BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Personal and corporate income taxes could see major breaks under Republican-led legislation that advanced Wednesday out of the Kansas House, but Democrats warned of repeating past mistakes.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/SB269/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 269</a>, also known as “the income tax trigger bill,” would reduce the individual and corporate income tax rates to as low as 4%. Bank rates could drop as low as 2.6%. However, the cuts are contingent on maintaining the state’s budget stabilization fund, also known as the rainy day fund.

House lawmakers advanced the bill Wednesday mostly along party lines in an 84-38 vote. The Senate still needs to give its stamp of approval in the two remaining days of the regular session.&nbsp;

No Republicans defended the bill, but Democrats called it “a ratchet” and “dangerous.”&nbsp;

Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, argued the House was the final stopgap between “what is fairly dangerous tax policy” and constituents.&nbsp;

The cuts can only go into effect if the state budget stabilization fund maintains a 15% balance. Right now, the fund sits at around an 18% balance, or $1.75 billion.

Anytime the amount of state income tax collected exceeds the 15% balance threshold, as determined by the state budget director, an income tax rate “buydown” would be triggered under the law, Smith said. Legislative staff couldn’t estimate the exact financial impact of such a policy change.

The changes would go into effect in 2025. The budget director would determine by Aug. 15 whether the most recent fiscal year’s total State General Fund tax receipts exceeded the previous fiscal year’s amount, adjusted for inflation.&nbsp;

State personal income tax rates currently range from 5.2% to 5.58%, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue. Corporations solely in Kansas are taxed at 4% of their net income plus a 3% surtax on income above $50,000. Corporations with income in Kansas and outside of it are subject to rates based on sales, property and payroll.

Under SB 269, if receipts are greater than the previous year’s inflation-adjusted amount, the director of the secretary of revenue would calculate tax rate reductions, starting with individual income taxes.

Once individual rates in both the lower and higher tax brackets reach 4%, rate reductions for corporations and financial institutions would be triggered.

Reductions would continue until the combined rate for corporations reaches 4%, the combined rate for banks reaches 2.6% and the combined rate for other financial institutions reaches 2.62%.

Rep. Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, said the cuts put the state in a difficult situation. He said the policy takes all of the state’s excess income tax revenue and transforms it into a flat income tax, leaving no additional revenue to provide property tax relief.

“I have a problem with the whole ratchet situation,” Sawyer said.&nbsp;

He added that special education funding hasn’t been at its statutorily mandated level since 2010, and achieving full funding will be “very difficult” under the proposed cuts.

When — not if — a recession hits, Sawyer said, the hole left behind by income tax reductions will be much more difficult to fill.

“Those of us who were here in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 that had to deal with (trying) to dig ourselves out of a deep hole in the budget know what that’s like,” he said.

The cuts are reminiscent of former Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax experiment that gave hundreds of millions in tax cuts to corporations and “bankrupted” the state, Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Prairie Village Democrat, told Kansas Reflector. However, Brownback’s cuts were not contingent on the state’s surplus tax revenues.

Democrats also have challenged whether Republicans are going to be able to muster meaningful property tax relief legislation, a campaign-trail promise from both parties.

One of those property tax relief efforts passed the House before the income tax bill.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb35/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 35</a>&nbsp;eliminates the statewide levy of 1 mills for the state education building fund and the .5 mills levy for the state institution building fund.&nbsp;

If implemented, the gap left behind in those two funds would be replaced with State General Fund dollars. In fiscal year 2027, which begins June 2026, the state education building fund would receive about $56 million and the institutional building fund would receive about $25 million from the State General Fund.

SB 296 originally had to do with pending tax appeals fees, but during negotiations, the House inserted the contents of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2318/" target="_blank">House Bill 2318</a>, which contained the cuts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743112903407.png" alt="Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, and Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Prairie Village Democrat, appear during a March 24, 2025, session of the House. On Wednesday, they voiced concerns with a plan to automatically lower income tax rates based on surplus funds. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, and Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Prairie Village Democrat, appear during a March 24, 2025, session of the House. On Wednesday, they voiced concerns with a plan to automatically lower income tax rates based on surplus funds. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Personal and corporate income taxes could see major breaks under Republican-led legislation that advanced Wednesday out of the Kansas House, but Democrats warned of repeating past mistakes.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/SB269/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 269</a>, also known as “the income tax trigger bill,” would reduce the individual and corporate income tax rates to as low as 4%. Bank rates could drop as low as 2.6%. However, the cuts are contingent on maintaining the state’s budget stabilization fund, also known as the rainy day fund.House lawmakers advanced the bill Wednesday mostly along party lines in an 84-38 vote. The Senate still needs to give its stamp of approval in the two remaining days of the regular session.&nbsp;No Republicans defended the bill, but Democrats called it “a ratchet” and “dangerous.”&nbsp;Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, argued the House was the final stopgap between “what is fairly dangerous tax policy” and constituents.&nbsp;The cuts can only go into effect if the state budget stabilization fund maintains a 15% balance. Right now, the fund sits at around an 18% balance, or $1.75 billion.Anytime the amount of state income tax collected exceeds the 15% balance threshold, as determined by the state budget director, an income tax rate “buydown” would be triggered under the law, Smith said. Legislative staff couldn’t estimate the exact financial impact of such a policy change.The changes would go into effect in 2025. The budget director would determine by Aug. 15 whether the most recent fiscal year’s total State General Fund tax receipts exceeded the previous fiscal year’s amount, adjusted for inflation.&nbsp;State personal income tax rates currently range from 5.2% to 5.58%, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue. Corporations solely in Kansas are taxed at 4% of their net income plus a 3% surtax on income above $50,000. Corporations with income in Kansas and outside of it are subject to rates based on sales, property and payroll.Under SB 269, if receipts are greater than the previous year’s inflation-adjusted amount, the director of the secretary of revenue would calculate tax rate reductions, starting with individual income taxes.Once individual rates in both the lower and higher tax brackets reach 4%, rate reductions for corporations and financial institutions would be triggered.Reductions would continue until the combined rate for corporations reaches 4%, the combined rate for banks reaches 2.6% and the combined rate for other financial institutions reaches 2.62%.Rep. Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, said the cuts put the state in a difficult situation. He said the policy takes all of the state’s excess income tax revenue and transforms it into a flat income tax, leaving no additional revenue to provide property tax relief.“I have a problem with the whole ratchet situation,” Sawyer said.&nbsp;He added that special education funding hasn’t been at its statutorily mandated level since 2010, and achieving full funding will be “very difficult” under the proposed cuts.When — not if — a recession hits, Sawyer said, the hole left behind by income tax reductions will be much more difficult to fill.“Those of us who were here in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 that had to deal with (trying) to dig ourselves out of a deep hole in the budget know what that’s like,” he said.The cuts are reminiscent of former Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax experiment that gave hundreds of millions in tax cuts to corporations and “bankrupted” the state, Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Prairie Village Democrat, told Kansas Reflector. However, Brownback’s cuts were not contingent on the state’s surplus tax revenues.Democrats also have challenged whether Republicans are going to be able to muster meaningful property tax relief legislation, a campaign-trail promise from both parties.One of those property tax relief efforts passed the House before the income tax bill.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb35/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 35</a>&nbsp;eliminates the statewide levy of 1 mills for the state education building fund and the .5 mills levy for the state institution building fund.&nbsp;If implemented, the gap left behind in those two funds would be replaced with State General Fund dollars. In fiscal year 2027, which begins June 2026, the state education building fund would receive about $56 million and the institutional building fund would receive about $25 million from the State General Fund.SB 296 originally had to do with pending tax appeals fees, but during negotiations, the House inserted the contents of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2318/" target="_blank">House Bill 2318</a>, which contained the cuts.

Kansas House passes bill to trigger income tax cuts as long as state has surplus funds

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

Just before&nbsp;7:30p.m. Wednesday, patrol&nbsp;officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp;3700&nbsp;block&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte.

First responders were directed to the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;a convenience&nbsp;store at the corner&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John&nbsp;and Monroe. They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. They immediately began performing life saving measures and summoned emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS pronounced the victim deceased on scene.

This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary investigation revealed an interaction between individuals in the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;store just before the victim was shot. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage and canvassing the area for witnesses. Crime scene personnel are processing the scene for any available physical evidence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743105949880.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City. Just before&nbsp;7:30p.m. Wednesday, patrol&nbsp;officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp;3700&nbsp;block&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743107951249.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>First responders were directed to the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;a convenience&nbsp;store at the corner&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John&nbsp;and Monroe. They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. They immediately began performing life saving measures and summoned emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS pronounced the victim deceased on scene.This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary investigation revealed an interaction between individuals in the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;store just before the victim was shot. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage and canvassing the area for witnesses. Crime scene personnel are processing the scene for any available physical evidence.

Police: Man killed in Kansas City parking lot

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was pulling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-united-nations-elise-stefanik-ambassador-2b482fb39a8d6f03d389d27cc8820056">Rep. Elise Stefanik's nomination</a>&nbsp;to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a stunning turnaround for his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-cabinet-confirmation-tracker/">Cabinet pick</a>&nbsp;after her confirmation had been stalled for months over concerns about Republicans'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-election-results-mike-johnson-5103c8b5c0ef03a1e61a1c0f9ca3dd4f">tight margins in the House</a>.

Trump confirmed he was withdrawing the New York Republican's nomination in a Truth Social post, saying that it was “essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress.”

“We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning. I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress,” the president said. He did not say whom he would nominate to replace her and fill his last remaining Cabinet seat.

The abrupt withdrawal reflects growing concern among House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, that their historically slim majority could be at risk, particularly ahead of two special elections in Florida next week. The loss of a mere handful of seats could swing the House majority to Democrats and derail their efforts to enact Trump’s sweeping agenda in the months ahead.

Johnson praised Stefanik, the former No. 4 House leader, as “selfless” and “patriotic" after Trump announced the move.

“It is well known Republicans have a razor-thin House majority, and Elise’s agreement to withdraw her nomination will allow us to keep one of the toughest, most resolute members of our Conference in place to help drive forward President Trump’s America First policies,” Johnson said in a post on X. He added that he “will invite her to return to the leadership table immediately,” although its unclear what position she would take since there are no vacancies.

Stefanik’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump had tapped Stefanik to represent the U.S. at the international body shortly after winning reelection in November. She was seen as among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-special-elections-congress-matt-gaetz-trump-cfa3db23a51eeeb0f5b67c9369993717">the least controversial Cabinet picks</a>, and her nomination advanced out of committee in late January, but House Republicans' razor-thin majority kept her ultimate confirmation in a state of purgatory for the last several months.

In recent weeks, it had seemed as if Stefanik's nomination would advance to the Senate floor, given two U.S. House special elections in Florida in districts that Trump easily won in 2024. Filling those vacant GOP seats would have allowed Stefanik to finally resign from the House and given Republicans, who currently hold 218 seats, a little more breathing room on passing legislation in a growingly divided Congress. Democrats hold 213 seats.

Both districts have long been Republican strongholds, and a win by either Democratic candidate would be a major surprise, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic leaders are looking to at least narrow the margin from November, when Trump carried both districts in the presidential election by more than 30 points. That, coupled with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-democratic-party-donald-trump-election-094e907bd9af0d55a3ac76bb5e22d17c">Democrats’ upset in a Tuesday special election</a>&nbsp;for a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities, has surely given Republicans pause.

Trump's statement Thursday also seemed to indicate an anxiety about the party's ability to hold on to Stefanik’s seat if she were to take on the U.N. post, even though the sprawling district in northern New York is one of the state’s most conservative and is considered to be solid Republican territory. Stefanik herself cruised to reelection last year, winning 62% of the vote over her Democratic opponent. Almost all of the counties in her district voted for Trump last year.

Stefanik is the fourth Trump administration nominee who didn’t make it through the confirmation process. Previously, former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-sexual-assault-allegations-15b223953a668e63d8b947fdaeaa51d4">withdrew from consideration</a>&nbsp;for attorney general, Chad Chronister was pulled for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chad-chronister-trump-withdrawing-nominee-032bd91a5ef447e820e2b1f63e50861e">Drug Enforcement Administration</a>&nbsp;and former Florida congressman Dr. David Weldon was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dave-weldon-cdc-director-9a3d061832e2f0f644f2c58fbae36965">yanked from contention</a>&nbsp;to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The former congresswoman had been in a state of limbo for months, not able to engage in her official duties as a member of the 119th Congress or to participate in the action at the U.N. The vacancy of a permanent U.S. ambassador was happening at a critical moment for the international body as the world leaders had been discussing the two major wars between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia and Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel and Hamas</a>.

In late February, the U.S. mission, under Trump, split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in votes on three U.N. resolutions seeking an end to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">three-year war</a>. Dorothy Shea, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has been the face of America’s mission in New York during the transition.

The withdrawal of Stefanik’s nomination came after she had launched a recent farewell tour of her district, meeting with supporters and thanking them for their support. On her Instagram page, Stefanik had also been conducting what appeared to be a retrospective of her time in Congress, with one post containing images from 2016 that showed her on a cable news show and posing with supporters atop a caption that began with “Congressional throwback continued.”

Reflecting the abruptness of Trump's decision, Stefanik's last throwback post was made Thursday morning.

Amiri reported from the United Nations. Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in New York and Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731349681761.png" alt="-File photo Rep. Elise Stefanik and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu" />
 <figcaption>-File photo Rep. Elise Stefanik and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was pulling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-united-nations-elise-stefanik-ambassador-2b482fb39a8d6f03d389d27cc8820056">Rep. Elise Stefanik's nomination</a>&nbsp;to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a stunning turnaround for his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-cabinet-confirmation-tracker/">Cabinet pick</a>&nbsp;after her confirmation had been stalled for months over concerns about Republicans'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-election-results-mike-johnson-5103c8b5c0ef03a1e61a1c0f9ca3dd4f">tight margins in the House</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743100573376.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump confirmed he was withdrawing the New York Republican's nomination in a Truth Social post, saying that it was “essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress.”“We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning. I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress,” the president said. He did not say whom he would nominate to replace her and fill his last remaining Cabinet seat.The abrupt withdrawal reflects growing concern among House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, that their historically slim majority could be at risk, particularly ahead of two special elections in Florida next week. The loss of a mere handful of seats could swing the House majority to Democrats and derail their efforts to enact Trump’s sweeping agenda in the months ahead.Johnson praised Stefanik, the former No. 4 House leader, as “selfless” and “patriotic" after Trump announced the move.“It is well known Republicans have a razor-thin House majority, and Elise’s agreement to withdraw her nomination will allow us to keep one of the toughest, most resolute members of our Conference in place to help drive forward President Trump’s America First policies,” Johnson said in a post on X. He added that he “will invite her to return to the leadership table immediately,” although its unclear what position she would take since there are no vacancies.Stefanik’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Trump had tapped Stefanik to represent the U.S. at the international body shortly after winning reelection in November. She was seen as among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-special-elections-congress-matt-gaetz-trump-cfa3db23a51eeeb0f5b67c9369993717">the least controversial Cabinet picks</a>, and her nomination advanced out of committee in late January, but House Republicans' razor-thin majority kept her ultimate confirmation in a state of purgatory for the last several months.In recent weeks, it had seemed as if Stefanik's nomination would advance to the Senate floor, given two U.S. House special elections in Florida in districts that Trump easily won in 2024. Filling those vacant GOP seats would have allowed Stefanik to finally resign from the House and given Republicans, who currently hold 218 seats, a little more breathing room on passing legislation in a growingly divided Congress. Democrats hold 213 seats.Both districts have long been Republican strongholds, and a win by either Democratic candidate would be a major surprise, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic leaders are looking to at least narrow the margin from November, when Trump carried both districts in the presidential election by more than 30 points. That, coupled with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-democratic-party-donald-trump-election-094e907bd9af0d55a3ac76bb5e22d17c">Democrats’ upset in a Tuesday special election</a>&nbsp;for a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities, has surely given Republicans pause.Trump's statement Thursday also seemed to indicate an anxiety about the party's ability to hold on to Stefanik’s seat if she were to take on the U.N. post, even though the sprawling district in northern New York is one of the state’s most conservative and is considered to be solid Republican territory. Stefanik herself cruised to reelection last year, winning 62% of the vote over her Democratic opponent. Almost all of the counties in her district voted for Trump last year.Stefanik is the fourth Trump administration nominee who didn’t make it through the confirmation process. Previously, former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-sexual-assault-allegations-15b223953a668e63d8b947fdaeaa51d4">withdrew from consideration</a>&nbsp;for attorney general, Chad Chronister was pulled for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chad-chronister-trump-withdrawing-nominee-032bd91a5ef447e820e2b1f63e50861e">Drug Enforcement Administration</a>&nbsp;and former Florida congressman Dr. David Weldon was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dave-weldon-cdc-director-9a3d061832e2f0f644f2c58fbae36965">yanked from contention</a>&nbsp;to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The former congresswoman had been in a state of limbo for months, not able to engage in her official duties as a member of the 119th Congress or to participate in the action at the U.N. The vacancy of a permanent U.S. ambassador was happening at a critical moment for the international body as the world leaders had been discussing the two major wars between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia and Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel and Hamas</a>.In late February, the U.S. mission, under Trump, split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in votes on three U.N. resolutions seeking an end to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">three-year war</a>. Dorothy Shea, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has been the face of America’s mission in New York during the transition.The withdrawal of Stefanik’s nomination came after she had launched a recent farewell tour of her district, meeting with supporters and thanking them for their support. On her Instagram page, Stefanik had also been conducting what appeared to be a retrospective of her time in Congress, with one post containing images from 2016 that showed her on a cable news show and posing with supporters atop a caption that began with “Congressional throwback continued.”Reflecting the abruptness of Trump's decision, Stefanik's last throwback post was made Thursday morning.___Amiri reported from the United Nations. Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in New York and Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed to this report.

Why Trump is withdrawing his nominee for UN Ambassador

KANSAS CITY—Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire at a maintenance building in Kansas City.

Just before 7:30p.m. Wednesday, crews responded to the fire near 138th and Wyandotte in a maintenance building belonging to Suburban Lawn and Garden, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Crews set up a defensive operations to get the fire under control. There were various tanks containing fuel sources that caused secondary explosions inside the building. No injuries were reported. Authorities have not released a damage estimate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743072925166.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire at a maintenance building in Kansas City.Just before 7:30p.m. Wednesday, crews responded to the fire near 138th and Wyandotte in a maintenance building belonging to Suburban Lawn and Garden, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743072905934.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Crews set up a defensive operations to get the fire under control. There were various tanks containing fuel sources that caused secondary explosions inside the building. No injuries were reported. Authorities have not released a damage estimate.

Cause of fire at KC lawn care business building under investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major overhaul,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;will lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-trump-health-secretary-vote-5dbefeef0537dc241e6fb33b8f2a748b">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;criticized the department he oversees as an inefficient “sprawling bureaucracy” in a video announcing the restructuring Thursday. He faulted the department's 82,000 workers for a decline in Americans' health.

“I want to promise you now that we're going to do more with less,” Kennedy said in the video, posted to social media.

Kennedy acknowledged that it will be a “painful period” for the nation's top health agencies, which are responsible for monitoring infectious diseases, inspecting foods and hospitals and overseeing health insurance programs for nearly half the country.

Overall, the department will downsize to 62,000 positions — losing 10,000 jobs through layoffs and another 10,000 workers who took early retirement and voluntary separation offers encouraged by President Donald Trump's administration.

HHS provided on Thursday a breakdown of cuts at the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:

— 3,500 jobs at the FDA, which inspects and sets safety standards for medications, medical devices and foods.

— 2,400 jobs at the CDC, which monitors for infectious disease outbreaks and works with public health agencies nationwide.

— 1,200 jobs at the NIH, the world's leading public health research arm.

— 300 jobs at CMS, which oversees the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Medicare and Medicaid.

In its statement, HHS said it anticipates the changes will save $1.8 billion per year, but it did not provide a breakdown or any other details about the savings. The department has a $1.7 trillion annual budget, most of which is dedicated to funding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/medicare">Medicare and Medicaid programs</a>&nbsp;used by older, disabled and poor Americans.

Beyond losing workers, Kennedy said he will shut down entire agencies, some of which were established by Congress decades ago.

Several agencies will be folded into a new Administration for a Healthy America, Kennedy said.

Those include the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees and provides funding for hundreds of community health centers around the country, as well as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which funds clinics and oversees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-washington-suicide-313c20b2098469f04ccadcccdfd46b1b">the national 988 hotline</a>. Both agencies pump billions of dollars into on-the-ground work in local communities.

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, created by a law signed by then-President George W. Bush and responsible for maintaining the national stockpile that was quickly drained during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be folded into the CDC.

Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743090245316.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Kennedy on Thursday, according to the Senator's social media feed." />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Kennedy on Thursday, according to the Senator's social media feed.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major overhaul,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;will lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are streamlining HHS to make our agency more efficient and more effective. We will eliminate an entire alphabet soup of departments, while preserving their core functions by merging them into a new organization called the Administration for a Healthy America or AHA. This… <a href="https://t.co/BlQWUpK3u7">pic.twitter.com/BlQWUpK3u7</a>&mdash; Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1905243470366670926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-trump-health-secretary-vote-5dbefeef0537dc241e6fb33b8f2a748b">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;criticized the department he oversees as an inefficient “sprawling bureaucracy” in a video announcing the restructuring Thursday. He faulted the department's 82,000 workers for a decline in Americans' health.“I want to promise you now that we're going to do more with less,” Kennedy said in the video, posted to social media.Kennedy acknowledged that it will be a “painful period” for the nation's top health agencies, which are responsible for monitoring infectious diseases, inspecting foods and hospitals and overseeing health insurance programs for nearly half the country.Overall, the department will downsize to 62,000 positions — losing 10,000 jobs through layoffs and another 10,000 workers who took early retirement and voluntary separation offers encouraged by President Donald Trump's administration.HHS provided on Thursday a breakdown of cuts at the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:— 3,500 jobs at the FDA, which inspects and sets safety standards for medications, medical devices and foods.— 2,400 jobs at the CDC, which monitors for infectious disease outbreaks and works with public health agencies nationwide.— 1,200 jobs at the NIH, the world's leading public health research arm.— 300 jobs at CMS, which oversees the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Medicare and Medicaid.In its statement, HHS said it anticipates the changes will save $1.8 billion per year, but it did not provide a breakdown or any other details about the savings. The department has a $1.7 trillion annual budget, most of which is dedicated to funding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/medicare">Medicare and Medicaid programs</a>&nbsp;used by older, disabled and poor Americans.Beyond losing workers, Kennedy said he will shut down entire agencies, some of which were established by Congress decades ago.Several agencies will be folded into a new Administration for a Healthy America, Kennedy said.Those include the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees and provides funding for hundreds of community health centers around the country, as well as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which funds clinics and oversees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-washington-suicide-313c20b2098469f04ccadcccdfd46b1b">the national 988 hotline</a>. Both agencies pump billions of dollars into on-the-ground work in local communities.The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, created by a law signed by then-President George W. Bush and responsible for maintaining the national stockpile that was quickly drained during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be folded into the CDC.___Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services</a>.

🎥RJK, Jr. explains why he is cutting thousands of jobs at  HHS

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused of killing a man in 2024 in Wichita is scheduled for sentencing on Thursday afternoon.

Yancy Hermosillo, 37,&nbsp; will appear before Judge Jeffrey Goering, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Hermosillo was found&nbsp; guilty of&nbsp; second degree; unintentional but reckless murder in the shooting death of 35-year-old Ladonte Ostrander on January 16, 2024.

Early the morning of the crime, police responded to a 911 call reporting gunshots in the 1000 block of S. Market in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;

In the 900 block of S. Market Street, first responders discovered Ostrander with a gunshot wound to his lower extremities. Sedgwick County EMS transported him in critical condition to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

Police arrested&nbsp; Hermosillo&nbsp; the following day. He&nbsp;has previous felony convictions for domestic battery, criminal threat,&nbsp; and aggravated interference with parental custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705588462988.png" alt="Hermosillo photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Hermosillo photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused of killing a man in 2024 in Wichita is scheduled for sentencing on Thursday afternoon.Yancy Hermosillo, 37,&nbsp; will appear before Judge Jeffrey Goering, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Hermosillo was found&nbsp; guilty of&nbsp; second degree; unintentional but reckless murder in the shooting death of 35-year-old Ladonte Ostrander on January 16, 2024.Early the morning of the crime, police responded to a 911 call reporting gunshots in the 1000 block of S. Market in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;In the 900 block of S. Market Street, first responders discovered Ostrander with a gunshot wound to his lower extremities. Sedgwick County EMS transported him in critical condition to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.Police arrested&nbsp; Hermosillo&nbsp; the following day. He&nbsp;has previous felony convictions for domestic battery, criminal threat,&nbsp; and aggravated interference with parental custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp;

Sentencing Day: Kansas felon found guilty of murder

RUSH COUNTY—&nbsp;The Rush County Sheriff’s Office was involved in a cruelty to animals investigation Wednesday. Deputies responded to an initial report of a firearm being stolen from a residence in La Crosse, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.

 During the investigation, the firearm was found inside the residence. Deputies observed poor living conditions in the residence, many animals in the residence, as well as other factors in the residence that led to probable cause to arrest both residents. 

A search warrant was secured and upon searching the residence, 54 live animals were removed from the residence and placement was found for each animal in six separate facilities. 

The Rush County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by a veterinarian on scene, as well as three Animal Control Officers from the Hutchinson Kansas Animal Control. 

Without their assistance, it would have been difficult to determine the needs of each animal to properly place them. The initial deputies finished the investigation, working approximately 44 hours in the last 48 hours to make sure their duties were complete and every animal was safe. 

They were also assisted by the rest of the patrol team, not being on duty, who worked approximately nineteen hours, with minimal sleep beforehand, to make sure all duties were complete and all animals were safe. This is an ongoing criminal investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743091228527.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RUSH COUNTY—&nbsp;The Rush County Sheriff’s Office was involved in a cruelty to animals investigation Wednesday. Deputies responded to an initial report of a firearm being stolen from a residence in La Crosse, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743091175194.png" alt="Photos Rush Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Rush Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure> During the investigation, the firearm was found inside the residence. Deputies observed poor living conditions in the residence, many animals in the residence, as well as other factors in the residence that led to probable cause to arrest both residents. A search warrant was secured and upon searching the residence, 54 live animals were removed from the residence and placement was found for each animal in six separate facilities. The Rush County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by a veterinarian on scene, as well as three Animal Control Officers from the Hutchinson Kansas Animal Control. Without their assistance, it would have been difficult to determine the needs of each animal to properly place them. The initial deputies finished the investigation, working approximately 44 hours in the last 48 hours to make sure their duties were complete and every animal was safe. They were also assisted by the rest of the patrol team, not being on duty, who worked approximately nineteen hours, with minimal sleep beforehand, to make sure all duties were complete and all animals were safe. This is an ongoing criminal investigation.

Criminal investigation: 54 animals rescued from Kansas home

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury in Georgia has ordered Monsanto parent Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who says the company's Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, according to attorneys representing the plaintiff.

The verdict marks the latest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">long-running series of court battles</a>&nbsp;Monsanto has faced over its Roundup herbicide. The agrochemical giant says it will appeal the verdict, reached in a Georgia courtroom late Friday, in efforts to overturn the decision.

The penalties awarded include $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages, law firms Arnold &amp; Itkin LLP and Kline &amp; Specter PC said in a statement. That marks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weed-killer-roundup-philadelphia-verdict-cancer-6c777d7fd4e7c38ec8fe28a6f1566d24">one of the largest</a>&nbsp;verdicts in a Roundup-related case to date.

Plaintiff John Barnes filed his lawsuit against Monsanto in 2021, seeking damages related to his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Arnold &amp; Itkin attorney Kyle Findley, the lead trial lawyer on the case, said the verdict will help put his client in a better position to get the treatment he needs going forward.

“It’s been a long road for him ... and he was happy that the truth related to the product (has) been exposed,” Findley told The Associated Press on Sunday. He called the verdict an “important milestone” after "another example of Monsanto’s refusal to accept responsibility for poisoning people with this toxic product.”

Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, has continued to dispute claims that Roundup causes cancer. But the company has been hit with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">more than 177,000 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;involving the weedkiller and set aside $16 billion to settle cases.

In a statement, Monsanto said Friday's verdict “conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and the consensus of regulatory bodies and their scientific assessments worldwide.” The company added that it continues “to stand fully behind the safety” of Roundup products.

For a variety of crops — including corn, soybeans and cotton — Roundup is designed to work with genetically modified seeds that resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect. It allows farmers to produce more while conserving the soil by tilling it less.

Some studies associate Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, with cancer, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate">has said</a>&nbsp;it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed. Still, numerous lawsuits over the weedkiller allege glyphosate does cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma, arguing that Monsanto has failed to warn the public about serious risks for years.

Findley said that evidence relating to Barnes' case show “many years of cover-ups" and “backroom dealings.” He accused Monsanto of ignoring several scientific studies related to the toxicity of Roundup and said the company “tried to find ways to persuade and distract and deny the connection between this product and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”

Friday's decision marks the fourth Roundup-related verdict that Findley's team has won to date — the largest of which was awarded in Philadelphia in January 2024, with damages totaling $2.25 billion. And he said his law firm has “many more clients who are similarly situated as Mr. Barnes.”

Monsanto, meanwhile, also maintains that it “remains committed to trying cases” — and argues its wider record of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roundup-weedkiller-bayer-monsanto-cancer-f34759d9dda15e51e947c84f3bd96104">Roundup-related litigation</a>&nbsp;continues to reinforce the safety of its products. The company said it has prevailed in 17 of the last 25 related trials and “jury verdicts were reduced 90% overall” in past cases that have been finalized.

Bayer has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">recently renewed and expanded</a>&nbsp;an effort across a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-legislation-glyphosate-roundup-lawsuits-cancer-warning-4fa2e6662479f3e60a409ce4439a40ed">handful of U.S. states</a>&nbsp;to protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that a product causes cancer, if labeling otherwise complies with EPA regulations. The company and other industry supports argue that litigation costs are unstainable and could impact Roundup’s future availability. But opponents stress that such legislation would limit accountability.

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury in Georgia has ordered Monsanto parent Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who says the company's Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, according to attorneys representing the plaintiff.The verdict marks the latest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">long-running series of court battles</a>&nbsp;Monsanto has faced over its Roundup herbicide. The agrochemical giant says it will appeal the verdict, reached in a Georgia courtroom late Friday, in efforts to overturn the decision.The penalties awarded include $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages, law firms Arnold &amp; Itkin LLP and Kline &amp; Specter PC said in a statement. That marks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weed-killer-roundup-philadelphia-verdict-cancer-6c777d7fd4e7c38ec8fe28a6f1566d24">one of the largest</a>&nbsp;verdicts in a Roundup-related case to date.Plaintiff John Barnes filed his lawsuit against Monsanto in 2021, seeking damages related to his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Arnold &amp; Itkin attorney Kyle Findley, the lead trial lawyer on the case, said the verdict will help put his client in a better position to get the treatment he needs going forward.“It’s been a long road for him ... and he was happy that the truth related to the product (has) been exposed,” Findley told The Associated Press on Sunday. He called the verdict an “important milestone” after "another example of Monsanto’s refusal to accept responsibility for poisoning people with this toxic product.”Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, has continued to dispute claims that Roundup causes cancer. But the company has been hit with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">more than 177,000 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;involving the weedkiller and set aside $16 billion to settle cases.In a statement, Monsanto said Friday's verdict “conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and the consensus of regulatory bodies and their scientific assessments worldwide.” The company added that it continues “to stand fully behind the safety” of Roundup products.For a variety of crops — including corn, soybeans and cotton — Roundup is designed to work with genetically modified seeds that resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect. It allows farmers to produce more while conserving the soil by tilling it less.Some studies associate Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, with cancer, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate">has said</a>&nbsp;it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed. Still, numerous lawsuits over the weedkiller allege glyphosate does cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma, arguing that Monsanto has failed to warn the public about serious risks for years.Findley said that evidence relating to Barnes' case show “many years of cover-ups" and “backroom dealings.” He accused Monsanto of ignoring several scientific studies related to the toxicity of Roundup and said the company “tried to find ways to persuade and distract and deny the connection between this product and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”Friday's decision marks the fourth Roundup-related verdict that Findley's team has won to date — the largest of which was awarded in Philadelphia in January 2024, with damages totaling $2.25 billion. And he said his law firm has “many more clients who are similarly situated as Mr. Barnes.”Monsanto, meanwhile, also maintains that it “remains committed to trying cases” — and argues its wider record of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roundup-weedkiller-bayer-monsanto-cancer-f34759d9dda15e51e947c84f3bd96104">Roundup-related litigation</a>&nbsp;continues to reinforce the safety of its products. The company said it has prevailed in 17 of the last 25 related trials and “jury verdicts were reduced 90% overall” in past cases that have been finalized.Bayer has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">recently renewed and expanded</a>&nbsp;an effort across a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-legislation-glyphosate-roundup-lawsuits-cancer-warning-4fa2e6662479f3e60a409ce4439a40ed">handful of U.S. states</a>&nbsp;to protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that a product causes cancer, if labeling otherwise complies with EPA regulations. The company and other industry supports argue that litigation costs are unstainable and could impact Roundup’s future availability. But opponents stress that such legislation would limit accountability.

Jury orders Monsanto parent to pay nearly $2.1 billion in weedkiller lawsuit

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest during a house fire.

Just before 7:30a.m. March 24, emergency personnel were dispatched to a fire at a home at 103 S. Eastern Avenue in Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The reporting party stated they could not get any of the occupants of the residence to come to the door to escape the fire located on the porch which spread to the rear of the residence. 

 Jackson County Sheriff Deputies arrived on scene and made forcible entry after attempting to contact any occupants inside.  Law enforcement found the sole occupant Shandra Rose Ahlstedt, 35, of Hoyt and was able to escort her to safety with no injuries. 

 A deputy observed drug paraphernalia inside the residence.  A search warrant for the residence was obtained and executed where crack cocaine, marijuana, THC and multiple items of drug paraphernalia were located.

 The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental and caused from a charcoal grill which had blown over in the wind and started the fire. 

Ahlstedt was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742939163081.png" alt="Ahlstedt-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Ahlstedt-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest during a house fire.Just before 7:30a.m. March 24, emergency personnel were dispatched to a fire at a home at 103 S. Eastern Avenue in Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The reporting party stated they could not get any of the occupants of the residence to come to the door to escape the fire located on the porch which spread to the rear of the residence. Jackson County Sheriff Deputies arrived on scene and made forcible entry after attempting to contact any occupants inside. Law enforcement found the sole occupant Shandra Rose Ahlstedt, 35, of Hoyt and was able to escort her to safety with no injuries. A deputy observed drug paraphernalia inside the residence. A search warrant for the residence was obtained and executed where crack cocaine, marijuana, THC and multiple items of drug paraphernalia were located. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental and caused from a charcoal grill which had blown over in the wind and started the fire. Ahlstedt was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas woman arrested during house fire

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson asked lawmakers Wednesday to consider the hypocrisy of those who opposed a constitutional amendment to curtail rising property taxes by limiting increases in property valuations to 4% annually.

Democrats had raised concerns during debate on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hcr5011/" target="_blank">House Concurrent Resolution 5011</a>&nbsp;that the proposal would offer little or no relief on property tax bills while also complaining that it would lower state property tax collections that support school funding to the tune of $1 billion over five years.

“I hope that the body is absorbing the doublespeak, the hypocrisy of the conversation, the opposition,” Masterson said. “We’re both saying it does nothing, and it’s going to be so devastating we won’t even be able to fund our schools. I hope this is this is apparent to you that those are opposites, and the truth, like many things, is right in the middle. It’s not devastating change, but it’s real change.”

Despite his urging, the Senate failed to muster the two-thirds support needed to pass the resolution, falling one vote short. Five Republicans joined Democrats in opposition on a 26-14 vote.

The Senate vote effectively kills the resolution, although it could be revived by a motion to reconsider, or it could resurface under a different bill name before legislators close the books on the session at the end of the week.

Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican and the chair of the House Taxation Committee, said he fully expected the resolution to come to the House.

“I was kind of shocked that it didn’t,” Smith said.

He said he wasn’t fully in favor of the proposal but was willing to bring it to the floor for a vote. He was wary of the resolution’s cap on property appraisal increases. The cap, which increased from 3% to 4% during negotiations between the House and Senate, doesn’t do anything to limit the mill levies, he said. Under the proposal, valuation remains lower, but the levies continue to increase.

“You’re average taxpayer isn’t going to see actual tax relief,” Smith said.

During debate in the Senate, Sen. Ethan Corson, D-Fairway, questioned why negotiations between the Senate and House resulted in a change in placing the proposed constitutional amendment before voters in August 2026 instead of November 2025, as previously planned. If the bill offers true property tax relief, Corson wondered, why delay it?

The short answer: Sen. Caryn Tyson doesn’t play Uno.

Tyson, a Parker Republican, said she proposed the change — she didn’t explain why — and the House accepted. Then, she said, the House “asked me if I wanted to play my Uno card of reversal.”

“I don’t play Uno. So we stayed on. We agreed on August ’26,” Tyson said.

Corson said legislators have heard from “Kansans in every corner of the state about the desperate need for property tax relief.” Seniors and veterans are being forced out of their homes “because of sky high property taxes,” he said. And GOP leadership promised before the session that property tax relief would be a day one priority.

Now, he said, the Legislature is at the end of the session, and “we have done nothing meaningful on property tax relief.”

“We are putting politics over what is best for people. That’s what’s happening,” Corson said.

Corson and Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat, referenced projections produced by the nonpartisan Kansas Legislative Research Department of how the cap on property appraisals would impact school funding. The state assess 20 mills to finance public schools, and 1.5 mills for school buildings. According to the projections, the state would lose $1 billion in revenue for schools over five years, which would need to be offset by draining the State General Fund.

“Maybe that’s exactly what this body wants,” Holscher said. “Maybe we want to make it more difficult to fund our schools.”

But Tyson reiterated Masterson’s comments.

“We’re getting doublespeak,” Tyson said. “First, it doesn’t do anything for the taxpayers, and then, oh no, it’s going to break school funding and the state SGF. So you can’t have it both ways.”

The five Republicans who joined Democrats to defeat the resolution were Sen. Mike Argabright of Emporia, Sen. Tory Marie Blew of Great Bend, Sen. Brenda Dietrich of Topeka, Sen. Michael Fagg of El Dorado and Sen. Stephen Owens of Hesston.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743080353286.png" alt=" Senate President Ty Masterson presides over a March 26, 2025, session of the Senate. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Senate President Ty Masterson presides over a March 26, 2025, session of the Senate. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson asked lawmakers Wednesday to consider the hypocrisy of those who opposed a constitutional amendment to curtail rising property taxes by limiting increases in property valuations to 4% annually.Democrats had raised concerns during debate on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hcr5011/" target="_blank">House Concurrent Resolution 5011</a>&nbsp;that the proposal would offer little or no relief on property tax bills while also complaining that it would lower state property tax collections that support school funding to the tune of $1 billion over five years.“I hope that the body is absorbing the doublespeak, the hypocrisy of the conversation, the opposition,” Masterson said. “We’re both saying it does nothing, and it’s going to be so devastating we won’t even be able to fund our schools. I hope this is this is apparent to you that those are opposites, and the truth, like many things, is right in the middle. It’s not devastating change, but it’s real change.”Despite his urging, the Senate failed to muster the two-thirds support needed to pass the resolution, falling one vote short. Five Republicans joined Democrats in opposition on a 26-14 vote.The Senate vote effectively kills the resolution, although it could be revived by a motion to reconsider, or it could resurface under a different bill name before legislators close the books on the session at the end of the week.Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican and the chair of the House Taxation Committee, said he fully expected the resolution to come to the House.“I was kind of shocked that it didn’t,” Smith said.He said he wasn’t fully in favor of the proposal but was willing to bring it to the floor for a vote. He was wary of the resolution’s cap on property appraisal increases. The cap, which increased from 3% to 4% during negotiations between the House and Senate, doesn’t do anything to limit the mill levies, he said. Under the proposal, valuation remains lower, but the levies continue to increase.“You’re average taxpayer isn’t going to see actual tax relief,” Smith said.During debate in the Senate, Sen. Ethan Corson, D-Fairway, questioned why negotiations between the Senate and House resulted in a change in placing the proposed constitutional amendment before voters in August 2026 instead of November 2025, as previously planned. If the bill offers true property tax relief, Corson wondered, why delay it?The short answer: Sen. Caryn Tyson doesn’t play Uno.Tyson, a Parker Republican, said she proposed the change — she didn’t explain why — and the House accepted. Then, she said, the House “asked me if I wanted to play my Uno card of reversal.”“I don’t play Uno. So we stayed on. We agreed on August ’26,” Tyson said.Corson said legislators have heard from “Kansans in every corner of the state about the desperate need for property tax relief.” Seniors and veterans are being forced out of their homes “because of sky high property taxes,” he said. And GOP leadership promised before the session that property tax relief would be a day one priority.Now, he said, the Legislature is at the end of the session, and “we have done nothing meaningful on property tax relief.”“We are putting politics over what is best for people. That’s what’s happening,” Corson said.Corson and Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat, referenced projections produced by the nonpartisan Kansas Legislative Research Department of how the cap on property appraisals would impact school funding. The state assess 20 mills to finance public schools, and 1.5 mills for school buildings. According to the projections, the state would lose $1 billion in revenue for schools over five years, which would need to be offset by draining the State General Fund.“Maybe that’s exactly what this body wants,” Holscher said. “Maybe we want to make it more difficult to fund our schools.”But Tyson reiterated Masterson’s comments.“We’re getting doublespeak,” Tyson said. “First, it doesn’t do anything for the taxpayers, and then, oh no, it’s going to break school funding and the state SGF. So you can’t have it both ways.”The five Republicans who joined Democrats to defeat the resolution were Sen. Mike Argabright of Emporia, Sen. Tory Marie Blew of Great Bend, Sen. Brenda Dietrich of Topeka, Sen. Michael Fagg of El Dorado and Sen. Stephen Owens of Hesston.

Kansas Senate falls one vote short of approving constitutional amendment on property taxes

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY&nbsp; — Law enforcement are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy at an apartment complex in Leavenworth.

Just before 4:30a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a medical call just at Woodland Village apartments 2900 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, according to Leavenworth Police Department Major Dan Nicodemus.

First responders found the child who was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators are working to determine how the boy died.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest, the name of the child or additional details.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY&nbsp; — Law enforcement are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy at an apartment complex in Leavenworth.Just before 4:30a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a medical call just at Woodland Village apartments 2900 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, according to Leavenworth Police Department Major Dan Nicodemus.First responders found the child who was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators are working to determine how the boy died.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest, the name of the child or additional details.

Police investigate death of 3-year-old Kansas boy

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado woman is due in court Thursday after authorities said some of her over 50 dogs attacked and killed her 76-year-old mother.

Jessica Hoff, 47, was arrested March 21, in connection with the February death of LaVonne Hoff, who had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dementia-alzheimers-aging-brain-health-82b74dd1834b6387284164da655eaad8">dementia</a>&nbsp;and required 24-hour care, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

The office said Jessica Hoff left her mother at home alone in Colorado City, 140 miles south of Denver, while she did errands Feb. 3. Later that day, deputies found LaVonne Hoff unconscious and several dogs running loose along with about two dozen other dogs and seven birds that were in cages, the sheriff's office said.

A search of the home and another property owned by Jessica Hoff nearby found a total of 54 dogs, several of them in poor health. The dogs and birds were found in unsanitary conditions and were seized by animal control, the sheriff’s office said.

Jessica Hoff, who was in jail Monday. Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against her, according to court records. She is being represented by a lawyer from the public defender's office, which doesn't comment on its cases to the media.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742852606490.png" alt="Hoff -photo Pueblo County" />
 <figcaption>Hoff -photo Pueblo County</figcaption>
 </figure>PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado woman is due in court Thursday after authorities said some of her over 50 dogs attacked and killed her 76-year-old mother.Jessica Hoff, 47, was arrested March 21, in connection with the February death of LaVonne Hoff, who had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dementia-alzheimers-aging-brain-health-82b74dd1834b6387284164da655eaad8">dementia</a>&nbsp;and required 24-hour care, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.The office said Jessica Hoff left her mother at home alone in Colorado City, 140 miles south of Denver, while she did errands Feb. 3. Later that day, deputies found LaVonne Hoff unconscious and several dogs running loose along with about two dozen other dogs and seven birds that were in cages, the sheriff's office said.A search of the home and another property owned by Jessica Hoff nearby found a total of 54 dogs, several of them in poor health. The dogs and birds were found in unsanitary conditions and were seized by animal control, the sheriff’s office said.Jessica Hoff, who was in jail Monday. Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against her, according to court records. She is being represented by a lawyer from the public defender's office, which doesn't comment on its cases to the media.

Mother killed by some of her daughter's more than 50 dogs

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after suspicious activity near a Kansas park are asking the public for help to locate a vehicle.

Just after 1p.m. On March 17, police were dispatched to the 11300 block of South Cook Street in Olathe regarding suspicious activity, according to Olathe Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

It was reported that a man asked juveniles to enter his vehicle while they were playing at an area park.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The vehicle is believed to be a silver Chevrolet Malibu, with an unknown temporary license plate. The vehicle is also believed to have damage to the rear driver side bumper.

Officers arrived and contacted the&nbsp;juveniles and their parent. Officers also checked the area and were unable to locate the vehicle, which was described as a grey or silver 4-door passenger vehicle missing its hubcaps.

The man was described as being in his 50’s or 60’s, with darker brown skin and short black hair and was last seen wearing a red shirt and dark pants.

&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743020809818.png" alt="Photo Olathe Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Olathe Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after suspicious activity near a Kansas park are asking the public for help to locate a vehicle.Just after 1p.m. On March 17, police were dispatched to the 11300 block of South Cook Street in Olathe regarding suspicious activity, according to Olathe Police Sergeant John Moncayo.It was reported that a man asked juveniles to enter his vehicle while they were playing at an area park.&nbsp;&nbsp;The vehicle is believed to be a silver Chevrolet Malibu, with an unknown temporary license plate. The vehicle is also believed to have damage to the rear driver side bumper.Officers arrived and contacted the&nbsp;juveniles and their parent. Officers also checked the area and were unable to locate the vehicle, which was described as a grey or silver 4-door passenger vehicle missing its hubcaps.The man was described as being in his 50’s or 60’s, with darker brown skin and short black hair and was last seen wearing a red shirt and dark pants.&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.

Police: Man allegedly asked children to get into his car

KANSAS CITY, Kan.&nbsp;-&nbsp;Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents were involved in a shooting while serving an arrest warrant just before 9p.m. Wednesday at the El Rio Bravo Supermarket at 11 S. 10th&nbsp;St. in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.

While KBI agents attempted to make the arrest, the 25-year-old male subject was shot. The man was transported to an area hospital where he is being treated for his injury and is expected to recover. KBI agents were not injured during the incident, however, following the shooting the involved agent was medically evaluated and then released.

As is standard procedure, the special agent who fired will be placed on paid administrative leave pending further investigation.

The KBI asked the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) to investigate this shooting. Further information related to this investigation is expected to come from KCKPD.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Kan.&nbsp;-&nbsp;Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents were involved in a shooting while serving an arrest warrant just before 9p.m. Wednesday at the El Rio Bravo Supermarket at 11 S. 10th&nbsp;St. in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.While KBI agents attempted to make the arrest, the 25-year-old male subject was shot. The man was transported to an area hospital where he is being treated for his injury and is expected to recover. KBI agents were not injured during the incident, however, following the shooting the involved agent was medically evaluated and then released.As is standard procedure, the special agent who fired will be placed on paid administrative leave pending further investigation.The KBI asked the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) to investigate this shooting. Further information related to this investigation is expected to come from KCKPD.&nbsp;

KBI special agent shot man while serving a warrant 

SHERIDAN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 3p.m. Wednesday in Sheridan County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1979 Kenworth flatbed truck-tractor driven by Shawn P. Kinder, 53, Wichita,&nbsp; was hauling an oil derrick, southbound on Kansas 23 Highway at Road 70 six and one half miles south of U.S. 24.

While attempting to make a right turn to enter a ditch, the oil derrick came into contact with the live power lines along the north side of Road 70.

The driver was ejected from the vehicle. A pedestrian&nbsp;Ramsey, Leonard M. Ramsey, 48, Natoma, was able to get into semi and apply the parking brake.

Kinder was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Mickey Leopold Funeral Home. Ramsey was not injured. Kinder was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

SHERIDAN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 3p.m. Wednesday in Sheridan County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1979 Kenworth flatbed truck-tractor driven by Shawn P. Kinder, 53, Wichita,&nbsp; was hauling an oil derrick, southbound on Kansas 23 Highway at Road 70 six and one half miles south of U.S. 24.While attempting to make a right turn to enter a ditch, the oil derrick came into contact with the live power lines along the north side of Road 70.The driver was ejected from the vehicle. A pedestrian&nbsp;Ramsey, Leonard M. Ramsey, 48, Natoma, was able to get into semi and apply the parking brake.Kinder was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Mickey Leopold Funeral Home. Ramsey was not injured. Kinder was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kan. semi driver hauling oil derrick dies when ejected in accident

WASHINGTON, D.C. –&nbsp;Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran,&nbsp; Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “NTSB Preliminary Report: DCA Midair Collision” on Thursday&nbsp;

This hearing will examine preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the deadly crash in January involving American Airlines 5342 and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The crash&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">killed 67 people</a>.&nbsp;

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board that is investigating the crash will appear along with the leaders of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army's aviation division to answer questions in the Senate.

There will almost certainly be questions about the 85 dangerous close calls between planes and helicopters near Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport that the NTSB identified in the three years before the crash and why officials didn't do something about them. Lawmakers on the Commerce Committee that oversees aviation have also questioned why the Army routinely operated helicopters through the area with a key safety system that is supposed to notify other aircraft and the tower about their location turned off.

Both of the top ranking members of the committee — Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell — have sent letters demanding answers from the Army about how often and why their Black Hawks have operated in around Washington D.C. without transmitting location data.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">earlier this month</a>&nbsp;that the close proximity of planes and helicopters in Washington, D.C., represented an “intolerable risk to aviation safety” that the FAA should have spotted sooner.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-investigation-ntsb-faa-data-5a35e719242c2b613fcac4b213714ba3">Homendy said Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that the FAA needs to do more to analyze the safety data it posses. “The next accident is in the data right now. And what are we doing to figure out what that is?” she said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy promised to use artificial intelligence to review data from other airports to identify any similar risks elsewhere — particularly in eight metro areas with busy helicopter routes: Boston, New York, Baltimore-Washington, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.

Investigators are still in the early stages of determining why the American Airlines passenger jet and Army helicopter collided as the plane prepared to land Jan. 29. Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-air-collision-video-footage-b444f2c4015fee7266e8a38716ec4ef6">plunged into the Potomac River</a>, killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">everyone aboard</a>. It will likely take more than a year to complete the final report.

Investigators previously said the helicopter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-aircraft-helicopter-crash-timeline-5ed5bf5bc66eee4e24df1b79f30a47ff">may have had inaccurate altitude readings</a>&nbsp;in the moments before the crash, and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers.

The collision was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest plane crash in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;since 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five more on the ground.

A string of crashes this year along with a near miss have brought attention to air travel, which remains overwhelmingly safe. On Jan. 31 a medical transport jet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-mexico-plane-crash-705025e74a390b94732b02e40994499f">crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood</a>, killing seven. On Feb. 6&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-plane-crash-recovery-investigation-28c8fd9e0fd1f1d450c94aaef81cc0f1">a small commuter aircraft went down</a>&nbsp;off western Alaska, killing 10. On Feb. 17, a Delta plane&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta-toronto-airport-minneapolis-4ab235ef49b2d3757c9bd5fd8c6606ce">crashed and flipped over</a>&nbsp;upon landing in Toronto. Two small planes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-crash-arizona-air-traffic-control-towers-95eabcb512f6dfd98ede5193e1b428af">collided in midair in Arizona</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 19, killing two people. And there was a scary moment Feb. 25 in Chicago when a Southwest Airlines plane came within 200 feet of crashing into another plane crossing the runway before it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-plane-collision-chicago-midway-faa-e0abb86c91ea54a751cc917ae97d2d11">aborted its landing to avoid it</a>.

Here's a look at the Jan. 29 crash in Washington:

American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members as it approached to land on a clear night. Nearby, the Army Black Hawk, with three soldiers on board, was practicing emergency evacuation routes that would be used to ferry out key government officials in an attack or catastrophe.

Investigators said they believe the helicopter crew was wearing night-vision goggles that would have limited their peripheral vision.

A few minutes before the twin-engine jet was to land, air traffic controllers asked if it could use a shorter runway. The pilots agreed, and flight-tracking sites show the plane turned to adjust its approach. The NTSB now says that any time that runway is used — the one in question accounts for about 5% of the airport's flights — the helicopter route should be shut down.

Shortly before the collision, a controller got an alert saying the plane and Black Hawk were converging and asked the helicopter if it had the jet in sight. The military pilot said yes and asked for “visual separation” with the jet for a second time, allowing it to fly closer than if the pilots couldn't see the plane. Controllers approved the request.

Roughly 20 seconds later, the aircraft collided.

The NTSB has recovered all flight data recorders and pulled the wreckage of both aircraft from the Potomac.

Homendy told reporters last month that the Black Hawk's cockpit recorder suggested an incomplete radio transmission may have left the crew unable to hear air traffic control tell them, just before the crash, to move behind the jet.

“That transmission was interrupted — it was stepped on,” she said at a Feb. 14 briefing, leaving the helicopter’s crew unable to hear the words “pass behind the” because their microphone key was pressed.

The radio altitude of the helicopter was 278 feet (85 meters) at the time, which would put it above its 200-foot (61-meter) limit for that location.

Cockpit conversations a few minutes before the crash indicate that the crew may not have had accurate altitude readings, with the helicopter’s pilot calling out that they were at 300 feet (91 meters) but the instructor pilot saying 400 feet (122 meters), Homendy said.

“We are looking at the possibility there may be bad data,” she said.

That generation of Black Hawks typically has two types of altimeters: one relying on barometric pressure and the other on radio frequency signals bounced off the ground. Helicopter pilots typically rely on barometric readings while flying, but the helicopter’s black box captures its radio altitude.

Almost immediately after the crash, President Donald Trump faulted the helicopter for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e">flying too high</a>. He also blamed federal diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly regarding air traffic controllers. When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-washington-dc-trump-dei-claims-3ac5486ec594d81e919e8ebbd9733869">pressed by reporters</a>, the president could not back up those claims. A few days later, he blamed an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-plane-crash-air-traffic-control-ab195790634af66534a45cdec2d80aa8">“obsolete” air traffic control system</a>&nbsp;that he said should have been replaced years ago.

The Black Hawk crew was made up of an instructor pilot with 968 hours of flight experience, a pilot with about 450 hours and a crew chief with nearly 1,150 hours. Army officials have said the crew was familiar with the crowded skies around Washington.

The Army identified the Black Hawk crew as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-helicopter-airliner-army-pilot-50b3e82d8ec3713cc4ae1ac3a327104c">Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach</a>, 28, of Durham, North Carolina; Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland. O’Hara was the crew chief, and Eaves and Lobach were pilots.

Among the jet’s passengers were several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">members of the Skating Club of Boston</a>&nbsp;who were returning from a development camp for elite junior skaters that followed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-figure-skating-championships-winter-olympics-18cdb192224d27ec76c3abaca862ab4a">2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships</a>&nbsp;in Wichita. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-58511d50373d7c3910fea82edc676078">figure skating tribute event</a>&nbsp;in Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-b5098aa44dc91e0e4d45812b6d6b5879">raised $1.2 million</a>&nbsp;for the crash victims' families.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738703092495.png" alt="-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers" />
 <figcaption>-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, D.C. –&nbsp;Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran,&nbsp; Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “NTSB Preliminary Report: DCA Midair Collision” on Thursday&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fkXXRf3sXvw?si=7gcbjKYFByY4BNSI&amp;start=951" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> This hearing will examine preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the deadly crash in January involving American Airlines 5342 and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The crash&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">killed 67 people</a>.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743084233432.png" alt="Senator Moran during his opening statement on Thursday morning-image courtesy Commerce Committee video" />
 <figcaption>Senator Moran during his opening statement on Thursday morning-image courtesy Commerce Committee video</figcaption>
 </figure>The head of the National Transportation Safety Board that is investigating the crash will appear along with the leaders of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army's aviation division to answer questions in the Senate.There will almost certainly be questions about the 85 dangerous close calls between planes and helicopters near Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport that the NTSB identified in the three years before the crash and why officials didn't do something about them. Lawmakers on the Commerce Committee that oversees aviation have also questioned why the Army routinely operated helicopters through the area with a key safety system that is supposed to notify other aircraft and the tower about their location turned off.Both of the top ranking members of the committee — Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell — have sent letters demanding answers from the Army about how often and why their Black Hawks have operated in around Washington D.C. without transmitting location data.NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">earlier this month</a>&nbsp;that the close proximity of planes and helicopters in Washington, D.C., represented an “intolerable risk to aviation safety” that the FAA should have spotted sooner.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-investigation-ntsb-faa-data-5a35e719242c2b613fcac4b213714ba3">Homendy said Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that the FAA needs to do more to analyze the safety data it posses. “The next accident is in the data right now. And what are we doing to figure out what that is?” she said.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy promised to use artificial intelligence to review data from other airports to identify any similar risks elsewhere — particularly in eight metro areas with busy helicopter routes: Boston, New York, Baltimore-Washington, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.Investigators are still in the early stages of determining why the American Airlines passenger jet and Army helicopter collided as the plane prepared to land Jan. 29. Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-air-collision-video-footage-b444f2c4015fee7266e8a38716ec4ef6">plunged into the Potomac River</a>, killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">everyone aboard</a>. It will likely take more than a year to complete the final report.Investigators previously said the helicopter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-aircraft-helicopter-crash-timeline-5ed5bf5bc66eee4e24df1b79f30a47ff">may have had inaccurate altitude readings</a>&nbsp;in the moments before the crash, and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers.The collision was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest plane crash in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;since 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five more on the ground.A string of crashes this year along with a near miss have brought attention to air travel, which remains overwhelmingly safe. On Jan. 31 a medical transport jet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-mexico-plane-crash-705025e74a390b94732b02e40994499f">crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood</a>, killing seven. On Feb. 6&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-plane-crash-recovery-investigation-28c8fd9e0fd1f1d450c94aaef81cc0f1">a small commuter aircraft went down</a>&nbsp;off western Alaska, killing 10. On Feb. 17, a Delta plane&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta-toronto-airport-minneapolis-4ab235ef49b2d3757c9bd5fd8c6606ce">crashed and flipped over</a>&nbsp;upon landing in Toronto. Two small planes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-crash-arizona-air-traffic-control-towers-95eabcb512f6dfd98ede5193e1b428af">collided in midair in Arizona</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 19, killing two people. And there was a scary moment Feb. 25 in Chicago when a Southwest Airlines plane came within 200 feet of crashing into another plane crossing the runway before it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-plane-collision-chicago-midway-faa-e0abb86c91ea54a751cc917ae97d2d11">aborted its landing to avoid it</a>.Here's a look at the Jan. 29 crash in Washington:<h2>What happened?</h2>American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members as it approached to land on a clear night. Nearby, the Army Black Hawk, with three soldiers on board, was practicing emergency evacuation routes that would be used to ferry out key government officials in an attack or catastrophe.Investigators said they believe the helicopter crew was wearing night-vision goggles that would have limited their peripheral vision.A few minutes before the twin-engine jet was to land, air traffic controllers asked if it could use a shorter runway. The pilots agreed, and flight-tracking sites show the plane turned to adjust its approach. The NTSB now says that any time that runway is used — the one in question accounts for about 5% of the airport's flights — the helicopter route should be shut down.Shortly before the collision, a controller got an alert saying the plane and Black Hawk were converging and asked the helicopter if it had the jet in sight. The military pilot said yes and asked for “visual separation” with the jet for a second time, allowing it to fly closer than if the pilots couldn't see the plane. Controllers approved the request.Roughly 20 seconds later, the aircraft collided.<h2>The investigation</h2>The NTSB has recovered all flight data recorders and pulled the wreckage of both aircraft from the Potomac.Homendy told reporters last month that the Black Hawk's cockpit recorder suggested an incomplete radio transmission may have left the crew unable to hear air traffic control tell them, just before the crash, to move behind the jet.“That transmission was interrupted — it was stepped on,” she said at a Feb. 14 briefing, leaving the helicopter’s crew unable to hear the words “pass behind the” because their microphone key was pressed.The radio altitude of the helicopter was 278 feet (85 meters) at the time, which would put it above its 200-foot (61-meter) limit for that location.Cockpit conversations a few minutes before the crash indicate that the crew may not have had accurate altitude readings, with the helicopter’s pilot calling out that they were at 300 feet (91 meters) but the instructor pilot saying 400 feet (122 meters), Homendy said.“We are looking at the possibility there may be bad data,” she said.That generation of Black Hawks typically has two types of altimeters: one relying on barometric pressure and the other on radio frequency signals bounced off the ground. Helicopter pilots typically rely on barometric readings while flying, but the helicopter’s black box captures its radio altitude.Almost immediately after the crash, President Donald Trump faulted the helicopter for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e">flying too high</a>. He also blamed federal diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly regarding air traffic controllers. When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-washington-dc-trump-dei-claims-3ac5486ec594d81e919e8ebbd9733869">pressed by reporters</a>, the president could not back up those claims. A few days later, he blamed an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-plane-crash-air-traffic-control-ab195790634af66534a45cdec2d80aa8">“obsolete” air traffic control system</a>&nbsp;that he said should have been replaced years ago.The Black Hawk crew was made up of an instructor pilot with 968 hours of flight experience, a pilot with about 450 hours and a crew chief with nearly 1,150 hours. Army officials have said the crew was familiar with the crowded skies around Washington.<h2>The victims</h2>The Army identified the Black Hawk crew as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-helicopter-airliner-army-pilot-50b3e82d8ec3713cc4ae1ac3a327104c">Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach</a>, 28, of Durham, North Carolina; Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland. O’Hara was the crew chief, and Eaves and Lobach were pilots.Among the jet’s passengers were several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">members of the Skating Club of Boston</a>&nbsp;who were returning from a development camp for elite junior skaters that followed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-figure-skating-championships-winter-olympics-18cdb192224d27ec76c3abaca862ab4a">2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships</a>&nbsp;in Wichita. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-58511d50373d7c3910fea82edc676078">figure skating tribute event</a>&nbsp;in Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-b5098aa44dc91e0e4d45812b6d6b5879">raised $1.2 million</a>&nbsp;for the crash victims' families.\

🎥Kan. U.S. Senator leads hearing on DCA midair collision 

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Mexican national with physically attacking a federal law enforcement agent.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742909861775.png" alt="Barron-Esquivel is being held in Butler County" />
 <figcaption>Barron-Esquivel is being held in Butler County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Mexican national with physically attacking a federal law enforcement agent.&nbsp;According to court documents, Diego Barron-Esquivel, 23, of Wichita was indicted on one count of forcible assault of a federal officer.In February 2025, Barron-Esquivel is accused of forcibly assaulting and causing bodily harm to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer while the officer was performing his official duties.&nbsp;Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.