Riley County Commissioners learned Thursday there were decreases in crime compared to the five-year average. Police Director Brian Peete said there was a 37% decrease in Part One crimes compared to the five year average and 34% compared to one year ago at the same time.

There were nine aggravated batteries and seven aggravated assaults, but an arrest on Oct.8 accounted for those incidents.

Part One Property Crimes were 38% below the five-year average.

The average in mate population totaled 131.5.

There was also a shooting on Marlatt last Saturday and the suspect turned himself in

September Crime Statistics Report

USD 383 has announced that there will not be school for all USD 383 students on Friday, October 17. It is a teacher preparation day.

No school for USD 383 students on Friday

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Riley County Arrest Report October 16

When night falls, Abilene’s Old West history takes a spooky turn during Haunted Old Town, held at Old Abilene Town, 200 SE 6th St., from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. ct. 17-18, 24-25 and on Oct. 31. Creepy characters, eerie effects, and unexpected scares are features. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 10 and under. Filo Foods Food Truck will be onsite, and on October 25, visitors are invited to stay for a Halloween Costume Party.

Haunted Old Town

MANHATTAN and SALINA, Kan. — Every student’s journey to a bachelor’s degree looks different — and sometimes, students need help finding their unique paths.That’s why&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.k-state.edu/">Kansas State University</a>&nbsp;is partnering with technical colleges in two of its campus communities — Manhattan and Salina — to launch new programs that meet students where they are and ensure they have a pathway to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Under these new programs, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.k-state.edu/admissions/undergrad/manhattan/apply/other-applicant/mhk-pathway/">MHK Pathway program</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.salina.k-state.edu/admissions/apply/sln-pathway.html">SLN Pathway program</a>, eligible students who do not meet the academic requirements for admission to K-State as degree-seeking freshmen will be able to live in a K-State residence hall, participate in university programming and experience K-State student life their first year, all while completing courses concurrently at either&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://manhattantech.edu/">Manhattan Area Technical College</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://salinatech.edu/">Salina Area Technical College</a>. Students will work toward K-State’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.k-state.edu/admissions/undergrad/manhattan/apply/transfer/">transfer requirements</a>, ultimately continuing on at K-State with the completion of their bachelor’s degree within reach.

“The MHK and SLN Pathway programs are collectively just one way we demonstrate our commitment of educational access, as the programs have the potential to support hundreds of students each year who may not have believed a bachelor’s degree was within reach” said Jesse Perez Mendez, K-State provost and executive vice president. “This is all about creating opportunity, breaking down barriers and ensuring these students know their success matters to us.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

K-State partnerships with Manhattan Tech, Salina Tech expand access for Kansas students

The annual Freedom Fest celebration in Junction City attracted an estimated attendance of 50,000 over the five-day event. The summary for the celebration was presented to the Geary County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau Advisory Committee on Wednesday.

--There were 19 food vendors and 30 craft vendors.&nbsp;

--466 registered runners in the Freedom Run.

--80 room nights were contracted to accommodate entertainers.

--255 people used the contracted ATA Bus to travel to and from Fort Riley

Families from Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri and Oregon attended.

Freedom Fest generated local revenue, with WEEE Carnival alone reporting over $200,000 in revenue for the week. There were economic benefits for local vendors, hotels, restaurants and service providers.

In pre-event fundraiser attendance exceeded 1,500 people for Balloons, Bands and BBQ and the Mudd Bogg event on Grant Ave, recorded the highest attendance in recent memory.

The dates for Freedom Fest JC in 2026 are July 1-5. It coincides with the 250th birthday of the United States.

Freedom Fest JC 2025 Summary

Grab your boots and hats and join us for an evening to support the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cityofmhk.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e92cc4cc1e09dc1dafa7ba9da&amp;id=1e9f7118c7&amp;e=8c33f27c6f">Flint Hills Discovery Center Foundation</a>’s annual&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cityofmhk.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e92cc4cc1e09dc1dafa7ba9da&amp;id=8813b6dcb4&amp;e=8c33f27c6f">Bison, Beef and Bourbon</a>&nbsp;fundraiser from&nbsp;6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, October 23. At this event, you can enjoy:

&nbsp; Tickets are limited! Make the most of this evening by getting a group of 8 together for a price break versus purchasing 8 individual tickets.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cityofmhk.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e92cc4cc1e09dc1dafa7ba9da&amp;id=8b7e6bb9ab&amp;e=8c33f27c6f">Sponsorships also are available</a>. Western wear attire is encouraged. Guests must be 21 or older to attend&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cityofmhk.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e92cc4cc1e09dc1dafa7ba9da&amp;id=7587e4c4ec&amp;e=8c33f27c6f">Bison, Beef and Bourbon</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 Bison, Beef & Bourbon will be October 23

M<a target="_blank" href="https://cityofmhk.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e92cc4cc1e09dc1dafa7ba9da&amp;id=8f908e561b&amp;e=8c33f27c6f">anhattan Parks and Recreation</a>&nbsp;(MPRD) teamed up with volunteers from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cityofmhk.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e92cc4cc1e09dc1dafa7ba9da&amp;id=5afc6acdb5&amp;e=8c33f27c6f">Manhattan&nbsp;Trail Works</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cityofmhk.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e92cc4cc1e09dc1dafa7ba9da&amp;id=ce60ee65b0&amp;e=8c33f27c6f">Manhattan&nbsp;NICA</a>&nbsp;last weekend to prune, clear, and care for the<a target="_blank" href="https://cityofmhk.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e92cc4cc1e09dc1dafa7ba9da&amp;id=341102cd73&amp;e=8c33f27c6f">&nbsp;River Trail</a>.

Work is done to care for the River Trail

Join on Thursday for the final Third Thursday of the season in downtown Manhattan. The street will be closed so you can meander through the vendors on the street and into businesses. 

Third Thursday celebrates the art and music in the community but&nbsp; businesses are at the core of the neighborhood.&nbsp;

At 7 pm Elton Dan &amp; the Rocket Ban will peform.

Final Third Thursday of the year is scheduled

Riley County Arrest Report October 15

&nbsp; Manhattan Fire Department Companies responded to 220 S. 5th St., the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bgclubmanhattan?__cft__[0]=AZVlTP3DrseL0AhYKoFRA9r7KW4JINTT6ab5YKA4vpp1zSXf2WfTWQ1tFQ2emJlYhLoBshovR-a5mI5RpukvlTPy_keDLCqh06fBPuo0mBNu-WOv9jrNrSLty93RqWs_MO4fKEiDodQ9mtxcgPUg8LEbnIWr-gD7ZjYx8Nr6XVt243PdrLv9j65_ZhLMbGXIgIg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Boys &amp; Girls Club of Manhattan</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday for a structure fire.

Staff used a fire extinguisher to put out an electrical fire in a bathroom.  No children were in the facility, and all staff had evacuated before the arrival of firefighters.  No injuries were reported.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Firefighters respond to fire at Boys and Girls Club

SALINE COUNTY—Police arrested a Salina FedEx employee for allegedly making a threat to 'shoot up the business.'&nbsp;

Just after 2p.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; police were dispatched to FedEx, 3450 Centennial Road in Salina about an employee who made allegedly made threat a coworker, according to a media release from Salina Police.

Prior to the report, the suspect identified as 19-year -old Trenton Fears made a threat on Monday, October 13 to a coworker when they were on the jobsite. Allegedly the coworker said something to Fears, which prompted him to make the threat.

That same day, Fears went to another coworker and told them to 'not show up to work the following day.'&nbsp;

The next day, October 14, Fears told the coworker he threatened, that he would 'shoot the facility up.'

Management then called Salina Police on Wednesday regarding the threat. Fears was not at FedEx initially, but showed up at a later time and officers immediately arrived to the scene.&nbsp;

Fears was then arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail for the requested charge of Criminal Threat.

Kansas man accused of threat of violence to work place

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a double murder at a mobile home park in 2021.

On October 10, Judge Sean Hatfield sentenced 35-year-old&nbsp;&nbsp;Steven Fessenden to 188 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In Augus, Fessenden pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.&nbsp;

On April 24,&nbsp; 2021 sheriff's deputies were sent to a check shots call at the Englewood mobile home park located at 3201 E MacArthur in Wichita, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.

While responding, deputies received information that a man and woman were inside the residence with apparent gunshot wounds.

When deputies arrived, they had to force entry to the home. Inside the home, they located 42-year-old Nathan Brock and 41-year-old Trisha Benjamin deceased, according to Blick.

On April 26,&nbsp;Sedgwick County Sheriff’s detectives arrested and booked&nbsp; Fessenden of Wichita for the murder. He was not charged in the crime.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Fessenden a second time in connection to the deaths.

Man going to prison for Kansas double-murder

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) — Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founding member of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kiss-band-history-2770bdbbf2f1f39049baf412864818c3">glam rock band Kiss</a>, who captivated audiences with his elaborate galactic makeup and smoking guitar, died Thursday. He was 74.

Frehley died peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall, according to his agent.

Family members said in a statement that they are “completely devastated and heartbroken” but will cherish his laughter and celebrate the kindness he bestowed upon others.

Kiss, whose hits included “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “I Was Made for Lovin’ You," was known for its theatrical stage shows, with fire and fake blood spewing from the mouths of band members dressed in body armor, platform boots, wigs and signature black-and-white face paint.

Kiss' original lineup included Frehley, singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, tongue-wagging bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss. Frehley’s is the first death among the four founding members.

Band members took on the personas of comic book-style characters — Frehley was known as “Space Ace” and “The Spaceman.” The New York-born entertainer and Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Famer often experimented with pyrotechnics, making his guitars glow, emit smoke and shoot rockets from the headstock.

“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Simmons and Stanley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ace-frehley-tributes-321626f046ed5c5e557f9c2aad28ada2">said in a joint statement.</a>&nbsp;“He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”

Born Paul Daniel Frehley, he grew up in a musical family and began playing guitar at age 13. Before joining Kiss, he played in local bands around New York City and was a roadie for Jimi Hendrix at age 18.

Kiss was especially popular in the mid-1970s, selling tens of millions of albums and licensing its iconic look to become a marketing marvel. “Beth” was its biggest commercial hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976.

As the Kennedy Center’s new chairman, President Donald Trump named Kiss as one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-honorees-6c553c800ba334ad1ea47858b3dc271c">this year’s honorees</a>.

In 2024, the band sold their catalog, brand name and intellectual property to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment Group in a deal estimated to be over $300 million.

Frehley frequently feuded with Stanley and Simmons through the years. He left the band in 1982, missing the years when they took off the makeup and had mixed success. Stanley later said they nearly replaced Frehley with Eddie Van Halen, but Vinnie Vincent assumed the lead guitar role.

Frehley performed both as a solo artist and with his band, Frehley’s Comet.

But he rejoined Kiss in the mid-1990s for a triumphant reunion and restoration of their original style that came after bands including Nirvana, Weezer and the Melvins had expressed affection for the band and paid them musical tributes.

He would leave again in 2002. When the original four entered the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, a dispute scrapped plans for them to perform. Simmons and Stanley objected to Criss and Frehley being inducted instead of then-guitarist Tommy Thayer and then-drummer Eric Singer.

Simmons told Rolling Stone magazine that year that Frehley and Criss “no longer deserve to wear the paint.” “The makeup is earned,” he added. “Just being there at the beginning is not enough.”

Frehley and Kiss also had a huge influence on the glammy style of 1980s so-called hair metal bands including Mötley Crüe and Poison.

“Ace, my brother, I surely cannot thank you enough for the years of great music, the many festivals we’ve done together and your lead guitar on Nothing But A Good Time,” Poison front man&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DP4zYL-EpAq/?hl=en">Bret Michaels</a>&nbsp;said on Instagram.

Harder-edged bands like Metallica and Pantera were also fans, and even country superstar Garth Brooks joined the band members for a recording of their “Hard Luck Woman” on a 1994 compilation.

Frehley would appear occasionally with Kiss for shows in later years. A 2023 concert at Madison Square Garden was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kiss-digital-avatars-end-of-road-finale-37a8ae9905099343c7b41654b2344d0c">billed as the band’s last.</a>&nbsp;While Stanley and Simmons said they would not tour again, they’ve been open to the possibility of more concerts, and they’ve stayed active promoting the group’s music and memorabilia.

Kiss' original lead guitarist and founding member dies at 74

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — Former Trump administration national security adviser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-bolton">John Bolton</a>&nbsp;was charged Thursday with storing top secret records at home and sharing with relatives diary-like notes about his time in government that contained classified information.

The 18-count indictment also suggests classified information was exposed when operatives believed linked to the Iranian regime hacked Bolton's email account in 2021 and gained access to sensitive material he had shared. A Bolton representative told the FBI that his emails had been hacked, prosecutors say, but did not reveal that he had shared classified information through the account or that the hackers now had possession of government secrets.

<a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/roPlLz7HNn8w/v0">Click here to the full indictiment</a>

The investigation into Bolton, who served for more than a year in President Donald Trump's administration before being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-john-bolton-afghanistan-politics-788d664afbfd4565805dc1c0de8d4ffb">fired in 2019</a>, burst into public view in August when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-bolton-patel-records-home-search-d02cca9e51360115262727ce45be3d65">the FBI searched</a>&nbsp;his home in Maryland and his office in Washington for classified records he may have held onto from his years in government.

The indictment sets the stage for a closely watched court case centering on a longtime fixture in Republican foreign policy circles who became known for his hawkish views on American power and later emerged as a prominent and vocal critic of Trump. Though the investigation that produced the indictment was well underway during the Biden administration, the case will play out against the backdrop of broader concerns that Trump is weaponizing his Justice Department to go after perceived enemies of the president while sparing his allies from scrutiny.

“The underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago. These charges stem from portions of Amb. Bolton’s personal diaries over his 45-year career — records that are unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI as far back as 2021," Bolton lawyer Abbe Lowell said in a statement. "Like many public officials throughout history, Amb. Bolton kept diaries — that is not a crime. We look forward to proving once again that Amb. Bolton did not unlawfully share or store any information.”

The case follows separate indictments over the last month accusing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82">former FBI Director James Comey</a>&nbsp;of lying to Congress and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-fraud-justice-department-donald-trump-41d8746d4674f2be42d667647089b213">New York Attorney General Letitia James</a>&nbsp;of committing bank fraud and making a false statement, charges they both deny. Both those cases were filed in federal court in Virginia by a prosecutor Trump hastily installed in the position after growing frustrated that investigations into high-profile enemies had not resulted in prosecution.

The Bolton case, by contrast, was filed in Maryland by a U.S. attorney who before being elevated to the job had been a career prosecutor in the office.

The indictmen is significantly more detailed than the Comey or James cases. It alleges, for instance, that Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of information about day-to-day activities with two unnamed family members and stored and shared sensitive information about foreign adversaries that in some cases revealed details about sources and methods used by the government to collect intelligence.

One document related to a foreign adversary’s plans for a missile launch, while another detailed U.S. government plans for covert action and included intelligence blaming an adversary for an attack, court papers say.

“There is one tier of justice for all Americans,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law.”

Questions about Bolton's handling of classified information date back years. He faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-lawsuits-entertainment-government-and-politics-0bc0171d2dc3392623ab18278a1a94ef">a lawsuit and a Justice Department investigation</a>&nbsp;after leaving office related to information in his 2020 book “The Room Where it Happened,” which portrayed Trump as grossly uninformed about foreign policy.

The Trump administration asserted that Bolton’s manuscript included classified information that could harm national security if exposed. Bolton’s lawyers have said he moved forward with the book after a White House National Security Council official, with whom Bolton had worked for months, said the manuscript no longer contained classified information.

A search warrant affidavit that was previously unsealed said a National Security Council official had reviewed the book manuscript and told Bolton in 2020 that it appeared to contain “significant amounts” of classified information, some at a top-secret level.

Lowell has said that many of the documents seized in August had been approved as part of a pre-publication review for Bolton’s book. He said many were decades old, from Bolton’s long career in the State Department, as an assistant attorney general and as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Bolton also served in the Justice Department during President Ronald Reagan's administration and was the State Department's point man on arms control during George W. Bush's presidency. Bolton was nominated by Bush to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, but the strong supporter of the Iraq war was unable to win Senate confirmation and resigned after serving 17 months as a Bush recess appointment. That allowed him to hold the job on a temporary basis without Senate confirmation.

In 2018, Bolton was appointed to serve as Trump's third national security adviser. But his brief tenure was characterized by disputes with the president over North Korea, Iran and Ukraine.

Those rifts ultimately led to Bolton’s departure, with Trump announcing on social media in September 2019 that he had accepted Bolton’s resignation. Bolton subsequently criticized Trump’s approach to foreign policy and government in his 2020 book, including by alleging that Trump directly tied providing military aid to Ukraine to that country’s willingness to conduct investigations into Joe Biden, who was soon to be Trump’s Democratic 2020 election rival, and members of his family.

Trump responded by slamming Bolton as a “washed-up guy” and a “crazy” warmonger who would have led the country into “World War Six.” Trump also said at the time that the book contained “highly classified information” and that Bolton “did not have approval” for publishing it.

Read the indictment: Ex-Trump adviser accused of sharing gov't documents

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert likely suffered a stroke, doctors determined after she was involved in a minor traffic accident.

Luckert, 70, was elevated to chief justice in 2019 and has been on the state’s highest court since appointed by Republican Gov. Bill Graves and sworn into office in 2003.

In a statement, Luckert said the accident occurred Oct. 9 while driving home from work.

“Fortunately, I did not hit any other vehicle or hurt anyone,” she said. “Doctors believe I had a stroke, which caused the accident.”

Luckert was hospitalized for several days and is recuperating at home while on medical leave from the Supreme Court.

“It does not appear that I will need speech or physical therapy, but I have been ordered to rest for at least the next few weeks,” her statement said. “I’m resting comfortably at home.”

Luckert expressed gratitude for prayers, expressions of concern and warm thoughts about her situation. She said she would release public updates in the future.

Luckert was born in Goodland and earned a law degree at Washburn University in Topeka. She worked in private practice for more than a decade. Democratic Gov. Joan Finney appointed her to the Shawnee County District Court in 1992. She was made chief judge of that district court in 2000.

Physicians link Kansas Supreme Court chief justice’s vehicle accident to likely stroke

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Buc-ee's broke ground on the first Kansas location on Thursday. The location in western Wyandotte County is at The Legends near the Kansas Speedway at Interstate 70 and Village West Parkway, according to a statement from the company.

&nbsp;The 74,000-square-foot travel center will feature 120 gas pumps and 12 EV charging stations and creat at least 225 full-time jobs.

The center is expected to open in the summer of 2027 or possibly sooner.

Buc-ee's breaks ground on first location in Kansas

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/aamer-madhani">AAMER MADHANI</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/seung-min-kim">SEUNG MIN KIM</a>&nbsp;

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Thursday he will meet again with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in an effort to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war in Ukraine</a>. A date has not been set, but Trump wrote on social media that the meeting would take place in Budapest, Hungary.

“I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump wrote after talking to Putin. They previously met in Alaska in August, which did not produce a diplomatic breakthrough.

Before Trump and Putin meet, U.S. officials led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio will sit down with Russian representatives next week. It’s unclear where that meeting will take place.

The call came ahead of Trump’s meeting on Friday at the White House with Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>, who has been pressing Trump to sell Kyiv Tomahawk missiles that would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deeper into Russian territory. Zelenskyy has argued such strikes would help compel Putin to take Trump’s calls for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the war more seriously.

Trump had told reporters traveling with him to Israel on Sunday that he had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tomahawk-missiles-russia-ukraine-war-522fb8bb8fe8ce87107e1eb320abae0e">planned to discuss the Tomahawks</a>&nbsp;with Putin as a way to pressure him to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s war in Ukraine</a>. “Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don’t think so,” Trump said on Sunday. “I think I might speak to Russia about that.”

With a fragile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-latest-10-15-2025-6ce9818c8d0474a2986ac6544a49a2b0">Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal</a>&nbsp;holding, Trump has said he’s now turning his attention to bringing the war in Ukraine to an end and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tomahawk-missiles-russia-ukraine-war-522fb8bb8fe8ce87107e1eb320abae0e">weighing providing Kyiv long-range weaponry</a>&nbsp;as he looks to prod Moscow to the negotiating table.

Ending the wars in Ukraine and Gaza was central to Trump’s 2024 reelection pitch, in which he persistently pilloried President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;for his handling of the conflicts. Yet, like his predecessor, Trump also has been stymied by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Putin</a>&nbsp;as he’s unsuccessfully pressed the Russian leader to hold direct talks with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;to end the war, which is nearing its fourth year.

But fresh off the Gaza ceasefire, Trump is showing new confidence that he can finally make headway on ending the Russian invasion. He’s also signaling that he’s ready to step up pressure on Putin if he doesn’t come to the table soon.

“Interestingly we made progress today, because of what’s happened in the Middle East,” Trump said of the Russia-Ukraine war on Wednesday evening as he welcomed supporters of his White House ballroom project to a glitzy dinner.

Earlier this week in Jerusalem,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-egypt-6347e7da64f6c97b95109558096c0b6c">in a speech to the Knesset</a>, Trump predicted the truce in Gaza would lay the groundwork for the U.S. to help Israel and many of its Middle East neighbors normalize relations. But Trump also made clear his top foreign policy priority now is ending the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

“First we have to get Russia done,” Trump said, turning to his special envoy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-witkoff-special-envoy-russia-ukraine-mideast-d26c80c87a57fd3a811e4b0aa0eda58e">Steve Witkoff</a>, who has also served as his administration’s chief interlocutor with Putin. “We gotta get that one done. If you don’t mind, Steve, let’s focus on Russia first. All right?”

Trump is set to host Zelenskyy for talks Friday, their fourth face-to-face meeting this year.

Ahead of the meeting, Trump has said he’s weighing selling Kyiv long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. Putin has made clear that providing Ukraine with Tomahawks would cross a red line and further damage relations between Moscow and Washington.

“He’d like to have Tomahawks,” Trump said of Zelenskyy on Tuesday. “We have a lot of Tomahawks.”

Agreeing to sell Ukraine Tomahawks would be a splashy move, said Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the conservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington. But it could take years to supply and train Kyiv on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-zelenskyy-weapons-31e8d494c92300524a0f50cebff28f7d">Tomahawk system</a>.

Montgomery said Ukraine could be better served in the near term with a surge of Extended Range Attack Munition, or ERAM, missiles and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS</a>. The U.S. already approved the sale of up to 3,350 ERAMs to Kyiv earlier this year.

The Tomahawk, with a range of about 995 miles (1,600 kilometers), would allow Ukraine to strike far deeper in Russian territory than either the ERAM (about 285 miles, or 460 km) or ATACMS (about 186 miles, or 300 kilometers).

“To provide Tomahawks is as much a political decision as it is a military decision,” Montgomery said. “The ERAM is shorter range, but this can help them put pressure on Russia operationally, on their logistics, the command and control, and its force disbursement within several hundred kilometers of the front line. It can be very effective.”

Signs of White House interest in new Russia sanctions

Zelenskyy is expected to reiterate his plea to Trump to hit Russia’s economy with further sanctions, something the Republican, to date, has appeared reluctant to do.

Congress has weighed legislation that would lead to tougher sanctions on Moscow, but Trump has largely focused his attention on pressuring NATO members and other allies to cut off their purchases of Russian oil, the engine fueling Moscow’s war machine. To that end, Trump said Wednesday that India, which became one of Russia’s biggest crude buyers after the Ukraine invasion, had agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-india-russian-oil-ukraine-1b2b993847d5d03f9a23f47bd035270a">stop buying oil from Moscow.</a>

Waiting for Trump’s blessing is legislation in the Senate that would impose steep tariffs on countries that purchase Russia’s oil, gas, uranium and other exports in an attempt to cripple Moscow economically.

Though the president hasn’t formally endorsed it — and Republican leaders do not plan to move forward without his support — the White House has shown, behind the scenes, more interest in the bill in recent weeks.

Administration officials have gone through the legislation in depth, offering line edits and requesting technical changes, according to two officials with knowledge of the discussions between the White House and the Senate. That has been interpreted on Capitol Hill as a sign that Trump is getting more serious about the legislation, sponsored by close ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

A White House official said the administration is working with lawmakers to make sure that “introduced bills advance the president’s foreign policy objectives and authorities.” The official, who was granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations, said any sanctions package needs to give the president “complete flexibility.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday the administration is waiting for greater buy-in from Europe, which he noted faces a bigger threat from Russian aggression than the U.S. does.

“So all I hear from the Europeans is that Putin is coming to Warsaw,” Bessent said. “There are very few things in life I’m sure about. I’m sure he’s not coming to Boston. So, we will respond ... if our European partners will join us.”

AP writers Fatima Hussein, Chris Megerian and Didi Tang contributed to this report.

Trump announces another face-to-face meeting with Putin 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats rejected for the 10th time Thursday a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-congress-shutdown-democrats-republicans-bb3464820a347fd2c0399e78e335881e">health care benefits</a>.

The vote failed Thursday morning on a 51-45 vote, well short of the 60 needed to advance with the Senate's filibuster rules.

The repetition of votes on the funding bill has become a daily drumbeat in Congress, underscoring how intractable the situation has become. It has been at times the only item on the agenda for the Senate floor, while House Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-government-shutdown-grijalva-526647b57faa2710382674646dfd2b37">left Washington altogether</a>. The standoff has lasted over two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-federal-workers-shutdown-layoffs-5bef57b6c431830a9af84fbfcc59b324">federal workers</a>&nbsp;furloughed, even more without a guaranteed payday and Congress essentially paralyzed.

“Every day that goes by, there are more and more Americans who are getting smaller and smaller paychecks,” said Senate Majority Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-thune">John Thune</a>, adding that there have been thousands of flight delays across the country as well.

Thune, a South Dakota Republican, again and again has tried to pressure Democrats to break from their strategy of voting against the stopgap funding bill. It hasn't worked. And while some bipartisan talks have been ongoing about potential compromises on health care, they haven't produced any meaningful progress toward reopening the government.

Thune has also offered to hold a later vote on extending subsidies for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">health plans offered</a>&nbsp;under Affordable Care Act marketplaces, but said he would not “guarantee a result or an outcome.”

Democrats say they won't budge until they get a guarantee on extending the tax credits for the health plans. They warn that millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance — such as small business owners, farmers and contractors — will see large increases when premium prices go out in the coming weeks. Looking ahead to a Nov. 1 deadline in most states, they think&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-tax-credits-health-insurance-trump-poll-obamacare-dab7b10bf13dec33a884df5f9fe343f6">voters will demand</a>&nbsp;that Republicans enter into serious negotiations.

"The ACA crisis is looming over everyone’s head, and yet Republicans seem ready to let people’s premiums spike,” said Senate Democratic leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;in a floor speech.

Meanwhile, Thune was also trying a different tack Thursday with a vote to proceed to appropriations bills — a move that could grease the Senate's gears into some action or just deepen the divide between the two parties.

Democrats have rallied around their priorities on health care as they hold out against voting for a Republican bill that would reopen the government. Yet they also warn that the time to strike a deal to prevent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">large increases for many health plans</a>&nbsp;is drawing short.

When they controlled Congress during the pandemic, Democrats boosted subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans. It pushed enrollment under President Barack Obama's signature health care law to new levels and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obamacare-aca-health-care-coverage-biden-trump-0c73dcde4a19aea65cb83de01f2d5d2e">drove the rate of uninsured people to a historic low</a>. Nearly 24 million people currently get their health insurance from subsidized marketplaces, according to health care research nonprofit KFF.

Democrats — and some Republicans — are worried that many of those people will forgo insurance if the price rises dramatically. While the tax credits don't expire until next year, health insurers will soon send out notices of the price increases. In most states, they go out Nov. 1.

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she has heard from “families who are absolutely panicking about their premiums that are doubling."

“They are small business owners who are having to think about abandoning the job they love to get employer-sponsored health care elsewhere or just forgoing coverage altogether,” she added.

Murray also said that if many people decide to leave their health plan, it could have an effect across medical insurance because the pool of people under health plans will shrink. That could result in higher prices across the board, she said.

Some Republicans have acknowledged that the expiration of the tax credits could be a problem and floated potential compromises to address it, but there is hardly a consensus among the GOP.

House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>, R-La., this week called the COVID-era subsidies a "boondoggle,” adding that “when you subsidize the health care system and you pay insurance companies more, the prices increase.”

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has said he would “like to see a deal done for great health care,” but has not meaningfully weighed into the debate. And Thune has insisted that Democrats first vote to reopen the government before entering any negotiations on health care.

Government Shutdown: Senate fails for 10th time to pass funding bill  

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman who admitted her role in the death of a 7-year-old boy is expected to learn her fate Thursday.

Tasha Diane Dillard, 25, Wichita, will attend a sentencing hearing in Judge William Wolley's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.

In early September she pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated child endangerment, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; She had been scheduled to face a trial starting on September 15.

Dillard had originally been charged with 1st degree murder and 7 counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to the District Attorney's office.

On March 16, police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment in the 3700 block of E Ross Parkway, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The caller reported that someone had been shot and that a child was bleeding.

When officers arrived, they found 7-year-old Davion Gunter suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Davion was transported to a local hospital, where he was&nbsp; pronounced deceased.

At the scene, officers found seven other children and multiple adults. Wichita Police homicide investigators and the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit responded immediately, conducting interviews and gathered evidence.

As a result, police took Dillard into custody, and the children were placed in protective care. Dillard remains jailed on a  bond of $500,000.

Sentencing day for death of 7-year-old Kansas boy

TOPEKA—On Monday, the GOP Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council approved $460,000 to fund a four-day special legislative session focused on redistricting the state of Kansas, without holding any public forum, according to a media release from Kansas House Democrats.

Missouri and Texas have already approved new maps.

On Wednesday, Kansas Democrat Congresswoman responded to the effort to redraw the maps.

Republicans already hold three of the state’s four congressional districts. A revised map would target the suburban Kansas City district held by&nbsp; Davids.

🎥Kan. Rep. responds to effort to re-draw state congressional map

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and TNT Sports announced on Monday that the Dillons Sunflower Showdown between Kansas State and Kansas in Lawrence on October 25 will kick at 11 a.m. and be shown on TNT with a simulcast on truTV and HBO MAX.

Kansas leads the all-time series, 64-53-5 – including a 37-23-2 mark in Lawrence – but the Wildcats have won each of the last 16 meetings, including each of the last eight inside Memorial Stadium.

 Dillons Sunflower Showdown Set for Morning Kick

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;Following his two-interception performance in Kansas State’s 41-28 Homecoming victory over TCU, senior linebacker&nbsp;Des Purnell&nbsp;has been named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday.

It is the first-ever conference weekly award for Purnell and the first for a Wildcat defender since Kobe Savage earned the nod after the Texas Tech contest in 2023.

A native of Topeka, Kansas, Purnell came away with eight tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack and two pass breakups in addition to his two picks. On back-to-back plays in the third quarter, Purnell recorded an eight-yard sack before picking off a pass and returning it 25 yards for a touchdown. It was K-State’s first pick-6 since current San Francisco 49er Marques Sigle returned an interception 43 yards for a score last year at West Virginia.

Purnell had another interception in the fourth quarter, one he returned 21 yards that led to a K-State field goal to make it a three-score game.

Following an off week, Kansas State travels to Lawrence to take on Kansas on October 25. The Dillons Sunflower Showdown is slated for an 11 a.m., kick and will be shown on TNT with a simulcast on truTV and HBO MAX. The Wildcats are back at home on November 1 when they take on Texas Tech. Tickets for that contest can be purchased at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-800-221-CATS.

 K-State’s Purnell Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs knew they were going to have a fight on their hands when the Detroit Lions, riding a four-game winning streak and a whole bunch of momentum, rolled into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night.

They probably didn't expect their dominant performance to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lions-chiefs-fight-brian-branch-e1f8f03a80052ad16856673846b2791c">end with an actual fistfight</a>.

Mahomes threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, scrambled for another score, and led Kansas City to a 30-17 victory that was so comprehensive that Lions safety Brian Branch boiled over at its conclusion. Branch delivered a right hook to Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster as the teams were coming together at midfield, touching off a brief melee among players.

“It is what it is,” Mahomes said. “You just kind of move on. We won the football game.”

Marquise Brown had two touchdown receptions and Xavier Worthy had another for the Chiefs (3-3), who played a near-flawless game — no penalties, no turnovers — one week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-analysis-1bf025fe0f083690f71bc75f47417202">a mistake-strewn, last-second loss</a>&nbsp;at Jacksonville.

Kansas City also managed to hold in check the NFL's highest-scoring offense to snap Detroit's winning streak.

“We just didn't make the plays we needed to make,” said Lions coach Dan Campbell, who began his postgame briefing by saying that Branch's cheap shot was “inexcusable and not going to be accepted here," and that he had apologized to the Chiefs for it.

“We were able to do some good things in phases at times but not enough for a team like that with the pedigrees they have,” Campbell continued. “We were not able to compliment each other and we were not able to make it a game, really. We weren't.”

Jared Goff finished with 203 yards passing for the Lions (4-2), though he did connect with Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta for scores. Amon-Ra St. Brown was held to 45 yards receiving and Jahmyr Gibbs needed 17 carries to gain just 65 yards.

Detroit was intent on trying to grind down the Chiefs' defense and keep their potent offense off the field.

The Lions did a good job on the opening drive, too. They ran 15 plays over a 9:39 span, chewing up so much clock that Mahomes looked downright bored on the sideline. And it looked as if it would pay off when David Montgomery took a direct snap and threw to Goff, who powered into the end zone from a yard out for a touchdown.

But the officials came together to discuss the play, and even though nobody had thrown a flag, they eventually said Goff was not set — an illegal motion penalty. After a delay of game, the Lions had to settle for Jake Bates' chip-shot field goal.

“I've got to do a little research on exactly what went wrong,” Goff said.

Kansas City wasted no time answering, marching 70 yards in eight plays. Mahomes hit three receivers on the drive, and Worthy hauled in a 6-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to give the Chiefs the lead.

The back-and-forth continued throughout the first half: The Lions went the other way with Williams grabbing a 22-yard pass to give them the lead back, and the Chiefs answered with Mahomes scoring on a keeper for a 13-10 edge at halftime.

“It was important to get that lead back and get the momentum and get the crowd going,” Mahomes said.

The banged-up Lions defense, missing cornerbacks D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold and Avonte Maddox, couldn't slow down the Chiefs, who are finding their offensive mojo again just in time to get suspended wide receiver Rashee Rice back next week.

They roared downfield on the opening drive of the second half, this time with Marquise Brown hauling in the touchdown catch to extend the lead. And when the Lions finally answered behind a flurry of passes to St. Brown and a nifty toss to LaPorta in the end zone, Kansas City rolled right back downfield as Marquise Brown pulled in another touchdown reception for a 27-17 lead.

Local

Region

Sports