three’s Company,” she was the ditzy blonde opposite John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt in the roommate comedy. In 1980, after four seasons, she asked for a raise from $30,000 an episode to $150,000 an episode, which would have been comparable to what Ritter was getting paid. Hamel, a former television producer, had encouraged the ask.

“The show’s response was, ‘Who do you think you are?’” Somers told People in 2020. “They said, ‘John Ritter is the star.’”

She was soon fired and her character was replaced by two different roommates for the remaining years the show aired. It also led to a rift with her co-stars; They didn’t speak for many years. Somers did reconcile with Ritter before his death, and then with DeWitt on her online talk show.

But Somers took the break as an opportunity to pursue new avenues, including a Las Vegas act, writing books, hosting a talk show and becoming an entrepreneur. In the 1990s, she also became the spokesperson for the “Thighmaster.”

Somers returned to network television in the 1990s, most famously on “Step by Step,” which aired on ABC’s youth-targeted TGIF lineup. The network also aired a biopic of her life, starring her, called “Keeping Secrets.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697402588728.png" alt="Somers had breast cancer for over 23 years and died Sunday morning&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Somers had breast cancer for over 23 years and died Sunday morning&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —Suzanne Somers, the effervescent blonde actor known for playing Chrissy Snow on the television show “Three’s Company” as well as her business endeavors, has died. She was 76.Somers had breast cancer for over 23 years and died Sunday morning, her family said in a statement provided by her longtime publicist, R. Couri Hay. Her husband Alan Hamel, her son Bruce and other immediate family were with her in Palm Springs, California.“Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th,” the statement read. “Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”In July, Somers shared on Instagram that her breast cancer had returned.“Like any cancer patient, when you get that dreaded, ‘It’s back’ you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war," she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. "This is familiar battleground for me and I’m very tough.”She was first diagnosed in 2000, and also had skin cancer. She faced some backlash for her reliance on what she's described as a chemical-free and organic lifestyle to combat the cancers. She argued against the use of chemotherapy, in books and on platforms like “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which drew criticism from the American Cancer Society.Somers was born in 1946 in San Bruno, California, to a gardener father and a medical secretary mother. She began acting in the late 1960s, playing the blonde driving the white Thunderbird in George Lucas’s 1973 film “American Graffiti.” Her only line was mouthing the words “I love you” to Richard Dreyfuss’s character.At her audition, Lucas just asked her if she could drive. She later said that moment “changed her life forever.”Somers would later stage a one-woman Broadway show entitled “The Blonde in the Thunderbird,” which drew largely scathing reviews.She appeared in many television shows in the 1970s, including “The Rockford Files,” “Magnum Force” and “The Six Million Dollar Man,” but her most famous part came with “Three’s Company,” which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984 — though her participation ended in 1981.On “Three’s Company,” she was the ditzy blonde opposite John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt in the roommate comedy. In 1980, after four seasons, she asked for a raise from $30,000 an episode to $150,000 an episode, which would have been comparable to what Ritter was getting paid. Hamel, a former television producer, had encouraged the ask.“The show’s response was, ‘Who do you think you are?’” Somers told People in 2020. “They said, ‘John Ritter is the star.’”She was soon fired and her character was replaced by two different roommates for the remaining years the show aired. It also led to a rift with her co-stars; They didn’t speak for many years. Somers did reconcile with Ritter before his death, and then with DeWitt on her online talk show.But Somers took the break as an opportunity to pursue new avenues, including a Las Vegas act, writing books, hosting a talk show and becoming an entrepreneur. In the 1990s, she also became the spokesperson for the “Thighmaster.”Somers returned to network television in the 1990s, most famously on “Step by Step,” which aired on ABC’s youth-targeted TGIF lineup. The network also aired a biopic of her life, starring her, called “Keeping Secrets.”

Suzanne Somers, of ‘Three’s Company,’ dies at 76

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Wichita man was sentenced 60 months in prison for having a gun while trafficking narcotics, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Clinton Bruner, 59, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The charge stems from a November 2022 search warrant at Bruner’s home where officers found approximately one kilogram of powder cocaine in a basement and another ounce of cocaine in a bedroom. Law enforcement also found two firearms, a M&amp;P Shield .40 caliber handgun and a Berretta Nano 9mm firearm. After Bruner had been read his Miranda rights, he admitted to selling drugs, and he said that the firearms were his for protection because he had recently been robbed.

Bruner has eleven previous convictions for drugs, theft, aggravated battery and driving while habitual violator.

“Whenever guns are in the hands of illegal drug traffickers, the threat of violence increases exponentially. This not only endangers the lives of those involved in criminal activity, but also puts entire communities at great risk of being caught in crossfire,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher.

The Wichita Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671658565944.png" alt="Bruner-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Bruner-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Wichita man was sentenced 60 months in prison for having a gun while trafficking narcotics, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Clinton Bruner, 59, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.The charge stems from a November 2022 search warrant at Bruner’s home where officers found approximately one kilogram of powder cocaine in a basement and another ounce of cocaine in a bedroom. Law enforcement also found two firearms, a M&amp;P Shield .40 caliber handgun and a Berretta Nano 9mm firearm. After Bruner had been read his Miranda rights, he admitted to selling drugs, and he said that the firearms were his for protection because he had recently been robbed.Bruner has eleven previous convictions for drugs, theft, aggravated battery and driving while habitual violator.“Whenever guns are in the hands of illegal drug traffickers, the threat of violence increases exponentially. This not only endangers the lives of those involved in criminal activity, but also puts entire communities at great risk of being caught in crossfire,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher.The Wichita Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.

Kansas felon admitted having guns while selling cocaine

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A dozen state or county agencies have parted ways with tens of thousands of dollars in federal grants meant to help monitor teenagers' sexual behaviors and try to lower rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

The withdrawals reflect a shift in many states that is further complicating and polarizing sex education in K-12 schools as some Republican-led legislatures more strictly regulate when and what students learn about their bodies. The new laws are part of a broad push to fortify “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-gender-identity-0e2ca2cf0ef7d7bc6ef5b125f1ee0969">parents' rights</a>&nbsp;” and strike LGBTQ+ content from the classroom,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-republicans-president-mama-bears-moms-desantis-a96ae3d1ed167f823360e7645ca4b519">core themes</a>&nbsp;that have flooded the campaign for the GOP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">presidential nomination</a>.

Experts are concerned students won’t reliably learn about adolescence, safe sexual activity or relationship violence, topics they say are especially important since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2021/default.htm">sexually transmitted diseases rose after the pandemic</a>&nbsp;and access to abortion is increasingly restricted.

Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist at Seattle Children's Hospital, said a trained, trusted adult is critical for young people to get good information versus other, less trustworthy sources like social media.

“When we stop talking about these things or ... try to push things under the rug, we just increase risk," she said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-sex-survey-high-school-3d45d0441f531d1da9f5b44373becee4">Fewer teens are sexually active</a>, a 2021 government survey showed, but federal data that year also suggest teens and young adults made up half of all people with STDs. For the youngest generations, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-sex-sexual-intercourse-meaning-fa0b10e0fb7e8fd8fd72ac9990c3321a">language about sex is evolving</a>.

This year, lawmakers passed bans on teaching human sexuality before fourth grade in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-governor-transgender-students-book-bans-b3662d950080cf43965bce58692bfc70">Indiana</a>&nbsp;and sexual reproduction or sexual intercourse before fifth grade in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huckabee-sanders-vouchers-schools-lgbtq-education-teachers-bd56e89399d401ea44018cc92a5116ee">Arkansas</a>. In Kentucky, educators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-transgender-c90d6b61a3e1e717fc1280be9d2eb529">can't teach sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases before sixth grade</a>, and parents must provide consent for older students. A handful of states require parents to opt in to instruction instead of opting out.

In Florida, materials about reproductive health, human sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-florida-dont-say-gay-ban-684ed25a303f83208a89c556543183cb">for any grade</a>&nbsp;must be approved by state officials. A letter from the state agency indicates curriculum was due for review by the end of September.

Advocates for comprehensive sex education say the restrictions in early education may prevent kids from getting age-appropriate foundational knowledge that they build on each year, said Alison Macklin, director of policy and advocacy at the progressive sex education organization SIECUS.

“You were never going to teach a first grader a trigonometry lesson, right?” she said. “But they have to have foundational knowledge in first grade to be able to get to that in high school."

“Sex education is exactly the same," Macklin continued, suggesting young people aren't prepared for puberty if they haven't already learned “foundational things like correct terminology for body parts.”

Puberty for girls begins between ages 8 to 13 and typically two years later for boys. To comply with the new law in Kentucky, for example, the state’s education agency advised schools eliminate fifth-grade lessons on puberty and reproductive body parts.

The consensus was sex education in elementary school “wasn’t necessary or appropriate in any context,” said David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, a Christian organization in Kentucky that advocated for the law.

Many parents disagree with the boundaries around what is considered age appropriate by sex ed advocates, he said, particularly when it comes to gender identity and “the idea that biological sex is not an immutable characteristic."

The law "sets a base level of protection for parents to be able to be the ones that can review the curriculum and make a decision as to whether that’s something they’d like their child to participate in,” Walls said.

There is federal guidance for developing evidence-based and age-appropriate sexual health curricula, but state laws and local implementation run the gamut.

Twenty-eight states require sex education, and 35 require HIV education, according to tracking by the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. Most states require any instruction on sex or disease prevention to include abstinence, and most states allow parents to opt out.

While many states have curtailed sex education, others have codified comprehensive and inclusive standards. Massachusetts, for example, recently announced new sexual health education guidelines, which were last updated in 1999.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services award millions of dollars for programs designed, in part, to track teen behavior and teach abstinence and contraception with the goal of creating safe environments and preventing pregnancy and diseases.

Idaho's Division of Public Health said it no longer administered the HHS grant for personal responsibility education programs, or PREP, as of July 1 after lawmakers did not approve the spending during the legislative session.

New Hampshire withdrew from PREP funding after a five-member Republican-led council that approves contracts repeatedly blocked funding in 2022. However, PREP funding doesn't necessarily disappear if a state's officials reject it; instead, it can be awarded directly to local organizations, which is now the case in New Hampshire.

A different grant is provided by the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health for a biennial youth survey. Since March 2022, six states have discontinued the agreement to conduct the survey: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa and South Carolina. Some of those states also have new laws restricting schools’ ability to administer surveys.

Four Florida counties encompassing parts of the Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Miami metro areas also withdrew from another CDC grant to expand student health resources and education.

The CDC will “always promote the best available science,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of the agency’s Division of Adolescent and School Health. The agency said it is committed to collecting data revealing youth health challenges and recommending evidence-based programs addressing them.

Ethier said there is always a “disconnect” between their recommendations and state and local policies, but she is less focused on any given health class "than the whole school environment.”

“I worry any time educators don’t feel able to thoughtfully answer young people’s questions,” Ethier said.

Teenagers' curiosity drives Teen Health Mississippi, a organization that trains educators and offers supplemental programs for parents and teens.

About a quarter of the state's counties work with the nonprofit and the state's health agency to implement an “abstinence-plus” program, an option schools have to teach about contraception in addition to the now-permanent requirement to teach abstinence.

Hope Crenshaw, the organization's director, said low percentage of counties suggests “a lot of young people aren’t getting that information and many of them are getting it based on their zip code."

“Young people want information to protect themselves,” Crenshaw said.

Kayla Smith is among them. The 18-year-old freshman at the University of Mississippi volunteered to be a youth advocate with Teen Health Mississippi, engaging her peers and answering their questions.

The topic of sex in Mississippi is “taboo,” Smith said. She remembers just one optional day of sex education in middle school.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A dozen state or county agencies have parted ways with tens of thousands of dollars in federal grants meant to help monitor teenagers' sexual behaviors and try to lower rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.The withdrawals reflect a shift in many states that is further complicating and polarizing sex education in K-12 schools as some Republican-led legislatures more strictly regulate when and what students learn about their bodies. The new laws are part of a broad push to fortify “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-gender-identity-0e2ca2cf0ef7d7bc6ef5b125f1ee0969">parents' rights</a>&nbsp;” and strike LGBTQ+ content from the classroom,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-republicans-president-mama-bears-moms-desantis-a96ae3d1ed167f823360e7645ca4b519">core themes</a>&nbsp;that have flooded the campaign for the GOP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">presidential nomination</a>.Experts are concerned students won’t reliably learn about adolescence, safe sexual activity or relationship violence, topics they say are especially important since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2021/default.htm">sexually transmitted diseases rose after the pandemic</a>&nbsp;and access to abortion is increasingly restricted.Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist at Seattle Children's Hospital, said a trained, trusted adult is critical for young people to get good information versus other, less trustworthy sources like social media.“When we stop talking about these things or ... try to push things under the rug, we just increase risk," she said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-sex-survey-high-school-3d45d0441f531d1da9f5b44373becee4">Fewer teens are sexually active</a>, a 2021 government survey showed, but federal data that year also suggest teens and young adults made up half of all people with STDs. For the youngest generations, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-sex-sexual-intercourse-meaning-fa0b10e0fb7e8fd8fd72ac9990c3321a">language about sex is evolving</a>.This year, lawmakers passed bans on teaching human sexuality before fourth grade in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-governor-transgender-students-book-bans-b3662d950080cf43965bce58692bfc70">Indiana</a>&nbsp;and sexual reproduction or sexual intercourse before fifth grade in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huckabee-sanders-vouchers-schools-lgbtq-education-teachers-bd56e89399d401ea44018cc92a5116ee">Arkansas</a>. In Kentucky, educators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-transgender-c90d6b61a3e1e717fc1280be9d2eb529">can't teach sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases before sixth grade</a>, and parents must provide consent for older students. A handful of states require parents to opt in to instruction instead of opting out.In Florida, materials about reproductive health, human sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-florida-dont-say-gay-ban-684ed25a303f83208a89c556543183cb">for any grade</a>&nbsp;must be approved by state officials. A letter from the state agency indicates curriculum was due for review by the end of September.Advocates for comprehensive sex education say the restrictions in early education may prevent kids from getting age-appropriate foundational knowledge that they build on each year, said Alison Macklin, director of policy and advocacy at the progressive sex education organization SIECUS.“You were never going to teach a first grader a trigonometry lesson, right?” she said. “But they have to have foundational knowledge in first grade to be able to get to that in high school."“Sex education is exactly the same," Macklin continued, suggesting young people aren't prepared for puberty if they haven't already learned “foundational things like correct terminology for body parts.”Puberty for girls begins between ages 8 to 13 and typically two years later for boys. To comply with the new law in Kentucky, for example, the state’s education agency advised schools eliminate fifth-grade lessons on puberty and reproductive body parts.The consensus was sex education in elementary school “wasn’t necessary or appropriate in any context,” said David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, a Christian organization in Kentucky that advocated for the law.Many parents disagree with the boundaries around what is considered age appropriate by sex ed advocates, he said, particularly when it comes to gender identity and “the idea that biological sex is not an immutable characteristic."The law "sets a base level of protection for parents to be able to be the ones that can review the curriculum and make a decision as to whether that’s something they’d like their child to participate in,” Walls said.There is federal guidance for developing evidence-based and age-appropriate sexual health curricula, but state laws and local implementation run the gamut.Twenty-eight states require sex education, and 35 require HIV education, according to tracking by the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. Most states require any instruction on sex or disease prevention to include abstinence, and most states allow parents to opt out.While many states have curtailed sex education, others have codified comprehensive and inclusive standards. Massachusetts, for example, recently announced new sexual health education guidelines, which were last updated in 1999.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services award millions of dollars for programs designed, in part, to track teen behavior and teach abstinence and contraception with the goal of creating safe environments and preventing pregnancy and diseases.Idaho's Division of Public Health said it no longer administered the HHS grant for personal responsibility education programs, or PREP, as of July 1 after lawmakers did not approve the spending during the legislative session.New Hampshire withdrew from PREP funding after a five-member Republican-led council that approves contracts repeatedly blocked funding in 2022. However, PREP funding doesn't necessarily disappear if a state's officials reject it; instead, it can be awarded directly to local organizations, which is now the case in New Hampshire.A different grant is provided by the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health for a biennial youth survey. Since March 2022, six states have discontinued the agreement to conduct the survey: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa and South Carolina. Some of those states also have new laws restricting schools’ ability to administer surveys.Four Florida counties encompassing parts of the Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Miami metro areas also withdrew from another CDC grant to expand student health resources and education.The CDC will “always promote the best available science,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of the agency’s Division of Adolescent and School Health. The agency said it is committed to collecting data revealing youth health challenges and recommending evidence-based programs addressing them.Ethier said there is always a “disconnect” between their recommendations and state and local policies, but she is less focused on any given health class "than the whole school environment.”“I worry any time educators don’t feel able to thoughtfully answer young people’s questions,” Ethier said.Teenagers' curiosity drives Teen Health Mississippi, a organization that trains educators and offers supplemental programs for parents and teens.About a quarter of the state's counties work with the nonprofit and the state's health agency to implement an “abstinence-plus” program, an option schools have to teach about contraception in addition to the now-permanent requirement to teach abstinence.Hope Crenshaw, the organization's director, said low percentage of counties suggests “a lot of young people aren’t getting that information and many of them are getting it based on their zip code."“Young people want information to protect themselves,” Crenshaw said.Kayla Smith is among them. The 18-year-old freshman at the University of Mississippi volunteered to be a youth advocate with Teen Health Mississippi, engaging her peers and answering their questions.The topic of sex in Mississippi is “taboo,” Smith said. She remembers just one optional day of sex education in middle school.

Stricter state laws are chipping away at sex education in K-12 schools

Quivira’s water rights supersede most farms in the region, but irrigation upstream has severely limited water access

By ALLISON KITE,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/10/04/evergy-regulators-near-deal-on-kansas-electric-rates/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Federal officials have agreed to pause their demand for water for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in favor of working with state and local agencies to find a solution.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates the Quivira refuge in Stafford County. Its rare inland marshes provide a vital stopping point for migratory birds.

But in recent years, Rattlesnake Creek, which normally flows into the refuge, has been all but dry. The refuge received less than its fair share of water in two out of every three years between 2008 and 2021, a report by the state found, because of irrigation upstream from the refuge.&nbsp;

The continued lack of sufficient water led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to write to the state in February requesting that the state ensure the refuge’s fair share of water.

Quivira holds a state water right, entitling it to more than 14,000 acre-feet of water each year. And establishment of that water right in 1957 makes it a more senior user than many farms in the region, giving it higher priority to water flows.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in February filed a “request to secure water” with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, a process by which water right holders with seniority, like Quivira, can request that the state force junior water right holders to cut back.&nbsp;

The move was criticized by elected officials and farm groups.

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said forcing farmers to cut back their water use “could devastate the entire region.”

In a letter to the Kansas Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to press pause on its request to secure water in favor of a collaborative approach to solving the issue.

“We remain open to and supportive of a collaborative approach that makes meaningful progress in addressing the impairment of the water right at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge while minimizing the impact to other water users and the local communities in which they live,” the service wrote.

But if that approach doesn’t work, the letter says, the service will again request to secure water for the refuge.

Kelly and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, celebrated the service’s pledge in a news release.

“I am pleased that both parties have agreed to collaborate on a sustainable solution for all who rely on the Rattlesnake Creek Basin,” Kelly said. “By working together, we can show how agricultural producers and all water rights holders can rise to the challenge to meet our state’s water needs now and into the future.”

Moran said he appreciated the service’s effort to listen to Kansans.

“It is important we establish long-term solutions that support the refuge and the regional economy,” Moran said, “and I am pleased that all parties are working together towards a sustainable future for the watershed and our Kansas producers.”

The Kansas Farm Bureau’s president, Joe Newland, commended Kelly and Moran’s bipartisan approach to finding a resolution.

“Kansas Farm Bureau, working directly alongside impacted farmers and ranchers within the watershed, looks forward to working together to ensure the economic driver that is Kansas agriculture continues to prosper for decades to come under our priority-based water allocation system supplemented by augmentation,” Newland said in a news release.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696013446266.png" alt=" A flock of green-winged teal settle on the marsh at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. (Rachel Laubhan/USFWS)" />
 <figcaption> A flock of green-winged teal settle on the marsh at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. (Rachel Laubhan/USFWS)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Quivira’s water rights supersede most farms in the region, but irrigation upstream has severely limited water access</h2>By ALLISON KITE,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/10/04/evergy-regulators-near-deal-on-kansas-electric-rates/">Kansas Reflector</a>Federal officials have agreed to pause their demand for water for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in favor of working with state and local agencies to find a solution.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates the Quivira refuge in Stafford County. Its rare inland marshes provide a vital stopping point for migratory birds.But in recent years, Rattlesnake Creek, which normally flows into the refuge, has been all but dry. The refuge received less than its fair share of water in two out of every three years between 2008 and 2021, a report by the state found, because of irrigation upstream from the refuge.&nbsp;The continued lack of sufficient water led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to write to the state in February requesting that the state ensure the refuge’s fair share of water.Quivira holds a state water right, entitling it to more than 14,000 acre-feet of water each year. And establishment of that water right in 1957 makes it a more senior user than many farms in the region, giving it higher priority to water flows.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in February filed a “request to secure water” with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, a process by which water right holders with seniority, like Quivira, can request that the state force junior water right holders to cut back.&nbsp;The move was criticized by elected officials and farm groups.Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said forcing farmers to cut back their water use “could devastate the entire region.”In a letter to the Kansas Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to press pause on its request to secure water in favor of a collaborative approach to solving the issue.“We remain open to and supportive of a collaborative approach that makes meaningful progress in addressing the impairment of the water right at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge while minimizing the impact to other water users and the local communities in which they live,” the service wrote.But if that approach doesn’t work, the letter says, the service will again request to secure water for the refuge.Kelly and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, celebrated the service’s pledge in a news release.“I am pleased that both parties have agreed to collaborate on a sustainable solution for all who rely on the Rattlesnake Creek Basin,” Kelly said. “By working together, we can show how agricultural producers and all water rights holders can rise to the challenge to meet our state’s water needs now and into the future.”Moran said he appreciated the service’s effort to listen to Kansans.“It is important we establish long-term solutions that support the refuge and the regional economy,” Moran said, “and I am pleased that all parties are working together towards a sustainable future for the watershed and our Kansas producers.”The Kansas Farm Bureau’s president, Joe Newland, commended Kelly and Moran’s bipartisan approach to finding a resolution.“Kansas Farm Bureau, working directly alongside impacted farmers and ranchers within the watershed, looks forward to working together to ensure the economic driver that is Kansas agriculture continues to prosper for decades to come under our priority-based water allocation system supplemented by augmentation,” Newland said in a news release.

Federal officials step back from water request at Kan. wildlife refuge 

Kansas advocacy group outlines issues with the state’s student meal debt policy, potential solutions in new report

By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — School lunch debt has snowballed in the year following the end of pandemic-era free meal programs. An advocacy group warns the debt accumulation could hurt and humiliate Kansas children in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansasappleseed.org/uploads/2/1/9/2/21929892/final_meal_debt_report.pdf">recently released report</a>.&nbsp;

“When Kansas kids are hungry, they can’t learn,” said Haley Kottler, director of a Kansas Appleseed campaign against child hunger. “Ensuring kids have what they need to thrive is imperative to our students’ success– in and out of the classroom.”&nbsp;

To create the report, Appleseed staff contacted the state’s 286 public school districts, receiving responses from about 20%. To fill in the gap, staff reviewed policies available on public school district websites, among other data sourcing.&nbsp;

The report follows the end of the free federal school meals program, which paid for breakfast and lunch for students at all income levels. The program was in place from March 2020 through June 2022, allowing Kansas’ 480,000 public school children access to free meals.&nbsp;

Since the program ended, families in the state have experienced a six-fold increase in school meal debt. Student lunch debt reached $23.5 million in 2023, according to Appleseed. For comparison, the state reported $4.5 million in school lunch debt in 2019. Increasing inflation and economic instability during and after the COVID-19 pandemic could play a factor in the increased debt.&nbsp;

Approximately 41% of Kansas students were signed up for free meals through the National School Lunch Program during the 2022-2023 school year, and another 7% received reduced school meals, but families must remain under a certain income threshold to be eligible for these reduced-price programs.

&nbsp;For&nbsp;example, a&nbsp;family of four has to make under $39,000 a year to qualify for free meals, and under $55,500 to qualify for reduced-priced meals, the report notes.&nbsp;

When the debt from school meals accumulates, only about 22% on average is paid off by parents, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://educationdata.org/school-lunch-debt">national statistics on school meal costs</a>.&nbsp;Despite low rates of payment, more than 40% of Kansans school districts use debt collection agencies, turning unpaid meal debt over to collection agencies, small claims courts, or the Kansas debt offset program— a measure that can have a long-lasting negative effect on a family.&nbsp;

Students themselves are singled out in the cafeteria when their families cannot afford to pay. Less than 5% of school districts in the state have documented policies allowing students with meal debt to continue receiving the same meal as fellow students.&nbsp;

Approximately 60% of school districts have documented policies allowing children an alternate meal, though the contents of the meal vary greatly across districts. Most districts offer either a cheese or peanut butter sandwich to these students, but others offer just a granola bar and milk, or canned fruit and crackers.&nbsp;

School districts that have higher rates of meal debt typically end up paying it through the district’s own funds, the report notes.&nbsp;

With this additional expense, many of the state’s school districts have been left in a “precarious financial position.”&nbsp;

“On average, it currently costs more to produce a school meal than school districts are charging or being reimbursed for,” the report reads. “This is likely an even larger challenge now that increased federal reimbursements for school meals have expired.”&nbsp;

The organization’s recommendations include ending debt collection practices, having the state subsidize portions of the lunch program and changing unpaid meal fee policies that humiliate students in the cafeteria.&nbsp;

“I look forward to working with school districts and community partners to ensure that every child in every district has consistent access to school meals, said Martha Terhaar, a Kansas Appleseed advocate campaigning against child hunger. “Together, we can build policies that guarantee every student is fed.”

<h2>Kansas advocacy group outlines issues with the state’s student meal debt policy, potential solutions in new report</h2>By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — School lunch debt has snowballed in the year following the end of pandemic-era free meal programs. An advocacy group warns the debt accumulation could hurt and humiliate Kansas children in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansasappleseed.org/uploads/2/1/9/2/21929892/final_meal_debt_report.pdf">recently released report</a>.&nbsp;“When Kansas kids are hungry, they can’t learn,” said Haley Kottler, director of a Kansas Appleseed campaign against child hunger. “Ensuring kids have what they need to thrive is imperative to our students’ success– in and out of the classroom.”&nbsp;To create the report, Appleseed staff contacted the state’s 286 public school districts, receiving responses from about 20%. To fill in the gap, staff reviewed policies available on public school district websites, among other data sourcing.&nbsp;The report follows the end of the free federal school meals program, which paid for breakfast and lunch for students at all income levels. The program was in place from March 2020 through June 2022, allowing Kansas’ 480,000 public school children access to free meals.&nbsp;Since the program ended, families in the state have experienced a six-fold increase in school meal debt. Student lunch debt reached $23.5 million in 2023, according to Appleseed. For comparison, the state reported $4.5 million in school lunch debt in 2019. Increasing inflation and economic instability during and after the COVID-19 pandemic could play a factor in the increased debt.&nbsp;Approximately 41% of Kansas students were signed up for free meals through the National School Lunch Program during the 2022-2023 school year, and another 7% received reduced school meals, but families must remain under a certain income threshold to be eligible for these reduced-price programs.&nbsp;For&nbsp;example, a&nbsp;family of four has to make under $39,000 a year to qualify for free meals, and under $55,500 to qualify for reduced-priced meals, the report notes.&nbsp;When the debt from school meals accumulates, only about 22% on average is paid off by parents, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://educationdata.org/school-lunch-debt">national statistics on school meal costs</a>.&nbsp;Despite low rates of payment, more than 40% of Kansans school districts use debt collection agencies, turning unpaid meal debt over to collection agencies, small claims courts, or the Kansas debt offset program— a measure that can have a long-lasting negative effect on a family.&nbsp;Students themselves are singled out in the cafeteria when their families cannot afford to pay. Less than 5% of school districts in the state have documented policies allowing students with meal debt to continue receiving the same meal as fellow students.&nbsp;Approximately 60% of school districts have documented policies allowing children an alternate meal, though the contents of the meal vary greatly across districts. Most districts offer either a cheese or peanut butter sandwich to these students, but others offer just a granola bar and milk, or canned fruit and crackers.&nbsp;School districts that have higher rates of meal debt typically end up paying it through the district’s own funds, the report notes.&nbsp;With this additional expense, many of the state’s school districts have been left in a “precarious financial position.”&nbsp;“On average, it currently costs more to produce a school meal than school districts are charging or being reimbursed for,” the report reads. “This is likely an even larger challenge now that increased federal reimbursements for school meals have expired.”&nbsp;The organization’s recommendations include ending debt collection practices, having the state subsidize portions of the lunch program and changing unpaid meal fee policies that humiliate students in the cafeteria.&nbsp;“I look forward to working with school districts and community partners to ensure that every child in every district has consistent access to school meals, said Martha Terhaar, a Kansas Appleseed advocate campaigning against child hunger. “Together, we can build policies that guarantee every student is fed.”

With end of federal program, Kan. students face skyrocketing school meal debt

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly shooting have identified the victim as 4-year-old Lawrencia Perez-Belair of Topeka. 

On Saturday, police responded to a shooting in the 400 block of NE Grattan Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

&nbsp;Officers were able to secure the scene and located Perez-Belair who appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; The girl was transported to a local hospital and died.

By Saturday afternoon, police reported they had identified all individuals involved and early Sunday reported the arrest of 24-year-old&nbsp;Mariann L. Belair, 24, Topeka.&nbsp; She is being held in Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Murder in the 1st degree, in the commission of a felony and Aggravated Endangering a child, reckless situation.&nbsp; Police have not reported the relationship between the woman and girl.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697371794491.png" alt="Belair-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Belair-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly shooting have identified the victim as 4-year-old Lawrencia Perez-Belair of Topeka. On Saturday, police responded to a shooting in the 400 block of NE Grattan Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.&nbsp;Officers were able to secure the scene and located Perez-Belair who appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; The girl was transported to a local hospital and died.By Saturday afternoon, police reported they had identified all individuals involved and early Sunday reported the arrest of 24-year-old&nbsp;Mariann L. Belair, 24, Topeka.&nbsp; She is being held in Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Murder in the 1st degree, in the commission of a felony and Aggravated Endangering a child, reckless situation.&nbsp; Police have not reported the relationship between the woman and girl.

Police: 4-year-old dies in shooting at Kansas home

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging the leaders to allow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-evacuations-refugee-834a63b3ac48ce9230c649cddeafdf89">humanitarian aid to the region</a>&nbsp;and affirmed his support for efforts to protect civilians.

The weekend calls in Washington came ahead of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's announcement that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-military-navy-carrier-e648c53dc53a46e2e12950784ea5e8d2">U.S. was moving up a second carrier strike group</a>&nbsp;in support of Israel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken intensified diplomatic outreach across the Middle East and beyond to rally an international response to prevent the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-west-bank-settler-violence-gaza-war-68debe29dcc2f5a58bd899e1e424911c">Israel-Hamas war from expanding</a>.

The broad U.S. efforts reflect the international concern about the number of civilians at risk and the potential ramifications of a prolonged war as Israel told&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-c8b4fc20e4fd2ef381d5edb7e9e8308c">Gaza residents to move south</a>&nbsp;and Hamas urged people to remain in their homes. The Biden administration has not publicly urged Israel to restrain its response after the Hamas attack a week ago, but has emphasized the country’s commitment to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-crimes-icc-1a42212b95a7f6ce54909fb22e0d681d">following the rules of war</a>.

Addressing a Human Rights Campaign dinner Saturday in Washington, Biden linked the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to different versions of hate that he said must be stopped.

“A week ago we saw hate manifest another way in the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Biden said, citing the 1,300 lives lost in Israel as well as “children, grandparents alike kidnapped, held hostage by Hamas.”

“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza — innocent Palestinian families and the vast majority that have nothing to do with Hamas — they’re being used as human shields,” he said. “We have to reject hate in every form.”

Blinken met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh before stopping in the United Arab Emirates as he sought ways to help civilians trapped in between the fighting and to address the growing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-war-live-updates">humanitarian crisis</a>.

He also called his Chinese counterpart as Palestinians struggled to flee from areas of Gaza targeted by the Israeli military before an expected land offensive.

Austin as well on Saturday spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, stressing the importance of safeguarding civilians. Austin offered updates on U.S. efforts to boost air defense capabilities and munitions for Israeli forces that he noted were aimed at stemming escalation of war, according to a readout of the call.

Austin said the Biden administration was sending the additional carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean. The Eisenhower will join the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, which is already sailing near Israel, to bolster U.S. presence there with a host of destroyers, fighter aircraft and cruisers.

In a statement announcing the deployment, Austin said sending the second carrier was “part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel.”

While Biden has spoken to Netanyahu multiple times since the Hamas attack, Saturday's call was his first to Abbas, who runs the Palestinian Authority which controls the West Bank. According to a readout of the call, Abbas briefed the president on efforts to bring aid to Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza.

Biden reiterated to Abbas that “Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination,” according to the readout.

Biden spoke with Netanyahu to “reiterate unwavering U.S. support for Israel,” according to the readout. He briefed the Israeli leader on regional efforts to ensure civilian access to food, water and medical care.

The number of U.S. citizens killed rose to 29, U.S. officials said Satutday, and 15 were unaccounted for, as well as one lawful permanent resident.

Blinken, in his visits with Saudi and UAE leaders, also cited the need for humanitarian assistance and safe passage from those who wish to leave Gaza as he spoke to Arab audiences from their home turf, where his hosts put that issue at the top of their concerns.

An Israeli ground assault would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-785e0eb833715354cade4694e8ccbf67">worsen the plight</a>&nbsp;of civilians in Gaza who are without power, fresh water or access to aid. Egyptian officials said the southern Rafah crossing would open later Saturday for the first time in days to allow foreigners out. Israel has advised all Palestinian civilians to flee south to avoid Israel's continued offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza City.

Blinken also called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to seek his country's help in preventing the war from spreading, asking Beijing to use whatever influence it has in the Mideast. Blinken's spokesman declined to characterize Wang’s response but said the U.S. believes it and China have a shared interest in the region's stability.

In Riyadh, Blinken and Prince Faisal stressed the importance of minimizing the harm to civilians as Israel prepared for an anticipated incursion against Hamas a week after the militant group's unprecedented attack against Israel.

“As Israel pursues its legitimate right, to defending its people and to trying to ensure that this never happens again, it is vitally important that all of us look out for civilians, and we’re working together to do exactly that,” Blinken said.

"None of us want to see suffering by civilians on any side, whether it’s in Israel, whether it’s in Gaza, whether it’s anywhere else," Blinken said.

The Saudi minister said the kingdom was committed to the protection of civilians.

“It’s a disturbing situation,” he said. “It’s a very difficult situation. And, as you know, the primary sufferer of this situation are civilians, and civilian populations on both sides are being affected and it’s important, I think, that we all condemn the targeting of civilians in any form at any time by anyone.”

A U.S official said Saturday that Washington did not ask Israel to slow or hold off on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-war-live-updates#0000018b-2a81-d156-abaf-aa95a5770000">the evacuation plan</a>. The official said the discussions with Israeli leaders did stress the importance of taking into account the safety of civilians as Israel’s military moved to enforce the evacuation demand.

The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the private discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Israeli leaders acknowledged the guidance and took it under advisement.

The U.S. worked out an agreement involving to allow Americans and other foreigners in Gaza to cross the Rafah border into Egypt, but the crossing remained blocked Saturday, with no sign that those gathered would be allowed through. There are an estimated 500 Americans living in Gaza, but that number is imprecise, officials have said.

The U.S. State Department on Saturday authorized the departure of nonemergency U.S. government personnel and their family members from the American Embassy in Jerusalem and an office in Tel Aviv.

Prince Faisal said it was imperative for the violence between Israel and Hamas to end.

“We need to work together to find a way out of this cycle of violence,” he said. “Without a concerted effort to end this constant return to violence, it will always be the civilians that suffer first, it will always be civilians on both sides that end up paying the price.”

While in Abu Dhabi, Blinken visited the Abrahamic Family House, a complex consisting of a church, a mosque and a synagogue representing the three Abrahamic faiths. He signed a tile with the words “Light in the Darkness.”

Blinken returned to Saudi Arabia ahead of an expected stop in Egypt on Sunday. He has already visited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/israel-antony-blinken-israel-hamas-war-general-news-war-and-unrest-0e71903c03b740f695d8732f2ad91916">Israel</a>, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696803172229.png" alt="The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Wednesday-photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Wednesday-photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging the leaders to allow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-evacuations-refugee-834a63b3ac48ce9230c649cddeafdf89">humanitarian aid to the region</a>&nbsp;and affirmed his support for efforts to protect civilians.The weekend calls in Washington came ahead of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's announcement that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-military-navy-carrier-e648c53dc53a46e2e12950784ea5e8d2">U.S. was moving up a second carrier strike group</a>&nbsp;in support of Israel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken intensified diplomatic outreach across the Middle East and beyond to rally an international response to prevent the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-west-bank-settler-violence-gaza-war-68debe29dcc2f5a58bd899e1e424911c">Israel-Hamas war from expanding</a>.The broad U.S. efforts reflect the international concern about the number of civilians at risk and the potential ramifications of a prolonged war as Israel told&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-c8b4fc20e4fd2ef381d5edb7e9e8308c">Gaza residents to move south</a>&nbsp;and Hamas urged people to remain in their homes. The Biden administration has not publicly urged Israel to restrain its response after the Hamas attack a week ago, but has emphasized the country’s commitment to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-crimes-icc-1a42212b95a7f6ce54909fb22e0d681d">following the rules of war</a>.Addressing a Human Rights Campaign dinner Saturday in Washington, Biden linked the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to different versions of hate that he said must be stopped.“A week ago we saw hate manifest another way in the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Biden said, citing the 1,300 lives lost in Israel as well as “children, grandparents alike kidnapped, held hostage by Hamas.”“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza — innocent Palestinian families and the vast majority that have nothing to do with Hamas — they’re being used as human shields,” he said. “We have to reject hate in every form.”Blinken met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh before stopping in the United Arab Emirates as he sought ways to help civilians trapped in between the fighting and to address the growing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-war-live-updates">humanitarian crisis</a>.He also called his Chinese counterpart as Palestinians struggled to flee from areas of Gaza targeted by the Israeli military before an expected land offensive.Austin as well on Saturday spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, stressing the importance of safeguarding civilians. Austin offered updates on U.S. efforts to boost air defense capabilities and munitions for Israeli forces that he noted were aimed at stemming escalation of war, according to a readout of the call.Austin said the Biden administration was sending the additional carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean. The Eisenhower will join the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, which is already sailing near Israel, to bolster U.S. presence there with a host of destroyers, fighter aircraft and cruisers.In a statement announcing the deployment, Austin said sending the second carrier was “part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel.”While Biden has spoken to Netanyahu multiple times since the Hamas attack, Saturday's call was his first to Abbas, who runs the Palestinian Authority which controls the West Bank. According to a readout of the call, Abbas briefed the president on efforts to bring aid to Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza.Biden reiterated to Abbas that “Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination,” according to the readout.Biden spoke with Netanyahu to “reiterate unwavering U.S. support for Israel,” according to the readout. He briefed the Israeli leader on regional efforts to ensure civilian access to food, water and medical care.The number of U.S. citizens killed rose to 29, U.S. officials said Satutday, and 15 were unaccounted for, as well as one lawful permanent resident.Blinken, in his visits with Saudi and UAE leaders, also cited the need for humanitarian assistance and safe passage from those who wish to leave Gaza as he spoke to Arab audiences from their home turf, where his hosts put that issue at the top of their concerns.An Israeli ground assault would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-785e0eb833715354cade4694e8ccbf67">worsen the plight</a>&nbsp;of civilians in Gaza who are without power, fresh water or access to aid. Egyptian officials said the southern Rafah crossing would open later Saturday for the first time in days to allow foreigners out. Israel has advised all Palestinian civilians to flee south to avoid Israel's continued offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza City.Blinken also called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to seek his country's help in preventing the war from spreading, asking Beijing to use whatever influence it has in the Mideast. Blinken's spokesman declined to characterize Wang’s response but said the U.S. believes it and China have a shared interest in the region's stability.In Riyadh, Blinken and Prince Faisal stressed the importance of minimizing the harm to civilians as Israel prepared for an anticipated incursion against Hamas a week after the militant group's unprecedented attack against Israel.“As Israel pursues its legitimate right, to defending its people and to trying to ensure that this never happens again, it is vitally important that all of us look out for civilians, and we’re working together to do exactly that,” Blinken said."None of us want to see suffering by civilians on any side, whether it’s in Israel, whether it’s in Gaza, whether it’s anywhere else," Blinken said.The Saudi minister said the kingdom was committed to the protection of civilians.“It’s a disturbing situation,” he said. “It’s a very difficult situation. And, as you know, the primary sufferer of this situation are civilians, and civilian populations on both sides are being affected and it’s important, I think, that we all condemn the targeting of civilians in any form at any time by anyone.”A U.S official said Saturday that Washington did not ask Israel to slow or hold off on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-war-live-updates#0000018b-2a81-d156-abaf-aa95a5770000">the evacuation plan</a>. The official said the discussions with Israeli leaders did stress the importance of taking into account the safety of civilians as Israel’s military moved to enforce the evacuation demand.The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the private discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Israeli leaders acknowledged the guidance and took it under advisement.The U.S. worked out an agreement involving to allow Americans and other foreigners in Gaza to cross the Rafah border into Egypt, but the crossing remained blocked Saturday, with no sign that those gathered would be allowed through. There are an estimated 500 Americans living in Gaza, but that number is imprecise, officials have said.The U.S. State Department on Saturday authorized the departure of nonemergency U.S. government personnel and their family members from the American Embassy in Jerusalem and an office in Tel Aviv.Prince Faisal said it was imperative for the violence between Israel and Hamas to end.“We need to work together to find a way out of this cycle of violence,” he said. “Without a concerted effort to end this constant return to violence, it will always be the civilians that suffer first, it will always be civilians on both sides that end up paying the price.”While in Abu Dhabi, Blinken visited the Abrahamic Family House, a complex consisting of a church, a mosque and a synagogue representing the three Abrahamic faiths. He signed a tile with the words “Light in the Darkness.”Blinken returned to Saudi Arabia ahead of an expected stop in Egypt on Sunday. He has already visited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/israel-antony-blinken-israel-hamas-war-general-news-war-and-unrest-0e71903c03b740f695d8732f2ad91916">Israel</a>, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.

 U.S. sending more warships to support Israel

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the cause of a deadly explosion in southwest Kansas.

Three individuals were located inside the building deceased and a fourth was transported to St. Catherine Hospital in Dodge City for medical treatment.

Authorities released no names or ages of the victims late Saturday. The Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office will assist with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697410646387.png" alt="Photo Ford County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Ford County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the cause of a deadly explosion in southwest Kansas.Just before 5:30p.m. Saturday,&nbsp;Ford County Communications received calls of an explosion in the 100 block of west Center Street in Bucklin, according to a statement from Sheriff Bill Car.Three individuals were located inside the building deceased and a fourth was transported to St. Catherine Hospital in Dodge City for medical treatment.Authorities released no names or ages of the victims late Saturday. The Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office will assist with the investigation.

Sheriff: 3 dead after building explosion in SW Kansas

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two Kansas teens on drug allegations.

Just after 6p.m. Thursday, sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic investigation on a 2015 black Volkswagen Passat for an alleged stop sign violation, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Ron Wade.

During the traffic investigation, deputies noticed an odor of burnt marijuana emitting from inside the vehicle. Deputies identified the driver as 18-year-old&nbsp; Trinity L. Schlegel of Neodesha, Kansas and the passenger as 18-year-old&nbsp; Quaylan M. Johnson of Independence, Kansas.

Deputies recovered a total of 972 suspected fentanyl pills also known as “Dirty 30s”, marijuana, and US currency associated with illegal narcotic distribution, and drug paraphernalia.

Both Schlegel and Johnson were taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections and booked on the recommended charges of distribution of opiates, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI), 7 out of 10 pills that have been recovered and tested by the DEA for fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. KBI laboratory submissions testing positive for fentanyl have increased over 900% from 2020 to 2022.

Sheriff Wade said, “The war on drugs is a revolving door and fentanyl has reared its head here in Montgomery County. The Sheriff’s Office has seized over 6,460 fentanyl pills since 2022.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697142489519.png" alt="Johnson-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two Kansas teens on drug allegations.Just after 6p.m. Thursday, sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic investigation on a 2015 black Volkswagen Passat for an alleged stop sign violation, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Ron Wade.During the traffic investigation, deputies noticed an odor of burnt marijuana emitting from inside the vehicle. Deputies identified the driver as 18-year-old&nbsp; Trinity L. Schlegel of Neodesha, Kansas and the passenger as 18-year-old&nbsp; Quaylan M. Johnson of Independence, Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697142596072.png" alt="Photo Montgomery Co. Sheriff." />
 <figcaption>Photo Montgomery Co. Sheriff.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies recovered a total of 972 suspected fentanyl pills also known as “Dirty 30s”, marijuana, and US currency associated with illegal narcotic distribution, and drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697142461070.png" alt="Schlegel photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Schlegel photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Both Schlegel and Johnson were taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections and booked on the recommended charges of distribution of opiates, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI), 7 out of 10 pills that have been recovered and tested by the DEA for fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. KBI laboratory submissions testing positive for fentanyl have increased over 900% from 2020 to 2022.Sheriff Wade said, “The war on drugs is a revolving door and fentanyl has reared its head here in Montgomery County. The Sheriff’s Office has seized over 6,460 fentanyl pills since 2022.