MONTGOMERY COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol Highway Patrol is seeking assistance from the public to identify witnesses to a vehicle pursuit that terminated in Montgomery County on September 26, 2025, according to a media release from the KHP.

The pursuit began in Owasso, Oklahoma, by officers from the Owasso Oklahoma Police Department with assistance from Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers. Two suspects, later identified as Tenisha D. Mayberry (the driver) and Cortez J. Wasson (a passenger), had fled the scene of a theft investigation and struck an Owasso officer with the suspect's driver's door.

When the pursuit entered Kansas, officers from the Coffeyville Police Department took control of the pursuit near the intersection of U.S. 169 and U.S. 166, traveling northbound from U.S. 169 onto Patterson Blvd. 

The suspect vehicle failed to stop at a red light. The pursuit continued northbound approaching the intersection of Patterson Blvd. and 8th Street where the suspect vehicle again failed to stop at a red light, striking a vehicle that was crossing the intersection. The suspect vehicle came to rest on its side, and the other vehicle overturned and came to rest on its roof.

Both suspects were taken into custody and received medical treatment on scene. The driver of the other vehicle, Maia E. O'Connell, was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. The passenger of the other vehicle, 15-year-old Serafina L. O'Connell, was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and later transported to a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for more intensive care. On September 30, Serafina succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.

The Kansas Highway Patrol's Critical Highway Accident Response Team (CHART) responded to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation.

If anyone witnessed or has information, including video, regarding the crash, please contact Technical Trooper Gary Boles or Montgomery County Attorney Melissa Johnson.

Mayberry is being held on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement, felony fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death, Possession of marijuana, according to online jail records.

Wasson is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;felony interference with law enforcement, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death and possession of marijuana.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759094019310.png" alt="Mayberry" />
 <figcaption>Mayberry</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol Highway Patrol is seeking assistance from the public to identify witnesses to a vehicle pursuit that terminated in Montgomery County on September 26, 2025, according to a media release from the KHP.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759094141027.png" alt="Wasson photo Montgomery County" />
 <figcaption>Wasson photo Montgomery County</figcaption>
 </figure>The pursuit began in Owasso, Oklahoma, by officers from the Owasso Oklahoma Police Department with assistance from Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers. Two suspects, later identified as Tenisha D. Mayberry (the driver) and Cortez J. Wasson (a passenger), had fled the scene of a theft investigation and struck an Owasso officer with the suspect's driver's door.When the pursuit entered Kansas, officers from the Coffeyville Police Department took control of the pursuit near the intersection of U.S. 169 and U.S. 166, traveling northbound from U.S. 169 onto Patterson Blvd. The suspect vehicle failed to stop at a red light. The pursuit continued northbound approaching the intersection of Patterson Blvd. and 8th Street where the suspect vehicle again failed to stop at a red light, striking a vehicle that was crossing the intersection. The suspect vehicle came to rest on its side, and the other vehicle overturned and came to rest on its roof.Both suspects were taken into custody and received medical treatment on scene. The driver of the other vehicle, Maia E. O'Connell, was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. The passenger of the other vehicle, 15-year-old Serafina L. O'Connell, was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and later transported to a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for more intensive care. On September 30, Serafina succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.The Kansas Highway Patrol's Critical Highway Accident Response Team (CHART) responded to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation.If anyone witnessed or has information, including video, regarding the crash, please contact Technical Trooper Gary Boles or Montgomery County Attorney Melissa Johnson.Mayberry is being held on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement, felony fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death, Possession of marijuana, according to online jail records.Wasson is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;felony interference with law enforcement, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death and possession of marijuana.

KHP seeks witnesses to vehicle pursuit, crash that left Kan. teen dead

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cami-koons/">Cami Koons</a>

Nearly half of U.S. Department of Agriculture employees will be furloughed during the federal government shutdown, though key programs that support nutrition, forest preservation and wildfire prevention, the most pressing plant and animal diseases and agricultural commodity assessments will continue.

Many offices, including county USDA service centers, will be closed or operating with minimal staff until Congress agrees on a temporary spending package. Support, payment processing and other functions of these offices are also suspended during the shutdown.

Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending bill Tuesday which resulted in the start of a government shutdown at midnight and federal agencies had to implement the contingency plans required by the Office of Management and Budget.

According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fy2026-usda-lapse-plan.pdf" target="_blank">contingency plan</a>&nbsp;filed&nbsp;by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only a handful of agency operations will continue during the shutdown. The primary objective is that agencies cannot incur financial obligations if the funding source has lapsed and any planned or in-the-works activities that would incur new obligations, must cease.&nbsp;

Activities that may continue during the shutdown include those that are financed by something other than current year appropriations, expressly authorized to continue, either by law or by necessary implication, necessary to the presidential duties and powers or related to emergencies that endanger human life or the protection of property.

According to the plan, more than 42,000 USDA employees are expected to be furloughed during the shutdown. That’s about half of the more than 85,000 employees the agency said would be “on board” prior to the shutdown.&nbsp;

USDA programs that will continue despite the shutdown:&nbsp;

Under the contingency plan, USDA functions like ongoing research, reports, outreach and technical assistance are suspended. The agency will also stop processing payments and disaster assistance.&nbsp;

Trade negotiations, hazardous fuel treatments, special use permits, regulatory work, training and travel by USDA employees and agencies are also suspended.&nbsp;

According to the contingency plan, most functions are suspended for the Risk Management Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, Food and Nutrition Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Economic Research Service, National Agricultural Statistical Service, Rural Development, and staff offices.

Website updates are also suspended under the shutdown. A banner atop the USDA website informs visitors that the website will not be updated “due to the Radical Left Democrat shutdown.”&nbsp;

“President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people,” the banner reads.&nbsp;

According to the plan, “all activities will cease” for the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and her office during the shutdown.&nbsp;

Approximately 67% of Farm Service Agency, or FSA, employees will be furloughed. According to the plan, selected leadership at headquarters and USDA offices will stay on during the shut down. This means county service centers, and the majority of the services they offer, will not be available during the shutdown.&nbsp;

Nearly all, 1135 out of 1237 employees, at the Food and Nutrition Service offices were projected to be furloughed during the shutdown, though according to the plan, enough employees remain to facilitate SNAP, child nutrition programs and WIC. WIC must make unspent funds from past years available in order to continue operations through October.

Close to 20,000 of the 32,390 Forest Service employees will continue to work on certain approved areas of agency work, like wildfire prevention, protection of federal land and federal directives to expand timber production. Public access to recreation sites managed by the department will be reduced, according to the plan.&nbsp;

A significant portion of Agricultural Marketing Service operations are funded by previous farm bill appropriations or by user fees, so services like the Federal Grain Inspection Service and dairy grading will continue, as will market news information.

Operations like country of origin labeling, the packers and stockyards program, the national organic program, shell egg surveillance and the pesticide data program will be suspended.&nbsp;

The plan calls for a number of reconsiderations in the event the shutdown persists longer than 5 days. This could include, for example a farm loan employee or other staff member on call at USDA service centers, or the reinstatement of some furloughed employees to deal with wildfire management.&nbsp;

Glenn “GT” Thompson, chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, blamed Democrats, who&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/09/30/repub/protesters-at-us-capitol-back-democrats-in-shutdown-fight-over-health-care-costs/" target="_blank">demanded extentions to the Affordable Care Act</a>&nbsp;be added to the stopgap spending bill, for shutting down the government and putting “critical USDA services in jeopardy.”

“These political games harm rural America through disruptions to farm payments, disaster relief, food assistance, and other critical services,” the Republican from Pennsylvania said in a statement. “Performative photo ops at state fairs and lip service to the producers who feed, fuel, and clothe our country won’t hide the truth—Democrats forcing a government shutdown only inflicts more pain on our agricultural economy.”

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/10/01/what-the-government-shutdown-means-for-usda-agencies/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Missouri Independent, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716664034438.png" alt="Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cami-koons/">Cami Koons</a>Nearly half of U.S. Department of Agriculture employees will be furloughed during the federal government shutdown, though key programs that support nutrition, forest preservation and wildfire prevention, the most pressing plant and animal diseases and agricultural commodity assessments will continue.Many offices, including county USDA service centers, will be closed or operating with minimal staff until Congress agrees on a temporary spending package. Support, payment processing and other functions of these offices are also suspended during the shutdown.Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending bill Tuesday which resulted in the start of a government shutdown at midnight and federal agencies had to implement the contingency plans required by the Office of Management and Budget.According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fy2026-usda-lapse-plan.pdf" target="_blank">contingency plan</a>&nbsp;filed&nbsp;by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only a handful of agency operations will continue during the shutdown. The primary objective is that agencies cannot incur financial obligations if the funding source has lapsed and any planned or in-the-works activities that would incur new obligations, must cease.&nbsp;Activities that may continue during the shutdown include those that are financed by something other than current year appropriations, expressly authorized to continue, either by law or by necessary implication, necessary to the presidential duties and powers or related to emergencies that endanger human life or the protection of property.According to the plan, more than 42,000 USDA employees are expected to be furloughed during the shutdown. That’s about half of the more than 85,000 employees the agency said would be “on board” prior to the shutdown.&nbsp;USDA programs that will continue despite the shutdown:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Farm loan processing.</li><li>Certain natural resources and conservation programs that are mandatory under the farm bill or to protect human life and private property, like the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, dam safety and rehab work, the National Water and Climate Center which tracks flooding and weather risks and the National Soil Survey Center.&nbsp;</li><li>“Core” nutrition safety net programs. This includes SNAP and child nutrition programs which have funding appropriations through October. The Women Infants and Children, or WIC, program is set to continue through the shutdown “subject to the availability of funding.” According to the plan, WIC can “recover and reallocate” unused grant funding from previous years to cover gap in coverage.&nbsp;</li><li>Food safety operations, like inspections and laboratory testing.</li><li>Wildfire preparation and response.&nbsp;</li><li>Activities like grading, assessment, inspection, import and export for farm commodities. These activities are supported by user fees and therefore not impacted by the shutdown.</li><li>Emergency programs under USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that address new world screwworm, highly pathogenic avian influenza, African swine fever, rabies and exotic fruit flies. Surveying for other plant and livestock diseases will cease during the shutdown.&nbsp;</li><li>Prior obligations in the Section 521 rental housing agreement program. This is the program element of USDA Rural Development offices that will persist.</li><li>Operational requirements like human resource policies, cybersecurity and critical IT infrastructure.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Under the contingency plan, USDA functions like ongoing research, reports, outreach and technical assistance are suspended. The agency will also stop processing payments and disaster assistance.&nbsp;Trade negotiations, hazardous fuel treatments, special use permits, regulatory work, training and travel by USDA employees and agencies are also suspended.&nbsp;According to the contingency plan, most functions are suspended for the Risk Management Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, Food and Nutrition Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Economic Research Service, National Agricultural Statistical Service, Rural Development, and staff offices.Website updates are also suspended under the shutdown. A banner atop the USDA website informs visitors that the website will not be updated “due to the Radical Left Democrat shutdown.”&nbsp;“President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people,” the banner reads.&nbsp;According to the plan, “all activities will cease” for the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and her office during the shutdown.&nbsp;Approximately 67% of Farm Service Agency, or FSA, employees will be furloughed. According to the plan, selected leadership at headquarters and USDA offices will stay on during the shut down. This means county service centers, and the majority of the services they offer, will not be available during the shutdown.&nbsp;Nearly all, 1135 out of 1237 employees, at the Food and Nutrition Service offices were projected to be furloughed during the shutdown, though according to the plan, enough employees remain to facilitate SNAP, child nutrition programs and WIC. WIC must make unspent funds from past years available in order to continue operations through October.Close to 20,000 of the 32,390 Forest Service employees will continue to work on certain approved areas of agency work, like wildfire prevention, protection of federal land and federal directives to expand timber production. Public access to recreation sites managed by the department will be reduced, according to the plan.&nbsp;A significant portion of Agricultural Marketing Service operations are funded by previous farm bill appropriations or by user fees, so services like the Federal Grain Inspection Service and dairy grading will continue, as will market news information.Operations like country of origin labeling, the packers and stockyards program, the national organic program, shell egg surveillance and the pesticide data program will be suspended.&nbsp;The plan calls for a number of reconsiderations in the event the shutdown persists longer than 5 days. This could include, for example a farm loan employee or other staff member on call at USDA service centers, or the reinstatement of some furloughed employees to deal with wildfire management.&nbsp;Glenn “GT” Thompson, chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, blamed Democrats, who&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/09/30/repub/protesters-at-us-capitol-back-democrats-in-shutdown-fight-over-health-care-costs/" target="_blank">demanded extentions to the Affordable Care Act</a>&nbsp;be added to the stopgap spending bill, for shutting down the government and putting “critical USDA services in jeopardy.”“These political games harm rural America through disruptions to farm payments, disaster relief, food assistance, and other critical services,” the Republican from Pennsylvania said in a statement. “Performative photo ops at state fairs and lip service to the producers who feed, fuel, and clothe our country won’t hide the truth—Democrats forcing a government shutdown only inflicts more pain on our agricultural economy.”This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/10/01/what-the-government-shutdown-means-for-usda-agencies/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Missouri Independent, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

What the government shutdown means for USDA agencies

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — University officials across Kansas celebrated a third year of growing enrollments on Wednesday, even though&nbsp; the future will present more challenges.&nbsp;

“We’re obviously extremely pleased,” said Blake Benson, chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents. “It’s a third consecutive year of growth, and we’re really glad to see that it’s spread out — the public universities, community colleges and technical colleges are all up, so very, very positive news.”

In general, Board of Regents public universities saw enrollment growth or stayed level. The only drop was at Fort Hays State University, which essentially stabilized with a decrease of 0.2%. Washburn University increased enrollment by 2.3%.&nbsp;

Twelve of 19 Kansas community colleges also posted enrollment growth, although Fort Scott Community College seeing a decreased enrollment of 17.2%,&nbsp;<a href="https://submission.kansasregents.gov/ibi_apps/portal/BIP_Public2/KHEStats" target="_blank">Kansas Board of Regent data showed</a>. All six technical colleges Increased or stayed stable in their enrollment.&nbsp;

Emporia State University saw the biggest enrollment jump this year of 5.8%, a strong recovery after posting losses since 2020. The school increased enrollment by 263 students, for a total of 4,820.

In a letter to students, ESU president Ken Hush attributed the growth to no tuition or fee increase for two years, increasing student scholarships awarded by 141%, investment in student activities and more funding from the ESU Foundation, among other factors.

The university&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/former-interim-emporia-state-president-condemns-mass-firing-of-tenured-faculty/">fired tenured faculty</a>&nbsp;as part of restructuring efforts.&nbsp;

“When we began our transformation, we predicted changes in our enrollment as we took on the challenges facing our university, with the prediction for fall 2025 holding stable after some initial decreases,” Hush wrote, adding he was pleased to instead post a 6% increase.

Kansas State and Wichita State increased enrollment at about the same rate, 4.6% and 4.3%, respectively.&nbsp; The University of Kansas posted a 1.2% increase, while the University of Kansas Medical Center enrollment increased 1.9%.

“We’ve been working diligently on a strategic enrollment plan, and we’re really seeing the fruits of the labor across campus and have had some of the largest enrollment gains that we’ve seen,” said Karen Goos, K-State’s vice provost for enrollment management.

Freshmen enrollment numbers were up 7.5% this year, she said. Growth is occurring with both new students and retention of current students, Goos added.&nbsp;

Scott Cason, Fort Hays State University spokesman, said the school’s on-campus enrollment increased by 2% this year and the number of new undergraduate students attending the school grew by 9%.&nbsp;

“Our residence halls are in full capacity right now,” he said. “We haven’t seen that in a long time. It shows you that the on-campus experience is still a draw, even in times where there have been increasing questions about the perception of the value of the college degree.”

The school did see a small decrease in international students and in general in online enrollment, Cason said. Once dominating among Kansas schools in online enrollment, FHSU has more competition in that arena and experienced a drop after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other schools are reporting decreasing numbers of international students, but that data won’t be collected by the Board of Regents until later in the school year, Benson said.&nbsp;

Cason said Fort Hays State lost only three international students. He attributed that to their diversity of enrollment sources internationally.&nbsp;

“We’re actually up in our early college program that includes our international students. We have partner campuses,” he said, adding that although they have strong partnerships in China, they also draw from Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia and Senegal.

“We haven’t seen the disruption that other schools have seen that count more heavily on traditional international student models,” he said.

Challenges are expected for post-secondary institutions in coming years as the number of students graduating from Kansas high schools will begin decreasing next year. The change is often referred to as an enrollment cliff. In addition, schools are already experiencing decreases in graduating high school students who enroll in higher education, she said.

“What we’re seeing is the percent of students who are having any post-secondary credentials after high school has declined pretty significantly,” Goos said. “We actually have seen an increase of high school graduates. This will be the last year. After this, we will start to decline.”

Benson said the decrease in number of graduating high school students in 2026 is one of the primary challenges facing higher education.&nbsp;

“That’s probably not going to be just a two- or three-year challenge,” he said. “That’s going to be that way for the foreseeable future. That just means the pool of traditional college-age students will continue shrinking, even as the demand for college-educated workers keeps growing.”

That makes it imperative for Kansas to increase the number of students going to college to meet workforce needs, Benson said.&nbsp;

“I think we’ve also got to work to enroll adult learners, including those who may already have some college credit but no degree,” Benson said. “I don’t think that there’s going to be a silver bullet answer to it, but I’m really proud of the steps that the system in our institutions have taken to get ready for those challenges, and I think that we’ll be able to meet them.”

K-State is planning for all those challenges, Goos said.&nbsp;

“We’re just launching a new strategic enrollment plan with the idea of thinking about, how do we move forward with the enrollment cliff?” she said. “How do we position ourselves?”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759428178918.png" alt=" Blake Benson, left, chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents, was pleased to see increased enrollment in Kansas post-secondary schools. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Blake Benson, left, chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents, was pleased to see increased enrollment in Kansas post-secondary schools. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — University officials across Kansas celebrated a third year of growing enrollments on Wednesday, even though&nbsp; the future will present more challenges.&nbsp;“We’re obviously extremely pleased,” said Blake Benson, chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents. “It’s a third consecutive year of growth, and we’re really glad to see that it’s spread out — the public universities, community colleges and technical colleges are all up, so very, very positive news.”In general, Board of Regents public universities saw enrollment growth or stayed level. The only drop was at Fort Hays State University, which essentially stabilized with a decrease of 0.2%. Washburn University increased enrollment by 2.3%.&nbsp;Twelve of 19 Kansas community colleges also posted enrollment growth, although Fort Scott Community College seeing a decreased enrollment of 17.2%,&nbsp;<a href="https://submission.kansasregents.gov/ibi_apps/portal/BIP_Public2/KHEStats" target="_blank">Kansas Board of Regent data showed</a>. All six technical colleges Increased or stayed stable in their enrollment.&nbsp;Emporia State University saw the biggest enrollment jump this year of 5.8%, a strong recovery after posting losses since 2020. The school increased enrollment by 263 students, for a total of 4,820.In a letter to students, ESU president Ken Hush attributed the growth to no tuition or fee increase for two years, increasing student scholarships awarded by 141%, investment in student activities and more funding from the ESU Foundation, among other factors.The university&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/former-interim-emporia-state-president-condemns-mass-firing-of-tenured-faculty/">fired tenured faculty</a>&nbsp;as part of restructuring efforts.&nbsp;“When we began our transformation, we predicted changes in our enrollment as we took on the challenges facing our university, with the prediction for fall 2025 holding stable after some initial decreases,” Hush wrote, adding he was pleased to instead post a 6% increase.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759428093235.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State and Wichita State increased enrollment at about the same rate, 4.6% and 4.3%, respectively.&nbsp; The University of Kansas posted a 1.2% increase, while the University of Kansas Medical Center enrollment increased 1.9%.“We’ve been working diligently on a strategic enrollment plan, and we’re really seeing the fruits of the labor across campus and have had some of the largest enrollment gains that we’ve seen,” said Karen Goos, K-State’s vice provost for enrollment management.Freshmen enrollment numbers were up 7.5% this year, she said. Growth is occurring with both new students and retention of current students, Goos added.&nbsp;Scott Cason, Fort Hays State University spokesman, said the school’s on-campus enrollment increased by 2% this year and the number of new undergraduate students attending the school grew by 9%.&nbsp;“Our residence halls are in full capacity right now,” he said. “We haven’t seen that in a long time. It shows you that the on-campus experience is still a draw, even in times where there have been increasing questions about the perception of the value of the college degree.”The school did see a small decrease in international students and in general in online enrollment, Cason said. Once dominating among Kansas schools in online enrollment, FHSU has more competition in that arena and experienced a drop after the COVID-19 pandemic.Other schools are reporting decreasing numbers of international students, but that data won’t be collected by the Board of Regents until later in the school year, Benson said.&nbsp;Cason said Fort Hays State lost only three international students. He attributed that to their diversity of enrollment sources internationally.&nbsp;“We’re actually up in our early college program that includes our international students. We have partner campuses,” he said, adding that although they have strong partnerships in China, they also draw from Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia and Senegal.“We haven’t seen the disruption that other schools have seen that count more heavily on traditional international student models,” he said.Challenges are expected for post-secondary institutions in coming years as the number of students graduating from Kansas high schools will begin decreasing next year. The change is often referred to as an enrollment cliff. In addition, schools are already experiencing decreases in graduating high school students who enroll in higher education, she said.“What we’re seeing is the percent of students who are having any post-secondary credentials after high school has declined pretty significantly,” Goos said. “We actually have seen an increase of high school graduates. This will be the last year. After this, we will start to decline.”Benson said the decrease in number of graduating high school students in 2026 is one of the primary challenges facing higher education.&nbsp;“That’s probably not going to be just a two- or three-year challenge,” he said. “That’s going to be that way for the foreseeable future. That just means the pool of traditional college-age students will continue shrinking, even as the demand for college-educated workers keeps growing.”That makes it imperative for Kansas to increase the number of students going to college to meet workforce needs, Benson said.&nbsp;“I think we’ve also got to work to enroll adult learners, including those who may already have some college credit but no degree,” Benson said. “I don’t think that there’s going to be a silver bullet answer to it, but I’m really proud of the steps that the system in our institutions have taken to get ready for those challenges, and I think that we’ll be able to meet them.”K-State is planning for all those challenges, Goos said.&nbsp;“We’re just launching a new strategic enrollment plan with the idea of thinking about, how do we move forward with the enrollment cliff?” she said. “How do we position ourselves?”

Kansas post-secondary schools see increased enrollment, plan for challenges ahead

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City have identified the victims as 25-year-old Lashon L. Campbell, according to Police Sgt. Phil DiMartino.

Just after 11:15p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 5200 block of Winner Road in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported sound of shots, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

While canvassing the area, officers located security personnel who advised a shooting had occurred and directed officers to a crime scene. While officers were on scene, dispatch advised a private vehicle had transported an adult male shooting victim, later identified as Campbell, to an area hospital. He was later pronounced&nbsp;deceased. 

An additional adult male shooting victim arrived at a separate hospital in stable condition. 

Preliminary investigations indicates an interaction between a group of individuals took place and escalated to gunfire.&nbsp; Police have not released suspect information or reported an arrest.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City have identified the victims as 25-year-old Lashon L. Campbell, according to Police Sgt. Phil DiMartino.Just after 11:15p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 5200 block of Winner Road in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported sound of shots, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.While canvassing the area, officers located security personnel who advised a shooting had occurred and directed officers to a crime scene. While officers were on scene, dispatch advised a private vehicle had transported an adult male shooting victim, later identified as Campbell, to an area hospital. He was later pronounced&nbsp;deceased. An additional adult male shooting victim arrived at a separate hospital in stable condition. Preliminary investigations indicates an interaction between a group of individuals took place and escalated to gunfire.&nbsp; Police have not released suspect information or reported an arrest.

KCPD: Group fight led to shooting death of 25-year-old

TOPEKA — Fort Riley announced Wednesday that many civilian employees are furloughed as a result of the federal government shutdown that went into effect at midnight Tuesday.

In a social media post, Fort Riley said email messages and phone calls to affected civilian staff will not be answered and many social media channeled will not be monitored.

More than 15 departments were closed, according to the post, including Public Affairs, Soldier and Family Assistance Center, some child care services, the Recycling Center and the Military Personnel Division administration.

Other departments&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FortRiley/posts/pfbid02xtT4ukJa9FxrxzHqVbqTepydihno6fYpaZ5RQmhKhhd9mcAFj3YCEH16ueiroXRcl" target="_blank">are scheduling work by appointment only</a>.

“Those who still report to work are classified as exempt and are generally in the life/health/safety fields,” Fort Riley’s social media posted in response to a question about who is affected. “Those who are not exempt do not report to work until funding is restored.”

A separate social media post referred people to the U.S. Defense Department’s website, which reads: “Military personnel will continue in a normal duty status, without pay, until such time as a continuing resolution or appropriations are passed by Congress and signed into law. Civilian personnel not engaged in excepted activities will be placed in a non-work, non-pay status.”

Fort Riley also postponed its Retiree Appreciation Day scheduled for Saturday.

In federal information posted online about the government shutdown, federal civilian paychecks for Sept. 7–Sept. 20 would not be delayed. Those checks generally arrive between Sept. 26 and Oct. 2, the information said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759406650396.png" alt="Fort Riley has closed more than 15 offices as a result of the government shutdown and the furlough of some civilian employees. (U.S. Defense Department)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Riley has closed more than 15 offices as a result of the government shutdown and the furlough of some civilian employees. (U.S. Defense Department)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Fort Riley announced Wednesday that many civilian employees are furloughed as a result of the federal government shutdown that went into effect at midnight Tuesday.In a social media post, Fort Riley said email messages and phone calls to affected civilian staff will not be answered and many social media channeled will not be monitored.More than 15 departments were closed, according to the post, including Public Affairs, Soldier and Family Assistance Center, some child care services, the Recycling Center and the Military Personnel Division administration.Other departments&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FortRiley/posts/pfbid02xtT4ukJa9FxrxzHqVbqTepydihno6fYpaZ5RQmhKhhd9mcAFj3YCEH16ueiroXRcl" target="_blank">are scheduling work by appointment only</a>.“Those who still report to work are classified as exempt and are generally in the life/health/safety fields,” Fort Riley’s social media posted in response to a question about who is affected. “Those who are not exempt do not report to work until funding is restored.”A separate social media post referred people to the U.S. Defense Department’s website, which reads: “Military personnel will continue in a normal duty status, without pay, until such time as a continuing resolution or appropriations are passed by Congress and signed into law. Civilian personnel not engaged in excepted activities will be placed in a non-work, non-pay status.”Fort Riley also postponed its Retiree Appreciation Day scheduled for Saturday.In federal information posted online about the government shutdown, federal civilian paychecks for Sept. 7–Sept. 20 would not be delayed. Those checks generally arrive between Sept. 26 and Oct. 2, the information said.

Fort Riley closes 15+ departments, furloughs employees after federal government shutdown

MONTGMERY COUNTY— A driver injured in a crash during a police chase in Montgomery County is now facing a possible murder charge.

Three people were injured in the accident that occurred just after 4p.m. on September 26 and one later died.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Jeep driven by Tenisha D.&nbsp;Mayberry, 38, Blue Springs, Mo., was northbound on Patterson Boulevard fleeing law enforcement. The driver failed to yield at a stop light at 8th Street in Coffeyville and struck the passenger side of eastbound Chevy Tahoe driven by Maia E, O'Connell, 17, Coffeyville.

After impact the Jeep traveled off the road and overturned. The Tahoe left the road and rolled onto its roof.

EMS transported Mayberry, a passenger in the Jeep Cortez J. Wasson, Jr. 19,&nbsp; Blue Springs, Missouri and O'Connell to Coffeyville Regional Hospital. EMS transported a passenger in the Tahoe Serafina L&nbsp; O'Connell, 15, Coffeyville, to&nbsp;St Francis Hospital in Tulsa where she later died. Wasson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759094141027.png" alt="Wasson photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Wasson photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGMERY COUNTY— A driver injured in a crash during a police chase in Montgomery County is now facing a possible murder charge.Three people were injured in the accident that occurred just after 4p.m. on September 26 and one later died.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Jeep driven by Tenisha D.&nbsp;Mayberry, 38, Blue Springs, Mo., was northbound on Patterson Boulevard fleeing law enforcement. The driver failed to yield at a stop light at 8th Street in Coffeyville and struck the passenger side of eastbound Chevy Tahoe driven by Maia E, O'Connell, 17, Coffeyville.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759094019310.png" alt="Mayberry photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Mayberry photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>After impact the Jeep traveled off the road and overturned. The Tahoe left the road and rolled onto its roof.EMS transported Mayberry, a passenger in the Jeep Cortez J. Wasson, Jr. 19,&nbsp; Blue Springs, Missouri and O'Connell to Coffeyville Regional Hospital. EMS transported a passenger in the Tahoe Serafina L&nbsp; O'Connell, 15, Coffeyville, to&nbsp;St Francis Hospital in Tulsa where she later died. Wasson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mayberry is being held on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement, felony fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death, Possession of marijuana, according to online jail records.Wasson is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;felony interference with law enforcement, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death and possession of marijuana.

Mo. woman faces additional charge after teen dies in crash during chase

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler at a Wednesday night vigil for Sgt. Scott Heimann said that his deep faith had been shaken in the wake of the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/259a0a4e-7e84-4de0-abd6-7a961ab84091">Sunday killing in the line of duty of one of his officers</a>.

He added he continued to find comfort in the word of God.

Heimann served on the Hays Police Department since 2016, all of those years under the direction of Scheibler. He was serving as a patrol sergeant when he was killed, having recently been promoted.

Mourners gathered Wednesday night at the Thomas More Prep-Marian grotto for a candlelight vigil for Heimann. Many of them were his peers dressed in uniform. The Kansas Highway Patrol offered a special escort for the family.

"Scott was an amazing and talented man," Scheibler said. "He was kind and compassionate and caring in all that he did. Scott was so smart, so strong. He had an amazing sense of humor.&nbsp;

"If Scott were here, he would tell you he was handsome too," Scheibler said, which brought giggles from the crowd.

He said Heimann could have done anything in the world and been successful. He wanted to be a Hays Police officer.

"He wanted to stand on the wall and protect this community," Scheibler said. "I think it's important that you know that he wanted to protect you."

He said this made him successful throughout his career. Scheibler said he was a strong leader and a mentor for the Hays Police Department.

Scheibler said Heimann joked with him that he was keeping the seat warm for him, as Scott hoped to one day be the chief of the Hays Police Department.

"Scott impacted our community in so many ways," he said, "By reading books to children in the library, giving knuckle bumps as kids walked to school, wrestling drunks in the bar, to responding to the most dangerous threats in our community."

Scheibler's voice began to waver, "During the last few days, as my thoughts dwell on Scott, I'm reminded of the Bible verse Isiah 6:8.

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom should I send? Who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here I am.'"

"When evil came to our community that night, like so many other times for the members of the Special Situation Response Team, he left his family, he left the comfort and safety of his home and raised his hand and said, 'Here I am.'"

He called Heimann his friend, his brother in blue and his hero.

"... not because of how he fell, but how he lived to serve," Scheibler said. "I find assurance in Matthew 5:9. 'Blessed are the peacemakers because they will be called the children of God.'"

He called Heimann the ultimate peacemaker.

"God bless Scott, and may the example of his life bring peace to us all," Scheibler said.

Heimann, 32, was a 2012 graduate of TMP, the Catholic middle and high school in Hays. He was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Hays and was noted by many as a devout Catholic.

Fr. Fred Gatsche spoke to the mourners, "This evening we are going to acknowledge the hurt, the sense of loss, the grief, the anger, the frustration with the whole situation. As we go through the vigil tomorrow and the funeral, we will interject more hope and consolation."

Gatsche read Psalm 22, which was the Psalm that Jesus cited when he was on the cross.

The Psalm begins, "My God! My God! Why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, my cries of anguish?"

As the Psalm continues, it says, "but you, oh Lord, do not stay far off. My strength comes quickly to help me, deliver my soul from the sword."

He concluded by quoting St. Theresa of Avila, "Let nothing upset you. Let nothing startle you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience wins all that it seeks. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone is enough."

Mayor Sandy Jacobs called Heimann a brave soul who made the ultimate sacrifice.&nbsp;

"On behalf of the city, my fellow commissioners and city staff, we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends and colleagues of the fallen officer, Sgt. Scott Heimann. His service and sacrifice serving our community will never be forgotten," she said.

"We stand united with our police department and the entire community as we navigate this really difficult time," she said.&nbsp;

She asked the community to keep all those affected in their thoughts and prayers.

"Scott Heimann was more than just a uniform. He was a protector, a neighbor, a friend, a husband and a father. He was someone who stood tall every day, not knowing what the shift might bring, but always showing up with courage and commitment."

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/259a0a4e-7e84-4de0-abd6-7a961ab84091">Heimann is survived by his wife,&nbsp;Beth, and a young son and daughter.</a>&nbsp;His parents and mother-in-law and father-in-law are also Hays residents.

Jacobs continued, "Tonight we hold these candles, not only to mourn and honor, to shine light in the darkness of loss and to say to family and the department and each other, 'You are not alone.'"

"To Scott's family, your pain is unimaginable, and no words can make it easier, but please know, Scott did not serve in vain.&nbsp;

"This city is safer, stronger and better because of his sacrifice. We are forever in his debt," she said.

"To all that are gathered here," Jacobs said, "May this night remind us of the power of unity, the strength of community and the enduring light of service and love."

The vigil was concluded with a song sung by TMP students, followed by a prayer led by Fr. Gatsche.

A visitation for Heimann will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Hays Post will offer a live stream of the funeral in cooperation with Tiger Media Network through YouTube.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759373790773.jpeg" alt="Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler exits the vigil for Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heimann followed by members of the family. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler exits the vigil for Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heimann followed by members of the family. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHays Police Chief Don Scheibler at a Wednesday night vigil for Sgt. Scott Heimann said that his deep faith had been shaken in the wake of the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/259a0a4e-7e84-4de0-abd6-7a961ab84091">Sunday killing in the line of duty of one of his officers</a>.He added he continued to find comfort in the word of God.Heimann served on the Hays Police Department since 2016, all of those years under the direction of Scheibler. He was serving as a patrol sergeant when he was killed, having recently been promoted.Mourners gathered Wednesday night at the Thomas More Prep-Marian grotto for a candlelight vigil for Heimann. Many of them were his peers dressed in uniform. The Kansas Highway Patrol offered a special escort for the family.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759373963756.jpeg" alt="Members of law enforcement are given hugs after the vigil for Sgt. Scott Heimanm, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Photo by Cristina Janney Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Members of law enforcement are given hugs after the vigil for Sgt. Scott Heimanm, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Photo by Cristina Janney Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759375077046.jpeg" alt="Officers console each other at a vigil for Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Officers console each other at a vigil for Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>"Scott was an amazing and talented man," Scheibler said. "He was kind and compassionate and caring in all that he did. Scott was so smart, so strong. He had an amazing sense of humor.&nbsp;"If Scott were here, he would tell you he was handsome too," Scheibler said, which brought giggles from the crowd.He said Heimann could have done anything in the world and been successful. He wanted to be a Hays Police officer."He wanted to stand on the wall and protect this community," Scheibler said. "I think it's important that you know that he wanted to protect you."He said this made him successful throughout his career. Scheibler said he was a strong leader and a mentor for the Hays Police Department.Scheibler said Heimann joked with him that he was keeping the seat warm for him, as Scott hoped to one day be the chief of the Hays Police Department."Scott impacted our community in so many ways," he said, "By reading books to children in the library, giving knuckle bumps as kids walked to school, wrestling drunks in the bar, to responding to the most dangerous threats in our community."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759374210478.jpeg" alt="Law enforcement officers leaving the vigil for Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement officers leaving the vigil for Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Scheibler's voice began to waver, "During the last few days, as my thoughts dwell on Scott, I'm reminded of the Bible verse Isiah 6:8."And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom should I send? Who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here I am.'""When evil came to our community that night, like so many other times for the members of the Special Situation Response Team, he left his family, he left the comfort and safety of his home and raised his hand and said, 'Here I am.'"He called Heimann his friend, his brother in blue and his hero."... not because of how he fell, but how he lived to serve," Scheibler said. "I find assurance in Matthew 5:9. 'Blessed are the peacemakers because they will be called the children of God.'"He called Heimann the ultimate peacemaker."God bless Scott, and may the example of his life bring peace to us all," Scheibler said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759374433450.jpeg" alt="Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler receives a hug after the vigil for Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler receives a hug after the vigil for Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759374749420.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Heimann, 32, was a 2012 graduate of TMP, the Catholic middle and high school in Hays. He was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Hays and was noted by many as a devout Catholic.Fr. Fred Gatsche spoke to the mourners, "This evening we are going to acknowledge the hurt, the sense of loss, the grief, the anger, the frustration with the whole situation. As we go through the vigil tomorrow and the funeral, we will interject more hope and consolation."Gatsche read Psalm 22, which was the Psalm that Jesus cited when he was on the cross.The Psalm begins, "My God! My God! Why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, my cries of anguish?"As the Psalm continues, it says, "but you, oh Lord, do not stay far off. My strength comes quickly to help me, deliver my soul from the sword."He concluded by quoting St. Theresa of Avila, "Let nothing upset you. Let nothing startle you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience wins all that it seeks. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone is enough."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759375201715.jpeg" alt="Kansas Highway Patrol officers stand at attention at the vigil for Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Highway Patrol officers stand at attention at the vigil for Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759375360653.jpeg" alt="Mayor Sandy Jacobs extends condolences to Sgt. Scott Heimann's family and friends at a vigil for the fallen officer on Wednesday. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Mayor Sandy Jacobs extends condolences to Sgt. Scott Heimann's family and friends at a vigil for the fallen officer on Wednesday. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Mayor Sandy Jacobs called Heimann a brave soul who made the ultimate sacrifice.&nbsp;"On behalf of the city, my fellow commissioners and city staff, we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends and colleagues of the fallen officer, Sgt. Scott Heimann. His service and sacrifice serving our community will never be forgotten," she said."We stand united with our police department and the entire community as we navigate this really difficult time," she said.&nbsp;She asked the community to keep all those affected in their thoughts and prayers."Scott Heimann was more than just a uniform. He was a protector, a neighbor, a friend, a husband and a father. He was someone who stood tall every day, not knowing what the shift might bring, but always showing up with courage and commitment."<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/259a0a4e-7e84-4de0-abd6-7a961ab84091">Heimann is survived by his wife,&nbsp;Beth, and a young son and daughter.</a>&nbsp;His parents and mother-in-law and father-in-law are also Hays residents.Jacobs continued, "Tonight we hold these candles, not only to mourn and honor, to shine light in the darkness of loss and to say to family and the department and each other, 'You are not alone.'""To Scott's family, your pain is unimaginable, and no words can make it easier, but please know, Scott did not serve in vain.&nbsp;"This city is safer, stronger and better because of his sacrifice. We are forever in his debt," she said."To all that are gathered here," Jacobs said, "May this night remind us of the power of unity, the strength of community and the enduring light of service and love."The vigil was concluded with a song sung by TMP students, followed by a prayer led by Fr. Gatsche.A visitation for Heimann will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum.Hays Post will offer a live stream of the funeral in cooperation with Tiger Media Network through YouTube.

Vigil: Community shaken by officer's death, but blessed by 'ultimate peacemaker'

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 57-year-old Cleveland Wright, according to KCPD Sgt. Phil DiMartino.

Just before 8:30p.m. Sept. 24, police were dispatched to the intersection of Gardiner and N. Chouteau Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported shooting, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

When officers arrived to the scene, they located a vehicle that had been stopped near the intersection with an unresponsive driver inside. Upon further evaluation, officers determined the individual, later identified as Wright, was suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma, and immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS personnel responded.

Wright&nbsp; was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries where he was subsequently pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates Wright was inside of the vehicle when he was struck by gunfire. It is undetermined at this time if the suspect was an individual inside of another vehicle, or traveling on foot. 

Police do not currently have a person of interest identified and there is not anyone in police custody.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 57-year-old Cleveland Wright, according to KCPD Sgt. Phil DiMartino.Just before 8:30p.m. Sept. 24, police were dispatched to the intersection of Gardiner and N. Chouteau Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported shooting, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.When officers arrived to the scene, they located a vehicle that had been stopped near the intersection with an unresponsive driver inside. Upon further evaluation, officers determined the individual, later identified as Wright, was suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma, and immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS personnel responded.Wright&nbsp; was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries where he was subsequently pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates Wright was inside of the vehicle when he was struck by gunfire. It is undetermined at this time if the suspect was an individual inside of another vehicle, or traveling on foot. Police do not currently have a person of interest identified and there is not anyone in police custody.

Police ID shooting victim found in vehicle on KC street

Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and Republican AGs from two other states intervened in a case brought by anti-abortion groups. After the U.S. Supreme Court said those groups couldn’t sue, Missouri became the lead plaintiff

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

A federal case challenging the safety of mifepristone, used to treat miscarriages and to induce abortions early in pregnancy, is being transferred out of Texas to a federal court in Missouri.

The lawsuit demands the federal government restore its previous restrictions on mifepristone by requiring three in-person doctor visits, reducing the gestational period during which the medication can be taken from 10 weeks to seven and rolling back recent federal policy that allowed for the mailing of mifepristone and allowed for prescriptions to be made online or through pharmacies.

“This case has always been about ideology, not patient safety,” Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains said in a statement Wednesday, “It’s no surprise it has now been transferred to a district where nearly half the bench was elevated to the judiciary after undermining abortion rights at the Missouri attorney general’s office.”

Four of the court’s nine judges were appointed in May by President Donald Trump. Two, Josh Divine and Maria Lanahan, worked on the mifepristone case before their appointments.

“This order ensures Missouri’s case will be heard where it belongs: in Missouri,” the Missouri Attorney General’s Office said in a statement Wednesday. “We will continue protecting the health and safety of women and children in our state and continue fighting to hold the Biden Administration and its allies accountable for unlawfully loosening safeguards on chemical abortion drugs.”

The initial lawsuit was filed in Texas by a group of anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations. In June 2024,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/13/breaking-u-s-supreme-court-rejects-attempt-to-limit-access-to-abortion-pill/">the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the original lawsuit&nbsp;</a>after concluding the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue because they couldn’t show they had been harmed.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/21/missouri-senate-race-abortion-hawley-kunce/">Erin Morrow Hawley</a>&nbsp;argued the case in front of the nation’s highest court on behalf of the initial plaintiffs. She is the wife of U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.

Soon after, the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/22/missouri-mifepristone-lawsuit-andrew-bailey-teen-pregnancy/">attorneys general from Missouri, Kansas and Idaho refiled the litigation</a>. The defendants in the case — the FDA and mifepristone’s manufacturer —&nbsp;asked that the latest case be thrown out.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Texas federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk declined that request and transferred the case to the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis. Kacsmaryk wrote that he had no jurisdiction over the remaining plaintiffs.

“Instead of returning this years-long case to square one,” Kacsmaryk wrote that it made sense to transfer the case to “avoid the costs and delay” that would surely come from dismissing the case only to have a plaintiff re-file it in another jurisdiction.&nbsp;

Kacsmaryk said he chose Missouri among the states suing because “the Eastern District of Missouri is an accessible district with a major city.”

In his ruling, Kacsmaryk seemed reluctant to give up the case. He wrote that precedent “led every jurist who assessed this case to conclude that the original plaintiffs had a jurisdictionally valid case.”

But the Supreme Court didn’t agree, he noted, and “it is not the province of lower courts to defy the Supreme Court.”

Had Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sought to intervene earlier, Kacsmaryk noted, he could have kept the case in his court as jurisdictional issues “would have easily been satisfied.”

Right now, medication abortion is inaccessible through Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri.&nbsp;

Last November, voters codified the right to abortion in the state constitution. Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">a Jackson County judge is weighing whether to keep in place two state regulations</a>&nbsp;that Planned Parenthood says are preventing its providers from performing medication abortions in Missouri.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has argued in court filings that the lawsuit was filed to re-establish “long-standing safety requirements” for mifepristone. In ongoing court cases surrounding regulations around abortion in Missouri, the attorney general’s office has repeatedly painted mifepristone as a dangerous medication.

“The FDA has enabled online abortion providers to mail FDA-approved abortion drugs to women in states that regulate abortion — dispensing abortion drugs with no doctor care, no exam and no in-person follow-up care,” the attorneys general wrote in the amended lawsuit last year. “These dangerous drugs are now flooding states like Missouri and Idaho and sending women in these states to the emergency room.” &nbsp;

They also argued that current regulations around mifepristone make it impossible to track and prevent medication abortions.&nbsp;

“All of this makes it difficult for state law enforcement to detect and deter state law violations and to give effect to state abortion laws,” the attorneys general wrote.&nbsp;

According to the FDA,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed.</a>&nbsp;

Cramping and bleeding are common side effects of the medication. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf#page=16" target="_blank">if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever.&nbsp;</a>The same guidance applies to those who recently underwent surgical abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby.

Since the medication was approved for use 28 years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/164331/download" target="_blank">32 deaths have been reported associated with mifepristone,</a>&nbsp;according to the FDA. The report evaluates data from 5.9 million women who took mifepristone between 2000 and 2022. Of the three dozen deaths, 11 were the result of sepsis, 20 were homicides and two were suicides.

Last year, while arguing in court records that mifepristone harms Missouri and therefore the state has the standing to sue, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey contended access to mifepristone lowered “birth rates for teenaged mothers,” contributing to a population loss along with “diminishment of political representation and loss of federal funds.”

“Younger women are more likely to navigate online abortion finders or websites ordering mail-order medication to self-manage abortions,” the filing reads.

Abortion rights advocates and medical professionals continue to argue that mifepristone is safe.&nbsp;

“In Missouri, we are all too familiar with the attacks on medication abortion not grounded in science,” Margot Riphagen, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said in a statement Wednesday. “And continue to witness the detrimental public health outcomes as a result of politically motivated lawsuits, misinformation, and restrictions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759399748077.png" alt="The Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis, home of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Missouri (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independen" />
 <figcaption>The Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis, home of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Missouri (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independen</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and Republican AGs from two other states intervened in a case brought by anti-abortion groups. After the U.S. Supreme Court said those groups couldn’t sue, Missouri became the lead plaintiff</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>A federal case challenging the safety of mifepristone, used to treat miscarriages and to induce abortions early in pregnancy, is being transferred out of Texas to a federal court in Missouri.The lawsuit demands the federal government restore its previous restrictions on mifepristone by requiring three in-person doctor visits, reducing the gestational period during which the medication can be taken from 10 weeks to seven and rolling back recent federal policy that allowed for the mailing of mifepristone and allowed for prescriptions to be made online or through pharmacies.“This case has always been about ideology, not patient safety,” Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains said in a statement Wednesday, “It’s no surprise it has now been transferred to a district where nearly half the bench was elevated to the judiciary after undermining abortion rights at the Missouri attorney general’s office.”Four of the court’s nine judges were appointed in May by President Donald Trump. Two, Josh Divine and Maria Lanahan, worked on the mifepristone case before their appointments.“This order ensures Missouri’s case will be heard where it belongs: in Missouri,” the Missouri Attorney General’s Office said in a statement Wednesday. “We will continue protecting the health and safety of women and children in our state and continue fighting to hold the Biden Administration and its allies accountable for unlawfully loosening safeguards on chemical abortion drugs.”The initial lawsuit was filed in Texas by a group of anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations. In June 2024,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/13/breaking-u-s-supreme-court-rejects-attempt-to-limit-access-to-abortion-pill/">the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the original lawsuit&nbsp;</a>after concluding the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue because they couldn’t show they had been harmed.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/21/missouri-senate-race-abortion-hawley-kunce/">Erin Morrow Hawley</a>&nbsp;argued the case in front of the nation’s highest court on behalf of the initial plaintiffs. She is the wife of U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.Soon after, the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/22/missouri-mifepristone-lawsuit-andrew-bailey-teen-pregnancy/">attorneys general from Missouri, Kansas and Idaho refiled the litigation</a>. The defendants in the case — the FDA and mifepristone’s manufacturer —&nbsp;asked that the latest case be thrown out.&nbsp;On Tuesday, Texas federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk declined that request and transferred the case to the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis. Kacsmaryk wrote that he had no jurisdiction over the remaining plaintiffs.“Instead of returning this years-long case to square one,” Kacsmaryk wrote that it made sense to transfer the case to “avoid the costs and delay” that would surely come from dismissing the case only to have a plaintiff re-file it in another jurisdiction.&nbsp;Kacsmaryk said he chose Missouri among the states suing because “the Eastern District of Missouri is an accessible district with a major city.”In his ruling, Kacsmaryk seemed reluctant to give up the case. He wrote that precedent “led every jurist who assessed this case to conclude that the original plaintiffs had a jurisdictionally valid case.”But the Supreme Court didn’t agree, he noted, and “it is not the province of lower courts to defy the Supreme Court.”Had Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sought to intervene earlier, Kacsmaryk noted, he could have kept the case in his court as jurisdictional issues “would have easily been satisfied.”Right now, medication abortion is inaccessible through Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri.&nbsp;Last November, voters codified the right to abortion in the state constitution. Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">a Jackson County judge is weighing whether to keep in place two state regulations</a>&nbsp;that Planned Parenthood says are preventing its providers from performing medication abortions in Missouri.&nbsp;The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has argued in court filings that the lawsuit was filed to re-establish “long-standing safety requirements” for mifepristone. In ongoing court cases surrounding regulations around abortion in Missouri, the attorney general’s office has repeatedly painted mifepristone as a dangerous medication.“The FDA has enabled online abortion providers to mail FDA-approved abortion drugs to women in states that regulate abortion — dispensing abortion drugs with no doctor care, no exam and no in-person follow-up care,” the attorneys general wrote in the amended lawsuit last year. “These dangerous drugs are now flooding states like Missouri and Idaho and sending women in these states to the emergency room.” &nbsp;They also argued that current regulations around mifepristone make it impossible to track and prevent medication abortions.&nbsp;“All of this makes it difficult for state law enforcement to detect and deter state law violations and to give effect to state abortion laws,” the attorneys general wrote.&nbsp;According to the FDA,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed.</a>&nbsp;Cramping and bleeding are common side effects of the medication. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf#page=16" target="_blank">if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever.&nbsp;</a>The same guidance applies to those who recently underwent surgical abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby.Since the medication was approved for use 28 years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/164331/download" target="_blank">32 deaths have been reported associated with mifepristone,</a>&nbsp;according to the FDA. The report evaluates data from 5.9 million women who took mifepristone between 2000 and 2022. Of the three dozen deaths, 11 were the result of sepsis, 20 were homicides and two were suicides.Last year, while arguing in court records that mifepristone harms Missouri and therefore the state has the standing to sue, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey contended access to mifepristone lowered “birth rates for teenaged mothers,” contributing to a population loss along with “diminishment of political representation and loss of federal funds.”“Younger women are more likely to navigate online abortion finders or websites ordering mail-order medication to self-manage abortions,” the filing reads.Abortion rights advocates and medical professionals continue to argue that mifepristone is safe.&nbsp;“In Missouri, we are all too familiar with the attacks on medication abortion not grounded in science,” Margot Riphagen, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said in a statement Wednesday. “And continue to witness the detrimental public health outcomes as a result of politically motivated lawsuits, misinformation, and restrictions.”

Federal lawsuit to limit access to abortion pill moved from Texas to Missouri

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City faces charges for allegedly striking a man to death and then setting the house on fire earlier this month in Kansas City’s northeast neighborhood.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2733/brown-dianna---complaint-packet-update-final">Dianna A. Brown</a>&nbsp;46, faces 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, 2nd Degree Arson, and Tampering with Physical Evidence in a Felony Prosecution, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2732/Diana-Brown---PC-Statement-Redacted-final">According to court records</a>, on September 19, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment building near Kensington Avenue and Independence Avenue on a reported fire. After extinguishing the fire, which was contained to only one portion of the building, firefighters located a deceased male with severe burns, apparent head trauma, and signs of decomposition.&nbsp;

Detectives responded to the scene and found mail and prescription medication belonging to the defendant at the location.&nbsp;

The Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death as blunt force trauma of the head and the manner of death as homicide.&nbsp;

On Sept. 27, the detctives interviewed the defendant. She said that on Sept. 14, she was with the victim at his apartment when an argument began. After the argument stopped and the victim went to sleep, Brown told detectives she used a nearby hammer to strike the victim multiple times. She said she continued to live in the apartment until setting it on fire.&nbsp;

The defendant is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758311035022.png" alt="Scene of the investigation&nbsp; -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the investigation&nbsp; -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City faces charges for allegedly striking a man to death and then setting the house on fire earlier this month in Kansas City’s northeast neighborhood.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2733/brown-dianna---complaint-packet-update-final">Dianna A. Brown</a>&nbsp;46, faces 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, 2nd Degree Arson, and Tampering with Physical Evidence in a Felony Prosecution, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759177714145.png" alt="Brown photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2732/Diana-Brown---PC-Statement-Redacted-final">According to court records</a>, on September 19, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment building near Kensington Avenue and Independence Avenue on a reported fire. After extinguishing the fire, which was contained to only one portion of the building, firefighters located a deceased male with severe burns, apparent head trauma, and signs of decomposition.&nbsp;Detectives responded to the scene and found mail and prescription medication belonging to the defendant at the location.&nbsp;The Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death as blunt force trauma of the head and the manner of death as homicide.&nbsp;On Sept. 27, the detctives interviewed the defendant. She said that on Sept. 14, she was with the victim at his apartment when an argument began. After the argument stopped and the victim went to sleep, Brown told detectives she used a nearby hammer to strike the victim multiple times. She said she continued to live in the apartment until setting it on fire.&nbsp;The defendant is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;

KC woman allegedly bludgeoned man to death, set home on fire

DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an accident that occurred just after 7a.m. Wednesday in Douglas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ford F350 driven by Kaden Roger Kerr, 19, Eudora, was southbound at&nbsp;173 E. 2338th Road. The truck rear-ended a 2017 IC School bus driven by Yesenia&nbsp;Vazquez-Arellano, 39, Edgerton, who was stopped with amber lights and stop sign activated, waiting for a student 

The bus had 11 juvenile passengers. Three had minor injuries. None of them required transport for treatment, according to the KHP.

DOUGLAS COUNTY—A stark reminder of the importance of paying attention while driving, ditching all distractions, and focusing on the road, according to a social media report from the Kansas Highway Patrol Troop B.

 While children were about to load onto a stopped school bus in Douglas County near U.S. 56 and Kansas 33, a truck rear-ended the bus. 

"Sixteen children on their way to school, in what is supposed to be the safest way to get them there, shook and jarred by another vehicle that failed to stop for the bus."

There were no injuries to any children headed to school and only minor injuries to the truck driver.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759332128673.png" alt="photo KHP Troop B" />
 <figcaption>photo KHP Troop B</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an accident that occurred just after 7a.m. Wednesday in Douglas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ford F350 driven by Kaden Roger Kerr, 19, Eudora, was southbound at&nbsp;173 E. 2338th Road. The truck rear-ended a 2017 IC School bus driven by Yesenia&nbsp;Vazquez-Arellano, 39, Edgerton, who was stopped with amber lights and stop sign activated, waiting for a student The bus had 11 juvenile passengers. Three had minor injuries. None of them required transport for treatment, according to the KHP.-------------DOUGLAS COUNTY—A stark reminder of the importance of paying attention while driving, ditching all distractions, and focusing on the road, according to a social media report from the Kansas Highway Patrol Troop B. While children were about to load onto a stopped school bus in Douglas County near U.S. 56 and Kansas 33, a truck rear-ended the bus. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759332155160.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"Sixteen children on their way to school, in what is supposed to be the safest way to get them there, shook and jarred by another vehicle that failed to stop for the bus."There were no injuries to any children headed to school and only minor injuries to the truck driver.&nbsp;

KHP updates details on truck, Kansas school bus accident

TOPEKA, Kan.&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) executed numerous search warrants in cities across the state at vape shops and CBD dispensaries to seize products being sold illegally in Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.

On Wednesday,&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and KBI Director Tony Mattivi announced KBI agents began a statewide enforcement operation, along with law enforcement partners, to seize marijuana vegetation, THC vape cartridges, and other items containing suspected illegal concentrations of THC (as prohibited in KSA 21-5705, and KSA 2-3908). In some instances, weapons and currency were also seized.

When these investigations conclude, the KBI will submit case findings to the prosecutor of jurisdiction for each charging decisions. Possible charges could include unlawful distribution of controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with the intent to sell.

“These illegal substances are in our homes, in our schools, and in the hands of our children. They are so widely-accessible that some Kansans are under the impression they are safe,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “Anyone who sells illicit products poses a direct and unacceptable threat to the health and safety of our most vulnerable. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove these poisons from our streets.”

“These are brazen illegal activities. Not only are many of these stores selling illegal THC vapes, they are also selling pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes. The law is the law in Kansas, and it will be enforced,” said Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. "A young teen attempting to purchase tobacco would meet more resistance than they would if buying marijuana from one of the shops included in today’s operation."

TOPEKA, Kan.&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) executed numerous search warrants in cities across the state at vape shops and CBD dispensaries to seize products being sold illegally in Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741774631945.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday,&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and KBI Director Tony Mattivi announced KBI agents began a statewide enforcement operation, along with law enforcement partners, to seize marijuana vegetation, THC vape cartridges, and other items containing suspected illegal concentrations of THC (as prohibited in KSA 21-5705, and KSA 2-3908). In some instances, weapons and currency were also seized.When these investigations conclude, the KBI will submit case findings to the prosecutor of jurisdiction for each charging decisions. Possible charges could include unlawful distribution of controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with the intent to sell.“These illegal substances are in our homes, in our schools, and in the hands of our children. They are so widely-accessible that some Kansans are under the impression they are safe,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “Anyone who sells illicit products poses a direct and unacceptable threat to the health and safety of our most vulnerable. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove these poisons from our streets.”“These are brazen illegal activities. Not only are many of these stores selling illegal THC vapes, they are also selling pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes. The law is the law in Kansas, and it will be enforced,” said Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. "A young teen attempting to purchase tobacco would meet more resistance than they would if buying marijuana from one of the shops included in today’s operation."

KBI conducts statewide marijuana enforcement operation

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/joshmerchant/">Josh Merchant</a>

A large majority of Jackson County voters have&nbsp;cast ballots to recall County Executive Frank White Jr. Preliminary results from Sept. 30 reveal 85% of voters supported the recall.

The open question is whether those results will stand up against ongoing legal challenges.

As soon as the vote is certified, White’s position will be considered immediately vacant and the campaign for the next county executive — which has been&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/09/24/jackson-county-executive-frank-white-recall-replacement/" target="_blank">quietly happening behind the scenes for weeks</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;will kick into high gear.

But it’s possible that the election result may not be certified soon.

You may have noticed that this year’s recall election was scheduled for an unusual September election date — instead of the normal schedule in early April, June, August or November. (Special bond elections sometimes happen in February, as well.)

Elections are almost always on those regularly scheduled election days.

That could explain why voter turnout was relatively low. White was voted out of office yesterday by just 16% of Jackson County voters — compared to the 48% that turned out in the 2022 general election where White won reelection. In Kansas City specifically, turnout for the Frank White recall was even lower at 11%.

White and the Kansas City and Jackson County election boards argue that a Sept. 30 election is not just unusual, but illegal. And that could spell doom for the recall vote if a judge agrees with them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752668060379.png" alt="Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. (Courtesy of Jackson County)" />
 <figcaption>Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. (Courtesy of Jackson County)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/joshmerchant/">Josh Merchant</a>A large majority of Jackson County voters have&nbsp;cast ballots to recall County Executive Frank White Jr. Preliminary results from Sept. 30 reveal 85% of voters supported the recall.The open question is whether those results will stand up against ongoing legal challenges.As soon as the vote is certified, White’s position will be considered immediately vacant and the campaign for the next county executive — which has been&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/09/24/jackson-county-executive-frank-white-recall-replacement/" target="_blank">quietly happening behind the scenes for weeks</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;will kick into high gear.But it’s possible that the election result may not be certified soon.You may have noticed that this year’s recall election was scheduled for an unusual September election date — instead of the normal schedule in early April, June, August or November. (Special bond elections sometimes happen in February, as well.)Elections are almost always on those regularly scheduled election days.That could explain why voter turnout was relatively low. White was voted out of office yesterday by just 16% of Jackson County voters — compared to the 48% that turned out in the 2022 general election where White won reelection. In Kansas City specifically, turnout for the Frank White recall was even lower at 11%.White and the Kansas City and Jackson County election boards argue that a Sept. 30 election is not just unusual, but illegal. And that could spell doom for the recall vote if a judge agrees with them.A judge initially set the Sept. 30 date as a compromise with the recall campaign, which initially wanted to set the date for Aug. 26. The election boards argued in court that scheduling an August election on such short notice would disenfranchise military and overseas voters, who would not have received their ballots in time.Now, White’s lawyer is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=SC101299&amp;inputVO.courtId=OSCDB0024_SUP#docket" target="_blank">asking the Missouri Supreme Court directly</a>&nbsp;to stop the election boards from certifying the vote until they hear the case.Here’s how that could affect Tuesday’s vote.<h2>Why did the election boards sue to reschedule the election?</h2>The Jackson County Legislature initially ordered the election to be held on Aug. 26 after approving the ballot language in early July.That’s based on a requirement set by an&nbsp;<a href="https://jacksonco.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6313464&amp;GUID=48E9CAB8-5E5B-4FF1-9C1B-E6FEB76EC474&amp;Options=ID%7CText%7C&amp;Search=5782&amp;FullText=1" target="_blank">ordinance in 2023</a>&nbsp;that a special recall election be held within 60 days after signatures are filed.But both the Kansas City Election Board and the Jackson County Election Board objected.Those offices, which operate independently from White and the rest of county government, said that wasn’t enough time to prepare an election.Military ballots would have needed to be mailed out just days later, and the boards would have had only about a week to prepare for absentee voting to begin.DaRon McGee, chair of the county Legislature, was not sympathetic. McGee is one of the candidates vying to replace White now that he has been recalled.“I am deeply concerned by reports that this election may not move forward on the timeline the law requires,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-07-08/jackson-county-election-board-frank-white-recall-election-almost-impossible-legislature-voting" target="_blank">he told KCUR in a statement at the time</a>. “The Legislature has done its part. We now look to the executive branch and the election board(s) to fulfill their roles.”So the election boards sued.They argued that Missouri law only allows counties to schedule elections on regular election days — in February, April, August or November, unless otherwise specified in a city or county charter. The Aug. 5 election was already underway, so they asked a judge to reschedule the election for Nov. 4.Notably,&nbsp;<a href="https://jcebmo.org/election-information/election-results/" target="_blank">every countywide Jackson County election for the past 27 years</a>&nbsp;has occurred the Tuesday after the first Monday of February, April, August or November.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kceb.org/elections/election-results/" target="_blank">same generally goes for elections in Kansas City</a>, which also schedules City Council elections in April and June under the city’s charter. The only recent exceptions were elections related to the streetcar in October 2017, December 2012 and on a Friday in August 2008.The Jackson County circuit judge, Marty W. Seaton, ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/2516-CV21560-Order%20and%20Judgment_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=16&amp;di=28506132" target="_blank">disagreed with the election boards</a>.He said that Missouri statute&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=115.123" target="_blank">carves out an exception</a>&nbsp;for elections that are authorized by a county’s charter. He argued that meant the 2023 Jackson County ordinance allowed a recall to happen outside of those dates in order to meet the 60-day requirement.But he said an Aug. 26 election would still be too soon because military and overseas voters wouldn’t get their ballots in time, which would be unconstitutional. So he set a compromise date of Sept. 30.<h2>The legal battle continues</h2>The election boards wanted to appeal, but a procedural move made that impossible.Weeks earlier, while the case was playing out, White joined the lawsuit, arguing that the recall petition signatures themselves were illegal because some of the signature gatherers were not Missouri residents.The judge heard arguments on the election date, but he set aside the issue of the out-of-state signature gatherers.And because that issue remains unresolved, Seaton&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/2516-CV21560-Order%20On%20Rule%2074_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=16&amp;di=28780431" target="_blank">has not certified his ruling yet</a>. That locked the election boards out of immediately appealing to a higher court.So on Sept. 26, White’s lawyers tried a different maneuver.They filed a lawsuit directly with the Western District Court of Appeals asking it to postpone the election until November because the election boards have not been able to appeal the circuit judge’s interpretation of the law.“The election is imminent, and the trial court refused to certify its ruling for appeal,” White’s lawyers wrote. “Unless this Court intervenes, an unlawful election will proceed, wasting taxpayer resources, confusing voters, and undermining public confidence in Missouri elections.”If this legal precedent stands, they argued, it would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Statement%20In%20Support%20of%20Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Prohibition%20and%20or%20Mandamus.PDF?courtCode=WA&amp;di=500996" target="_blank">waste taxpayer dollars and confuse voters</a>. If Jackson County can set an election for any day of the year, voters who are less tuned in to county politics may not even know that they’re missing an election.The judge at the Western District Court of Appeals declined to take up the case. So now they’re taking it to the Missouri Supreme Court.White’s lawyers filed a lawsuit against Seaton, the Jackson County circuit judge, just hours before the polls closed on Sept. 30, arguing that the election was illegally scheduled. They argued that proceeding with the election before the legal challenges are resolved would create chaos and distrust.“Once results are released, the damage to public confidence cannot be undone,”<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Statement%20in%20Support%20of%20Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Prohibition%20andor%20Mandamus.PDF?courtCode=SC&amp;di=212794" target="_blank">&nbsp;the lawyers argued in their lawsuit filed with the Missouri Supreme Court</a>. “Securing ballots until this Court resolves the legal issues preserves the integrity of both the vote and the judicial process.”Phil LeVota, an attorney representing the recall effort in court who is also a candidate to become county executive if White is recalled, believes that Seaton’s ruling is strong enough to hold up in an appeal.“He made a pretty good order where he really cited a lot of case law,” he said. “The charter says 60 days, and I’m going to err on the side of getting it in front of people sooner than later. And there’s no downside to having (the election) on Sept. 30.”But White’s lawyers point to a 2002 precedent when a court ruled that a “floating timeframe” (like the 60-day requirement set by the 2023 ordinance) does not qualify as a specific election date authorized by law.<h2>Election outcome could be reversed</h2>The Jackson County Circuit Court judge believes that the Sept. 30 election date was legal. But no other judges have given a legal opinion to back it up.There are still a couple of legal avenues for White and the election boards to challenge the results.The first option is the most recent Missouri Supreme Court case. White asked the judge to prevent the election boards from certifying the election results until the legal questions are resolved. That would keep White in office as county executive until the judges decide whether the election was legal.The second option is that the election boards appeal the case once the circuit judge certifies his ruling. At that point, the Western District Court of Appeals — and potentially the Missouri Supreme Court —&nbsp;would hear the case and decide whether Seaton was correct in setting the election for Sept. 30.The third option is for White to challenge the election results by suing the election boards. He could argue that there is reason to believe the election was unlawfully administered, and he could cite the election boards’ own argument in court earlier this year that Sept. 30 was not a legal date for an election.If any of those judges decides that Sept. 30 was an illegal date to hold an election, the court could order another election for a redo. At this point, that likely would not happen until April 2026.This wouldn’t be the first time that a ballot question had to go to voters for a redo.In November 2022, Missouri voters voted on a constitutional amendment to force Kansas City to increase its level of police funding from 20% of its budget to 25%.That constitutional amendment, put on the ballot by the Missouri General Assembly, passed by a wide margin —&nbsp;nearly two-thirds of Missourians voted “yes.”But then the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the ballot language was misleading. So a judge struck down the measure and ordered a new election with updated ballot language.It still passed, but by a much smaller margin —&nbsp;by about 24,000 votes, or 2.2%.With these legal questions looming, a messy scenario rests on the horizon.Imagine that the election boards certify the vote later this week or next week. The county executive position is vacated, and the county Legislature appoints a replacement.Meanwhile, the appeals court or the Missouri Supreme Court takes up White’s case about whether Sept. 30 was a legal date to hold an election.And suppose they rule in White’s favor —&nbsp;that elections must be scheduled only on days that are specifically outlined by Missouri statute or the county charter.That would mean that legally, White never should have been removed from office. And Jackson County would then have two county executives.LeVota believes the circuit judge’s ruling is compelling enough that an appeals court or the state Supreme Court would back it up. But he acknowledged the possibility of a political crisis as a result of the ongoing litigation around the recall.“The appeals court could come back,” LeVota said, “and say, ‘You know what, we don’t think the trial judge was right. We think it should have been a November election. We’re throwing that entire election out, and we’ll have to do a new one.’ That could definitely, definitely happen.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/09/30/frank-white-recall-results-legal-challenges/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.