GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Witnesses say they heard an Ohio man demand the keys to a Jeep that was being towed behind a Missouri couple's RV before he brutally stabbed them both and killed the man at an Interstate 80 rest area.

James Thompson Jr., 22, was formally charged with first-degree murder and 10 other felonies Thursday morning — a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/highway-rest-area-nebraska-knife-homicide-6c296ae495ef8255311c7bb7b67a8722">the attack at a rest area</a>&nbsp;just outside Grand Island in eastern Nebraska. Thompson — who is from Elyria, Ohio — is represented by a Hall County public defender who didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Part of the attack was captured on a trucker's dash cam, but some of it happened out of sight inside Gary and Mary Weaver's RV around 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to the affidavit Hall County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joshua Moline filed in court.

Moline said the video showed a man enter the RV and make stabbing motions toward the woman before going out of view. Then when the woman came out, the man followed and stabbed her several times in the head before she fell to the ground — stopping briefly to yell at the trucker in the semi.

Deputies found Gary Weaver inside the RV with wounds in his chest and head. The 72-year-old died later at a Grand Island hospital. Mary Weaver, 71, was sitting on the ground bleeding beside the RV. She was initially in critical condition with what the sheriff described as life-threatening injuries, but she improved to stable condition Thursday.

The Jeep had been detached from the RV and had blood on it. The Weavers, who are from Eureka, Missouri, had been traveling across Nebraska before they were attacked.

Thompson fled the rest area in a Ford Focus before officers arrived, but a Nebraska State Trooper quickly spotted him exiting the highway at Wood River. Thompson sped away at 120 mph over I-80 and passed another driver before crashing into the Platte River. He was arrested nearby with blood on his shirt and several cuts on his hand.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718978922466.png" alt="Thompson-photo Hall Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Thompson-photo Hall Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Witnesses say they heard an Ohio man demand the keys to a Jeep that was being towed behind a Missouri couple's RV before he brutally stabbed them both and killed the man at an Interstate 80 rest area.James Thompson Jr., 22, was formally charged with first-degree murder and 10 other felonies Thursday morning — a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/highway-rest-area-nebraska-knife-homicide-6c296ae495ef8255311c7bb7b67a8722">the attack at a rest area</a>&nbsp;just outside Grand Island in eastern Nebraska. Thompson — who is from Elyria, Ohio — is represented by a Hall County public defender who didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.Part of the attack was captured on a trucker's dash cam, but some of it happened out of sight inside Gary and Mary Weaver's RV around 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to the affidavit Hall County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joshua Moline filed in court.Moline said the video showed a man enter the RV and make stabbing motions toward the woman before going out of view. Then when the woman came out, the man followed and stabbed her several times in the head before she fell to the ground — stopping briefly to yell at the trucker in the semi.Deputies found Gary Weaver inside the RV with wounds in his chest and head. The 72-year-old died later at a Grand Island hospital. Mary Weaver, 71, was sitting on the ground bleeding beside the RV. She was initially in critical condition with what the sheriff described as life-threatening injuries, but she improved to stable condition Thursday.The Jeep had been detached from the RV and had blood on it. The Weavers, who are from Eureka, Missouri, had been traveling across Nebraska before they were attacked.Thompson fled the rest area in a Ford Focus before officers arrived, but a Nebraska State Trooper quickly spotted him exiting the highway at Wood River. Thompson sped away at 120 mph over I-80 and passed another driver before crashing into the Platte River. He was arrested nearby with blood on his shirt and several cuts on his hand.

Witness: Suspect demanded Jeep before stabbing couple at rest area

Missouri House majority leader calls Kansas legislation a ‘wakeup call,’ anticipates lawmakers will craft a response to keep teams

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

State and local officials from Missouri denounced&nbsp; Kansas legislators’ attempt to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals across the state line, saying they would take steps to keep both teams.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, in a statement on Tuesday, said the city and state would continue negotiations with the teams that Missouri and Kansas City have “welcomed, funded and supported … since the 1960s.”&nbsp;

“We remain in the first quarter of the Kansas City stadium discussion,” Lucas said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/18/kansas-legislature-chiefs-royals/">Kansas lawmakers on Tuesday passed legislation</a>&nbsp;meant to help finance new stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in an attempt to relocate one or both teams from Missouri. The legislation, an expansion of the state’s existing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/program/community-programs/star-bonds/">Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond</a>&nbsp;program, could yield hundreds of millions of dollars for each stadium.

It comes after Jackson County, Missouri, voters in April rejected the extension of a sales tax to help finance a new downtown Kansas City baseball stadium for the Royals and upgrades to the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium.

Kansas lawmakers who supported the STAR Bond legislation said it was necessary to keep the teams in the Kansas City area.

“We’re in jeopardy of Kansas City losing those franchises,” Kansas Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Leavenworth Democrat, said during debate on the bill Tuesday. “Missouri has dropped the ball. We now have an opportunity to make an offer.”&nbsp;

After Kansas lawmakers’ vote, Missouri legislators said they hoped and expected to see the state put forward a plan.&nbsp;

“It’s a wakeup call to Missouri that there are other states that are willing to do whatever it takes to get the teams,” Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, said in an interview Thursday.

Patterson, who is in line to become speaker of the House next year, said he expected to see Missouri put together a plan after this summer’s primary elections and before the Missouri General Assembly returns for its legislative session in January. He said it was possible legislators would be called back to Jefferson City for a special session but didn’t think it was necessary.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kslegislature.org/li_2024s/b2023_24/measures/hb2001/">The Kansas legislation</a>&nbsp;would help finance up to 70% of a stadium project — with a minimum $1 billion price tag and 30,000 seats — by issuing bonds to be repaid with the state sales tax collected in the STAR Bond district. Liquor taxes from the district and funds from the state’s legalization of sports betting also could be used to repay the bonds.

The offer remains in place for a year and is limited to National Football League or Major League Baseball teams in states adjacent to Kansas.&nbsp;

Kansas’ attempt to poach the teams was seen by several Missouri lawmakers as a violation of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://governor.kansas.gov/laura-kelly-reaching-across-the-aisle-to-end-the-kansas-missouri-border-war/">truce the two states reached five years ago</a>&nbsp;to stop offering incentives to move businesses back and forth the state line in the Kansas City area.&nbsp;

But Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, didn’t see it that way.

“The border war was really focused on businesses like AMC Theatres, which went back and forth, back and forth,” Kelly said. “We never discussed teams.”

For years, the two states engaged in an economic development “border war,” offering incentives to companies that jumped the state line, spending taxpayer funds while largely not creating any new jobs.&nbsp;

“Today’s vote regrettably restarts the Missouri-Kansas incentive border war, creating leverage for the teams, but injecting even greater uncertainty into the regional stadium conversation,” Lucas said Tuesday.&nbsp;

In a statement Tuesday, Jackson County, Missouri, Executive Frank White Jr. urged state and local governments to abide by the border war truce “and refrain from engaging in a counterproductive stadium bidding war.”

“We must focus on common sense over politics,” White said. “Our resources should be used wisely to improve the lives of our residents, not wasted on bidding wars that only serve to drain public funds and divide our region.”

White said in order to agree to subsidies for a stadium he expects “a complete and transparent plan that offers tangible benefits to our taxpayers.”

“My office remains open to conversations with the Royals, Chiefs, lawmakers, and other stakeholders, but any proposal must meet this standard and make sense for our community,” he said.

Missouri Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican, said the border war “didn’t benefit anyone” and saw Kansas’ push to relocate the teams as a violation.&nbsp;

He said he wanted to see the Missouri Department of Economic Development make an offer to keep the teams, but he didn’t support the idea of lawmakers being called back to Jefferson City for a special session and didn’t want a package that could put taxpayers on the hook.&nbsp;

“We want to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and KC Royals in the state of Missouri, but we can’t saddle taxpayers with billions of dollars in debt to help finance stadiums,” he said.&nbsp;

Hoskins, who is running in the GOP primary for secretary of state, said he thought the Kansas plan was based on lofty revenue expectations and that the stadiums wouldn’t generate enough activity to pay off the bonds without additional assistance from Kansas taxpayers. He didn’t want to see Missouri put forward a similar plan.

“Missouri taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for financing stadiums for billion-dollar corporations and multimillion-dollar athletes,” he said. “It’s hard enough being a Missourian right now just trying to keep your own money in your pocket, let alone financing stadiums for a billion-dollar industry.”&nbsp;

Patterson called the border war talk “somewhat irrelevant.”&nbsp;

“It’s obvious that Kansas is going to act,” he said, “and I think we should focus on acting ourselves and not crying about some sort of truce that may or may not have been agreed to regarding the teams.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718763171046.png" alt="A red-clad crowd packs Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play (Eric Thomas/Kansas Reflector)." />
 <figcaption>A red-clad crowd packs Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play (Eric Thomas/Kansas Reflector).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Missouri House majority leader calls Kansas legislation a ‘wakeup call,’ anticipates lawmakers will craft a response to keep teams</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>State and local officials from Missouri denounced&nbsp; Kansas legislators’ attempt to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals across the state line, saying they would take steps to keep both teams.Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, in a statement on Tuesday, said the city and state would continue negotiations with the teams that Missouri and Kansas City have “welcomed, funded and supported … since the 1960s.”&nbsp;“We remain in the first quarter of the Kansas City stadium discussion,” Lucas said.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/18/kansas-legislature-chiefs-royals/">Kansas lawmakers on Tuesday passed legislation</a>&nbsp;meant to help finance new stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in an attempt to relocate one or both teams from Missouri. The legislation, an expansion of the state’s existing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/program/community-programs/star-bonds/">Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond</a>&nbsp;program, could yield hundreds of millions of dollars for each stadium.It comes after Jackson County, Missouri, voters in April rejected the extension of a sales tax to help finance a new downtown Kansas City baseball stadium for the Royals and upgrades to the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium.Kansas lawmakers who supported the STAR Bond legislation said it was necessary to keep the teams in the Kansas City area.“We’re in jeopardy of Kansas City losing those franchises,” Kansas Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Leavenworth Democrat, said during debate on the bill Tuesday. “Missouri has dropped the ball. We now have an opportunity to make an offer.”&nbsp;After Kansas lawmakers’ vote, Missouri legislators said they hoped and expected to see the state put forward a plan.&nbsp;“It’s a wakeup call to Missouri that there are other states that are willing to do whatever it takes to get the teams,” Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, said in an interview Thursday.Patterson, who is in line to become speaker of the House next year, said he expected to see Missouri put together a plan after this summer’s primary elections and before the Missouri General Assembly returns for its legislative session in January. He said it was possible legislators would be called back to Jefferson City for a special session but didn’t think it was necessary.<a target="_blank" href="https://kslegislature.org/li_2024s/b2023_24/measures/hb2001/">The Kansas legislation</a>&nbsp;would help finance up to 70% of a stadium project — with a minimum $1 billion price tag and 30,000 seats — by issuing bonds to be repaid with the state sales tax collected in the STAR Bond district. Liquor taxes from the district and funds from the state’s legalization of sports betting also could be used to repay the bonds.The offer remains in place for a year and is limited to National Football League or Major League Baseball teams in states adjacent to Kansas.&nbsp;Kansas’ attempt to poach the teams was seen by several Missouri lawmakers as a violation of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://governor.kansas.gov/laura-kelly-reaching-across-the-aisle-to-end-the-kansas-missouri-border-war/">truce the two states reached five years ago</a>&nbsp;to stop offering incentives to move businesses back and forth the state line in the Kansas City area.&nbsp;But Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, didn’t see it that way.“The border war was really focused on businesses like AMC Theatres, which went back and forth, back and forth,” Kelly said. “We never discussed teams.”For years, the two states engaged in an economic development “border war,” offering incentives to companies that jumped the state line, spending taxpayer funds while largely not creating any new jobs.&nbsp;“Today’s vote regrettably restarts the Missouri-Kansas incentive border war, creating leverage for the teams, but injecting even greater uncertainty into the regional stadium conversation,” Lucas said Tuesday.&nbsp;In a statement Tuesday, Jackson County, Missouri, Executive Frank White Jr. urged state and local governments to abide by the border war truce “and refrain from engaging in a counterproductive stadium bidding war.”“We must focus on common sense over politics,” White said. “Our resources should be used wisely to improve the lives of our residents, not wasted on bidding wars that only serve to drain public funds and divide our region.”White said in order to agree to subsidies for a stadium he expects “a complete and transparent plan that offers tangible benefits to our taxpayers.”“My office remains open to conversations with the Royals, Chiefs, lawmakers, and other stakeholders, but any proposal must meet this standard and make sense for our community,” he said.Missouri Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican, said the border war “didn’t benefit anyone” and saw Kansas’ push to relocate the teams as a violation.&nbsp;He said he wanted to see the Missouri Department of Economic Development make an offer to keep the teams, but he didn’t support the idea of lawmakers being called back to Jefferson City for a special session and didn’t want a package that could put taxpayers on the hook.&nbsp;“We want to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and KC Royals in the state of Missouri, but we can’t saddle taxpayers with billions of dollars in debt to help finance stadiums,” he said.&nbsp;Hoskins, who is running in the GOP primary for secretary of state, said he thought the Kansas plan was based on lofty revenue expectations and that the stadiums wouldn’t generate enough activity to pay off the bonds without additional assistance from Kansas taxpayers. He didn’t want to see Missouri put forward a similar plan.“Missouri taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for financing stadiums for billion-dollar corporations and multimillion-dollar athletes,” he said. “It’s hard enough being a Missourian right now just trying to keep your own money in your pocket, let alone financing stadiums for a billion-dollar industry.”&nbsp;Patterson called the border war talk “somewhat irrelevant.”&nbsp;“It’s obvious that Kansas is going to act,” he said, “and I think we should focus on acting ourselves and not crying about some sort of truce that may or may not have been agreed to regarding the teams.”

Missouri lawmakers criticize Kansas attempt to poach Royals, Chiefs

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child in Shawnee County and have arrested the child's mother.

Shortly after 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call regarding an incident on SW Worwick Town Road, according to Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian.

First responders found a 9-year-old child located inside the residence, suffering from multiple wounds to the chest and neck. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Detectives were in the process of executing a search warrant at the&nbsp; home. The mother of the deceased child, Shyla M. Goracke, 29, of Topeka, has been placed into custody in connection with the matter. She is currently at a local hospital. An autopsy examination is scheduled for Friday.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child in Shawnee County.

First responders found&nbsp;a deceased child and took an adult into custody.

SW Worwick Town Road was currently closed between SW Gamwell Road and SW 40th Street while the investigation continues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718926405051.png" alt="Photo Courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child in Shawnee County and have arrested the child's mother.Shortly after 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call regarding an incident on SW Worwick Town Road, according to Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian.First responders found a 9-year-old child located inside the residence, suffering from multiple wounds to the chest and neck. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene.Detectives were in the process of executing a search warrant at the&nbsp; home. The mother of the deceased child, Shyla M. Goracke, 29, of Topeka, has been placed into custody in connection with the matter. She is currently at a local hospital. An autopsy examination is scheduled for Friday.----------------SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child in Shawnee County.Shortly after 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call regarding an incident on SW Worwick Town Road, according to Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian.First responders found&nbsp;a deceased child and took an adult into custody.SW Worwick Town Road was currently closed between SW Gamwell Road and SW 40th Street while the investigation continues.

Kan. mother in custody after her 9-year-old child found dead

KANSAS CITY —A woman injured in a shooting in Kansas City has died.

Just before 1a.m. June 17, police&nbsp;responded to a shooting at 3200 E. Linwood, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Upon arrival officers located 29-year-old Taylor Thomas&nbsp;lying in the yard just to the east of a nearby building suffering from apparent gunshot injuries.&nbsp; EMS transported her to an area hospital for treatment of life threatening injuries.

On Thursday police learned Thomas had died.&nbsp;This is being investigated as a homicide and detectives are making progress identifying a person of interest, according to Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY —A woman injured in a shooting in Kansas City has died.Just before 1a.m. June 17, police&nbsp;responded to a shooting at 3200 E. Linwood, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Upon arrival officers located 29-year-old Taylor Thomas&nbsp;lying in the yard just to the east of a nearby building suffering from apparent gunshot injuries.&nbsp; EMS transported her to an area hospital for treatment of life threatening injuries.On Thursday police learned Thomas had died.&nbsp;This is being investigated as a homicide and detectives are making progress identifying a person of interest, according to Gonzalez.

Homicide: KC woman dies four days after injured in shooting

Kansas City International Airport (MCI) experienced the busiest May in its history last month, according to a statement from the airport.

The Kansas City Aviation Department reports that 1,107,092 passengers arrived and departed through Kansas City International Airport’s gates in May 2024, an 8.1-percent increase from May 2023 and an all-time high for the month of May.

"Passenger traffic at Kansas City International Airport has been steadily growing, and hitting an all-time high in May is an amazing milestone,” said Director of Aviation Melissa Cooper.

 “We feel this is driven by a strong local economy, competitive air fares, and new and enhanced air service by our airline partners. The new terminal, which opened last year, has created an environment for the airlines to add routes and use larger capacity aircraft, which translates to more passengers. Many thanks to the airlines and the Kansas City region for the continued growth.

”Passenger boardings were up 8.4 percent, with a total of 568,183 boarded. Year-to-date passenger boardings are 2,361,129, up 7.6 percent. For the year to date, total passengers in and out total 4,711,870, up 7.6 percent.

Air cargo tonnages, which consist of both freight and mail transported by air, for all carriers at Kansas City International were up 20.9 percent in May with a total of 23.8 million pounds handled. Year to date, 105.6 million pounds of air cargo has been handled, up 9.1 percent. Air freight handled at Kansas City International during May amounted to 23.3 million pounds, up 23.7 percent year-over-year. 

Year to date, air freight is up 11.7 percent with a total of 104.5 million pounds handled. Air mail for May was down 40.3 percent from May 2023 with 513,118 pounds handled. Air mail year to date for 2024 is down 65.6 percent from 2023 with 1.1 million pounds handled.The number of peak-day scheduled aircraft departures for May 2024 was 162. Service was offered to 49 nonstop markets. There was an average of 44,318 arriving and departing scheduled seats in the market each day. The all-cargo carriers reported 11 daily departures for May.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718925599043.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas City International Airport" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas City International Airport</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City International Airport (MCI) experienced the busiest May in its history last month, according to a statement from the airport.The Kansas City Aviation Department reports that 1,107,092 passengers arrived and departed through Kansas City International Airport’s gates in May 2024, an 8.1-percent increase from May 2023 and an all-time high for the month of May."Passenger traffic at Kansas City International Airport has been steadily growing, and hitting an all-time high in May is an amazing milestone,” said Director of Aviation Melissa Cooper. “We feel this is driven by a strong local economy, competitive air fares, and new and enhanced air service by our airline partners. The new terminal, which opened last year, has created an environment for the airlines to add routes and use larger capacity aircraft, which translates to more passengers. Many thanks to the airlines and the Kansas City region for the continued growth.”Passenger boardings were up 8.4 percent, with a total of 568,183 boarded. Year-to-date passenger boardings are 2,361,129, up 7.6 percent. For the year to date, total passengers in and out total 4,711,870, up 7.6 percent.Air cargo tonnages, which consist of both freight and mail transported by air, for all carriers at Kansas City International were up 20.9 percent in May with a total of 23.8 million pounds handled. Year to date, 105.6 million pounds of air cargo has been handled, up 9.1 percent. Air freight handled at Kansas City International during May amounted to 23.3 million pounds, up 23.7 percent year-over-year. Year to date, air freight is up 11.7 percent with a total of 104.5 million pounds handled. Air mail for May was down 40.3 percent from May 2023 with 513,118 pounds handled. Air mail year to date for 2024 is down 65.6 percent from 2023 with 1.1 million pounds handled.The number of peak-day scheduled aircraft departures for May 2024 was 162. Service was offered to 49 nonstop markets. There was an average of 44,318 arriving and departing scheduled seats in the market each day. The all-cargo carriers reported 11 daily departures for May.

Kansas City International Airport: Busiest May in airport history

By NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post

Kansas Policy Institute CEO Dave Trabert doesn't see the proposal passed by the Kansas Legislature to potentially lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals to the other side of the state line as real economic growth.

"These STAR Bond initiatives, subsidies in general, and especially STAR Bond projects, don't work," Trabert said. "The research shows that. We did a study, we had an economist from KU study two projects in Wichita, and he concluded that all it really did was shift activity from one side of the city to the other, and that's just a basic economic fact that we all have the same budget, whatever it is. It doesn't change. What we're gonna spend on entertainment, on dining out, on retail, we're gonna spend what we have. We might spend it in different places, but right now, that money is being spent."

Trabert would argue that it is actually a net negative for taxpayers, all things considered.

"The developers want to put all kind of hotels and retail around that, so the money that gets spent there all year round at all those other shops is money that would have spent somewhere else, so those businesses in the somewhere else group lose," Trabert said.&nbsp; "The money that you spent there was taxed, sales tax, and that money went to the state general fund. Now, that money is gonna be spent in a STAR Bond district if it happens, and that money is used to pay off debt, so the state does lose tax revenue from that."

The state argues that they will get their money back through taxing the teams that play in Kansas on their incomes.

"We asked the Scoop and Score, the army of lobbyists that were hired, they were predicting a billion dollars a year in annual economic activity, and we said, okay, show us your math, and they wouldn't, because these kinds of predictions never take into account the unseen circumstances," Trabert said. "You can see where you're spending money, but they never account for that that money is mostly just shifted, and there's also, I mean, the return on investments are sometimes absurd. The assumptions that are made, they wouldn't show their math. That's pretty telling, but it's not a good deal for taxpayers, even if you live in the area where it happens to be. There will be some winners, the people that have businesses around there, but it's gonna come at the cost of everybody else."

The other issue is that this could rekindle the economic border war between Kansas and Missouri, where each state incentivizes Kansas City based businesses to move back and forth across the state line for the best deal, and that doesn't do anything for the community as a whole.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605883070462.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostKansas Policy Institute CEO Dave Trabert doesn't see the proposal passed by the Kansas Legislature to potentially lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals to the other side of the state line as real economic growth."These STAR Bond initiatives, subsidies in general, and especially STAR Bond projects, don't work," Trabert said. "The research shows that. We did a study, we had an economist from KU study two projects in Wichita, and he concluded that all it really did was shift activity from one side of the city to the other, and that's just a basic economic fact that we all have the same budget, whatever it is. It doesn't change. What we're gonna spend on entertainment, on dining out, on retail, we're gonna spend what we have. We might spend it in different places, but right now, that money is being spent."Trabert would argue that it is actually a net negative for taxpayers, all things considered."The developers want to put all kind of hotels and retail around that, so the money that gets spent there all year round at all those other shops is money that would have spent somewhere else, so those businesses in the somewhere else group lose," Trabert said.&nbsp; "The money that you spent there was taxed, sales tax, and that money went to the state general fund. Now, that money is gonna be spent in a STAR Bond district if it happens, and that money is used to pay off debt, so the state does lose tax revenue from that."The state argues that they will get their money back through taxing the teams that play in Kansas on their incomes."We asked the Scoop and Score, the army of lobbyists that were hired, they were predicting a billion dollars a year in annual economic activity, and we said, okay, show us your math, and they wouldn't, because these kinds of predictions never take into account the unseen circumstances," Trabert said. "You can see where you're spending money, but they never account for that that money is mostly just shifted, and there's also, I mean, the return on investments are sometimes absurd. The assumptions that are made, they wouldn't show their math. That's pretty telling, but it's not a good deal for taxpayers, even if you live in the area where it happens to be. There will be some winners, the people that have businesses around there, but it's gonna come at the cost of everybody else."The other issue is that this could rekindle the economic border war between Kansas and Missouri, where each state incentivizes Kansas City based businesses to move back and forth across the state line for the best deal, and that doesn't do anything for the community as a whole.

Trabert: Chiefs and Royals proposal 'doesn't change' spending

LABETTE COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just before 11p.m. Thursday in Labette County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Ford Ranger driven by Jake R. Westhoff, 35, St. Paul, was eastbound on 27000 Road just east of Rooks Road.

The pickup rear-ended a 2001 Honda motorcycle driven by George WM Shaw, 61, Parsons, that was disabled with no lights on.

Shaw was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Medical. Westhoff was not injured. Shaw was not wearding a helmet, according to the KHP.

LABETTE COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just before 11p.m. Thursday in Labette County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Ford Ranger driven by Jake R. Westhoff, 35, St. Paul, was eastbound on 27000 Road just east of Rooks Road.The pickup rear-ended a 2001 Honda motorcycle driven by George WM Shaw, 61, Parsons, that was disabled with no lights on.Shaw was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Medical. Westhoff was not injured. Shaw was not wearding a helmet, according to the KHP.

Kan. man dies after pickup rear-ends broken down motorcycle

The overall economic conditions in the ten state region covered by Creighton University's Rural Mainstreet Index survey are below growth neutral, but there are still some positives on the horizon, according to Creighton University economist Ernie Goss.

"We're talking about higher interest rates, of course, and certainly agricultural commodity prices remain weak," Goss said. They're a bit stronger than they were, but certainly compared to previous year, this same time last year, prices are down, agricultural commodity prices, likewise, exports of agricultural goods remaining weak, but the reading for the farmland prices is only slightly below growth neutral, so not as bad as some of the other readings, and furthermore, we had some good readings and good responses from bankers in terms of the farm financial conditions."

One tough spot is that farmers are reticent to spend to expand their operations.

"The demand for agricultural equipment is certainly much weaker," Goss said.&nbsp; "Farmers are just looking at the short to intermediate term and it doesn't look that good, so they're pulling back on their farm equipment purchases, and certainly, we look to the equipment dealers and the equipment manufacturers, they're weaker. In other words, John Deere has been laying off, for example, other company agricultural equipment manufacturers, not nearly as strong this year as last year, and our numbers are pretty consistent with what the USDA expected for the year. USDA expects farm income to be down for 2024 below 2023, which was lower than 2022, so all in all, our numbers are stacking up much like what USDA expected."

The margins for farmers are tighter, but they are paying their debt and holding on to their land, so it is marginally better than the farm crisis days of the 1980's, but we'll see what the next few months bring in terms of commodity prices and if there is any substantive policy change that comes out of the Farm Bill negotiations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592838771182.jpeg" alt="Ernie Goss" />
 <figcaption>Ernie Goss</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostThe overall economic conditions in the ten state region covered by Creighton University's Rural Mainstreet Index survey are below growth neutral, but there are still some positives on the horizon, according to Creighton University economist Ernie Goss."We're talking about higher interest rates, of course, and certainly agricultural commodity prices remain weak," Goss said. They're a bit stronger than they were, but certainly compared to previous year, this same time last year, prices are down, agricultural commodity prices, likewise, exports of agricultural goods remaining weak, but the reading for the farmland prices is only slightly below growth neutral, so not as bad as some of the other readings, and furthermore, we had some good readings and good responses from bankers in terms of the farm financial conditions."One tough spot is that farmers are reticent to spend to expand their operations."The demand for agricultural equipment is certainly much weaker," Goss said.&nbsp; "Farmers are just looking at the short to intermediate term and it doesn't look that good, so they're pulling back on their farm equipment purchases, and certainly, we look to the equipment dealers and the equipment manufacturers, they're weaker. In other words, John Deere has been laying off, for example, other company agricultural equipment manufacturers, not nearly as strong this year as last year, and our numbers are pretty consistent with what the USDA expected for the year. USDA expects farm income to be down for 2024 below 2023, which was lower than 2022, so all in all, our numbers are stacking up much like what USDA expected."The margins for farmers are tighter, but they are paying their debt and holding on to their land, so it is marginally better than the farm crisis days of the 1980's, but we'll see what the next few months bring in terms of commodity prices and if there is any substantive policy change that comes out of the Farm Bill negotiations.

Despite sinking number, still reason for Rural Mainstreet optimism

ELLIS COUNTY —The Hays Police Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Hays man, according to a media release from the KBI.

The whereabouts of 66-year-old Randy S. Goodermuth, of Hays, are unknown and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him. 

Randy is a white male who is 5-feet-8 inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds. He has blue eyes and is balding. Randy was last seen wearing a red Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce jersey (with the number 87 on it) and khaki pants.

Randy has schizophrenia. At the time he was last seen he was hallucinating and ran from his home. He has not yet returned. 

He also does not have a vehicle or a cell phone.If you see Randy Goodermuth, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1011.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718964286910.png" alt="Randy Goodermuth courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Randy Goodermuth courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLIS COUNTY —The Hays Police Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Hays man, according to a media release from the KBI.The whereabouts of 66-year-old Randy S. Goodermuth, of Hays, are unknown and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him. Randy is a white male who is 5-feet-8 inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds. He has blue eyes and is balding. Randy was last seen wearing a red Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce jersey (with the number 87 on it) and khaki pants.Randy has schizophrenia. At the time he was last seen he was hallucinating and ran from his home. He has not yet returned. He also does not have a vehicle or a cell phone.If you see Randy Goodermuth, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1011.

KBI: Silver Alert for missing Kansas man

MANHATTAN — A record-breaking number of Kansas service animals are now cleared for their vital work, thanks to the work of Kansas State University veterinarians.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksvhc.org/services/specialty-services/ophthalmology/" target="_blank">ophthalmology team</a>&nbsp;at K-State's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksvhc.org/" target="_blank">Veterinary Health Center</a>&nbsp;saw a record number of patients during the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists/Epicur Pharma National Service Animal Eye Exam event in May. This was the service’s 15th year participating in the national event, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acvoeyeexam.org/#about" target="_blank">provides complimentary eye exams for service and working animals</a>&nbsp;each May.

The team — which included professors of ophthalmology Jessica Meekins and Amy Rankin, veterinary nurse Jennifer Klingele and veterinary assistant Jordyn Orrison — saw a total of 77 service and working military dogs at appointments in the health center and off site.

Off-site visits included Kansas Specialty Dog Service, or KSDS, in Washington, Sedgwick County Emergency Management Search and Rescue, Wichita Police Department, McConnell Air Force Base and Fort Riley. The team evaluated 13 dogs at the Sedgwick County location alone.

"While our dogs' sense of smell is important, their eyesight is incredibly important as well," said Shannon Jacobs, a team lead for the Sedgwick County Emergency Management K-9 Search all-volunteer team. "These dogs are not only part of a team, but they are also loved members of their families, so knowing if there is a problem early on will help us address the issue sooner versus later.

"During the complete eye exams, Meekins and Rankin looked for problems including redness, squinting, cloudy corneas, retinal disease, early cataracts and other serious abnormalities.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksvhc.org/services/specialty-services/ophthalmology/owners.html" target="_blank">Early detection and treatment</a>&nbsp;are vital for these animals.

"It's an honor to provide screening eye exams to the animals that give so much to their owners and handlers," Meekins said. "We look forward to providing this service every year and are very excited that the word is spreading in the community to increase registration. It was a record year, and we look forward to even more exams next year.

"Those interested in scheduling an appointment during next year's event should watch for registration to open in April 2025.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718889025489.jpeg" alt="Amy Rankin, professor of ophthalmology, performs an eye exam on a service animal. Rankin was a member of a Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine outreach team that performed nearly 80 eye exams for service and working military dogs around the state this May. Photo courtesy K-State" />
 <figcaption>Amy Rankin, professor of ophthalmology, performs an eye exam on a service animal. Rankin was a member of a Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine outreach team that performed nearly 80 eye exams for service and working military dogs around the state this May. Photo courtesy K-State</figcaption>
 </figure>K-State News ServiceMANHATTAN — A record-breaking number of Kansas service animals are now cleared for their vital work, thanks to the work of Kansas State University veterinarians.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksvhc.org/services/specialty-services/ophthalmology/" target="_blank">ophthalmology team</a>&nbsp;at K-State's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksvhc.org/" target="_blank">Veterinary Health Center</a>&nbsp;saw a record number of patients during the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists/Epicur Pharma National Service Animal Eye Exam event in May. This was the service’s 15th year participating in the national event, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acvoeyeexam.org/#about" target="_blank">provides complimentary eye exams for service and working animals</a>&nbsp;each May.The team — which included professors of ophthalmology Jessica Meekins and Amy Rankin, veterinary nurse Jennifer Klingele and veterinary assistant Jordyn Orrison — saw a total of 77 service and working military dogs at appointments in the health center and off site.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718889107770.jpeg" alt="Jordyn Orrison, veterinary assistant in ophthalmology, right, administers eye drops on a service dog prior to an eye exam. Photo courtesy K-State" />
 <figcaption>Jordyn Orrison, veterinary assistant in ophthalmology, right, administers eye drops on a service dog prior to an eye exam. Photo courtesy K-State</figcaption>
 </figure>Off-site visits included Kansas Specialty Dog Service, or KSDS, in Washington, Sedgwick County Emergency Management Search and Rescue, Wichita Police Department, McConnell Air Force Base and Fort Riley. The team evaluated 13 dogs at the Sedgwick County location alone."While our dogs' sense of smell is important, their eyesight is incredibly important as well," said Shannon Jacobs, a team lead for the Sedgwick County Emergency Management K-9 Search all-volunteer team. "These dogs are not only part of a team, but they are also loved members of their families, so knowing if there is a problem early on will help us address the issue sooner versus later."During the complete eye exams, Meekins and Rankin looked for problems including redness, squinting, cloudy corneas, retinal disease, early cataracts and other serious abnormalities.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksvhc.org/services/specialty-services/ophthalmology/owners.html" target="_blank">Early detection and treatment</a>&nbsp;are vital for these animals."It's an honor to provide screening eye exams to the animals that give so much to their owners and handlers," Meekins said. "We look forward to providing this service every year and are very excited that the word is spreading in the community to increase registration. It was a record year, and we look forward to even more exams next year."Those interested in scheduling an appointment during next year's event should watch for registration to open in April 2025.

K-State veterinarians perform eye exams for service animals in record numbers

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide that occurred Tuesday northeast of Kearney, Missouri, according to a statement from the Clay County Sheriff.

At 10 p.m. June 18, a 911 caller reported a man had been shot at a home in the 16200 block of Kountry Ridge Drive. 

Ricky Allen, 50, died at the scene. Deputies took the suspect into custody at the home. 

Allen's wife, Melissa I. Hoffner-Allen, has now been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in his death. She is being held in our detention center on a $250,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718879912924.png" alt="Hoffner-Allen photo Clay County&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Hoffner-Allen photo Clay County&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide that occurred Tuesday northeast of Kearney, Missouri, according to a statement from the Clay County Sheriff.At 10 p.m. June 18, a 911 caller reported a man had been shot at a home in the 16200 block of Kountry Ridge Drive. Ricky Allen, 50, died at the scene. Deputies took the suspect into custody at the home. Allen's wife, Melissa I. Hoffner-Allen, has now been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in his death. She is being held in our detention center on a $250,000 bond.

Sheriff: Rural KC-area woman charged with killing her husband

HUTCHINSON, Kan —A man who tried to kill a woman and shot at a car with her and their children in it&nbsp;was sentenced to 240 months in prison with a 36 months post release on Thursday morning.

Reno County Senior Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh told Hutch Post on May 3, that the defendant, Kamden Campos, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated kidnapping, no contest to four separate attempts to kill the woman, guilty to knowingly causing great bodily harm to the 22 month old in the car, as a bullet had entered the license plate, traveled through the car seat and entered the back of the toddler.

Campos also plead no contest to attempted murder in the first degree of a baby who was also in the back seat when the car was shot at and plead guilty to two counts of criminal threat.

The pleas of guilty were admission of guilt. The no contest pleas were admissions that the State of Kansas had sufficient evidence to prove his guilt and that evidence was not contested.&nbsp;

The prosecution informed the Court of the factual basis to support the counts and he was then found guilty.&nbsp;

The prosecution for the case was conducted by Assistant Senior District Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh and Assistant District Attorney Sierra Logan.&nbsp;Kampos was represented by Criminal Defense Attorney Kurt P. Kerns.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669822978225.jpeg" alt="Kamden Campos-photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Kamden Campos-photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE&nbsp;&nbsp;Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan —A man who tried to kill a woman and shot at a car with her and their children in it&nbsp;was sentenced to 240 months in prison with a 36 months post release on Thursday morning.Reno County Senior Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh told Hutch Post on May 3, that the defendant, Kamden Campos, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated kidnapping, no contest to four separate attempts to kill the woman, guilty to knowingly causing great bodily harm to the 22 month old in the car, as a bullet had entered the license plate, traveled through the car seat and entered the back of the toddler.Campos also plead no contest to attempted murder in the first degree of a baby who was also in the back seat when the car was shot at and plead guilty to two counts of criminal threat.The pleas of guilty were admission of guilt. The no contest pleas were admissions that the State of Kansas had sufficient evidence to prove his guilt and that evidence was not contested.&nbsp;The prosecution informed the Court of the factual basis to support the counts and he was then found guilty.&nbsp;The prosecution for the case was conducted by Assistant Senior District Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh and Assistant District Attorney Sierra Logan.&nbsp;Kampos was represented by Criminal Defense Attorney Kurt P. Kerns.

 Kansas man going to prison for abduction, shooting toddler

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged theft and burglary.

Just after 7p.m. June 19, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an enclosed trailer that had been stolen from a rural property near Delia, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

A Jackson County Deputy located the stolen trailer at a residence in Rossville. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Silver Lake Police then located the suspect at a different address in the City of Rossville. 

The suspect, Tanner Joseph Allen, 27, of Rossville, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of theft, burglary and criminal damage to property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718727037393.png" alt="Allen-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Allen-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged theft and burglary.Just after 7p.m. June 19, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an enclosed trailer that had been stolen from a rural property near Delia, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.A Jackson County Deputy located the stolen trailer at a residence in Rossville. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Silver Lake Police then located the suspect at a different address in the City of Rossville. The suspect, Tanner Joseph Allen, 27, of Rossville, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of theft, burglary and criminal damage to property.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of trailer theft from rural property

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

Fort Hays State leads surge at 5.2%; followed by a 5% increase at KU

TOPEKA — The Kansas Board of Regents unanimously voted Thursday to raise tuition and fees an average of 3.9% for full-time, in-state undergraduate students at the five state public universities requesting revenue enhancements from that source.

Members of the Board of Regents defended the increases by touting a report showing the result would be that raises to tuition and fees for resident undergraduates in the university system ranged from 4.4% to 22.2% since 2020. The national consumer price index, known as CPI-U, went up 22.5% from 2020 to 2024. The Higher Education Price Index, issued by Commonfund Institute, grew 15.7% over those years.

“We’re all aware of the need to keep higher education affordable, but also understand the pressure that inflationary factors are placing on every enterprise, including higher education,” said Blake Benson, a Board of Regents member from Pittsburg.

The Board of Regents released a document indicating overall state university tuition and fee increases for undergraduate in-state students over a five-year period, including the 2025 adjustments, would average 11.8%. Decisions of the Board of Regents pushed up tuition and fees through those years by 10% at University of Kansas, 7.5% at Kansas State University, 22.2% at Wichita State University, 4.4% at Emporia State University, 14.5% at Pittsburg State University and 12.4% at Fort Hays State University.

Wint Winter, a Lawrence member of the Board of Regents, said his support for the latest tuition and fee changes was influenced by action of the Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly to expand student financial aid from $24 million annually to $97 million annually since 2021.

He said the six state universities also reduced operating costs during the past five years by $219 million and eliminated the equivalent of 675 full-time job positions.

“This is one of the most important and powerful decisions that this board has to make,” Winter said. “If you want to talk about net student financial load, I think the regents institutions, the governor and the Legislature have done a great job in the last five years in holding tuition down much below inflation.”

The average 3.9% adjustment this fall in state university tuition and fees reflected increases at five of the six state universities. Emporia State settled on a 3.4% reduction in tuition and fees attained by diminishing student fees and holding tuition flat.

In May, ESU administrators put forward a plan to raise tuition by 4%. That idea was dropped to zero before the Board of Regents convened for its June meeting. If ESU’s reduction in the combined tuition and fees figure was included in statistics covering all six universities, the average increase in tuition and fees at the universities would be 2.7%.

Enrollment at ESU spiraled the past couple years as administrators dismissed tenured faculty, realigned course offerings and sought to “right-size” the university in exchange for special funding from the Legislature. An extraordinary $9 million earmark that inflated state funding to ESU last year was renewed because the governor declined to veto for a second time during the 2024 legislative session a Republican-driven provision appropriating the $9 million in this year’s state spending bill.

Here are the per semester, full-time undergraduate tuition and fee rates for 2024-2025 and what those changes mean compared last year’s rates: KU, $6,141, up $291 or 5%; KSU, $5,610, up $139 or 2.5%; WSU, $4,841, up $180 or 3.9%; PSU, $4,200, up $122 or 3%; ESU, $3,547, down $125 or 3.4%; FHSU, $2,964, up $147 or 5.2%.

Nonresident undergraduate tuition and fees — there are a variety of programs to waive the out-of-state premium — were increased at the same five universities and reduced at ESU by 1.6% to $7,704.

Undergraduate students from other states attending KU would pay $15,306 per semester this fall, which would be a $600 increase of 4.1%. K-State intends to charge $14,283 for nonresident undergraduate students, an amount $375 or 2.7% greater than last fall. Here are the other figures: WSU, $9,994, up $374 or 3.9%; PSU, $9,872, up $122 or 1.3%; and FHSU, $8,888, up $482 or 5.7%.

The Board of Regents adopted comparable increases for graduate students that was sought by the universities and unanimously approved by the board’s fiscal affairs subcommittee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718919593168.png" alt=" The Kansas Board of Regents agreed to increase student tuition and fees at Kansas Board of Regents universities. Richard Linton, president at Kansas State University, received permission to hike tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students by 2.5%, or $139 per semester, to $5,610. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Board of Regents’ YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption> The Kansas Board of Regents agreed to increase student tuition and fees at Kansas Board of Regents universities. Richard Linton, president at Kansas State University, received permission to hike tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students by 2.5%, or $139 per semester, to $5,610. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Board of Regents’ YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Fort Hays State leads surge at 5.2%; followed by a 5% increase at KU</h2>TOPEKA — The Kansas Board of Regents unanimously voted Thursday to raise tuition and fees an average of 3.9% for full-time, in-state undergraduate students at the five state public universities requesting revenue enhancements from that source.Members of the Board of Regents defended the increases by touting a report showing the result would be that raises to tuition and fees for resident undergraduates in the university system ranged from 4.4% to 22.2% since 2020. The national consumer price index, known as CPI-U, went up 22.5% from 2020 to 2024. The Higher Education Price Index, issued by Commonfund Institute, grew 15.7% over those years.“We’re all aware of the need to keep higher education affordable, but also understand the pressure that inflationary factors are placing on every enterprise, including higher education,” said Blake Benson, a Board of Regents member from Pittsburg.The Board of Regents released a document indicating overall state university tuition and fee increases for undergraduate in-state students over a five-year period, including the 2025 adjustments, would average 11.8%. Decisions of the Board of Regents pushed up tuition and fees through those years by 10% at University of Kansas, 7.5% at Kansas State University, 22.2% at Wichita State University, 4.4% at Emporia State University, 14.5% at Pittsburg State University and 12.4% at Fort Hays State University.Wint Winter, a Lawrence member of the Board of Regents, said his support for the latest tuition and fee changes was influenced by action of the Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly to expand student financial aid from $24 million annually to $97 million annually since 2021.He said the six state universities also reduced operating costs during the past five years by $219 million and eliminated the equivalent of 675 full-time job positions.“This is one of the most important and powerful decisions that this board has to make,” Winter said. “If you want to talk about net student financial load, I think the regents institutions, the governor and the Legislature have done a great job in the last five years in holding tuition down much below inflation.”The average 3.9% adjustment this fall in state university tuition and fees reflected increases at five of the six state universities. Emporia State settled on a 3.4% reduction in tuition and fees attained by diminishing student fees and holding tuition flat.In May, ESU administrators put forward a plan to raise tuition by 4%. That idea was dropped to zero before the Board of Regents convened for its June meeting. If ESU’s reduction in the combined tuition and fees figure was included in statistics covering all six universities, the average increase in tuition and fees at the universities would be 2.7%.Enrollment at ESU spiraled the past couple years as administrators dismissed tenured faculty, realigned course offerings and sought to “right-size” the university in exchange for special funding from the Legislature. An extraordinary $9 million earmark that inflated state funding to ESU last year was renewed because the governor declined to veto for a second time during the 2024 legislative session a Republican-driven provision appropriating the $9 million in this year’s state spending bill.Here are the per semester, full-time undergraduate tuition and fee rates for 2024-2025 and what those changes mean compared last year’s rates: KU, $6,141, up $291 or 5%; KSU, $5,610, up $139 or 2.5%; WSU, $4,841, up $180 or 3.9%; PSU, $4,200, up $122 or 3%; ESU, $3,547, down $125 or 3.4%; FHSU, $2,964, up $147 or 5.2%.Nonresident undergraduate tuition and fees — there are a variety of programs to waive the out-of-state premium — were increased at the same five universities and reduced at ESU by 1.6% to $7,704.Undergraduate students from other states attending KU would pay $15,306 per semester this fall, which would be a $600 increase of 4.1%. K-State intends to charge $14,283 for nonresident undergraduate students, an amount $375 or 2.7% greater than last fall. Here are the other figures: WSU, $9,994, up $374 or 3.9%; PSU, $9,872, up $122 or 1.3%; and FHSU, $8,888, up $482 or 5.7%.The Board of Regents adopted comparable increases for graduate students that was sought by the universities and unanimously approved by the board’s fiscal affairs subcommittee.

Kan. Regents adopt average 3.9% tuition, fee hike for in-state, undergraduates

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement and railroad officials continue investigating a fatal accident in Topeka.

Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, a Union Pacific train struck and killed an individual near N Kansas Ave and NE Norris Street, according to&nbsp;Meg Siffring with Union Pacific.

The train crew was not injured. Union Pacific is working with local authorities to understand what led up to the incident.&nbsp; Train operations resumed about 9:15 p.m. Tuesdayt

 The name of the victim has not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718757295503.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement and railroad officials continue investigating a fatal accident in Topeka.Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, a Union Pacific train struck and killed an individual near N Kansas Ave and NE Norris Street, according to&nbsp;Meg Siffring with Union Pacific.The train crew was not injured. Union Pacific is working with local authorities to understand what led up to the incident.&nbsp; Train operations resumed about 9:15 p.m. Tuesdayt The name of the victim has not been released.

Fatal Kan. train, pedestrian incident remains under investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is headed into its final few weeks with about a third of the cases heard this year still undecided, including ones that could reshape the law on everything from guns to abortion to social media. The justices are also still weighing whether former President Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution in the election interference case against him, more than a month after hearing arguments.

The court heard 61 cases this term, and 19 remain unresolved.

Here's a look at some of the major undecided cases:

Donald Trump is arguing that former presidents are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-prosecution-immunity-72c885c07c77970d4380206f87b2d8ca">immune from prosecution</a>&nbsp;for official acts they took in office and that the indictment he faces on charges of election interference must be dismissed.

The Supreme Court has previously ruled that former presidents can’t be sued in civil cases for what they did in office, but it has never weighed in on criminal immunity.

The timing of the decision may be as important as the outcome. Trump’s trial in Washington, D.C., may not take place before the November election, even if the court rules he is not immune.

A former Pennsylvania police officer is challenging the validity of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-capitol-riot-obstruction-charge-trump-d4b01cb32cdbd2065e802902a90bd9f1">obstruction charges</a>&nbsp;brought against hundreds of people who took part in the violent assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump faces the same charge of obstructing an official proceeding.

The issue is whether a law meant to discourage tampering with documents sought in investigations can be used against the Capitol rioters.

There’s a second abortion case on the docket this year: whether doctors can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-emergencies-hospitals-doctors-45766f0a1ab576ce0f6515c5a1bd9e2a">provide that medical procedure in emergencies</a>&nbsp;in states that banned abortion after the court overturned Roe v. Wade.

In a case out of Idaho, the Biden administration says abortions must be allowed in emergencies where a woman’s health is at serious risk.

The state argues that its strict abortion ban does allow abortions to save a woman’s life, and doesn’t need to expand exceptions for health risks.

The justices are weighing whether to uphold a federal law that seeks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-domestic-violence-b86948dc6103573898c3757b998a0a6c">protect domestic violence victims</a>&nbsp;by keeping guns away from the people alleged to have abused them. An appeals court struck down a law that prohibits people under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms. That court found that the law violated the 2nd Amendment right to “keep and bear arms” following the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that expanded gun rights and changed how courts are supposed to evaluate gun restrictions.

The most significant Supreme Court case in decades on homelessness centers on whether people can be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-supreme-court-oregon-fines-camping-ban-334d90536535ebb07ccb6d2dc76009c9">banned from sleeping outdoors</a>&nbsp;when shelter space is lacking.

A San Francisco-based appeals court decision said that amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

Leaders from California and across the West say that the ruling makes it harder for them to regulate homeless encampments encroaching on sidewalks and other public places.

Advocates say it would criminalize homelessness just as rising costs have pushed the number of people without a permanent place to live to record levels.

The justices could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-chevron-regulations-environment-fish-e0c83212c892887860f7800c1ae1e02b">overturn a 40-year-old decision</a>&nbsp;that has been cited thousands of times in federal court cases and used to uphold regulations on the environment, public health, workplace safety and consumer protections. The decision colloquially known as Chevron calls on judges to defer to federal regulators when the words of a statute are not crystal clear. The decision has long been targeted by conservative and business interests who say Chevron robs judges of their authority and gives too much power to regulators.

Three cases remain unresolved at the intersection of social media and government.

Two cases involve social media laws in Texas and Florida that would limit how Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube and other social media platforms regulate content posted by their users. While the details vary, both laws aimed to address conservative complaints that the social media companies were liberal-leaning and censored users based on their viewpoints, especially on the political right.

In the third case, Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security. A federal appeals court sided with the states in finding that administration officials unconstitutionally coerced the platforms to limit conservative points of view.

The Supreme Court controls the fate of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/purdue-pharma-trustee-bankruptcy-sackler-opioid-oxycontin-713134927e34ef071803b3983ddd01ac">nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma</a>&nbsp;that would allocate billions of dollars to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opioids">the opioid epidemic</a>, but also provide a legal shield for members of the Sackler family who own the company. The settlement has been on hold since last summer after the Supreme Court agreed to weigh in.

Republican-led, energy-producing states and the steel industry want the court to put the Environmental Protection Agency’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-epa-good-neighbor-air-pollution-rules-9d29c120d276f4bad5b3ea2c75d107ff">air pollution-fighting “good neighbor” plan</a>&nbsp;on hold while legal challenges continue. The plan aims to protect downwind states that receive unwanted air pollution from other states.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is headed into its final few weeks with about a third of the cases heard this year still undecided, including ones that could reshape the law on everything from guns to abortion to social media. The justices are also still weighing whether former President Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution in the election interference case against him, more than a month after hearing arguments.The court heard 61 cases this term, and 19 remain unresolved.Here's a look at some of the major undecided cases:<h2>Presidential immunity</h2>Donald Trump is arguing that former presidents are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-prosecution-immunity-72c885c07c77970d4380206f87b2d8ca">immune from prosecution</a>&nbsp;for official acts they took in office and that the indictment he faces on charges of election interference must be dismissed.The Supreme Court has previously ruled that former presidents can’t be sued in civil cases for what they did in office, but it has never weighed in on criminal immunity.The timing of the decision may be as important as the outcome. Trump’s trial in Washington, D.C., may not take place before the November election, even if the court rules he is not immune.<h2>Jan. 6, 2021</h2>A former Pennsylvania police officer is challenging the validity of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-capitol-riot-obstruction-charge-trump-d4b01cb32cdbd2065e802902a90bd9f1">obstruction charges</a>&nbsp;brought against hundreds of people who took part in the violent assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump faces the same charge of obstructing an official proceeding.The issue is whether a law meant to discourage tampering with documents sought in investigations can be used against the Capitol rioters.<h2>Emergency abortion</h2>There’s a second abortion case on the docket this year: whether doctors can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-emergencies-hospitals-doctors-45766f0a1ab576ce0f6515c5a1bd9e2a">provide that medical procedure in emergencies</a>&nbsp;in states that banned abortion after the court overturned Roe v. Wade.In a case out of Idaho, the Biden administration says abortions must be allowed in emergencies where a woman’s health is at serious risk.The state argues that its strict abortion ban does allow abortions to save a woman’s life, and doesn’t need to expand exceptions for health risks.<h2>Guns</h2>The justices are weighing whether to uphold a federal law that seeks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-domestic-violence-b86948dc6103573898c3757b998a0a6c">protect domestic violence victims</a>&nbsp;by keeping guns away from the people alleged to have abused them. An appeals court struck down a law that prohibits people under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms. That court found that the law violated the 2nd Amendment right to “keep and bear arms” following the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that expanded gun rights and changed how courts are supposed to evaluate gun restrictions.<h2>Homelessness</h2>The most significant Supreme Court case in decades on homelessness centers on whether people can be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-supreme-court-oregon-fines-camping-ban-334d90536535ebb07ccb6d2dc76009c9">banned from sleeping outdoors</a>&nbsp;when shelter space is lacking.A San Francisco-based appeals court decision said that amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.Leaders from California and across the West say that the ruling makes it harder for them to regulate homeless encampments encroaching on sidewalks and other public places.Advocates say it would criminalize homelessness just as rising costs have pushed the number of people without a permanent place to live to record levels.<h2>Chevron</h2>The justices could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-chevron-regulations-environment-fish-e0c83212c892887860f7800c1ae1e02b">overturn a 40-year-old decision</a>&nbsp;that has been cited thousands of times in federal court cases and used to uphold regulations on the environment, public health, workplace safety and consumer protections. The decision colloquially known as Chevron calls on judges to defer to federal regulators when the words of a statute are not crystal clear. The decision has long been targeted by conservative and business interests who say Chevron robs judges of their authority and gives too much power to regulators.<h2>Social media</h2>Three cases remain unresolved at the intersection of social media and government.Two cases involve social media laws in Texas and Florida that would limit how Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube and other social media platforms regulate content posted by their users. While the details vary, both laws aimed to address conservative complaints that the social media companies were liberal-leaning and censored users based on their viewpoints, especially on the political right.In the third case, Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security. A federal appeals court sided with the states in finding that administration officials unconstitutionally coerced the platforms to limit conservative points of view.<h2>Purdue Pharma</h2>The Supreme Court controls the fate of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/purdue-pharma-trustee-bankruptcy-sackler-opioid-oxycontin-713134927e34ef071803b3983ddd01ac">nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma</a>&nbsp;that would allocate billions of dollars to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opioids">the opioid epidemic</a>, but also provide a legal shield for members of the Sackler family who own the company. The settlement has been on hold since last summer after the Supreme Court agreed to weigh in.<h2>Air pollution</h2>Republican-led, energy-producing states and the steel industry want the court to put the Environmental Protection Agency’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-epa-good-neighbor-air-pollution-rules-9d29c120d276f4bad5b3ea2c75d107ff">air pollution-fighting “good neighbor” plan</a>&nbsp;on hold while legal challenges continue. The plan aims to protect downwind states that receive unwanted air pollution from other states.<h2>SEC</h2>

Supreme Court still undecided on some very big cases

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-sutherland">Donald Sutherland,</a>&nbsp;the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” has died. He was 88.

Son&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f174fc712390468ca3bee33b0e9f24bf">Kiefer Sutherland</a>&nbsp;confirmed the death Thursday. No details were immediately available.

“I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film,” Kiefer Sutherland said on X. “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.”

The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House."

Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, ultimately appearing in nearly 200 films and series.

Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunger-games-suzanne-collins-sunrise-reaping-b30163b4707f4db55eb68513f197affc">the “Hunger Games” films.</a>&nbsp;A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-sutherland-memoir-book-hunger-games-b62334825f72f00c4ab4042e5dc24fc3">due out in November.</a>

"I love to work. I passionately love to work," Sutherland told Charlie Rose in 1998. "I love to feel my hand fit into the glove of some other character. I feel a huge freedom — time stops for me. I'm not as crazy as I used to be, but I'm still a little crazy."

Born in St. John, New Brunswick, Donald McNichol Sutherland was the son of a salesman and a mathematics teacher. Raised in Nova Scotia, he was a disc jockey with his own radio station at age 14.

"When I was 13 or 14, I really thought everything I felt was wrong and dangerous, and that God was going to kill me for it," Sutherland told The New York Times in 1981. "My father always said, 'Keep your mouth shut, Donnie, and maybe people will think you have character.'"

Sutherland began as an engineering student at the University of Toronto but switched to English and started acting in school theatrical productions. While studying, he met Lois Hardwick, an aspiring actress. They married in 1959 but divorced seven years later.

After graduating in 1956, Sutherland attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art to study acting. He began appearing in West End plays and British television. After a move to Los Angeles, a series of war films changed his trajectory.

His breakthrough was "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), in which he played Vernon Pinkley, the officer-impersonating psychopath. 1970 saw the release of both the World War II yarn "Kelly's Heroes" and "M.A.S.H.," a smash hit that catapulted Sutherland to stardom.

"There is more challenge in character roles," Sutherland told The Washington Post in 1970. "There's longevity. A good character actor can show a different face in every film and not bore the public."

If Sutherland had had his way, Altman would have been fired from “M.A.S.H.” He was unhappy with the director’s unorthodox, improvisational style. But the film caught on beyond anyone’s expectations.

Sutherland identified personally with its anti-war message. Outspoken against the Vietnam War, he along with actress Jane Fonda and others founded the Free Theater Associates in 1971. Banned by the Army because of their political views, they performed in venues near military bases in Southeast Asia in 1973.

“I thought I was going to be part of a revolution that was going to change movies and its influence on people,” Sutherland told the Los Angeles Times.

His career as a leading man peaked in the 1970s, when he starred in films by the era's top directors — even if they didn't always do their best work with him. Sutherland, who frequently said he considered himself at the service of a director's vision, worked with Federico Fellini (1976's "Fellini's Casanova"), Bernardo Bertolucci (1976's "1900"), Claude Chabrol (1978's "Blood Relatives") and John Schlesinger (1975's "The Day of the Locust").

One of his finest performances came as a detective in Alan Pakula's "Klute" (1971). It was during filming that he met Fonda, with whom he had a three-year relationship that began at the end of his second marriage to actor Shirley Douglas. He and Douglas divorced in 1971 after having twins: Rachel and Kiefer, who was named after Warren Kiefer, the writer of Sutherland's first film, “Castle of the Living Dead.”

Nicolas Roeg's psychological horror film “Don't Look Now” (1973) was another high point. Sutherland starred with Julie Christie as a grieving married couple who move to Venice after their daughter's death. The film included a famous, explicit sex scene, artfully edited.

“Nic and I thought that maybe I would die in the process of it, so much were we committed,” Sutherland once said. His admiration for the film and Roeg was such that he and his next wife, actress Francine Racette, named their first-born child Roeg.

Sutherland married Racette in 1972 and remained with her the rest of his life. She survives him. They had two other children together: Rossif, named after the director Frederic Rossif; and Angus Redford, named after Redford.

Robert Redford's “Ordinary People" (1980) also dealt with the loss of a child. His directorial debut, starring Sutherland as the father of a family destroyed by tragedy, won four Oscars, including best picture.

Sutherland was never nominated for an Oscar but received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-arts-and-entertainment-movies-ae3919aa51e942a8ba6458ebd15daf17">an honorary Oscar in 2017.</a>&nbsp;He did win an Emmy in 1995 for the TV film "Citizen X" and won two Golden Globes for "Citizen X" and the 2003 TV film "Path to War."

Sutherland's New York stage debut in 1981, though, went terribly. He played Humbert Humbert in Edward Albee's adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita," and the reviews were merciless; it closed after a dozen performances. A down period in the '80s followed, with failures like the 1981 satire "Gas" and the 1984 comedy "Crackers."

But Sutherland continued to work steadily and increasingly worked in television, most memorably in HBO's "Path to War," in which he played President Lyndon Johnson's defense secretary, Clark Clifford.

After son Kiefer emerged as a star, Sutherland appeared in numerous films with him, including the 1996 thriller “A Time to Kill” and 2015’s “Forsaken.” But he turned down the chance to play the father on the hit series “24.”

To a younger generation, Sutherland was most familiar as President Snow in “The Hunger Games” franchise beginning with the 2012 original. Sutherland sought out the part.

“The role of the president had maybe a line in the script. Maybe two. Didn’t make any difference,” Sutherland told GQ. “I thought it was an incredibly important film, and I wanted to be a part of it.” He said he hoped the movie would inspire young people who were “dormant” politically.

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-sutherland">Donald Sutherland,</a>&nbsp;the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” has died. He was 88.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more… <a href="https://t.co/3EdJB03KKT">pic.twitter.com/3EdJB03KKT</a>&mdash; Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealKiefer/status/1803837822677225581?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Son&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f174fc712390468ca3bee33b0e9f24bf">Kiefer Sutherland</a>&nbsp;confirmed the death Thursday. No details were immediately available.“I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film,” Kiefer Sutherland said on X. “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.”The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House."Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, ultimately appearing in nearly 200 films and series.Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunger-games-suzanne-collins-sunrise-reaping-b30163b4707f4db55eb68513f197affc">the “Hunger Games” films.</a>&nbsp;A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-sutherland-memoir-book-hunger-games-b62334825f72f00c4ab4042e5dc24fc3">due out in November.</a>"I love to work. I passionately love to work," Sutherland told Charlie Rose in 1998. "I love to feel my hand fit into the glove of some other character. I feel a huge freedom — time stops for me. I'm not as crazy as I used to be, but I'm still a little crazy."Born in St. John, New Brunswick, Donald McNichol Sutherland was the son of a salesman and a mathematics teacher. Raised in Nova Scotia, he was a disc jockey with his own radio station at age 14."When I was 13 or 14, I really thought everything I felt was wrong and dangerous, and that God was going to kill me for it," Sutherland told The New York Times in 1981. "My father always said, 'Keep your mouth shut, Donnie, and maybe people will think you have character.'"Sutherland began as an engineering student at the University of Toronto but switched to English and started acting in school theatrical productions. While studying, he met Lois Hardwick, an aspiring actress. They married in 1959 but divorced seven years later.After graduating in 1956, Sutherland attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art to study acting. He began appearing in West End plays and British television. After a move to Los Angeles, a series of war films changed his trajectory.His breakthrough was "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), in which he played Vernon Pinkley, the officer-impersonating psychopath. 1970 saw the release of both the World War II yarn "Kelly's Heroes" and "M.A.S.H.," a smash hit that catapulted Sutherland to stardom."There is more challenge in character roles," Sutherland told The Washington Post in 1970. "There's longevity. A good character actor can show a different face in every film and not bore the public."If Sutherland had had his way, Altman would have been fired from “M.A.S.H.” He was unhappy with the director’s unorthodox, improvisational style. But the film caught on beyond anyone’s expectations.Sutherland identified personally with its anti-war message. Outspoken against the Vietnam War, he along with actress Jane Fonda and others founded the Free Theater Associates in 1971. Banned by the Army because of their political views, they performed in venues near military bases in Southeast Asia in 1973.“I thought I was going to be part of a revolution that was going to change movies and its influence on people,” Sutherland told the Los Angeles Times.His career as a leading man peaked in the 1970s, when he starred in films by the era's top directors — even if they didn't always do their best work with him. Sutherland, who frequently said he considered himself at the service of a director's vision, worked with Federico Fellini (1976's "Fellini's Casanova"), Bernardo Bertolucci (1976's "1900"), Claude Chabrol (1978's "Blood Relatives") and John Schlesinger (1975's "The Day of the Locust").One of his finest performances came as a detective in Alan Pakula's "Klute" (1971). It was during filming that he met Fonda, with whom he had a three-year relationship that began at the end of his second marriage to actor Shirley Douglas. He and Douglas divorced in 1971 after having twins: Rachel and Kiefer, who was named after Warren Kiefer, the writer of Sutherland's first film, “Castle of the Living Dead.”Nicolas Roeg's psychological horror film “Don't Look Now” (1973) was another high point. Sutherland starred with Julie Christie as a grieving married couple who move to Venice after their daughter's death. The film included a famous, explicit sex scene, artfully edited.“Nic and I thought that maybe I would die in the process of it, so much were we committed,” Sutherland once said. His admiration for the film and Roeg was such that he and his next wife, actress Francine Racette, named their first-born child Roeg.Sutherland married Racette in 1972 and remained with her the rest of his life. She survives him. They had two other children together: Rossif, named after the director Frederic Rossif; and Angus Redford, named after Redford.Robert Redford's “Ordinary People" (1980) also dealt with the loss of a child. His directorial debut, starring Sutherland as the father of a family destroyed by tragedy, won four Oscars, including best picture.Sutherland was never nominated for an Oscar but received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-arts-and-entertainment-movies-ae3919aa51e942a8ba6458ebd15daf17">an honorary Oscar in 2017.</a>&nbsp;He did win an Emmy in 1995 for the TV film "Citizen X" and won two Golden Globes for "Citizen X" and the 2003 TV film "Path to War."Sutherland's New York stage debut in 1981, though, went terribly. He played Humbert Humbert in Edward Albee's adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita," and the reviews were merciless; it closed after a dozen performances. A down period in the '80s followed, with failures like the 1981 satire "Gas" and the 1984 comedy "Crackers."But Sutherland continued to work steadily and increasingly worked in television, most memorably in HBO's "Path to War," in which he played President Lyndon Johnson's defense secretary, Clark Clifford.After son Kiefer emerged as a star, Sutherland appeared in numerous films with him, including the 1996 thriller “A Time to Kill” and 2015’s “Forsaken.” But he turned down the chance to play the father on the hit series “24.”To a younger generation, Sutherland was most familiar as President Snow in “The Hunger Games” franchise beginning with the 2012 original. Sutherland sought out the part.“The role of the president had maybe a line in the script. Maybe two. Didn’t make any difference,” Sutherland told GQ. “I thought it was an incredibly important film, and I wanted to be a part of it.” He said he hoped the movie would inspire young people who were “dormant” politically.In his final years, the nonstop actor mused about dying onscreen, for real.“I’m really hoping that in some movie I’m doing, I die — but I die, me, Donald — and they’re able to use my funeral and the coffin,” Sutherland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-arts-and-entertainment-movies-ae3919aa51e942a8ba6458ebd15daf17">told the AP</a>. “That would be absolutely ideal. I would love that.”