Power Hits 97.5 morning show DJ Rick Thomas (Scott Menzies) passed away Saturday after suffering an apparent heart attack. Eagle Radio Operations Director Dan Engle confirmed that Thomas had collapsed while shopping at a Dillon's Store in Manhattan Saturday afternoon. Emergency personnel could not revive him. 

Rick Thomas was the Kansas Association of Broadcasters 2024 Medium Market Air Personality of the Year.&nbsp;

Engle stated, "It was a huge loss for both Eagle and Kansas broadcasting. He was well loved and we will miss him a lot."

Prominent DJ Rick Thomas passes away

Click the video below to watch the press conference.

🎥K-State introduces new men's basketball coach

RILEY COUNTY— Two people injured in an accident just after 9p.m. Sunday in Riley County.

According to the Riley County Police Deparatment activity report, a 2005 Nissan Maxima driven by Morgan Saul, 28, Manhattan, collided with a 2005 Toyota Camry driven by Ivan Perry, 21, Manhattan, near Tuttle Creek Blvd. and Lincoln Drive.

EMS transported Saul and a passenger in the Camry Leah Perry, 18, of Manhattan, to Via Christi Hospital for treatment of injuries.&nbsp; Saul was also issued a citation for failure to yield right of way and for not having a valid driver’s license.

2 from Manhattan hospitalized after 2-vehicle crash

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 March 16

The Northeast Kansas Regional Notification System reported no burning will be allowed on Monday in Riley County.

No burning on Monday in Riley County

WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Five people were injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Sunday in Wabaunsee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Ford F 150 driven by Cornellia D. Watson, 39, Topeka, was eastbound on Interstate 70 near the Paxico rest area. The pickup traveled off the road to the right. The driver overcorrected and the vehicle crossed the eastbound lanes and struck the limestone embankment in the median.

EMS transported Watson and three children including a 16-year-old girl; a 14-year-old boy; 11-year-old girl and a 2-year-old girl to a Topeka Hospital. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and the 2-year-old was seated on the lap of front seat passenger, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman, 4 children hospitalized after I-70 crash

For K-State Day of Giving 2026 on April 8, Wildcats everywhere will come together for 24 hours of impact. This special day unites students, alumni, faculty and friends to support the causes and programs of Kansas State University — from scholarships and research to student success and campus initiatives.

K-State Day of Giving

&nbsp;USD 383 has noted that March 16-20 is Spring Break. School resumes on Monday, March 23.

Spring break is underway for USD 383

WABAUNSEE COUNTY—One person died in an accident in Wabaunsee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Jeep Wrangler driven by Danny R. Miller, 59, Alma, was westbound on Pavillion Road between 11p.m. Friday and 9a.m. Saturday. The Jeep traveled off the roadway to the south, became air born for approximately 27 feet, struck the south roadside ditch and a tree.&nbsp;

Miller was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Forensic Medical. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas man died in violent jeep accident

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-winter/">ALLISON WINTER</a><br><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>/<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><br>

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee advanced a sweeping farm bill early this month, attempting to revive Congress’ stalled effort to rewrite the nation’s agriculture law the same way it’s been done for decades.

But the vote also exposed the fragile coalition that will determine whether the legislation can ever move forward.&nbsp;

Those who watch the process closely told States Newsroom they are not sure a new farm bill will be enacted, given the rupture in the traditional alliance that has in the past successfully brought together agriculture interests and anti-hunger advocates to support farm bills across party lines.

Historically, farm bills have brought together a diverse coalition of advocates and lawmakers across party lines. The arrangement dates back to the 1973 farm bill, when Congress first combined nutrition programs with farm subsidies to build a coalition strong enough to pass the legislation. The sweeping legislation now includes food and nutrition programs, energy, conservation, and rural development, as well as farm support and crop insurance.&nbsp;

Now, cuts and changes in the nation’s biggest nutrition program, which could impose major new financial burdens on states, have been made by Republicans completely outside the usual farm bill process. This added to changes Democrats made in 2022, when they skipped the farm bill and used budget reconciliation to increase funding for climate-friendly farm conservation programs — though it is the food aid cuts that have most roiled the current debate.

These recent shifts could fundamentally change how the farm bill moves through Congress, said Christopher Neubert, deputy director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University. He is also a former Democratic staffer on both the Senate Agriculture and Budget committees.

“It’s a careful balance …. but the farm bill was one thing that felt kind of certain,” Neubert said in an interview. “Now we’re entering a new period that I think does make a lot of people uneasy.”

“Unless there’s a real push to take a look at some of the serious challenges that exist and meaningfully address them, it might be very difficult to get a five-year farm bill across the finish line,” Neubert said.

The Agriculture Committee approved its version of the farm bill in a 34–17 vote March 5, following a markup that stretched more than 20 hours and featured sharp partisan disputes, particularly over the previous cuts to nutrition programs.

The legislation would set policy and funding levels for major food, agriculture and conservation programs for the next five years. The text and a title-by-title summary of the&nbsp;<a href="https://agriculture.house.gov/farmbill/" target="_blank">802-page bill</a>&nbsp;can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://agriculture.house.gov/farmbill/" target="_blank">here.</a>&nbsp;

The farm bill’s five-year timeline in the past gave some certainty and planning ability to farmers and ranchers, while bringing lawmakers and stakeholders back to the table periodically to reexamine the programs.

Congress last passed a farm bill in 2018, which expired in 2023. Since then, lawmakers have kept many programs running through temporary extensions, as negotiations over new versions fell through.

In the meantime, Congress made some of the largest changes to farm bill programs outside the normal reauthorization process – a major shift that has disrupted the usual process.

Last year’s GOP spending and tax cuts package, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” reshaped nutrition funding, cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.&nbsp;

SNAP, administered by states, is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program. It provides monthly, income-based benefits to help low-income individuals and families purchase groceries. Democrats have widely criticized the changes to the program.

Even so, the House Agriculture Committee vote showed some bipartisan support.&nbsp;

Seven Democrats joined Republicans in backing the legislation: Reps. Jim Costa of California, Sharice Davids of Kansas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico, Adam Gray of California, Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan and Josh Riley of New York.&nbsp;

That was slightly more bipartisan than when the committee advanced a farm bill two years ago. Only four Democrats supported a measure that included some SNAP cuts within the farm bill.

Among those crossing party lines this year was Rivet, a freshman lawmaker and member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition.

Rivet hosted a press event on March 10 at a Saginaw County farm to promote the bill, highlighting the balancing act some moderate Democrats may face if the legislation reaches the House floor in an election year.&nbsp;

“Farmers need solutions and certainty,” Rivet said, noting that she backed the bill because of provisions related to disaster relief, crop insurance and specialty crop support.

Still, she acknowledged the legislation will need changes as it moves forward.

“I was excited to be able to vote ‘yes’ on this farm bill,” Rivet said. “But I need to say that the bill is not perfect. We do need to reverse the devastating cuts to SNAP for hungry kids and families.”

The debate over SNAP and other nutrition programs loomed over much of the committee’s work and will continue to be a major factor as the legislation moves forward.&nbsp;

“The historic cuts to SNAP jeopardize the path forward for this bill and future farm bills,” Davids said during the committee debate.

Democrats offered multiple amendments to restore SNAP funding, but Republicans did not support any.

Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the liberal-leaning Environmental Working Group and a longtime farm policy advocate, said the longstanding alliance between those who back SNAP and farm supporters helped Congress pass farm bills for decades even as fewer Americans lived in rural communities.&nbsp;

But he argues that the recent policy decisions have effectively dismantled that agreement. The cuts to nutrition programs in last year’s budget reconciliation bill helped offset new investment in farm subsidies, which Faber and other advocates contend go disproportionately to large farmers and do little to support smaller farms.

“Republicans chose to blow up the farm bill coalition in the one big, beautiful bill …so if Congress fails to pass another farm bill ever again, it will be Republicans who rightfully will bear the blame,” Faber said in an interview.

Faber called the political shift around the farm bill “a historic once-in-a-generation miscalculation by the farm lobby that will, in the long run, undermine public support for the farm safety net.”

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the SNAP changes would reduce federal SNAP spending by roughly 20% through 2034 while imposing stricter work requirements and shifting some program costs to states.

Some provisions will not take effect until 2027 and 2028, meaning the full effects have yet to be felt.

The changes have drawn criticism from hunger advocates and state officials who warn the shift could strain state budgets and make it harder for families to access food assistance.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nga.org/advocacy-communications/letters-nga/nga-joins-coalition-letter-outlining-snap-recommendations/" target="_blank">recent letter,</a>&nbsp;the National Governors Association and other state and local organizations told Congress that the policy changes could throw hundreds of millions of dollars in costs onto states and risk destabilizing the program if lawmakers do not intervene.

During debate on an amendment from Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., that would have reversed the SNAP cuts, a proposal that ultimately failed, the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota, warned the longstanding farm bill coalition could be unraveling.

“We could be driving the last nail in the coffin of this coalition today,” Craig said. “For some of us, this is your first farm bill markup. For all of us, it could likely be our last, because by decimating the nutrition title in the farm bill, by splitting the food and farm programs apart as Republicans have done in this process, you have destroyed the farm bill coalition.”

Craig said a path forward for this committee’s bill would be fraught, calling it a “shell of a farm bill” that is “absolutely flawed” and “a missed opportunity” to address the economic pressures facing agriculture.

“It is going to have challenges getting broad bipartisan support on the House floor if it even makes it there,” Craig said during the markup. “My sincere hope is that this is just ‘act one’ of several acts.”

The House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill proposal, titled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, closely resembles the legislation the panel advanced two years ago.&nbsp;

That earlier bill never received a vote on the House floor, and the Senate Agriculture Committee has yet to advance its own farm bill framework.

Throughout the markup, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., urged lawmakers to support the measure. He repeatedly encouraged members to “not let the perfect be the enemy of the good” as they debated amendments to the bill’s 12 titles covering farm supports, conservation, trade, rural development and nutrition.

“I am proud of this bill and the work we have done to further improve it. There is more work to be done,” Thompson said at the conclusion of the markup, which he called a “long slog.”&nbsp;

Thompson has said he has met with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., about bringing the measure to the House floor.&nbsp;

But the legislation will likely need some Democratic support, particularly to move through the Senate, where votes to advance legislation like the farm bill typically require a 60-vote supermajority.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said during a hearing March 10 that she hopes lawmakers can craft a bipartisan farm bill that addresses the needs of both farmers and families who rely on SNAP.

“I am hoping we can get to a better place. I hope as we look at a farm bill, that we include some corrections to what happened last summer,” Klobuchar said, referencing the “big beautiful” law.

For his part, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., said he appreciated the House effort to advance the farm bill and indicated he may want to go in a similar direction.

“This builds off the historic investments we made in the Working Families Tax Cuts to strengthen the farm safety net and provide producers with greater certainty while demonstrating unwavering support for strengthening rural communities and safeguarding our food supply,” Boozman said in a statement.&nbsp;

Farm groups are watching closely, hoping a five-year farm bill will provide some certainty farmers have lacked in recent years.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall called on Congress to “finish the job and deliver a modern farm bill” and urged farmers to contact lawmakers and encourage them to advance the legislation. The Farm Bureau has 5 million members.

The National Farmers Union, which represents about 220,000 family farmers and ranchers, said it is grateful for progress on the farm bill but offered a more cautious response.

“We remain concerned that this proposal does not yet meet the scale of the crisis facing family farmers and ranchers,” NFU President Rob Larew said in a statement. “The path from committee to a final, signed farm bill is long. NFU will continue working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to strengthen this legislation.”

GOP cuts in federal food aid scramble passage of long-delayed farm bill

Riley County Arrest Report March 14, 15

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mark-scolforo">MARK SCOLFORO</a>

A woman raising two children was among the six U.S. service members killed last week when a refueling plane involved in the war with Iran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-iran-tanker-aircraft-crash-iraq-kc135-c337359a58be6280dc96fdbf1cb48a5b">crashed</a>&nbsp;in western Iraq.

Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, hailed from a large family in Bardstown, Kentucky, and was “very, very” proud of her military career, her husband Gregory Pruitt said Sunday.

“I’ll give you something brief -– in a word, radiant,” he said on a phone interview, trying to hold back tears. “If there was a light in the room, she was it.”

Survivors include the couple’s 3-year-old daughter and Sgt. Pruitt’s stepson.

Most recently, she had served with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron from Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama. She was an assistant flight chief of operations and was an instructor in operating the boom of a KC-135.

Pruitt joined the military nine years ago and had previously deployed overseas three times. She had nearly 900 combat flight hours and two associate degrees from the Community College of the Air Force.

The U.S. military late Saturday identified Pruitt and the other five crash victims, three connected to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and Sumpter Smith; the other three were out of an Ohio Air National Guard base in Columbus.

“To lose a member of the Air Force family is excruciatingly painful, especially to those who know them as son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, mom, or dad,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Ed Szczepanik, commander of the 6th Air Refueling Wing, in a news release. “To lose them at the same time is unimaginable.”

Maj. Gen. Matthew S. Woodruff, the Ohio adjutant general, called the three from Columbus “remarkable Airmen whose service and commitment embodied the very best of our Ohio National Guard. Their impact on their teammates and our mission will not be forgotten.”

The aircraft was in “friendly” airspace, supporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-iran-tanker-aircraft-crash-iraq-kc135-c337359a58be6280dc96fdbf1cb48a5b">operations</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Iran</a>, when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft occurred on Thursday, according to U.S. Central Command. The other plane landed safety, U.S. military officials said. The crash is being investigated.

The KC-135 aircraft refuels other planes in midair, allowing them to fly longer distances and sustain operations without landing. The plane also can be used to transport wounded personnel and conduct surveillance missions, according to military experts.

The Congressional Research Service says the Air Force last year had 376 KC-135s, including 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard and 62 in the Air Force Reserve. It has been in service for more than 60 years.

Maj. John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, had just been promoted to major in January and had been deployed less than a week when the crash occurred, his brother-in-law said.

The pilot left behind three small children: 7-month-old twins and a 2-year-old son, according to his brother-in-law, James Harrill.

Klinner was a graduate of Auburn University and an eight-year U.S. Air Force veteran from Birmingham, Alabama. He had just moved with his family into a new home, his wife Libby Klinner said in an Instagram post mourning his death.

He was the chief of squadron standards and evaluations at the Birmingham air base.

An outdoorsman who enjoyed hiking, Klinner was also ready to help others. When Harrill last saw him in January, Klinner had shoveled Harrill’s vehicle out of the snow during a family wedding.

“Alex was one of those guys that had this steady command about him,” said Harrill, of Atlanta, who helped set up a GoFundMe site for Klinner’s family. “He was literally one of the most kindest, giving people.”

Libby Klinner said in a post that her heart is broken for their children, who will grow up not knowing their father.

“They won’t get to see firsthand the way he would jump up to help in any way he could,” she wrote. “They won’t see how goofy and funny he was. They won’t witness his selflessness, the way he thought about everyone else before himself. They won’t get to feel the deep love he had for them.”

He deployed four times since 2019 and had put in 362 combat hours and 181 combat support hours.

Tech Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, served with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 166th Air Refueling Squadron as a boom operator responsible for transferring fuel from the tanker to the receiving aircraft, according to his Air Force biography.

His mother, Cheryl Simmons, said Saturday that she was making funeral plans for her son, who lived in Columbus.

In a statement obtained by WCMH-TV in Columbus, Tyler Simmons’ family said it was saddened beyond measure to hear of the fatal crash.

“Tyler’s smile could light up any room, his strong presence would fill it. His parents, grandparents, family and friends are grief stricken for the loss of life,” they said.

Simmons joined the Air Force in 2017 and earned an associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force. He became a refueling specialist in 2022 and was made a technical sergeant in 2023. He deployed three times in the past decade and had 230 combat hours.

Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, was a pilot with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, serving as its chief of current operations. She was responsible for the flying hour program and managing daily flight scheduling, among other duties.

Savino, from Covington, Washington, was a product of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Central Washington University, earning an active duty commission in 2017.

She served at bases in Georgia and Mississippi and had more than 300 combat hours. She was made captain in 2021.

A captain with more than 2,000 flight hours

Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, was an instructor pilot for the KC135R Stratotanker with 19 years of service, according to the Ohio National Guard.

A resident of Stoutsville, Ohio, Koval was an aircraft commander with the 121st Air Refueling Wing out of Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus. The military said he had trained pilots in air refueling, aeromedical, cargo and passenger operations.

A statement from the U.S. government said Koval was from Mooresville, Indiana.

Koval had a bachelor’s degree in aviation operations from Purdue University and deployed five times in the past 12 years. His assignments included stops in Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, Texas an Oklahoma.

Koval had more than 2,000 flight hours, including 443 in combat, the Ohio Guard said. He was promoted to captain in 2022.

Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, was in the military for a decade after getting a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard in 2015, with deployments in 2015 and this year.

Angst was a KC-135R pilot with the 166th Air Refueling Squadron and lived in Columbus. A statement about his death from the federal government indicated he was from Wilmington, Ohio.

He had 880 flight hours, including 67 combat hours. Angst was promoted to captain in November.

'Radiant' mother among US service members who died in air crash in Iraq

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Wichita.

On Sunday night, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1100 Block of South Webb Road in Wichita, according to an online statement from Officer Kris Gupilan.

At the scene, first responders found a man inside a car who had been shot. EMS transported the man to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates a disturbance occurred between an unknown suspect and the vicim in the parking lot of a nearby park. After the shooting, one of the suspects was observed running from the vehicle, southeast through the park.&nbsp;

Police are working to determine just what happened and are asking anyone who lives near the park who may have seen anything to contact investigators.

Homicide: Man shot in Kansas park parking lot

President Trump announced on Monday that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.&nbsp;

Wiles, is 68, and rose from Trump's campaign co-chair to his closest adviser and counsel. She is the first woman to become&nbsp;White House chief of staff.

President Trump's White House Chief of Staff diagnosed with cancer

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement have released the name of the pedestrian who died in a hit-and-run crash early Sunday morning near the Sedgwick County Zoo.

Adam Wayne Condit, 29, of Wichita, died after he was struck by a pickup truck shortly after midnight March 15 in the 5800 block of West Windmill Road, according to Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.

The pickup truck deputies were seeking has now been identified. Detectives are continuing to work to identify the driver. No arrests have been made.

The Sheriff’s Office thanks members of the public for the tips that helped investigators identify the vehicle.

The Sheriff’s Office extends its condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Condit

Sheriff releases name of victim in fatal Kansas hit-and-run

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Three suspects accused in the drug overdose death of a 15-year-old Kansas girl are due back in court Monday.

Danielle Wheeler, 53; Isaac L. Hord, 24 and Niklas Wiley, 24, are scheduled for a preliminary hearing in&nbsp;Judge Jeffrey Syrios courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In October, Wheeler was charged with&nbsp; involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of 15-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cozine.com/obituaries/kennedy-herren" target="_blank">Kennedy Herren</a>, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Hord and Wiley have both been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated endangering a child. Wiley is also facing charges of criminal sodomy,  sexual exploitation of a child and  aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to the district attorney's office.

On September 14, police responded to the report of a deceased 15-year-old in Wichita, according to a media release from police. The investigation determined the death of Kennedy Herren was the result of a drug overdose.

Since then, Wichita police overdose analyst worked to pursue justice and ensure accountability for the people responsible for this senseless death.&nbsp;

On October 15,&nbsp;K-9 officers arrested 24-year-old Isaac L. Hord and on October 19 they arrested 24-year-old Niklas Wiley in connection with this case. Wheeler was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on October 22, according to online jail records. She met the requirement for bond and is no longer in custody.

Both men remain in custody in the Sedgwick Count Jail. Hord on a one-million dollar bond and Wiley on bonds totaling over $1,250,000 according to online jail records.

Preliminary hearing for 3 in Kansas teen's overdose death

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump said he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-democrats-oil-midterms-e4919b1a69f90f47f8f61c5967e12fac">demanded</a>&nbsp;about seven countries send warships to keep the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-hormuz-oil-shipping-49a1901c35cf2507830776a29706cf98">Strait of Hormuz</a>&nbsp;open as Iranian strikes continued to rain down on Gulf countries Monday.

Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest, gradually restarted operations after a drone struck a fuel tank and started a fire. Authorities said it was quickly contained and no injuries were reported.

Tehran has accused the United States without evidence of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in the United Arab Emirates to launch strikes on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-islands-strait-hormuz-oil-trump-1b3e770e61c6a05d3e078223e15b20b2">Kharg Island</a>, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports evidence, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jet-fuel-airfares-flights-prices-oil-ac2446896f112746345702bd6e1986cc">oil prices soared</a>. Brent crude oil was trading near $105 per barrel on Monday.

Trump said the U.S. is negotiating with countries heavily reliant on Middle East crude to join a coalition to police the waterway where about one-fifth the world’s traded oil normally flows, but declined to name them.

Israeli strikes have deepened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/lebanon-shelter-hezbollah-israel-war-487792d7f62cfc2c5d9d20a2fd62fea1">Lebanon's humanitarian crisis</a>, with more than 850 people killed and over 850,000 displaced.

American efforts to protect Strait of Hormuz continue, US military commander says

The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East says American forces are zeroing in on Iran’s threats to freighters carrying oil and natural gas through a vital chokepoint in the Persian Gulf.

“We will continue to rapidly deplete Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz,” Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said in a video posted to X on Monday.

Iranian strikes on commercial vessels have effectively stopped shipping traffic in the waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported. That has dramatically increased the price of oil and put pressure on Washington to do something to ease the pain for consumers.

American efforts to protect Strait of Hormuz continue

MIAMI COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after an alleged violent attack on her mother.

Just before 11a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to 601 17th Street in Osawatomie where a woman had reportdly fled to home after being struck in the head and body multiple times with a baseball bat,&nbsp;according to Police Chief David Stuteville.

The victim was identified as 68-year-old Tina L. Day and the alleged suspect her 50-year-old daughter Anegela M. Platt.

Miami County EMS transported Day to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Meanshile, Platt locked herself inside the home and would not respond to police.

After multiple attempts to get Platt to exit the home, an officer finally convinced Platt to step outside onto an elevated deck at the rear of the home.&nbsp; As the officer and Platt were talking, two officers including Chief Stuteville made their up the side of the deck near the residence, as to be able to keep Platt from being able to go back inside. Once on the deck, Platt was safely taken into custody without futher incident.

After getting a search warrant, officers collected evidence related to the reported assault of Mrs. Day.

Platt was transported to the Miami County Jail where she is being held on requested charges of aggravated domestic battery and criminal damage to property.

Kan. woman accused of baseball bat attack on her mother

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an other homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 4:30a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shoosting in the 2600 block of NE. 42nd Street in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

At the scene, officers heard the sound of a gunshot coming from inside an upstairs apartment. Officers made entry inside of the residence to search for any victims and render any necessary medical aid. An adult male was located suffering from gunshot trauma. He was unresponsive. An additional adult female was located. She unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. EMS responded to the scene and declared both individuals deceased.

Homicide detectives and crime scene personnel responded to the scene to begin collecting evidence and gathering any witness statements. This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Detectives are not currently seeking any person of interest, according to Gonzalez.

Homicide: Man and woman found dead in KC apartment

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “One Battle After Another” won several awards at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/oscars-2026-updates">Sunday’s Oscars</a>, including best picture, director and the first-ever casting award.

“Sinners” star Michael B. Jordan, won&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2026-oscars-academy-awards-show-b868da63dd16aa6ca289ba4a8ac3a157">best actor</a>, earning his first Oscar. Jessie Buckley won best actress for her role in “Hamnet.”

Amy Madigan took home the first award of the night. She won best supporting actress for “Weapons.” She was the first winner announced at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night hosted by Conan O’Brien.

Ryan Coogler won best original screenplay for “Sinners,” which entered the night with a record-breaking 16 nominations.

Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”

Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”

“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters,” EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon and Teddy Park

Cassandra Kulukundis, “One Battle After Another”

Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta, “F1”

“One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson

(tie) “The Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva”

Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett, “Avatar: Fire and Ash”

Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau, “Frankenstein”

Andy Jurgensen, “One Battle After Another”

Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey, “Frankenstein”

Who won? Complete list of 2026 Academy Awards winners

SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person was injured in a&nbsp; weekend house fire.

Just before 11p.m. Saturday, crews&nbsp;responded to a house fire located at 417 SW Polk Street in Topeka, according to a media release.

Crews encountered heavy smoke and fire coming from the residence. Firefighters initiated fire attack operations and were able to quickly extinguish the fire.

Fire crews rescued a woman from a first-floor apartment within the home. American Medical Response transported her to a local hospital in critical condition. A second occupant who resides in a second-floor apartment was able to escape prior to the arrival of firefighters.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Non-working smoke detectors were found in the home.

Woman hospitalized after fire at a Kansas home

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kingston Flemings scored 21 points, fellow freshman Chris Cenac Jr. had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and fifth-ranked Houston rolled past poor-shooting and lackluster No. 14 Kansas 69-47 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday night.

The second-seeded Cougars (28-5) held the third-seeded Jayhawks without a field goal for more than 10 minutes at point in the game, ultimately breezing into another championship matchup with second-ranked Arizona on Saturday night.

Houston beat the Wildcats 72-64 last year for its first Big 12 Tournament title.

Darryn Peterson had 14 points to lead the Jayhawks (23-10), who had beaten the Cougars in their only regular-season matchup. But the Jayhawks were a whole lot better that night in Allen Fieldhouse than they were at T-Mobile Center, where they were 6 for 31 from the field in the second half and shot 24.6% overall in their lowest-scoring game of the season.

With the relentless defense that's become a hallmark of coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars controlled the game right from the start, making things especially difficult for Kansas big men Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller in the paint.

Most of the Jayhawks' offense came from Peterson, the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. He had 12 at the break.

Things really unraveled for Kansas in the second half, though.

Houston forced Bill Self's team into missing its first 16 shots while going on a 22-2 run of its own spanning halftime. Even the bucket that mercifully ended the drought, a dunk by Bidunga with 10:42 to go, nearly rattled its way back out of the basket.

Houston led 51-31 at that point before coasting into its second consecutive championship game.

Houston lost to the No. 1 seed Wildcats at home on Feb. 21 in their only meeting of the regular season.

Kansas will likely be a No. 4 seed when the NCAA Tournament is revealed on Sunday.

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