COFFEY COUNTY —A Kansas man and his passenger avoided injury during an aircraft incident just before 10:30a.m. Friday in Coffey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000&nbsp;Dehavilland helicopter piloted by Tereso T&nbsp;Orozco, 64, Topeka,&nbsp;was flying near the area of the city of Leroy. 

The private aircraft lost power and made a precautionary landing in the backyard at 1810 C Street in Leroy, Kan., according to&nbsp; Trooper Rick Wingate 

Orozco and a passenger Kenneth David Norman, 48, Sunnyvale, Texas, were not injured. The KHP released no additional details Friday afternoon and there is no word on whether the NTSB or FAA&nbsp; will investigate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617994110218.png" alt="Location of the landing -google map" />
 <figcaption>Location of the landing -google map</figcaption>
 </figure>COFFEY COUNTY —A Kansas man and his passenger avoided injury during an aircraft incident just before 10:30a.m. Friday in Coffey County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000&nbsp;Dehavilland helicopter piloted by Tereso T&nbsp;Orozco, 64, Topeka,&nbsp;was flying near the area of the city of Leroy. The private aircraft lost power and made a precautionary landing in the backyard at 1810 C Street in Leroy, Kan., according to&nbsp; Trooper Rick Wingate Orozco and a passenger Kenneth David Norman, 48, Sunnyvale, Texas, were not injured. The KHP released no additional details Friday afternoon and there is no word on whether the NTSB or FAA&nbsp; will investigate.

KHP: Helicopter lost power, makes landing in Kansas backyard

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas conservatives on Friday pushed&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb55_02_student_athletes.pdf" target="_blank">a proposed ban</a>&nbsp;on transgender athletes in girl’s and women’s school sports through the Republican-controlled Legislature but don’t have enough support yet to overcome a possible veto by the state’s Democratic governor.

(Click below to listen to a replay of the debate on the bill)

The Senate approved the measure,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210409131949_168281/" target="_blank">26-11,</a>&nbsp;after the House passed it late Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408234417_335249/" target="_blank">76-43</a>, sending it to Gov. Laura Kelly. Overturning a veto in Kansas requires a two-thirds majority of all members — whether they are present for the vote — and both chambers were short of the mark.

The Democratic governor typically does not say what she’ll do with legislation before it reaches her desk, but she has dropped strong hints that she plans to veto such a ban. She’s a supporter of LGBTQ rights, and she’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-discrimination-kansas-gender-identity-64dcb878d8f393098437dcd87e6a352f">called the bill “regressive”</a>&nbsp;and suggested it would hurt the state’s efforts to recruit businesses — an argument critics echoed during the House’s debate.

Kansas is among more than 20 states that have considered such a ban this year, pushing back against an executive order from Democratic President Joe Biden aimed at preventing discrimination against transgender students. Idaho enacted such a ban last year, and Republican governors in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee have signed measures this year.

“It’s about scoring points in the culture wars,” said Democratic state Rep. Boog Highberger, of Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas. “Instead of finding new ways to persecute people for being the way that God made them, why don’t we work on understanding — increasing our understanding and compassion instead?”

Supporters argued that they’re trying to preserving decades of hard-won opportunities for “biological” girls and women to compete in K-12 sports and win college athletic scholarships. They suggested that failing to enact such a ban represented discrimination against girls and women.

Backers of the bill were eight votes short in the House and one short in the Senate of the supermajorities they would need to override a veto.

Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican and former college basketball point guard who led the push for the bill, said she hopes to get at least one colleague to switch to yes if Kelly vetoes the measure.

“I want girls and women to have a chance at a fair and equitable playing field in sports,” she said Friday. “This bill protects that.”

With Idaho’s ban on hold because of a federal lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union has promised to file a lawsuit if Kansas enacts a law.

The threat of a lawsuit — and arguments that Kansas could lose collegiate sports tournaments or business development — irritated some conservative lawmakers. They also bristled at LGBTQ-rights advocates’ predictions that enacting the ban would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-legislature-discrimination-kansas-bullying-576f42af35ef03f81dd930b487797a8b">increase bullying</a>&nbsp;of transgender students.

“Saying, ‘If you don’t do what we like and do what we want or think different than us, we’re going to hurt you by not coming to your state,’ that is corporate bullying, and it’s wrong,” Erickson said.

Supporters of such bans have pointed to the 15 championships won between 2017 and 2019 by two transgender high school runners in Connecticut, which prompted a federal lawsuit. They argue that “biological boys” have innate physical advantages in girls’ and women’s sports that would ruin competition.

“It’s discrimination to not pass this — it’s discrimination for women,” said Sen. Kristen O’Shea, a Topeka Republican.

Sen. Mark Steffen, a Republican from south-central Kansas, told colleagues last month that the bill was based on “indisputable physiological facts” that demonstrate “the male as a genetically and time-engineered superior machine.” He said Friday that the issue also is about “the chaos that’s permeating our country.”

Supporters generally have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawmakers-unable-to-cite-local-trans-girls-sports-914a982545e943ecc1e265e8c41042e7">unable to cite local examples</a>&nbsp;of problems. The association overseeing extracurricular activities in Kansas K-12 schools says it has been notified of only five active transgender athletes, and there is no known case of a transgender athlete having won a Kansas championship.

The debate in the Senate became emotional and heated. Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Kansas City-area Democrat, began to cry as she said the proposed ban “hurts vulnerable children.” Sen. Ethan Corson, another Kansas City-area Democrat, found himself accused of ageism after he suggested the bill’s support resulted from many senators being 60 or older and fearing what’s “different than the way we grew up.”

In the House, freshman Democratic Rep. Stephanie Byers, of Wichita, the state’s first transgender lawmaker, saw the bill as an effort to prevent trans students from being fully part of society.

“Trans girls are girls,” she told colleagues. “Trans women are women.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas conservatives on Friday pushed&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb55_02_student_athletes.pdf" target="_blank">a proposed ban</a>&nbsp;on transgender athletes in girl’s and women’s school sports through the Republican-controlled Legislature but don’t have enough support yet to overcome a possible veto by the state’s Democratic governor.(Click below to listen to a replay of the debate on the bill)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Dr3lJRdoF4?start=690" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The Senate approved the measure,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210409131949_168281/" target="_blank">26-11,</a>&nbsp;after the House passed it late Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408234417_335249/" target="_blank">76-43</a>, sending it to Gov. Laura Kelly. Overturning a veto in Kansas requires a two-thirds majority of all members — whether they are present for the vote — and both chambers were short of the mark.The Democratic governor typically does not say what she’ll do with legislation before it reaches her desk, but she has dropped strong hints that she plans to veto such a ban. She’s a supporter of LGBTQ rights, and she’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-discrimination-kansas-gender-identity-64dcb878d8f393098437dcd87e6a352f">called the bill “regressive”</a>&nbsp;and suggested it would hurt the state’s efforts to recruit businesses — an argument critics echoed during the House’s debate.Kansas is among more than 20 states that have considered such a ban this year, pushing back against an executive order from Democratic President Joe Biden aimed at preventing discrimination against transgender students. Idaho enacted such a ban last year, and Republican governors in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee have signed measures this year.“It’s about scoring points in the culture wars,” said Democratic state Rep. Boog Highberger, of Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas. “Instead of finding new ways to persecute people for being the way that God made them, why don’t we work on understanding — increasing our understanding and compassion instead?”Supporters argued that they’re trying to preserving decades of hard-won opportunities for “biological” girls and women to compete in K-12 sports and win college athletic scholarships. They suggested that failing to enact such a ban represented discrimination against girls and women.Backers of the bill were eight votes short in the House and one short in the Senate of the supermajorities they would need to override a veto.Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican and former college basketball point guard who led the push for the bill, said she hopes to get at least one colleague to switch to yes if Kelly vetoes the measure.“I want girls and women to have a chance at a fair and equitable playing field in sports,” she said Friday. “This bill protects that.”With Idaho’s ban on hold because of a federal lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union has promised to file a lawsuit if Kansas enacts a law.The threat of a lawsuit — and arguments that Kansas could lose collegiate sports tournaments or business development — irritated some conservative lawmakers. They also bristled at LGBTQ-rights advocates’ predictions that enacting the ban would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-legislature-discrimination-kansas-bullying-576f42af35ef03f81dd930b487797a8b">increase bullying</a>&nbsp;of transgender students.“Saying, ‘If you don’t do what we like and do what we want or think different than us, we’re going to hurt you by not coming to your state,’ that is corporate bullying, and it’s wrong,” Erickson said.Supporters of such bans have pointed to the 15 championships won between 2017 and 2019 by two transgender high school runners in Connecticut, which prompted a federal lawsuit. They argue that “biological boys” have innate physical advantages in girls’ and women’s sports that would ruin competition.“It’s discrimination to not pass this — it’s discrimination for women,” said Sen. Kristen O’Shea, a Topeka Republican.Sen. Mark Steffen, a Republican from south-central Kansas, told colleagues last month that the bill was based on “indisputable physiological facts” that demonstrate “the male as a genetically and time-engineered superior machine.” He said Friday that the issue also is about “the chaos that’s permeating our country.”Supporters generally have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawmakers-unable-to-cite-local-trans-girls-sports-914a982545e943ecc1e265e8c41042e7">unable to cite local examples</a>&nbsp;of problems. The association overseeing extracurricular activities in Kansas K-12 schools says it has been notified of only five active transgender athletes, and there is no known case of a transgender athlete having won a Kansas championship.The debate in the Senate became emotional and heated. Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Kansas City-area Democrat, began to cry as she said the proposed ban “hurts vulnerable children.” Sen. Ethan Corson, another Kansas City-area Democrat, found himself accused of ageism after he suggested the bill’s support resulted from many senators being 60 or older and fearing what’s “different than the way we grew up.”In the House, freshman Democratic Rep. Stephanie Byers, of Wichita, the state’s first transgender lawmaker, saw the bill as an effort to prevent trans students from being fully part of society.“Trans girls are girls,” she told colleagues. “Trans women are women.”___

🎥 Kan. bill that bans transgender athletes headed to governor

MCPHERSON — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at the McPherson County Jail.

Just after 2p.m. Thursday 55-year-old&nbsp; Kevin Brittingham of Newton was arrested for domestic battery and booked into the jail, according to a media release. During the booking process, he was placed in a holding cell.

At approximately 3:35 p.m. Thursday, a McPherson County Correctional Officer discovered Brittingham unresponsive in his booking cell. Life-saving measures were attempted, including CPR and using an Automated External Defibrillator.

McPherson Fire and McPherson EMS responded to the jail and continued attempts to resuscitate Brittingham. Brittingham was pronounced dead at approximately 4:05 p.m.

The McPherson County Sheriff's Office requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigate, as is required by state statute. The KBI investigates all deaths of individuals in the custody of a Kansas jail or prison, unless the inmate is being regularly attended by a physician.&nbsp;

Brittingham's injuries appear to have been self-inflicted. An autopsy will be conducted. The investigation continues.

MCPHERSON — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at the McPherson County Jail.Just after 2p.m. Thursday 55-year-old&nbsp; Kevin Brittingham of Newton was arrested for domestic battery and booked into the jail, according to a media release. During the booking process, he was placed in a holding cell.At approximately 3:35 p.m. Thursday, a McPherson County Correctional Officer discovered Brittingham unresponsive in his booking cell. Life-saving measures were attempted, including CPR and using an Automated External Defibrillator.McPherson Fire and McPherson EMS responded to the jail and continued attempts to resuscitate Brittingham. Brittingham was pronounced dead at approximately 4:05 p.m.The McPherson County Sheriff's Office requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigate, as is required by state statute. The KBI investigates all deaths of individuals in the custody of a Kansas jail or prison, unless the inmate is being regularly attended by a physician.&nbsp;Brittingham's injuries appear to have been self-inflicted. An autopsy will be conducted. The investigation continues.

KBI investigating death of inmate in county jail

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Local officials agreed Thursday to provide temporary housing in hotel rooms for the homeless population in Kansas City, Missouri, following a months-long encampment on the lawn of City Hall.

The measure to provide hotel rooms for up to 500 people for the next 90 days unanimously cleared the City Council, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article250523839.html">reported</a>.

Roughly 40 tents housing dozens of people have been set up in front of City Hall and in other encampments since February as advocates seek additional resources for people without secure housing.

“Kansas City does not have unique problems, but Kansas City can have unique solutions,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “And a way that we can have those unique solutions is working together.”

The mayor said he is seeking support from the the City Council to accomplish longer-term solutions. The hotels will provide time to work on two other goals: a land bank for permanent housing and a workforce initiative.

“To me, that is a beautiful first step,” said James Shelby, who goes by the name Qadhafi and became homeless roughly two years ago. “It’s not the end. But that’s the first step of the beginning of resolving this issue.”

The city is not disclosing the hotel locations to protect residents' privacy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617987156384.png" alt="Roughly 40 tents housing dozens of people have been set up in front of City Hall and in other encampments since February photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Roughly 40 tents housing dozens of people have been set up in front of City Hall and in other encampments since February photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Local officials agreed Thursday to provide temporary housing in hotel rooms for the homeless population in Kansas City, Missouri, following a months-long encampment on the lawn of City Hall.The measure to provide hotel rooms for up to 500 people for the next 90 days unanimously cleared the City Council, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article250523839.html">reported</a>.Roughly 40 tents housing dozens of people have been set up in front of City Hall and in other encampments since February as advocates seek additional resources for people without secure housing.“Kansas City does not have unique problems, but Kansas City can have unique solutions,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “And a way that we can have those unique solutions is working together.”The mayor said he is seeking support from the the City Council to accomplish longer-term solutions. The hotels will provide time to work on two other goals: a land bank for permanent housing and a workforce initiative.“To me, that is a beautiful first step,” said James Shelby, who goes by the name Qadhafi and became homeless roughly two years ago. “It’s not the end. But that’s the first step of the beginning of resolving this issue.”The city is not disclosing the hotel locations to protect residents' privacy.

Kansas City to temporarily house homeless in hotels

TOPEKA — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident on Interstate 70 and have identified the deceased victim as Ellen Keo, 28, of Horton, according to Topeka police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

The injured person has been identified as Dalton L. Herwig, 25, of Horton. He remains in serious, but stable condition at a local hospital, according to Spiker.

Just before 11p.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of a vehicle vs pedestrian accident in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70, just east of Gage, according to police Lt. John Trimble.

Officers arrived on scene and found the two victims in the roadway. Keo&nbsp; was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported Herwig to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

There appeared to be several vehicles involved.&nbsp;

The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 were closed from Gage to MacVicar, as part of the investigation.&nbsp; Police have released no additional details.

TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident on Interstate 70

Officers arrived on scene and found two victims in the roadway. One was pronounced deceased at the scene and another transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

There appears to be several vehicles involved. The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team was on scene investigating.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617969470348.png" alt="Police on the scene of the accident investigation early Friday -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the accident investigation early Friday -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident on Interstate 70 and have identified the deceased victim as Ellen Keo, 28, of Horton, according to Topeka police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.The injured person has been identified as Dalton L. Herwig, 25, of Horton. He remains in serious, but stable condition at a local hospital, according to Spiker.Just before 11p.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of a vehicle vs pedestrian accident in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70, just east of Gage, according to police Lt. John Trimble.Officers arrived on scene and found the two victims in the roadway. Keo&nbsp; was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported Herwig to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.There appeared to be several vehicles involved.&nbsp;The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 were closed from Gage to MacVicar, as part of the investigation.&nbsp; Police have released no additional details.-------TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident on Interstate 70Just before 11p.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of a vehicle vs pedestrian accident in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70, just east of Gage, according to police Lt. John Trimble.Officers arrived on scene and found two victims in the roadway. One was pronounced deceased at the scene and another transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.There appears to be several vehicles involved. The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team was on scene investigating.The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 were closed from Gage to MacVicar, as part of the investigation.&nbsp; Police have released no additional details.

Update: 1 dead, 1 hospitalized after I-70 pedestrian accident

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 469 to a total of 304,236, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 4938, an increase of 6.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

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

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 469 to a total of 304,236, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 4938, an increase of 6.<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617988366842.png" alt="Friday April 9, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday April 9, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/wsu-search-committee-interviews-candidates-open-presidents-job">Kansas News Service</a>

Wichita State University could have a new president within the next few months.

A
 search committee charged with finding WSU’s next leader interviewed 
candidates via Zoom this week and plans to send a list of finalists to 
the Kansas Board of Regents for consideration, said Dan Peare, chairman 
of the committee.

Peare
 said the committee narrowed a list of more than 50 candidates to 10 
semifinalists. Members held virtual interviews with five candidates 
Tuesday and five Wednesday, he said. They plan to meet as a group Friday
 to discuss the candidates and will likely forward three or four names 
to the Regents, he said.

Peare, an attorney at Hinkle Law Firm 
who also heads the WSU Foundation, did not name the candidates or offer 
any details about them.

The Board of Regents voted in November to
 conduct a closed search, which means candidates’ names will not be 
released to the public and finalists will not meet with anyone outside 
of the search committee.

The 22-member committee includes student, faculty, alumni and community representatives.

Peare said he was impressed by the overall quality of the candidates.

“Of
 the 10 we interviewed, a strong majority of those will be president of 
some university,” he said. “They’ve all been very strong, highly 
qualified candidates.”

He said the group opted to interview 
candidates virtually because of challenges with travel and in-person 
gatherings during the pandemic. Each of the interviews was about 75 
minutes, he said.

“We were able to read body language and 
expressions and all of that -- really get a good overall look” at the 
candidates, Peare said.

The new president will replace Jay 
Golden, who served less than a year before resigning suddenly last 
September. The reason for his resignation is unknown.

In a 
presidential profile document presented to the Regents, the committee 
said it is “seeking a president who will take the urban-based research 
university to the next level, in an ever-changing educational 
landscape.”

Peare said the Regents could discuss the WSU presidency during their May meeting and name a new president shortly after that.

The new president is expected to take office officially by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617984441748.png" alt="Wichita State University / KMUW" />
 <figcaption>Wichita State University / KMUW</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/wsu-search-committee-interviews-candidates-open-presidents-job">Kansas News Service</a>Wichita State University could have a new president within the next few months.A
 search committee charged with finding WSU’s next leader interviewed 
candidates via Zoom this week and plans to send a list of finalists to 
the Kansas Board of Regents for consideration, said Dan Peare, chairman 
of the committee.Peare
 said the committee narrowed a list of more than 50 candidates to 10 
semifinalists. Members held virtual interviews with five candidates 
Tuesday and five Wednesday, he said. They plan to meet as a group Friday
 to discuss the candidates and will likely forward three or four names 
to the Regents, he said.Peare, an attorney at Hinkle Law Firm 
who also heads the WSU Foundation, did not name the candidates or offer 
any details about them.The Board of Regents voted in November to
 conduct a closed search, which means candidates’ names will not be 
released to the public and finalists will not meet with anyone outside 
of the search committee.The 22-member committee includes student, faculty, alumni and community representatives.Peare said he was impressed by the overall quality of the candidates.“Of
 the 10 we interviewed, a strong majority of those will be president of 
some university,” he said. “They’ve all been very strong, highly 
qualified candidates.”He said the group opted to interview 
candidates virtually because of challenges with travel and in-person 
gatherings during the pandemic. Each of the interviews was about 75 
minutes, he said.“We were able to read body language and 
expressions and all of that -- really get a good overall look” at the 
candidates, Peare said.The new president will replace Jay 
Golden, who served less than a year before resigning suddenly last 
September. The reason for his resignation is unknown.In a 
presidential profile document presented to the Regents, the committee 
said it is “seeking a president who will take the urban-based research 
university to the next level, in an ever-changing educational 
landscape.”Peare said the Regents could discuss the WSU presidency during their May meeting and name a new president shortly after that.The new president is expected to take office officially by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

WSU search committee interviews candidates for president's job 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans on Thursday softened a proposal to make it harder for people and groups to collect and deliver voters’ absentee ballots but did not address Democrats’ objections before the measure cleared the GOP-controlled Legislature.

GOP lawmakers said they’re trying to prevent “ballot harvesting” by candidates and interest groups, while Democrats said it would hinder legitimate get-out-the-vote efforts.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2183_02_elections.pdf" target="_blank">The bill</a>&nbsp;would make it a misdemeanor for people to deliver more than 10 absentee ballots for others, and it would prohibit candidates from collecting and delivering the absentee ballots of anyone other than immediate family members. An earlier version of the bill would have limited people to delivering five ballots and a violation a felony.

The Senate approved the measure,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408212002_844171/" target="_blank">27-11,</a>&nbsp;and the House passed it,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408221136_673127/" target="_blank">80-42.</a>&nbsp;The bill goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who hasn’t said whether she plans to sign or veto it.

Republicans argued that allowing people to deliver dozens of absentee ballots increases the risk that some will be lost or deliberately altered or thrown away. They also candidates currently can unduly influence voters in their homes.

But Democrats said a lack of evidence of actual fraud in Kansas shows that the measure is unnecessary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602937208880.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans on Thursday softened a proposal to make it harder for people and groups to collect and deliver voters’ absentee ballots but did not address Democrats’ objections before the measure cleared the GOP-controlled Legislature.GOP lawmakers said they’re trying to prevent “ballot harvesting” by candidates and interest groups, while Democrats said it would hinder legitimate get-out-the-vote efforts.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2183_02_elections.pdf" target="_blank">The bill</a>&nbsp;would make it a misdemeanor for people to deliver more than 10 absentee ballots for others, and it would prohibit candidates from collecting and delivering the absentee ballots of anyone other than immediate family members. An earlier version of the bill would have limited people to delivering five ballots and a violation a felony.The Senate approved the measure,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408212002_844171/" target="_blank">27-11,</a>&nbsp;and the House passed it,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408221136_673127/" target="_blank">80-42.</a>&nbsp;The bill goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who hasn’t said whether she plans to sign or veto it.Republicans argued that allowing people to deliver dozens of absentee ballots increases the risk that some will be lost or deliberately altered or thrown away. They also candidates currently can unduly influence voters in their homes.But Democrats said a lack of evidence of actual fraud in Kansas shows that the measure is unnecessary.

Lawmakers pass bill targeting ‘ballot harvesting’ in Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans will vote on removing a powerful Kansas lawmaker charged with drunken driving from his leadership job following the release of document saying he taunted the Highway Patrol trooper who arrested him and called the officer “donut boy.”

The move against Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop would be the first time in at least several decades that a Kansas legislative leader faced an ouster vote before the end of his or her term. Senate President Ty Masterson committed Friday to an as-yet-unscheduled vote after a freshman GOP senator called for it during a morning caucus.

“Obviously, the consequences need to come,” Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, told reporters after the caucus. “It’s a matter of time.”

Suellentrop, a Wichita Republican, stepped away from most of his duties as majority leader after his March 16 arrest in Topeka after he was stopped on Interstate 70 for driving the wrong way. But as of Friday morning, he had given no signal that he was contemplating resigning, either as majority leader or from the Legislature.

The 69-year-old Suellentrop holds the state Senate’s second-highest leadership job, and the majority leader decides which proposals are debated each day. He was set to hold the job through 2024.

He was not at the Statehouse on Friday or on Thursday, when a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-topeka-wichita-57fe7b37ea34af1a311c59dd71041ec3" target="_blank">released an affidavit</a>&nbsp;from the officer who arrested him. He did not answer his cellphone and it did not allow for a message seeking comment.

Suellentrop&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-arrests-topeka-driving-under-the-influence-53d21c4172c5cd87cbeaec02c0dcb882">faces five counts,</a>&nbsp;including a felony fleeing to avoid arrest and a misdemeanor driving under the influence charge. The Highway Patrol officer’s affidavit said Suellentrop’s blood-alcohol level after his arrest was .17, more than twice the legal limit in Kansas of .08.

The call for a vote to remove Suellentrop came from Republican Sen. Rick Kloos, of Topeka, who said he’s “had numerous conversations” with colleagues and wants a vote “so we can all rest.”

“It’s just done,” he said after the caucus. “We’ve all been patient, and with the new revelations yesterday, I just felt it was time.”

Suellentrop’s absence Thursday helped to keep fellow Republicans from passing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-topeka-wichita-57fe7b37ea34af1a311c59dd71041ec3" target="_blank">a proposal from GOP conservatives</a>&nbsp;to allow parents of academically struggling public school students to use state dollars to pay for private schooling. GOP leaders were forced to set another vote for Friday.

Kloos said he would like to have the vote on Suellentrop’s future Friday, but Masterson said the first step would be a closed meeting to establish the rules. The Senate president said he is not sure he will set the vote for Friday because emotions are running high.

“I do think that when emotions are high, you don’t always make your best decisions, but I think it’s clear that the majority leader need to vacate the leadership office,” Masterson told reporters.

Masterson said the results of a vote on Suellentrop’s future would be counted in public.

But, asked about having the discussions among senators in public, he said: “We’ve had plenty of discussion in public.”

Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Austin Shepley said in his affidavit that Suellentrop refused to take a breathalyzer test and was taken to a Topeka hospital for a blood test after a judge issued a warrant. At one point, he called Shepley “donut boy,” according to the affidavit, and said the events were “all for going the wrong way.”

“While the phlebotomist was administering the blood kit, Gene Suellentop’s demeanor becoming slightly aggressive in his tone, he made reference to physically going up against me,” Shepley said. “He looked me up and down, stating he played state sports competitively in high school. He stated he could ‘take me.’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616963978358.jpeg" alt="Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop - photo Shawnee County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop - photo Shawnee County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans will vote on removing a powerful Kansas lawmaker charged with drunken driving from his leadership job following the release of document saying he taunted the Highway Patrol trooper who arrested him and called the officer “donut boy.”The move against Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop would be the first time in at least several decades that a Kansas legislative leader faced an ouster vote before the end of his or her term. Senate President Ty Masterson committed Friday to an as-yet-unscheduled vote after a freshman GOP senator called for it during a morning caucus.“Obviously, the consequences need to come,” Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, told reporters after the caucus. “It’s a matter of time.”Suellentrop, a Wichita Republican, stepped away from most of his duties as majority leader after his March 16 arrest in Topeka after he was stopped on Interstate 70 for driving the wrong way. But as of Friday morning, he had given no signal that he was contemplating resigning, either as majority leader or from the Legislature.The 69-year-old Suellentrop holds the state Senate’s second-highest leadership job, and the majority leader decides which proposals are debated each day. He was set to hold the job through 2024.He was not at the Statehouse on Friday or on Thursday, when a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-topeka-wichita-57fe7b37ea34af1a311c59dd71041ec3" target="_blank">released an affidavit</a>&nbsp;from the officer who arrested him. He did not answer his cellphone and it did not allow for a message seeking comment.Suellentrop&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-arrests-topeka-driving-under-the-influence-53d21c4172c5cd87cbeaec02c0dcb882">faces five counts,</a>&nbsp;including a felony fleeing to avoid arrest and a misdemeanor driving under the influence charge. The Highway Patrol officer’s affidavit said Suellentrop’s blood-alcohol level after his arrest was .17, more than twice the legal limit in Kansas of .08.The call for a vote to remove Suellentrop came from Republican Sen. Rick Kloos, of Topeka, who said he’s “had numerous conversations” with colleagues and wants a vote “so we can all rest.”“It’s just done,” he said after the caucus. “We’ve all been patient, and with the new revelations yesterday, I just felt it was time.”Suellentrop’s absence Thursday helped to keep fellow Republicans from passing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-topeka-wichita-57fe7b37ea34af1a311c59dd71041ec3" target="_blank">a proposal from GOP conservatives</a>&nbsp;to allow parents of academically struggling public school students to use state dollars to pay for private schooling. GOP leaders were forced to set another vote for Friday.Kloos said he would like to have the vote on Suellentrop’s future Friday, but Masterson said the first step would be a closed meeting to establish the rules. The Senate president said he is not sure he will set the vote for Friday because emotions are running high.“I do think that when emotions are high, you don’t always make your best decisions, but I think it’s clear that the majority leader need to vacate the leadership office,” Masterson told reporters.Masterson said the results of a vote on Suellentrop’s future would be counted in public.But, asked about having the discussions among senators in public, he said: “We’ve had plenty of discussion in public.”Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Austin Shepley said in his affidavit that Suellentrop refused to take a breathalyzer test and was taken to a Topeka hospital for a blood test after a judge issued a warrant. At one point, he called Shepley “donut boy,” according to the affidavit, and said the events were “all for going the wrong way.”“While the phlebotomist was administering the blood kit, Gene Suellentop’s demeanor becoming slightly aggressive in his tone, he made reference to physically going up against me,” Shepley said. “He looked me up and down, stating he played state sports competitively in high school. He stated he could ‘take me.’”___

Kansas Senate GOP leader charged with DUI faces ouster vote

DETROIT (AP) — The global shortage of semiconductors has forced General Motors and Ford to further cut production at their North American factories as chip supplies seem to be growing tighter.

The shutdowns likely will crimp dealer inventory of vehicles made at the plants.

GM says it has managed to keep humming factories that make hot-selling and very profitable full-size pickup trucks and SUVs.

“GM continues to leverage every available semiconductor to build and ship our most popular and in-demand products,” the company said Thursday in a statement.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/computer-chips-shortage-explained-c4eec42c97364908d60a35fcc0e11ea5">chip shortage</a>&nbsp;has already been rippling through various markets since last summer. It has made it difficult for schools to buy enough laptops for students forced to learn from home, delayed the release of popular products such as the iPhone 12 and created mad scrambles to find the latest video game consoles, such as the PlayStation 5.

But things have been getting even worse in recent weeks, particularly in the auto industry, where factories are shutting down because there aren’t enough chips to finish building vehicles that are starting to look like computers on wheels. The problem was recently compounded by a grounded container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week, choking off chips headed from Asia to Europe.

These snags are likely to frustrate consumers who can’t find the vehicle they want and sometimes find themselves settling for a lower-end models without as many fancy electronic features. And it threatens to leave a big dent in the auto industry, which by some estimates stands to lose $60 billion in sales during the first half of his year.

GM said that the cuts will take place at its Spring Hill, Tennessee; Ramos Arizpe, Mexico; Ingersoll, Ontario; Fairfax, Kansas; Lansing, Michigan, Delta Township; and Lansing, Michigan, Grand River factories.

Spring Hill, which makes the Cadillac XT5, XT6 and GMC Acadia SUVs, will shut down the weeks of April 12 and 19. Production of the Chevrolet Blazer at Ramos Arizpe will stop for a week on April 19, while the Lansing Grand River plant, which makes the Chevrolet Camaro and Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans, will stay shut down through the week of April 26.

The Lansing Delta Township plant will be down for a week starting April 19, cutting production of the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave SUVs, while the Ontario and Kansas plants will be shut down through the week of May 10. Both have been idle since the week of Feb. 8. The Ontario plant makes the Chevrolet Equinox SUV, while the Kansas plant manufactures the Chevy Malibu sedan and Cadillac XT4 SUV.

Also Thursday, Ford said it would shut down its Chicago, Flat Rock, Michigan, and the Transit van side of the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri, during the week of April 12. But seven U.S. plants will run through the two traditional summer shutdown weeks in late June and early July. The Chicago plant makes the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs, while Flat Rock makes the Mustang sports car.

GM expects the chip shortage to cost it up to $2 billion in pretax profits this year from lost production and sales. Ford is bracing for a similar blow. In addition to GM and Ford, Nissan, Stellantis, Volkswagen and Honda seem to have been hit the hardest.

IHS Markit estimates that from January through March, the chip shortage reduced North American auto production by about 100,000 vehicles. In January of last year, before the pandemic, the U.S. auto industry had enough vehicles to supply 77 days of demand. By February of 2021 it was down almost 30% to 55 days. Edmunds.com says discounts are down and prices for new and used vehicles are up.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585229143795.png" alt=" Kami Hunt, Ford Motor Company employee, assembles the Ford Transit at Kansas City Assembly Plant. Photo Courtesy Ford Motor Company" />
 <figcaption> Kami Hunt, Ford Motor Company employee, assembles the Ford Transit at Kansas City Assembly Plant. Photo Courtesy Ford Motor Company</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — The global shortage of semiconductors has forced General Motors and Ford to further cut production at their North American factories as chip supplies seem to be growing tighter.The shutdowns likely will crimp dealer inventory of vehicles made at the plants.GM says it has managed to keep humming factories that make hot-selling and very profitable full-size pickup trucks and SUVs.“GM continues to leverage every available semiconductor to build and ship our most popular and in-demand products,” the company said Thursday in a statement.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/computer-chips-shortage-explained-c4eec42c97364908d60a35fcc0e11ea5">chip shortage</a>&nbsp;has already been rippling through various markets since last summer. It has made it difficult for schools to buy enough laptops for students forced to learn from home, delayed the release of popular products such as the iPhone 12 and created mad scrambles to find the latest video game consoles, such as the PlayStation 5.But things have been getting even worse in recent weeks, particularly in the auto industry, where factories are shutting down because there aren’t enough chips to finish building vehicles that are starting to look like computers on wheels. The problem was recently compounded by a grounded container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week, choking off chips headed from Asia to Europe.These snags are likely to frustrate consumers who can’t find the vehicle they want and sometimes find themselves settling for a lower-end models without as many fancy electronic features. And it threatens to leave a big dent in the auto industry, which by some estimates stands to lose $60 billion in sales during the first half of his year.GM said that the cuts will take place at its Spring Hill, Tennessee; Ramos Arizpe, Mexico; Ingersoll, Ontario; Fairfax, Kansas; Lansing, Michigan, Delta Township; and Lansing, Michigan, Grand River factories.Spring Hill, which makes the Cadillac XT5, XT6 and GMC Acadia SUVs, will shut down the weeks of April 12 and 19. Production of the Chevrolet Blazer at Ramos Arizpe will stop for a week on April 19, while the Lansing Grand River plant, which makes the Chevrolet Camaro and Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans, will stay shut down through the week of April 26.The Lansing Delta Township plant will be down for a week starting April 19, cutting production of the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave SUVs, while the Ontario and Kansas plants will be shut down through the week of May 10. Both have been idle since the week of Feb. 8. The Ontario plant makes the Chevrolet Equinox SUV, while the Kansas plant manufactures the Chevy Malibu sedan and Cadillac XT4 SUV.Also Thursday, Ford said it would shut down its Chicago, Flat Rock, Michigan, and the Transit van side of the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri, during the week of April 12. But seven U.S. plants will run through the two traditional summer shutdown weeks in late June and early July. The Chicago plant makes the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs, while Flat Rock makes the Mustang sports car.GM expects the chip shortage to cost it up to $2 billion in pretax profits this year from lost production and sales. Ford is bracing for a similar blow. In addition to GM and Ford, Nissan, Stellantis, Volkswagen and Honda seem to have been hit the hardest.IHS Markit estimates that from January through March, the chip shortage reduced North American auto production by about 100,000 vehicles. In January of last year, before the pandemic, the U.S. auto industry had enough vehicles to supply 77 days of demand. By February of 2021 it was down almost 30% to 55 days. Edmunds.com says discounts are down and prices for new and used vehicles are up.

Chip shortage forces production cuts in Kan., Missouri

LONDON (AP) — Prince Philip, the irascible and tough-minded husband of Queen Elizabeth II who spent more than seven decades supporting his wife in a role that both defined and constricted his life, has died, Buckingham Palace said Friday. He was 99.

His life spanned nearly a century of European history, starting with his birth as a member of the Greek royal family and ending as Britain’s longest serving consort during a turbulent reign in which the thousand-year-old monarchy was forced to reinvent itself for the 21st century.

He was known for his occasionally racist and sexist remarks — and for gamely fulfilling more than 20,000 royal engagements to boost British interests at home and abroad. He headed hundreds of charities, founded programs that helped British schoolchildren participate in challenging outdoor adventures, and played a prominent part in raising his four children, including his eldest son, Prince Charles, the heir to the throne.

Philip spent a month in hospital earlier this year before being released on March 16 to return to Windsor Castle.

“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the palace said. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”

Philip saw his sole role as providing support for his wife, who began her reign as Britain retreated from empire and steered the monarchy through decades of declining social deference and U.K. power into a modern world where people demand intimacy from their icons.

In the 1970s, Michael Parker, an old navy friend and former private secretary of the prince, said of him: “He told me the first day he offered me my job, that his job — first, second and last — was never to let her down.”

Speaking outside 10 Downing St., Prime Minister Boris Johnson noted the support Philip provided to the queen, saying he “helped to steer the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.”

The queen, a very private person not given to extravagant displays of affection, once called him “her rock” in public.

In private, Philip called his wife Lilibet; but he referred to her in conversation with others as “The Queen.”

Over the decades, Philip’s image changed from that of handsome, dashing athlete to arrogant and insensitive curmudgeon. In his later years, the image finally settled into that of droll and philosophical observer of the times, an elderly, craggy-faced man who maintained his military bearing despite ailments.

The popular Netflix series “The Crown” gave Philip a central role, with a slightly racy, swashbuckling image. He never commented on it in public, but the portrayal struck a chord with many Britons, including younger viewers who had only known him as an elderly man.

Philip’s position was a challenging one — there is no official role for the husband of a sovereign queen — and his life was marked by extraordinary contradictions between his public and private duties. He always walked three paces behind his wife in public, in a show of deference to the monarch, but he was the head of the family in private. Still, his son Charles, as heir to the throne, had a larger income, as well as access to the high-level government papers Philip was not permitted to see.

Philip often took a wry approach to his unusual place at the royal table.

“Constitutionally, I don’t exist,” said Philip, who in 2009 became the longest-serving consort in British history, surpassing Queen Charlotte, who married King George III in the18th century.

He frequently struggled to find his place — a friction that would later be echoed in his grandson Prince Harry’s decision to give up royal duties.

“There was no precedent,” he said in a rare interview with the BBC to mark his 90th birthday. “If I asked somebody, ‘What do you expect me to do?’ they all looked blank.”

But having given up a promising naval career to become consort when Elizabeth became queen at age 25, Philip was not content to stay on the sidelines and enjoy a life of ease and wealth. He promoted British industry and science, espoused environmental preservation long before it became fashionable, and traveled widely and frequently in support of his many charities.

In those frequent public appearances, Philip developed a reputation for being impatient and demanding and was sometimes blunt to the point of rudeness.

Many Britons appreciated what they saw as his propensity to speak his mind, while others criticized behavior they labeled offensive and out of touch.

In 1995, for example, he asked a Scottish driving instructor, “How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?” Seven years later in Australia, when visiting Aboriginal people with the queen, he asked: “Do you still throw spears at each other?”

Many believe his propensity to speak his mind meant he provided needed, unvarnished advice to the queen.

“The way that he survived in the British monarchy system was to be his own man, and that was a source of support to the queen,” said royal historian Robert Lacey. “All her life she was surrounded by men who said, ‘yes ma’am’ and he was one man who always told her how it really was, or at least how he saw it.”

Lacey said at the time of the royal family’s difficult relations with Princess Diana after her marriage to Charles broke down, Philip spoke for the family with authority, showing that he did not automatically defer to the queen.

Philip’s relationship with Diana became complicated as her separation from Charles and their eventual divorce played out in a series of public battles that damaged the monarchy’s standing.

It was widely assumed that he was critical of Diana’s use of broadcast interviews, including one in which she accused Charles of infidelity. But letters between Philip and Diana released after her death showed that the older man was at times supportive of his daughter-in-law.

After Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris in 1997, Philip had to endure allegations by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed that he had plotted the princess’s death. Al Fayed’s son, Dodi, also died in the crash.

During a lengthy inquest into their deaths, a senior judge acting as coroner instructed the jury that there was no evidence to support the allegations against Philip, who did not publicly respond to Al Fayed’s charges.

Philip’s final years were clouded by controversy and fissures in the royal family.

His third child, Prince Andrew, was embroiled in scandal over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

U.S. authorities accused Andrew of rebuffing their request to interview him as a witness, and Andrew faced accusations from a woman who said that she had several sexual encounters with the prince at Epstein’s behest. He denied the claim but withdrew from public royal duties amid the scandal.

At the start of 2020, Philip’s grandson Harry and his wife, the American former actress Meghan Markle, announced they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America to escape intense media scrutiny that they found unbearable.

Born June 10, 1921, on the dining room table at his parents’ home on the Greek island of Corfu, Philip was the fifth child and only son of Prince Andrew, younger brother of the king of Greece. His grandfather had come from Denmark during the 1860s to be adopted by Greece as the country’s monarch.

Philip’s mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg, a descendent of German princes. Like his future wife, Elizabeth, Philip was also a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria.

When Philip was 18 months old, his parents fled to France. His father, an army commander, had been tried after a devastating military defeat by the Turks. After British intervention, the Greek junta agreed not to sentence Andrew to death if he left the country.

The family was not exactly poor but, Philip said: “We weren’t well off” — and they got by with help from relatives. He later brought only his navy pay to a marriage with one of the world’s richest women.

Philip’s parents drifted apart when he was a child, and Andrew died in Monte Carlo in 1944. Alice founded a religious order that did not succeed and spent her old age at Buckingham Palace. A reclusive figure, often dressed in a nun’s habit, she was little seen by the British public. She died in 1969 and was posthumously honored by Britain and Israel for sheltering a Jewish family in Nazi-occupied Athens during the war.

Philip went to school in Britain and entered Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth as a cadet in 1939. He got his first posting in 1940 but was not allowed near the main war zone because he was a foreign prince of a neutral nation. When the Italian invasion of Greece ended that neutrality, he joined the war, serving on battleships in the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Pacific.

On leave in Britain, he visited his royal cousins, and, by the end of war, it was clear he was courting Princess Elizabeth, eldest child and heir of King George VI. Their engagement was announced July 10, 1947, and they were married on Nov. 20.

After an initial flurry of disapproval that Elizabeth was marrying a foreigner, Philip’s athletic skills, good looks and straight talk lent a distinct glamour to the royal family.

Elizabeth beamed in his presence, and they had a son and daughter while she was still free of the obligations of serving as monarch.

But King George VI died of cancer in 1952 at age 56.

Philip had to give up his naval career, and his subservient status was formally sealed at the coronation, when he knelt before his wife and pledged to become “her liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship.”

The change in Philip’s life was dramatic.

“Within the house, and whatever we did, it was together,” Philip told biographer Basil Boothroyd of the years before Elizabeth became queen. “People used to come to me and ask me what to do. In 1952, the whole thing changed, very, very considerably.”

Said Boothroyd: “He had a choice between just tagging along, the second handshake in the receiving line, or finding other outlets for his bursting energies.”

So Philip took over management of the royal estates and expanded his travels to all corners of the world, building a role for himself.

From 1956, he was Patron and Chairman of Trustees for the largest youth activity program in Britain, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a program of practical, cultural and adventurous activities for young people that exists in over 100 countries. Millions of British children have had some contact with the award and its famous camping expeditions.

He painted, collected modern art, was interested in industrial design and planned a garden at Windsor Castle. But, he once said, “the arts world thinks of me as an uncultured, polo-playing clot.”

In time, the famous blond hair thinned and the long, fine-boned face acquired a few lines. He gave up polo but remained trim and vigorous.

To a friend’s suggestion that he ease up a bit, the prince is said to have replied, “Well, what would I do? Sit around and knit?”

But when he turned 90 in 2011, Philip told the BBC he was “winding down” his workload and he reckoned he had “done my bit.”

The next few years saw occasional hospital stays as Philip’s health flagged.

He announced in May 2017 that he planned to step back from royal duties, and he stopped scheduling new commitments — after roughly 22,000 royal engagements since his wife’s coronation. In 2019, he gave up his driver’s license after a serious car crash.

Philip is survived by the queen and their four children — Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — as well as eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The grandchildren are Charles’ sons, Prince William and Prince Harry; Anne’s children, Peter and Zara Phillips; Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie; and Edward’s children, Lady Louise and Viscount Severn.

The great-grandchildren are William and Kate’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie; Savannah and Isla, the daughters of Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn; Mia, Lena and Lucas, the children of Zara Phillips and her husband, Mike Tindall; and Eugenie’s son, August, with her husband, Jack Brooksbank

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613578226437.png" alt="Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh during a stop in Virginia with Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh during a stop in Virginia with Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Prince Philip, the irascible and tough-minded husband of Queen Elizabeth II who spent more than seven decades supporting his wife in a role that both defined and constricted his life, has died, Buckingham Palace said Friday. He was 99.His life spanned nearly a century of European history, starting with his birth as a member of the Greek royal family and ending as Britain’s longest serving consort during a turbulent reign in which the thousand-year-old monarchy was forced to reinvent itself for the 21st century.He was known for his occasionally racist and sexist remarks — and for gamely fulfilling more than 20,000 royal engagements to boost British interests at home and abroad. He headed hundreds of charities, founded programs that helped British schoolchildren participate in challenging outdoor adventures, and played a prominent part in raising his four children, including his eldest son, Prince Charles, the heir to the throne.Philip spent a month in hospital earlier this year before being released on March 16 to return to Windsor Castle.“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the palace said. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”Philip saw his sole role as providing support for his wife, who began her reign as Britain retreated from empire and steered the monarchy through decades of declining social deference and U.K. power into a modern world where people demand intimacy from their icons.In the 1970s, Michael Parker, an old navy friend and former private secretary of the prince, said of him: “He told me the first day he offered me my job, that his job — first, second and last — was never to let her down.”Speaking outside 10 Downing St., Prime Minister Boris Johnson noted the support Philip provided to the queen, saying he “helped to steer the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.”The queen, a very private person not given to extravagant displays of affection, once called him “her rock” in public.In private, Philip called his wife Lilibet; but he referred to her in conversation with others as “The Queen.”Over the decades, Philip’s image changed from that of handsome, dashing athlete to arrogant and insensitive curmudgeon. In his later years, the image finally settled into that of droll and philosophical observer of the times, an elderly, craggy-faced man who maintained his military bearing despite ailments.The popular Netflix series “The Crown” gave Philip a central role, with a slightly racy, swashbuckling image. He never commented on it in public, but the portrayal struck a chord with many Britons, including younger viewers who had only known him as an elderly man.Philip’s position was a challenging one — there is no official role for the husband of a sovereign queen — and his life was marked by extraordinary contradictions between his public and private duties. He always walked three paces behind his wife in public, in a show of deference to the monarch, but he was the head of the family in private. Still, his son Charles, as heir to the throne, had a larger income, as well as access to the high-level government papers Philip was not permitted to see.Philip often took a wry approach to his unusual place at the royal table.“Constitutionally, I don’t exist,” said Philip, who in 2009 became the longest-serving consort in British history, surpassing Queen Charlotte, who married King George III in the18th century.He frequently struggled to find his place — a friction that would later be echoed in his grandson Prince Harry’s decision to give up royal duties.“There was no precedent,” he said in a rare interview with the BBC to mark his 90th birthday. “If I asked somebody, ‘What do you expect me to do?’ they all looked blank.”But having given up a promising naval career to become consort when Elizabeth became queen at age 25, Philip was not content to stay on the sidelines and enjoy a life of ease and wealth. He promoted British industry and science, espoused environmental preservation long before it became fashionable, and traveled widely and frequently in support of his many charities.In those frequent public appearances, Philip developed a reputation for being impatient and demanding and was sometimes blunt to the point of rudeness.Many Britons appreciated what they saw as his propensity to speak his mind, while others criticized behavior they labeled offensive and out of touch.In 1995, for example, he asked a Scottish driving instructor, “How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?” Seven years later in Australia, when visiting Aboriginal people with the queen, he asked: “Do you still throw spears at each other?”Many believe his propensity to speak his mind meant he provided needed, unvarnished advice to the queen.“The way that he survived in the British monarchy system was to be his own man, and that was a source of support to the queen,” said royal historian Robert Lacey. “All her life she was surrounded by men who said, ‘yes ma’am’ and he was one man who always told her how it really was, or at least how he saw it.”Lacey said at the time of the royal family’s difficult relations with Princess Diana after her marriage to Charles broke down, Philip spoke for the family with authority, showing that he did not automatically defer to the queen.Philip’s relationship with Diana became complicated as her separation from Charles and their eventual divorce played out in a series of public battles that damaged the monarchy’s standing.It was widely assumed that he was critical of Diana’s use of broadcast interviews, including one in which she accused Charles of infidelity. But letters between Philip and Diana released after her death showed that the older man was at times supportive of his daughter-in-law.After Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris in 1997, Philip had to endure allegations by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed that he had plotted the princess’s death. Al Fayed’s son, Dodi, also died in the crash.During a lengthy inquest into their deaths, a senior judge acting as coroner instructed the jury that there was no evidence to support the allegations against Philip, who did not publicly respond to Al Fayed’s charges.Philip’s final years were clouded by controversy and fissures in the royal family.His third child, Prince Andrew, was embroiled in scandal over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.U.S. authorities accused Andrew of rebuffing their request to interview him as a witness, and Andrew faced accusations from a woman who said that she had several sexual encounters with the prince at Epstein’s behest. He denied the claim but withdrew from public royal duties amid the scandal.At the start of 2020, Philip’s grandson Harry and his wife, the American former actress Meghan Markle, announced they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America to escape intense media scrutiny that they found unbearable.Born June 10, 1921, on the dining room table at his parents’ home on the Greek island of Corfu, Philip was the fifth child and only son of Prince Andrew, younger brother of the king of Greece. His grandfather had come from Denmark during the 1860s to be adopted by Greece as the country’s monarch.Philip’s mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg, a descendent of German princes. Like his future wife, Elizabeth, Philip was also a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria.When Philip was 18 months old, his parents fled to France. His father, an army commander, had been tried after a devastating military defeat by the Turks. After British intervention, the Greek junta agreed not to sentence Andrew to death if he left the country.The family was not exactly poor but, Philip said: “We weren’t well off” — and they got by with help from relatives. He later brought only his navy pay to a marriage with one of the world’s richest women.Philip’s parents drifted apart when he was a child, and Andrew died in Monte Carlo in 1944. Alice founded a religious order that did not succeed and spent her old age at Buckingham Palace. A reclusive figure, often dressed in a nun’s habit, she was little seen by the British public. She died in 1969 and was posthumously honored by Britain and Israel for sheltering a Jewish family in Nazi-occupied Athens during the war.Philip went to school in Britain and entered Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth as a cadet in 1939. He got his first posting in 1940 but was not allowed near the main war zone because he was a foreign prince of a neutral nation. When the Italian invasion of Greece ended that neutrality, he joined the war, serving on battleships in the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Pacific.On leave in Britain, he visited his royal cousins, and, by the end of war, it was clear he was courting Princess Elizabeth, eldest child and heir of King George VI. Their engagement was announced July 10, 1947, and they were married on Nov. 20.After an initial flurry of disapproval that Elizabeth was marrying a foreigner, Philip’s athletic skills, good looks and straight talk lent a distinct glamour to the royal family.Elizabeth beamed in his presence, and they had a son and daughter while she was still free of the obligations of serving as monarch.But King George VI died of cancer in 1952 at age 56.Philip had to give up his naval career, and his subservient status was formally sealed at the coronation, when he knelt before his wife and pledged to become “her liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship.”The change in Philip’s life was dramatic.“Within the house, and whatever we did, it was together,” Philip told biographer Basil Boothroyd of the years before Elizabeth became queen. “People used to come to me and ask me what to do. In 1952, the whole thing changed, very, very considerably.”Said Boothroyd: “He had a choice between just tagging along, the second handshake in the receiving line, or finding other outlets for his bursting energies.”So Philip took over management of the royal estates and expanded his travels to all corners of the world, building a role for himself.From 1956, he was Patron and Chairman of Trustees for the largest youth activity program in Britain, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a program of practical, cultural and adventurous activities for young people that exists in over 100 countries. Millions of British children have had some contact with the award and its famous camping expeditions.He painted, collected modern art, was interested in industrial design and planned a garden at Windsor Castle. But, he once said, “the arts world thinks of me as an uncultured, polo-playing clot.”In time, the famous blond hair thinned and the long, fine-boned face acquired a few lines. He gave up polo but remained trim and vigorous.To a friend’s suggestion that he ease up a bit, the prince is said to have replied, “Well, what would I do? Sit around and knit?”But when he turned 90 in 2011, Philip told the BBC he was “winding down” his workload and he reckoned he had “done my bit.”The next few years saw occasional hospital stays as Philip’s health flagged.He announced in May 2017 that he planned to step back from royal duties, and he stopped scheduling new commitments — after roughly 22,000 royal engagements since his wife’s coronation. In 2019, he gave up his driver’s license after a serious car crash.Philip is survived by the queen and their four children — Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — as well as eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.The grandchildren are Charles’ sons, Prince William and Prince Harry; Anne’s children, Peter and Zara Phillips; Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie; and Edward’s children, Lady Louise and Viscount Severn.The great-grandchildren are William and Kate’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie; Savannah and Isla, the daughters of Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn; Mia, Lena and Lucas, the children of Zara Phillips and her husband, Mike Tindall; and Eugenie’s son, August, with her husband, Jack Brooksbank

More on death of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas conservatives appeared likely Friday to push a proposed ban on transgender athletes in girl’s and women’s school sports through the Republican-controlled Legislature but weren’t generating enough support to overcome a possible veto by the state’s Democratic governor.

The House approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb55_02_student_athletes.pdf" target="_blank">the bill</a>&nbsp;late Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408234417_335249/" target="_blank">76-43.</a>&nbsp;The Senate was expected to follow sometime Friday and send the measure to Gov. Laura Kelly.

Kansas is among more than 20 states that have considered such a ban this year, pushing back against an executive order from Democratic President Joe Biden aimed at preventing discrimination against transgender students. Idaho enacted such a ban last year, and Republican governors in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee have signed measures into law this year.

“It’s about scoring points in the culture wars,” said Democratic state Rep. Boog Highberger, of Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas. “Instead of finding new ways to persecute people for being the way that God made them, why don’t we work on understanding — increasing our understanding and compassion instead.”

“I don’t mistreat any student. They have a right to live their life however they want,” said Republican state Sen. Renee Erickson, of Wichita, a former K-12 school principal and ex-college basketball point guard who is the measure’s primary sponsor. “But we also have to be fair to all of the students in that school setting. That’s what this bill does.”

With Idaho’s law on hold because of a federal lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union has promised to file a lawsuit if Kansas enacts a law.

But if Kelly vetoed the bill, conservatives would need two-thirds majorities in both chambers to override her action. They were eight votes short in the 125-member House, and LGBTQ-rights advocates also think the bill would be short in the 40-member Senate as well.

The threat of a lawsuit — and arguments that Kansas could lose collegiate sports tournaments or business development — irritated some conservative lawmakers.

Supporters of such bans have pointed repeatedly to the 15 championships won between 2017 and 2019 by two transgender high school runners in Connecticut, which prompted a federal lawsuit. They argue that “biological boys” have innate physical advantages in girls’ and women’s sports that would ruin competition.

“We cannot allow the business community to bully the women and girls in Kansas,” said state Rep. Barbara Wasinger, a western Kansas Republican.

Yet supporters generally have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawmakers-unable-to-cite-local-trans-girls-sports-914a982545e943ecc1e265e8c41042e7">unable to cite local examples</a>&nbsp;of problems. The association overseeing extracurricular activities in Kansas K-12 schools says it has been notified of only five active transgender athletes, and there is no known case of a transgender athlete having won a Kansas championship.

State Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Kansas City-area Democrat, called the proposal “morally wrong,” but also argued that enacting the ban would be “shooting ourselves in the economic foot.” Rep. Brandon Woodard, another Kansas City-area Democrat and one of two openly gay lawmakers, said young people already leaving Kansas “in droves” over “backward policies.”

LGBTQ-rights advocates predicted that enacting the bill would increase&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-legislature-discrimination-kansas-bullying-576f42af35ef03f81dd930b487797a8b">bullying&nbsp;</a>of transgender students.

Freshman Democratic Rep. Stephanie Byers, of Wichita, the state’s first transgender lawmaker, read from a note left by a harassed transgender Ohio girl who committed suicide in 2014, urging people “to fix society.”

“This is about someone who is different that you may not understand and your desire to prevent them from being a part of our society in all fullness,” she told her colleagues. “Trans girls are girls. Trans women are women.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas conservatives appeared likely Friday to push a proposed ban on transgender athletes in girl’s and women’s school sports through the Republican-controlled Legislature but weren’t generating enough support to overcome a possible veto by the state’s Democratic governor.The House approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb55_02_student_athletes.pdf" target="_blank">the bill</a>&nbsp;late Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210408234417_335249/" target="_blank">76-43.</a>&nbsp;The Senate was expected to follow sometime Friday and send the measure to Gov. Laura Kelly.The Democratic governor typically does not say what she’ll do with legislation before it reaches her desk, but she has dropped strong hints that she plans to veto such a ban. She’s a supporter of LGBTQ rights, and she’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-discrimination-kansas-gender-identity-64dcb878d8f393098437dcd87e6a352f">called the bill “regressive”</a>&nbsp;and suggested it would hurt the state’s efforts to recruit businesses — an argument critics echoed during the House’s debate.Kansas is among more than 20 states that have considered such a ban this year, pushing back against an executive order from Democratic President Joe Biden aimed at preventing discrimination against transgender students. Idaho enacted such a ban last year, and Republican governors in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee have signed measures into law this year.“It’s about scoring points in the culture wars,” said Democratic state Rep. Boog Highberger, of Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas. “Instead of finding new ways to persecute people for being the way that God made them, why don’t we work on understanding — increasing our understanding and compassion instead.”Supporters argued that they’re trying to preserving decades of hard-won opportunities for “biological” girls and women to compete in K-12 sports and win college athletic scholarships. They suggested that failing to enact such a ban represented discrimination against girls and women.“I don’t mistreat any student. They have a right to live their life however they want,” said Republican state Sen. Renee Erickson, of Wichita, a former K-12 school principal and ex-college basketball point guard who is the measure’s primary sponsor. “But we also have to be fair to all of the students in that school setting. That’s what this bill does.”With Idaho’s law on hold because of a federal lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union has promised to file a lawsuit if Kansas enacts a law.But if Kelly vetoed the bill, conservatives would need two-thirds majorities in both chambers to override her action. They were eight votes short in the 125-member House, and LGBTQ-rights advocates also think the bill would be short in the 40-member Senate as well.The threat of a lawsuit — and arguments that Kansas could lose collegiate sports tournaments or business development — irritated some conservative lawmakers.Supporters of such bans have pointed repeatedly to the 15 championships won between 2017 and 2019 by two transgender high school runners in Connecticut, which prompted a federal lawsuit. They argue that “biological boys” have innate physical advantages in girls’ and women’s sports that would ruin competition.“We cannot allow the business community to bully the women and girls in Kansas,” said state Rep. Barbara Wasinger, a western Kansas Republican.Yet supporters generally have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawmakers-unable-to-cite-local-trans-girls-sports-914a982545e943ecc1e265e8c41042e7">unable to cite local examples</a>&nbsp;of problems. The association overseeing extracurricular activities in Kansas K-12 schools says it has been notified of only five active transgender athletes, and there is no known case of a transgender athlete having won a Kansas championship.State Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Kansas City-area Democrat, called the proposal “morally wrong,” but also argued that enacting the ban would be “shooting ourselves in the economic foot.” Rep. Brandon Woodard, another Kansas City-area Democrat and one of two openly gay lawmakers, said young people already leaving Kansas “in droves” over “backward policies.”LGBTQ-rights advocates predicted that enacting the bill would increase&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-legislature-discrimination-kansas-bullying-576f42af35ef03f81dd930b487797a8b">bullying&nbsp;</a>of transgender students.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614129390572.png" alt="Rep. Stephanie Byers" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Stephanie Byers</figcaption>
 </figure>Freshman Democratic Rep. Stephanie Byers, of Wichita, the state’s first transgender lawmaker, read from a note left by a harassed transgender Ohio girl who committed suicide in 2014, urging people “to fix society.”“This is about someone who is different that you may not understand and your desire to prevent them from being a part of our society in all fullness,” she told her colleagues. “Trans girls are girls. Trans women are women.”___

Kansas House approves bill that bans transgender athletes

NORTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Northwest Kansas are investigating two suspects after a significant drug bust.

On Tuesday, Norton Police along with the Phillips County Sheriff's Department furthered their investigation into an illegal narcotics ring, according to a media release. The combined effort resulted in the seizure of 4 and one half pounds of meth, 50 Fentanyl tablets, a quantity of marijuana, $700 cash and the vehicle used to transported the illegal drugs.

They also made to arrests. The estimated street value of all the drugs is approximately $80-$90,000, according to police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617965203496.png" alt="The estimated street value of all the drugs is approximately $80-$90,000- photo Norton Police" />
 <figcaption>The estimated street value of all the drugs is approximately $80-$90,000- photo Norton Police</figcaption>
 </figure>NORTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Northwest Kansas are investigating two suspects after a significant drug bust.On Tuesday, Norton Police along with the Phillips County Sheriff's Department furthered their investigation into an illegal narcotics ring, according to a media release. The combined effort resulted in the seizure of 4 and one half pounds of meth, 50 Fentanyl tablets, a quantity of marijuana, $700 cash and the vehicle used to transported the illegal drugs.They also made to arrests. The estimated street value of all the drugs is approximately $80-$90,000, according to police.