Pawnee Mental Health has announced the promotion of Nate Bellamy to Director of Operations. Bellamy brings extensive experience in facilities leadership, safety oversight, and operational management to his new role.

Bellamy specializes in facilities and operations leadership across health care, industrial and government environments. His background includes regulatory compliance, project and risk management, ensuring organizations meet safety, building and security standards while effectively managing facility-related risks. He also has a strong record in project and process improvement management, leading capital projects, optimizing workflows, and driving cost-effective performance.

Before joining Pawnee Mental Health, Bellamy served in several leadership and operational roles, including assistant director of a summer camp, Loss Prevention contract manager, maintenance manager, small-business owner and as a security contractor. These roles strengthened his expertise in systems improvement, team leadership,&nbsp;and operational efficiency.

In his new role, Bellamy will oversee facilities operations, safety processes and organizational infrastructure. He will work closely with agency leadership to support daily operations, enhance system reliability and help maintain a safe, efficient environment for staff and clients.

Pawnee Mental Health Announces Promotion of Nate Bellamy to Director of Operations

On Sunday, December 7 Sunset Zoo welcomed a new resident when Kivuli, the black-and-white colobus monkey, gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. 

Kivuli has been an excellent mother from the start, and the baby is healthy and growing steadily.At two months, the baby is starting to venture away from mom for short periods of time and munching on bits of solid food.

While born all white, his dark hair is starting to grow in as he slowly morphs into a striking, adult black-and-white colobus monkey.&nbsp;While he is meeting all his developmental milestones, this little monkey still needs a name.

Sunset Zoo is asking for the public’s help in naming our newest resident. All the options are words or names in Swahili, the most common language in Eastern and Central Africa where black-and-white colobus naturally occur. The troop’s caretakers have narrowed down the choices to three names:

Nuru (new-roo) – means “light” in Swahili, in contrast to his mother’s name, Kivuli, which means “shadow”

Kiatu (key-ah-too) – means “shoe” in Swahili, a tribute to Sunset Zoo’s recently retired director, Scott Shoemaker•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Kiongozi (key-own-go-zee) – means “leader” in Swahili, also in honor of Scott Shoemaker

<a href="https://friendsofsunsetzoo.ticketspice.com/sunsetzootinyprimatepoll?utm_source=News+Release&amp;utm_campaign=eca19327ea-Brew+at+the+Zoo+Ticket+Sales+2017_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_afbe83d3a1-eca19327ea-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]&amp;mc_cid=eca19327ea&amp;mc_eid=ae94a9aa01">Click here to cast your vote</a> and donate any amount you wish towards their favorite name.

Whichever name receives the most donations by March 1st will be the winner and the new monkey moniker.

All proceeds will go towards animal enrichment and conservation.&nbsp;In addition to voting for a baby name, you can also help support the new mother and baby by visiting the Sunset Zoo gift shop and purchasing an item off the enrichment tree.

Mother and baby are often on view in the Ballard Primate Viewing Gallery or in their outside habitat on warmer days. The troop does have access to off-view dens; if you don’t see mom and baby, check back later in the day! Sunset Zoo is open from noon to 5 PM daily.

Help Sunset Zoo name the Colobus Monkey baby

The 2026 K-State College Rodeo will be held Feb. 19-22 at the Bilbrey Family Event Center, north of the Manhattan campus.

Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 and 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rodeo is scheduled at K-State

A Kansas Department of Transportation project that will replace two bridges on K-63 is scheduled to begin on Monday, Feb. 16, conditions permitting. The bridges over Bartlett Creek and the Union Pacific railroad tracks are located just north of Emmett in Pottawatomie County.

New bridges will be built next to the existing structures. Traffic impacts should be minimal to none during this phase of the project, with most work taking place along the roadway’s shoulders.

Work will occur during daylight hours Monday through Friday, and Saturdays if needed.

Hawkins Construction Co., of Omaha, Nebraska, is the prime contractor on the $12.9 million project, which is anticipated to be complete in June 20.

Two K-63 bridges to be replaced in Pottawatomie County

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, on Wednesday led a committee hearing with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) to discuss proposed changes to VA’s community care program, according to a media release from the Senator's office.

In December 2025, VA issued the Community Care Network Next Generation Request for Proposals (CCN NextGen RFP), which aims to modernize the delivery of care in the community, increase competition and innovation within VA’s community care program and deliver higher quality care to veterans.

“In many ways, these procurements reflect a welcome focus on innovation, competition and accountability,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“They also signal long-overdue progress toward upholding industry standards, embracing value-based care, strengthening program integrity and addressing persistent challenges—such as the timely return of medical documentation—that have frustrated veterans, providers and policymakers alike.”

This is the first major acquisition effort to support VA’s community care program since the passage of the&nbsp;MISSION Act&nbsp;in 2018. The proposed CCN Next Gen RFP contracts would not change underlying veteran eligibility for community care.

“These contracts must do more than look good on paper,”&nbsp;continued Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“Instead, they must deliver results for veterans, VA staff, community care providers and taxpayers by leading to real, measurable improvements in access, choice, outcomes and costs.”

🎥Moran leads hearing to review VA’s modernization efforts 

Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. — The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to celebrate the graduation of the 2025–2026 LEAD JC class, marking the completion of a seven-month leadership journey designed to strengthen community awareness, inspire civic engagement, and cultivate the next generation of leaders in Junction City and Geary County.

LEAD JC brings together professionals from diverse industries who share a common goal — investing in the future of the community. Throughout the program, participants gain firsthand insight into the partnerships, challenges, and opportunities that shape the region.

Over the course of the experience, the cohort explored several key areas essential to a thriving community, including:

The program concluded with a graduation ceremony at the C.L. Hoover Opera House, where participants reflected on their experiences and the strengths they bring to their organizations and the broader community.

“LEAD JC is more than a program — it is an investment in the future of Junction City,” said Kelly Cook, Membership Director of the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce. “When leaders understand their community and build strong relationships, they are better equipped to create meaningful impact.”

Mandi Gaudian, Administrative Marketing Specialist for the Geary County Convention and Visitors Bureau and a member of the 2025–2026 class, shared how the program shaped her perspective.

“LEAD JC helped me better understand the importance and benefits of being an active participant in our community,” Gaudian said. “Through this experience, I gained insight into how the community functions, its history, and what it takes to support positive progress moving forward. The instructor’s thoughtful selection of materials, along with their ability to draw on the diverse backgrounds of participants to provide exceptional examples of leadership, made the experience especially impactful.”

Graduates leave the program with deeper connections, increased knowledge of regional assets, and a renewed commitment to community involvement. Many alumni go on to serve on local boards, volunteer for civic initiatives, and champion projects that enhance the vitality of Geary County and Junction City.

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce remains committed to developing leaders who will help move the community forward. Applications for the next LEAD JC class will open later this year.

For more information about LEAD JC or upcoming Chamber programs, please contact the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Local Leaders Graduate from Chamber’s LEAD JC Program

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.&nbsp;

Riley County Arrest Report February 12

The City Commission reviewed conceptual options for the future reconstruction of Moro Street in Aggieville from 11th Street to N. Manhattan Ave. this week. Four refined concepts were provided within the 60-foot right-of-way between storefronts on Moro that generally feature angled parking on one side of the street, a 20-foot driving lane, and the potential for mid-block pedestrian crossings and other landscaping and pedestrian amenities.

Mayor Susan Adamcheck summarized some of the ideas from the commission including parking on the north with access to a remaining public parking lot, carry through consistency from nearby North Manhattan Avenue and 12th Street, and a desire for some amenities.

Staff anticipates returning to the City Commission with a recommended delivery approach, and a more detailed 30% design of the project with updated cost estimates for the two-block project.&nbsp;

Other points also ranged from the reduction of parking spaces in the two blocks of Moro to the need for a parking lot on the east end. There was&nbsp; also a note that Aggieville is due for a parking upgrade.&nbsp;

Manhattan City Commissioners discuss design options for Moro Street in Aggieville 

KSU Division of Communication and Marketing

MANHATTAN — Following a national search, the Office of the Provost has appointed Ashfaq Khokhar as dean of Kansas State University’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://engg.k-state.edu/">Carl R. Ice College of Engineering</a>, effective Aug. 2.“Dr. Khokhar brings exceptional leadership experience, growth-minded vision and high-quality teaching, research&nbsp;and engagement&nbsp;to K-State in the role of dean for the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering,” said Jesse Perez Mendez, provost and executive vice president.&nbsp;“I look forward to working with him to advance the college and university’s strategic vision.”

As the chief academic and administrative officer for the college, and LeRoy C. and Aileen H. Paslay Chair in Engineering, Khokhar will provide leadership, strategic vision and direction for the college, and support and promote the academic mission of the university. Khokhar will work to grow the college’s excellence in teaching, research, service, extension and engagement; promote a collaborative leadership approach; and cultivate internal and external partnerships to advance the university’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.k-state.edu/next-gen/plan/">Next-Gen K-State strategic plan</a>.

"Since 2017, Khokhar has served as the Palmer Department Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University. During his tenure, he oversaw an increase in the department’s research expenditures from $13.2 million in 2016 to $19 million in 2024 and more than $20 million new research projects funded in 2024; the development and launch of several new undergraduate and graduate degree programs; and he spearheaded the development of a five-year strategic plan, among many other accomplishments.&nbsp;

 Ashfaq Khokhar named dean of K-State’s Carl R. Ice College of Engineering

Abilene Physical Therapy &amp; Sports Rehab(APTSR), a trusted provider of physical therapy services in Abilene, Chapman and the surrounding areas, proudly announces a change in ownership. After 20 years of dedicated service, Tonya Mills, the original owner, is passing the torch to Taci Wilson, the new owner of APTSR.

While the ownership has changed, the faces of the organization remain the same. Tonya Mills will continue to work closely with patients, ensuring a seamless transition and ongoing personalized care. The clinic’s unwavering commitment to the communities of Abilene and Chapman remains at the heart of its mission.

Tonya Mills shared her enthusiasm about this new chapter, "I am incredibly excited for Taci and for the future of our clinic. Having worked alongside her, I am confident in her ability to lead APTSR with the same passion and dedication that has defined our practice for the past two decades. Our patients and community are in excellent hands."

APTSR continues to serve as a vital resource for residents recovering from injury, helping them return to their normal home, occupational, and recreational activities. With clinics in both Abilene and Chapman, APTSR remains committed to providing expert physical therapy and sports rehabilitation services tailored to the needs of the local community.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit the <a href="https://www.abileneptsportsrehab.com/">abileneptsportsrehab.com</a> or contact the clinics directly.

Abilene Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab Announces Change of Ownership

Col. Landgrave ( Tom ) Smith will be the guest speaker for the monthly Military Affairs Council Breakfast in&nbsp; Junction City. The Chamber of Commerce said that the breakfast is scheduled from 7:30 to 9 a.m. with check-in starting at 7 a.m.

The cost to attend is $20 for the event which will be held at JC NAZ, 1025 South Washington.&nbsp;

Smith is the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team Commander.

To register go to www.jcac.org/mac-breakfast or to mac@jcac.org by 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23.

MAC Breakfast is set for Feb. 26

WASHINGTON —President Trump invited Kansas 4th district Congressman Ron Estes to the Oval Office for the official&nbsp;signing of the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act.

On his social media page, Rep. Estes wrote, " I’m pleased to see this common sense legislation signed into law – President Trump and Republicans are leading with results and fighting to support the American taxpayer."

"By permanently allowing the SSA to share full death data with the Treasury’s "Do Not Pay" service, we are stopping erroneous payments to the deceased. This will stop hardworking Americans from footing the bill for waste, fraud, and abuse."

"The Fiscal Service estimates that by December 2026, this data exchange will save $330 MILLION in improper payments across the federal government."

Estes has served the 4th Congressional District since April 2017.

Kan. Congressman invited to Oval Office signing ceremony

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/"></a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — More money could be flowing to the Kansas Water Plan under a new House bill, expanding the impact of a popular 2023 law aimed at addressing the growing water crisis.

Republicans, Democrats and proponents pointed to Kansas’ lack of funding for water projects and asked lawmakers to pass the bill Tuesday before the House Water Committee. There were no opponents.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/20/new-laws-increase-accountability-for-kansas-water-districts-set-aside-conservation-funding/">2023 law</a>&nbsp;established the Water Projects Grant Fund and the Water Technical Assistance Fund, two funds that help municipalities build and maintain water infrastructure.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2558/" target="_blank">House Bill 2558</a>&nbsp;would expand annual funding for the Kansas Water Plan from $35 million to $60 million.

The extra $25 million for the Kansas Water Plan would come from the State General Fund. Most of the increase would be earmarked to add $10 million to both the Water Projects Grant Fund and Water Technical Assistance Fund.

Made with Flourish&nbsp;•&nbsp;<a href="https://flourish.studio/visualisations/line-bar-pie-charts/?utm_source=showcase&amp;utm_campaign=visualisation/22038093" target="_blank">Create a chart</a>

Since the 2023 law,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li_2024/b2023_24/measures/hb2302/" target="_blank">House Bill 2302</a>, was adopted, there have been more applications for the grants than money available. Wendi Stark, legislative liaison for the League of Kansas Municipalities&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_h_water_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_h_water_1_20260210_07_testimony.html" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;about 37% of the cities who applied received some money.

Connie Owen testified on behalf of three of the state’s big water-related agencies: the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Kansas Water Office. She characterized her testimony as neutral, but admitted it was more “neutral positive.”

“The 2302 grants really made a difference for people and their communities all over the state,” Owen said. “All we continue to hear is, ‘Keep it coming, we need more,’ ” Owen said.

Last session,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/13/kansas-house-bill-would-add-20m-for-state-water-plan-projects/">a more modest version</a>&nbsp;of the bill made it through the House but was never heard by the Senate. Both that bill and the one in the current session were introduced by Rep. Jim Minnix, a Republican farmer from Scott City and chair of the House Water Committee.

Owen is in the&nbsp;<a href="https://westernstateswater.org/" target="_blank">Western States Water Council</a>, a group of 18 states that meets three times a year to discuss water solutions. Minnix asked Owen to share what she has heard from other states.

“Kansas is doing incredible things. But in terms of the comparison to what we could be doing, and the investment that other states make, it’s enormous,” Owen said. “And I’m sure that’s why you asked me that question, Mr. Chair.”

Minnix smiled in acknowledgement, and brought up the recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/11/04/texas-elections-2025-water/" target="_blank">Texas vote</a>&nbsp;to make a $20 billion investment in water. He said even for a state whose population and economy dwarfs those of Kansas, the investment was still significant.

“We kicked the can down the road for a lot of years, but when we have done programs we’ve been extremely efficient,” Minnix said.

“I definitely think the program is successful and worth continuing,” added Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, a Democrat from Overland Park.

While water issues sometime&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/01/29/kansas-house-bill-would-push-state-to-recycle-wastewater-into-tap-water/">fall along party lines</a>, the issue of the water crisis itself is rarely partisan.

Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/10/30/southeast-kansas-town-is-almost-out-of-water-and-signs-of-crisis-are-everywhere/">towns</a>&nbsp;are running out of water. The Ogallala Aquifer, which much of western Kansas relies on for daily life,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/28/ogallala-aquifer-drops-by-more-than-a-foot-in-parts-of-western-kansas/">dropped</a>&nbsp;by more than a foot last year. Gov. Laura Kelly has identified the crisis as&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/24/kansas-governors-legislative-priorities-in-2026-center-on-budget-water-and-children/">a top priority</a>&nbsp;for her final year in office.

Last year a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/02/kansas-water-task-force-to-gauge-current-and-future-supply-modernize-policy/">bipartisan</a>&nbsp;taskforce was created to fight the crisis. Sen Kenny Titus, a Republican from Wamego&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/07/15/kansas-lawmakers-outline-vision-for-finding-solutions-to-water-crisis-and-paying-for-them/">said in July</a>&nbsp;the water issue has been exacerbated in large part because of a “lack of past efforts.”

Minnix is the other taskforce co-chair. He said he typically gives the House committee a week to review bills before they’re brought back for discussion, but told the committee he wanted to discuss this one earlier than usual.

“This committee has been an extreme leader on water issues since ’23,” Minnix said. “I want you folks all to sleep on this, think about it and come back on Thursday so we can have a robust discussion on this.”

Rep. Doug Blex, a Republican farmer from Independence, said that while he will miss Thursday’s discussion, the bill has his full support. He was on the Water Committee in 2017, when the decade-long streak of governors not funding the Kansas Water Plan Fund was active.

“We have come a long way,” Blex said. “And even though we are not ranking on dollars with other states, I think we’re ranking with what we’ve got done and accomplished in many ways and the quality.”

House bill would add $25 million to annual spending on Kansas water crisis

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas teen who admitted his role in a deadly drive-by shooting is going to prison.

On Wednesday, Judge Christopher Magana sentenced 15-year-old Elias Cerda to&nbsp;260 months in prison and 36 months of post release supervision, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In November, Cerda, who was charged as an adult, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, second degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery, according to the district attorney's office.

In January 2024, police responded to reports of shots being fired in the area of 5200 E Kensington in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Around the same time, officers were dispatched to an area hospital for the report of two walk-in shooting victims later identified as 14-year-old Emoni Shears and 19-year-old Jhiquez Roberts both of Wichita. They were later pronounced deceased at the hospital.

Detectives and patrol officers immediately began investigating this case and following up on leads. Police arrested Cerda, who was 14 at the time. He was booked into the Sedgwick County jail on November 27, according to online jail records.&nbsp;

Kansas boy going to prison for drive-by double murder

By SAFIYAH RIDDLE and MICHAEL LIEDTKE Associated Press

Tuesday’s release of video surveillance footage showing an armed, masked person at Nancy Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted has raised a host of questions about why it took so long to publicly release, how it was retrieved and what it means for privacy.

The process involved days of searching, the FBI said, after law enforcement initially believed the footage was lost because the camera was disconnected and Guthrie didn't have a subscription to the camera company.

The surprising emergence of the video footage has resurrected questions about digital content's long afterlife, as billions of people increasingly entwine their lives with mishmash of internet-connected devices, making it possible to retrieve snapshots from their past like old photos stored in an attic.

In the days after her apparent abduction, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos initially said that a camera attached to Nancy Guthrie's door was disconnected just before 2 a.m. on the night she disappeared. Minutes later, the camera’s software detected movement, but no footage was preserved, he said.

At the time, Nanos said that there was no video available in part because Guthrie didn’t have an active subscription to the company. But unexpectedly, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday that investigators kept working for days to pull the videos from “residual data located in backend systems."

It was not immediately clear why it took so long to retrieve the video. The delay could, in part, be a law enforcement strategy, according to Joseph Giacalone, a retired New York police sergeant who managed hundreds of homicide and missing person cases.

Giacalone said the FBI likely tried to quietly identify the person on Guthrie’s porch before releasing the images.

“You’re trying to keep these things close to the vest. I think they worked this angle for a couple days,” Giacalone said.

Local and federal law enforcement didn't respond to questions clarifying what they meant by “disconnected" or who was working on recovering the data.

The footage appears to have come from a Nest camera fastened on or near Guthrie's door. Google, which has owned Nest since 2014, is among numerous companies that operates private surveillance cameras used in and around homes. Because common doorbell cameras aren’t equipped with the memory cards required for vast amounts of on-device storage, the video recorded on them is routinely transmitted to data centers scattered around the U.S. and other countries.

Google didn’t immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press about how the footage of the masked person was captured while the camera was apparently disconnected. They also didn't clarify how the footage was extracted from “backend servers” even though law enforcement said Guthrie didn't have a subscription.

However, Google's privacy policy — a document that users often blindly agree to after purchasing a device — makes it clear that videos can be captured when a device is offline.

“That means you may not see a visual indicator when your camera is sending the video footage to our servers," the policy states.

The policy also makes clear that footage can stay on cloud servers for varying amounts of time, but also gives users the right to view and delete video at their discretion.

Unless a Nest user subscribes to a service that allows for quick access to review footage recorded on a device, Google routinely purges the footage rather than retain it indefinitely, said Stacey Higginbotham, a policy fellow at Consumer Reports who specializes in cybersecurity issues.

But if law enforcement agencies such as the FBI reached out to Nest for the footage before it was overwritten, the video could still be retrieved and watched, Higginbotham said. “It’s basically like when you send an email to the trash. It’s still accessible,” depending on a provider’s retention policies.

There are ostensibly legal guardrails that are supposed to dictate how companies like Google access and share footage collected on cameras in and around people's homes.

Under many user agreements, camera companies need a warrant or consent from the camera owner to share footage with law enforcement, according to Michelle Dahl, the executive director at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project.

But there are plenty of legal loopholes that would allow a company like Google to share data directly with law enforcement without either of those things, Dahl said.

“Our hearts are on her family and what they are going through, and we are glad for any information that can lead to her being found,” she said. At the same time, Dahl added, “We should absolutely be alarmed over the privacy implications that are at stake with this video that was recovered by the Nest camera."

Dahl said she doesn't know about Nest cameras specifically. But she said that some user agreements specify that the data collected on cameras belong to the camera company, not the private camera owner. In those cases, a company like Google can share footage with law enforcement at its own discretion, without even notifying its users.

Dahl, who litigates about privacy and surveillance, said that practice is becoming more common, making it harder for consumers to balance the security a camera provides with constitutional protections against surveillance.

“I think the public has gotten too comfortable with surveillance cameras in not only public spaces, but also their private homes, without thinking about the consequences of where that data ends up,” Dahl said. “If a camera is absolutely necessary for your security, look into options where that data is not transmitted off to a cloud.”

Associated Press writer Ed White contributed reporting.

Video into Guthrie's abduction mystery raises questions about surveillance technology

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/seung-min-kim">SEUNG MIN KIM</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ben-finley">BEN FINLEY</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mary-clare-jalonick">MARY CLARE JALONICK</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/konstantin-toropin">KONSTANTIN TOROPIN</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/morgan-lee">MORGAN LEE</a>

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser earlier this week, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.

The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 days, stranding some travelers, but the closure ended up only lasting a few hours. The Trump administration said it stemmed from the FAA and Pentagon working to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones, which are not uncommon along the southern border.

One of the people said the laser was deployed near Fort Bliss without coordinating with the FAA, which decided then to close the airspace to ensure commercial air safety. Others familiar with the matter said the technology was used despite a meeting scheduled for later this month between the Pentagon and the FAA to discuss the issue.

While the restrictions were short-lived in the city of nearly 700,000 people, it is unusual for an entire airport to shut down even for a short time. Stranded travelers with luggage lined up at airline ticket counters and car rental desks before the order was lifted.

Normal flights resumed after seven arrivals and seven departures were canceled. Some medical evacuation flights also had to be rerouted.

Jorge Rueda, 20, and Yamilexi Meza, 21, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, had their morning flight to Portland, Oregon, canceled, so they were losing part of their Valentine’s Day weekend trip.

Rueda said he was glad that “10 days turned into two hours.” They were booked on an evening flight out of El Paso.

The investigation into last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., between an airliner and Army helicopter that killed 67 people highlighted how the FAA and Pentagon were not always working well together.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the FAA and the Army did not share safety data with each other about the alarming number of close calls around Reagan National Airport and failed to address the risks.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a former Army helicopter pilot who serves on committees focused on aviation and the armed services, said the issue Wednesday was the latest example of “the lack of coordination that’s endemic in this Trump administration.”

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he would request a briefing from the FAA on the incident.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, said neither her office nor local officials received any advance notice of the closure. After it was lifted, she said “the information coming from the federal government does not add up.”

“I believe the FAA owes the community and the country an explanation as to why this happened so suddenly and abruptly and was lifted so suddenly and abruptly,” Escobar said at a news conference.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier that the airspace was closed as the Defense Department and the FAA halted an incursion by Mexican cartel drones and “the threat has been neutralized.”

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security, FAA and Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A Trump administration official insisted the agencies were in lockstep to protect national security and pointed to Duffy’s statement. The Pentagon said it had nothing to add to its statement that largely mirrored Duffy’s.

Pentagon let CBP use anti-drone laser before FAA closed El Paso airspace

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man injured in a fatal fight on July 4, will return to court on Thursday.

&nbsp;Eduardo Diaz-Yobal, 33, will face a preliminary hearing in Judge Christopher Magana's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick District Attorney's office. Diaz-Yobal is charged with first-degree murder in&nbsp;the death of 33-year-old Cesar Gonzalez.

Early on July 4, police responded to a report of an assault in the 3000 block of North Fairview in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. A caller reported witnessing a man attacking another man. The victim was later identified as Gonzalez of Wichita.&nbsp;

Before officers arrived, the suspect fled the scene. Officers found Gonzalez unresponsive in the parking lot. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased at 1:54 a.m.

Officers located the suspect identified as<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=254855">&nbsp;Diaz-Yobal, 33, of Wichita,</a>&nbsp;in the 300 block of W. 29th Street and took him into custody without incident.

Diaz-Yobal had injuries consistent with the altercation and was admitted to an area hospital for treatment, released and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail where he is being on bond of over&nbsp;&nbsp;$1,500,000.00, according to online jail records.

Preliminary Hearing for Kan. man in deadly 4th of July fight

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans rushed to approve legislation on Wednesday that would impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements ahead of the midterm elections, a long shot Trump administration priority that faces sharp blowback in the Senate.

The bill, called the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-save-act-citizenship-voting-elections-a37c139461d11eb5f82086680b67ffe7">Safeguard American Voter Eligibility</a>, or SAVE America Act, would require Americans to prove they are citizens when they register to vote, mostly through a valid U.S. passport or birth certificate. It would also require a valid photo identification before voters can cast ballots, which some states already demand. It was approved on a mostly party-line vote, 218-213. GOP members of the Kansas delegation voted with the majority.

Republicans said the legislation is needed to prevent voter fraud, but Democrats warn it will disenfranchise millions of Americans by making it harder to vote. Federal law already requires that voters in national elections be U.S. citizens, but there’s no requirement to provide documentary proof. Experts said voter fraud is extremely rare, and very few noncitizens ever slip through the cracks. Fewer than one in 10 Americans don’t have paperwork proving they are citizens.

“Some of my colleagues will call this voter suppression or Jim Crow 2.0,” said Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., presenting the package at a committee hearing.

But he said “those allegations are false,” and he argued the bill is needed to enforce existing laws, particularly those that bar immigrants who are not citizens from voting. “The current law is not strong enough,” he said.

The GOP’s sudden push to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midterms-voting-laws-photo-id-citizenship-republicans-feecb51a6efa41cf32d18fe4b15c08ce">change voting rules</a>&nbsp;at the start of the midterm election season is raising red flags, particularly because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump&nbsp;</a>has suggested he wants to nationalize U.S. elections, which, under the Constitution, are designed to be run by individual states.

The Trump administration recently seized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-georgia-elections-fulton-county-2020-ballots-9dfecd778c09134e9aa0bba2848718f5">ballots in Georgia</a>&nbsp;from the 2020 election, which the president insists he won despite his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The Department of Justice is demanding voter rolls from states, including Michigan, where a federal judge this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-judges-dismisses-lawsuit-michigan-voter-rolls-b18568bec27026c97e41885b80d15fe9">dismissed the department’s lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking the voter files. Secretaries of state have raised concerns that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-homeland-security-voters-noncitizens-9ad3293b2f188b8a5b0bc166a61c225c">voters’ personal data</a>&nbsp;may be shared with Homeland Security to verify citizenship and could result in people being unlawfully purged from the rolls.

“Let me be clear what this is about: It’s about Republicans trying to rig the next election,” said Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, during a hearing ahead of the floor vote. “Republicans are pushing the Save America Act because they want fewer Americans to vote. It’s that simple.”

The legislation is actually a do-over of a similar bill the House approved last year, which also sought to clamp down on fraudulent voting, particularly among noncitizens. It won the support of four House Democrats, but stalled in the Republican-led Senate. Only one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, voted for the revised bill.

This version toughens some of the requirements further, while creating a process for those whose names may have changed, particularly during marriage, to provide the paperwork necessary and further attest to their identity.

It also requires states to share their voter information with the Department of Homeland Security, as a way to verify the citizenship of the names on the voter rolls. That has drawn pushback from elections officials as potentially intrusive on people’s privacy.

The new rules in the bill would take effect immediately, if the bill is passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law.

But with primary elections getting underway next month, critics said the sudden shift would be difficult for state election officials to implement and potentially confuse voters.

Voting experts have warned that more than 20 million U.S. citizens of voting age do not have proof of their citizenship readily available. Almost half of Americans do not have a U.S. passport.

“Election Day is fast approaching,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary resources.”

In the Senate, where Republicans also have majority control, there does not appear to be enough support to push the bill past the chamber’s filibuster rules, which largely require 60 votes to advance legislation.

That frustration has led some Republicans, led by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, to push for a process that would skip the 60-vote threshold in this case, and allow the bill to be debated through a so-called standing filibuster — a process that would open the door to potentially endless debate.

Lee made the case to GOP senators at a closed-door lunch this week, and some said afterward they are mulling the concept.

“I think most people’s minds are open,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., “My mind’s certainly open.”

But Murkowski of Alaska said she is flat out against the legislation.

“Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska,” she said.

Karen Brinson Bell of Advance Elections, a nonpartisan consulting firm, said the bill adds numerous requirements for state and local election officials with no additional funding.

“Election officials have a simple request of Congress — that you help share their burdens not add to them,” she said.

This story has been corrected to fix a statistic. Fewer than one in 10 Americans do not have paperwork proving they are citizens; an earlier version incorrectly said fewer than one in 10 have valid passports.

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Kan. lawmakers help House pass proof-of-citizenship requirement for voters

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a double homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victims as 26-year-old&nbsp;Brittnee McMillon and and 28-year-old&nbsp;Jerrell Westmoreland.

At 9:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of E. Armour Blvd. in Kansas City, Missouri, on a sound of shots call, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.

Multiple callers reported the sound of gunfire from behind an apartment building there. On arrival officers were directed to a parking lot in the back of an apartment building where they located a vehicle with shooting victims McMillon and Westmoreland unresponsive inside.&nbsp;

Officers called for EMS who declared both victims deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Homicide detectives responded to the scene to conduct their investigation along with crime scene investigators processed the scene for available evidence.&nbsp; Police have not released details on possible suspects.

Homicide: Police ID couple found dead in car in Kansas City

SHAWNEE COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating a school threat in Topeka.

Just after 6:30a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call regarding an online social media threat involving Eisenhower Middle School, 3305 SE Minnesota Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release.. No other schools are involved in this incident.

Topeka Police are working jointly with the FBI and are investigating the credibility of this online threat. The impacted school has notified families.

Anyone who sees or hears anything related to this incident is asked to immediately contact the Topeka Police Department by emailing telltpd@topeka.org or by calling the TPD Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368-9400.

FBI investigating social media threat at Kansas middle school

A member of the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-faith-agenda-evangelicals-conservative-christians-88a9ce8ac81a46fafb7e337366be8e9c">Religious Liberty Commission</a>&nbsp;has been ousted after a hearing this week that featured tense exchanges on the definition of antisemitism. The ousted member, Carrie Prejean Boller, had defended prominent commentator Candace Owens, who routinely shares antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Prejean Boller, a model turned conservative activist, denied that Owens had ever said anything antisemitic, quoted a Bible verse that attributed the death of Jesus to Jews and pushed back on the idea that some people mask antisemitism in their criticism of Israel.

“No member of the commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue,” said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, chair of the commission, in a statement Wednesday. “This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America. This was my decision.”

Prejean Boller challenged Patrick’s authority to remove her, saying only President Donald Trump has that power. In a post on the social media site X, she said Patrick's actions “reflect a Zionist political agenda.”

The hearing took place as the commission, created by Trump last year, is the subject of a new federal lawsuit this week from progressive religious groups. The suit says the panel fails to represent diverse views and religions and consists almost entirely of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-evangelicals-christian-conservatives-religious-freedom-1532250eb2fe620e4341b1b033123276">conservative Christian</a>&nbsp;members.

Prejean Boller's removal came amid a wider, increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turning-point-charlie-kirk-vance-republicans-2028-e28a332d7f55eb44346ef9d47e8906e4">contentious debate</a>&nbsp;over whether the right should give a platform to commentators espousing antisemitic views.

It followed a hearing Monday in Washington that was focused on antisemitism. It featured multiple witnesses, including first-hand accounts of students and others who said universities failed to protect Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Prejean Boller had sharp exchanges with witnesses&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNxkwMlJZL4&amp;t=2382s">during the hearing</a>. Seth Dillon, CEO of the conservative satirical site The Babylon Bee, which routinely lampoons progressives, was there to testify that conservatives need to push back against a growing antisemitic movement on the right.

Prejean Boller challenged him, questioning whether critics of Israel should be considered antisemitic. Dillon said no, but that context matters. There are “people who try to conceal their antisemitism under the guise of merely criticizing Israel," he said.

Prejean Boller also questioned whether social media sites should be pressured to ban quotations of a Bible verse that attributes the death of Jesus to Jews. And she disputed Dillon's criticisms of Owens, saying she had never heard her say anything antisemitic.

“You should look up more of her statements,” Dillon said, citing such things as Owens saying her critics were “of the synagogue of Satan.”

Prejean Boller, the 2009 Miss California, drew criticism during the Miss USA contest that same year when she said she believed marriage should only be between a man and a woman. She became politically active in subsequent years, supporting Trump's presidential runs and criticizing such things as COVID-19 restrictions.

The hearing was the latest of several by the commission, which has featured testimony accusing the administration of former President Joe Biden of allegedly repressing religious freedom in different ways. The commission is preparing to deliver a report to Trump this spring.

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