SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that may be linked to the fatal Sept. 1, shooting of 24-year-old KeShawn Ivy at a Topeka home.

Just after 4p.m.Saturday, police were sent to the area of SW Munson Avenue and SW Lincoln Street on a report of gunshots, according to Lt. Ron Ekis. 

An individual with an apparent gunshot wound arrived at a local hospital by personal vehicle shortly thereafter. The person was reported in stable condition, according to Ekis.

 Investigators determined that the incident took place in the 1100 block of SW Lincoln, the same location of&nbsp; the homicide that occurred on September 1 that left Ivy dead.

Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident and trying to determine if the two occurrences are linked.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662049282439.png" alt="Fatal shooting investigation on Sept. 1-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Fatal shooting investigation on Sept. 1-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that may be linked to the fatal Sept. 1, shooting of 24-year-old KeShawn Ivy at a Topeka home.Just after 4p.m.Saturday, police were sent to the area of SW Munson Avenue and SW Lincoln Street on a report of gunshots, according to Lt. Ron Ekis. An individual with an apparent gunshot wound arrived at a local hospital by personal vehicle shortly thereafter. The person was reported in stable condition, according to Ekis. Investigators determined that the incident took place in the 1100 block of SW Lincoln, the same location of&nbsp; the homicide that occurred on September 1 that left Ivy dead.Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident and trying to determine if the two occurrences are linked.

Police: Shooting may be linked to killing of Kansas man

KANSAS CITY (AP) — During a primary debate in May, Iowa Republican Zach Nunn and his two rivals were asked to raise their hand if they thought all abortions should be illegal. “All abortions, no exceptions,” the moderator clarified.

The image has shadowed the Iowa state senator as he seeks to unseat U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, one of the most vulnerable House Democrats this election season. The two-term congresswoman has featured video of Nunn from the debate in TV ads she's been running since early August.

Nunn is among well more than a dozen strictly anti-abortion Republicans running in competitive House, Senate and governor's races this fall in Minnesota, Nevada, Kansas, Arizona and elsewhere who are trying to distance themselves from their past statements.

In newspaper op-eds, during interviews and on their campaign websites, Republican challengers who expressed support for banning most or all abortions — some in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life and health of the mother — are at a minimum downplaying those positions and at most backtracking at a time when abortion rights have complicated Republicans’ focus on the economy heading into the November midterm elections.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision recognizing a federal right to abortion</a>, has prompted a backlash from abortion rights supporters and shined a light on politicians whose anti-abortion positions were only hypothetical when Roe was the law of the land.

"I think that the bait and switch will matter for those for whom abortion rights is a very important voting issue, which is an expanded group since Roe was overturned," Christine Matthews, a pollster who has worked for Republicans, said of GOP candidates trying to soften their profile on the issue. “And it may matter to a wider group if it appears that they are deceptive.”

Accusing Axne of misrepresenting his position, Nunn wrote in an op-ed published in The Des Moines Register last month that he supported exceptions for rape, incest and the life and health of the mother when he voted in 2018 for a ban on abortions after six weeks — a measure that was blocked by the courts.

Asked in an Associated Press interview why he raised his hand to the “no exceptions" question during the debate, Nunn misstated the question as “Do you support life?” instead of the actual wording, “In your mind, should all abortions be illegal in this country? Hand up if you say yes.”

“Let me be perfectly clear. I believe life begins at conception,” Nunn said in the interview. “I recognize the viability of a child. I recognize the health of the mother.”

Still, in 2017, Nunn voted for a measure requiring women seeking an abortion to wait 72 hours, which included an exception to protect the life of the mother but made no mention of rape or incest.

In Kansas, Republican Amanda Adkins — who is running against two-term Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids — wrote in a Kansas City Star op-ed published last week, “I don't support a federal ban on abortion."

The mention came after months of silence by Adkins after the May leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion signaling Roe was in jeopardy. A decade earlier as Kansas' Republican chair, Adkins had supported a strict abortion ban in the party's platform.

Adkins' Star piece also followed close on the heels of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">Kansas voters’ decisive rejection of a constitutional amendment that would have nullified a state Supreme Court decision guaranteeing the right to an abortion.</a>&nbsp;Notably, the referendum failed in Johnson County — the teeming, suburban heart of Davids' district — by more than 2-to-1. Adkins publicly supported the amendment.

Nunn's and Adkins' efforts to deemphasize their previous conservative stances on abortion are conspicuous. Others have been more subtle.

In a northwest Indiana district that includes working-class cities outside Chicago, Republican Jennifer-Ruth Green answered “none” in a 2022 online questionnaire before the Supreme Court overturned Roe that asked under “what circumstances should abortion be allowed?”

Yet, as the GOP nominee facing Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan, Green says she supports an anti-abortion measure passed by the Indiana legislature in August that includes exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother.

In suburban Minneapolis, Republican Tyler Kistner, who lost narrowly to two-term Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in 2020, is challenging her again. In 2020, his website included a section on abortion that stated he wanted to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood. In this year's campaign, his website does not mention abortion.

Republicans running statewide in battleground races have undertaken similar efforts.

Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters called abortion “demonic” during the GOP primary and called for a federal personhood law that would give fetuses the rights of people. He’s toned down his rhetoric more recently, deleting references to a personhood law from his campaign website and dropping language describing himself as “100% pro-life.”

In Nevada, where a 1990 referendum guarantees the right to abortion, Republican gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo said during a May primary debate that he would consider signing a ban on the Plan B pill. The pill, which is different from the abortion pill, can significantly lower the chance of pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

In August, after Justice Clarence Thomas indicated in the Roe reversal that other high court rulings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-government-and-politics-marriage-a0cee537c6f9f10d29fa71f6e7a4d19d">including ones protecting the use of contraceptives</a>, should also be reconsidered, Lombardo said he would not block contraceptives and has since noted on his website that he would “ensure that contraceptives stay accessible to Nevadans.”

In the immediate aftermath of the Dobbs v. Mississippi decision overturning Roe,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-nancy-pelosi-womens-rights-government-and-politics-c410dbe9a8321b35a4e779b2fb226de5">an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed 22% of U.S. adults named abortion or women's rights, in an open-ended question, as one of up to five problems they wanted the government to address</a>. That’s more than doubled since December, when an AP-NORC poll found a notable uptick in mentions of abortion from years before, likely in anticipation of the Dobbs ruling.

In Iowa, 60% of adults say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, according to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll taken in July, higher still in the suburbs.

That would seem to be a consideration for Nunn, running in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, which includes the metro area surrounding the capital Des Moines and its booming suburbs to the north and west, as well as vast tracts of more conservative, rural southwestern Iowa.

“While it's a small group on both sides, it energizes them because it's an important issue,” Nunn said, adding that Axne is “not even willing to have a conversation about where she's been on this.”

The counterpunch is a veiled reference to bills including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bills-house-vote-fc24d99f184d7aeec4926a6520311da5">one passed in July in the Democratic-controlled House with Axne's support that block limits on abortions late in a pregnancy</a>&nbsp;— a position Republicans have characterized as extreme.

Republican pollster Whit Ayres said Dobbs has reversed earlier Republican momentum by increasing enthusiasm among abortion rights advocates.

“Clearly there's been movement in the Democrats' favor,” said Ayres, who is an adviser for a super PAC supporting Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's campaign. “The Dobbs decision gave them a reason to get engaged, and that's evident in increased Democratic enthusiasm.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656087288784.png" alt="Protesters near the Supreme Court after the ruling&nbsp; in June-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protesters near the Supreme Court after the ruling&nbsp; in June-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — During a primary debate in May, Iowa Republican Zach Nunn and his two rivals were asked to raise their hand if they thought all abortions should be illegal. “All abortions, no exceptions,” the moderator clarified.Nunn's left hand went up.The image has shadowed the Iowa state senator as he seeks to unseat U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, one of the most vulnerable House Democrats this election season. The two-term congresswoman has featured video of Nunn from the debate in TV ads she's been running since early August.Nunn is among well more than a dozen strictly anti-abortion Republicans running in competitive House, Senate and governor's races this fall in Minnesota, Nevada, Kansas, Arizona and elsewhere who are trying to distance themselves from their past statements.In newspaper op-eds, during interviews and on their campaign websites, Republican challengers who expressed support for banning most or all abortions — some in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life and health of the mother — are at a minimum downplaying those positions and at most backtracking at a time when abortion rights have complicated Republicans’ focus on the economy heading into the November midterm elections.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision recognizing a federal right to abortion</a>, has prompted a backlash from abortion rights supporters and shined a light on politicians whose anti-abortion positions were only hypothetical when Roe was the law of the land."I think that the bait and switch will matter for those for whom abortion rights is a very important voting issue, which is an expanded group since Roe was overturned," Christine Matthews, a pollster who has worked for Republicans, said of GOP candidates trying to soften their profile on the issue. “And it may matter to a wider group if it appears that they are deceptive.”Accusing Axne of misrepresenting his position, Nunn wrote in an op-ed published in The Des Moines Register last month that he supported exceptions for rape, incest and the life and health of the mother when he voted in 2018 for a ban on abortions after six weeks — a measure that was blocked by the courts.Asked in an Associated Press interview why he raised his hand to the “no exceptions" question during the debate, Nunn misstated the question as “Do you support life?” instead of the actual wording, “In your mind, should all abortions be illegal in this country? Hand up if you say yes.”“Let me be perfectly clear. I believe life begins at conception,” Nunn said in the interview. “I recognize the viability of a child. I recognize the health of the mother.”Still, in 2017, Nunn voted for a measure requiring women seeking an abortion to wait 72 hours, which included an exception to protect the life of the mother but made no mention of rape or incest.In Kansas, Republican Amanda Adkins — who is running against two-term Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids — wrote in a Kansas City Star op-ed published last week, “I don't support a federal ban on abortion."The mention came after months of silence by Adkins after the May leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion signaling Roe was in jeopardy. A decade earlier as Kansas' Republican chair, Adkins had supported a strict abortion ban in the party's platform.Adkins' Star piece also followed close on the heels of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">Kansas voters’ decisive rejection of a constitutional amendment that would have nullified a state Supreme Court decision guaranteeing the right to an abortion.</a>&nbsp;Notably, the referendum failed in Johnson County — the teeming, suburban heart of Davids' district — by more than 2-to-1. Adkins publicly supported the amendment.Nunn's and Adkins' efforts to deemphasize their previous conservative stances on abortion are conspicuous. Others have been more subtle.In a northwest Indiana district that includes working-class cities outside Chicago, Republican Jennifer-Ruth Green answered “none” in a 2022 online questionnaire before the Supreme Court overturned Roe that asked under “what circumstances should abortion be allowed?”Yet, as the GOP nominee facing Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan, Green says she supports an anti-abortion measure passed by the Indiana legislature in August that includes exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother.In suburban Minneapolis, Republican Tyler Kistner, who lost narrowly to two-term Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in 2020, is challenging her again. In 2020, his website included a section on abortion that stated he wanted to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood. In this year's campaign, his website does not mention abortion.Republicans running statewide in battleground races have undertaken similar efforts.Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters called abortion “demonic” during the GOP primary and called for a federal personhood law that would give fetuses the rights of people. He’s toned down his rhetoric more recently, deleting references to a personhood law from his campaign website and dropping language describing himself as “100% pro-life.”In Nevada, where a 1990 referendum guarantees the right to abortion, Republican gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo said during a May primary debate that he would consider signing a ban on the Plan B pill. The pill, which is different from the abortion pill, can significantly lower the chance of pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.In August, after Justice Clarence Thomas indicated in the Roe reversal that other high court rulings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-government-and-politics-marriage-a0cee537c6f9f10d29fa71f6e7a4d19d">including ones protecting the use of contraceptives</a>, should also be reconsidered, Lombardo said he would not block contraceptives and has since noted on his website that he would “ensure that contraceptives stay accessible to Nevadans.”In the immediate aftermath of the Dobbs v. Mississippi decision overturning Roe,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-nancy-pelosi-womens-rights-government-and-politics-c410dbe9a8321b35a4e779b2fb226de5">an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed 22% of U.S. adults named abortion or women's rights, in an open-ended question, as one of up to five problems they wanted the government to address</a>. That’s more than doubled since December, when an AP-NORC poll found a notable uptick in mentions of abortion from years before, likely in anticipation of the Dobbs ruling.In Iowa, 60% of adults say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, according to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll taken in July, higher still in the suburbs.That would seem to be a consideration for Nunn, running in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, which includes the metro area surrounding the capital Des Moines and its booming suburbs to the north and west, as well as vast tracts of more conservative, rural southwestern Iowa.“While it's a small group on both sides, it energizes them because it's an important issue,” Nunn said, adding that Axne is “not even willing to have a conversation about where she's been on this.”The counterpunch is a veiled reference to bills including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bills-house-vote-fc24d99f184d7aeec4926a6520311da5">one passed in July in the Democratic-controlled House with Axne's support that block limits on abortions late in a pregnancy</a>&nbsp;— a position Republicans have characterized as extreme.Republican pollster Whit Ayres said Dobbs has reversed earlier Republican momentum by increasing enthusiasm among abortion rights advocates.“Clearly there's been movement in the Democrats' favor,” said Ayres, who is an adviser for a super PAC supporting Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's campaign. “The Dobbs decision gave them a reason to get engaged, and that's evident in increased Democratic enthusiasm.”

GOP candidates mask rigid abortion stances after Roe ruling

WICHITA —A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a woman with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Brandi Snyder, 34, of Americus is accused of persuading and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction, and she’s accused of allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661980426385.png" alt="Snyder photo Lyon Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Snyder photo Lyon Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a woman with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Brandi Snyder, 34, of Americus is accused of persuading and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction, and she’s accused of allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography.

Kan. woman accused of coercing child to produce child porn

MCPHERSON COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Saturday in McPherson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported 2008 Mercury Sable driven by Ashlynn J.&nbsp;Hamiliton, 19, Wichita, was eastbound on Kansas 4 at 15th Avenue, approximately&nbsp;2 miles east of Lindsborg.

The driver made a left turn in front of a westbound 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Bryan N Hernandez, 53, Salina.&nbsp;

The motorcycle struck the car on the right passenger side and overturned. Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the&nbsp;Sedgwick County Forensic Center.

&nbsp;EMS transported Hamiliton and a passenger in the car&nbsp;Howard, Aubrey M. Howard, 19, Wichita, to Lindsborg Community Hospital. Two other passengers in the car were not injured.

Hernandez was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592389654778.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Saturday in McPherson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported 2008 Mercury Sable driven by Ashlynn J.&nbsp;Hamiliton, 19, Wichita, was eastbound on Kansas 4 at 15th Avenue, approximately&nbsp;2 miles east of Lindsborg.The driver made a left turn in front of a westbound 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Bryan N Hernandez, 53, Salina.&nbsp;The motorcycle struck the car on the right passenger side and overturned. Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the&nbsp;Sedgwick County Forensic Center.&nbsp;EMS transported Hamiliton and a passenger in the car&nbsp;Howard, Aubrey M. Howard, 19, Wichita, to Lindsborg Community Hospital. Two other passengers in the car were not injured.Hernandez was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after motorcycle, car crash

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after he was convicted of smuggling drugs into the Jackson County Detention Center, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Christopher Harris, 39, pleaded guilty to Trafficking in Drugs 2nd Degree. A Jackson County judge sentenced Harris to 12 years in prison.

According to court records, in September 2021, deputies in the Jackson County Jail began investigating an inmate's drug overdose. Detectives determined that the defendant brought drugs into the jail. A scan of the defendant showed he had contraband inside his body. Detectives learned it was heroin and powdered Fentanyl.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661888419914.png" alt="Harris-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Harris-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after he was convicted of smuggling drugs into the Jackson County Detention Center, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Christopher Harris, 39, pleaded guilty to Trafficking in Drugs 2nd Degree. A Jackson County judge sentenced Harris to 12 years in prison.According to court records, in September 2021, deputies in the Jackson County Jail began investigating an inmate's drug overdose. Detectives determined that the defendant brought drugs into the jail. A scan of the defendant showed he had contraband inside his body. Detectives learned it was heroin and powdered Fentanyl.

KC-area man guilty of smuggling fentanyl, heroin into jail

DOUGLAS COUNTY—An off-duty police detective is under investigation after a car crash.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a non-injury motor vehicle accident in the 1500 Block of Lindenwood Lane, according to Police spokesperson&nbsp;Laura McCabe.

The reporting party was inside a home in the area and heard a crash, looked out, and realized her parked car was struck and sustained obvious damage.&nbsp;

The responding officer immediately recognized the driver as off-duty detective Adam Welch, who was driving his personal vehicle. 

The officer alerted supervision, who asked for an on-duty Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper to respond but one was not available. Supervisors called in Douglas County Deputies.

Deputies found probable cause to arrest Welch and believe he was operating his vehicle while impaired, according to McCabe.

Deputies transported Welch to the Douglas County Jail and booked him.

Per protocol, Welch was immediately placed on paid administrative leave pending internal investigation by the Office of Professional Accountability and the Chief of Police.&nbsp; According to online jail records, Welch is no longer custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662238335372.png" alt="Adam Welch photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Adam Welch photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY—An off-duty police detective is under investigation after a car crash.Just after 12:30 a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a non-injury motor vehicle accident in the 1500 Block of Lindenwood Lane, according to Police spokesperson&nbsp;Laura McCabe.The reporting party was inside a home in the area and heard a crash, looked out, and realized her parked car was struck and sustained obvious damage.&nbsp;The responding officer immediately recognized the driver as off-duty detective Adam Welch, who was driving his personal vehicle. The officer alerted supervision, who asked for an on-duty Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper to respond but one was not available. Supervisors called in Douglas County Deputies.Deputies found probable cause to arrest Welch and believe he was operating his vehicle while impaired, according to McCabe.Deputies transported Welch to the Douglas County Jail and booked him.Per protocol, Welch was immediately placed on paid administrative leave pending internal investigation by the Office of Professional Accountability and the Chief of Police.&nbsp; According to online jail records, Welch is no longer custody.

Off-duty Kansas police detective accused of driving while impaired

MORGAN COUNTY —One person died died in an accident just before 8:30p.m. Friday in Morgan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Chevy Traverse driven by Alexander J. Luttrell, 36, Kansas City, Kansas, was southbound on MO 5 just north of Route MM.

The driver passed several cars and struck a northbound 2007 Toyota Yaris driven by Steven R. Stafford, 25, Versailles, head-on.

Stafford was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Kidwell Garber Funeral Home. EMS transported Luttrell to Lake Regional Hospital. Stafford was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

MORGAN COUNTY —One person died died in an accident just before 8:30p.m. Friday in Morgan County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Chevy Traverse driven by Alexander J. Luttrell, 36, Kansas City, Kansas, was southbound on MO 5 just north of Route MM.The driver passed several cars and struck a northbound 2007 Toyota Yaris driven by Steven R. Stafford, 25, Versailles, head-on.Stafford was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Kidwell Garber Funeral Home. EMS transported Luttrell to Lake Regional Hospital. Stafford was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Kansas man injured after fatal head-on crash

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced Friday that&nbsp;Kansas’ August total tax receipts were $652.5 million. Those receipts were $11.2 million&nbsp;more than&nbsp;the estimate and $23.5&nbsp;million, or 3.7%,&nbsp;more than&nbsp;August 2021.&nbsp;

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA5MDIuNjMxNTYzMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjIvMDkvMDJfQXVndXN0X1JldmVudWVfRlkyMDIzXzA5LTAxLTIwMjJfRmluYWwtMS5wZGYifQ.EzIH9rA6pxUTJTDeNRFO0dNsV1A8TI3iwNEvjKe08BM/s/1303160919/br/143482186503-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the tax receipts spreadsheet for&nbsp;August.&nbsp;

“It is&nbsp;because of strong revenues and fiscal responsibility&nbsp;that&nbsp;we have been able to&nbsp;cut&nbsp;property and grocery&nbsp;taxes,&nbsp;strengthen&nbsp;infrastructure,&nbsp;fund law enforcement,&nbsp;and&nbsp;fully fund public education,”&nbsp;said Governor Laura Kelly.&nbsp;“For the 25th&nbsp;consecutive month,&nbsp;we have met or exceeded the revenue estimate, showing&nbsp;that&nbsp;we are providing businesses a stable economic environment to grow and succeed.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Individual income tax collections were $307.3 million, or 2.4%, more than the estimate. Corporate income tax collections were $15.5 million, or 3.1%,&nbsp;more than&nbsp;the estimate.&nbsp;

August retail sales tax collections were $239.6 million, or 1.9%, greater than&nbsp;the estimate. This amount&nbsp;is&nbsp;also $13.1&nbsp;million, or 5.8%, greater than August 2021.&nbsp;Compensating use tax collections were $63.3 million,&nbsp;which is $1.7 million less than the estimate, but 8.2%, or $4.8 million, greater than August 2021. When viewed in the aggregate, sales and compensating use tax receipts are $17.9 million, or 6.3%, greater than August 2021.&nbsp;

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced Friday that&nbsp;Kansas’ August total tax receipts were $652.5 million. Those receipts were $11.2 million&nbsp;more than&nbsp;the estimate and $23.5&nbsp;million, or 3.7%,&nbsp;more than&nbsp;August 2021.&nbsp;Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA5MDIuNjMxNTYzMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjIvMDkvMDJfQXVndXN0X1JldmVudWVfRlkyMDIzXzA5LTAxLTIwMjJfRmluYWwtMS5wZGYifQ.EzIH9rA6pxUTJTDeNRFO0dNsV1A8TI3iwNEvjKe08BM/s/1303160919/br/143482186503-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the tax receipts spreadsheet for&nbsp;August.&nbsp;“It is&nbsp;because of strong revenues and fiscal responsibility&nbsp;that&nbsp;we have been able to&nbsp;cut&nbsp;property and grocery&nbsp;taxes,&nbsp;strengthen&nbsp;infrastructure,&nbsp;fund law enforcement,&nbsp;and&nbsp;fully fund public education,”&nbsp;said Governor Laura Kelly.&nbsp;“For the 25th&nbsp;consecutive month,&nbsp;we have met or exceeded the revenue estimate, showing&nbsp;that&nbsp;we are providing businesses a stable economic environment to grow and succeed.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Individual income tax collections were $307.3 million, or 2.4%, more than the estimate. Corporate income tax collections were $15.5 million, or 3.1%,&nbsp;more than&nbsp;the estimate.&nbsp;August retail sales tax collections were $239.6 million, or 1.9%, greater than&nbsp;the estimate. This amount&nbsp;is&nbsp;also $13.1&nbsp;million, or 5.8%, greater than August 2021.&nbsp;Compensating use tax collections were $63.3 million,&nbsp;which is $1.7 million less than the estimate, but 8.2%, or $4.8 million, greater than August 2021. When viewed in the aggregate, sales and compensating use tax receipts are $17.9 million, or 6.3%, greater than August 2021.&nbsp;

Kansas total August tax receipts $23.5M more than August 2021

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s new moon rocket sprang another dangerous fuel leak Saturday, forcing launch controllers to call off their second attempt to send a crew capsule into lunar orbit with test dummies.

The first attempt earlier in the week was also marred by escaping hydrogen, but those leaks were elsewhere on the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket, the most powerful ever built by NASA.

There was no immediate word on when NASA might try again. After Tuesday, a two-week launch blackout period kicks in. Extensive fuel leak repairs could require that the rocket be hauled off the pad and back into its hangar, possibly pushing the flight into October.

Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson and her team tried to plug Saturday’s leak the way they did the last time: stopping and restarting the flow of super-cold liquid hydrogen in hopes of removing the gap around a seal in the supply line. They tried that twice, in fact, and also flushed helium through the line. But the leak persisted.

Blackwell-Thompson finally halted the countdown after three to four hours of futile effort.

“We have a scrub for the day,” announced NASA's launch commentator, Derrol Nail.

NASA wants to send the crew capsule atop the rocket around the moon, pushing it to the limit before astronauts get on the next flight. If the five-week demo with test dummies succeeds, astronauts could fly around the moon in 2024 and land on it in 2025. People last walked on the moon 50 years ago.

After days of stormy weather, the weather cooperated early Saturday as the launch team began loading nearly 1 million gallons of fuel into the Space Launch System&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-space-launches-spacex-exploration-technology-5db3523e917b5a4e612b0aef158286b8">rocket</a>.

But minutes into the operation, hydrogen fuel began seeping from the engine section at the bottom of the rocket, violating safety rules.

During Monday's launch attempt, hydrogen fuel escaped from elsewhere in the rocket. Technicians tightened up the fittings over the past week, but Blackwell-Thompson cautioned that she wouldn't know whether everything was tight until Saturday's fueling.

Even more of a problem on Monday, a sensor indicated one of the rocket's four engines was too warm, but engineers later verified it actually was cold enough. The launch team planned to ignore the faulty sensor this time around and rely on other instruments to ensure each main engine was properly chilled.

Mission managers accepted the additional risk posed by the engine issue as well as a separate problem: cracks in the rocket's insulating foam. But they acknowledged other problems — like fuel leaks — could prompt yet another delay.

That didn't stop thousands from jamming the coast to see the Space Launch System rocket soar. Local authorities expected massive crowds because of the long Labor Day holiday weekend.

The $4.1 billion test flight is the first step in NASA's Artemis program of renewed lunar exploration, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology.

Twelve astronauts walked on the moon during NASA’s Apollo program, the last time in 1972.

Artemis — years behind schedule and billions over budget — aims to establish a sustained human presence on the moon, with crews eventually spending weeks at a time there. It's considered a training ground for Mars.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s new moon rocket sprang another dangerous fuel leak Saturday, forcing launch controllers to call off their second attempt to send a crew capsule into lunar orbit with test dummies.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/21X5lGlDOfg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The first attempt earlier in the week was also marred by escaping hydrogen, but those leaks were elsewhere on the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket, the most powerful ever built by NASA.There was no immediate word on when NASA might try again. After Tuesday, a two-week launch blackout period kicks in. Extensive fuel leak repairs could require that the rocket be hauled off the pad and back into its hangar, possibly pushing the flight into October.Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson and her team tried to plug Saturday’s leak the way they did the last time: stopping and restarting the flow of super-cold liquid hydrogen in hopes of removing the gap around a seal in the supply line. They tried that twice, in fact, and also flushed helium through the line. But the leak persisted.Blackwell-Thompson finally halted the countdown after three to four hours of futile effort.“We have a scrub for the day,” announced NASA's launch commentator, Derrol Nail.NASA wants to send the crew capsule atop the rocket around the moon, pushing it to the limit before astronauts get on the next flight. If the five-week demo with test dummies succeeds, astronauts could fly around the moon in 2024 and land on it in 2025. People last walked on the moon 50 years ago.After days of stormy weather, the weather cooperated early Saturday as the launch team began loading nearly 1 million gallons of fuel into the Space Launch System&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-space-launches-spacex-exploration-technology-5db3523e917b5a4e612b0aef158286b8">rocket</a>.But minutes into the operation, hydrogen fuel began seeping from the engine section at the bottom of the rocket, violating safety rules.During Monday's launch attempt, hydrogen fuel escaped from elsewhere in the rocket. Technicians tightened up the fittings over the past week, but Blackwell-Thompson cautioned that she wouldn't know whether everything was tight until Saturday's fueling.Even more of a problem on Monday, a sensor indicated one of the rocket's four engines was too warm, but engineers later verified it actually was cold enough. The launch team planned to ignore the faulty sensor this time around and rely on other instruments to ensure each main engine was properly chilled.Mission managers accepted the additional risk posed by the engine issue as well as a separate problem: cracks in the rocket's insulating foam. But they acknowledged other problems — like fuel leaks — could prompt yet another delay.That didn't stop thousands from jamming the coast to see the Space Launch System rocket soar. Local authorities expected massive crowds because of the long Labor Day holiday weekend.The $4.1 billion test flight is the first step in NASA's Artemis program of renewed lunar exploration, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology.Twelve astronauts walked on the moon during NASA’s Apollo program, the last time in 1972.Artemis — years behind schedule and billions over budget — aims to establish a sustained human presence on the moon, with crews eventually spending weeks at a time there. It's considered a training ground for Mars.

🎥:Fuel leak ruins NASA's 2nd shot at launching moon rocket

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement and USD 259-Wichita authorities are investigating after a third gun was found at a school in the district this week.

&nbsp;Just after 8:00 a.m. Thursday, a Wichita Police Department School Resource Officer was working at East High School, 2301 E. Douglas when they were notified by school staff of a student that was possibly in possession of a firearm, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

School staff searched a 16-year-old male student and found a handgun in his possession. The gun was seized, and the 16-year-old was booked into the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center for possession of a firearm by a juvenile and possession of a firearm on school grounds.

On Monday, police took a student at West High School into custody for having a gun on campus. On Tuesday, police arrested a Wichita Heights&nbsp; student with a gun on campus into custody.

The Sedgwick County District Attorney's office will review charges in each case.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement and USD 259-Wichita authorities are investigating after a third gun was found at a school in the district this week.&nbsp;Just after 8:00 a.m. Thursday, a Wichita Police Department School Resource Officer was working at East High School, 2301 E. Douglas when they were notified by school staff of a student that was possibly in possession of a firearm, according to Officer Trevor Macy.School staff searched a 16-year-old male student and found a handgun in his possession. The gun was seized, and the 16-year-old was booked into the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center for possession of a firearm by a juvenile and possession of a firearm on school grounds.On Monday, police took a student at West High School into custody for having a gun on campus. On Tuesday, police arrested a Wichita Heights&nbsp; student with a gun on campus into custody.The Sedgwick County District Attorney's office will review charges in each case.

3rd student with a gun arrested this week in Wichita school district

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The Republican candidate for governor in Kansas said Thursday that if he is elected he will respect voters'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">overwhelming rejection of an amendment</a>&nbsp;that would have removed the right to abortion from the state's constitution.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who is seeking to oust Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, said the Aug. 2 vote in which voters rejected the proposed amendment by a 41% to 59% margin, means his priority will be upholding abortion laws already in force in the state, The Kansas City Star reported.

When asked if he would support state lawmakers proposing a similar constitutional amendment in the future, Schmidt said: “I think Kansans, Kansas voters, went to the polls. They made a decision, I think that decision has be respected going forward.”

Kelly opposed the constitutional amendment and told supporters in an email last month that she “always maintained that a woman’s reproductive healthcare decisions should be between her and her physician.”

“I think that the focus going forward for the state needs to be on defending those laws already on the books and that’s where my priorities would be,” Schmidt said.

The outcome of the vote was confirmed after a hand recount&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-abortion-vote-recount-e874f56806a9d63b473b24580ad7ea0c">in nine counties</a>&nbsp;that was requested by two anti-abortion activists. Fewer than 100 votes changed in the nine counties during the recount.

The vote drew intense interest across the country because it was the first state referendum on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade in June.</a>

Kansas limits most abortions to after 22 weeks of pregnancy, requires a 24-hours waiting period and makes patients to undergo an ultrasound. Parental consent is required for minors and the state health department regulates abortion clinics.

Schmidt also used the campaign event Thursday to reiterate his support for a ban on transgender athletes competing in women's and girls' sports in K-12 and colleges. He said if he becomes governor, he would push the Legislature to pass a law implementing the ban within the first 100 hundred days of his taking office.

Lawmakers have passed the ban twice but Kelly vetoed the measure both times. The Kansas Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-legislature-kansas-topeka-d93fdb09b99a5fd254d172f9b0b7a964">voted to override Kelly's second veto</a>&nbsp;but the override attempt failed in the House by three votes.

Schmidt was joined at the campaign event by Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer who has criticized the NCAA’s decision to allow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-swimming-erica-sullivan-2423ade67c279e9a7ac85a1733d17de4">Lia Thomas</a>, a transgender swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania, to compete in Division I women’s swimming events.

Schmidt said Kelly's opposition to a ban on transgender athletes in women and girls' sports is "an extreme view that is not shared by most Kansans.”

Kelly campaign spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald said in a statement that the governor “knows divisive policies are bad for our kids, families and business community.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124757926.png" alt="“I think that the focus going forward for the state needs to be on defending those laws already on the books and that’s where my priorities would be,” Schmidt said. -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>“I think that the focus going forward for the state needs to be on defending those laws already on the books and that’s where my priorities would be,” Schmidt said. -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The Republican candidate for governor in Kansas said Thursday that if he is elected he will respect voters'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">overwhelming rejection of an amendment</a>&nbsp;that would have removed the right to abortion from the state's constitution.Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who is seeking to oust Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, said the Aug. 2 vote in which voters rejected the proposed amendment by a 41% to 59% margin, means his priority will be upholding abortion laws already in force in the state, The Kansas City Star reported.When asked if he would support state lawmakers proposing a similar constitutional amendment in the future, Schmidt said: “I think Kansans, Kansas voters, went to the polls. They made a decision, I think that decision has be respected going forward.”Kelly opposed the constitutional amendment and told supporters in an email last month that she “always maintained that a woman’s reproductive healthcare decisions should be between her and her physician.”“I think that the focus going forward for the state needs to be on defending those laws already on the books and that’s where my priorities would be,” Schmidt said.The outcome of the vote was confirmed after a hand recount&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-abortion-vote-recount-e874f56806a9d63b473b24580ad7ea0c">in nine counties</a>&nbsp;that was requested by two anti-abortion activists. Fewer than 100 votes changed in the nine counties during the recount.The vote drew intense interest across the country because it was the first state referendum on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade in June.</a>Kansas limits most abortions to after 22 weeks of pregnancy, requires a 24-hours waiting period and makes patients to undergo an ultrasound. Parental consent is required for minors and the state health department regulates abortion clinics.Schmidt also used the campaign event Thursday to reiterate his support for a ban on transgender athletes competing in women's and girls' sports in K-12 and colleges. He said if he becomes governor, he would push the Legislature to pass a law implementing the ban within the first 100 hundred days of his taking office.Lawmakers have passed the ban twice but Kelly vetoed the measure both times. The Kansas Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-legislature-kansas-topeka-d93fdb09b99a5fd254d172f9b0b7a964">voted to override Kelly's second veto</a>&nbsp;but the override attempt failed in the House by three votes.Schmidt was joined at the campaign event by Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer who has criticized the NCAA’s decision to allow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-swimming-erica-sullivan-2423ade67c279e9a7ac85a1733d17de4">Lia Thomas</a>, a transgender swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania, to compete in Division I women’s swimming events.Schmidt said Kelly's opposition to a ban on transgender athletes in women and girls' sports is "an extreme view that is not shared by most Kansans.”Kelly campaign spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald said in a statement that the governor “knows divisive policies are bad for our kids, families and business community.”

Kansas GOP governor candidate 'respects' vote on abortion

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 1p.m. Aug. 30, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant for an alleged vehicle registration violation near 118th and S. Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies arrested Joshua Kenneth Funk, 45, of Valley Falls, on requested charge of criminal use of weapons, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, interference with law enforcement, transporting an open container, no insurance and driving while suspended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661887508880.png" alt="Funk-photo Jackson County." />
 <figcaption>Funk-photo Jackson County.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a traffic stop.Just after 1p.m. Aug. 30, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant for an alleged vehicle registration violation near 118th and S. Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies arrested Joshua Kenneth Funk, 45, of Valley Falls, on requested charge of criminal use of weapons, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, interference with law enforcement, transporting an open container, no insurance and driving while suspended.

Sheriff: Kansas man jailed on weapons, drug charges

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/02/nebraska-attorney-general-to-explore-whether-state-was-a-victim-of-fraud-in-saint-francis-contract/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson indicated Friday he
 will evaluate the state’s legal options in pursuing funds that may have
 been fraudulently spent via the state’s contract with a Kansas foster 
care provider.

Peterson responded to a request by state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh to 
explore whether Saint Francis Ministries defrauded the State of Nebraska
 during its failed child welfare contract.

The state severed its contract with Saint Francis in December 2021, 
after the organization failed to fulfill its obligations to 2,500 foster
 children it oversaw in eastern Nebraska. The failure came despite an 
additional $110 million in emergency funding from the state.

The request Thursday by Cavanaugh, who has led criticism of the 
contract with Kansas-based Saint Francis, comes on the heels of 
revelations by Kansas Reflector.

Kansas Reflector recently reported the FBI moved to seize assets of a
 subcontractor of Saint Francis, WMK Research, and its owner, William 
Whymark, after it was discovered that Whymark had submitted millions of 
dollars of fraudulent invoices to Saint Francis. The invoices inflated 
Whymark’s expenses as well as the information technology work he claimed
 to have performed.

Cavanaugh said Nebraska, in the interest of its taxpayers, needs to 
explore if it was also a victim of fraud and whether it should be 
pursuing reimbursement of funds it spent.

The senator said she appreciated the response from the attorney general.

“They gave me a response fairly quickly,” Cavanaugh said Friday. “I’m
 hopeful that means they agree that there’s something worth looking 
into.”

A spokeswoman for Peterson declined to comment on Thursday.

But in an email to Cavanaugh on Friday, Peterson said he would “sit 
down with a team of lawyers to evaluate our legal options” based on the 
recent information.

Cavanaugh said it’s particularly important that the Attorney 
General’s Office explore this issue before Peterson, who did not seek 
reelection, leaves office in January.

Saint Francis, the largest foster care provider in Kansas, has sued 
its former leadership, alleging they hid the misspending of millions of 
dollars from its board of directors.

Federal investigators, in court documents, have identified nearly $11 million in billing to Sant Francis as probably fraudulent.

Saint Francis Ministries has taken issue with an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/12/kansas-foster-care-provider-suing-former-leaders-for-alleged-financial-misconduct/">Aug. 12 story</a>
 by Kansas Reflector, calling portions of it “inaccurate” and “false.” 
But Saint Francis would not, when asked, identify specific statements in
 question.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662152675167.png" alt="The Salina, Kansas-based Saint Francis Ministries, which provides foster care services, sued its former leadership in January for alleged legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duties. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Salina, Kansas-based Saint Francis Ministries, which provides foster care services, sued its former leadership in January for alleged legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duties. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/02/nebraska-attorney-general-to-explore-whether-state-was-a-victim-of-fraud-in-saint-francis-contract/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson indicated Friday he
 will evaluate the state’s legal options in pursuing funds that may have
 been fraudulently spent via the state’s contract with a Kansas foster 
care provider.Peterson responded to a request by state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh to 
explore whether Saint Francis Ministries defrauded the State of Nebraska
 during its failed child welfare contract.The state severed its contract with Saint Francis in December 2021, 
after the organization failed to fulfill its obligations to 2,500 foster
 children it oversaw in eastern Nebraska. The failure came despite an 
additional $110 million in emergency funding from the state.The request Thursday by Cavanaugh, who has led criticism of the 
contract with Kansas-based Saint Francis, comes on the heels of 
revelations by Kansas Reflector.Kansas Reflector recently reported the FBI moved to seize assets of a
 subcontractor of Saint Francis, WMK Research, and its owner, William 
Whymark, after it was discovered that Whymark had submitted millions of 
dollars of fraudulent invoices to Saint Francis. The invoices inflated 
Whymark’s expenses as well as the information technology work he claimed
 to have performed.Cavanaugh said Nebraska, in the interest of its taxpayers, needs to 
explore if it was also a victim of fraud and whether it should be 
pursuing reimbursement of funds it spent.The senator said she appreciated the response from the attorney general.“They gave me a response fairly quickly,” Cavanaugh said Friday. “I’m
 hopeful that means they agree that there’s something worth looking 
into.”A spokeswoman for Peterson declined to comment on Thursday.But in an email to Cavanaugh on Friday, Peterson said he would “sit 
down with a team of lawyers to evaluate our legal options” based on the 
recent information.Cavanaugh said it’s particularly important that the Attorney 
General’s Office explore this issue before Peterson, who did not seek 
reelection, leaves office in January.Saint Francis, the largest foster care provider in Kansas, has sued 
its former leadership, alleging they hid the misspending of millions of 
dollars from its board of directors.Federal investigators, in court documents, have identified nearly $11 million in billing to Sant Francis as probably fraudulent.Saint Francis Ministries has taken issue with an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/12/kansas-foster-care-provider-suing-former-leaders-for-alleged-financial-misconduct/">Aug. 12 story</a>
 by Kansas Reflector, calling portions of it “inaccurate” and “false.” 
But Saint Francis would not, when asked, identify specific statements in
 question.

AG to explore if state was victim of fraud in Saint Francis contract

SEDGWICK COUNTY—The parents of a toddler found dead&nbsp; in a crib in the family’s mobile home in April of 2019 are going to prison.

On Thursday,&nbsp;Judge David Kaufman sentenced 26-year-old Brandi Marchant and 31-year-old Patrick Javonovich to almost 27-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

They plead guilty to second-degree reckless murder, aggravated kidnapping and child abuse during a July hearing.

Kansas child welfare authorities investigated two reports of possible abuse or neglect involving the couple in the 17 months before their son was found dead.

The Kansas Department of Children and Families completed its investigation into the death of Zaiden Javonovich, who authorities believe was dead days before his body was discovered.

In a report summary obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request, the agency said it found physical abuse and neglect in the case but provided no other details.&nbsp;

Zaiden’s 4-month-old brother, who is Marchant’s son, was found injured and hospitalized in critical condition.

In November 2017, the Department of Children and Families investigated possible emotional abuse after a report that Marchant made homicidal and suicidal statements in front of the children. One child who reported a homicidal statement mentioned Zaiden, according to the report. Several people were interviewed but investigators could not substantiate the claim.

A year later, the department was told the younger boy tested positive for marijuana at birth. The case could not be investigated as an abuse/neglect case because medical officials did not indicate the boy’s health was hurt by marijuana use, the summary states.

Instead, a Family in Need of Assessment case was started. A social worker who met with the couple found both children appearing healthy, with all necessary supplies for the infant, according to the report. The parents, who are not married, completed a federally required plan of safe care and in another visit, Marchant completed a Department of Children and Families safety plan. The case was closed Jan. 14.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662114988746.png" alt="Javonovich from his Sedgwick County booking photo 2019&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Javonovich from his Sedgwick County booking photo 2019&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—The parents of a toddler found dead&nbsp; in a crib in the family’s mobile home in April of 2019 are going to prison.On Thursday,&nbsp;Judge David Kaufman sentenced 26-year-old Brandi Marchant and 31-year-old Patrick Javonovich to almost 27-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.They plead guilty to second-degree reckless murder, aggravated kidnapping and child abuse during a July hearing.Kansas child welfare authorities investigated two reports of possible abuse or neglect involving the couple in the 17 months before their son was found dead.The Kansas Department of Children and Families completed its investigation into the death of Zaiden Javonovich, who authorities believe was dead days before his body was discovered.In a report summary obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request, the agency said it found physical abuse and neglect in the case but provided no other details.&nbsp;Zaiden’s 4-month-old brother, who is Marchant’s son, was found injured and hospitalized in critical condition.In November 2017, the Department of Children and Families investigated possible emotional abuse after a report that Marchant made homicidal and suicidal statements in front of the children. One child who reported a homicidal statement mentioned Zaiden, according to the report. Several people were interviewed but investigators could not substantiate the claim.A year later, the department was told the younger boy tested positive for marijuana at birth. The case could not be investigated as an abuse/neglect case because medical officials did not indicate the boy’s health was hurt by marijuana use, the summary states.Instead, a Family in Need of Assessment case was started. A social worker who met with the couple found both children appearing healthy, with all necessary supplies for the infant, according to the report. The parents, who are not married, completed a federally required plan of safe care and in another visit, Marchant completed a Department of Children and Families safety plan. The case was closed Jan. 14.-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kan. couple sentenced for abuse death of 2-year-old son

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

On Sept. 4, 
2002, the tragic and inexplicable occurred: an unknown subject murdered 
two Great Bend residents and walked away from the Dolly Madison bakery -
 one of the city's busiest intersections at one of the busiest times of 
day. Yet 20 years later, the case remains unsolved.

Just before 8 
p.m. that evening, a delivery driver found the bodies of 24-year-old 
Mandi Alexander and 79-year-old Mary Drake. Alexander had recently begun
 working at the bakery outlet store, and Drake was a customer that day. 

Alicia
 Mong (Drake) graduated from Great Bend High School in 1996. In 2002,&nbsp; 
she was living in Hutchinson. Sept. 4 should have been an otherwise 
unremarkable day except it was a long one and Mong remembers being 
tired. She tried to call her grandmother, Mary, before going to bed.

"She
 didn’t answer," Mong said. "I was not at all concerned because she was 
fiercely independent and spent a lot of time at her sisters' houses. We 
went on with it and went to bed. I really do not know what time it was 
when we were awoken by loud banging on our front door. We opened it, and
 there were two police officers telling me that I needed to call my dad 
because something had happened to my grandma, and she was deceased."

With
 few details to go on, Mong gathered her family and made the 70-minute 
drive to Great Bend. She dropped her kids off with family and headed for
 the bakery.

"When we pulled up there were so many cars, lights and people 
standing around," said Mong. "I found my dad and just hugged him. He 
told me what he knew, which was very little. I just remember feeling so 
very sad for him. His mom was murdered, people were staring at our 
family, driving up asking questions. Officers were asking questions, and
 all he could do was stand there and endure it. It sucked, simple as 
that."

Once the body was removed from the bakery at 10th and 
Harrison, the family retreated to Mong's parents' home and began 
notifying other family members of the death. The following day, an agent
 from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation asked the family for access to 
Mary's home. Mong and her father accompanied the agent.

"The agent
 asked a lot of questions, as he should," Mong said, "but the one that 
stood out to me was directed to my dad. 'Did your mom have any enemies 
that we should know about? Is there anyone who was angry at her or would
 have reason to hurt her?' I don’t know why, but it angered me. I could 
only think, 'Seriously, no! What the heck! Why would you ask that?' No 
one was so mad at my 79-year-old, four-foot, 11-inch grandma that they 
would want to kill her. I know now they had to ask those types of 
questions, but man, did that hit me wrong."

Everything changed for
 the family after Sept. 4. All families deal with loss, but most, 
fortunately, never have to endure a murder investigation. "In my 
experience, everything was so secretive and scary," said Mong. "There 
was some sort of law enforcement around all the time, at the viewing, 
the funeral service, and the burial. I thought differently about going 
places. I looked at people differently."

Mong recalls attending 
the Kansas State Fair shortly after the double murder. She saw a 
potential suspect in every passerby. "I watched people walk by; I 
studied them," she said. "I remember thinking, 'Someone here could know 
something, or someone here could be the person who killed my grandma.' I
 remember internally yelling at myself to stop, put the thoughts away, 
enjoy the time with my family, but it wasn’t going to happen. We ended 
up leaving the fair pretty early."

The Dolly Madison case is also 
exceptional because it has yet to be solved. There is no closure in 
brutal crimes, but a conviction would provide some relief, and perhaps, 
even answers. The Drake family never received that. Alicia's father and 
Mary's son, Ron, passed away in October 2020, never seeing a killer 
brought to justice. The nature of the crime brought about many theories.

"I
 started to question the truth and believe all the stories I heard from 
people, hoping they were the one," Mong said. "The one that could give 
us the golden information. But I realized there were a lot of people 
that just thought they knew what happened or wanted to be the hero and 
had all the answers.

"This never heals. It never goes away. In the
 last 20 years, we have had several phone calls, texts, Facebook 
messages from strangers telling us they know what happened that night. 
They tell us names, places, and stories that we relay to law 
enforcement, but nothing ever comes from it. They also tell us the 
police know what happened, but they will never be able to convict anyone
 for the crime. It never slips your mind, and when it does finally get 
put to the back of your brain, something pops up again, and the pain and
 anger resurface."

There is one saving grace about Sept. 4, 2002. 
According to an eyewitness that day, before going to the bakery, Mary 
had stopped by Alicia's sister's home to pick up her granddaughter for 
the trip. Fortunately, no one was home. "Her daughter could have easily 
been with Grandma and things could have been much, much worse," Mong 
said. "This will always stick with us."

Mong remembers being close to her grandmother growing up. She said 
Mary was strong, independent, loving, compassionate, and resourceful. 
Mong wants her to be remembered as more than a murder victim but also as
 a sister, an aunt, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

"My
 grandma was my idol," Mong said. "She was my person. I can’t remember a
 time or a memory that she was not a part of. She meant so much to my 
family that there are no words to express how grateful I am to have had 
her in my life."

Mary's mother passed away at a young age during 
childbirth, so Mary and her siblings were raised by her father and 
grandmother. Mary had three sons, enduring her own grief when the eldest
 passed away in his 20s. She later divorced and raised her other two 
sons on her own, working at Fuller Brush until retirement. She enjoyed 
playing cards and spending time with her family.

Mong said her 
fondest childhood memories always include her grandmother. On Saturday 
nights, Mary set up the hideaway couch for Alicia and her sister, 
watching "Saturday Night Live" with some old-fashioned popcorn that 
included spray-on butter unique to Mary's house. Other nights it was the
 same routine in front of "Hee Haw" or "Barbara Mandrell &amp; the 
Mandrel Sisters." On especially good nights, Mary treated the girls to 
slivers of a frozen Snickers bar and ice-cold Pepsi.

"Then every 
Sunday morning there was no TV, but the radio was on, and the music was 
playing," Mong recalls. "She would clean and do laundry on Sundays, and I
 remember watching her dance around. She loved to Polka and sing while 
she was working. As my sister and I got older and busier, we didn’t 
spend as much time with Grandma but that changed again when mine and my 
sister’s oldest were born and Grandma became a great-grandma. Those 
girls changed her life, and she loved them. She was the center of our 
world when we were little, and then she became the center of their world
 as well. She was so much more than a murder victim."

Twenty years
 later, Mong still feels anger and disappointment. She said she knows 
about as much today as she did in 2002, but the feelings are compounded 
by not having any answers - of disappointing Mary and Ron for not being 
able to find the tip that might lead to the murderer. She's angry that 
she and her family have been denied the opportunity to properly grieve 
the loss of a loved one.

"Normally after the service and burial, 
you start to gradually heal," she said. "Your anger and sadness 
eventually turn into happy memories. Not with this. This will never end.
 I knew that no one was being held responsible for the murders. I knew 
the murderer was out there walking around among us somewhere. I was 
always on the lookout for someone that might match the sketch. I 
listened to every conversation I could, watched every person around me, 
and couldn’t think of anything else. 

"It was not because I was 
scared. I was angry. I was so very angry that this happened to my 
grandma. I was mad that it seemed everyone knew what was going on except
 for us. We knew very little. I was mad because it felt that there was 
not enough being done. I was angry that I knew how much my grandma 
suffered during her last minutes, instead of peacefully passing in her 
old age. I was angry that this affected my parents so severely. The two 
and their marriage were never the same. I was angry that my sister was 
so hurt and anxious, and there was absolutely nothing that I or anyone 
could do about it. I was angry that they took her from her 
great-grandchildren. 

"I have learned to deal with the anger for 
the most part, but I must admit that I am still angry after 20 years. 
"We are without answers and still no closer to justice and closure. I am
 angry because it doesn’t seem, in any way, that law enforcement is 
trying to find these monsters. Most of all, I am still angry that 
someone took my person away from me."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124319156.jpeg" alt="Mary Drake with her son and granddaughters years before the double homicide in Great Bend 20 years ago on Sept. 4, 2002." />
 <figcaption>Mary Drake with her son and granddaughters years before the double homicide in Great Bend 20 years ago on Sept. 4, 2002.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostOn Sept. 4, 
2002, the tragic and inexplicable occurred: an unknown subject murdered 
two Great Bend residents and walked away from the Dolly Madison bakery -
 one of the city's busiest intersections at one of the busiest times of 
day. Yet 20 years later, the case remains unsolved.Just before 8 
p.m. that evening, a delivery driver found the bodies of 24-year-old 
Mandi Alexander and 79-year-old Mary Drake. Alexander had recently begun
 working at the bakery outlet store, and Drake was a customer that day. Alicia
 Mong (Drake) graduated from Great Bend High School in 1996. In 2002,&nbsp; 
she was living in Hutchinson. Sept. 4 should have been an otherwise 
unremarkable day except it was a long one and Mong remembers being 
tired. She tried to call her grandmother, Mary, before going to bed."She
 didn’t answer," Mong said. "I was not at all concerned because she was 
fiercely independent and spent a lot of time at her sisters' houses. We 
went on with it and went to bed. I really do not know what time it was 
when we were awoken by loud banging on our front door. We opened it, and
 there were two police officers telling me that I needed to call my dad 
because something had happened to my grandma, and she was deceased."With
 few details to go on, Mong gathered her family and made the 70-minute 
drive to Great Bend. She dropped her kids off with family and headed for
 the bakery.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124347303.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"When we pulled up there were so many cars, lights and people 
standing around," said Mong. "I found my dad and just hugged him. He 
told me what he knew, which was very little. I just remember feeling so 
very sad for him. His mom was murdered, people were staring at our 
family, driving up asking questions. Officers were asking questions, and
 all he could do was stand there and endure it. It sucked, simple as 
that."Once the body was removed from the bakery at 10th and 
Harrison, the family retreated to Mong's parents' home and began 
notifying other family members of the death. The following day, an agent
 from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation asked the family for access to 
Mary's home. Mong and her father accompanied the agent."The agent
 asked a lot of questions, as he should," Mong said, "but the one that 
stood out to me was directed to my dad. 'Did your mom have any enemies 
that we should know about? Is there anyone who was angry at her or would
 have reason to hurt her?' I don’t know why, but it angered me. I could 
only think, 'Seriously, no! What the heck! Why would you ask that?' No 
one was so mad at my 79-year-old, four-foot, 11-inch grandma that they 
would want to kill her. I know now they had to ask those types of 
questions, but man, did that hit me wrong."Everything changed for
 the family after Sept. 4. All families deal with loss, but most, 
fortunately, never have to endure a murder investigation. "In my 
experience, everything was so secretive and scary," said Mong. "There 
was some sort of law enforcement around all the time, at the viewing, 
the funeral service, and the burial. I thought differently about going 
places. I looked at people differently."Mong recalls attending 
the Kansas State Fair shortly after the double murder. She saw a 
potential suspect in every passerby. "I watched people walk by; I 
studied them," she said. "I remember thinking, 'Someone here could know 
something, or someone here could be the person who killed my grandma.' I
 remember internally yelling at myself to stop, put the thoughts away, 
enjoy the time with my family, but it wasn’t going to happen. We ended 
up leaving the fair pretty early."The Dolly Madison case is also 
exceptional because it has yet to be solved. There is no closure in 
brutal crimes, but a conviction would provide some relief, and perhaps, 
even answers. The Drake family never received that. Alicia's father and 
Mary's son, Ron, passed away in October 2020, never seeing a killer 
brought to justice. The nature of the crime brought about many theories."I
 started to question the truth and believe all the stories I heard from 
people, hoping they were the one," Mong said. "The one that could give 
us the golden information. But I realized there were a lot of people 
that just thought they knew what happened or wanted to be the hero and 
had all the answers."This never heals. It never goes away. In the
 last 20 years, we have had several phone calls, texts, Facebook 
messages from strangers telling us they know what happened that night. 
They tell us names, places, and stories that we relay to law 
enforcement, but nothing ever comes from it. They also tell us the 
police know what happened, but they will never be able to convict anyone
 for the crime. It never slips your mind, and when it does finally get 
put to the back of your brain, something pops up again, and the pain and
 anger resurface."There is one saving grace about Sept. 4, 2002. 
According to an eyewitness that day, before going to the bakery, Mary 
had stopped by Alicia's sister's home to pick up her granddaughter for 
the trip. Fortunately, no one was home. "Her daughter could have easily 
been with Grandma and things could have been much, much worse," Mong 
said. "This will always stick with us."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124384403.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mong remembers being close to her grandmother growing up. She said 
Mary was strong, independent, loving, compassionate, and resourceful. 
Mong wants her to be remembered as more than a murder victim but also as
 a sister, an aunt, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother."My
 grandma was my idol," Mong said. "She was my person. I can’t remember a
 time or a memory that she was not a part of. She meant so much to my 
family that there are no words to express how grateful I am to have had 
her in my life."Mary's mother passed away at a young age during 
childbirth, so Mary and her siblings were raised by her father and 
grandmother. Mary had three sons, enduring her own grief when the eldest
 passed away in his 20s. She later divorced and raised her other two 
sons on her own, working at Fuller Brush until retirement. She enjoyed 
playing cards and spending time with her family.Mong said her 
fondest childhood memories always include her grandmother. On Saturday 
nights, Mary set up the hideaway couch for Alicia and her sister, 
watching "Saturday Night Live" with some old-fashioned popcorn that 
included spray-on butter unique to Mary's house. Other nights it was the
 same routine in front of "Hee Haw" or "Barbara Mandrell &amp; the 
Mandrel Sisters." On especially good nights, Mary treated the girls to 
slivers of a frozen Snickers bar and ice-cold Pepsi."Then every 
Sunday morning there was no TV, but the radio was on, and the music was 
playing," Mong recalls. "She would clean and do laundry on Sundays, and I
 remember watching her dance around. She loved to Polka and sing while 
she was working. As my sister and I got older and busier, we didn’t 
spend as much time with Grandma but that changed again when mine and my 
sister’s oldest were born and Grandma became a great-grandma. Those 
girls changed her life, and she loved them. She was the center of our 
world when we were little, and then she became the center of their world
 as well. She was so much more than a murder victim."Twenty years
 later, Mong still feels anger and disappointment. She said she knows 
about as much today as she did in 2002, but the feelings are compounded 
by not having any answers - of disappointing Mary and Ron for not being 
able to find the tip that might lead to the murderer. She's angry that 
she and her family have been denied the opportunity to properly grieve 
the loss of a loved one."Normally after the service and burial, 
you start to gradually heal," she said. "Your anger and sadness 
eventually turn into happy memories. Not with this. This will never end.
 I knew that no one was being held responsible for the murders. I knew 
the murderer was out there walking around among us somewhere. I was 
always on the lookout for someone that might match the sketch. I 
listened to every conversation I could, watched every person around me, 
and couldn’t think of anything else. "It was not because I was 
scared. I was angry. I was so very angry that this happened to my 
grandma. I was mad that it seemed everyone knew what was going on except
 for us. We knew very little. I was mad because it felt that there was 
not enough being done. I was angry that I knew how much my grandma 
suffered during her last minutes, instead of peacefully passing in her 
old age. I was angry that this affected my parents so severely. The two 
and their marriage were never the same. I was angry that my sister was 
so hurt and anxious, and there was absolutely nothing that I or anyone 
could do about it. I was angry that they took her from her 
great-grandchildren. "I have learned to deal with the anger for 
the most part, but I must admit that I am still angry after 20 years. 
"We are without answers and still no closer to justice and closure. I am
 angry because it doesn’t seem, in any way, that law enforcement is 
trying to find these monsters. Most of all, I am still angry that 
someone took my person away from me."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124407999.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

20 years later: Memories of life before, after Great Bend murders

WASHINGTON – Throughout 2022, Americans have experienced an unacceptable level of flight delays and cancellations. When these disruptions occur, airlines are required to support passengers based on commitments made in their customer service plans, but too often passengers find those plans are difficult to understand and do not guarantee services – such as meals or hotel accommodations when they must wait overnight at an airport – even for flights that are delayed or canceled because of the carrier, according to statement released by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">Click here to go to the </a>airline customer service dashboard

To ensure the traveling public has easy access to this information, the U.S. Department of Transportation Thursday rolled out a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/flighthelp">airline customer service dashboard</a>, which includes recent improvements to customer service made by airlines at the urging of Secretary Buttigieg. &nbsp;

Two weeks ago, Secretary Buttigieg wrote a letter to airline CEOs informing them that DOT would publish the dashboard before Labor Day and urged the airlines to improve their customer service plans before the release. As a result, all but one of the ten largest U.S. airlines made significant changes to their plans to improve services provided to passengers when their flights are canceled or delayed because of an airline issue. For example, no airline unconditionally guaranteed meal vouchers or hotels prior to Secretary Buttigieg’s letter. Now, nine of the 10 guarantee meals and eight of the 10 guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes the delay or cancelation. &nbsp;

The dashboard provides air travelers a one-stop location to obtain information on the services and amenities they should receive from airlines if they experience delays or cancelations that are caused by something within the airline’s control like a mechanical or staffing issue. The dashboard also provides a clear comparison of amenities the airlines have committed to provide, which will assist consumers when deciding which airline to fly. The creation of this new tool is one of the many steps the Department is taking to improve customer service provided to travelers. The Department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to provide the promised services. The Department has also provided direct links to airlines’ customer service plans on its Aviation Consumer Protection website.&nbsp;

“Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption,”&nbsp;said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions. The Department will continue to support passengers and to hold airlines responsible for adhering to their customer obligations.”&nbsp;

Regardless of the cause of the delays or cancelations, the Department expects airlines to provide timely and responsive customer service during and after periods of flight disruptions. Moreover, regardless of the cause of significant delays or cancelations, airlines are required to provide prompt refunds to ticketed passengers should a passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered such as rebooking on another flight.&nbsp;

In addition to the dashboard, the Department is currently collecting comments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/part-ongoing-airline-consumer-protections-efforts-usdot-announces-new-rulemaking">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;that would 1) require airlines to proactively inform passengers that they have a right to receive a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly changed, 2) define a significant change and cancellation that would entitle a consumer to a refund, 3) require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers or travel credits when people can’t travel because they have COVID-19 or other communicable diseases; and 4) require airlines that receive significant government assistance related to a pandemic to issue refunds instead of non-expiring travel credits or vouchers when passengers are unable or advised not to travel because of a serious communicable disease. The Department is also considering options for an additional rulemaking that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience flight disruptions.&nbsp;

In addition, the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer">(OACP)</a>&nbsp;recently concluded its investigation of 10 airlines and is pursuing enforcement action against them for extreme delays in providing refunds for flights the airlines canceled or significantly changed. The Office is also actively investigating the refund practices of additional airlines flying to, from, or within the United States. In November 2021, OACP issued its largest fine ever against an airline for extreme delays in providing refunds to thousands of consumers for flights to or from the United States that a carrier canceled.&nbsp;

Further, over the past year, the Department has taken a number of other actions to improve protection for airline passengers such as: &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662036320157.png" alt="Image U.S. DOT" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. DOT</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON – Throughout 2022, Americans have experienced an unacceptable level of flight delays and cancellations. When these disruptions occur, airlines are required to support passengers based on commitments made in their customer service plans, but too often passengers find those plans are difficult to understand and do not guarantee services – such as meals or hotel accommodations when they must wait overnight at an airport – even for flights that are delayed or canceled because of the carrier, according to statement released by the U.S. Department of Transportation.<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">Click here to go to the </a>airline customer service dashboardTo ensure the traveling public has easy access to this information, the U.S. Department of Transportation Thursday rolled out a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/flighthelp">airline customer service dashboard</a>, which includes recent improvements to customer service made by airlines at the urging of Secretary Buttigieg. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662036500540.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Two weeks ago, Secretary Buttigieg wrote a letter to airline CEOs informing them that DOT would publish the dashboard before Labor Day and urged the airlines to improve their customer service plans before the release. As a result, all but one of the ten largest U.S. airlines made significant changes to their plans to improve services provided to passengers when their flights are canceled or delayed because of an airline issue. For example, no airline unconditionally guaranteed meal vouchers or hotels prior to Secretary Buttigieg’s letter. Now, nine of the 10 guarantee meals and eight of the 10 guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes the delay or cancelation. &nbsp;The dashboard provides air travelers a one-stop location to obtain information on the services and amenities they should receive from airlines if they experience delays or cancelations that are caused by something within the airline’s control like a mechanical or staffing issue. The dashboard also provides a clear comparison of amenities the airlines have committed to provide, which will assist consumers when deciding which airline to fly. The creation of this new tool is one of the many steps the Department is taking to improve customer service provided to travelers. The Department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to provide the promised services. The Department has also provided direct links to airlines’ customer service plans on its Aviation Consumer Protection website.&nbsp;“Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption,”&nbsp;said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions. The Department will continue to support passengers and to hold airlines responsible for adhering to their customer obligations.”&nbsp;Regardless of the cause of the delays or cancelations, the Department expects airlines to provide timely and responsive customer service during and after periods of flight disruptions. Moreover, regardless of the cause of significant delays or cancelations, airlines are required to provide prompt refunds to ticketed passengers should a passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered such as rebooking on another flight.&nbsp;In addition to the dashboard, the Department is currently collecting comments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/part-ongoing-airline-consumer-protections-efforts-usdot-announces-new-rulemaking">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;that would 1) require airlines to proactively inform passengers that they have a right to receive a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly changed, 2) define a significant change and cancellation that would entitle a consumer to a refund, 3) require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers or travel credits when people can’t travel because they have COVID-19 or other communicable diseases; and 4) require airlines that receive significant government assistance related to a pandemic to issue refunds instead of non-expiring travel credits or vouchers when passengers are unable or advised not to travel because of a serious communicable disease. The Department is also considering options for an additional rulemaking that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience flight disruptions.&nbsp;In addition, the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer">(OACP)</a>&nbsp;recently concluded its investigation of 10 airlines and is pursuing enforcement action against them for extreme delays in providing refunds for flights the airlines canceled or significantly changed. The Office is also actively investigating the refund practices of additional airlines flying to, from, or within the United States. In November 2021, OACP issued its largest fine ever against an airline for extreme delays in providing refunds to thousands of consumers for flights to or from the United States that a carrier canceled.&nbsp;Further, over the past year, the Department has taken a number of other actions to improve protection for airline passengers such as: &nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Calling on airlines to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-announces-first-ever-bill-rights-passengers-disabilities-calls-airlines-seat">seat families together free of charge</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>Issuing fines to multiple airlines that violated tarmac delay rule violations. &nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Issuing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-announces-proposed-rule-improve-accessibility-lavatories">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;to improve accessibility of lavatories on single-aisle aircraft for individuals with disabilities and creating the first-ever&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/disabilitybillofrights">Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights</a>.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

New help for airline passengers from U.S. Dept. of Transportation

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal accident have identified the victim as 37-year-old Bridget Ann Musser of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, commercial truck and a bicycle ridden by Musser were involved in the accident at 4th Street and Kansas Avenue.

First responders found Musser the roadway. She&nbsp; was pronounced deceased at the scene. The investigation by the Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team continues, according to Stanley..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662065354078.png" alt="The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team is on scene investigating-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team is on scene investigating-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal accident have identified the victim as 37-year-old Bridget Ann Musser of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, commercial truck and a bicycle ridden by Musser were involved in the accident at 4th Street and Kansas Avenue.First responders found Musser the roadway. She&nbsp; was pronounced deceased at the scene. The investigation by the Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team continues, according to Stanley..

Police ID Kansas bicyclist struck, killed by commercial truck

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas jury announced Thursday that it could not reach a verdict in the trial of a woman accused of killing her ex-husband and his girlfriend 20 years ago.

Jurors deliberated for about 35 hours over six days in Dana Chandler's trial. Chandler, now 62, was&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/533881f36a074a55a7699e52b77f0763">charged with two counts of first-degree murder</a>&nbsp;in the shooting deaths of 47-year-old Mike Sisco and 53-year-old Karen Harkness in July 2002, in Topeka.

The jury foreman told Shawnee County District Court Judge Cheryl Rios that jurors were not able to reach a unanimous verdict in the case, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/crime/2022/09/01/dana-chandler-2nd-murder-trial-double-homicide-charges-hung-jury-topeka/7937917001/">reported.</a>

Thursday's proceedings lasted only a few moments. A status hearing to determine the next step in the long-running case was set for Sept. 29.

Chandler's daughter Hailey Sisco, who testified that she believes her mother killed her father, cried while being hugged by prosecutor Charles Kitt.

Defense attorney Tom Bath hugged Chandler, who will remain in custody at least until the status hearing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592599404405.png" alt="Chandler photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Chandler photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas jury announced Thursday that it could not reach a verdict in the trial of a woman accused of killing her ex-husband and his girlfriend 20 years ago.Jurors deliberated for about 35 hours over six days in Dana Chandler's trial. Chandler, now 62, was&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/533881f36a074a55a7699e52b77f0763">charged with two counts of first-degree murder</a>&nbsp;in the shooting deaths of 47-year-old Mike Sisco and 53-year-old Karen Harkness in July 2002, in Topeka.The jury foreman told Shawnee County District Court Judge Cheryl Rios that jurors were not able to reach a unanimous verdict in the case, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/crime/2022/09/01/dana-chandler-2nd-murder-trial-double-homicide-charges-hung-jury-topeka/7937917001/">reported.</a>Thursday's proceedings lasted only a few moments. A status hearing to determine the next step in the long-running case was set for Sept. 29.Chandler's daughter Hailey Sisco, who testified that she believes her mother killed her father, cried while being hugged by prosecutor Charles Kitt.Defense attorney Tom Bath hugged Chandler, who will remain in custody at least until the status hearing.Juror Ben Alford told the Capital-Journal that the final vote was 7-5 to convict Chandler. He said votes taken throughout the lengthy deliberations were always close.Prosecutors alleged Chandler killed the couple because she was jealous of their relationship after her acrimonious divorce from Sisco. Chandler always maintained her innocence, saying she was in Colorado when the victims were killed.During closing arguments Aug. 25, prosecutor Kitt acknowledged there was little physical evidence linking Chandler to the crime. But he said obsessive behavior toward Sisco combined with circumstantial evidence should convince jurors that she killed the couple.“This is not a case that science can solve,” he said. “This case is about jealousy of Mike Sisco. Jealousy that Mike Sisco was able to move on with his life. Jealousy about the new relationship that Mike Sisco had found.”Investigators said Chandler spied on Sisco and Harkness, entered Sisco’s home without permission and tried to reconcile with him just weeks before the murders. Phone records shows Chandler called Sisco and Harkness nearly 700 times in the seven months before their deaths.Bath argued that law enforcement missed the opportunity to investigate other suspects because they focused solely on her. He underlined the limited physical evidence found at the scene and questioned the way it was handled by investigators and forensic scientists.“How many instances did we see where evidence was not followed up on, not collected or not tested?” Bath asked the jury.He continued: “We see time and time again, the police ignored evidence. They didn’t follow evidence — they followed their bias.”Prosecutors stunned court observers last week before closing arguments when they called a woman, Terri Anderson, who said she saw Chandler leaving Harkness’ home on the night the couple was killed — the first time in the two-decade-old case that anyone had placed Chandler at the scene.Anderson, who lived across the street, testified that she called 911 after hearing gunshots that night, and that she talked to investigators the next day. However, she said she had not talked to police or investigators in the last two decades, and defense attorneys noted that no police records exist to confirm that she called police or that she talked to investigators.On Thursday, defense attorneys called witnesses who undermined Anderson’s story. Topeka Police Det. Lance Green said Anderson’s testimony that Chandler was at the scene shortly before midnight on July 6, 2002, conflicts with other testimony that Sisco and Harkness were at a casino until at least 1:30 a.m. July 7.Chandler was originally charged with the killings after a decade of investigation, and in 2012&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/1a7254e40a4041a2af6ee2b5dd84dc80">was found guilty of two counts of murder</a>. She was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole for 50 years.The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a7bf444f550144da85887405174fb2da">overturned Chandler’s conviction i</a>n 2018, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-supreme-court-topeka-crime-1b16fa5d53c75ecb1d863c4f9dbbe497">misconduct by prosecutor Jacqie Spradling</a>, who was later disbarred.The second trial was delayed as Chandler and her attorneys filed numerous motions seeking to exclude evidence, a change of venue and dismissal of the case. The trial began Aug. 5.According to court records, investigators said nothing was taken from the victims’ home. The gun was never recovered and no fingerprints were found on empty shell casings at the scene. Hairs later taken from Chandler did not match hair and fiber samples at the scene, and no evidence of the crime was found in her car.However, some family members suspected Chandler, who they said was upset and angry after Sisco initiated their divorce in 1997 and was given full custody of their children.Chandler was living in Denver, Colorado, when the couple died. She told investigators she was driving and hiking in Colorado when the murders occurred, but stories about her specific routes were inconsistent, with gaps in her credit card receipts and cellphone use, according to court records.Prosecutors alleged Chandler drove from Denver to Topeka, killed the couple and returned home.The investigation went cold until 2009. After CBS’ “48 Hours” aired an episode about the unsolved killings, then-Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor appointed a team to investigate cold cases, including Chandler’s.Chandler, who had moved to Duncan, Oklahoma, to live with her sister, was arrested in 2011 and charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder.