SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Thursday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 driven by&nbsp; Brandon L&nbsp;Doherty, 37, Salina, was westbound on Kansas 143 just west of U.S. 81&nbsp; at a high rate of speed.&nbsp; The driver lost control of the pickup. It struck a guardrail and overturned into the north ditch.

Doherty was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing seat belt, according to the KHP.

SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Thursday in Saline County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 driven by&nbsp; Brandon L&nbsp;Doherty, 37, Salina, was westbound on Kansas 143 just west of U.S. 81&nbsp; at a high rate of speed.&nbsp; The driver lost control of the pickup. It struck a guardrail and overturned into the north ditch.Doherty was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after pickup overturns

KANSAS CITY—A battery and charger are blamed for a fire at a Kansas City home.

Just before 3:30a.m. Thursday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 8500 block of Conran Court, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

First responders reported smoke from the garage of a one and a half story single family home. 

Searches of the structure came back all clear. The occupants were able to escape due to the operation of working smoke detectors that alerted them to the fire. 

No injuries were reported at this incident. 

After investigation by KCFD,&nbsp; it has been determined that a faulty lithium-ION battery and charger were the cause.

KCFD stressed to never leave a lithium-ION battery or any battery on a charger unattended. If not equipped with a shut off or battery heat detection the batteries can overcharge and cause a fire.

KANSAS CITY—A battery and charger are blamed for a fire at a Kansas City home.Just before 3:30a.m. Thursday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 8500 block of Conran Court, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.First responders reported smoke from the garage of a one and a half story single family home. Searches of the structure came back all clear. The occupants were able to escape due to the operation of working smoke detectors that alerted them to the fire. No injuries were reported at this incident. After investigation by KCFD,&nbsp; it has been determined that a faulty lithium-ION battery and charger were the cause.KCFD stressed to never leave a lithium-ION battery or any battery on a charger unattended. If not equipped with a shut off or battery heat detection the batteries can overcharge and cause a fire.

Lithium-ion battery on a charger blamed for Kansas City house fire

RAWLINS COUNTY —A northwest Kansas man died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Thursday in Rawlins County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Ford passenger car driven by Mitchell C. Howard, 20, Atwood, was eastbound on Atwood Cemetery Road just west of Kansas 25 highway.

The car left the roadway to the right and struck a concrete bridge pillar. After impact the car spun 90 degrees counter clockwise and came to rest in the ditch facing north.

Howard was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Baalmann Mortuary. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

RAWLINS COUNTY —A northwest Kansas man died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Thursday in Rawlins County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Ford passenger car driven by Mitchell C. Howard, 20, Atwood, was eastbound on Atwood Cemetery Road just west of Kansas 25 highway.The car left the roadway to the right and struck a concrete bridge pillar. After impact the car spun 90 degrees counter clockwise and came to rest in the ditch facing north.Howard was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Baalmann Mortuary. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dead after car strikes concrete bridge pillar

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused of using online obituary postings to plan residential burglaries was convicted of all counts by a jury on Monday.

Gary Garrett, 50 of Wichita, was charged in three separate cases totaling 27 counts, including three residential burglaries, one attempted residential burglary, one business burglary and multiple counts of theft, forgery and identity theft,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Victims reported losing financial documents, guns and electronics in the residential burglaries, some of which occurred while the families were at the funeral services for their deceased family members. 

Investigators from the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office worked together on the case, and more than 40 witnesses testified during the trial. At the time of Garrett’s arrest in November of last year in the parking lot of an East Wichita Walmart store, Garrett was found to be in possession of a driver’s license belonging to one of the deceased victims. A Wichita Police burglary detective testified at trial that a download of Garrett’s phone showed online searches of obituaries that corresponded to the burglary locations across the city from July to November of 2023.

Garrett also was convicted of using fake IDs to rent and purchase several vehicles during the same timeframe. One of the vehicles rented by Garrett had a GPS location device that placed the vehicle at the scene of several of the burglaries, according to testimony in the trial.

&nbsp;Sentencing is set for October 24, before Judge Bruce Brown, according to the district attorney's office

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724257794246.png" alt="Garrett photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Garrett photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused of using online obituary postings to plan residential burglaries was convicted of all counts by a jury on Monday.Gary Garrett, 50 of Wichita, was charged in three separate cases totaling 27 counts, including three residential burglaries, one attempted residential burglary, one business burglary and multiple counts of theft, forgery and identity theft,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Victims reported losing financial documents, guns and electronics in the residential burglaries, some of which occurred while the families were at the funeral services for their deceased family members. Investigators from the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office worked together on the case, and more than 40 witnesses testified during the trial. At the time of Garrett’s arrest in November of last year in the parking lot of an East Wichita Walmart store, Garrett was found to be in possession of a driver’s license belonging to one of the deceased victims. A Wichita Police burglary detective testified at trial that a download of Garrett’s phone showed online searches of obituaries that corresponded to the burglary locations across the city from July to November of 2023.Garrett also was convicted of using fake IDs to rent and purchase several vehicles during the same timeframe. One of the vehicles rented by Garrett had a GPS location device that placed the vehicle at the scene of several of the burglaries, according to testimony in the trial.&nbsp;Sentencing is set for October 24, before Judge Bruce Brown, according to the district attorney's office

Kan. man planned residential burglaries after reading obituaries

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a knife attack and have a teen in custody.

Just before 8p.m. Wednesday, responded to a home in the 300 block of East P Street in Atchison to investigate a reported stabbing, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 It was determined that a disturbance had occurred between a 31-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy who both live at the residence. 

During the disturbance the boy allegedly stabbed the man in the hand and arm with a knife. EMS transported the victim to Mosaic in St. Joseph for treatment. Police took the teen into custody and transported him to a juvenile detention facility on a requested charge of aggravated battery.

The teen’s  mother and the victim are in a relationship, according to Wilson.

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a knife attack and have a teen in custody.Just before 8p.m. Wednesday, responded to a home in the 300 block of East P Street in Atchison to investigate a reported stabbing, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. It was determined that a disturbance had occurred between a 31-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy who both live at the residence. During the disturbance the boy allegedly stabbed the man in the hand and arm with a knife. EMS transported the victim to Mosaic in St. Joseph for treatment. Police took the teen into custody and transported him to a juvenile detention facility on a requested charge of aggravated battery.The teen’s mother and the victim are in a relationship, according to Wilson.

Kan. teen accused of knife attack on mother's boyfriend

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Authorities in Sedgwick County are investigating after a man's body was found in a pond in Wichita.&nbsp;

Just after 9a.m. Thursday, EMS, fire crews and police were dispatched to a report of a body in the pond at Stoney Point and Taft in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Department spokesman Andrew Ford.

First responders pulled the man the pond and he was pronounced deceased on scene. The identity of the victim is not known at this time and will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.&nbsp;

Police released no additional details Thursday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724343455794.png" alt="First responders on the scene Thursday morning -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene Thursday morning -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Authorities in Sedgwick County are investigating after a man's body was found in a pond in Wichita.&nbsp;Just after 9a.m. Thursday, EMS, fire crews and police were dispatched to a report of a body in the pond at Stoney Point and Taft in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Department spokesman Andrew Ford.First responders pulled the man the pond and he was pronounced deceased on scene. The identity of the victim is not known at this time and will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.&nbsp;Police released no additional details Thursday afternoon.

Police: Body of man found in Kansas pond

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating three homicides on Wednesday in Kansas City.

Just after 9a.m., police responded to&nbsp;19th and Troost after a dead body was reported, according Sheriff Daryl Forte. First responders foud a man suffering from bodily trauma. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Just after 4p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting&nbsp;in the 8600 block of North Boardwalk Avenue, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The initial investigation indicates that the shooting followed a verbal dispute in the parking lot of Walmart. The victim is an adult male and a suspect was detained near the scene.

Just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting in the area of the 3300 block of E. Linwood Boulevard, according to DiMartino.

First responders found 33-year-old Michael Dehaan suffering from gunshot wounds. EMS transported him to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation revealed a disturbance occurred between Dehaan and other individuals at the location which led to the shooting. Police have not reported an arrest in this case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724267247754.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation near 19th and Troost-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte." />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation near 19th and Troost-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating three homicides on Wednesday in Kansas City.Just after 9a.m., police responded to&nbsp;19th and Troost after a dead body was reported, according Sheriff Daryl Forte. First responders foud a man suffering from bodily trauma. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.Just after 4p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting&nbsp;in the 8600 block of North Boardwalk Avenue, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724292793851.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>The initial investigation indicates that the shooting followed a verbal dispute in the parking lot of Walmart. The victim is an adult male and a suspect was detained near the scene.Just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting in the area of the 3300 block of E. Linwood Boulevard, according to DiMartino.First responders found 33-year-old Michael Dehaan suffering from gunshot wounds. EMS transported him to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigation revealed a disturbance occurred between Dehaan and other individuals at the location which led to the shooting. Police have not reported an arrest in this case.

Three homicides reported in Kansas City on Wednesday

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

TOPEKA — Eleven Kansas young Democrats are at the Democratic National Convention filled with “energy and joy,” ready to officially nominate Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the party’s presidential ticket, Kansas delegate Jae Moyer said.&nbsp;

The 11 are excited about “the history we’re going to make by electing Kamala Harris for president,” said Moyer, who has also written opinion columns for Kansas Reflector. Moyer said they’re seeing energy similar to that of August 2022 — when an anti-abortion amendment was on the ballot. Kansans showed up in record numbers to defeat the amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/02/kansas-voters-defeat-abortion-amendment-in-unexpected-landslide-1/">in a landslide</a>.&nbsp;

Reed Krewson, a Kansas delegate at the DNC, notes that more young people in Kansas voted on the August 2022 anti-abortion amendment than in the 2020 general election. Harris has made reproductive freedom a key talking point in her campaign, and Krewson hopes the young people who voted for reproductive rights in 2022 but not in the 2020 general election recognize Harris’ dedication to codifying Roe v. Wade.&nbsp;

Gov. Laura Kelly, who spoke to the Kansas delegates Wednesday, has also supported abortion rights. Kelly gave her full endorsement to Harris — which Krewson sees as a contrast to the governor’s 2022 campaign running as a more independent Democrat — encouraging local-level politicians to “run with her, not against her.” Krewson believes that local Kansas Democrats can ride the coattails of the presidential election.&nbsp;

“There has been a lot of energy and joy. People have been volunteering not just for Kamala but also for state and local elections,” Moyer said. “It’s been important for us to break the Republican supermajority.”&nbsp;

Breaking the Kansas Republican supermajority in the state Legislature has been a goal of young Kansas Democrats since President Biden was the probable 2024 democratic nominee. The delegates began their candidacy to represent the state in January. Krewson said the DNC had a goal of making the delegates look like America.&nbsp;

“We wanted to make sure we met those goals, which was 1/3rd of our delegation to be young people,” Krewson said.&nbsp; “And we do have 11 young Dems in our delegation, which is historic.”

Harris advocates for policies that Krewson believes are important to young Kansans. One of those is her housing plan, which was released three days before the DNC. It would lower the costs of renting or owning a home, with the standout feature being the construction of 3 million new housing units in the next four years.&nbsp;

“It’s really refreshing to see a candidate talk about it, especially something so transformative on the 3 million housing units she’s proposing,” Krewson said. “Housing is a really difficult and hard thing for young people, and that’s a major way to generate wealth.”&nbsp;

Krewson grew up in Johnson County, home of the new&nbsp;<a href="https://na.panasonic.com/news/panasonic-energy-breaks-ground-on-ev-battery-factory-in-kansas" target="_blank">Panasonic plant</a>. Krewson said he was excited to nominate Biden because of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/09/fact-sheet-chips-and-science-act-will-lower-costs-create-jobs-strengthen-supply-chains-and-counter-china/" target="_blank">CHIPS and Science Act,</a>&nbsp;which will directly impact Johnson County with economic growth from the Panasonic plant. He hopes that Harris will continue the president’s work on the act. Krewson sees the intersection of the two as something that “will transform Johnson County for the duration of my lifetime.”&nbsp;

Krewson believes there was an incumbency bias towards Biden. He saw subjects like inflation and war in the Middle East were “unfairly tied” to Biden and “the optics were not great.”&nbsp;

He believes that younger people can relate to Harris as a candidate, seeing her as a fresh alternative to the legacy of Biden’s presidency.&nbsp;

“I’m really excited that Kamla is changing the narrative, changing the optics,” Krewson said.&nbsp;

Both sides agree that the Gen Z turnout in Kansas will be higher than it was in 2022.&nbsp;

Alex Dwyer, president of Kansas Young Republicans,&nbsp; points to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/elections/2022/midterm-results/voter-analysis?year=2022&amp;state=KS&amp;race=G" target="_blank">Fox News poll</a>&nbsp;that indicated Gen Z leaned Republican in 2022. He believes that trend will continue, and that Gen Z will vote for former President Donald Trump in Kansas.&nbsp;

Moyer wants to challenge the norm that Kansas is a red state. They believe that with the grassroots, door-to-door work the Kansas Young Democrats are doing, there’s a chance Kansas goes blue.&nbsp;

In “2020, young voters turned out at historic levels, and that tipped the scale for the election,” Moyer said. “And we’re going to see the same thing in supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Wallz this year.”&nbsp;

In her Wednesday speech to the delegates, Kelly said “there’s not a 0% chance” Kansas goes blue. Krewson points to Johnson County, where 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney won by a large margin, Trump won by a smaller margin in 2016, and Biden won by a large margin in 2021.&nbsp;

“I think that would be such a deafening win,” Krewson said. “Which I think we might need, with Donald Trump’s record of trying to steal elections, trying to create misinformation and distort election results, I think that would be the nail in the coffin for the MAGA movement.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724347560221.png" alt=" Reed Krewson, a Democratic National Convention delegate is one of 11 young Kansas delegates at the 2024 DNC. (Submitted by Reed Krewson)" />
 <figcaption> Reed Krewson, a Democratic National Convention delegate is one of 11 young Kansas delegates at the 2024 DNC. (Submitted by Reed Krewson)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Eleven Kansas young Democrats are at the Democratic National Convention filled with “energy and joy,” ready to officially nominate Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the party’s presidential ticket, Kansas delegate Jae Moyer said.&nbsp;The 11 are excited about “the history we’re going to make by electing Kamala Harris for president,” said Moyer, who has also written opinion columns for Kansas Reflector. Moyer said they’re seeing energy similar to that of August 2022 — when an anti-abortion amendment was on the ballot. Kansans showed up in record numbers to defeat the amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/02/kansas-voters-defeat-abortion-amendment-in-unexpected-landslide-1/">in a landslide</a>.&nbsp;Reed Krewson, a Kansas delegate at the DNC, notes that more young people in Kansas voted on the August 2022 anti-abortion amendment than in the 2020 general election. Harris has made reproductive freedom a key talking point in her campaign, and Krewson hopes the young people who voted for reproductive rights in 2022 but not in the 2020 general election recognize Harris’ dedication to codifying Roe v. Wade.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724347511920.png" alt=" Allie Utley and Jae Moyer celebrate at the Kansans for Constitutional Freedom watch party after Kansans vote to keep abortion a constitutional right on Tuesday. (Lily O’Shea Becker/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Allie Utley and Jae Moyer celebrate at the Kansans for Constitutional Freedom watch party after Kansans vote to keep abortion a constitutional right on Tuesday. (Lily O’Shea Becker/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Gov. Laura Kelly, who spoke to the Kansas delegates Wednesday, has also supported abortion rights. Kelly gave her full endorsement to Harris — which Krewson sees as a contrast to the governor’s 2022 campaign running as a more independent Democrat — encouraging local-level politicians to “run with her, not against her.” Krewson believes that local Kansas Democrats can ride the coattails of the presidential election.&nbsp;“There has been a lot of energy and joy. People have been volunteering not just for Kamala but also for state and local elections,” Moyer said. “It’s been important for us to break the Republican supermajority.”&nbsp;Breaking the Kansas Republican supermajority in the state Legislature has been a goal of young Kansas Democrats since President Biden was the probable 2024 democratic nominee. The delegates began their candidacy to represent the state in January. Krewson said the DNC had a goal of making the delegates look like America.&nbsp;“We wanted to make sure we met those goals, which was 1/3rd of our delegation to be young people,” Krewson said.&nbsp; “And we do have 11 young Dems in our delegation, which is historic.”Harris advocates for policies that Krewson believes are important to young Kansans. One of those is her housing plan, which was released three days before the DNC. It would lower the costs of renting or owning a home, with the standout feature being the construction of 3 million new housing units in the next four years.&nbsp;“It’s really refreshing to see a candidate talk about it, especially something so transformative on the 3 million housing units she’s proposing,” Krewson said. “Housing is a really difficult and hard thing for young people, and that’s a major way to generate wealth.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724347474544.png" alt=" Kansas won a competition for a $4 billion Panasonic Corp. vehicle battery manufacturing facility to be built at the old Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant at De Soto. The battery plant is expected to create 4,000 jobs and have an annual economic impact on the state of $2.5 billion. (Lily O’Shea Becker/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas won a competition for a $4 billion Panasonic Corp. vehicle battery manufacturing facility to be built at the old Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant at De Soto. The battery plant is expected to create 4,000 jobs and have an annual economic impact on the state of $2.5 billion. (Lily O’Shea Becker/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Krewson grew up in Johnson County, home of the new&nbsp;<a href="https://na.panasonic.com/news/panasonic-energy-breaks-ground-on-ev-battery-factory-in-kansas" target="_blank">Panasonic plant</a>. Krewson said he was excited to nominate Biden because of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/09/fact-sheet-chips-and-science-act-will-lower-costs-create-jobs-strengthen-supply-chains-and-counter-china/" target="_blank">CHIPS and Science Act,</a>&nbsp;which will directly impact Johnson County with economic growth from the Panasonic plant. He hopes that Harris will continue the president’s work on the act. Krewson sees the intersection of the two as something that “will transform Johnson County for the duration of my lifetime.”&nbsp;Krewson believes there was an incumbency bias towards Biden. He saw subjects like inflation and war in the Middle East were “unfairly tied” to Biden and “the optics were not great.”&nbsp;He believes that younger people can relate to Harris as a candidate, seeing her as a fresh alternative to the legacy of Biden’s presidency.&nbsp;“I’m really excited that Kamla is changing the narrative, changing the optics,” Krewson said.&nbsp;Both sides agree that the Gen Z turnout in Kansas will be higher than it was in 2022.&nbsp;Alex Dwyer, president of Kansas Young Republicans,&nbsp; points to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/elections/2022/midterm-results/voter-analysis?year=2022&amp;state=KS&amp;race=G" target="_blank">Fox News poll</a>&nbsp;that indicated Gen Z leaned Republican in 2022. He believes that trend will continue, and that Gen Z will vote for former President Donald Trump in Kansas.&nbsp;Moyer wants to challenge the norm that Kansas is a red state. They believe that with the grassroots, door-to-door work the Kansas Young Democrats are doing, there’s a chance Kansas goes blue.&nbsp;In “2020, young voters turned out at historic levels, and that tipped the scale for the election,” Moyer said. “And we’re going to see the same thing in supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Wallz this year.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724328694166.png" alt=" Kansas Gov. and DGA chairwoman Laura Kelly during a Democratic Women Governors panel with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Aug. 21, 2024, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption> Kansas Gov. and DGA chairwoman Laura Kelly during a Democratic Women Governors panel with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Aug. 21, 2024, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>In her Wednesday speech to the delegates, Kelly said “there’s not a 0% chance” Kansas goes blue. Krewson points to Johnson County, where 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney won by a large margin, Trump won by a smaller margin in 2016, and Biden won by a large margin in 2021.&nbsp;“I think that would be such a deafening win,” Krewson said. “Which I think we might need, with Donald Trump’s record of trying to steal elections, trying to create misinformation and distort election results, I think that would be the nail in the coffin for the MAGA movement.”

Kansas young Democrats rally for Harris at DNC

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A Kansas school district investigated an incident in which an elementary school principal invited a missionary to pass out Bibles at recess, the superintendent said in a statement Wednesday.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/20/kansas-school-principal-who-helped-hand-out-bibles-to-students-violated-constitution-aclu-says/">sent a letter Monday</a>&nbsp;to Katie Struebing, principal of East Elementary School in the roughly 2,000-person city of Belleville, asserting that the school violated the First Amendment.

Struebing recruited a member of the evangelical Christian organization Gideons International, Ben Dreesen, to hand out Bibles to students during their recess on May 7, according to the letter, which was penned by Monica Bennett, ACLU of Kansas legal director.

The Republic County school district conducted a “thorough investigation” this summer, the district’s superintendent, Tami Knedler, said in an emailed statement Wednesday. Knedler declined to comment on the employees involved or the details of the investigation.

“I can assure you that our district is committed to welcoming all religious viewpoints, not promoting any specific one,” Knedler said. “We continue to review our practices and policies to ensure they reflect this commitment.”

Struebing allowed Dreesen on school grounds and helped him hand out Bibles to students, which lent “credibility and authority” to Dreesen, “in effect placing a stamp of approval on his message and subjecting students to a religiously coercive atmosphere,” Bennett wrote in the letter.

Ahead of Dreesen’s visit, Struebing also informed teachers and students of the “nice man” who would be handing out Bibles. A student’s parents reported the visit to the Kansas ACLU.

In the letter, Bennett said that the school violated the First Amendment in addition to the district’s own policies against promoting religious viewpoints.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724347898235.png" alt="Photo courtesy Gideons International " />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Gideons International </figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — A Kansas school district investigated an incident in which an elementary school principal invited a missionary to pass out Bibles at recess, the superintendent said in a statement Wednesday.The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/20/kansas-school-principal-who-helped-hand-out-bibles-to-students-violated-constitution-aclu-says/">sent a letter Monday</a>&nbsp;to Katie Struebing, principal of East Elementary School in the roughly 2,000-person city of Belleville, asserting that the school violated the First Amendment.Struebing recruited a member of the evangelical Christian organization Gideons International, Ben Dreesen, to hand out Bibles to students during their recess on May 7, according to the letter, which was penned by Monica Bennett, ACLU of Kansas legal director.The Republic County school district conducted a “thorough investigation” this summer, the district’s superintendent, Tami Knedler, said in an emailed statement Wednesday. Knedler declined to comment on the employees involved or the details of the investigation.“I can assure you that our district is committed to welcoming all religious viewpoints, not promoting any specific one,” Knedler said. “We continue to review our practices and policies to ensure they reflect this commitment.”Struebing allowed Dreesen on school grounds and helped him hand out Bibles to students, which lent “credibility and authority” to Dreesen, “in effect placing a stamp of approval on his message and subjecting students to a religiously coercive atmosphere,” Bennett wrote in the letter.Ahead of Dreesen’s visit, Struebing also informed teachers and students of the “nice man” who would be handing out Bibles. A student’s parents reported the visit to the Kansas ACLU.In the letter, Bennett said that the school violated the First Amendment in addition to the district’s own policies against promoting religious viewpoints.

Kansas school district investigated missionary’s visit to hand out Bibles to students

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid19-vaccinations-cdc-coronavirus-a785acb4aca8e69f21b6f1a41c021e2c">updated COVID-19 vaccines</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, shots designed to more closely target recent virus strains -- and hopefully whatever variants cause trouble this winter, too.

With the Food and Drug Administration’s clearance, Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses. A third U.S. manufacturer, Novavax, expects its updated vaccine version to be available a little later.

“We strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks.

The agency’s decision came a bit earlier than last year’s rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccines, as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/flu-covid-19-respiratory-syncytial-virus-0000018de622d464a99fef7706610000">summer wave of the virus</a>&nbsp;continues in most of the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already has recommended this fall’s shot for everyone age 6 months and older. Vaccinations could be available within days.

While most Americans have some degree of immunity from prior infections or vaccinations or both, that protection wanes.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-shots-cdc-5bc4db844557120bcc50dc0838c0e044">Last fall’s shots</a>&nbsp;targeted a different part of the coronavirus family tree, a strain that’s no longer circulating -- and CDC data shows only about 22.5% of adults and 14% of children received it.

Skipping the new shot is “a hazardous way to go,” because even if your last infection was mild, your next might be worse or leave you with long COVID symptoms, said Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr. of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

This fall’s vaccine recipe is tailored to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-updated-moderna-pfizer-novavax-72c2c5fafc46ccc9f2fd89fcda5d99df">a newer branch of omicron descendants</a>. The Pfizer and Moderna shots target a subtype called KP.2 that was common earlier this year. While additional offshoots, particularly KP.3.1.1, now are spreading, they’re closely enough related that the vaccines promise cross-protection. A Pfizer spokesman said the company submitted data to FDA showing its updated vaccine “generates a substantially improved response” against multiple virus subtypes compared to last fall’s vaccine.

The big question: How soon to get vaccinated? This summer’s wave of COVID-19 isn’t over but the inevitable winter surges tend to be worse. And while COVID-19 vaccines do a good job preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death, protection against mild infection lasts only a few months.

People who are at high risk from the virus shouldn’t wait but instead schedule vaccinations once shots are available in their area, Hopkins advised.

That includes older adults, people with weak immune systems or other serious medical problems, nursing home residents and pregnant women.

Healthy younger adults and children “can get vaccinated anytime. I don’t think there’s a real reason to wait,” Hopkins said – although it’s OK to seek the shots in the fall, when plenty of doses will have arrived at pharmacies and doctor’s offices.

The exception: The CDC says anyone who recently had COVID-19 can wait three months after they recover before getting vaccinated, until immunity from that infection begins to wane.

Hopkins, who sees patients at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, calls it vital for more youngsters to get vaccinated this year – especially with schools starting as coronavirus levels are high around the country.

“COVID does not kill many children, thank goodness, but it kills far more children than influenza does,” Hopkins said, adding that teachers, too, should quickly get up to date with the vaccine.

Health authorities say it’s fine to get a COVID-19 and flu vaccination at the same time, a convenience so people don’t have to make two trips. But while many drugstores already are advertising flu shots, the prime time for that vaccination tends to be late September through October, just before flu typically starts its cold weather climb.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724349670448.png" alt="Photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;LAURAN NEERGAARDWASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid19-vaccinations-cdc-coronavirus-a785acb4aca8e69f21b6f1a41c021e2c">updated COVID-19 vaccines</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, shots designed to more closely target recent virus strains -- and hopefully whatever variants cause trouble this winter, too.With the Food and Drug Administration’s clearance, Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses. A third U.S. manufacturer, Novavax, expects its updated vaccine version to be available a little later.“We strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks.The agency’s decision came a bit earlier than last year’s rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccines, as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/flu-covid-19-respiratory-syncytial-virus-0000018de622d464a99fef7706610000">summer wave of the virus</a>&nbsp;continues in most of the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already has recommended this fall’s shot for everyone age 6 months and older. Vaccinations could be available within days.While most Americans have some degree of immunity from prior infections or vaccinations or both, that protection wanes.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-shots-cdc-5bc4db844557120bcc50dc0838c0e044">Last fall’s shots</a>&nbsp;targeted a different part of the coronavirus family tree, a strain that’s no longer circulating -- and CDC data shows only about 22.5% of adults and 14% of children received it.Skipping the new shot is “a hazardous way to go,” because even if your last infection was mild, your next might be worse or leave you with long COVID symptoms, said Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr. of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.This fall’s vaccine recipe is tailored to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-updated-moderna-pfizer-novavax-72c2c5fafc46ccc9f2fd89fcda5d99df">a newer branch of omicron descendants</a>. The Pfizer and Moderna shots target a subtype called KP.2 that was common earlier this year. While additional offshoots, particularly KP.3.1.1, now are spreading, they’re closely enough related that the vaccines promise cross-protection. A Pfizer spokesman said the company submitted data to FDA showing its updated vaccine “generates a substantially improved response” against multiple virus subtypes compared to last fall’s vaccine.The big question: How soon to get vaccinated? This summer’s wave of COVID-19 isn’t over but the inevitable winter surges tend to be worse. And while COVID-19 vaccines do a good job preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death, protection against mild infection lasts only a few months.People who are at high risk from the virus shouldn’t wait but instead schedule vaccinations once shots are available in their area, Hopkins advised.That includes older adults, people with weak immune systems or other serious medical problems, nursing home residents and pregnant women.Healthy younger adults and children “can get vaccinated anytime. I don’t think there’s a real reason to wait,” Hopkins said – although it’s OK to seek the shots in the fall, when plenty of doses will have arrived at pharmacies and doctor’s offices.The exception: The CDC says anyone who recently had COVID-19 can wait three months after they recover before getting vaccinated, until immunity from that infection begins to wane.Hopkins, who sees patients at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, calls it vital for more youngsters to get vaccinated this year – especially with schools starting as coronavirus levels are high around the country.“COVID does not kill many children, thank goodness, but it kills far more children than influenza does,” Hopkins said, adding that teachers, too, should quickly get up to date with the vaccine.Health authorities say it’s fine to get a COVID-19 and flu vaccination at the same time, a convenience so people don’t have to make two trips. But while many drugstores already are advertising flu shots, the prime time for that vaccination tends to be late September through October, just before flu typically starts its cold weather climb.<h2>___</h2>The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

FDA approves updated COVID-19 vaccines

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has blocked an agreement that would have spared the life of death row inmate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>&nbsp;and instead ordered a hearing to proceed on Williams' innocence claim, with just a little over a month to go before his scheduled execution.

The ruling late Wednesday came hours after St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton approved a plan allowing Williams to enter a new no-contest plea to first-degree murder in the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle. Though Williams' lawyers said he still maintained he was innocent, the plea acknowledged evidence was sufficient for a conviction.

Williams would have been sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday. Instead, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;date is still on, pending a hearing before Hinton on Williams' innocence claim.

That hearing had originally been scheduled to begin Wednesday. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell had asked the judge to vacate Williams’ murder conviction based on DNA testing that found other DNA — but not that of Williams — on the knife used to kill Gayle.

But a new DNA test report released this week showed that handling of the murder weapon decades ago by a former assistant prosecutor and a former investigator contaminated the evidence so much that it was of no value to Williams’ case. That finding prompted prosecutors to reach the agreement with Williams that Hilton signed off on.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey immediately appealed, arguing that a circuit court lacked authority to override a capital murder sentence.

The Missouri Supreme Court agreed, ordering that Hilton “set aside said consent order and judgment and file notice with this Court that you will take action ... including holding the evidentiary hearing previously scheduled and anticipated.”

Hilton on Thursday scheduled the new evidentiary hearing for Aug. 28.

Bailey, in a statement on Thursday, said people too often “forget about all of the evidence that was used to convict the defendant — the evidence the jury relied on — and the victims. It is in the interest of every Missourian that the rule of law is fought for and upheld.”

Messages were left with the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office and attorneys for Williams.

The courtroom Wednesday was packed with people who included several others who have been exonerated of crimes. For hours, lawyers met behind closed doors. Finally, Matthew Jacober, a special prosecutor for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, announced that the contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.

“The murder weapon was handled without proper procedures in place,” Jacober said. The improper handling occurred several years before Bell took office.

That finding prompted the St. Louis County prosecutors to reach an consent judgment allowing Williams to enter an Alford plea. He also agreed not to appeal.

“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact,” Williams’ attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement after the hearing. She noted that Gayle’s family supported setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family.

Bailey said in a statement Wednesday that “the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-congress-election-bush-bell-f507703334e182528489ca078bc5ce70">Bell defeated incumbent Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in Missouri's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary on Aug. 6 and will be heavily favored in the November general election.

Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.

That evidence prompted Bell to reexamine the case.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. Three other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;— have been freed after decades in prison after prosecutors successfully challenged their convictions.

Prosecutors at Williams’ original trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.

Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.

Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri death row inmate on Wednesday dropped his innocence claim and entered a new no-contest plea in an agreement that calls for a new sentence of life in prison without parole.

But the Missouri Attorney General's Office opposes the new consent judgment and will appeal in an effort to move ahead with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">scheduled Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;of Marcellus Williams.

The complicated turn of events happened on the day that St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton was supposed to oversee a hearing requested by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell</a>&nbsp;aimed at vacating Williams' first-degree murder conviction in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle. Bell had cited DNA testing unavailable at the time of the crime that found someone else's DNA — but not that of Williams — on the murder weapon.

After a lengthy delay with lawyers meeting behind closed doors, Matthew Jacober, a lawyer for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, announced that even newer DNA testing released on Monday found contamination due to handling of the weapon by a former assistant prosecutor and investigator. The contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.

Williams agreed to an Alford plea, which is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges that evidence is sufficient to convict him. Under an agreement reached with St. Louis County prosecutors, Williams entered that plea on Wednesday. He'll be sentenced Thursday — the agreement calls for life in prison without parole. Williams also agreed not to appeal.

“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact," Williams' attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement. She noted that Gayle's family supports setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family."

But the plea doesn't guarantee Williams won't be executed. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is appealing to the Missouri Supreme Court as he seeks to move ahead with the execution, arguing that a circuit court doesn't have authority to overrule the state Supreme Court that set the execution date.

“Throughout all the legal games, the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends," Bailey said in a statement. “Because of the defense’s failure to do their due diligence by testing the evidence that supposedly proved their point, the victims have been forced to relive their horrific loss for the last six years.”

Williams, 55, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.

“This never-before-considered evidence, when paired with the relative paucity of other, credible evidence supporting guilt, as well as additional considerations of ineffective assistance of counsel and racial discrimination in jury selection, casts inexorable doubt on Mr. Williams’s conviction and sentence,” Bell's motion stated.

Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. The law has resulted in exonerations of three men who spent decades in prison, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month.

The Missouri Supreme Court set the September execution date on June 4, hours after it ruled that Parson, a Republican, was within his rights when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-murder-newspaper-dna-governor-innocence-5b068258172e1cd938498e9e8361f01b">dissolved a board of inquiry</a>&nbsp;convened by Greitens after he stopped the 2017 execution.

The inquiry board, consisting of five retired judges, never issued a ruling or reached a conclusion on whether the new DNA evidence exonerated Williams. Parson dissolved the board in June 2023, saying it was time to “move forward.”

In addition to Dunn, who spent 34 years behind bars for the death of a 15-year-old St. Louis boy, the Missouri law allowing prosecutors to challenge convictions led to freedom for two other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>. Bailey was not attorney general when Strickland's case went to a hearing, but his office opposed vacating the convictions of Dunn and Johnson.

Bailey also opposed efforts to overturn the conviction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-56831edcb2aa99b0430c0dbf0408dc5d">Sandra Hemme</a>, who spent 43 years in prison for murder, though that case was adjudicated through appeals, not a prosecutor’s motion. A judge ruled in June that Hemme should be freed. Bailey filed multiple appeals to try and keep her behind bars, but Hemme was released in July.

Strickland was freed in 2021 after serving more than 40 years for three killings in Kansas City after a judge ruled he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">had been wrongfully convicted in 1979</a>. In 2023, a St. Louis judge overturned Johnson's conviction. He served nearly 28 years for a killing he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-st-louis-missouri-state-government-89e58b911e0dff1eaa79b0c48372abc2">always said he didn’t commit</a>.

Williams was the first death row inmate whose innocence claim went before a judge since passage of the 2021 law. Several other people who have been exonerated of crimes were in the courtroom to support him, including another former death row inmate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-hearing-marcellus-williams-ceb2b400859cd053ce8c9717dfdf07b5">Joseph Amrine spent 17 years on death row</a>&nbsp;before he was freed in 2003 after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that no credible evidence linked him to the killing of another inmate.

Prosecutors at Williams' trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688086205294.png" alt="Williams photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Williams photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has blocked an agreement that would have spared the life of death row inmate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>&nbsp;and instead ordered a hearing to proceed on Williams' innocence claim, with just a little over a month to go before his scheduled execution.The ruling late Wednesday came hours after St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton approved a plan allowing Williams to enter a new no-contest plea to first-degree murder in the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle. Though Williams' lawyers said he still maintained he was innocent, the plea acknowledged evidence was sufficient for a conviction.Williams would have been sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday. Instead, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;date is still on, pending a hearing before Hinton on Williams' innocence claim.That hearing had originally been scheduled to begin Wednesday. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell had asked the judge to vacate Williams’ murder conviction based on DNA testing that found other DNA — but not that of Williams — on the knife used to kill Gayle.But a new DNA test report released this week showed that handling of the murder weapon decades ago by a former assistant prosecutor and a former investigator contaminated the evidence so much that it was of no value to Williams’ case. That finding prompted prosecutors to reach the agreement with Williams that Hilton signed off on.Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey immediately appealed, arguing that a circuit court lacked authority to override a capital murder sentence.The Missouri Supreme Court agreed, ordering that Hilton “set aside said consent order and judgment and file notice with this Court that you will take action ... including holding the evidentiary hearing previously scheduled and anticipated.”Hilton on Thursday scheduled the new evidentiary hearing for Aug. 28.Bailey, in a statement on Thursday, said people too often “forget about all of the evidence that was used to convict the defendant — the evidence the jury relied on — and the victims. It is in the interest of every Missourian that the rule of law is fought for and upheld.”Messages were left with the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office and attorneys for Williams.The courtroom Wednesday was packed with people who included several others who have been exonerated of crimes. For hours, lawyers met behind closed doors. Finally, Matthew Jacober, a special prosecutor for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, announced that the contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.“The murder weapon was handled without proper procedures in place,” Jacober said. The improper handling occurred several years before Bell took office.That finding prompted the St. Louis County prosecutors to reach an consent judgment allowing Williams to enter an Alford plea. He also agreed not to appeal.“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact,” Williams’ attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement after the hearing. She noted that Gayle’s family supported setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family.Bailey said in a statement Wednesday that “the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-congress-election-bush-bell-f507703334e182528489ca078bc5ce70">Bell defeated incumbent Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in Missouri's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary on Aug. 6 and will be heavily favored in the November general election.Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.That evidence prompted Bell to reexamine the case.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. Three other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;— have been freed after decades in prison after prosecutors successfully challenged their convictions.Prosecutors at Williams’ original trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.-------------KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri death row inmate on Wednesday dropped his innocence claim and entered a new no-contest plea in an agreement that calls for a new sentence of life in prison without parole.But the Missouri Attorney General's Office opposes the new consent judgment and will appeal in an effort to move ahead with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">scheduled Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;of Marcellus Williams.The complicated turn of events happened on the day that St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton was supposed to oversee a hearing requested by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell</a>&nbsp;aimed at vacating Williams' first-degree murder conviction in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle. Bell had cited DNA testing unavailable at the time of the crime that found someone else's DNA — but not that of Williams — on the murder weapon.After a lengthy delay with lawyers meeting behind closed doors, Matthew Jacober, a lawyer for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, announced that even newer DNA testing released on Monday found contamination due to handling of the weapon by a former assistant prosecutor and investigator. The contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.“The murder weapon was handled without proper procedures in place,” Jacober said. The improper handling occurred several years before Bell took office.Williams agreed to an Alford plea, which is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges that evidence is sufficient to convict him. Under an agreement reached with St. Louis County prosecutors, Williams entered that plea on Wednesday. He'll be sentenced Thursday — the agreement calls for life in prison without parole. Williams also agreed not to appeal.“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact," Williams' attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement. She noted that Gayle's family supports setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family."But the plea doesn't guarantee Williams won't be executed. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is appealing to the Missouri Supreme Court as he seeks to move ahead with the execution, arguing that a circuit court doesn't have authority to overrule the state Supreme Court that set the execution date.“Throughout all the legal games, the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends," Bailey said in a statement. “Because of the defense’s failure to do their due diligence by testing the evidence that supposedly proved their point, the victims have been forced to relive their horrific loss for the last six years.”Williams, 55, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.That evidence prompted Bell to reexamine the case.“This never-before-considered evidence, when paired with the relative paucity of other, credible evidence supporting guilt, as well as additional considerations of ineffective assistance of counsel and racial discrimination in jury selection, casts inexorable doubt on Mr. Williams’s conviction and sentence,” Bell's motion stated.Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. The law has resulted in exonerations of three men who spent decades in prison, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month.The Missouri Supreme Court set the September execution date on June 4, hours after it ruled that Parson, a Republican, was within his rights when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-murder-newspaper-dna-governor-innocence-5b068258172e1cd938498e9e8361f01b">dissolved a board of inquiry</a>&nbsp;convened by Greitens after he stopped the 2017 execution.The inquiry board, consisting of five retired judges, never issued a ruling or reached a conclusion on whether the new DNA evidence exonerated Williams. Parson dissolved the board in June 2023, saying it was time to “move forward.”In addition to Dunn, who spent 34 years behind bars for the death of a 15-year-old St. Louis boy, the Missouri law allowing prosecutors to challenge convictions led to freedom for two other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>. Bailey was not attorney general when Strickland's case went to a hearing, but his office opposed vacating the convictions of Dunn and Johnson.Bailey also opposed efforts to overturn the conviction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-56831edcb2aa99b0430c0dbf0408dc5d">Sandra Hemme</a>, who spent 43 years in prison for murder, though that case was adjudicated through appeals, not a prosecutor’s motion. A judge ruled in June that Hemme should be freed. Bailey filed multiple appeals to try and keep her behind bars, but Hemme was released in July.Strickland was freed in 2021 after serving more than 40 years for three killings in Kansas City after a judge ruled he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">had been wrongfully convicted in 1979</a>. In 2023, a St. Louis judge overturned Johnson's conviction. He served nearly 28 years for a killing he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-st-louis-missouri-state-government-89e58b911e0dff1eaa79b0c48372abc2">always said he didn’t commit</a>.Williams was the first death row inmate whose innocence claim went before a judge since passage of the 2021 law. Several other people who have been exonerated of crimes were in the courtroom to support him, including another former death row inmate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-hearing-marcellus-williams-ceb2b400859cd053ce8c9717dfdf07b5">Joseph Amrine spent 17 years on death row</a>&nbsp;before he was freed in 2003 after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that no credible evidence linked him to the killing of another inmate.Prosecutors at Williams' trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.

Court blocks agreement that would have halted convicted killer's execution

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal weekend accident involving a bicyclist have identified the victim as 44-year-old&nbsp;Shaunta Rodgers, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

Just before 1a.m. Sunday, a Honda Civic was northbound on Van Brunt Boulevard and stopped at the red traffic control signal at Truman Road, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. 

The light turned green and the Honda entered the intersection. A westbound BMW 535XI was traveling&nbsp; very high rate of speed. The BMW ran the red light and struck the Honda.

 The driver of the BMW lost control after the initial impact with the Honda. The vehicle traveled off the roadway to the left and struck a wooden utility pole, shearing it out of the ground.

 A pedestrian was walking in the bicycle lane, on the south side of Truman Road. The BMW struck the pedestrian as it was flipping.&nbsp; The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. The two occupants of the BMW ran from the scene, westbound on Truman Road. 

The driver of the Honda was not injured. The intersection lost power and Evergy responded to repair.&nbsp; Police have not reported the name of the victim or additional details.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal weekend accident involving a bicyclist have identified the victim as 44-year-old&nbsp;Shaunta Rodgers, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.Just before 1a.m. Sunday, a Honda Civic was northbound on Van Brunt Boulevard and stopped at the red traffic control signal at Truman Road, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The light turned green and the Honda entered the intersection. A westbound BMW 535XI was traveling&nbsp; very high rate of speed. The BMW ran the red light and struck the Honda. The driver of the BMW lost control after the initial impact with the Honda. The vehicle traveled off the roadway to the left and struck a wooden utility pole, shearing it out of the ground. A pedestrian was walking in the bicycle lane, on the south side of Truman Road. The BMW struck the pedestrian as it was flipping.&nbsp; The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. The two occupants of the BMW ran from the scene, westbound on Truman Road. The driver of the Honda was not injured. The intersection lost power and Evergy responded to repair.&nbsp; Police have not reported the name of the victim or additional details.

KCPD IDs pedestrian killed when struck after car flipped in violent crash

DOUGLAS COUNTY –Investigators have determined the cause of fire on Monday at the&nbsp;at Brandon Woods senior living residence in Lawrence.

The origin of the fire was determined to be on the 3rd floor balcony deck and the fire extended into the attic of the structure. The cause of the fire was accidental due to improper discarding of smoking material, according to a media release from Lawrence Po.ice.

Forty-eight residential units have been reported as damaged. Approximately 8,200 square feet of roofs have been reported as damaged.&nbsp; Two of the unites are reported to have heavy damage by fire, smoke, and water. Five units have moderate damage by fire, smoke, and water and Five units have minimal damage by smoke and water

Just after noon Monday, crews&nbsp;responded to the fire at the senior living residence, 1501 Inverness Drive in Lawrence.

Multiple reports of heavy smoke and fire with flames were reported by residents and bystanders.

First responders arrived to find occupants being evacuated by facility staff and Lawrence Kansas Police Department.&nbsp;There was a large amount of dense smoke coming from the structure.

Fire was found in the attic and crews performed venting efforts upon arrival. Additional resources such as department chief officers, the mobile integrated health (MIH) team, and the logistics technician responded to the incident to assist with moving residents to designated safety spaces.

The fire was declared under control at 2:20 p.m. LDCFM crews will continue to perform fire watch on the building overnight.

Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical coordinated with the Lawrence Transit Department and LKPD to transport approximately 85 residents to Bella Sera Condominiums. The residents were connected to resources with the Red Cross and Douglas County Emergency Management to identify alternative housing options.

One LKPD officer was transported for smoke inhalation. No other injuries have been reported.

Resources through mutual aid were provided from Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1, Olathe Fire Department, Overland Park Fire Department, and Johnson County MED-ACT. These resources assisted with additional coverage for the City of Lawrence and Douglas County during this incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724105638159.png" alt="Photos Lawrence Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Lawrence Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY –Investigators have determined the cause of fire on Monday at the&nbsp;at Brandon Woods senior living residence in Lawrence.The origin of the fire was determined to be on the 3rd floor balcony deck and the fire extended into the attic of the structure. The cause of the fire was accidental due to improper discarding of smoking material, according to a media release from Lawrence Po.ice.Forty-eight residential units have been reported as damaged. Approximately 8,200 square feet of roofs have been reported as damaged.&nbsp; Two of the unites are reported to have heavy damage by fire, smoke, and water. Five units have moderate damage by fire, smoke, and water and Five units have minimal damage by smoke and waterJust after noon Monday, crews&nbsp;responded to the fire at the senior living residence, 1501 Inverness Drive in Lawrence.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLawrenceKansasPolice%2Fvideos%2F1676278606560133%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Multiple reports of heavy smoke and fire with flames were reported by residents and bystanders.First responders arrived to find occupants being evacuated by facility staff and Lawrence Kansas Police Department.&nbsp;There was a large amount of dense smoke coming from the structure.Fire was found in the attic and crews performed venting efforts upon arrival. Additional resources such as department chief officers, the mobile integrated health (MIH) team, and the logistics technician responded to the incident to assist with moving residents to designated safety spaces.The fire was declared under control at 2:20 p.m. LDCFM crews will continue to perform fire watch on the building overnight.Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical coordinated with the Lawrence Transit Department and LKPD to transport approximately 85 residents to Bella Sera Condominiums. The residents were connected to resources with the Red Cross and Douglas County Emergency Management to identify alternative housing options.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724105670101.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>One LKPD officer was transported for smoke inhalation. No other injuries have been reported.Resources through mutual aid were provided from Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1, Olathe Fire Department, Overland Park Fire Department, and Johnson County MED-ACT. These resources assisted with additional coverage for the City of Lawrence and Douglas County during this incident.

Investigators determine cause of fire at Kan. senior living residence

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating two suspects new allegations after a victim in the case died.

On Wednesday police reported 37-year-old&nbsp;Kyle E. Higgins of Topeka had died.

Just after 4 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a reported aggravated robbery of a vehicle near SW 29th and Macvicar Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

It was reported that the vehicle was stolen by individuals who are known to the vehicle owner and a child was inside. The child was quickly located in the 3200 block of SW Central Park and was taken into police custody.

A short time later, officers located the stolen vehicle near SE 35th and Indiana in Topeka and initiated a traffic stop. The driver fled and initiated a short pursuit, which ended when the vehicle struck a pole near SE 29th and Minnesota where two suspects ran from the crash. Officers then located and took them into custody. Both individuals were transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Around 8:30 a.m., police received the report of an unresponsive man, later identified as Higgins, in the 2200 block of SE 29th Street.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital where he died. Police investigators believe the two incidents are related.

As a result of the investigation, Lorenzo A. Pattmon III, 21, and Rammelo H. Boatwright, 24, both of Topeka, were arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department. Both are now are being held on updated requested&nbsp; charges that include murder, of Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Child Endangerment.

The incident is the city’s 13th homicide investigation of 2024.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724243340231.png" alt="Pattmon-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Pattmon-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating two suspects new allegations after a victim in the case died.On Wednesday police reported 37-year-old&nbsp;Kyle E. Higgins of Topeka had died.Just after 4 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a reported aggravated robbery of a vehicle near SW 29th and Macvicar Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.It was reported that the vehicle was stolen by individuals who are known to the vehicle owner and a child was inside. The child was quickly located in the 3200 block of SW Central Park and was taken into police custody.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724243427663.png" alt="Boatwright -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Boatwright -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A short time later, officers located the stolen vehicle near SE 35th and Indiana in Topeka and initiated a traffic stop. The driver fled and initiated a short pursuit, which ended when the vehicle struck a pole near SE 29th and Minnesota where two suspects ran from the crash. Officers then located and took them into custody. Both individuals were transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.Around 8:30 a.m., police received the report of an unresponsive man, later identified as Higgins, in the 2200 block of SE 29th Street.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital where he died. Police investigators believe the two incidents are related.As a result of the investigation, Lorenzo A. Pattmon III, 21, and Rammelo H. Boatwright, 24, both of Topeka, were arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department. Both are now are being held on updated requested&nbsp; charges that include murder, of Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Child Endangerment.The incident is the city’s 13th homicide investigation of 2024.&nbsp;

Kan. man connected to stolen vehicle with child inside has died

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

CHICAGO — Actress and climate activist Julia Louis-Dreyfus asked eight Democratic women governors Wednesday if she would be ready for public office after playing a vice president and president on the hit cable TV show “Veep.”

“You’re more qualified than Donald Trump, don’t worry about it,” New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul quickly replied, to laughter in the packed room.

Louis-Dreyfus moderated a panel made up of the Democratic women governors at the Democratic National Convention. The political leaders in their roughly hour-long discussion touched on the unique benefits of being a woman in politics, and talked about how they are planning for potential interference and problems in the upcoming presidential elections.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she’s working closely with the secretary of state and attorney general to ensure that Arizona’s electoral votes are cast and to prepare for “every single scenario that comes our way.”

“I think the challenges that we saw in 2020 are going to look like kindergarten compared to what we see now,” she said. “But we are ready.”

<a href="https://azmirror.com/2024/04/25/who-are-the-five-unindicted-co-conspirators-in-arizonas-fake-elector-criminal-case/" target="_blank">A grand jury indicted 18 people in a fake elector scheme</a>&nbsp;that aimed to install Donald Trump as president after he lost the state of Arizona in the 2020 election.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer faced a similar scenario, in which&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/28/exams-begin-for-next-group-of-people-charged-in-fake-electors-scheme/" target="_blank">six individuals now face felony charges</a>&nbsp;for submitting false electoral votes for Trump in 2020.

Whitmer said her state legislature has worked to pass legislation to protect election workers and make it easier for people to partake in early voting.

“We know that there are going to be all sorts of efforts” to influence the results, she said.

Louis-Dreyfus noted during Whitmer’s term she’s had to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters and an attempted kidnapping and assassination plot.

“How do you stay afloat … under those circumstances?” she asked.

Whitmer said she keeps a gratitude journal and every day writes down three things that give her joy. She said sometimes the list stretches to 10 items, but other days it is not so long.

“Some days it is just my dog and my bed and tequila,” she said.

Louis-Dreyfus asked why it was important to support women down the ballot, and not just on the national level.

Hobbs said early support is important, and noted that’s how Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, got her start as a San Francisco district attorney in 2003.

“Down ballot races are critical,” Hobbs said.

Several of the governors agreed, noting that’s how they were able to enter politics, through their local elections.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said she got her start in the state legislature. Kotek was the longest-serving speaker in the Oregon House of Representatives and the first openly lesbian speaker, elected in 2013.

“When I became speaker, all the other leadership at the time was male, and you notice when you’re the only one in the room,” she said.

It’s an occurrence that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey knows, noting last year she became the first woman and open member of the LGBTQ community elected governor in her state.

Whitmer said as a woman in politics, she was often underestimated, which she said she sees as a strength, rather than a limitation.

“There are a lot of different ways that we are treated as compared to male candidates, but I would also say that it is a huge advantage to be underestimated,” she said.

Kansas Gov. and Democratic Governors Association Chair Laura Kelly said she thinks the underestimation that women face in politics “will fade away over time.”

Whitmer nodded: “With President Harris, it will.”

Louis-Dreyfus, who is also a comedian and starred in “Seinfeld,” asked how humor can find a place in politics.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724328694166.png" alt=" Kansas Gov. and DGA chairwoman Laura Kelly during a Democratic Women Governors panel with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Aug. 21, 2024, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption> Kansas Gov. and DGA chairwoman Laura Kelly during a Democratic Women Governors panel with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Aug. 21, 2024, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>CHICAGO — Actress and climate activist Julia Louis-Dreyfus asked eight Democratic women governors Wednesday if she would be ready for public office after playing a vice president and president on the hit cable TV show “Veep.”“You’re more qualified than Donald Trump, don’t worry about it,” New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul quickly replied, to laughter in the packed room.Louis-Dreyfus moderated a panel made up of the Democratic women governors at the Democratic National Convention. The political leaders in their roughly hour-long discussion touched on the unique benefits of being a woman in politics, and talked about how they are planning for potential interference and problems in the upcoming presidential elections.<h2>Fake electors</h2>Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she’s working closely with the secretary of state and attorney general to ensure that Arizona’s electoral votes are cast and to prepare for “every single scenario that comes our way.”“I think the challenges that we saw in 2020 are going to look like kindergarten compared to what we see now,” she said. “But we are ready.”<a href="https://azmirror.com/2024/04/25/who-are-the-five-unindicted-co-conspirators-in-arizonas-fake-elector-criminal-case/" target="_blank">A grand jury indicted 18 people in a fake elector scheme</a>&nbsp;that aimed to install Donald Trump as president after he lost the state of Arizona in the 2020 election.Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer faced a similar scenario, in which&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/28/exams-begin-for-next-group-of-people-charged-in-fake-electors-scheme/" target="_blank">six individuals now face felony charges</a>&nbsp;for submitting false electoral votes for Trump in 2020.Whitmer said her state legislature has worked to pass legislation to protect election workers and make it easier for people to partake in early voting.“We know that there are going to be all sorts of efforts” to influence the results, she said.Louis-Dreyfus noted during Whitmer’s term she’s had to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters and an attempted kidnapping and assassination plot.“How do you stay afloat … under those circumstances?” she asked.Whitmer said she keeps a gratitude journal and every day writes down three things that give her joy. She said sometimes the list stretches to 10 items, but other days it is not so long.“Some days it is just my dog and my bed and tequila,” she said.<h2>Women in state and local politics</h2>Louis-Dreyfus asked why it was important to support women down the ballot, and not just on the national level.Hobbs said early support is important, and noted that’s how Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, got her start as a San Francisco district attorney in 2003.“Down ballot races are critical,” Hobbs said.Several of the governors agreed, noting that’s how they were able to enter politics, through their local elections.Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said she got her start in the state legislature. Kotek was the longest-serving speaker in the Oregon House of Representatives and the first openly lesbian speaker, elected in 2013.“When I became speaker, all the other leadership at the time was male, and you notice when you’re the only one in the room,” she said.It’s an occurrence that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey knows, noting last year she became the first woman and open member of the LGBTQ community elected governor in her state.Whitmer said as a woman in politics, she was often underestimated, which she said she sees as a strength, rather than a limitation.“There are a lot of different ways that we are treated as compared to male candidates, but I would also say that it is a huge advantage to be underestimated,” she said.Kansas Gov. and Democratic Governors Association Chair Laura Kelly said she thinks the underestimation that women face in politics “will fade away over time.”Whitmer nodded: “With President Harris, it will.”Louis-Dreyfus, who is also a comedian and starred in “Seinfeld,” asked how humor can find a place in politics.“I think humor is an effective tool when things are hot and tense,” New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.Louis-Dreyfus asked the governors why are Republicans “so f****** weird?”Maine Governor Janet Mills laughed and said she knows Republicans in her state who are planning to vote for Harris because “they don’t have a place to go.”“They’re not all weird,” she said. “They know the traditional (Republican) party is not about Trump.”<h2>Reproductive rights</h2>Louis-Dreyfus asked how the overturning of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision has affected abortion access in the governors’ states.Since the conservative Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion two years ago, Democrats have campaigned on it at the state and federal level. Reproductive right advocates have also led grassroots campaigns to put measures on state ballots to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.In four states — California, Michigan, Ohio and Vermont — measures to amend the state constitutions to enshrine abortion protections passed,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/dashboard/ballot-tracker-status-of-abortion-related-state-constitutional-amendment-measures/" target="_blank">according to health policy organization KFF’s abortion ballot tracker.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>There are currently seven states with citizen-initiated measures on the ballot in November that will protect abortion access, in Arizona, Nevada, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Missouri and Florida.Hochul said that after the Supreme Court’s ruling, the first thing she did was go to a vigil.“It broke my heart,” she said.Hochul said she called the state legislature back for an emergency session to pass legislation to protect medical professionals and patients who travel to New York to access abortion care.“We let women from other states know this is a safe harbor for you to come here,” she said. “I’m going to fight like hell to get back (abortion rights) for my granddaughter.”