Accidental overdoses are now the No. 1 cause of death for young people in 37 states, including Missouri

BY: TIM HENDERSON,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>&nbsp;

A new Stateline analysis shows that U.S. residents under 40 were relatively unscathed by COVID-19 in the pandemic but fell victim to another killer: accidental drug overdose deaths.

Death rates in the age group were up by nearly a third in 2021 over 2018, and last year were still 21% higher.

COVID-19 was a small part of the increase, causing about 23,000 deaths total between 2018 and 2022 in the age group, which includes the millennial generation (born starting in the early 1980s), Generation Z (born starting in the late ’90s) and children. Vehicle accidents and suicide (about 96,000 each) and gun homicide (about 65,000) all took a cumulative toll from 2018 to 2022, according to a Stateline analysis of federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Overdose deaths, however, took almost 177,000 lives in that time.

Accidental overdose became the No. 1 cause of death in 13 states for people under 40, overtaking suicide in nine states and vehicle accidents in five others; it’s now the top cause in 37 states. The only other change was in Mississippi, where homicide became the main cause of death, overtaking car accidents. In 40 states and the District of Columbia, overdose was the biggest increase in deaths for young people.

States are responding to the skyrocketing death rates with “harm reduction” strategies that can include warning of the new danger of recreational drugs laced with deadly fentanyl, training and equipping people to counteract overdoses when they see them, and even considering controversial supervised drug use sites to keep addicts safer.

A “fourth great wave” of accidental overdose deaths driven by drugs spiked with powerful fentanyl is now washing over young America, said Daliah Heller, vice president of drug use initiatives at Vital Strategies, an international advocacy group that works on strengthening public health.

Prescription opioids led to one surge in drug dependency from 2000 to 2016, then when supply waned in response to crackdowns, users turned to heroin, synthetic opioids and finally fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin and easier to get in the pandemic, Heller said.

Jonathan Diehl of Silver Spring, Maryland, died in 2019 at age 28 after using heroin he likely did not know was spiked with fentanyl, said his mother, Cristina Rabadán-Diehl. Jonathan Diehl earned a degree in construction management and was starting a promising new job in home heating and air conditioning four days before he died, his mother said.

“I think Jonathan’s trajectory was very common,” said Rabadán-Diehl, who now works as an adviser on substance use disorders. “He started with opioid pills, and when the government started putting restrictions on prescriptions, he as well as millions and millions of Americans transitioned into the illegal market. And then fentanyl made its appearance.”

Now, a fresh wave of overdose deaths — different from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395919300180#:~:text=The%20triple%20wave%20epidemic%3A%20opioid,methadone%20(Ciccarone%2C%202017)">the first three</a>&nbsp;— is fed by fentanyl making its way into all kind of recreational drugs, and by pandemic isolation that led to more solitary drug use, Heller said.

“Somebody might think they’re getting a Xanax [for anxiety], or methamphetamine or cocaine,” Heller said. “They have no experience with opioids, it’s not what they’re expecting and now they have a much higher risk of overdose and death.”

Authorities generally classify overdose deaths as an accident or suicide based on individual investigations of the circumstances surrounding each death.

States struggling the most with deaths of young people, driven mostly by accidental overdoses, include New Mexico, which eclipsed West Virginia and Mississippi since 2018 to have the highest death rate in the nation for people under 40 — about 188 deaths per 100,000, up 43% since 2018.

Other states with high death rates for the age group include West Virginia (170 deaths per 100,000), Louisiana and Mississippi (164), and Alaska (163).

In New Mexico, where accidental overdoses became the main cause of death for people under 40 in 2022, overtaking suicide and rising 90% to 394 deaths since 2018, the overdose problem has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ibis.doh.nm.gov/indicator/summary/DrugOverdoseED.html">generally been concentrated</a>&nbsp;in poverty-plagued rural areas such as Rio Arriba County on the Colorado border.

Democratic state Rep. Tara Lujan, who has relatives in that county, sponsored&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=H&amp;legType=B&amp;legNo=52&amp;year=22">harm reduction legislation</a>&nbsp;signed into law last year. It is similar to laws in many other states that include wide distribution of naloxone to reverse overdoses, legalized testing equipment for deadly additives like fentanyl, and good Samaritan laws that allow friends to report overdoses without legal consequences for their own drug use.

Lujan hopes to reintroduce a bill that would create so-called overdose prevention centers or harm reduction centers where drugs can be used in a supervised and safe environment. The legislation died in committee this year after Republicans called the idea “state-sponsored drug dens.”

“It’s all issues that were in place before the pandemic, but the pandemic made everything completely off the rails,” Lujan said. “My committee meetings have been packed with family members saying, ‘We know they won’t quit on their own, but we don’t want them to die.’”

Only New York City has two such facilities in operation, run by advocates; the sites claim some success in reversing overdoses. But federal law enforcement authorities are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/08/nyregion/drug-overdoses-supervised-consumption-nyc.html">threatening to shut them down</a>&nbsp;without a specific state mandate, since otherwise they fall under a federal law banning operations that allow illegal drug use on-site.

In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom last year&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SB-57-veto-msg-August-22-2022.pdf">vetoed</a>&nbsp;legislation that would have allowed jurisdictions to open safe injection sites, saying they “could induce a world of unintended consequences” in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland.

“Worsening drug consumption challenges in these areas is not a risk we can take,” Newsom wrote in a veto message.

Rhode Island is the only state so far to pass legislation allowing supervised drug-use sites as a pilot project, in 2021, but&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/02/rhode-island-moves-closer-to-opening-first-overdose-prevention-center#:~:text=According%20to%20Marshall%2C%20the%20delay,a%20licensing%20procedure%2C%20he%20said.">has yet to open any centers</a>. New legislation&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/billtext23/housetext23/h5044.htm">introduced this year</a>&nbsp;would push the expiration of the pilot project from 2024 to 2026.

Bills on the same topic of supervised drug-use sites were under consideration this year in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1202">Colorado</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2&amp;GAID=17&amp;DocTypeID=HB&amp;LegId=141833&amp;SessionID=112&amp;GA=103">Illinois</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?default_fld=%0D%0A&amp;leg_video=&amp;bn=S00399&amp;term=2023&amp;Actions=Y">New York</a>&nbsp;but did not pass.

In a sign of the impact on young people, a Massachusetts bill would have required all state university dorm assistants to have naloxone training to reverse overdoses, but it stalled.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wmur.com/article/overdose-prevention-van-to-deliver-life-saving-resources-across-new-hampshire/43065554">New Hampshire</a>&nbsp;is one of several states experimenting with vans that go to known drug-use locations and offer overdose prevention supplies and advice.

The lowest death rates for young people in 2022 were in Hawaii (78), Massachusetts and Rhode Island (79), and Utah and New Jersey (80). Massachusetts and New Jersey were the only states to see decreases in overall deaths for people under 40 since 2018, and also had drops in overdose deaths, although overdose remained the No. 1 cause of death for young people in both states.

Nationally, accidental overdoses dominated the increase in deaths in residents under 40 across racial and urban-rural divides, but many disparities exist. The increase in young overdose death rates was 154% for Black Americans, 122% for Hispanic residents and 37% for white people, yet even for white residents they represented the largest increase.

The largest urban areas saw increases in overdose death rates of 70%, and rural areas 64% — the largest increases in both areas for any cause of death.

Across races and age groups overdose death rates are higher for men and slowed in 2017, but picked up again after 2018 and skyrocketed in the pandemic until 2021, according to a federal National Center for Health Statistics&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm%5C">data brief</a>&nbsp;published last year.

<h2>Accidental overdoses are now the No. 1 cause of death for young people in 37 states, including Missouri</h2>BY: TIM HENDERSON,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>&nbsp;A new Stateline analysis shows that U.S. residents under 40 were relatively unscathed by COVID-19 in the pandemic but fell victim to another killer: accidental drug overdose deaths.Death rates in the age group were up by nearly a third in 2021 over 2018, and last year were still 21% higher.COVID-19 was a small part of the increase, causing about 23,000 deaths total between 2018 and 2022 in the age group, which includes the millennial generation (born starting in the early 1980s), Generation Z (born starting in the late ’90s) and children. Vehicle accidents and suicide (about 96,000 each) and gun homicide (about 65,000) all took a cumulative toll from 2018 to 2022, according to a Stateline analysis of federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.Overdose deaths, however, took almost 177,000 lives in that time.Accidental overdose became the No. 1 cause of death in 13 states for people under 40, overtaking suicide in nine states and vehicle accidents in five others; it’s now the top cause in 37 states. The only other change was in Mississippi, where homicide became the main cause of death, overtaking car accidents. In 40 states and the District of Columbia, overdose was the biggest increase in deaths for young people.States are responding to the skyrocketing death rates with “harm reduction” strategies that can include warning of the new danger of recreational drugs laced with deadly fentanyl, training and equipping people to counteract overdoses when they see them, and even considering controversial supervised drug use sites to keep addicts safer.A “fourth great wave” of accidental overdose deaths driven by drugs spiked with powerful fentanyl is now washing over young America, said Daliah Heller, vice president of drug use initiatives at Vital Strategies, an international advocacy group that works on strengthening public health.Prescription opioids led to one surge in drug dependency from 2000 to 2016, then when supply waned in response to crackdowns, users turned to heroin, synthetic opioids and finally fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin and easier to get in the pandemic, Heller said.<h2>‘Very common’ experience</h2>Jonathan Diehl of Silver Spring, Maryland, died in 2019 at age 28 after using heroin he likely did not know was spiked with fentanyl, said his mother, Cristina Rabadán-Diehl. Jonathan Diehl earned a degree in construction management and was starting a promising new job in home heating and air conditioning four days before he died, his mother said.“I think Jonathan’s trajectory was very common,” said Rabadán-Diehl, who now works as an adviser on substance use disorders. “He started with opioid pills, and when the government started putting restrictions on prescriptions, he as well as millions and millions of Americans transitioned into the illegal market. And then fentanyl made its appearance.”Now, a fresh wave of overdose deaths — different from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395919300180#:~:text=The%20triple%20wave%20epidemic%3A%20opioid,methadone%20(Ciccarone%2C%202017)">the first three</a>&nbsp;— is fed by fentanyl making its way into all kind of recreational drugs, and by pandemic isolation that led to more solitary drug use, Heller said.“Somebody might think they’re getting a Xanax [for anxiety], or methamphetamine or cocaine,” Heller said. “They have no experience with opioids, it’s not what they’re expecting and now they have a much higher risk of overdose and death.”Authorities generally classify overdose deaths as an accident or suicide based on individual investigations of the circumstances surrounding each death.States struggling the most with deaths of young people, driven mostly by accidental overdoses, include New Mexico, which eclipsed West Virginia and Mississippi since 2018 to have the highest death rate in the nation for people under 40 — about 188 deaths per 100,000, up 43% since 2018.Other states with high death rates for the age group include West Virginia (170 deaths per 100,000), Louisiana and Mississippi (164), and Alaska (163).In New Mexico, where accidental overdoses became the main cause of death for people under 40 in 2022, overtaking suicide and rising 90% to 394 deaths since 2018, the overdose problem has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ibis.doh.nm.gov/indicator/summary/DrugOverdoseED.html">generally been concentrated</a>&nbsp;in poverty-plagued rural areas such as Rio Arriba County on the Colorado border.Democratic state Rep. Tara Lujan, who has relatives in that county, sponsored&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=H&amp;legType=B&amp;legNo=52&amp;year=22">harm reduction legislation</a>&nbsp;signed into law last year. It is similar to laws in many other states that include wide distribution of naloxone to reverse overdoses, legalized testing equipment for deadly additives like fentanyl, and good Samaritan laws that allow friends to report overdoses without legal consequences for their own drug use.Lujan hopes to reintroduce a bill that would create so-called overdose prevention centers or harm reduction centers where drugs can be used in a supervised and safe environment. The legislation died in committee this year after Republicans called the idea “state-sponsored drug dens.”“It’s all issues that were in place before the pandemic, but the pandemic made everything completely off the rails,” Lujan said. “My committee meetings have been packed with family members saying, ‘We know they won’t quit on their own, but we don’t want them to die.’”Only New York City has two such facilities in operation, run by advocates; the sites claim some success in reversing overdoses. But federal law enforcement authorities are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/08/nyregion/drug-overdoses-supervised-consumption-nyc.html">threatening to shut them down</a>&nbsp;without a specific state mandate, since otherwise they fall under a federal law banning operations that allow illegal drug use on-site.In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom last year&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SB-57-veto-msg-August-22-2022.pdf">vetoed</a>&nbsp;legislation that would have allowed jurisdictions to open safe injection sites, saying they “could induce a world of unintended consequences” in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland.“Worsening drug consumption challenges in these areas is not a risk we can take,” Newsom wrote in a veto message.Rhode Island is the only state so far to pass legislation allowing supervised drug-use sites as a pilot project, in 2021, but&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/02/rhode-island-moves-closer-to-opening-first-overdose-prevention-center#:~:text=According%20to%20Marshall%2C%20the%20delay,a%20licensing%20procedure%2C%20he%20said.">has yet to open any centers</a>. New legislation&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/billtext23/housetext23/h5044.htm">introduced this year</a>&nbsp;would push the expiration of the pilot project from 2024 to 2026.Bills on the same topic of supervised drug-use sites were under consideration this year in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1202">Colorado</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2&amp;GAID=17&amp;DocTypeID=HB&amp;LegId=141833&amp;SessionID=112&amp;GA=103">Illinois</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?default_fld=%0D%0A&amp;leg_video=&amp;bn=S00399&amp;term=2023&amp;Actions=Y">New York</a>&nbsp;but did not pass.In a sign of the impact on young people, a Massachusetts bill would have required all state university dorm assistants to have naloxone training to reverse overdoses, but it stalled.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wmur.com/article/overdose-prevention-van-to-deliver-life-saving-resources-across-new-hampshire/43065554">New Hampshire</a>&nbsp;is one of several states experimenting with vans that go to known drug-use locations and offer overdose prevention supplies and advice.<h2>Death rate disparities</h2>The lowest death rates for young people in 2022 were in Hawaii (78), Massachusetts and Rhode Island (79), and Utah and New Jersey (80). Massachusetts and New Jersey were the only states to see decreases in overall deaths for people under 40 since 2018, and also had drops in overdose deaths, although overdose remained the No. 1 cause of death for young people in both states.Nationally, accidental overdoses dominated the increase in deaths in residents under 40 across racial and urban-rural divides, but many disparities exist. The increase in young overdose death rates was 154% for Black Americans, 122% for Hispanic residents and 37% for white people, yet even for white residents they represented the largest increase.The largest urban areas saw increases in overdose death rates of 70%, and rural areas 64% — the largest increases in both areas for any cause of death.Across races and age groups overdose death rates are higher for men and slowed in 2017, but picked up again after 2018 and skyrocketed in the pandemic until 2021, according to a federal National Center for Health Statistics&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm%5C">data brief</a>&nbsp;published last year.

Death rates for people under 40 have skyrocketed. Blame fentanyl

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting in Hutchinson and have made two arrests.

Just before 5a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 300 block West Avenue B in Hutchinson, according to a media release.&nbsp;

First responders located 18-year-old John Cantu III of Hutchinson with two gunshot wounds to his legs. It was determined that the shooting occurred in the 100 block of South Madison Street. Cantu was transported by EMS to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where he was subsequently treated and released.

At the scene, police arrested 26-year-old Sergio Luna Para and 31-year-old Demetrius Cantu both of Hutchinson on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement. Persons of interest who are acquainted with the victim have been also been identified.

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting in Hutchinson and have made two arrests.Just before 5a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 300 block West Avenue B in Hutchinson, according to a media release.&nbsp;First responders located 18-year-old John Cantu III of Hutchinson with two gunshot wounds to his legs. It was determined that the shooting occurred in the 100 block of South Madison Street. Cantu was transported by EMS to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where he was subsequently treated and released.At the scene, police arrested 26-year-old Sergio Luna Para and 31-year-old Demetrius Cantu both of Hutchinson on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement. Persons of interest who are acquainted with the victim have been also been identified.

2 arrested for shooting that hospitalized Hutchison teen

ROCHEPORT, Mo. (AP) — Onlookers online and on the banks of the Missouri River had to wait more than an hour to watch officials use explosives to drop a historic steel trestle bridge into the river that for years carried cars across the waterway along I-70.

The blast just southeast of Rocheport, Missouri, which is is about 115 miles (185.07 kilometers) east of Kansas City, was delayed by fog Sunday morning. The demolition that was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. finally happened shortly before 9 a.m. after the view was clear.

A small crowd of onlookers gathered along the banks of the river to watch the destruction with some of their heads temporarily blocking the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.modot.org/RocheportBridge">livestream</a>&nbsp;the Missouri Department of Transportation operated. Many others logged on from across the country to watch online. The feed switched to a wide shot that showed the entire bridge before the explosives were triggered.

The state said crews will work to remove the roughly 1,100-foot-long (335-meter-long) bridge from the river within 24 hours to clear the channel for boat and barge traffic.

Cars along Interstate 70 were already rerouted onto a new westbound bridge earlier this summer although the busy highway was temporarily blocked off during Sunday's demolition. A new $220 million bridge is scheduled to be completed by December 2024.

ROCHEPORT, Mo. (AP) — Onlookers online and on the banks of the Missouri River had to wait more than an hour to watch officials use explosives to drop a historic steel trestle bridge into the river that for years carried cars across the waterway along I-70.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OMVL9p2VUGU?si=rBJs4HB9qeFvBfXg&amp;start=1524" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The blast just southeast of Rocheport, Missouri, which is is about 115 miles (185.07 kilometers) east of Kansas City, was delayed by fog Sunday morning. The demolition that was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. finally happened shortly before 9 a.m. after the view was clear.A small crowd of onlookers gathered along the banks of the river to watch the destruction with some of their heads temporarily blocking the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.modot.org/RocheportBridge">livestream</a>&nbsp;the Missouri Department of Transportation operated. Many others logged on from across the country to watch online. The feed switched to a wide shot that showed the entire bridge before the explosives were triggered.The state said crews will work to remove the roughly 1,100-foot-long (335-meter-long) bridge from the river within 24 hours to clear the channel for boat and barge traffic.Cars along Interstate 70 were already rerouted onto a new westbound bridge earlier this summer although the busy highway was temporarily blocked off during Sunday's demolition. A new $220 million bridge is scheduled to be completed by December 2024.

🎥Explosives drop steel trestle bridge into the water along I-70

By JASON HANCOCK,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

A federal appeals court in Louisiana agreed on Friday evening with Missouri’s attorney general that the Biden administration “ran afoul of the First Amendment” by threatening social media platforms over posts spreading misinformation.&nbsp;

But the three-judge panel of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/10/appeals-court-weighs-limits-on-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms/#:~:text=Attorneys%20for%20the%20Biden%20administration,information%20deemed%20harmful%20or%20misleading.">5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans</a>&nbsp;concluded a lower court’s wide-ranging order barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies was “vague and broader than necessary.”

The appeals court’s Friday order vacated much of the lower court’s injunction, with the exception of a provision it narrowed concerning alleged coercion.

“As an initial matter, it is axiomatic that an injunction is overbroad if it enjoins a defendant from engaging in legal conduct,” Friday’s ruling said. “Nine of the preliminary injunction’s 10 prohibitions risk doing just that. Moreover, many of the provisions are duplicative of each other and thus unnecessary.”

The lawsuit was filed last year by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. It alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to suppress the freedom of speech.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ruled July 4 that officials under both Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-limits-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms-in-censorship-case/">coerced social media companies to censor content over concerns it would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections</a>.

Doughty, a Trump appointee, said the “widespread censorship campaign” violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment’s free speech guarantees. His order barred government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from contacting social media companies “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”

The Biden administration quickly appealed, and the 5th Circuit temporarily put the judge’s ruling on hold.

Friday’s order will not go into effect for 10 days, giving federal officials time to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.&nbsp;

Despite the appeals court limiting restrictions on the Biden administration, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey declared victory.&nbsp;

“Missouri will continue to lead the way in the fight to defend our most fundamental freedoms,” Bailey said in an emailed statement.&nbsp;

While the court limited the restrictions, Friday’s order pilloried the Biden administration’s efforts to combat misinformation by pressuring social media companies to remove posts.&nbsp;

“ …officials made express threats and, at the very least, leaned into the inherent authority of the president’s office,” Friday’s ruling stated.” The officials made inflammatory accusations, such as saying that the platforms were ‘poison[ing]’ the public, and ‘killing people.’ The platforms were told they needed to take greater responsibility and action. Then, they followed their statements with threats of ‘fundamental reforms’ like regulatory changes and increased enforcement actions that would ensure the platforms were ‘held accountable.’”

Jenin Younes, a lawyer with the New Civil Liberties Alliance, an organization representing individual plaintiffs in the case, said Friday’s ruling is a win for free speech.

“The government cannot coerce or encourage social media companies to censor views it dislikes,” Younes said.

The lawsuit has garnered widespread attention, and attracted co-plaintiffs with long histories of spreading misinformation and debunked conspiracy theories.

That includes Jim Hoft, founder of the right-wing conspiracy website Gateway Pundit, who was added to the lawsuit in August and has built a career on promulgating conspiracies on a wide range of topics, from the 2018 Parkland school shooting to former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.

More recently, Hoft has been among the biggest purveyors of election fraud lies. He currently faces&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/28/missouri-lawsuit-isnt-the-only-defamation-case-against-far-right-site-gateway-pundit/">defamation lawsuit in St. Louis circuit court</a>&nbsp;filed by two Georgia election workers who faced death threats following Gateway Pundit’s false stories about a vote-rigging scheme.&nbsp;

The lawsuit also attracted support from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/06/anti-vaxxers-seek-to-intervene-in-missouri-ag-eric-schmitts-social-media-lawsuit/">presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>., who has a long history of promoting medical misinformation such as the idea that vaccines cause autism and Wi-Fi causes cancer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578090484280.jpeg" alt="-The lawsuit alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook&nbsp;o suppress the freedom of speech." />
 <figcaption>-The lawsuit alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook&nbsp;o suppress the freedom of speech.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JASON HANCOCK,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>A federal appeals court in Louisiana agreed on Friday evening with Missouri’s attorney general that the Biden administration “ran afoul of the First Amendment” by threatening social media platforms over posts spreading misinformation.&nbsp;But the three-judge panel of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/10/appeals-court-weighs-limits-on-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms/#:~:text=Attorneys%20for%20the%20Biden%20administration,information%20deemed%20harmful%20or%20misleading.">5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans</a>&nbsp;concluded a lower court’s wide-ranging order barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies was “vague and broader than necessary.”The appeals court’s Friday order vacated much of the lower court’s injunction, with the exception of a provision it narrowed concerning alleged coercion.“As an initial matter, it is axiomatic that an injunction is overbroad if it enjoins a defendant from engaging in legal conduct,” Friday’s ruling said. “Nine of the preliminary injunction’s 10 prohibitions risk doing just that. Moreover, many of the provisions are duplicative of each other and thus unnecessary.”The lawsuit was filed last year by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. It alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to suppress the freedom of speech.U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ruled July 4 that officials under both Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-limits-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms-in-censorship-case/">coerced social media companies to censor content over concerns it would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections</a>.Doughty, a Trump appointee, said the “widespread censorship campaign” violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment’s free speech guarantees. His order barred government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from contacting social media companies “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”The Biden administration quickly appealed, and the 5th Circuit temporarily put the judge’s ruling on hold.Friday’s order will not go into effect for 10 days, giving federal officials time to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.&nbsp;Despite the appeals court limiting restrictions on the Biden administration, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey declared victory.&nbsp;“Missouri will continue to lead the way in the fight to defend our most fundamental freedoms,” Bailey said in an emailed statement.&nbsp;While the court limited the restrictions, Friday’s order pilloried the Biden administration’s efforts to combat misinformation by pressuring social media companies to remove posts.&nbsp;“ …officials made express threats and, at the very least, leaned into the inherent authority of the president’s office,” Friday’s ruling stated.” The officials made inflammatory accusations, such as saying that the platforms were ‘poison[ing]’ the public, and ‘killing people.’ The platforms were told they needed to take greater responsibility and action. Then, they followed their statements with threats of ‘fundamental reforms’ like regulatory changes and increased enforcement actions that would ensure the platforms were ‘held accountable.’”Jenin Younes, a lawyer with the New Civil Liberties Alliance, an organization representing individual plaintiffs in the case, said Friday’s ruling is a win for free speech.“The government cannot coerce or encourage social media companies to censor views it dislikes,” Younes said.The lawsuit has garnered widespread attention, and attracted co-plaintiffs with long histories of spreading misinformation and debunked conspiracy theories.That includes Jim Hoft, founder of the right-wing conspiracy website Gateway Pundit, who was added to the lawsuit in August and has built a career on promulgating conspiracies on a wide range of topics, from the 2018 Parkland school shooting to former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.More recently, Hoft has been among the biggest purveyors of election fraud lies. He currently faces&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/28/missouri-lawsuit-isnt-the-only-defamation-case-against-far-right-site-gateway-pundit/">defamation lawsuit in St. Louis circuit court</a>&nbsp;filed by two Georgia election workers who faced death threats following Gateway Pundit’s false stories about a vote-rigging scheme.&nbsp;The lawsuit also attracted support from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/06/anti-vaxxers-seek-to-intervene-in-missouri-ag-eric-schmitts-social-media-lawsuit/">presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>., who has a long history of promoting medical misinformation such as the idea that vaccines cause autism and Wi-Fi causes cancer.

Court reduces restrictions on Biden admin. contact with social media platforms

DOUGLAS COUNTY–Authorities are investigating a potential hazardous materials leak in Douglas County.

Just after 10:30 a.m. on Saturday Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) was dispatched to a reported leak of an unknown substance from a rail car that was parked on a siding near the 400 block of Locust Street in the North Lawrence neighborhood, according to&nbsp;Fire Chief Rich Llewellyn 

Members of the LDCFM’s Hazardous Materials Team responded to the incident and made contact with a witness who indicated that the rail car had started to leak a few days earlier. Procedures were immediately initiated to contain and mitigate the spill. 

The national chemical response call center CHEMTREC was consulted and based on the markings on the railcar, identified that the leaking material was a Magnesium Chloride solution. This product is regularly applied to non-paved roads for dust abatement and to paved roads for deicing purposes.

Information provided by CHEMTREK confirmed that this product presents no hazard to the community.

Douglas County Emergency Management, City of Lawernce Municipal Services &amp; Operations, Union Pacific Railroad, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are cooperating in this response. 

This joint effort aims to ensure that the cleanup process is conducted in accordance with all necessary regulations and guidelines, minimizing any potential impact on the community and the environment.

There is no ongoing leak from the rail car and there is no hazard to the surrounding area. LDCFM will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety and well-being of the community, according to&nbsp;Fire Chief Llewellyn 

There have been no injuries reported from the incident response.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694292153180.png" alt="Photo Lawrence-Douglas Co. Fire&nbsp; and Medical" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lawrence-Douglas Co. Fire&nbsp; and Medical</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY–Authorities are investigating a potential hazardous materials leak in Douglas County.Just after 10:30 a.m. on Saturday Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) was dispatched to a reported leak of an unknown substance from a rail car that was parked on a siding near the 400 block of Locust Street in the North Lawrence neighborhood, according to&nbsp;Fire Chief Rich Llewellyn Members of the LDCFM’s Hazardous Materials Team responded to the incident and made contact with a witness who indicated that the rail car had started to leak a few days earlier. Procedures were immediately initiated to contain and mitigate the spill. The national chemical response call center CHEMTREC was consulted and based on the markings on the railcar, identified that the leaking material was a Magnesium Chloride solution. This product is regularly applied to non-paved roads for dust abatement and to paved roads for deicing purposes.Information provided by CHEMTREK confirmed that this product presents no hazard to the community.Douglas County Emergency Management, City of Lawernce Municipal Services &amp; Operations, Union Pacific Railroad, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are cooperating in this response. This joint effort aims to ensure that the cleanup process is conducted in accordance with all necessary regulations and guidelines, minimizing any potential impact on the community and the environment.There is no ongoing leak from the rail car and there is no hazard to the surrounding area. LDCFM will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety and well-being of the community, according to&nbsp;Fire Chief Llewellyn There have been no injuries reported from the incident response.&nbsp;

Crews respond to substance leak from rail car in Kansas

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said Saturday at the Kansas Farm Bureau breakfast at the Kansas State Fair that he believes there is good news on the Senate side when it comes to the appropriations process as the federal fiscal year comes to a close at the end of the month.

"We've passed 12 appropriation bills in the U.S. Senate, out of the committee," Moran said. "Three of them will be on the Senate floor starting Tuesday. One of them is Ag approps. That's a good thing, because it means that we very well may complete the appropriations process, send it to the House and Ag approps will not be one of the appropriation bills that are at risk of being part of a continuing resolution, meaning that no changes would be made to the bill, we would just fund everything the way it was last year, this year. We worked hard as an Ag appropriations subcommittee member and a former chairman of that subcommittee, to make sure that Kansas priorities are included in Ag approps and we will see if we can't get it passed in the next ten days in the United States Senate. I predict that will happen."

Moran told a story about when he brought now House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, to Kansas a few years ago and how building that relationship helps keep the needs of Kansas farmers at the forefront, no matter which party may be in power at any given time.

"Kendall Hodgson in particular, in Rice County, we were at Cheryl's Cafe in Little River, where I learned that she wasn't a vegetarian, because we had coconut cream pie and cheeseburgers and we spent the afternoon at Kendall Hodgson's farm, with the neighboring farmers teaching, learning about what this piece of equipment does and what farmers do. We had her at the State Fair the next morning, where our best ambassadors, our absolute best ambassadors, no offense to any farmer that was with us in Little River, was the 4-H kids and the FFA kids who were here at the State Fair, who gave her a tour of the state fair and showed her their work and their product and their lives. Rosa DeLauro, now, is still somebody that I get greeting cards from at Christmas and we can go to her when Tracey and I need help, because we showed her, in Kansas, you showed her, in Kansas, what farmers do."&nbsp;

This year, Senate Appropriators reported all twelve individual appropriations bills out of Committee for the first time in five years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694278127802.jpeg" alt="U.S. Senator Jerry Moran spoke at the Farm Bureau Breakfast at the Kansas State Fair Saturday-Photo by Nick Gosnell" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Senator Jerry Moran spoke at the Farm Bureau Breakfast at the Kansas State Fair Saturday-Photo by Nick Gosnell</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said Saturday at the Kansas Farm Bureau breakfast at the Kansas State Fair that he believes there is good news on the Senate side when it comes to the appropriations process as the federal fiscal year comes to a close at the end of the month."We've passed 12 appropriation bills in the U.S. Senate, out of the committee," Moran said. "Three of them will be on the Senate floor starting Tuesday. One of them is Ag approps. That's a good thing, because it means that we very well may complete the appropriations process, send it to the House and Ag approps will not be one of the appropriation bills that are at risk of being part of a continuing resolution, meaning that no changes would be made to the bill, we would just fund everything the way it was last year, this year. We worked hard as an Ag appropriations subcommittee member and a former chairman of that subcommittee, to make sure that Kansas priorities are included in Ag approps and we will see if we can't get it passed in the next ten days in the United States Senate. I predict that will happen."Moran told a story about when he brought now House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, to Kansas a few years ago and how building that relationship helps keep the needs of Kansas farmers at the forefront, no matter which party may be in power at any given time."Kendall Hodgson in particular, in Rice County, we were at Cheryl's Cafe in Little River, where I learned that she wasn't a vegetarian, because we had coconut cream pie and cheeseburgers and we spent the afternoon at Kendall Hodgson's farm, with the neighboring farmers teaching, learning about what this piece of equipment does and what farmers do. We had her at the State Fair the next morning, where our best ambassadors, our absolute best ambassadors, no offense to any farmer that was with us in Little River, was the 4-H kids and the FFA kids who were here at the State Fair, who gave her a tour of the state fair and showed her their work and their product and their lives. Rosa DeLauro, now, is still somebody that I get greeting cards from at Christmas and we can go to her when Tracey and I need help, because we showed her, in Kansas, you showed her, in Kansas, what farmers do."&nbsp;This year, Senate Appropriators reported all twelve individual appropriations bills out of Committee for the first time in five years.

Moran at State Fair: Good news on ag appropriations 

Manhattan hit hottest temperature recorded, at 115 degrees

By ALLISON KITE,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Intolerable heat and humidity that hovered over Kansas last month set daily maximum temperature records across the state and rivaled all-time highs.

The heat that drove readings into the 110s and heat indices even higher served as a preview of what could become even more severe and frequent weather events as the effects of climate change worsen.&nbsp;

“This is an extreme event, but it’s not a one-off,” said Jason Furtado, an associate professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. “These are things that, unfortunately, we’re going to have to be contending with.”

In late August, a “heat dome” or high pressure system, sat over the central U.S. for days on end, bringing unrelenting heat and humidity that fogged up windows and drove the heat index in Lawrence to 134 degrees. The average high temperature in Kansas on Aug. 19 spiked at 105 degrees, and several sites across the state climbed into the 110s.&nbsp;

The hottest temperature recorded that week in Kansas was on Aug. 19, when Manhattan reached 115 degrees, the highest maximum temperature ever recorded at that site, which is part of the Kansas Mesonet, a network of weather stations across the state. Manhattan was one of three sites that recorded its highest temperature of all time between Aug. 19 and 25.&nbsp;

The all-time high temperature recorded in Kansas came during the Dust Bowl, when Alton and Fredonia hit 121 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.&nbsp;

While not the hottest ever, the August heat wave was striking because of the humidity that drove up heat indices — a measure of how hot the air feels because of the humidity.&nbsp;

The water-vapor like air can be perilous for human health.&nbsp;

Bryan Beaver, EMS physician advisor at the University of Kansas Health System, said in an interview during the heatwave that doctors were seeing a surge of patients with heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke.&nbsp;

“I would say that this is definitely one of the worst we’ve had —&nbsp;certainly in a few years,” Beaver said.&nbsp;

The National Weather Service reported the August heat wave resulted in the most consecutive days with maximum temperatures exceeding 100 degrees in more than a decade in Wichita and Salina.&nbsp;

The heat index in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, reached more than 115 degrees for five straight days, breaking the previous three-day record set in 1995.&nbsp;

Matthew Sittel, assistant climatologist, said Cherokee County in southeast Kansas saw heat indices above 105 degrees for a week straight.&nbsp;

“If I’m going to pick the place that I don’t want to be, that would be the one,” he said. “… The cumulative effects of being subjected to those extremes are potentially lethal.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690557180875.jpeg" alt="Heat records were set across Kansas last month as both temperatures and humidity soared.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Heat records were set across Kansas last month as both temperatures and humidity soared.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Manhattan hit hottest temperature recorded, at 115 degrees</h2>By ALLISON KITE,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>Intolerable heat and humidity that hovered over Kansas last month set daily maximum temperature records across the state and rivaled all-time highs.The heat that drove readings into the 110s and heat indices even higher served as a preview of what could become even more severe and frequent weather events as the effects of climate change worsen.&nbsp;“This is an extreme event, but it’s not a one-off,” said Jason Furtado, an associate professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. “These are things that, unfortunately, we’re going to have to be contending with.”In late August, a “heat dome” or high pressure system, sat over the central U.S. for days on end, bringing unrelenting heat and humidity that fogged up windows and drove the heat index in Lawrence to 134 degrees. The average high temperature in Kansas on Aug. 19 spiked at 105 degrees, and several sites across the state climbed into the 110s.&nbsp;The hottest temperature recorded that week in Kansas was on Aug. 19, when Manhattan reached 115 degrees, the highest maximum temperature ever recorded at that site, which is part of the Kansas Mesonet, a network of weather stations across the state. Manhattan was one of three sites that recorded its highest temperature of all time between Aug. 19 and 25.&nbsp;The all-time high temperature recorded in Kansas came during the Dust Bowl, when Alton and Fredonia hit 121 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.&nbsp;While not the hottest ever, the August heat wave was striking because of the humidity that drove up heat indices — a measure of how hot the air feels because of the humidity.&nbsp;The water-vapor like air can be perilous for human health.&nbsp;Bryan Beaver, EMS physician advisor at the University of Kansas Health System, said in an interview during the heatwave that doctors were seeing a surge of patients with heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke.&nbsp;“I would say that this is definitely one of the worst we’ve had —&nbsp;certainly in a few years,” Beaver said.&nbsp;The National Weather Service reported the August heat wave resulted in the most consecutive days with maximum temperatures exceeding 100 degrees in more than a decade in Wichita and Salina.&nbsp;The heat index in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, reached more than 115 degrees for five straight days, breaking the previous three-day record set in 1995.&nbsp;Matthew Sittel, assistant climatologist, said Cherokee County in southeast Kansas saw heat indices above 105 degrees for a week straight.&nbsp;“If I’m going to pick the place that I don’t want to be, that would be the one,” he said. “… The cumulative effects of being subjected to those extremes are potentially lethal.”

August heat wave set records in parts of Kansas

KANSAS CITY– Trevor Scott Sparks, a Kansas City federal defendant who escaped after trial and was recaptured, was sentenced in federal district court Tuesday for his role in leading a $4.1 million heavily armed drug-trafficking conspiracy, and directing two kidnappings, both resulting in murders, and numerous assaults, according to the United State's Attorney.

The drug trafficking organization (DTO) Sparks led distributed approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas in 2017 and 2018.

Sparks, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to life imprisonment, plus 60 months consecutive, in federal prison without parole on the drug, money, and gun charges, all consecutive to 33 months for the escape.&nbsp; The court also ordered Sparks to pay a money judgment of $400,000.00, which represents the profits he received from the drug-trafficking conspiracy. That forfeiture amount is based on the unlawful distribution of approximately 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average street sale price of $7,500.00 per kilogram, and an average cost to the DTO of $3,500.00 a kilogram.&nbsp; Sparks and the co-conspirators he supplied are believed to have distributed approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in less than 2 years.

On November 7th, 2022, Sparks was found guilty by a jury of all counts presented during the weeklong trial.&nbsp; The charges included participating in conspiracies to distribute methamphetamine and launder drug proceeds from January 1, 2017, to December 18, 2018, possessing firearms in relation to that drug-trafficking crime, and to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.&nbsp; Sparks and several of his co-conspirators were arrested out of a residence on Smart Avenue in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri, on December 18, 2018.&nbsp; Located in that residence were numerous firearms, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, United States currency, drug ledgers, and other indicia of drug trafficking.&nbsp; This is the same residence where at least two of the DTO related assaults occurred. &nbsp;&nbsp;

While no one was charged with nor convicted at trial of it, members of the Sparks DTO were found responsible at sentencing by the Court for two murders. In early August 2018, James “Old School” Hampton was seized in St. Louis by members of the Sparks DTO at the direction of Sparks.&nbsp; Hampton was seized because the drug conspiracy was convinced Hampton could help find the drugs and money stolen by co-conspirator David Richards. When they realized Hampton could not or would not help, Hampton was restrained, beaten, and tortured. Hampton was then kidnapped and transported from St. Louis to Kansas City in the trunk of his own car. Brittanie Broyles, who was with Hampton and witnessed him being beaten, tortured, restrained, and kidnapped, was also kidnapped and taken to Kansas City.&nbsp; Once in Kansas City, Hampton was left in the trunk of his car and he and his car were secreted in a co-conspirator’s garage near the Smart residence. Broyles managed to obtain control of another co-conspirator’s cellular telephone and surreptitiously send text messages to friends and family in St. Louis about her and “Old School’s” plight.&nbsp; Once that was discovered by the DTO, Sparks directed the DTO to move from one hotel to another, thereby thwarting efforts to locate Broyles. Her friends and family and law enforcement were unable to locate her before she was murdered by members of the Sparks DTO.

On August 6, 2018, Hampton’s car and body were discovered burning in Bates City, Missouri.&nbsp; This was after members of the DTO retrieved Hampton’s car (and body) from the secreted location and Sparks directed them to take it and burn it because of the odor emanating from the vehicle and to destroy the evidence and Hampton’s body.&nbsp; Witnesses and video identified Co-Defendant Gerald Lee Ginnings of Grandview, Missouri, being followed by Co-Defendant Markus Michael A. Patterson, of Kansas City, Missouri, in another co-conspirator’s car, as Ginnings drove Hampton’s car with his body in the trunk to Bates City, Missouri, where it was found by the Sni Valley Fire Department fully engulfed.&nbsp; Once they extinguished the flames, Hampton’s desecrated body was found in what was left of the trunk.&nbsp; Sparks forgave a drug debt of Ginnings for this duty.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

On August 8, 2018, Broyles’s body was recovered near the Super Flea in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri. She had been murdered by two gunshots to her head.&nbsp; While not charged nor convicted of it, the Court at sentencing found that witnesses and evidence implicated Sparks in ordering her killing because of what she knew about Hampton.&nbsp; Ginnings and Patterson were likewise implicated as the two responsible for this murder.&nbsp; Ginnings was sentenced August 25, 2023, to 520 months in federal prison on similar charges to Sparks.&nbsp; Co-Defendant Patterson was sentenced August 17, 2023, to 560 months on the same charges. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone involved in drug trafficking to possesses firearms related to that trafficking and it is also illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Sparks has prior felony convictions for robbery, drug offenses, and assault.

Sparks was the main defendant over two indictments with 32 co-defendants, all who have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in those two cases.

On December 6, 2022, Sparks and fellow federal inmate Sergio Perez-Martinez escaped the Cass County jail where they were being held for sentencing in their respective federal cases.&nbsp; On December 30, 2022, Sparks was apprehended in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp; Also charged in that escape case was Perez-Martinez (still at large), Sparks’ mother and stepfather, and another man, who was the co-conspirator that stored the car with Hampton in it.&nbsp; Sparks was also sentenced today for that escape to which he pled guilty on June 28, 2023. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670539680558.png" alt="-On December 6, 2022, Sparks and fellow federal inmate Sergio Perez-Martinez escaped the Cass County jail where they were being held for sentencing in their respective federal cases. On December 30, 2022, Sparks was apprehended in the Northeast area of Kansas City." />
 <figcaption>-On December 6, 2022, Sparks and fellow federal inmate Sergio Perez-Martinez escaped the Cass County jail where they were being held for sentencing in their respective federal cases. On December 30, 2022, Sparks was apprehended in the Northeast area of Kansas City.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– Trevor Scott Sparks, a Kansas City federal defendant who escaped after trial and was recaptured, was sentenced in federal district court Tuesday for his role in leading a $4.1 million heavily armed drug-trafficking conspiracy, and directing two kidnappings, both resulting in murders, and numerous assaults, according to the United State's Attorney.The drug trafficking organization (DTO) Sparks led distributed approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas in 2017 and 2018.Sparks, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to life imprisonment, plus 60 months consecutive, in federal prison without parole on the drug, money, and gun charges, all consecutive to 33 months for the escape.&nbsp; The court also ordered Sparks to pay a money judgment of $400,000.00, which represents the profits he received from the drug-trafficking conspiracy. That forfeiture amount is based on the unlawful distribution of approximately 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average street sale price of $7,500.00 per kilogram, and an average cost to the DTO of $3,500.00 a kilogram.&nbsp; Sparks and the co-conspirators he supplied are believed to have distributed approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in less than 2 years.On November 7th, 2022, Sparks was found guilty by a jury of all counts presented during the weeklong trial.&nbsp; The charges included participating in conspiracies to distribute methamphetamine and launder drug proceeds from January 1, 2017, to December 18, 2018, possessing firearms in relation to that drug-trafficking crime, and to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.&nbsp; Sparks and several of his co-conspirators were arrested out of a residence on Smart Avenue in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri, on December 18, 2018.&nbsp; Located in that residence were numerous firearms, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, United States currency, drug ledgers, and other indicia of drug trafficking.&nbsp; This is the same residence where at least two of the DTO related assaults occurred. &nbsp;&nbsp;While no one was charged with nor convicted at trial of it, members of the Sparks DTO were found responsible at sentencing by the Court for two murders. In early August 2018, James “Old School” Hampton was seized in St. Louis by members of the Sparks DTO at the direction of Sparks.&nbsp; Hampton was seized because the drug conspiracy was convinced Hampton could help find the drugs and money stolen by co-conspirator David Richards. When they realized Hampton could not or would not help, Hampton was restrained, beaten, and tortured. Hampton was then kidnapped and transported from St. Louis to Kansas City in the trunk of his own car. Brittanie Broyles, who was with Hampton and witnessed him being beaten, tortured, restrained, and kidnapped, was also kidnapped and taken to Kansas City.&nbsp; Once in Kansas City, Hampton was left in the trunk of his car and he and his car were secreted in a co-conspirator’s garage near the Smart residence. Broyles managed to obtain control of another co-conspirator’s cellular telephone and surreptitiously send text messages to friends and family in St. Louis about her and “Old School’s” plight.&nbsp; Once that was discovered by the DTO, Sparks directed the DTO to move from one hotel to another, thereby thwarting efforts to locate Broyles. Her friends and family and law enforcement were unable to locate her before she was murdered by members of the Sparks DTO.On August 6, 2018, Hampton’s car and body were discovered burning in Bates City, Missouri.&nbsp; This was after members of the DTO retrieved Hampton’s car (and body) from the secreted location and Sparks directed them to take it and burn it because of the odor emanating from the vehicle and to destroy the evidence and Hampton’s body.&nbsp; Witnesses and video identified Co-Defendant Gerald Lee Ginnings of Grandview, Missouri, being followed by Co-Defendant Markus Michael A. Patterson, of Kansas City, Missouri, in another co-conspirator’s car, as Ginnings drove Hampton’s car with his body in the trunk to Bates City, Missouri, where it was found by the Sni Valley Fire Department fully engulfed.&nbsp; Once they extinguished the flames, Hampton’s desecrated body was found in what was left of the trunk.&nbsp; Sparks forgave a drug debt of Ginnings for this duty.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;On August 8, 2018, Broyles’s body was recovered near the Super Flea in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri. She had been murdered by two gunshots to her head.&nbsp; While not charged nor convicted of it, the Court at sentencing found that witnesses and evidence implicated Sparks in ordering her killing because of what she knew about Hampton.&nbsp; Ginnings and Patterson were likewise implicated as the two responsible for this murder.&nbsp; Ginnings was sentenced August 25, 2023, to 520 months in federal prison on similar charges to Sparks.&nbsp; Co-Defendant Patterson was sentenced August 17, 2023, to 560 months on the same charges. &nbsp;&nbsp;Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone involved in drug trafficking to possesses firearms related to that trafficking and it is also illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Sparks has prior felony convictions for robbery, drug offenses, and assault.Sparks was the main defendant over two indictments with 32 co-defendants, all who have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in those two cases.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670539649262.png" alt="Martinez is still missing" />
 <figcaption>Martinez is still missing</figcaption>
 </figure>On December 6, 2022, Sparks and fellow federal inmate Sergio Perez-Martinez escaped the Cass County jail where they were being held for sentencing in their respective federal cases.&nbsp; On December 30, 2022, Sparks was apprehended in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp; Also charged in that escape case was Perez-Martinez (still at large), Sparks’ mother and stepfather, and another man, who was the co-conspirator that stored the car with Hampton in it.&nbsp; Sparks was also sentenced today for that escape to which he pled guilty on June 28, 2023. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

KC-area jail escapee sentenced, 2nd fugitive remains at large

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Wichita police reported Sunday morning the statewide Silver Alert for 61-year-old Tom Audley was canceled. He had been found and is safe. Police released no additional details.

SEDGWICK COUNTY –&nbsp;Wichita Police Department requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Wichita man.

&nbsp;Tom Audley, 61, of&nbsp; Wichita&nbsp;was last seen on foot in the area of 15th Street N. and Coolidge today, Sept. 9, at approximately noon. He was last seen wearing a purple hat, blue golf shorts, and a light-colored t-shirt.

Tom is described as a white male who is 6 feet 2 inches tall, and weighs around 200 pounds. He has gray hair and hazel eyes. He has been diagnosed with dementia and is non-verbal.

If you see Tom, or have information about his whereabouts, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about this case, please call the&nbsp;Wichita Police Department at 316-268-4111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694301218150.png" alt="Tom Audley-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Tom Audley-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Wichita police reported Sunday morning the statewide Silver Alert for 61-year-old Tom Audley was canceled. He had been found and is safe. Police released no additional details.----------SEDGWICK COUNTY –&nbsp;Wichita Police Department requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Wichita man.&nbsp;Tom Audley, 61, of&nbsp; Wichita&nbsp;was last seen on foot in the area of 15th Street N. and Coolidge today, Sept. 9, at approximately noon. He was last seen wearing a purple hat, blue golf shorts, and a light-colored t-shirt.Tom is described as a white male who is 6 feet 2 inches tall, and weighs around 200 pounds. He has gray hair and hazel eyes. He has been diagnosed with dementia and is non-verbal.If you see Tom, or have information about his whereabouts, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about this case, please call the&nbsp;Wichita Police Department at 316-268-4111.

Police: Silver Alert canceled, missing Kansas man found safe

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with crimes related to child pornography.

Eric Caleb Carlson, 43, of Wichita is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Synchronoss Technologies submitted two reports in June 2023 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding uploads of files containing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials to its cloud based backup service. An investigation led law enforcement authorities to identify and arrest Carlson.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) are investigating.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694123987580.png" alt="Carlson photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Carlson photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with crimes related to child pornography.Eric Caleb Carlson, 43, of Wichita is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Synchronoss Technologies submitted two reports in June 2023 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding uploads of files containing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials to its cloud based backup service. An investigation led law enforcement authorities to identify and arrest Carlson.Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) are investigating.

Kan. man accused of uploading child sex abuse videos

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused in a deadly shooting made his first court appearance this week.

Jeremy Miles, 36 of Wichita, is charged with 1st degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 11a.m. Aug. 30, police were dispatched to a reported shooting at an apartment complex in the 2000 block of S. Seneca in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.&nbsp;

First responders&nbsp; located&nbsp;69-year-old James Gibson of Wichita with gunshot wounds inside an apartment. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police&nbsp; arrested <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=22921">Miles</a>&nbsp;who remains jailed on a bond of $500,000. He has three previous convictions for aggravated robbery and one for criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693488696173.png" alt="Miles has three previous convictions for aggravated robbery and one for criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Miles has three previous convictions for aggravated robbery and one for criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused in a deadly shooting made his first court appearance this week.Jeremy Miles, 36 of Wichita, is charged with 1st degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 11a.m. Aug. 30, police were dispatched to a reported shooting at an apartment complex in the 2000 block of S. Seneca in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.&nbsp;First responders&nbsp; located&nbsp;69-year-old James Gibson of Wichita with gunshot wounds inside an apartment. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;Police&nbsp; arrested <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=22921">Miles</a>&nbsp;who remains jailed on a bond of $500,000. He has three previous convictions for aggravated robbery and one for criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Kansas felon with a history of robbery now charged with murder

Governor nominates KCC’s Andrew French to a second term on regulatory panel

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

TOPEKA — A Topeka Democrat who served a quarter century in the Kansas House was nominated by Gov. Laura Kelly to the state commission responsible for regulating the utility industry, oil and gas production and safety of commercial trucking.

Kelly appointed retired Rep. Annie Kuether, who served in the Legislature form 1997 to 2022, to replace Kansas Corporation Commission member Susan Duffy. Duffy was appointed by Kelly in 2019 to a four-year term on the commission, but the governor said Duffy chose not to seek a second term.

“Representative Kuether brings experience to the Kansas Corporation Commission from her 25 years in the Legislature, where she served as a ranking minority member on the energy, utilities and telecommunications committee,” said Kelly, a Democrat who was in the Kansas Senate for 14 years.

The KCC’s influence extends to hundreds of thousands of Kansas residences and businesses through regulation of utility rates proposed by Evergy, Southern Pioneer, Liberty Utilities, Black Hills, Kansas Gas Service and Atmos Energy. Cooperative and municipal utilities don’t generally fall under KCC jurisdiction.

If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee, Kuether would begin service on the KCC in October.

In a statement Friday, Kelly said she would renominate KCC member Andrew French to a term that would begin in March if he was confirmed again by the Senate. He was appointed in 2020 by Kelly. Prior to working in a private legal practice, French was a staff attorney at the KCC from 2012 to 2017.

The KCC consists of three members appointed by the governor to overlapping four-year terms, but no more than two members of the regulatory commission can be in the same political party.

The other member of the commission is Dwight Keen, who was initially selected by Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer in 2018 and was reappointed by Kelly in 2022. Keen, a corporate and securities attorney, served six years as Kansas securities commissioner and four years on the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals. His term on the KCC would expire in 2026.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694272102891.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly nominated former state Rep. Annie Kuether, a Topeka Democrat, to a vacancy on the Kansas Corporation Commission. Kuether spent 25 years in the Legislature and served on the House’s energy committee. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly nominated former state Rep. Annie Kuether, a Topeka Democrat, to a vacancy on the Kansas Corporation Commission. Kuether spent 25 years in the Legislature and served on the House’s energy committee. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Governor nominates KCC’s Andrew French to a second term on regulatory panel</h2>BY: TIM CARPENTER,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Topeka Democrat who served a quarter century in the Kansas House was nominated by Gov. Laura Kelly to the state commission responsible for regulating the utility industry, oil and gas production and safety of commercial trucking.Kelly appointed retired Rep. Annie Kuether, who served in the Legislature form 1997 to 2022, to replace Kansas Corporation Commission member Susan Duffy. Duffy was appointed by Kelly in 2019 to a four-year term on the commission, but the governor said Duffy chose not to seek a second term.“Representative Kuether brings experience to the Kansas Corporation Commission from her 25 years in the Legislature, where she served as a ranking minority member on the energy, utilities and telecommunications committee,” said Kelly, a Democrat who was in the Kansas Senate for 14 years.The KCC’s influence extends to hundreds of thousands of Kansas residences and businesses through regulation of utility rates proposed by Evergy, Southern Pioneer, Liberty Utilities, Black Hills, Kansas Gas Service and Atmos Energy. Cooperative and municipal utilities don’t generally fall under KCC jurisdiction.If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee, Kuether would begin service on the KCC in October.In a statement Friday, Kelly said she would renominate KCC member Andrew French to a term that would begin in March if he was confirmed again by the Senate. He was appointed in 2020 by Kelly. Prior to working in a private legal practice, French was a staff attorney at the KCC from 2012 to 2017.The KCC consists of three members appointed by the governor to overlapping four-year terms, but no more than two members of the regulatory commission can be in the same political party.The other member of the commission is Dwight Keen, who was initially selected by Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer in 2018 and was reappointed by Kelly in 2022. Keen, a corporate and securities attorney, served six years as Kansas securities commissioner and four years on the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals. His term on the KCC would expire in 2026.

Former Dem member of Kan. House appointed to Kan. Corporation Commission

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union on Friday rejected wage and benefit offers from all three Detroit automakers, raising tensions just six days before a strike deadline for 146,000 employees.

Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a Facebook Live appearance that he filed proposals from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in a wastebasket.

“The automakers have yet to offer our members a fair contract,” he said.

Negotiations are continuing through the weekend, but Fain warned that if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-strike-gm-stellantis-ford-fain-uaw-d11dfb266ce962d1e3a4582d404ba27f">there aren't agreements</a>&nbsp;by 11:59 p.m. Thursday “there will be a strike at all three if need be.”

On Friday, Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, made its first counteroffer to the union's demands with a bigger pay raise than offers from Ford and General Motors. Stellantis offered wage increases in each year of a new four-year contract totaling 14.5%.

Ford increased its offer from 9% to 10% raises over four years, but it also included lump sum payments, while GM’s offered 10% plus lump sums. All three companies offered additional lump sum payments to cover inflation.

The wage increases would be for most workers, said Mark Stewart, chief operating officer of Stellantis North America, said in a letter to employees.

The proposal by Stellantis also includes a $6,000 one-time inflation protection payment in the first year of the contract and $4,500 in inflation protection payments over the final three years of the contract.

In addition, the counteroffer includes boosting hourly wages from $15.78 to $20 for temporary workers and speeding up the progression timeline from eight years to six years for employees who are moving through the pay scale from starting wages.

The proposal from Stellantis, which was formed in a 2021 merger of Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA Peugeot, is closer to the union's demands of 46% across-the-board increases over four years, but both sides still are far apart.

“We remain committed to bargaining in good faith and reaching a fair agreement by the deadline," Stewart said. “With this equitable offer, we are seeking a timely resolution to our discussions.”

A strike against all three major automakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/automakers-cars-strike-pay-uaw-union-detroit-349a6e7281f1b07710cfcad511dcaa05">could cause damage</a>&nbsp;not only to the industry as a whole but also to the Midwest and even national economy, depending on how long it lasts. The auto industry accounts for about 3% of the nation’s economic output. A prolonged strike could also lead eventually to higher vehicle prices, and shift sales largely to Asian automakers with U.S. factories.

Automakers say they need to make investments to develop and build electric vehicles, while at the same time putting out new internal combustion vehicles. They say that a big settlement with the union would saddle them with high costs and force them to charge more for vehicles than competitors.

Fain says automakers can afford raises to make up for inflation and previous concessions because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ford-profit-electric-vehicle-second-quarter-89fb15120107bc51b709343b5010ba64">they're making</a>&nbsp;billions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/general-motors-earnings-price-outlook-raised-4cbde5055ad2d37c2a2216999be502b5">in profits</a>&nbsp;and paying millions to CEOs. He blames auto price increases on corporate greed.

The union’s demands include 46% across-the-board pay raises, a 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay, restoration of traditional pensions for new hires, union representation of workers at new battery plants and a restoration of traditional pensions. Top-scale UAW assembly plant workers make about $32 an hour, plus annual profit sharing checks.

The union called proposals from Ford and GM “shameful and insulting,” while it labeled Stellantis' pay offer “deeply inadequate.”

Fain said the companies rejected raises for retirees who have gone without them for at least a decade. To handle inflation, Ford offered cost of living pay that he called severely deficient, while GM and Stellantis offered lump sums. All companies kept tiers of wages for factory workers but lowered the number of years needed to reach full pay, he said.

“I want all of you to be ready,” he said of Thursday's deadline. “Be ready to stand up for yourselves, your families and for your communities.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693911002324.png" alt="Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a Facebook Live appearance that he filed proposals from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in a wastebasket.-photo UAW" />
 <figcaption>Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a Facebook Live appearance that he filed proposals from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in a wastebasket.-photo UAW</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union on Friday rejected wage and benefit offers from all three Detroit automakers, raising tensions just six days before a strike deadline for 146,000 employees.Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a Facebook Live appearance that he filed proposals from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in a wastebasket.“The automakers have yet to offer our members a fair contract,” he said.Negotiations are continuing through the weekend, but Fain warned that if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-strike-gm-stellantis-ford-fain-uaw-d11dfb266ce962d1e3a4582d404ba27f">there aren't agreements</a>&nbsp;by 11:59 p.m. Thursday “there will be a strike at all three if need be.”On Friday, Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, made its first counteroffer to the union's demands with a bigger pay raise than offers from Ford and General Motors. Stellantis offered wage increases in each year of a new four-year contract totaling 14.5%.Ford increased its offer from 9% to 10% raises over four years, but it also included lump sum payments, while GM’s offered 10% plus lump sums. All three companies offered additional lump sum payments to cover inflation.The wage increases would be for most workers, said Mark Stewart, chief operating officer of Stellantis North America, said in a letter to employees.The proposal by Stellantis also includes a $6,000 one-time inflation protection payment in the first year of the contract and $4,500 in inflation protection payments over the final three years of the contract.In addition, the counteroffer includes boosting hourly wages from $15.78 to $20 for temporary workers and speeding up the progression timeline from eight years to six years for employees who are moving through the pay scale from starting wages.The proposal from Stellantis, which was formed in a 2021 merger of Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA Peugeot, is closer to the union's demands of 46% across-the-board increases over four years, but both sides still are far apart.“We remain committed to bargaining in good faith and reaching a fair agreement by the deadline," Stewart said. “With this equitable offer, we are seeking a timely resolution to our discussions.”A strike against all three major automakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/automakers-cars-strike-pay-uaw-union-detroit-349a6e7281f1b07710cfcad511dcaa05">could cause damage</a>&nbsp;not only to the industry as a whole but also to the Midwest and even national economy, depending on how long it lasts. The auto industry accounts for about 3% of the nation’s economic output. A prolonged strike could also lead eventually to higher vehicle prices, and shift sales largely to Asian automakers with U.S. factories.Automakers say they need to make investments to develop and build electric vehicles, while at the same time putting out new internal combustion vehicles. They say that a big settlement with the union would saddle them with high costs and force them to charge more for vehicles than competitors.Fain says automakers can afford raises to make up for inflation and previous concessions because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ford-profit-electric-vehicle-second-quarter-89fb15120107bc51b709343b5010ba64">they're making</a>&nbsp;billions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/general-motors-earnings-price-outlook-raised-4cbde5055ad2d37c2a2216999be502b5">in profits</a>&nbsp;and paying millions to CEOs. He blames auto price increases on corporate greed.The union’s demands include 46% across-the-board pay raises, a 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay, restoration of traditional pensions for new hires, union representation of workers at new battery plants and a restoration of traditional pensions. Top-scale UAW assembly plant workers make about $32 an hour, plus annual profit sharing checks.The union called proposals from Ford and GM “shameful and insulting,” while it labeled Stellantis' pay offer “deeply inadequate.”Fain said the companies rejected raises for retirees who have gone without them for at least a decade. To handle inflation, Ford offered cost of living pay that he called severely deficient, while GM and Stellantis offered lump sums. All companies kept tiers of wages for factory workers but lowered the number of years needed to reach full pay, he said.“I want all of you to be ready,” he said of Thursday's deadline. “Be ready to stand up for yourselves, your families and for your communities.”

Auto union rejects wage offers; strike deadline days away

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Wichita Police Department is aware of a regrettable incident that occurred at the Wichita Animal Shelter this week involving a civilian supervisor that led to animals being euthanized prior to obtaining required approvals. 

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan has directed the Professional Standards Bureau to conduct an internal investigation into the matter so appropriate action may be taken. 

Consistent with City of Wichita Human Resources policies, the involved employee has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;

If the investigation reveals that policies, procedures or expectations were not followed, appropriate personnel action will be taken.

The department apologizes for the pain or confusion this incident may have caused to individuals in the community. What is most unfortunate about this event is that the individuals and rescue organizations we rely on were affected greatly. WPD is working hard to ensure operations within the Wichita Animal Shelter meet or exceed recognized standards of care.

This year, Wichita Animal Services has provided care for almost 7,000 lost or stray pets within the community and owes much of their success to the dedication of staff, the respected relationships with rescue organizations and the partnership with the Kansas Humane Society. 

While the internal investigation is underway, an adjustment to operations has been made to avoid this issue recurring and we remain committed to the goal of&nbsp;providing humane care and maximizing the number of animal lives saved.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694230791657.png" alt="Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan has directed the Professional Standards Bureau to conduct an internal investigation into the matter so appropriate action may be taken.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan has directed the Professional Standards Bureau to conduct an internal investigation into the matter so appropriate action may be taken.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Wichita Police Department is aware of a regrettable incident that occurred at the Wichita Animal Shelter this week involving a civilian supervisor that led to animals being euthanized prior to obtaining required approvals. Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan has directed the Professional Standards Bureau to conduct an internal investigation into the matter so appropriate action may be taken. Consistent with City of Wichita Human Resources policies, the involved employee has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;If the investigation reveals that policies, procedures or expectations were not followed, appropriate personnel action will be taken.The department apologizes for the pain or confusion this incident may have caused to individuals in the community. What is most unfortunate about this event is that the individuals and rescue organizations we rely on were affected greatly. WPD is working hard to ensure operations within the Wichita Animal Shelter meet or exceed recognized standards of care.This year, Wichita Animal Services has provided care for almost 7,000 lost or stray pets within the community and owes much of their success to the dedication of staff, the respected relationships with rescue organizations and the partnership with the Kansas Humane Society. While the internal investigation is underway, an adjustment to operations has been made to avoid this issue recurring and we remain committed to the goal of&nbsp;providing humane care and maximizing the number of animal lives saved.

Police: Dogs euthanized by mistake at Kansas animal shelter

JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating a fire at a Kansas home.

Just after 2a.m. Saturday, crews from Overland Park and Lenexa responded to a house fire in the 8600 Block of West 102nd Terrace in Overland Park, according to a media release.

First responders found heavy smoke coming from the two-story, single family home.

Firefighters went to work attacking the fire on a deck in the back of the home while others searched the home to make sure all residents were safely out.

It took 30 minutes to bring the fire under control. The blaze was contained to the back deck and sitting area. One person was displaced and will stay with neighbors. There were no injuries reported.

Investigators believe careless discard of smoking materials to blame for the fire. The home did have working smoke alarms. Officials did not release a damage estimate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694265827344.png" alt="Photo Overland Park Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Overland Park Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating a fire at a Kansas home.Just after 2a.m. Saturday, crews from Overland Park and Lenexa responded to a house fire in the 8600 Block of West 102nd Terrace in Overland Park, according to a media release.First responders found heavy smoke coming from the two-story, single family home.Firefighters went to work attacking the fire on a deck in the back of the home while others searched the home to make sure all residents were safely out.It took 30 minutes to bring the fire under control. The blaze was contained to the back deck and sitting area. One person was displaced and will stay with neighbors. There were no injuries reported.Investigators believe careless discard of smoking materials to blame for the fire. The home did have working smoke alarms. Officials did not release a damage estimate.

Improperly discarded smoking material caused Kan. house fire

Biden administration has taken other measures after Supreme Court ruling

By RACHEL MIPRO,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — For thousands of Kansans knee-deep in student debt, relief will come soon —&nbsp; just not as much relief as initially promised.&nbsp;

The Biden administration announced Tuesday that more than 4 million federal student loan borrowers have been enrolled in the Saving on A Valuable Education, or SAVE, program. In Kansas, 35,000 borrowers are enrolled, according to U.S. Department of Education data.&nbsp;

“Millions of borrowers are already benefiting from enrollment in the SAVE plan, and I’m thrilled to see so many Americans submitting applications every day so that they, too, can take advantage of the most affordable student loan repayment plan in history,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in the Tuesday news release.&nbsp;

Cardona emphasized the Biden administration’s focus on student debt relief while speaking at a Topeka public school Tuesday, during the kick-off of his Midwest bus tour.&nbsp;

We’re committed to giving you the tools to make sure you have a good pathway into the profession and that you’re not paying debt for the rest of your life,” Cardona told&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/05/u-s-education-secretary-touts-kansas-school-initiatives-national-debt-forgiveness/">Kansas students Tuesday</a>.&nbsp;

The new repayment program is a response to the Supreme Court’s June decision to kill the debt relief program unrolled by the&nbsp; Biden administration. The original program would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loan debt for some borrowers.&nbsp;In Kansas,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/20/thousands-of-kansans-eligible-for-student-debt-forgiveness-white-house-officials-say/">officials estimated that more</a>&nbsp;than 360,000 residents would have received some form of debt forgiveness under the original program.

Federal student loan repayments, which have been paused for more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume in October.&nbsp;&nbsp;As the repayment deadline approaches, the Department of Education has scrambled to roll out several repayment and loan forgiveness programs.&nbsp;

Under SAVE, debt payments are calculated using borrower income and family size, with balances forgiven after a certain time frame. Borrowers who are currently in the Revised Pay as You Earn plan will automatically roll over to SAVE.

A single person who makes less than $15 an hour wouldn’t have to make payments under the program, and most borrowers will save about $1,000 per year under the new plan.&nbsp;

“The new application is easy and quick. Most people only need about 10 minutes to complete it,” said Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray. “Borrowers can get their monthly payment calculated in real time, and they can choose to have their IDR application recertified automatically each year.”

<h2>Biden administration has taken other measures after Supreme Court ruling</h2>By RACHEL MIPRO,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — For thousands of Kansans knee-deep in student debt, relief will come soon —&nbsp; just not as much relief as initially promised.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Folks, join the 4 million Americans who have already signed up for the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever created, our Administration&#39;s SAVE Plan. Don&#39;t wait – head to <a href="https://t.co/RlyR0iT5yU">https://t.co/RlyR0iT5yU</a>. <a href="https://t.co/dcMJ39NSy1">pic.twitter.com/dcMJ39NSy1</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1699460012161040878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Biden administration announced Tuesday that more than 4 million federal student loan borrowers have been enrolled in the Saving on A Valuable Education, or SAVE, program. In Kansas, 35,000 borrowers are enrolled, according to U.S. Department of Education data.&nbsp;“Millions of borrowers are already benefiting from enrollment in the SAVE plan, and I’m thrilled to see so many Americans submitting applications every day so that they, too, can take advantage of the most affordable student loan repayment plan in history,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in the Tuesday news release.&nbsp;Cardona emphasized the Biden administration’s focus on student debt relief while speaking at a Topeka public school Tuesday, during the kick-off of his Midwest bus tour.&nbsp;We’re committed to giving you the tools to make sure you have a good pathway into the profession and that you’re not paying debt for the rest of your life,” Cardona told&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/05/u-s-education-secretary-touts-kansas-school-initiatives-national-debt-forgiveness/">Kansas students Tuesday</a>.&nbsp;The new repayment program is a response to the Supreme Court’s June decision to kill the debt relief program unrolled by the&nbsp; Biden administration. The original program would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loan debt for some borrowers.&nbsp;In Kansas,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/20/thousands-of-kansans-eligible-for-student-debt-forgiveness-white-house-officials-say/">officials estimated that more</a>&nbsp;than 360,000 residents would have received some form of debt forgiveness under the original program.Federal student loan repayments, which have been paused for more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume in October.&nbsp;&nbsp;As the repayment deadline approaches, the Department of Education has scrambled to roll out several repayment and loan forgiveness programs.&nbsp;Under SAVE, debt payments are calculated using borrower income and family size, with balances forgiven after a certain time frame. Borrowers who are currently in the Revised Pay as You Earn plan will automatically roll over to SAVE.A single person who makes less than $15 an hour wouldn’t have to make payments under the program, and most borrowers will save about $1,000 per year under the new plan.&nbsp;“The new application is easy and quick. Most people only need about 10 minutes to complete it,” said Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray. “Borrowers can get their monthly payment calculated in real time, and they can choose to have their IDR application recertified automatically each year.”

Far fewer Kansans benefit from new student loan repayment program

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a homicide have identified the victim as Hevair D. Loucious, 31, of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694136475623.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a homicide have identified the victim as Hevair D. Loucious, 31, of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.Just after 3p.m. Thursday, police responded to report of a shooting in the 2200 Block of SE Emerson Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.First responders located Loucious with a life threatening gunshot wound. American Medical Response transported him to a local hospital where he were pronounced deceased.Police reported detectives identified and interviewed all individuals involved in this incident. Upon completion of this investigation the case will be sent to the Shawnee County District Attorney for consideration of charges.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim or a possible suspect.