FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Four Soldiers who perished in a Sept. 17, Black Hawk helicopter mishap while conducting routine flight training are identified. The cause of the mishap remains under investigation, according to a media release.

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, 35, from Sparta, MO

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, 39, from Sanibel, FL

U.S. Army Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25, from Tacoma, WA

U.S. Army Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23, from Mount Vernon, WA

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm the loss of four courageous Night Stalkers from the 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), who tragically lost their lives on Sept. 17th during a training mission.,” said Col. Stephen Smith, commander. “These exceptional warriors— Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, Sgt. Donavon Scott, and Sgt. Jadalyn Good—embodied the unwavering dedication, selflessness, and excellence that define the very spirit of the Army and Army Special Operations. Their sacrifice in service to our nation will forever be etched in our hearts and in the legacy of the Night Stalkers. These heroes were not only elite professionals but also cherished teammates, friends, and family members whose absence leaves an immeasurable void.”

ully, 35, commissioned in May 2013 as a U.S. Army aviation officer from Missouri State University as a second lieutenant. He completed Flight School at Ft. Rucker, AL. After his initial service as a commissioned officer, he was then reappointed as an aviation warrant officer and served as a UH-60M (Blackhawk) Pilot. In 2022, he completed the UH-60M Instructor Pilot Course at Fort Rucker, AL. He has two operational deployments to the EUCOM theater in support of OPERATIONS ATLANTIC RESOLVE and SWIFT RESPONSE. In 2024, after being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR (Abn), he was assigned to C Company at Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA. While assigned to C Company he supported multiple Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) training missions and deployed to the INDOPACOM theater.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on

Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Army Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge.

Kraus, 39, served in the U. S. Marine Corps as a CH-46 (Chinook) maintainer from July 2008 until 2013. In 2017, he joined the U.S. Army and attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school at Ft. Rucker, AL. He then served as an Aeromedical Evacuation Pilot in Command in Germany, performing real-world medical evacuation missions. In 2023, after being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR (Abn), he was assigned to C Company, where he supported multiple CONUS training missions and deployed in support of contingency response operations. He is a 2025 graduate of the Aviation Maintenance Test Pilot Course at Ft. Rucker, AL.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal second award, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy Unity Commendation, and Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and Basic Aviation Badge.<br>

Scott, 25, enlisted in the U.S. Army as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer, 15T. After being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR, his first assignment was to D Company, 4th Battalion as a UH-60 Helicopter Maintainer. After completing the MH-60 (Blackhawk, Modified) Non-Rated Crewmember Course, he served as a MH-60 Crew Chief in C Company. While serving in C Company he earned Fully-Mission-Qualified status as a Crew Chief, accumulating over 776 flying hours. He has served on two support missions to OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE and a crisis response contingency operation.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal - Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.

Good, 23, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2021 as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer, 15T. After being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR, she was then assigned to C Company where she served as a Helicopter Maintainer and in 2023 after graduating from the MH-60 Non-Rated Crewmember Course she served as a Crew Chief. While serving in C Company she achieved Basic-Mission-Qualified status, accumulating over 730 flight hours. She was instrumental in the success of numerus CONUS and OCONUS training missions and a crisis response contingency operation.

Her awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Parachutist Badge, Combat and Special Skill Badge Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge and Basic Aviation Badge.

“As we mourn their loss, we stand united in honoring their memory and their extraordinary commitment to the mission. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Night Stalker community during this profoundly difficult time,” said Smith.

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command extends its profound thanks to the professionalism and heroism of the many who assisted in the recovery of our fallen; the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the Griffin Fire Department, the McLane Black Lake Fire Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Lacey Fire Department, the Olympia Fire Department, the Department of Natural Resources, the 2/75th Ranger Regiment, the 17th Special Tactics Squadron, the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), the I Corps and the Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758554655260.png" alt="Clockwise from upper left Chief Warrant Oficer Andrew Cully, 35; Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Kraus, 39; Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25 and  Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23.-photos U.S. Army" />
                        <figcaption>Clockwise from upper left Chief Warrant Oficer Andrew Cully, 35; Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Kraus, 39; Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25 and  Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23.-photos U.S. Army</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Four Soldiers who perished in a Sept. 17, Black Hawk helicopter mishap while conducting routine flight training are identified. The cause of the mishap remains under investigation, according to a media release.</p><p>The deceased are:</p><p>U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, 35, from Sparta, MO</p><p>U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, 39, from Sanibel, FL</p><p>U.S. Army Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25, from Tacoma, WA</p><p>U.S. Army Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23, from Mount Vernon, WA</p><p>“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm the loss of four courageous Night Stalkers from the 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), who tragically lost their lives on Sept. 17th during a training mission.,” said Col. Stephen Smith, commander. “These exceptional warriors— Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, Sgt. Donavon Scott, and Sgt. Jadalyn Good—embodied the unwavering dedication, selflessness, and excellence that define the very spirit of the Army and Army Special Operations. Their sacrifice in service to our nation will forever be etched in our hearts and in the legacy of the Night Stalkers. These heroes were not only elite professionals but also cherished teammates, friends, and family members whose absence leaves an immeasurable void.”</p><p>ully, 35, commissioned in May 2013 as a U.S. Army aviation officer from Missouri State University as a second lieutenant. He completed Flight School at Ft. Rucker, AL. After his initial service as a commissioned officer, he was then reappointed as an aviation warrant officer and served as a UH-60M (Blackhawk) Pilot. In 2022, he completed the UH-60M Instructor Pilot Course at Fort Rucker, AL. He has two operational deployments to the EUCOM theater in support of OPERATIONS ATLANTIC RESOLVE and SWIFT RESPONSE. In 2024, after being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR (Abn), he was assigned to C Company at Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA. While assigned to C Company he supported multiple Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) training missions and deployed to the INDOPACOM theater.</p><p>His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on</p><p>Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Army Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge.</p><p>Kraus, 39, served in the U. S. Marine Corps as a CH-46 (Chinook) maintainer from July 2008 until 2013. In 2017, he joined the U.S. Army and attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school at Ft. Rucker, AL. He then served as an Aeromedical Evacuation Pilot in Command in Germany, performing real-world medical evacuation missions. In 2023, after being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR (Abn), he was assigned to C Company, where he supported multiple CONUS training missions and deployed in support of contingency response operations. He is a 2025 graduate of the Aviation Maintenance Test Pilot Course at Ft. Rucker, AL.</p><p>His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal second award, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy Unity Commendation, and Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and Basic Aviation Badge.<br></p><p>Scott, 25, enlisted in the U.S. Army as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer, 15T. After being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR, his first assignment was to D Company, 4th Battalion as a UH-60 Helicopter Maintainer. After completing the MH-60 (Blackhawk, Modified) Non-Rated Crewmember Course, he served as a MH-60 Crew Chief in C Company. While serving in C Company he earned Fully-Mission-Qualified status as a Crew Chief, accumulating over 776 flying hours. He has served on two support missions to OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE and a crisis response contingency operation.</p><p>His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal - Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.</p><p>Good, 23, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2021 as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer, 15T. After being selected to serve in the 160th SOAR, she was then assigned to C Company where she served as a Helicopter Maintainer and in 2023 after graduating from the MH-60 Non-Rated Crewmember Course she served as a Crew Chief. While serving in C Company she achieved Basic-Mission-Qualified status, accumulating over 730 flight hours. She was instrumental in the success of numerus CONUS and OCONUS training missions and a crisis response contingency operation.</p><p>Her awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Parachutist Badge, Combat and Special Skill Badge Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge and Basic Aviation Badge.</p><p>“As we mourn their loss, we stand united in honoring their memory and their extraordinary commitment to the mission. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Night Stalker community during this profoundly difficult time,” said Smith.</p><p>The U.S. Army Special Operations Command extends its profound thanks to the professionalism and heroism of the many who assisted in the recovery of our fallen; the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the Griffin Fire Department, the McLane Black Lake Fire Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Lacey Fire Department, the Olympia Fire Department, the Department of Natural Resources, the 2/75th Ranger Regiment, the 17th Special Tactics Squadron, the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), the I Corps and the Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA.</p>

Soldier from Missouri among 4 killed in Black Hawk helicopter crash 

K-State wants to waive 120 credit hour minimum, offer 90-hour BS in drone science

<b>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a><br></b><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Board of Regents paused review of a proposal from Kansas State University to offer a 90 credit hour bachelor’s degree in uncrewed aircraft systems that necessitated waiver of state policy mandating 120 hours of course credit to earn an undergraduate degree.

The hesitancy resulted from questions about how approval of K-State’s plan could alter the academic landscape of the state’s system of 32 public universities, community colleges and technical colleges. On Thursday, members of the Board of Regents raised issues with how potential students and higher education institutions, as well as business and industry, might respond if Kansas amended the foundational premise of a four-year degree.

The Board of Regents agreed to convene a task force to consider development of a systemwide policy before taking up proposals to sidestep existing rules requiring a bachelor’s degree to represent at least 120 credit hours of study.

“We don’t want to stymie the process,” said Alysia Johnston, a member of the Board of Regents. “This needs a whole lot of thought and input.”

Jesse Perez Mendez, provost at K-State, said the university welcomed the opportunity to participate in the task force’s debate. He said the drone bachelor’s degree for K-State’s aviation campus in Salina had been under consideration along with reduced-credit degrees related to artificial intelligence.

“This is a little bit of a game changer overall and we need to be very cautious,” Mendez said. “What this conversation is not about? It’s not about taking a bachelor’s degree in psychology and reduce that down to three years. It’s with degrees we don’t have on the books.”

He said K-State was committed to collaborating with two-year community colleges and technical colleges on alternative degree offerings.

Board of Regents policy, but not state law, established a bachelor’s degree consist of at least 120 credit hours. Policy says 45 credits must be in upper-division courses. Kansas higher education has been under pressure to recruit students as the U.S. college-age population fell. At the same time, the cost of delivering college instruction kept escalating with inflation.

Heather Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Community College Association, said the 19 community colleges in Kansas had taken a keen interest in reform of laws or policies related to reduced-credit degrees.

She said issues to consider included retention of policy permitting community college students to transfer credits in core subject classes to a university. Supplemental degree models should respond to industry demands and tap into combined potential of the state’s higher education institutions, she said.

“One of the things we’ve been talking about is how do we use the assets we already have more efficiently and deploy expertise from a faculty perspective across all our colleges,” Morgan said.

Rusty Monhollon, vice president for academic affairs with the state Board of Regents, said the system had sought for the past decade to increase on-time graduation rates by reducing baccalaureate programs to 120 credit hours. The percentage of undergraduate programs in the Board of Regents system with more than 120 required credit hours decreased from 67% to 8%.

Nationally, he said, the movement to accredit reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees was deepening. In September 2024, the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits Kansas colleges and universities, released guidelines reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees.

Since March, nine U.S. colleges received HLC accreditation of alternative degrees. The list included business administration, information technology, pre-physical therapy, pre-athletic training, fashion business management, semiconductor materials and devices and applied cybersecurity.

“Proponents of these degrees claim they are affordable and match up well with workplace skills demand,” Monhollon said. “Others dismiss them, arguing industry does not recognize them and that they lack the scope and the depth of traditional bachelor’s degrees.”

He offered a range of questions that might be weighed: Would three-year degrees be valued by students, industry and in academic circles? Could reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees cheapen the value of a four-year degree? What would be cut — basic subjects or advanced classes — to shrink course requirements? What should a reduced-credit degree be called? Could Kansas run a pilot program to test supply and demand? What was the range for reduced-credit programs — 90 to 105 credit hours? How would it impact the system’s general education agreements? How should graduate school process applications from students with three-year degrees?

“Not all segments could fit into the three-year degree,” said Neelima Parasker, a member of the Board of Regents. “We have to go to industry and ask them for their feedback instead of just floating this and seeing what they do.”

Blake Benson, chairman of the Board of Regents, said he was curious if estimates could be made for how many new students would enroll in the state’s public education system if reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees were an option.

Board of Regents member Diana Mendoza said the term used to describe a reduced-credit degree was consequential. She asked if it could be referred to as a workforce specialist degree to help potential employers differentiate between three- and four-year diplomas.

Kathy Wolfe Moore, another member of the state board, said she was concerned Kansas’ higher education system could become “a bit of a slave to the employment fluctuations” in the business cycle.

“I’m quite sure this board … would have no interest in moving our system backward,” said Blake Flanders, who serves as CEO and president of the Board of Regents.

Flanders said expansion of reduced-credit degree programs in Kansas would be complex, but possible if crafted with attention to detail. The cost of eroding confidence in the value of a Kansas bachelor’s degree could be significant, he said.

“If we’re thinking&nbsp; about, ‘Well, let’s just skinny down or gut that systemwide general education and get all of our savings out of those credits,’ I think, obviously, this board would believe that would be a huge mistake,” he said.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758402801381.png" alt=" Seven members of the Kansas Board of Regents — there are two vacancies debated the possibility of allowing creation of new 90 credit-hour bachelor’s degree programs at state universities. Board members, from left: Pamela Clancy Ammar, Neelima Parasker, Diana Mendoza, Blake Benson, Blake Flanders (board CEO), Kathy Wolfe Moore and Alysia Johnston. Board member John Dicus isn’t visible. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption> Seven members of the Kansas Board of Regents — there are two vacancies debated the possibility of allowing creation of new 90 credit-hour bachelor’s degree programs at state universities. Board members, from left: Pamela Clancy Ammar, Neelima Parasker, Diana Mendoza, Blake Benson, Blake Flanders (board CEO), Kathy Wolfe Moore and Alysia Johnston. Board member John Dicus isn’t visible. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>K-State wants to waive 120 credit hour minimum, offer 90-hour BS in drone science</h2><p><b>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a><br></b><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA — The Kansas Board of Regents paused review of a proposal from Kansas State University to offer a 90 credit hour bachelor’s degree in uncrewed aircraft systems that necessitated waiver of state policy mandating 120 hours of course credit to earn an undergraduate degree.</p><p>The hesitancy resulted from questions about how approval of K-State’s plan could alter the academic landscape of the state’s system of 32 public universities, community colleges and technical colleges. On Thursday, members of the Board of Regents raised issues with how potential students and higher education institutions, as well as business and industry, might respond if Kansas amended the foundational premise of a four-year degree.</p><p>The Board of Regents agreed to convene a task force to consider development of a systemwide policy before taking up proposals to sidestep existing rules requiring a bachelor’s degree to represent at least 120 credit hours of study.</p><p>“We don’t want to stymie the process,” said Alysia Johnston, a member of the Board of Regents. “This needs a whole lot of thought and input.”</p><p>Jesse Perez Mendez, provost at K-State, said the university welcomed the opportunity to participate in the task force’s debate. He said the drone bachelor’s degree for K-State’s aviation campus in Salina had been under consideration along with reduced-credit degrees related to artificial intelligence.</p><p>“This is a little bit of a game changer overall and we need to be very cautious,” Mendez said. “What this conversation is not about? It’s not about taking a bachelor’s degree in psychology and reduce that down to three years. It’s with degrees we don’t have on the books.”</p><p>He said K-State was committed to collaborating with two-year community colleges and technical colleges on alternative degree offerings.</p><p>Board of Regents policy, but not state law, established a bachelor’s degree consist of at least 120 credit hours. Policy says 45 credits must be in upper-division courses. Kansas higher education has been under pressure to recruit students as the U.S. college-age population fell. At the same time, the cost of delivering college instruction kept escalating with inflation.</p><p>Heather Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Community College Association, said the 19 community colleges in Kansas had taken a keen interest in reform of laws or policies related to reduced-credit degrees.</p><p>She said issues to consider included retention of policy permitting community college students to transfer credits in core subject classes to a university. Supplemental degree models should respond to industry demands and tap into combined potential of the state’s higher education institutions, she said.</p><p>“One of the things we’ve been talking about is how do we use the assets we already have more efficiently and deploy expertise from a faculty perspective across all our colleges,” Morgan said.</p><h2>Unanswered questions</h2><p>Rusty Monhollon, vice president for academic affairs with the state Board of Regents, said the system had sought for the past decade to increase on-time graduation rates by reducing baccalaureate programs to 120 credit hours. The percentage of undergraduate programs in the Board of Regents system with more than 120 required credit hours decreased from 67% to 8%.</p><p>Nationally, he said, the movement to accredit reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees was deepening. In September 2024, the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits Kansas colleges and universities, released guidelines reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees.</p><p>Since March, nine U.S. colleges received HLC accreditation of alternative degrees. The list included business administration, information technology, pre-physical therapy, pre-athletic training, fashion business management, semiconductor materials and devices and applied cybersecurity.</p><p>“Proponents of these degrees claim they are affordable and match up well with workplace skills demand,” Monhollon said. “Others dismiss them, arguing industry does not recognize them and that they lack the scope and the depth of traditional bachelor’s degrees.”</p><p>He offered a range of questions that might be weighed: Would three-year degrees be valued by students, industry and in academic circles? Could reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees cheapen the value of a four-year degree? What would be cut — basic subjects or advanced classes — to shrink course requirements? What should a reduced-credit degree be called? Could Kansas run a pilot program to test supply and demand? What was the range for reduced-credit programs — 90 to 105 credit hours? How would it impact the system’s general education agreements? How should graduate school process applications from students with three-year degrees?</p><p>“Not all segments could fit into the three-year degree,” said Neelima Parasker, a member of the Board of Regents. “We have to go to industry and ask them for their feedback instead of just floating this and seeing what they do.”</p><h2>‘Huge mistake’</h2><p>Blake Benson, chairman of the Board of Regents, said he was curious if estimates could be made for how many new students would enroll in the state’s public education system if reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees were an option.</p><p>Board of Regents member Diana Mendoza said the term used to describe a reduced-credit degree was consequential. She asked if it could be referred to as a workforce specialist degree to help potential employers differentiate between three- and four-year diplomas.</p><p>Kathy Wolfe Moore, another member of the state board, said she was concerned Kansas’ higher education system could become “a bit of a slave to the employment fluctuations” in the business cycle.</p><p>“I’m quite sure this board … would have no interest in moving our system backward,” said Blake Flanders, who serves as CEO and president of the Board of Regents.</p><p>Flanders said expansion of reduced-credit degree programs in Kansas would be complex, but possible if crafted with attention to detail. The cost of eroding confidence in the value of a Kansas bachelor’s degree could be significant, he said.</p><p>“If we’re thinking&nbsp; about, ‘Well, let’s just skinny down or gut that systemwide general education and get all of our savings out of those credits,’ I think, obviously, this board would believe that would be a huge mistake,” he said.</p>

Kansas Board of Regents to study potential of allowing reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Seven people were injured in an accident just after 5p.m. Sunday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Ford Fusion driven by Julian Wahnee, 34, Topeka, was westbound on Interstate 70 just west of the Bonner Springs exit.&nbsp; The driver lost control and the car began to roll.&nbsp;

The car struck three pedestrians standing on the shoulder of the highway near a disabled Chevrolet Impala in the right ditch.

EMS transported Wahnee and three passengers in the car including Rebecca Unzueta, 27, Topeka, a 14-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy to KU Medical Center.&nbsp; EMS transported two of the pedestrians Dylan Birkenbaugh, 22, Topeka and Jason Kautzman, 23, Osage City, to KU Medical Center. The other pedestrian Jesse Colwell, 26, Topeka, was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; 

The driver and passengers in the Ford were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<p>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Seven people were injured in an accident just after 5p.m. Sunday in Wyandotte County.</p><p>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Ford Fusion driven by Julian Wahnee, 34, Topeka, was westbound on Interstate 70 just west of the Bonner Springs exit.&nbsp; The driver lost control and the car began to roll.&nbsp;</p><p>The car struck three pedestrians standing on the shoulder of the highway near a disabled Chevrolet Impala in the right ditch.</p><p>EMS transported Wahnee and three passengers in the car including Rebecca Unzueta, 27, Topeka, a 14-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy to KU Medical Center.&nbsp; EMS transported two of the pedestrians Dylan Birkenbaugh, 22, Topeka and Jason Kautzman, 23, Osage City, to KU Medical Center. The other pedestrian Jesse Colwell, 26, Topeka, was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; </p><p>The driver and passengers in the Ford were properly restrained, according to the KHP.</p>

7 hospitalized after rollover crash strikes pedestrians on I-70

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a woman who took a joy ride in a city bus in Lawrence.

Jut after 11a.m. Friday,&nbsp; a woman forced her way into the driver’s seat and took off in a Lawrence Transit bus, according to a statement from police.  Nobody was hurt. 

 The driver and two passengers got off the bus before the woman  left the Central Transit Station. The woman took the bus north on Iowa, east on 6th, then north on Maine traveling about 35-40 mph.

   Officers were able to surround the bus to pin her in near 2nd and Michigan. Officers safely took her into custody then to the hospital for evaluation.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758456623358.png" alt="Photo courtesy Lawrence Transit" />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy Lawrence Transit</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a woman who took a joy ride in a city bus in Lawrence.</p><p>Jut after 11a.m. Friday,&nbsp; a woman forced her way into the driver’s seat and took off in a Lawrence Transit bus, according to a statement from police.  Nobody was hurt. </p><p> The driver and two passengers got off the bus before the woman  left the Central Transit Station. The woman took the bus north on Iowa, east on 6th, then north on Maine traveling about 35-40 mph.</p><p>   Officers were able to surround the bus to pin her in near 2nd and Michigan. Officers safely took her into custody then to the hospital for evaluation.</p>

Police: Kansas woman in custody after driving off in city bus 

Elon Musk arrives at the memorial service- CSPAN

President Trump and Elon Musk shake hands&nbsp; at Charlie Kirk memorial service.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump and Erika Kirk at the Memorial Service for Charlie Kirk. <a href="https://t.co/c27ViuD7Yw">pic.twitter.com/c27ViuD7Yw</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1969907727984996794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Erika Kirk: &quot;My husband Charlie he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life...On the cross, our savior said, &#39;Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.&#39; That young man. I forgive him.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/jy8W7YrmVs">pic.twitter.com/jy8W7YrmVs</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1969891437153022226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Charlie, we all thank you. <br><br>God Bless Charlie Kirk. God Bless <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsErikaKirk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrsErikaKirk</a>. God Bless the United States of America. ❤️🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Su8XcdnIfK">pic.twitter.com/Su8XcdnIfK</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1969908965657157966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;What was even more important to Charlie than politics and service was the choice he made in the fifth grade — which he called the &#39;most important decision of his life&#39; — to become a Christian and a follower of his savior, Jesus Christ.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ILCrfawb72">pic.twitter.com/ILCrfawb72</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969894622492242407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> comforts <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsErikaKirk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrsErikaKirk</a> ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/6Sf3aHed8I">pic.twitter.com/6Sf3aHed8I</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1969902877192937623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Charlie&#39;s murder was not just an attack on one man or one movement — it was an attack on our entire nation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/KH143fYf28">pic.twitter.com/KH143fYf28</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969900488742039948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Elon Musk arrives at the memorial service- CSPAN</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Elon Musk arrives Charlie Kirk memorial service ... <a href="https://t.co/mxq5uJRoQo">pic.twitter.com/mxq5uJRoQo</a></p>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1969853380995760613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>President Trump and Elon Musk shake hands&nbsp; at Charlie Kirk memorial service.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pres. Trump and Elon Musk shake hands ... Charlie Kirk memorial service <a href="https://t.co/SnEHLFIkYH">pic.twitter.com/SnEHLFIkYH</a></p>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1969872157762330760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Charlie Kirk was a hero to this country and a faithful servant of God.<br><br>Every day that we continue his mission is an honor to his memory.<br><br>We&#39;ve got it from here, my friend. <a href="https://t.co/Bh7NnEwsX4">pic.twitter.com/Bh7NnEwsX4</a></p>&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1969915771875623159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> speaks at State Farm Stadium to celebrate the life of <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@charliekirk11</a> 🙏🏼🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/LWzldXJ4I0">pic.twitter.com/LWzldXJ4I0</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1969898402562605190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For Charlie, we will speak the truth every single day.<br><br>For Charlie, we will rebuild this United States to greatness.<br><br>For Charlie, we will never shrink, we will never cower, and we will never falter — even when staring down the barrel of a gun.<br><br>For Charlie, we will remember… <a href="https://t.co/zgbZLPMvvi">pic.twitter.com/zgbZLPMvvi</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969883258138542350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!<br><br>Then I shall bow in humble adoration — and there proclaim, &#39;My God! How great Thou art!&#39;&quot;<br><br>❤️ <a href="https://t.co/6Dw5giPkpm">pic.twitter.com/6Dw5giPkpm</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969797502086865182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Stephen Miller: &quot;We will prevail over the forces of wickedness and evil. They cannot imagine what they have awakened...You thought you could kill Charlie Kirk? You have made him immortal!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uMZfkmjSdF">pic.twitter.com/uMZfkmjSdF</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1969866326492475512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Full remarks from White House Chief of Staff <a href="https://twitter.com/SusieWiles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SusieWiles</a> at Charlie Kirk&#39;s memorial service:<br><br>&quot;When <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>&#39; 2024 campaign partnered with <a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TPUSA</a>, Charlie did not just promise, he delivered... Charlie just didn&#39;t help, he made the winning difference — I promise you that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/r1fFurhYLY">pic.twitter.com/r1fFurhYLY</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969866346751021116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>&#39;s full remarks at Charlie Kirk&#39;s memorial service: &quot;A couple of days ago, my granddaughter left for college in Europe. Her mother noticed that she packed a Bible. When her mother asked her why she made that choice, she said, &#39;I want to live more like Charlie.&#39;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/u2BIBVc1AI">pic.twitter.com/u2BIBVc1AI</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969875978475143241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a>&#39;s full remarks at Charlie Kirk&#39;s memorial service: &quot;Charlie Kirk was a citizen who had the Biblical heart of a soldier of the faith — who put on, every single day, the full armor of God with a smile, as the Scriptures tell all Christ followers to do.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZvvRVtZz7s">pic.twitter.com/ZvvRVtZz7s</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969875365813276815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Marco Rubio breaks down what’s important.<a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marcorubio</a> <a href="https://t.co/fhORQkE4Lv">pic.twitter.com/fhORQkE4Lv</a></p>&mdash; Turning Point Action (@TPAction_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPAction_/status/1969871975163236667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DNIGabbard</a>&#39;s full remarks at Charlie Kirk&#39;s memorial service: &quot;By trying to silence Charlie, his voice is now louder than ever.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JCoI9moZgs">pic.twitter.com/JCoI9moZgs</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969870322804425215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>--</p>

🎥Some of the best moments of Charlie Kirk's memorial service

FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a train,&nbsp; pedestrian crash in Franklin County.

Just after 12:30a.m. Sunday,&nbsp; police were called to the Main Street rail crossing in Wellsville, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.&nbsp; First responders found a man in the road with severe injuries. He was transported to a hospital for treatment.

The Franklin County Crash team is in charge of the investigation. Authorities released no additional details late Sunday.

<p>FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a train,&nbsp; pedestrian crash in Franklin County.</p><p>Just after 12:30a.m. Sunday,&nbsp; police were called to the Main Street rail crossing in Wellsville, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.&nbsp; First responders found a man in the road with severe injuries. He was transported to a hospital for treatment.</p><p>The Franklin County Crash team is in charge of the investigation. Authorities released no additional details late Sunday.</p>

Sheriff: Kansas man hospitalized after struck by a train

PRATT COUNTY—A Pratt man is in custody after a standoff Friday evening in which police said he barricaded himself inside a home and resisted arrest.

Just before 5p.m. September 19, officers responded&nbsp; to a reported disturbance in the 700 block of Champa Street, according to&nbsp;According to the Pratt Police Department. A woman caller identified Jacob Davis, 36, of Pratt, as the suspect and reported there was an active protection-from-abuse order against him.

Police said Davis left the scene in a tan Chevrolet Suburban. A short time later, officers received another report that a vehicle matching that description nearly struck another driver near Champa and Green Street.

By 6 p.m., the reporting party told officers that Davis had driven past her residence honking his horn, and minutes later alleged that he returned and threw mortar-style fireworks toward children in the area. No injuries were reported.

At 6:48 p.m., officers located Davis at his residence at 1002 Champa. Police said he refused commands, retreated into the house and barricaded himself inside after officers used pepper spray to deter two aggressive dogs.

The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was called to assist. After deploying chemical agents and clearing the home’s main floor and attic, officers discovered a crawl space with two tunnels. Davis was ultimately found there and taken into custody after resisting arrest, police said.

He was booked into the Pratt County Jail on requested charges of violating a protection order, assault, assault of a law enforcement officer, interference with law enforcement and stalking.

No officers or citizens were injured during the incident.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758469619399.jpeg" alt="Photo Pratt County Sheriff's Office" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Pratt County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>PRATT COUNTY—A Pratt man is in custody after a standoff Friday evening in which police said he barricaded himself inside a home and resisted arrest.</p><p>Just before 5p.m. September 19, officers responded&nbsp; to a reported disturbance in the 700 block of Champa Street, according to&nbsp;According to the Pratt Police Department. A woman caller identified Jacob Davis, 36, of Pratt, as the suspect and reported there was an active protection-from-abuse order against him.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758498462693.png" alt="Davis photo Pratt Co. Sheriff" />
                        <figcaption>Davis photo Pratt Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Police said Davis left the scene in a tan Chevrolet Suburban. A short time later, officers received another report that a vehicle matching that description nearly struck another driver near Champa and Green Street.</p><p>By 6 p.m., the reporting party told officers that Davis had driven past her residence honking his horn, and minutes later alleged that he returned and threw mortar-style fireworks toward children in the area. No injuries were reported.</p><p>At 6:48 p.m., officers located Davis at his residence at 1002 Champa. Police said he refused commands, retreated into the house and barricaded himself inside after officers used pepper spray to deter two aggressive dogs.</p><p>The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was called to assist. After deploying chemical agents and clearing the home’s main floor and attic, officers discovered a crawl space with two tunnels. Davis was ultimately found there and taken into custody after resisting arrest, police said.</p><p>He was booked into the Pratt County Jail on requested charges of violating a protection order, assault, assault of a law enforcement officer, interference with law enforcement and stalking.</p><p>No officers or citizens were injured during the incident.</p>

Assault suspect found hiding in crawl space of Kansas home

KANSAS CITY —A child was injured in an accident that occurred just after 1p.m. Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.

A black SUV was northbound on N. Jackson approaching East Windsor Street, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. At the same time a boy&nbsp; under the age of 10 was riding a scooter on East Windsor. The child failed to stop at the stop sign causing a collision. 

EMS transported the child to an area hospital for treatment of critical injuries, according to Becchina.&nbsp; The driver of the SUV remained at the scene and is cooperating with officers. The accident remains under investigation.

<p>KANSAS CITY —A child was injured in an accident that occurred just after 1p.m. Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.</p><p>A black SUV was northbound on N. Jackson approaching East Windsor Street, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. At the same time a boy&nbsp; under the age of 10 was riding a scooter on East Windsor. The child failed to stop at the stop sign causing a collision. </p><p>EMS transported the child to an area hospital for treatment of critical injuries, according to Becchina.&nbsp; The driver of the SUV remained at the scene and is cooperating with officers. The accident remains under investigation.</p>

Child hospitalized in Kansas City after SUV, scooter crash 

These bets can center on an individual athlete or play, raising concerns about integrity, harassment and addiction.

By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a><br><a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

As a bankruptcy attorney, New Jersey Assemblymember Dan Hutchison said he sees clients “all the time” whose betting on football and baseball quickly leads to missed car payments, delinquent mortgages and, ultimately, bankruptcy.

The rise of live, in-game bets — in which a gambler could place more than 200 individual bets during a baseball game if they wager on each pitch thrown — has only amplified his misgivings.

“And I’m like, are you kidding me? I mean, they’re betting on the next pitch, the next play, and it’s constant,” he said. “There’s no pause. It’s just not healthy.”

Worried that those bets can worsen problem gambling and threaten the integrity of sports, Hutchison, a Democrat, introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.assemblydems.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=12727" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;to ban New Jersey gambling licensees from offering live bets on individual plays during sporting events.

That bill illustrates growing state interest in regulating proposition bets, commonly called prop bets, a form of sports betting that is popular with fans but worrisome for sports leagues and state officials nationwide.

Unlike wagering on which team will win or the point spread of a game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2537514/2022/01/25/prop-bets-how-to-bet-a-prop-best-prop-bets/" target="_blank">prop bets</a>&nbsp;can center on the performance of an individual player or even a single play that doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of a contest. Prop bets can include trivia, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/super-bowl-gatorade-color-odds-prop-bet/" target="_blank">color</a>&nbsp;of the Gatorade dumped over the Super Bowl’s winning coach, or specific stats, like how many touchdowns a certain quarterback will score during a game or which team will score first.

Critics say prop bets are easier for athletes to manipulate than the outcome of an entire game. They also make individual players more susceptible to online harassment from gamblers and increase the frequency of betting, thus raising the risk of addiction.

Ohio’s Republican governor has called for the nation’s first outright ban on prop betting on professional sports. Already, at least 15 states ban prop betting in collegiate sports, according to data maintained by the American Gaming Association, a trade group.

The heightened focus on prop bets comes amid a rapid rise of legal sports gambling, which is operational in 38 states and the District of Columbia. (Missouri plans to launch its new voter-approved program this December.) While legal betting has boosted state revenues and reshaped sports fandom, Hutchison said bankruptcy attorneys across the country are getting a preview of the financial wreckage it can wreak.

He said some clients are so distraught, he worries about potential suicides related to out-of-control gambling debts.

“That’s the reality of what’s going on. But they don’t make it seem like that when they’re doing these commercials during the football games: It’s normal, everybody does it, if you don’t do it, you’re not enjoying yourself,” he said. “That’s the glamour side of it. I deal with the other side.”

The liberalization of sports gambling was made possible by a 2018 Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/sports-betting/story/_/id/23501236/supreme-court-strikes-federal-law-prohibiting-sports-gambling" target="_blank">decision</a>&nbsp;to strike down a federal law prohibiting gambling.

Since then, legal gambling has transformed the fan experience and propelled sportsbooks into major industry players: Americans are expected to wager an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/aga-estimates-30-billion-in-legal-wagering-on-2025-nfl-season/" target="_blank">$30 billion</a>&nbsp;in legal sports betting on the NFL this season, according to the American Gaming Association. With so much money and energy flowing into gambling, academic researchers are increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/12/05/growth-of-sports-betting-may-be-linked-to-financial-woes-new-studies-find/">raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about the mental and financial consequences.

“The speed at which gambling has been marketed and legalized in this country is way faster than guardrails have been set to protect consumers and to try to give resources for problem gambling,” said Stephen Shapiro, a University of South Carolina professor who researches sports gambling.

Shapiro said a potential ban on prop betting in Ohio would prove a “big step” in gambling regulation. But he expects fierce opposition from the industry and consumers alike.

“They’re very popular. They’re arguably as — if not more — popular than betting on just individual games,” he said. “ … So I think there’ll be some backlash, but I also think over the next few years … there’s going to be an appetite for setting guardrails.”

The American Gaming Association, which represents casinos and sportsbooks, says that such restrictions would only drive gambling to illegal venues such as offshore betting platforms, where consumers have no protections.

But some sports leagues are ready for more restrictions on prop bets.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6309803/2025/04/25/ncaa-sports-prop-bet-ban-licensing-agreement/" target="_blank">The NCAA</a>, the governing body for major college athletics, has been pushing federal and state leaders to ban prop betting in college sports.

The organization says 1 in 3 high-profile college athletes has received abusive messages from gamblers — the majority directed toward basketball players during tournament season. Just 12 days after North Carolina legalized sports betting last year — including prop bets on players — the University of North Carolina’s Armando Bacot&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/5/17/media-center-sports-betting-culture-negatively-impacts-mental-health-ncaa-works-to-support-student-athletes.aspx" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;receiving more than a hundred abusive social media messages for not accumulating enough rebounds in a game.

Women’s basketball student-athletes received about three times the number of threats as men’s basketball student-athletes, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">NCAA</a>.

In a March awareness&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">campaign</a>, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the abuse threatens the well-being of student-athletes and the overall environment of college sports.

“We need fans to do better,” he said in a statement at the time. “We need states to do better and ban player props that target student-athletes and enable detrimental abuse.”

And professional teams have their own concerns. Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45987377/nba-union-back-bet-limits-curb-manipulation-athlete-abuse" target="_blank">ESPN reported</a>&nbsp;the NBA and its players union supported further limits on certain prop bets. This summer, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters he would like to see some limits on prop bets.

“There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable,” Manfred said, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/manfred-says-mlb-better-position-201627489.html" target="_blank">Yahoo Sports</a>.

In late July, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-wants-to-ban-prop-bets-after-gambling-allegations-against-guardians-players/#:~:text=DeWine%20is%20calling%20on%20the,final%20outcome%20of%20the%20game." target="_blank">called on state regulators</a>&nbsp;to outright ban all prop bets — a request he asked the professional sports leagues to support.

DeWine’s proposal followed the suspensions of Cleveland Guardians’ pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, who are being investigated by MLB. A sports betting integrity firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/cleveland-guardians-luis-ortiz-emmanuel-clase-prop-betting-sports-rcna221850" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;flagged two specific pitches Ortiz threw in early June that coincided with a pair of prop bets.

“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm,” DeWine said in a July&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/governor-dewine-calls-on-casino-control-commission-to-remove-prop-bets-following-mlb-investigation-previous-player-threats" target="_blank">news release</a>. “The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly.”

The Ohio Casino Control Commission, which regulates sports betting, did not answer Stateline’s questions about the governor’s request. On Aug. 13, the&nbsp;<a href="https://casinocontrol.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79/OCCC+Suspicious+Wagering+Investigation+Ongoing+Release+8-13-25.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&amp;CONVERT_TO=url&amp;CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_K9I401S01H7F40QBNJU3SO1F56-616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79-pyADS1." target="_blank">agency said</a>&nbsp;its investigation into the suspicious betting on the Guardians was ongoing.

In a statement responding to DeWine, the American Gaming Association said the Ohio incident is actually evidence that regulated gambling works: “It detects potential misconduct, it reports it, and it helps hold bad actors accountable,” said Joe Maloney, the association’s senior vice president of strategic communications.

In an interview, Maloney said eliminating legal prop betting will only move that activity into unregulated markets with no transparency. He said prop bets are a reflection of sports fandom: Bettors like to wager on their favorite players notching touchdowns or 3-pointers.

“It increases a fan’s engagement with the game they love, with the player they love. And so the idea that eliminating a legal betting market for someone really interested in increasing the level of engagement is going to prevent that activity, it’s just not the case,” Maloney said. “ … It simply will just move the activity into the shadows.”

But the leagues are pushing for certain parts of the game to remain off-limits in legal betting markets.

Major League Soccer, for example, successfully pushed Illinois regulators last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-mls.pdf" target="_blank">ban</a>&nbsp;wagering on whether yellow and red penalty cards will be shown during a match and whether a specific player will receive a yellow or red card penalty.

Similarly, the state in February&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-nfl.pdf" target="_blank">banned prop bets&nbsp;</a>on NFL player injuries, player misconduct, officiating assignments, replay results and the first play of the game, following lobbying from the league.

Illinois Gaming Board spokesperson Beth Kaufman told Stateline the regulatory agency doesn’t maintain a list of specific prop bets that are allowed. But the board does require licensees to receive approval from the agency for specific wagers offered, she said.

“The IGB regularly monitors ongoing trends and developments in the industry and in major sports for any possible impact to the integrity of sports wagering in Illinois,” she said in a statement.

The NFL has pushed for similar rule changes in other states.

During a late August news briefing on gambling, David Highhill, the league’s vice president for sports betting, said the NFL has consistently objected to certain bets that raise integrity risks and provide limited fan engagement. Those include bets about officiating or player injuries and bets that are controllable by a single player on a single play.

“So things like ‘will this kicker miss a field goal’ are things that we’ve worked collaboratively across the board with operators to make sure those types of wagers are not offered,” he said.

In New Jersey, Hutchison said he doesn’t want to ban all sports betting or even all prop bets. And he knows his bill targeting so-called micro bets — those live, play-by-play bets — will face opposition, both from the industry and sports gamblers.

An avid sports fan himself, he said he doesn’t waste his money gambling on his beloved Philadelphia Eagles: “They don’t build all of those casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas because they pay out winners,” he said.

He said he’s not looking to end legal sports betting, but does think New Jersey needs to instill consumer protections and have a meaningful policy conversation about the societal costs of gambling.

New Jersey lawmakers are also considering a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://njleg.gov/bill-search/2024/S3080" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;to ban player-specific prop bets on college sports.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey says it has experienced a nearly 300% increase in calls to its problem gambling hotline since the Garden State launched legal sports gambling in 2018.

In a July statement, Luis Del Orbe, executive director of the nonprofit council, which contracts with the state on gambling addiction issues, urged lawmakers to approve the bill to ban live, in-game bets. The organization says those high-frequency bets can trigger instant dopamine releases in the brain’s reward system, fostering compulsive behaviors that can lead to addiction.

“By limiting the proliferation of micro betting, this legislation takes an essential step toward protecting citizens from the harmful effects of reckless gambling practices,” Del Orbe’s statement said.

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757968749466.png" alt=" Officials celebrated the launch of Maryland’s legal sports betting market at MGM National Harbor in December 2021 in Oxon Hill, Md. As many states legalize sports betting, officials are increasingly eyeing a certain type of wager known as a prop bet for increased regulation. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for MGM National Harbor)" />
                        <figcaption> Officials celebrated the launch of Maryland’s legal sports betting market at MGM National Harbor in December 2021 in Oxon Hill, Md. As many states legalize sports betting, officials are increasingly eyeing a certain type of wager known as a prop bet for increased regulation. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for MGM National Harbor)</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>These bets can center on an individual athlete or play, raising concerns about integrity, harassment and addiction.</h2><p>By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a><br><a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a></p><p>As a bankruptcy attorney, New Jersey Assemblymember Dan Hutchison said he sees clients “all the time” whose betting on football and baseball quickly leads to missed car payments, delinquent mortgages and, ultimately, bankruptcy.</p><p>The rise of live, in-game bets — in which a gambler could place more than 200 individual bets during a baseball game if they wager on each pitch thrown — has only amplified his misgivings.</p><p>“And I’m like, are you kidding me? I mean, they’re betting on the next pitch, the next play, and it’s constant,” he said. “There’s no pause. It’s just not healthy.”</p><p>Worried that those bets can worsen problem gambling and threaten the integrity of sports, Hutchison, a Democrat, introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.assemblydems.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=12727" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;to ban New Jersey gambling licensees from offering live bets on individual plays during sporting events.</p><p>That bill illustrates growing state interest in regulating proposition bets, commonly called prop bets, a form of sports betting that is popular with fans but worrisome for sports leagues and state officials nationwide.</p><p>Unlike wagering on which team will win or the point spread of a game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2537514/2022/01/25/prop-bets-how-to-bet-a-prop-best-prop-bets/" target="_blank">prop bets</a>&nbsp;can center on the performance of an individual player or even a single play that doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of a contest. Prop bets can include trivia, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/super-bowl-gatorade-color-odds-prop-bet/" target="_blank">color</a>&nbsp;of the Gatorade dumped over the Super Bowl’s winning coach, or specific stats, like how many touchdowns a certain quarterback will score during a game or which team will score first.</p><p>Critics say prop bets are easier for athletes to manipulate than the outcome of an entire game. They also make individual players more susceptible to online harassment from gamblers and increase the frequency of betting, thus raising the risk of addiction.</p><p>Ohio’s Republican governor has called for the nation’s first outright ban on prop betting on professional sports. Already, at least 15 states ban prop betting in collegiate sports, according to data maintained by the American Gaming Association, a trade group.</p><p>The heightened focus on prop bets comes amid a rapid rise of legal sports gambling, which is operational in 38 states and the District of Columbia. (Missouri plans to launch its new voter-approved program this December.) While legal betting has boosted state revenues and reshaped sports fandom, Hutchison said bankruptcy attorneys across the country are getting a preview of the financial wreckage it can wreak.</p><p>He said some clients are so distraught, he worries about potential suicides related to out-of-control gambling debts.</p><p>“That’s the reality of what’s going on. But they don’t make it seem like that when they’re doing these commercials during the football games: It’s normal, everybody does it, if you don’t do it, you’re not enjoying yourself,” he said. “That’s the glamour side of it. I deal with the other side.”</p><h2>The industry’s rapid rise</h2><p>The liberalization of sports gambling was made possible by a 2018 Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/sports-betting/story/_/id/23501236/supreme-court-strikes-federal-law-prohibiting-sports-gambling" target="_blank">decision</a>&nbsp;to strike down a federal law prohibiting gambling.</p><p>Since then, legal gambling has transformed the fan experience and propelled sportsbooks into major industry players: Americans are expected to wager an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/aga-estimates-30-billion-in-legal-wagering-on-2025-nfl-season/" target="_blank">$30 billion</a>&nbsp;in legal sports betting on the NFL this season, according to the American Gaming Association. With so much money and energy flowing into gambling, academic researchers are increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/12/05/growth-of-sports-betting-may-be-linked-to-financial-woes-new-studies-find/">raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about the mental and financial consequences.</p><p>“The speed at which gambling has been marketed and legalized in this country is way faster than guardrails have been set to protect consumers and to try to give resources for problem gambling,” said Stephen Shapiro, a University of South Carolina professor who researches sports gambling.</p><p>Shapiro said a potential ban on prop betting in Ohio would prove a “big step” in gambling regulation. But he expects fierce opposition from the industry and consumers alike.</p><p>“They’re very popular. They’re arguably as — if not more — popular than betting on just individual games,” he said. “ … So I think there’ll be some backlash, but I also think over the next few years … there’s going to be an appetite for setting guardrails.”</p><p>The American Gaming Association, which represents casinos and sportsbooks, says that such restrictions would only drive gambling to illegal venues such as offshore betting platforms, where consumers have no protections.</p><p>But some sports leagues are ready for more restrictions on prop bets.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6309803/2025/04/25/ncaa-sports-prop-bet-ban-licensing-agreement/" target="_blank">The NCAA</a>, the governing body for major college athletics, has been pushing federal and state leaders to ban prop betting in college sports.</p><p>The organization says 1 in 3 high-profile college athletes has received abusive messages from gamblers — the majority directed toward basketball players during tournament season. Just 12 days after North Carolina legalized sports betting last year — including prop bets on players — the University of North Carolina’s Armando Bacot&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/5/17/media-center-sports-betting-culture-negatively-impacts-mental-health-ncaa-works-to-support-student-athletes.aspx" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;receiving more than a hundred abusive social media messages for not accumulating enough rebounds in a game.</p><p>Women’s basketball student-athletes received about three times the number of threats as men’s basketball student-athletes, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">NCAA</a>.</p><p>In a March awareness&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">campaign</a>, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the abuse threatens the well-being of student-athletes and the overall environment of college sports.</p><p>“We need fans to do better,” he said in a statement at the time. “We need states to do better and ban player props that target student-athletes and enable detrimental abuse.”</p><p>And professional teams have their own concerns. Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45987377/nba-union-back-bet-limits-curb-manipulation-athlete-abuse" target="_blank">ESPN reported</a>&nbsp;the NBA and its players union supported further limits on certain prop bets. This summer, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters he would like to see some limits on prop bets.</p><p>“There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable,” Manfred said, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/manfred-says-mlb-better-position-201627489.html" target="_blank">Yahoo Sports</a>.</p><p>In late July, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-wants-to-ban-prop-bets-after-gambling-allegations-against-guardians-players/#:~:text=DeWine%20is%20calling%20on%20the,final%20outcome%20of%20the%20game." target="_blank">called on state regulators</a>&nbsp;to outright ban all prop bets — a request he asked the professional sports leagues to support.</p><p>DeWine’s proposal followed the suspensions of Cleveland Guardians’ pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, who are being investigated by MLB. A sports betting integrity firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/cleveland-guardians-luis-ortiz-emmanuel-clase-prop-betting-sports-rcna221850" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;flagged two specific pitches Ortiz threw in early June that coincided with a pair of prop bets.</p><p>“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm,” DeWine said in a July&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/governor-dewine-calls-on-casino-control-commission-to-remove-prop-bets-following-mlb-investigation-previous-player-threats" target="_blank">news release</a>. “The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly.”</p><p>The Ohio Casino Control Commission, which regulates sports betting, did not answer Stateline’s questions about the governor’s request. On Aug. 13, the&nbsp;<a href="https://casinocontrol.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79/OCCC+Suspicious+Wagering+Investigation+Ongoing+Release+8-13-25.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&amp;CONVERT_TO=url&amp;CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_K9I401S01H7F40QBNJU3SO1F56-616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79-pyADS1." target="_blank">agency said</a>&nbsp;its investigation into the suspicious betting on the Guardians was ongoing.</p><p>In a statement responding to DeWine, the American Gaming Association said the Ohio incident is actually evidence that regulated gambling works: “It detects potential misconduct, it reports it, and it helps hold bad actors accountable,” said Joe Maloney, the association’s senior vice president of strategic communications.</p><p>In an interview, Maloney said eliminating legal prop betting will only move that activity into unregulated markets with no transparency. He said prop bets are a reflection of sports fandom: Bettors like to wager on their favorite players notching touchdowns or 3-pointers.</p><p>“It increases a fan’s engagement with the game they love, with the player they love. And so the idea that eliminating a legal betting market for someone really interested in increasing the level of engagement is going to prevent that activity, it’s just not the case,” Maloney said. “ … It simply will just move the activity into the shadows.”</p><h2>Leagues endorse some limits</h2><p>But the leagues are pushing for certain parts of the game to remain off-limits in legal betting markets.</p><p>Major League Soccer, for example, successfully pushed Illinois regulators last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-mls.pdf" target="_blank">ban</a>&nbsp;wagering on whether yellow and red penalty cards will be shown during a match and whether a specific player will receive a yellow or red card penalty.</p><p>Similarly, the state in February&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-nfl.pdf" target="_blank">banned prop bets&nbsp;</a>on NFL player injuries, player misconduct, officiating assignments, replay results and the first play of the game, following lobbying from the league.</p><p>Illinois Gaming Board spokesperson Beth Kaufman told Stateline the regulatory agency doesn’t maintain a list of specific prop bets that are allowed. But the board does require licensees to receive approval from the agency for specific wagers offered, she said.</p><p>“The IGB regularly monitors ongoing trends and developments in the industry and in major sports for any possible impact to the integrity of sports wagering in Illinois,” she said in a statement.</p><p>The NFL has pushed for similar rule changes in other states.</p><p>During a late August news briefing on gambling, David Highhill, the league’s vice president for sports betting, said the NFL has consistently objected to certain bets that raise integrity risks and provide limited fan engagement. Those include bets about officiating or player injuries and bets that are controllable by a single player on a single play.</p><p>“So things like ‘will this kicker miss a field goal’ are things that we’ve worked collaboratively across the board with operators to make sure those types of wagers are not offered,” he said.</p><p>In New Jersey, Hutchison said he doesn’t want to ban all sports betting or even all prop bets. And he knows his bill targeting so-called micro bets — those live, play-by-play bets — will face opposition, both from the industry and sports gamblers.</p><p>An avid sports fan himself, he said he doesn’t waste his money gambling on his beloved Philadelphia Eagles: “They don’t build all of those casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas because they pay out winners,” he said.</p><p>He said he’s not looking to end legal sports betting, but does think New Jersey needs to instill consumer protections and have a meaningful policy conversation about the societal costs of gambling.</p><p>New Jersey lawmakers are also considering a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://njleg.gov/bill-search/2024/S3080" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;to ban player-specific prop bets on college sports.</p><p>The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey says it has experienced a nearly 300% increase in calls to its problem gambling hotline since the Garden State launched legal sports gambling in 2018.</p><p>In a July statement, Luis Del Orbe, executive director of the nonprofit council, which contracts with the state on gambling addiction issues, urged lawmakers to approve the bill to ban live, in-game bets. The organization says those high-frequency bets can trigger instant dopamine releases in the brain’s reward system, fostering compulsive behaviors that can lead to addiction.</p><p>“By limiting the proliferation of micro betting, this legislation takes an essential step toward protecting citizens from the harmful effects of reckless gambling practices,” Del Orbe’s statement said.</p><p>Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.</p>

Wagers on touchdowns, strikeouts and even penalties: States eye limits on prop bets

President Trump will speak at the memorial for conservative icon Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/white-house-event/pres-trump-others-attend-memorial-service-for-late-charlie-kirk/436577">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the service.

The 31-year-old Kirk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">was fatally shot on Sept. 10</a>&nbsp;while speaking with students at Utah Valley University.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758379567134.png" alt="Charlie Kirk -image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Charlie Kirk -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>President Trump will speak at the memorial for conservative icon Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LIVE NOW: Building A Legacy, Remembering Charlie Kirk <a href="https://t.co/AAuFzwObpi">https://t.co/AAuFzwObpi</a></p>&mdash; Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA/status/1969789899307090080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/white-house-event/pres-trump-others-attend-memorial-service-for-late-charlie-kirk/436577">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the service.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">From everyday Americans to Cabinet Members—Charlie Kirk’s voice shaped a movement. Watch the message that inspired them all. ❤️⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/LlL88j53xq">pic.twitter.com/LlL88j53xq</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1969601349642764750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Every seat in this giant arena that isn’t roped off for security is packed to the ceiling. Honored to be here.<br><br>All for Charlie Kirk. <a href="https://t.co/NDK6sDuqLa">pic.twitter.com/NDK6sDuqLa</a></p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1969820370988658701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The 31-year-old Kirk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">was fatally shot on Sept. 10</a>&nbsp;while speaking with students at Utah Valley University.&nbsp;</p>

🎥President Trump, others honor Charlie Kirk at memorial service

SEWARD COUNTY– The U.S. Marshals are seeking the public’s help and offering a reward of up to&nbsp;$5,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest of a Guatemalan man wanted in Seward County on multiple counts of crimes against children, according to a media release.

Juan Ralios-Batz, (estimated age) 30, is wanted on three counts of rape of a child, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated human trafficking, and one count of abuse of a child.

Batz and his sister are alleged to have sponsored a 13-year-old unaccompanied alien child and, over a two-year-period, Batz allegedly raped the child and forced the child to do manual labor. &nbsp;The child eventually became pregnant and has a child with Batz. When Batz became aware of his wanted status, his family allegedly helped him escape to Fremont, Nebraska, to evade the charges against him. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Batz is a white or Hispanic man, stands 5-feet-1 inch and weighs approximately 115 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and a tattoo of the letter J on his right arm.&nbsp;

Batz, who is in the U.S. illegally, is known to use multiple aliases, including Juan Ralios, Juan Batz, Randy Guerro, Juan Ramos-Batz, Juan Ramos and Omar Gonzalez.&nbsp;

Anyone with information regarding his location is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals at&nbsp;1-877-WANTED-2&nbsp;or send tip information via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/fugitive-investigations/submitting-a-tip">USMS Tips App</a>.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758163504048.png" alt="Batz photo Seward Co." />
                        <figcaption>Batz photo Seward Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEWARD COUNTY– The U.S. Marshals are seeking the public’s help and offering a reward of up to&nbsp;$5,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest of a Guatemalan man wanted in Seward County on multiple counts of crimes against children, according to a media release.</p><p>Juan Ralios-Batz, (estimated age) 30, is wanted on three counts of rape of a child, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated human trafficking, and one count of abuse of a child.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758163443530.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Batz and his sister are alleged to have sponsored a 13-year-old unaccompanied alien child and, over a two-year-period, Batz allegedly raped the child and forced the child to do manual labor. &nbsp;The child eventually became pregnant and has a child with Batz. When Batz became aware of his wanted status, his family allegedly helped him escape to Fremont, Nebraska, to evade the charges against him. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Batz is a white or Hispanic man, stands 5-feet-1 inch and weighs approximately 115 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and a tattoo of the letter J on his right arm.&nbsp;</p><p>Batz, who is in the U.S. illegally, is known to use multiple aliases, including Juan Ralios, Juan Batz, Randy Guerro, Juan Ramos-Batz, Juan Ramos and Omar Gonzalez.&nbsp;</p><p>Anyone with information regarding his location is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals at&nbsp;1-877-WANTED-2&nbsp;or send tip information via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/fugitive-investigations/submitting-a-tip">USMS Tips App</a>.</p>

Search continues: Man in the U.S. illegally wanted for sex crimes in Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement including the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating a suspect for multiple allegations after a drug bust in northeast Kansas.

On September 16, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit conducted multiple narcotics related search warrants in the 400 block of SW Western Avenue and the 1200 block of SW Van Buren Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the investigation, illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, three firearms and ammunition were located.

Christopher D. Hayes, 42, of Topeka was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Distribute opiate/opium/narcotic/certain stimulant, Distribute/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia, Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transactionm Possession of marijuana

The Topeka Police Department (TPD) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assisted with these search warrants.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758135902003.png" alt="Hayes phhoto Shawnee County" />
                        <figcaption>Hayes phhoto Shawnee County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement including the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating a suspect for multiple allegations after a drug bust in northeast Kansas.</p><p>On September 16, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit conducted multiple narcotics related search warrants in the 400 block of SW Western Avenue and the 1200 block of SW Van Buren Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.</p><p>During the investigation, illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, three firearms and ammunition were located.</p><p>Christopher D. Hayes, 42, of Topeka was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Distribute opiate/opium/narcotic/certain stimulant, Distribute/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia, Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transactionm Possession of marijuana</p><p>The Topeka Police Department (TPD) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assisted with these search warrants.</p>

DEA helps arrest Kansas man accused of selling illegal drugs

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a case of arson and vandalism at the St. Anne’s Catholic school in Olmitz have made an arrest.

Just after 5 p.m. on July 10, the Barton County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to St. Anne's Catholic School in the rural Barton County community of Olmitz, located approximately 17 miles northwest of Great Bend, for a report of vandalism, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

Deputies found the school had been broken into. Unknown persons entered the building causing extensive damage to the interior of the building and other property inside the building.

 The Sheriff’s Office has been conducting investigation that involved out-of-state agencies as well as the Russell Kansas Police Department and Russell County Sheriff’s Office.

On September 17, 2025, the Russell County Sheriff’s office arrested 30-year-old Matthew Clampit on requested charges of criminal damage to property, arson and burglary of a non-dwelling for his involvement in the case. 

Clampit is being held in lieu of a $20,000 bond. Three more suspects have been developed, and arrest warrants are being sought by the Barton County Attorney’s office. Further arrests are expected in this case, according to Sheriff Bellendir

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758385564810.png" alt="Photos Barton Co. Sheriff" />
                        <figcaption>Photos Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a case of arson and vandalism at the St. Anne’s Catholic school in Olmitz have made an arrest.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758385524759.png" alt="Photo Barton Co. Sheriff" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Just after 5 p.m. on July 10, the Barton County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to St. Anne's Catholic School in the rural Barton County community of Olmitz, located approximately 17 miles northwest of Great Bend, for a report of vandalism, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758377443690.png" alt="Clampit photo Barton Co." />
                        <figcaption>Clampit photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Deputies found the school had been broken into. Unknown persons entered the building causing extensive damage to the interior of the building and other property inside the building.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758385725343.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p> The Sheriff’s Office has been conducting investigation that involved out-of-state agencies as well as the Russell Kansas Police Department and Russell County Sheriff’s Office.</p><p>On September 17, 2025, the Russell County Sheriff’s office arrested 30-year-old Matthew Clampit on requested charges of criminal damage to property, arson and burglary of a non-dwelling for his involvement in the case. </p><p>Clampit is being held in lieu of a $20,000 bond. Three more suspects have been developed, and arrest warrants are being sought by the Barton County Attorney’s office. Further arrests are expected in this case, according to Sheriff Bellendir</p>

Suspect jailed for racist graffiti, vandalism at Kan. Catholic school

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a><br><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/"><i>Missouri Independent</i></a>

The Republican plan to ban most abortions in Missouri can go before voters next year but the ballot title must plainly say its intent, a Cole County judge ruled Friday.

The decision from Circuit Judge Daniel Green concluded that lawmakers properly combined bans on gender-affirming treatments for minors with reproductive rights in the proposed constitutional amendment but misled voters with the ballot language.

Quoting a Western District Court of Appeals ruling from 2020, Green wrote that “it was insufficient and unfair for a summary statement to fail to ‘alert voters to that change in some fashion.’”

And the ballot language, he wrote, fails to alert voters that it would repeal the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=I++++36&amp;bid=54984&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">reproductive rights section</a>&nbsp;of the Missouri Constitution approved in the 2024 election.

In the ruling, Green ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to submit revised language within seven days. Green also found that the “<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/petitions/2026BallotMeasures" target="_blank">fair ballot language</a>” summary posted on Hoskins’ office website was misleading for also failing to state abortion would be banned in most cases, and ordered revisions to be submitted within seven days.

The challenge to the&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/2454H.05T.pdf" target="_blank">proposal</a>, which will appear as Amendment 3 on a ballot next year, asked Green to throw it out entirely for combining abortion and gender-affirming care for minors under 18.&nbsp;

During an&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/27/missouri-abortion-amendment-3-ballot-ban-cole-county-trial/">August hearing</a>, attorney Chuck Hatfield argued that the inclusion of the gender-affirming health care ban was “ballot candy” meant to win over more voters but is a separate issue from reproductive health care.

Green disagreed in his ruling, saying the two issues are closely related enough to meet constitutional requirements for a single subject. In a footnote, Green pointed to the website of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/get-care/our-services" target="_blank">Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic</a>, which lists abortion and gender-affirming care among the services provided.

It is the ballot language that does not mention the abortion rights repeal, that is “insufficient and unfair,” Green wrote.

Republican state Senate leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">shut down a Democratic filibuster</a>&nbsp;in May to push the measure to the ballot.&nbsp;

If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would repeal a citizen-led reproductive rights amendment that passed last November legalizing abortion in Missouri until the point of fetal viability and enshrining other reproductive rights in the constitution, including in-vitro fertilization and contraceptives.

The new amendment would reinstate an abortion ban, allowing limited exceptions for medical emergencies, fatal fetal anomolies and for survivors of rape and incest in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

After Hoskins delivers the revised language, parties in the case will have three days to submit arguments on whether it satisfies legal requirements.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746190042115.png" alt="An abortion procedure room pictured on Monday, March 3, 2025, at Planned Parenthood in Columbia, Missouri (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
                        <figcaption>An abortion procedure room pictured on Monday, March 3, 2025, at Planned Parenthood in Columbia, Missouri (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a><br><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/"><i>Missouri Independent</i></a></p><p>The Republican plan to ban most abortions in Missouri can go before voters next year but the ballot title must plainly say its intent, a Cole County judge ruled Friday.</p><p>The decision from Circuit Judge Daniel Green concluded that lawmakers properly combined bans on gender-affirming treatments for minors with reproductive rights in the proposed constitutional amendment but misled voters with the ballot language.</p><p>Quoting a Western District Court of Appeals ruling from 2020, Green wrote that “it was insufficient and unfair for a summary statement to fail to ‘alert voters to that change in some fashion.’”</p><p>And the ballot language, he wrote, fails to alert voters that it would repeal the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=I++++36&amp;bid=54984&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">reproductive rights section</a>&nbsp;of the Missouri Constitution approved in the 2024 election.</p><p>In the ruling, Green ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to submit revised language within seven days. Green also found that the “<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/petitions/2026BallotMeasures" target="_blank">fair ballot language</a>” summary posted on Hoskins’ office website was misleading for also failing to state abortion would be banned in most cases, and ordered revisions to be submitted within seven days.</p><p>The challenge to the&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/2454H.05T.pdf" target="_blank">proposal</a>, which will appear as Amendment 3 on a ballot next year, asked Green to throw it out entirely for combining abortion and gender-affirming care for minors under 18.&nbsp;</p><p>During an&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/27/missouri-abortion-amendment-3-ballot-ban-cole-county-trial/">August hearing</a>, attorney Chuck Hatfield argued that the inclusion of the gender-affirming health care ban was “ballot candy” meant to win over more voters but is a separate issue from reproductive health care.</p><p>Green disagreed in his ruling, saying the two issues are closely related enough to meet constitutional requirements for a single subject. In a footnote, Green pointed to the website of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/get-care/our-services" target="_blank">Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic</a>, which lists abortion and gender-affirming care among the services provided.</p><p>It is the ballot language that does not mention the abortion rights repeal, that is “insufficient and unfair,” Green wrote.</p><p>Republican state Senate leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">shut down a Democratic filibuster</a>&nbsp;in May to push the measure to the ballot.&nbsp;</p><p>If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would repeal a citizen-led reproductive rights amendment that passed last November legalizing abortion in Missouri until the point of fetal viability and enshrining other reproductive rights in the constitution, including in-vitro fertilization and contraceptives.</p><p>The new amendment would reinstate an abortion ban, allowing limited exceptions for medical emergencies, fatal fetal anomolies and for survivors of rape and incest in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.</p><p>After Hoskins delivers the revised language, parties in the case will have three days to submit arguments on whether it satisfies legal requirements.</p>

Judge orders revisions to ballot language for Missouri abortion ban proposal

On Friday, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to restrict the entry into the United States of certain H-1B aliens as nonimmigrant workers, requiring a $100,000 payment to accompany or supplement H-1B petitions for new applications to curb abuses that displace U.S. workers and undermine national security.

American workers are being replaced with lower-paid foreign labor, creating an economic and national security threat to the nation.

Voters gave President Trump a resounding mandate to put American workers first, and he has worked every day to deliver on that commitment.

<p>On Friday, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to restrict the entry into the United States of certain H-1B aliens as nonimmigrant workers, requiring a $100,000 payment to accompany or supplement H-1B petitions for new applications to curb abuses that displace U.S. workers and undermine national security.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> signs an Executive Order to create the Gold Card visa program, facilitating expedited immigration for aliens who make significant financial gifts to the United States. <a href="https://t.co/l0kMUdQh3f">pic.twitter.com/l0kMUdQh3f</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969153811705946467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><ul>
                        <li>The Proclamation restricts entry for aliens as nonimmigrants to perform services in specialty occupations in the H-1B program unless their petition is accompanied by a $100,000 payment.</li><li>It directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to restrict approvals for petitions from aliens that are currently outside the United States that are not accompanied by the payment, and allows case-by-case exemptions if in the national interest.</li><li>The Proclamation requires employers to retain documentation of payment remittance, with the Secretary of State verifying payment during the petition process and the Departments of State and Homeland Security denying entry for non-payment for the relevant aliens and taking other relevant steps needed to implement the Proclamation.</li><li>It requires the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security to issue joint guidance for verification, enforcement, audits, and penalties.</li><li>The Proclamation directs the Secretary of Labor to initiative rulemaking to revise the prevailing wage levels for the H-1B program and directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to initiate rulemaking to prioritize high-skilled, high-paid H-1B workers.</li>
                    </ul><h2>Combating H-1B Abuses</h2><p>American workers are being replaced with lower-paid foreign labor, creating an economic and national security threat to the nation.</p><ul>
                        <li>The share of IT workers with H-1B visas has risen from 32% in FY 2003 to over 65% in recent years.</li><li>Unemployment among recent computer science graduates has reached 6.1% and 7.5% for computer engineering graduates — more than double the rates for biology or art history majors. The number of foreign STEM workers in the United States has more than doubled between 2000 and 2019, while overall STEM employment only increased 44.5% during that time.</li><li>American companies are laying off their American technology workers and seemingly replacing them with H-1B workers:One company was approved for 5,189 H-1B workers in FY 2025, while laying off roughly 16,000 U.S. employees this year.Another company was approved for 1,698 H-1B workers in FY 2025, yet announced it was laying off 2,400 U.S. workers in Oregon in July.A third company has reduced its U.S. workforce by 27,000 since 2022 while receiving 25,075 H-1B approvals.Yet another company reportedly cut 1,000 American jobs in February despite receiving 1,137 H-1B approvals for FY 2025.</li><li>One company was approved for 5,189 H-1B workers in FY 2025, while laying off roughly 16,000 U.S. employees this year.</li><li>Another company was approved for 1,698 H-1B workers in FY 2025, yet announced it was laying off 2,400 U.S. workers in Oregon in July.</li><li>A third company has reduced its U.S. workforce by 27,000 since 2022 while receiving 25,075 H-1B approvals.</li><li>Yet another company reportedly cut 1,000 American jobs in February despite receiving 1,137 H-1B approvals for FY 2025.</li><li>American IT workers have even been reportedly forced to train their foreign replacements under nondisclosure agreements.</li><li>The H-1B program is creating disincentives for future American workers to choose STEM careers, which threatens our national security.</li><li>President Trump is imposing higher costs on companies seeking to use the H-1B program in order to address the abuse of the program, stop the undercutting of wages, and protect our national security.</li>
                    </ul><h2>Prioritizing American Workers</h2><p>Voters gave President Trump a resounding mandate to put American workers first, and he has worked every day to deliver on that commitment.</p><ul>
                        <li>President Trump has aggressively and successfully negotiated new trade deals to bring manufacturing jobs back home and attract new investments to the U.S.</li><li>President Trump is using tariffs as a strategic tool to rebuild American manufacturing, secure our supply chains, and protect U.S. national security.President Trump has implemented several Section 232 tariffs to protect manufacturing that has been undermined by unfair trade practices and global excess capacity.</li><li>President Trump has implemented several Section 232 tariffs to protect manufacturing that has been undermined by unfair trade practices and global excess capacity.</li><li>Since President Trump returned to office, all employment gains have gone to American-born workers—unlike last year during the same period under President Biden, when all employment gains went to foreign-born workers.</li><li>The Trump Administration issued new guidance to ensure illegal aliens are not allowed access to federal workforce development resources and related grants, protecting job trainings for American workers.</li>
                    </ul>

🎥Dramatic new changes Trump made on H-1B visas program

KANSAS CITY —Homicide detectives are investigating at the scene of a fatal fire in Kansas City.

Just before 1a.m. Friday, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment fire in the 4400 Block of Independence in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

Crews discovered a victim and removed them from the apartment. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;

Fire crews notified Kansas City, Missouri police of the death. Detectives from Violent Crimes Division and Bomb and Arson then responded to the scene for a death investigation, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.

&nbsp;Based on some of the evidence located at the scene the, medical examiner and detectives determined that the death may not have been the result of natural causes or fire.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Crime scene investigators are processing the scene as well for evidence. Detectives will also be working to identify the deceased victim which will give detectives a better idea of what led up to his death, as well as the subsequent fire.

The name of the victim has not been released.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758311035022.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY —Homicide detectives are investigating at the scene of a fatal fire in Kansas City.</p><p>Just before 1a.m. Friday, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment fire in the 4400 Block of Independence in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.</p><p>Crews discovered a victim and removed them from the apartment. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;</p><p>Fire crews notified Kansas City, Missouri police of the death. Detectives from Violent Crimes Division and Bomb and Arson then responded to the scene for a death investigation, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.</p><p>&nbsp;Based on some of the evidence located at the scene the, medical examiner and detectives determined that the death may not have been the result of natural causes or fire.</p><p>Homicide detectives responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Crime scene investigators are processing the scene as well for evidence. Detectives will also be working to identify the deceased victim which will give detectives a better idea of what led up to his death, as well as the subsequent fire.</p><p>The name of the victim has not been released.</p>

Homicide: Man's body found in burning KC apartment

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/HqmUByvzgD">pic.twitter.com/HqmUByvzgD</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969184320288878719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥US carries out another fatal strike targeting alleged drug-smuggling boat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Missouri man was charged with nine counts of attempted production of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney

David Lee Maddox, 59, Callaway County, was charged by indictment with nine counts of attempted production of child pornography on Aug. 5, 2025. The charges were made public this week following the arrest and first appearance in court by Maddox.

The investigation began on Aug. 8, 2023, when the St. Louis Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office received a referral from HSI Portland, Maine, pertaining to the defendant’s apparent communication via Microsoft Skype with known traffickers/sellers of live and recorded child sexual abuse videos operating in the Philippines.&nbsp; 

The investigation showed defendant used Skype to receive “shows” from minor victims in the Philippines and paid for the shows by sending money via money transmittal services.&nbsp; From on or about Sept. 20, 2021, through Dec. 23, 2023, the defendant received “shows” depicting underage females on approximately 20 occasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Under federal statutes, if convicted, Maddox faces a federal prison sentence of up to 30 years on each count to be served without parole.&nbsp; The maximum statutory sentence is provided by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.&nbsp;A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from Holts Summit, MO Police department and Missouri State Technical Assistance Team (STAT).

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758315051314.png" alt="Maddox photo Cole County" />
                        <figcaption>Maddox photo Cole County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Missouri man was charged with nine counts of attempted production of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney</p><p>David Lee Maddox, 59, Callaway County, was charged by indictment with nine counts of attempted production of child pornography on Aug. 5, 2025. The charges were made public this week following the arrest and first appearance in court by Maddox.</p><p>The investigation began on Aug. 8, 2023, when the St. Louis Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office received a referral from HSI Portland, Maine, pertaining to the defendant’s apparent communication via Microsoft Skype with known traffickers/sellers of live and recorded child sexual abuse videos operating in the Philippines.&nbsp; </p><p>The investigation showed defendant used Skype to receive “shows” from minor victims in the Philippines and paid for the shows by sending money via money transmittal services.&nbsp; From on or about Sept. 20, 2021, through Dec. 23, 2023, the defendant received “shows” depicting underage females on approximately 20 occasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Under federal statutes, if convicted, Maddox faces a federal prison sentence of up to 30 years on each count to be served without parole.&nbsp; The maximum statutory sentence is provided by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.&nbsp;A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.</p><p>This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from Holts Summit, MO Police department and Missouri State Technical Assistance Team (STAT).</p>