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

TOPEKA — In a rare moment of reprieve for U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he faced&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/repub/rfk-jr-battles-with-members-of-us-senate-panel-over-vaccines-removal-of-cdc-director/">a grueling group of senators</a>&nbsp;Thursday, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas gave him the opportunity to explain his views on vaccines and leadership.

Democrats and Republicans alike expressed their distaste and concern for Kennedy’s decisions as leader of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during a roughly three-hour hearing before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. Kennedy defended staff turnover, the erosion of vaccine investment and funding stalls.

But Marshall spent his allotted five minutes leveling with the secretary.

“One of your themes for the CDC is transparency,” Marshall said.

Part of that transparency, he said, is sharing what Kennedy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention know about vaccines so parents can be better equipped to make decisions. An aide standing behind Marshall held a large sign containing a graphic depicting the current CDC recommendations for vaccinations for children.

“By the time they’re 18 months, they’ve had 18 jabs,” Marshall said. “By the time they get to be old enough to vote, they have 76 jabs.”

An aide moved the sign with the graphic to the side to reveal another sign, which read in bright red type, “76 JABS!”

Marshall, a former OB-GYN who said he’s delivered 5,000 babies, also said he doesn’t understand why newborns are given a hepatitis vaccine if a mother has no risk factors. The hepatitis vaccine is typically the first vaccine a newborn receives.

Hepatitis B is most commonly transmitted from mother to child at birth, and an estimated 1.1 million people died from hepatitis B infections in 2022, according to the World Health Organization.

Marshall said vaccines should be treated like medication and asked how Kennedy uses transparency to do just that.

Kennedy agreed with Marshall, confronting accusations that he is anti-vaccine.

“Saying I’m anti-vaccine is like saying I’m anti-medicine,” Kennedy said. “I’m pro-medicine, but I understand some medicines harm people. Some of them have risks. Some of them have benefits that outweigh those risks for some populations.”

Marshall said he and Kennedy are fighting to empower parents to make their own decisions surrounding vaccines.

“I guess before the press labels me wrong, I’m not anti-vaccine either,” Marshall said, expressing support for the MMR, DPT, polio and smallpox vaccines.

Marshall also gave Kennedy time to clear up any confusion about his stance on the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 vaccines.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, which Kennedy oversees, more than 1.2 million deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 as of Aug. 30. In an estimated 87% of those deaths, COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, and it was listed as a contributing cause in the remaining deaths.

Earlier in the hearing, Kennedy said he didn’t know the total COVID-19 death toll in the U.S., refuting existing estimates of both the death toll and vaccine efficacy rates. He blamed “data chaos” at the CDC, which he also oversees.

Marshall agreed with Kennedy, articulating the difference between the number of people dying from COVID and the number of those who died with COVID.

“The calculus is different and it’s complicated,” Kennedy said, “and, you know, if you want to just turn everything into a sound bite, it makes it — you can’t have a grown-up conversation.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757076839547.png" alt="Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas describes, with signage, the number of vaccines U.S. children typically receive by the age of 18 during a Sept. 4, 2025, hearing of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from U.S. Senate Finance Committee livestream)" />
 <figcaption>Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas describes, with signage, the number of vaccines U.S. children typically receive by the age of 18 during a Sept. 4, 2025, hearing of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from U.S. Senate Finance Committee livestream)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — In a rare moment of reprieve for U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he faced&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/repub/rfk-jr-battles-with-members-of-us-senate-panel-over-vaccines-removal-of-cdc-director/">a grueling group of senators</a>&nbsp;Thursday, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas gave him the opportunity to explain his views on vaccines and leadership.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ge_pFJfWZB4?si=rOt8nC9fh6koCwhU&amp;start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Democrats and Republicans alike expressed their distaste and concern for Kennedy’s decisions as leader of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during a roughly three-hour hearing before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. Kennedy defended staff turnover, the erosion of vaccine investment and funding stalls.But Marshall spent his allotted five minutes leveling with the secretary.“One of your themes for the CDC is transparency,” Marshall said.Part of that transparency, he said, is sharing what Kennedy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention know about vaccines so parents can be better equipped to make decisions. An aide standing behind Marshall held a large sign containing a graphic depicting the current CDC recommendations for vaccinations for children.“By the time they’re 18 months, they’ve had 18 jabs,” Marshall said. “By the time they get to be old enough to vote, they have 76 jabs.”An aide moved the sign with the graphic to the side to reveal another sign, which read in bright red type, “76 JABS!”Marshall, a former OB-GYN who said he’s delivered 5,000 babies, also said he doesn’t understand why newborns are given a hepatitis vaccine if a mother has no risk factors. The hepatitis vaccine is typically the first vaccine a newborn receives.Hepatitis B is most commonly transmitted from mother to child at birth, and an estimated 1.1 million people died from hepatitis B infections in 2022, according to the World Health Organization.Marshall said vaccines should be treated like medication and asked how Kennedy uses transparency to do just that.Kennedy agreed with Marshall, confronting accusations that he is anti-vaccine.“Saying I’m anti-vaccine is like saying I’m anti-medicine,” Kennedy said. “I’m pro-medicine, but I understand some medicines harm people. Some of them have risks. Some of them have benefits that outweigh those risks for some populations.”Marshall said he and Kennedy are fighting to empower parents to make their own decisions surrounding vaccines.“I guess before the press labels me wrong, I’m not anti-vaccine either,” Marshall said, expressing support for the MMR, DPT, polio and smallpox vaccines.Marshall also gave Kennedy time to clear up any confusion about his stance on the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 vaccines.According to the National Center for Health Statistics, which Kennedy oversees, more than 1.2 million deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 as of Aug. 30. In an estimated 87% of those deaths, COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, and it was listed as a contributing cause in the remaining deaths.Earlier in the hearing, Kennedy said he didn’t know the total COVID-19 death toll in the U.S., refuting existing estimates of both the death toll and vaccine efficacy rates. He blamed “data chaos” at the CDC, which he also oversees.Marshall agreed with Kennedy, articulating the difference between the number of people dying from COVID and the number of those who died with COVID.“The calculus is different and it’s complicated,” Kennedy said, “and, you know, if you want to just turn everything into a sound bite, it makes it — you can’t have a grown-up conversation.”

RFK Jr., Kan. U.S. senator find common ground on vaccines at contentious hearing

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas police K9 returned to work last week after being stabbed while assisting during an arrest last month.

 After a full recovery and medical clearance, K9 Dagger returned to full duty, according to a social media report from the Shawnee Police Department.&nbsp;

Just before 4a.m. August 5, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department was dispatched to disturbance at a home in the 900 block of Riverview, according to a media release.

At the home, officers spoke with the caller who said a family member had returned to the. home after an earlier assault involving a knife. When officers approached the home to talk to the man, he barricaded himself inside.

The Shawnee Police Department assisted and brought K9 Dagger, a Belgian Malinois, to the scene. When officers went inside the home to take make an arrest, the suspect stabbed the K9 officer.

Dagger was transported to a local veterinarian and was expected to make a full recovery. Dagger has been with the Shawnee Police Department since 2023.

At 7:30 a.m., the suspect surrendered and was arrested.&nbsp;

In 2024 the Kansas legislature passed&nbsp; “Bane’s Law,” that increases penalties for inflicting harm on law enforcement animals, including horses. The felony crime is now punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a minimum fine of $10,000.

Governor Kelly vetoed the bill but on was overridden 105-20 in the House and 29-10 in the Senate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756865012128.png" alt="Dagger photo Shawnee Police" />
 <figcaption>Dagger photo Shawnee Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas police K9 returned to work last week after being stabbed while assisting during an arrest last month. After a full recovery and medical clearance, K9 Dagger returned to full duty, according to a social media report from the Shawnee Police Department.&nbsp;Just before 4a.m. August 5, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department was dispatched to disturbance at a home in the 900 block of Riverview, according to a media release.At the home, officers spoke with the caller who said a family member had returned to the. home after an earlier assault involving a knife. When officers approached the home to talk to the man, he barricaded himself inside.The Shawnee Police Department assisted and brought K9 Dagger, a Belgian Malinois, to the scene. When officers went inside the home to take make an arrest, the suspect stabbed the K9 officer.Dagger was transported to a local veterinarian and was expected to make a full recovery. Dagger has been with the Shawnee Police Department since 2023.At 7:30 a.m., the suspect surrendered and was arrested.&nbsp;In 2024 the Kansas legislature passed&nbsp; “Bane’s Law,” that increases penalties for inflicting harm on law enforcement animals, including horses. The felony crime is now punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a minimum fine of $10,000.Governor Kelly vetoed the bill but on was overridden 105-20 in the House and 29-10 in the Senate.

Kansas police K-9 returns to full time duty after being stabbed

Two tickets, sold in Missouri and Texas, matched all six numbers in Saturdayk night’s Powerball® drawing and will split a $1.787 billion jackpot, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.

The winning numbers in the Saturday, Sept. 6 Powerball drawing were white balls 11, 23, 44, 61, 62, and red Powerball 17. The Power Play® multiplier was 2.

With final ticket sales, the Powerball jackpot came in at $1.787 billion – making it the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won, trailing only the world-record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in California on Nov. 7, 2022.

“Congratulations to our newest Powerball jackpot winners and the Missouri Lottery and Texas Lottery for selling the winning tickets,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “Each $2 ticket sold during this Powerball jackpot run gave players a chance at the prize, while also supporting vital public programs and services in their communities — and that’s worth celebrating!”

Each ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $893.5 million or a lump sum payment of $410.3 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.

U.S. lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets carefully, as cash prizes are also awarded for matching the red Powerball or other numbers in the winning combination.

More than 9.9 million tickets won cash prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing.

Nationwide, 18 tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. The $1 million-winning tickets were sold in California (2), Colorado, Florida, Illinois (2), Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York (2), Ohio (2), Oregon, Texas (2) and West Virginia. Note: In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.

Two tickets matched all five white balls and increased their winnings to $2 million each, by including the Power Play® option for $1 more at purchase. The $2 million-winning tickets were sold in Kansas and Texas.

There were also 232 tickets that won $50,000 prizes (Match 4 + PB) and 90 tickets that won $100,000 prizes (Match 4 + PB + Power Play).

In the Double Play® drawing, two tickets in Florida and Maine won $500,000 each after matching all five black balls. Double Play® is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to play their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. Double Play drawings are held after each Powerball drawing.

Last night’s Powerball drawing was the 42nd drawing since the jackpot was previously won in California on May 31, 2025 - setting a new game record for the longest jackpot run.

For the next drawing on Monday night, the Powerball jackpot resets to $20 million. The 10X Power Play® multiplier will be available for play since the advertised jackpot is below $150 million.

Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $36 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

Two tickets, sold in Missouri and Texas, matched all six numbers in Saturdayk night’s Powerball® drawing and will split a $1.787 billion jackpot, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.The winning numbers in the Saturday, Sept. 6 Powerball drawing were white balls 11, 23, 44, 61, 62, and red Powerball 17. The Power Play® multiplier was 2.With final ticket sales, the Powerball jackpot came in at $1.787 billion – making it the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won, trailing only the world-record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in California on Nov. 7, 2022.“Congratulations to our newest Powerball jackpot winners and the Missouri Lottery and Texas Lottery for selling the winning tickets,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “Each $2 ticket sold during this Powerball jackpot run gave players a chance at the prize, while also supporting vital public programs and services in their communities — and that’s worth celebrating!”Each ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $893.5 million or a lump sum payment of $410.3 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.U.S. lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets carefully, as cash prizes are also awarded for matching the red Powerball or other numbers in the winning combination.More than 9.9 million tickets won cash prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing.Nationwide, 18 tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. The $1 million-winning tickets were sold in California (2), Colorado, Florida, Illinois (2), Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York (2), Ohio (2), Oregon, Texas (2) and West Virginia. Note: In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.Two tickets matched all five white balls and increased their winnings to $2 million each, by including the Power Play® option for $1 more at purchase. The $2 million-winning tickets were sold in Kansas and Texas.There were also 232 tickets that won $50,000 prizes (Match 4 + PB) and 90 tickets that won $100,000 prizes (Match 4 + PB + Power Play).In the Double Play® drawing, two tickets in Florida and Maine won $500,000 each after matching all five black balls. Double Play® is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to play their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. Double Play drawings are held after each Powerball drawing.Last night’s Powerball drawing was the 42nd drawing since the jackpot was previously won in California on May 31, 2025 - setting a new game record for the longest jackpot run.For the next drawing on Monday night, the Powerball jackpot resets to $20 million. The 10X Power Play® multiplier will be available for play since the advertised jackpot is below $150 million.Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $36 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.Top Ten Powerball® Jackpots<ol>
 <li>$2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA</li><li>$1.787 Billion – Sept. 6, 2025 – MO, TX</li><li>$1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA</li><li>$1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN</li><li>$1.326 Billion – April 6, 2024 – OR</li><li>$1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA</li><li>$842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI</li><li>$768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI</li><li>$758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA</li><li>$754.6 Million – Feb. 6, 2023 - WA</li>
 </ol>

Powerball lottery player in Mo. will split estimated $1.8 billion jackpot

KANSAS CITY– A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court this week to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, according to the United State's Attorney.

Lisandro Garcia-Ramirez, 23, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Garcia-Ramirez was arrested on Feb. 20, 2025, traveling on I-70 in Saline County, Mo. Garcia-Ramirez admitted to transporting individuals he knew were present in the United States illegally.

Under federal statutes, Garcia-Ramirez is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Garcia-Ramirez will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757191101055.png" alt="Ramirez photo from his February arrest" />
 <figcaption>Ramirez photo from his February arrest</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court this week to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, according to the United State's Attorney.Lisandro Garcia-Ramirez, 23, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Garcia-Ramirez was arrested on Feb. 20, 2025, traveling on I-70 in Saline County, Mo. Garcia-Ramirez admitted to transporting individuals he knew were present in the United States illegally.Under federal statutes, Garcia-Ramirez is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Garcia-Ramirez will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations.

Mexican national admits transporting illegals on I-70

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two former Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers with stealing $900,000 from the Court, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Julia Roberts, 65, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Vicki Robinson, 63, of Bonner Springs were indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy as well as individual counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

As part of their duties, Roberts and Robinson were responsible for collecting and depositing funds into the Wyandotte County Clerk Office’s bank account.

Roberts and Robinson are accused of devising a scheme to steal incoming cash between January 2018 and February 2023. They allegedly concealed the ongoing thefts by using the clerk of court’s signature on fraudulent checks that they generated without authorization. 

According to court documents, the fraudulent checks appeared to be facially valid and were drawn on and deposited into the county clerk office’s bank account, creating a corresponding debit and credit—which eliminated fluctuation in the deposit amount on the bank statements but concealed the stolen cash in the Court’s accounting system.

Roberts and Robinson made their initial court appearances on September 3, 2025, and September 5, 2025, respectively, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two former Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers with stealing $900,000 from the Court, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Julia Roberts, 65, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Vicki Robinson, 63, of Bonner Springs were indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy as well as individual counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.As part of their duties, Roberts and Robinson were responsible for collecting and depositing funds into the Wyandotte County Clerk Office’s bank account.Roberts and Robinson are accused of devising a scheme to steal incoming cash between January 2018 and February 2023. They allegedly concealed the ongoing thefts by using the clerk of court’s signature on fraudulent checks that they generated without authorization. According to court documents, the fraudulent checks appeared to be facially valid and were drawn on and deposited into the county clerk office’s bank account, creating a corresponding debit and credit—which eliminated fluctuation in the deposit amount on the bank statements but concealed the stolen cash in the Court’s accounting system.Roberts and Robinson made their initial court appearances on September 3, 2025, and September 5, 2025, respectively, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

2 Kan. county court bookkeepers charged in $900K fraud scheme

&nbsp;President Trump hosted a dinner Friday night for GOP members of Congress in the new “Rose Garden Club.”

&nbsp;President Trump hosted a dinner Friday night for GOP members of Congress in the new “Rose Garden Club.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">GRAND OPENING: Rose Garden Club 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/VJe97CondZ">pic.twitter.com/VJe97CondZ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964155026323980414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Grand Opening of the Rose Garden Club at the <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WhiteHouse</a> <a href="https://t.co/BLdk8obft2">pic.twitter.com/BLdk8obft2</a>&mdash; Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/1964146753394925915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757171663358.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Rose Garden Club 🌹🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/A3voNntmpy">pic.twitter.com/A3voNntmpy</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1964335225640481014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The grand opening of the new Rose Garden Club at the White House last night was epic. Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> for his hospitality &amp; visionary leadership. <a href="https://t.co/eoTJu8EMNZ">pic.twitter.com/eoTJu8EMNZ</a>&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1964306857368952927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Last night at the White House we celebrated the grand opening of the Rose Garden Club. I was honored to offer a prayer for our nation, with <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> sharing a great photo of me praying over <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realdonaldtrump</a>. A special night, thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>. <a href="https://t.co/5f45VgDTop">pic.twitter.com/5f45VgDTop</a>&mdash; Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorLankford/status/1964328662766944410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

See photos of White House dinner at new ‘Rose Garden Club’

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — Members of Congress began searching for compromise on a short-term government funding bill Wednesday, with just a few weeks left to broker a deal before a possible shutdown.

Fresh off their August recess, congressional leaders and members of the Appropriations Committee appealed for bipartisanship from the other side while admitting they are far from a final agreement.&nbsp;

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to say during a press conference whether he will negotiate a stopgap spending bill with Democrats, or use the go-at-it-alone approach that succeeded in March.&nbsp;

“Republicans are committed to keeping the government open, and unfortunately, it seems like not all Democrats agree with that, and they’re beginning to apply the government shutdown pressure,” Johnson said. “But I want you to remember one thing: All but one House Democrat voted to shut down the government in March, and we expect, sadly, that that may happen again.”

Johnson said he was open to negotiations with Democratic leaders as long as they “are willing to work with us and think responsibly about how we can spend less than we did last year.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during an afternoon press conference that Democrats want GOP leaders to negotiate the stopgap spending bill across party lines.&nbsp;

“The bottom line is very simple: We Democrats want a bipartisan bill and we are pushing the Republicans very hard to do it,” Schumer said. “We’re on our front foot. We’re unified.”&nbsp;

Schumer, who took considerable flak&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-stopgap-spending-bill-law-following-us-senate-passage" target="_blank">for helping Republicans limit debate</a>&nbsp;on a partisan stopgap bill in March, said “it’s much different than last time.”&nbsp;

Pressed by several reporters about what Democrats would help move through the Senate this time around, Schumer said: “We are willing to sit down and negotiate a bipartisan proposal with significant Democratic input. So far, they are not.”

The House and Senate are supposed to complete work on the dozen annual government funding bills by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1 but that hasn’t happened for decades, so lawmakers rely on a stopgap spending bill to keep federal departments and agencies running on autopilot for a couple months.&nbsp;

That measure, sometimes called a continuing resolution, is intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to complete bipartisan House-Senate negotiations on the full-year appropriations bills, though Congress used three CRs to fund the government this fiscal year instead of getting its work done.&nbsp;

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he expects lawmakers will need to approve a stopgap spending bill “for some time into the foreseeable future,” but that discussions are ongoing about how long it will last and what else might be added.&nbsp;

“My hope would be that whatever that CR looks like, that it is clean and that it enables us to buy some time to get a regular appropriations process done,” Thune said. “I still think the best way to fund the government is through the appropriations process.”

President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office earlier in the day that he expects Republicans will vote for a stopgap spending bill but he didn’t address how it would get through the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster, which requires bipartisanship.&nbsp;

“I think the Republicans will vote for an extension,” Trump said. “We won’t have any Democrat votes.”&nbsp;

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters he hopes to negotiate final versions of three full-year bills with the Senate before the end of the month.

Lawmakers would then use a stopgap spending bill to keep the departments and agencies covered in the other nine bills flat funded for a couple of months until the two chambers can reach final agreement on the spending levels and policy within those measures.&nbsp;

“We’re talking about relatively modest bills and bills where there is either broad agreement, like MilCon-VA, or LegBranch and Ag,” Cole said. “We’re not talking about major bills. You can’t really do that until you have a topline and we don’t have a topline.”

The Agriculture-FDA, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA spending bills are generally easier to negotiate than some of the other full-year measures, like Defense, Homeland Security and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education.&nbsp;

Cole said when House and Senate leaders begin negotiating a total spending level for all of the bills, or topline, is “above my paygrade.”

“I’m ready to do it at any time if they want to empower us, otherwise the leadership on both sides and the president have to” figure that out, Cole said.

The House and Senate are supposed to start off the annual government funding process in the spring by reaching bipartisan agreement on how much in total spending to spread throughout the dozen appropriations bills.&nbsp;

Those talks haven’t even started for fiscal 2026, which is slated to begin Oct. 1.&nbsp;

Instead, the House and Senate Appropriations committees have separately decided how much to spend and written vastly different versions of the bills.&nbsp;

The 12 bills that have been released by the GOP-led House committee are partisan, while the eight bills released by the Senate panel have received broad bipartisan support in committee.&nbsp;

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she’s spoken with Cole a couple of times about the three-bills-plus-stopgap strategy and supports the concept.&nbsp;

“I have and I agree with that approach,” Collins said.

Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said any stopgap bill “needs to be a real bipartisan compromise.”

“For the last few months we have shown a bipartisan way forward on the Appropriations Committee,” Murray said. “Democrats have shown that we are willing to work in good faith to write bipartisan funding bills that protect investments in education, life-saving research and a lot more.&nbsp;

“We’ve already passed eight out of the committee and three on the floor: MilCon-VA, Ag and LegBranch. As part of a bipartisan short-term CR, I support conferencing those three bills and passing them with the short-term CR for the remaining nine bills.”

House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro said “the best case scenario for us is to move forward.”&nbsp;

“No gimmicks, no riders, let’s clear the decks,” the Connecticut Democrat said. “Talk about how we get Republican priorities, Democratic priorities.”&nbsp;

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said “there’s a chance” to wrap up negotiations between the two chambers on final versions of some of the full-year government spending bills before the end of the month.&nbsp;

“It might not be all 12, but a few of them for sure,” Scalise said. “So let’s give the appropriators that opportunity to keep negotiating. They’ve already been having negotiations for weeks now — Tom Cole and a lot of his counterparts. I have faith they can hopefully get a lot of things done.”

Scalise, R-La., said he plans to reserve floor time later this month to&nbsp; ensure whatever spending bill gets written is “the top priority.”

Rep. Robert Aderholt, chairman of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, said he thinks most people agree there’s going to be some sort of stopgap given all 12 of the annual bills aren’t close to becoming law.

The Alabama Republican said this feat is “almost impossible” given the short number of legislative days left before the shutdown deadline.&nbsp;

“The solution, of course, obviously, or the only alternative, would be to have a CR, but I think the shorter the CR, the better,” he said, noting that the measure would have to be “long enough that you can have negotiations, but short enough that it doesn’t drag out until Christmas and that … we’re up here at Christmas doing an omnibus or something like that, which everybody wants to avoid.”&nbsp;

Congress has often bundled the final, conferenced versions of the dozen bills together into a sweeping omnibus package at the end of the year to ensure quick floor votes, though GOP leaders have tried to get away from that practice in recent years.&nbsp;

Rep. Chuck Edwards, a North Carolina Republican who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said that while he hopes a stopgap spending bill is “not necessary,” the panel is “certainly prepared to put together a short-term CR if that’s what’s required to avoid a shutdown.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757020412274.png" alt=" U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., takes questions from reporters during a press conference in the Rayburn Room of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Also pictured, from left to right, are Ohio Republican Rep. Dave Taylor; Majority Whip Tom Emmer R-Minn.; co-founders of Patriot Industries Sarah and Tom Click; Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.; and Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption> U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., takes questions from reporters during a press conference in the Rayburn Room of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Also pictured, from left to right, are Ohio Republican Rep. Dave Taylor; Majority Whip Tom Emmer R-Minn.; co-founders of Patriot Industries Sarah and Tom Click; Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.; and Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — Members of Congress began searching for compromise on a short-term government funding bill Wednesday, with just a few weeks left to broker a deal before a possible shutdown.Fresh off their August recess, congressional leaders and members of the Appropriations Committee appealed for bipartisanship from the other side while admitting they are far from a final agreement.&nbsp;Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to say during a press conference whether he will negotiate a stopgap spending bill with Democrats, or use the go-at-it-alone approach that succeeded in March.&nbsp;“Republicans are committed to keeping the government open, and unfortunately, it seems like not all Democrats agree with that, and they’re beginning to apply the government shutdown pressure,” Johnson said. “But I want you to remember one thing: All but one House Democrat voted to shut down the government in March, and we expect, sadly, that that may happen again.”Johnson said he was open to negotiations with Democratic leaders as long as they “are willing to work with us and think responsibly about how we can spend less than we did last year.”Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during an afternoon press conference that Democrats want GOP leaders to negotiate the stopgap spending bill across party lines.&nbsp;“The bottom line is very simple: We Democrats want a bipartisan bill and we are pushing the Republicans very hard to do it,” Schumer said. “We’re on our front foot. We’re unified.”&nbsp;Schumer, who took considerable flak&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-stopgap-spending-bill-law-following-us-senate-passage" target="_blank">for helping Republicans limit debate</a>&nbsp;on a partisan stopgap bill in March, said “it’s much different than last time.”&nbsp;Pressed by several reporters about what Democrats would help move through the Senate this time around, Schumer said: “We are willing to sit down and negotiate a bipartisan proposal with significant Democratic input. So far, they are not.”<h2>Spending running on autopilot</h2>The House and Senate are supposed to complete work on the dozen annual government funding bills by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1 but that hasn’t happened for decades, so lawmakers rely on a stopgap spending bill to keep federal departments and agencies running on autopilot for a couple months.&nbsp;That measure, sometimes called a continuing resolution, is intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to complete bipartisan House-Senate negotiations on the full-year appropriations bills, though Congress used three CRs to fund the government this fiscal year instead of getting its work done.&nbsp;Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he expects lawmakers will need to approve a stopgap spending bill “for some time into the foreseeable future,” but that discussions are ongoing about how long it will last and what else might be added.&nbsp;“My hope would be that whatever that CR looks like, that it is clean and that it enables us to buy some time to get a regular appropriations process done,” Thune said. “I still think the best way to fund the government is through the appropriations process.”President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office earlier in the day that he expects Republicans will vote for a stopgap spending bill but he didn’t address how it would get through the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster, which requires bipartisanship.&nbsp;“I think the Republicans will vote for an extension,” Trump said. “We won’t have any Democrat votes.”&nbsp;<h2>Three spending bills seen as possible</h2>House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters he hopes to negotiate final versions of three full-year bills with the Senate before the end of the month.Lawmakers would then use a stopgap spending bill to keep the departments and agencies covered in the other nine bills flat funded for a couple of months until the two chambers can reach final agreement on the spending levels and policy within those measures.&nbsp;“We’re talking about relatively modest bills and bills where there is either broad agreement, like MilCon-VA, or LegBranch and Ag,” Cole said. “We’re not talking about major bills. You can’t really do that until you have a topline and we don’t have a topline.”The Agriculture-FDA, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA spending bills are generally easier to negotiate than some of the other full-year measures, like Defense, Homeland Security and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education.&nbsp;Cole said when House and Senate leaders begin negotiating a total spending level for all of the bills, or topline, is “above my paygrade.”“I’m ready to do it at any time if they want to empower us, otherwise the leadership on both sides and the president have to” figure that out, Cole said.The House and Senate are supposed to start off the annual government funding process in the spring by reaching bipartisan agreement on how much in total spending to spread throughout the dozen appropriations bills.&nbsp;Those talks haven’t even started for fiscal 2026, which is slated to begin Oct. 1.&nbsp;Instead, the House and Senate Appropriations committees have separately decided how much to spend and written vastly different versions of the bills.&nbsp;<h2>House and Senate at odds</h2>The 12 bills that have been released by the GOP-led House committee are partisan, while the eight bills released by the Senate panel have received broad bipartisan support in committee.&nbsp;Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she’s spoken with Cole a couple of times about the three-bills-plus-stopgap strategy and supports the concept.&nbsp;“I have and I agree with that approach,” Collins said.Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said any stopgap bill “needs to be a real bipartisan compromise.”“For the last few months we have shown a bipartisan way forward on the Appropriations Committee,” Murray said. “Democrats have shown that we are willing to work in good faith to write bipartisan funding bills that protect investments in education, life-saving research and a lot more.&nbsp;“We’ve already passed eight out of the committee and three on the floor: MilCon-VA, Ag and LegBranch. As part of a bipartisan short-term CR, I support conferencing those three bills and passing them with the short-term CR for the remaining nine bills.”House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro said “the best case scenario for us is to move forward.”&nbsp;“No gimmicks, no riders, let’s clear the decks,” the Connecticut Democrat said. “Talk about how we get Republican priorities, Democratic priorities.”&nbsp;<h2>Negotiations ‘for weeks now’</h2>House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said “there’s a chance” to wrap up negotiations between the two chambers on final versions of some of the full-year government spending bills before the end of the month.&nbsp;“It might not be all 12, but a few of them for sure,” Scalise said. “So let’s give the appropriators that opportunity to keep negotiating. They’ve already been having negotiations for weeks now — Tom Cole and a lot of his counterparts. I have faith they can hopefully get a lot of things done.”Scalise, R-La., said he plans to reserve floor time later this month to&nbsp; ensure whatever spending bill gets written is “the top priority.”Rep. Robert Aderholt, chairman of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, said he thinks most people agree there’s going to be some sort of stopgap given all 12 of the annual bills aren’t close to becoming law.The Alabama Republican said this feat is “almost impossible” given the short number of legislative days left before the shutdown deadline.&nbsp;“The solution, of course, obviously, or the only alternative, would be to have a CR, but I think the shorter the CR, the better,” he said, noting that the measure would have to be “long enough that you can have negotiations, but short enough that it doesn’t drag out until Christmas and that … we’re up here at Christmas doing an omnibus or something like that, which everybody wants to avoid.”&nbsp;Congress has often bundled the final, conferenced versions of the dozen bills together into a sweeping omnibus package at the end of the year to ensure quick floor votes, though GOP leaders have tried to get away from that practice in recent years.&nbsp;Rep. Chuck Edwards, a North Carolina Republican who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said that while he hopes a stopgap spending bill is “not necessary,” the panel is “certainly prepared to put together a short-term CR if that’s what’s required to avoid a shutdown.”

Despite shutdown deadline, little movement in Congress on spending deal

WYANDOTTE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) shared an update on the July 5th death of Charles Adair at the Wyandotte County Detention Center.

In the final autopsy report, the coroner ruled Adair's cause of death as complications of mechanical asphyxia. Contributory factors were noted as hypertensive cardiovascular disease and hepatic cirrhosis due to chronic alcoholism. Adair's manner of death was determined to be homicide.&nbsp;

At approximately 8:30 p.m. on July 5, Charles L. Adair, 50, of Kansas City, Kansas, received medical care in the detention center’s infirmary for a pre-existing wound on his leg.

Preliminary information indicates that when personnel attempted to transfer him back to his cell, Adair caused a disturbance by yelling, refusing to listen to commands, and physically resisting. Multiple sheriff’s deputies responded and handcuffed Adair to gain compliance. They transported him to his cell, where several deputies placed him on the lower bunk. They began attempting to remove the handcuffs, while Adair continued to resist. They gained control, removed the cuffs, and left the cell.

Immediately after, at 8:37 p.m., medical staff were called to evaluate Adair who they found&nbsp; him unresponsive. Life-saving measures were initiated. EMS responded to the facility and continued medical intervention. Despite efforts, Adair was pronounced dead at 9:19 p.m.

This week the KBI concluded its investigation and presented findings to the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751825756436.png" alt="Adair photo from an arrest in 2022 in Wyandotte County" />
 <figcaption>Adair photo from an arrest in 2022 in Wyandotte County</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) shared an update on the July 5th death of Charles Adair at the Wyandotte County Detention Center.In the final autopsy report, the coroner ruled Adair's cause of death as complications of mechanical asphyxia. Contributory factors were noted as hypertensive cardiovascular disease and hepatic cirrhosis due to chronic alcoholism. Adair's manner of death was determined to be homicide.&nbsp;At approximately 8:30 p.m. on July 5, Charles L. Adair, 50, of Kansas City, Kansas, received medical care in the detention center’s infirmary for a pre-existing wound on his leg.Preliminary information indicates that when personnel attempted to transfer him back to his cell, Adair caused a disturbance by yelling, refusing to listen to commands, and physically resisting. Multiple sheriff’s deputies responded and handcuffed Adair to gain compliance. They transported him to his cell, where several deputies placed him on the lower bunk. They began attempting to remove the handcuffs, while Adair continued to resist. They gained control, removed the cuffs, and left the cell.Immediately after, at 8:37 p.m., medical staff were called to evaluate Adair who they found&nbsp; him unresponsive. Life-saving measures were initiated. EMS responded to the facility and continued medical intervention. Despite efforts, Adair was pronounced dead at 9:19 p.m.This week the KBI concluded its investigation and presented findings to the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office.&nbsp;

KBI updates cause of death of inmate after struggle with deputies

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump signs executive order renaming the Defense Department as Department of War: &quot;It has to do with winning. We should have won every war. We could have won every war. We really chose to be a very politically correct or wokey and we just fight forever.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/bluS2rZ4k2">pic.twitter.com/bluS2rZ4k2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1964064319714300314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Back to work. <a href="https://t.co/M7wRax9gOm">pic.twitter.com/M7wRax9gOm</a>&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1964071082710683650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 President Donald J. Trump signs an Executive Order officially restoring the name &quot;Department of War&quot; to the Department of Defense. This is the 200th Executive Order the President has signed since taking office. <a href="https://t.co/OuLfuSoRLR">pic.twitter.com/OuLfuSoRLR</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964062437721756148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We won the first World War. We won the second World War. We won everything before that and in between — and then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So, we&#39;re going Department of War.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Vct6X3L9JU">pic.twitter.com/Vct6X3L9JU</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964063136643678641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Secretary of War <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteHegseth</a>: &quot;This War Department, Mr. President, just like America, is BACK... We&#39;re going to set the tone for this country.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/NrVn35zz62">pic.twitter.com/NrVn35zz62</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964062304816779733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Workers take down &quot;Secretary of Defense&quot; signage at The Pentagon <a href="https://t.co/70lO1fSVkg">pic.twitter.com/70lO1fSVkg</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1964102398328160727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">👀 <a href="https://t.co/FG5uBRbGrK">https://t.co/FG5uBRbGrK</a> <a href="https://t.co/xXNs8DXQ8w">pic.twitter.com/xXNs8DXQ8w</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964070460104044925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/NwFIdAHsxL">https://t.co/NwFIdAHsxL</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dmr6bL2t7p">pic.twitter.com/Dmr6bL2t7p</a>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/1964075449677410603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

President explains why he's changing the name of the Dept. of Defense 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Friday announced arrests in the murder of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym who worked in the office of Kansas Congressman Ron Estes.

Two 17-year-olds have been arrested and a third arrest is at large, according to Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith. Both teens will be charged as adults, according to Pirro.

Just before 10:30p.m. June 30, Third District officers responded to the sound of gunshots in the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest Washington, DC. according to a media release from Washington Metropolitan Police.

 Officers located Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts  unconscious, and an adult female and a 16-year-old male conscious and breathing suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded and transported all three victims to area hospitals.

On Tuesday, after all lifesaving measures failed Tarpinian-Jachym succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, according to Metropolitan Police.

The preliminary investigation indicates that multiple suspects exited a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest District of Columbia and began firing at a group. Detectives believe Tarpinian-Jachym&nbsp; was not the intended target of the shooting.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile," Kansas 4th District Congressman Ron Estes stated in a release from his office in June.&nbsp;Tarpinian-Jachym worked in Estes office since early June. He was a student at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

 "We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country," Estes wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757089518113.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Friday announced arrests in the murder of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym who worked in the office of Kansas Congressman Ron Estes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Two arrests have been made connected to the murder of my intern, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, as announced by <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyPirro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAttyPirro</a> today. I extend my appreciation to Attorney Pirro, her team, and <a href="https://twitter.com/DCPoliceDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DCPoliceDept</a> for diligently working on this case to bring those responsible to justice. <a href="https://t.co/XT81e9y7NV">https://t.co/XT81e9y7NV</a>&mdash; Rep. Ron Estes (@RepRonEstes) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRonEstes/status/1964022335930859917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IvX-6f7q9tQ?si=TAzqL4wNBiMZZsVV" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Two 17-year-olds have been arrested and a third arrest is at large, according to Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith. Both teens will be charged as adults, according to Pirro.Just before 10:30p.m. June 30, Third District officers responded to the sound of gunshots in the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest Washington, DC. according to a media release from Washington Metropolitan Police. Officers located Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts unconscious, and an adult female and a 16-year-old male conscious and breathing suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded and transported all three victims to area hospitals.On Tuesday, after all lifesaving measures failed Tarpinian-Jachym succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, according to Metropolitan Police.The preliminary investigation indicates that multiple suspects exited a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest District of Columbia and began firing at a group. Detectives believe Tarpinian-Jachym&nbsp; was not the intended target of the shooting.&nbsp;&nbsp;"I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile," Kansas 4th District Congressman Ron Estes stated in a release from his office in June.&nbsp;Tarpinian-Jachym worked in Estes office since early June. He was a student at University of Massachusetts Amherst. "We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country," Estes wrote.

🎥2 arrested in killing of 21-year-old intern for Kansas Congressman

A Missouri House committee voted Thursday to redraw the state’s congressional districts to carve up Kansas City and gain another GOP-leaning seat

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

If a new Missouri congressional map endorsed by President Donald Trump is put into place, voters living on Kansas City’s east side will share a congressional district with people living nearly four hours away in Osage County.&nbsp;

Anyone living in downtown Kansas City would be in a district stretching south nearly to Springfield. And Kansas Citians living north of the Missouri River would be in a district running to the border of Iowa and Illinois.&nbsp;

All of those voters currently reside in the 5th Congressional and are represented by 11-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.&nbsp;

But under the proposed new map, which was approved Thursday by a Missouri House committee after more than five hours of public testimony, that district would be carved up in hopes of creating another Republican-leaning seat.

“This is a superior map than the one we have today,” said state Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Noel Republican sponsoring the redistricting legislation.&nbsp;

Missouri has eight congressional districts, with Democrats holding two.&nbsp;

Trump, facing a potentially difficult midterm election cycle next year, has instructed GOP-controlled states to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/repub/why-congressional-redistricting-is-blowing-up-across-the-us-this-summer/">redraw maps</a>&nbsp;to add&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/21/missouri-gop-leader-says-lawmakers-will-start-with-a-congressional-map-drawn-in-d-c/">more Republican seats</a>.&nbsp;

Even though mid-decade redistricting in Missouri is nearly unheard of — it hasn’t happened in six decades, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision — Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers back into session this week to redraw the map so the GOP would hold seven of the state’s seats in the U.S. House.

Republicans Thursday downplayed any role Trump’s demands had on the gerrymandering push. And they insisted the map was drawn by the governor’s staff, not the White House.

Democrats didn’t buy it, denouncing the map as unconstitutional and the push to split up Kansas City for partisan gain as “morally corrupt and inexcusable.”

“Every Missourian deserves fair representation, not these political tricks,” said state Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat. “My city, Kansas City, hangs in the balance right here, right now.”

The Missouri Constitution calls for the legislature to draw new congressional districts every 10 years after&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++45&amp;bid=31801&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">new census numbers</a>&nbsp;are certified to the governor. That happened in 2022, and Democrats argue it&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/black-missouri-lawmakers-vow-to-block-missouri-gop-push-for-new-congressional-districts/">violates the state constitution</a>&nbsp;to draw another map before the next census is complete.&nbsp;

There are also questions about whether relying on old population data could also violate the state and federal constitution.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-04/naacp-sues-missouri-republicans-unconstitutional-gerrymander-kansas-city" target="_blank">The Missouri NAACP filed a lawsuit Wednesday</a>&nbsp;in Cole County arguing the governor’s decision to call a special session was unconstitutional. Cleaver has also promised to go to court to challenge any gerrymandered map lawmakers approve.

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, on Thursday demanded demographic information about the map be made available to the public before the committee took a vote.&nbsp;

“I’m asking for information for the public and for this committee,” Aune said. “We deserve to have that information, and if you are not willing to provide it, what are you hiding?&nbsp;

She also pressed Deaton whether the governor’s office actually drew the map, or whether it was crafted by the Trump administration. She noted Trump last week praised the map and instructed Missouri lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/J_Hancock/status/1961834031550448026" target="_blank">approve it “AS IS.”</a>

The proposed new map meets constitutional requirements of districts with equal population as precisely as possible, Deaton said, and is more compact and contiguous, and divides fewer communities, than the current map.&nbsp;

He said the governor was clear that his staff drew the proposed map.

“Gov. Kehoe has never lied to me,” Deaton said, “so I take him at his word.”

The only person to testify in favor of the proposed new map was Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life. She said her organization is committed to helping pass anti-abortion legislation and supporting anti-abortion elected officials.&nbsp;

“We support the process that would increase those numbers,” she said.

A parade of critics testified against the map, including the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, the Missouri NAACP, the League of Women Voters and several residents of the 5th District.&nbsp;

Shannon Cooper, a lobbyist for the city of Kansas City and former Republican lawmaker, said the proposed map “chops our region into three different pieces.” The needs of downtown Kansas City, he said, are different than the needs of rural Henry County.

“I have gone through three redistricting processes in my time here, and what is sorely lacking in this is the amount of public input and the time where, in the past, the committees have traveled across the state and gone into communities and taken the local input from citizens, businesses as well as elected local officials to see what they care about and how they want to be put into those districts,” he said. “And we’re going to do this in six or eight hours and vote it out Monday and Tuesday.”

Phil Scaglia, testifying on behalf of Cleaver, who could not attend Thursday’s hearing, said the map violates the “one person, one vote” principle by relying on old census data. It’s also unconstitutional, Scaglia argued, because it “fails to be compact and divides communities of interest.”

A new map could be be drawn in a way that includes all of Kansas City south of the Missouri River in the 5th District, Scaglia said, and still give Republicans the electoral advantage they are seeking.

State Rep. Don Mayhew, a Republican from Crocker, countered that he believes Kansas City would benefit by being represented by three members of Congress.

The proposed new map leaves two districts untouched — the 7th District in southwest Missouri and 8th District in&nbsp;southeast Missouri, both represented by Republicans. It only tinkers with the 1st District, based in St. Louis and represented by Democrat Wesley Bell.&nbsp;

The 2nd District, represented by Republican Ann Wagner, moves south of the Missouri River, taking in southern St. Louis suburbs along with Gasconade,&nbsp; Crawford, Jefferson and Washington counties.&nbsp;

The 3rd District, represented by Republican Bob Onder, swaps territory with the 2nd, taking over all of St. Charles and Warren counties, adding Audrain, Lincoln, Monroe, Pike and Ralls counties as it stretches north to Hannabil and encompasses nearly all of Columbia.

The 4th and 6th Districts are where the Kansas City voters who previously all lived in the 5th will be moved.&nbsp;

The 4th District loses parts of Columbia, along with Sedalia and Warrensburg to the 5th District in order to pick up downtown Kansas City. It is represented by Republican Mark Alford.&nbsp;

The 6th District runs across the entire northern half of the state, picking up a piece of Kansas City north of the Missouri River.&nbsp;

It’s the 5th District that sees the most substantial changes. Previously encompassing nearly all of Kansas City, the district now only includes the city’s east side, then stretches east to encompass Jefferson City all the way to Phelps County. It also includes the northern portion of Boone County, but not the Democrat-leaning areas of Columbia.&nbsp;

The 5th District also picks up six counties from the 3rd District — Cole, Cooper, Howard, Maries, Moniteau and Miller counties as well as Morgan County from the 4th District.

Sharp asked Deaton Thursday whether he would be open to changing the map, even in small ways. Deaton said the map was produced and requested by the governor, and he “can’t imagine myself at this time supporting any changes.”&nbsp;

“You move one line to make one person happy,” Deaton said, “and you have to move seven other lines and you’ve got seven new enemies… this is the map I’m supporting.”&nbsp;

As the committee was preparing to vote, Sharp offered an amendment moving a small portion of south Kansas City in the Hickman Mills area — around 12,000 voters — back into the 5th District. The change would be balanced out by moving voters near Grain Valley to the 4th District.

Republicans opposed the change, and Sharp withdrew the amendment in the hope of offering it again when the full House debates the bill next week.

Aune said the entire process “reeks of an authoritarian power grab.”

State Rep. Richard West, a Wentzville Republican and chair of the committee, praised the map for moving all of St. Charles County into the same district.&nbsp;

“My county is currently split up,” he said. “This is going to make us whole.”

State Rep. Bill Hardwick, a Republican from Dixon, pushed back on the idea that what Republicans are doing by redrawing the map is out of the ordinary in American politics.

“I’m not saying we should gerrymander or we shouldn’t,” he said, adding: “I’m just saying it’s been part of the republic from the beginning.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757068209585.png" alt=" State Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, presents legislation that would redraw Missouri’s congressional map to a House committee on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption> State Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, presents legislation that would redraw Missouri’s congressional map to a House committee on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A Missouri House committee voted Thursday to redraw the state’s congressional districts to carve up Kansas City and gain another GOP-leaning seat</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>If a new Missouri congressional map endorsed by President Donald Trump is put into place, voters living on Kansas City’s east side will share a congressional district with people living nearly four hours away in Osage County.&nbsp;Anyone living in downtown Kansas City would be in a district stretching south nearly to Springfield. And Kansas Citians living north of the Missouri River would be in a district running to the border of Iowa and Illinois.&nbsp;All of those voters currently reside in the 5th Congressional and are represented by 11-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.&nbsp;But under the proposed new map, which was approved Thursday by a Missouri House committee after more than five hours of public testimony, that district would be carved up in hopes of creating another Republican-leaning seat.“This is a superior map than the one we have today,” said state Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Noel Republican sponsoring the redistricting legislation.&nbsp;Missouri has eight congressional districts, with Democrats holding two.&nbsp;Trump, facing a potentially difficult midterm election cycle next year, has instructed GOP-controlled states to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/repub/why-congressional-redistricting-is-blowing-up-across-the-us-this-summer/">redraw maps</a>&nbsp;to add&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/21/missouri-gop-leader-says-lawmakers-will-start-with-a-congressional-map-drawn-in-d-c/">more Republican seats</a>.&nbsp;Even though mid-decade redistricting in Missouri is nearly unheard of — it hasn’t happened in six decades, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision — Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers back into session this week to redraw the map so the GOP would hold seven of the state’s seats in the U.S. House.Republicans Thursday downplayed any role Trump’s demands had on the gerrymandering push. And they insisted the map was drawn by the governor’s staff, not the White House.Democrats didn’t buy it, denouncing the map as unconstitutional and the push to split up Kansas City for partisan gain as “morally corrupt and inexcusable.”“Every Missourian deserves fair representation, not these political tricks,” said state Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat. “My city, Kansas City, hangs in the balance right here, right now.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757068164737.png" alt="State Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat, speaks in opposition to a proposed congressional map during a House committee hearing on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption>State Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat, speaks in opposition to a proposed congressional map during a House committee hearing on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure>The Missouri Constitution calls for the legislature to draw new congressional districts every 10 years after&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++45&amp;bid=31801&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">new census numbers</a>&nbsp;are certified to the governor. That happened in 2022, and Democrats argue it&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/black-missouri-lawmakers-vow-to-block-missouri-gop-push-for-new-congressional-districts/">violates the state constitution</a>&nbsp;to draw another map before the next census is complete.&nbsp;There are also questions about whether relying on old population data could also violate the state and federal constitution.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-04/naacp-sues-missouri-republicans-unconstitutional-gerrymander-kansas-city" target="_blank">The Missouri NAACP filed a lawsuit Wednesday</a>&nbsp;in Cole County arguing the governor’s decision to call a special session was unconstitutional. Cleaver has also promised to go to court to challenge any gerrymandered map lawmakers approve.House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, on Thursday demanded demographic information about the map be made available to the public before the committee took a vote.&nbsp;“I’m asking for information for the public and for this committee,” Aune said. “We deserve to have that information, and if you are not willing to provide it, what are you hiding?&nbsp;She also pressed Deaton whether the governor’s office actually drew the map, or whether it was crafted by the Trump administration. She noted Trump last week praised the map and instructed Missouri lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/J_Hancock/status/1961834031550448026" target="_blank">approve it “AS IS.”</a>The proposed new map meets constitutional requirements of districts with equal population as precisely as possible, Deaton said, and is more compact and contiguous, and divides fewer communities, than the current map.&nbsp;He said the governor was clear that his staff drew the proposed map.“Gov. Kehoe has never lied to me,” Deaton said, “so I take him at his word.”The only person to testify in favor of the proposed new map was Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life. She said her organization is committed to helping pass anti-abortion legislation and supporting anti-abortion elected officials.&nbsp;“We support the process that would increase those numbers,” she said.A parade of critics testified against the map, including the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, the Missouri NAACP, the League of Women Voters and several residents of the 5th District.&nbsp;Shannon Cooper, a lobbyist for the city of Kansas City and former Republican lawmaker, said the proposed map “chops our region into three different pieces.” The needs of downtown Kansas City, he said, are different than the needs of rural Henry County.“I have gone through three redistricting processes in my time here, and what is sorely lacking in this is the amount of public input and the time where, in the past, the committees have traveled across the state and gone into communities and taken the local input from citizens, businesses as well as elected local officials to see what they care about and how they want to be put into those districts,” he said. “And we’re going to do this in six or eight hours and vote it out Monday and Tuesday.”Phil Scaglia, testifying on behalf of Cleaver, who could not attend Thursday’s hearing, said the map violates the “one person, one vote” principle by relying on old census data. It’s also unconstitutional, Scaglia argued, because it “fails to be compact and divides communities of interest.”A new map could be be drawn in a way that includes all of Kansas City south of the Missouri River in the 5th District, Scaglia said, and still give Republicans the electoral advantage they are seeking.State Rep. Don Mayhew, a Republican from Crocker, countered that he believes Kansas City would benefit by being represented by three members of Congress.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757068115039.png" alt="Missouri Republicans are pushing to enact this map to revise congressional district lines in a special session. The GOP’s goal is to win the 5th District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat (Screenshot from Missouri House website)." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Republicans are pushing to enact this map to revise congressional district lines in a special session. The GOP’s goal is to win the 5th District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat (Screenshot from Missouri House website).</figcaption>
 </figure>The proposed new map leaves two districts untouched — the 7th District in southwest Missouri and 8th District in&nbsp;southeast Missouri, both represented by Republicans. It only tinkers with the 1st District, based in St. Louis and represented by Democrat Wesley Bell.&nbsp;The 2nd District, represented by Republican Ann Wagner, moves south of the Missouri River, taking in southern St. Louis suburbs along with Gasconade,&nbsp; Crawford, Jefferson and Washington counties.&nbsp;The 3rd District, represented by Republican Bob Onder, swaps territory with the 2nd, taking over all of St. Charles and Warren counties, adding Audrain, Lincoln, Monroe, Pike and Ralls counties as it stretches north to Hannabil and encompasses nearly all of Columbia.The 4th and 6th Districts are where the Kansas City voters who previously all lived in the 5th will be moved.&nbsp;The 4th District loses parts of Columbia, along with Sedalia and Warrensburg to the 5th District in order to pick up downtown Kansas City. It is represented by Republican Mark Alford.&nbsp;The 6th District runs across the entire northern half of the state, picking up a piece of Kansas City north of the Missouri River.&nbsp;It’s the 5th District that sees the most substantial changes. Previously encompassing nearly all of Kansas City, the district now only includes the city’s east side, then stretches east to encompass Jefferson City all the way to Phelps County. It also includes the northern portion of Boone County, but not the Democrat-leaning areas of Columbia.&nbsp;The 5th District also picks up six counties from the 3rd District — Cole, Cooper, Howard, Maries, Moniteau and Miller counties as well as Morgan County from the 4th District.Sharp asked Deaton Thursday whether he would be open to changing the map, even in small ways. Deaton said the map was produced and requested by the governor, and he “can’t imagine myself at this time supporting any changes.”&nbsp;“You move one line to make one person happy,” Deaton said, “and you have to move seven other lines and you’ve got seven new enemies… this is the map I’m supporting.”&nbsp;As the committee was preparing to vote, Sharp offered an amendment moving a small portion of south Kansas City in the Hickman Mills area — around 12,000 voters — back into the 5th District. The change would be balanced out by moving voters near Grain Valley to the 4th District.Republicans opposed the change, and Sharp withdrew the amendment in the hope of offering it again when the full House debates the bill next week.Aune said the entire process “reeks of an authoritarian power grab.”State Rep. Richard West, a Wentzville Republican and chair of the committee, praised the map for moving all of St. Charles County into the same district.&nbsp;“My county is currently split up,” he said. “This is going to make us whole.”State Rep. Bill Hardwick, a Republican from Dixon, pushed back on the idea that what Republicans are doing by redrawing the map is out of the ordinary in American politics.“I’m not saying we should gerrymander or we shouldn’t,” he said, adding: “I’m just saying it’s been part of the republic from the beginning.”

Legislative push to gerrymander Missouri congressional map advances

By: NICOLAS FIERRO Salina Post

CLAY CENTER - A nursing home in Clay Center has been evacuated by the state of Kansas and has left more questions than answers.

In the middle of August 2025, residents of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;were evacuated by the <a href="https://www.kdads.ks.gov/">Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS)</a> due to quality of living issues. According to Cara Sloan-Ramos of KDADS, residents were 'successfully moved' from the nursing home.

"We can confirm that residents were successfully moved from the Advena nursing home in Clay Center, and we are working to make sure they are well cared for in their new locations," said Sloan-Ramos.

Reasons have as to why residents were removed remain unknown. Many speculations from the public have stated there were possibilities of 'mold in the air ducts' and even residents being 'neglected of care.'

Sloan-Ramos stated that KDADS takes such allegations seriously and are investigated accordingly.

"KDADS takes all allegations of abuse and neglect seriously and operates a hotline to receive such reports," she said. "If and when such allegations are received, they are investigated accordingly. The results of those investigations are confidential and are only made available to the parties directly involved in the case."

Sloan-Ramos also said KDADS could not answer any questions as to why the residents were evacuated. She stated these questions are to be directed towards the administration of Advena.

"We cannot provide details at this time because the process is not yet complete and the information is not public," she said. "Questions about where patients were transferred or whether any legal action has been filed would need to be answered by the facility."

Salina Post has reached out to the administrative team of Advena several times, but has not received a response.

According to a <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/KSOG/bulletins/3d63358">press release</a> from KDADS, on March 10, 2025&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;received funding from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/">Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services</a> (CMS) after approval to implement the 'SNF Clinic quality improvement program in 43 nursing homes across Kansas.' The purpose of the funding was to enhance&nbsp;staff training, improve resident care and elevate overall facility performance through an advanced electronic learning management system (eLMS).

SNF Clinic is a web-based platform that provides nursing home staff with easy access to essential education and care resources. The program ensures residents receive high-quality, person-centered care by equipping healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge and tools.

“The implementation of SNF Clinic in Kansas nursing homes represents a significant investment in the well-being of our elderly population,” KDADS Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Program Manager Rebecca Hedrick said. “By prioritizing education and quality improvement, we ensure that staff members are fully prepared to provide exceptional care to residents.”

Members of Clay Center have spoken about the situation and speculated as to what may have happened.

"It is pretty sad, where are you going to put all those people?"

"There may have been a building or water problem."

"I heard the state had to evacuate the residents because of mold, but no one is talking about it and I do not know what is going on."

According to <a href="https://health.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes/area/ks/advena-living-of-clay-center-175351">reviews</a> of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>, the nursing home had a below average rating for "Short-term rehabilitation" and "Long-term care." The rating for Short-term rehab evaluates a nursing home's quality of post-acute care for patients recovering from a hospital stay, such as instances that include strokes, heart attacks, infections or accidental injuries. The rating for Long-term care evaluates&nbsp;a nursing home's ability to care for residents who need daily assistance with medical needs, such as administering medications and non-medical needs such as dressing, eating and using the bathroom.

According to a standard inspection report conducted on April 9, 2025 from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/">The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;had potentials of actual harm with many residents being affected to provide services such as:

 Infection Control Deficiency,&nbsp;Nutrition and Dietary Deficiency and Administration Deficiency (determine what resources are necessary to care for residents).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757010210377.jpeg" alt="Advena Living of Clay Center sign on 715 Liberty St., Clay Center, KS. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) evacuated residents in the middle of August 2025. Photo by Nicolas Fierro" />
 <figcaption>Advena Living of Clay Center sign on 715 Liberty St., Clay Center, KS. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) evacuated residents in the middle of August 2025. Photo by Nicolas Fierro</figcaption>
 </figure>By: NICOLAS FIERRO Salina PostCLAY CENTER - A nursing home in Clay Center has been evacuated by the state of Kansas and has left more questions than answers.In the middle of August 2025, residents of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;were evacuated by the <a href="https://www.kdads.ks.gov/">Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS)</a> due to quality of living issues. According to Cara Sloan-Ramos of KDADS, residents were 'successfully moved' from the nursing home."We can confirm that residents were successfully moved from the Advena nursing home in Clay Center, and we are working to make sure they are well cared for in their new locations," said Sloan-Ramos.Reasons have as to why residents were removed remain unknown. Many speculations from the public have stated there were possibilities of 'mold in the air ducts' and even residents being 'neglected of care.'Sloan-Ramos stated that KDADS takes such allegations seriously and are investigated accordingly."KDADS takes all allegations of abuse and neglect seriously and operates a hotline to receive such reports," she said. "If and when such allegations are received, they are investigated accordingly. The results of those investigations are confidential and are only made available to the parties directly involved in the case."Sloan-Ramos also said KDADS could not answer any questions as to why the residents were evacuated. She stated these questions are to be directed towards the administration of Advena."We cannot provide details at this time because the process is not yet complete and the information is not public," she said. "Questions about where patients were transferred or whether any legal action has been filed would need to be answered by the facility."Salina Post has reached out to the administrative team of Advena several times, but has not received a response.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757010441578.jpeg" alt="No Trespassing sign on the front door of Advena Living of Clay Center. Photo by Nicolas Fierro" />
 <figcaption>No Trespassing sign on the front door of Advena Living of Clay Center. Photo by Nicolas Fierro</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Set up for success</h2>According to a <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/KSOG/bulletins/3d63358">press release</a> from KDADS, on March 10, 2025&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;received funding from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/">Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services</a> (CMS) after approval to implement the 'SNF Clinic quality improvement program in 43 nursing homes across Kansas.' The purpose of the funding was to enhance&nbsp;staff training, improve resident care and elevate overall facility performance through an advanced electronic learning management system (eLMS).SNF Clinic is a web-based platform that provides nursing home staff with easy access to essential education and care resources. The program ensures residents receive high-quality, person-centered care by equipping healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge and tools.“The implementation of SNF Clinic in Kansas nursing homes represents a significant investment in the well-being of our elderly population,” KDADS Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Program Manager Rebecca Hedrick said. “By prioritizing education and quality improvement, we ensure that staff members are fully prepared to provide exceptional care to residents.”<h2>Concerns from the public</h2>Members of Clay Center have spoken about the situation and speculated as to what may have happened."It is pretty sad, where are you going to put all those people?""There may have been a building or water problem.""I heard the state had to evacuate the residents because of mold, but no one is talking about it and I do not know what is going on."According to <a href="https://health.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes/area/ks/advena-living-of-clay-center-175351">reviews</a> of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>, the nursing home had a below average rating for "Short-term rehabilitation" and "Long-term care." The rating for Short-term rehab evaluates a nursing home's quality of post-acute care for patients recovering from a hospital stay, such as instances that include strokes, heart attacks, infections or accidental injuries. The rating for Long-term care evaluates&nbsp;a nursing home's ability to care for residents who need daily assistance with medical needs, such as administering medications and non-medical needs such as dressing, eating and using the bathroom.According to a standard inspection report conducted on April 9, 2025 from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/">The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;had potentials of actual harm with many residents being affected to provide services such as: Infection Control Deficiency,&nbsp;Nutrition and Dietary Deficiency and Administration Deficiency (determine what resources are necessary to care for residents).Few patients were affected as far as the&nbsp;Quality of Life and Care Deficiency and Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiency&nbsp;However, Advena Living of Clay Center had no reports of any actual harm with minimal potentiality when it came to&nbsp;Nursing and Physician Services Deficiency. See the full report <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/inspections/pdf/nursing-home/175351/health/health-inspection?date=2025-04-09">here</a>.