Hutch Post, in partnership with Steve Harmon and the Conard-Harmon Collection, is proud to present Throwback Thursday. Enjoy a weekly release from Steve Harmon as he presents the "Hutch - Then &amp; Now Collection."

STEVE HARMON Hutch Post Contributor

Today's "Throwback Thursday Collection" takes us to the southwest corner of 11th and Lincoln.

Off the beaten path on West 11th still stands an early public education building. It was Hutchinson's one-room schoolhouse, Washington School.

In the early 1920s, the concept of kindergarten was just beginning to jell.

In 1939, the building at 1301 W. 11th was moved to this site as a kindergarten cottage for Allen School. The first photo shows the schoolhouse at opening.

The second photo shows the school in 1943, as well as the third photo showing the '43 kindergarten class in all its glory!

Up to 31 students a year attended here until 1968.

In 1969, it became the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall.

In 1987, it was readdressed as 1049 N. Lincoln when it became the Calvary Baptist Church.

By 1991, the Church of the Living God purchased it.

By 2018, it was labeled as The Christian Church and Academy, as the fourth photo shows.

The fifth photo shows the little building today at 1049 N. Lincoln, now known as the Life In Christ Transformation Church and still owned by the Church of the Living God, Box 1501, Hutchinson.

To purchase a photo print, contact:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sharmon5@cox.net">sharmon5@cox.net</a>.

Throwback Thursday is brought to you by:

<a href="https://www.hutchchamber.com/">Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce</a> <a href="https://underkansas.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_KHt9Zeq_QIVwRPUAR3CTwTSEAAYASAAEgJDJPD_BwE">STRATACA Kansas Underground Salt Museum</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anchorinnhutch">Anchor Inn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Anchorawayhutch/">Anchor Away</a>

📷 Throwback Thursday: Washington Elementary - Vol. 159

TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is warning consumers about a sophisticated email scam that falsely claims to come from the U.S. District Court and threatens recipients with legal action.

Kobach said the scam is designed to steal personal information or infect computers with malware by tricking people into opening attachments or clicking links that appear to be official court documents.

“Kansans should never respond to unsolicited emails claiming to be official court summons—these are sophisticated scams designed to steal personal information or infect devices with malware,” Kobach said. “State and federal courts do not serve legal documents via email, and clicking links or opening attachments in these fraudulent messages can have serious consequences.”

According to the Kansas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, reports have come in from residents who received emails with subject lines such as “Legal Compliance Required: Court Case #USDC-2026-[Number].” The messages falsely claim the recipient has been “formally served with a summons in a civil action” and warn that a default judgment will be entered if the recipient does not respond immediately.

The Attorney General’s Office offered several tips for handling these emails:

Do not reply: Do not click on any links, open attachments, or respond to the sender. The content is likely malicious.

Know the process: The U.S. District Court does not serve initial summonses by email. Official service is carried out through certified mail or by a process server.

Verify independently: If you believe a legal case may exist, contact the Clerk of the Court using contact information found on the court’s official website, not details provided in the email.

Check the sender carefully: Scammers often spoof legitimate addresses or use non-government domains. Legitimate federal court emails always end in .gov, not .org or .com.

Consumers who receive one of these scam emails are encouraged to report it. The message can be forwarded to the Federal Trade Commission at <a href="MAILTO:spam@uce.gov">spam@uce.gov</a>

Kansans can also file a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division through the Attorney General’s website.

Kobach said reporting the emails helps investigators track emerging scams and take action against those responsible.

Kansas A.G. warns of email scam 

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/category/obituaries">Click&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners</a>.

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Recent obituaries and service times

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt testified in support of SB 360, the Kansas Consumer Prescription Protection and Accountability Act. The bill establishes a new regulatory framework for pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) that ensures PBM practices are focused on returning savings to Kansans.

“PBMs play a powerful role in determining what patients pay for prescription drugs, yet in Kansas their practices are near unregulated and cost taxpayers and health plans more,” said Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. “This bill would go a long way in addressing many of the factors that drive up prescription costs for Kansans.”

SB 360 requires drug rebates to be passed through to patients and their health plans and bans a practice called “spread pricing” where a PBM bills a health plan more for a prescription than they reimburse a pharmacy and keep the difference as profit. The bill also aims to protect patient choices by requiring pharmacies to be reimbursed the same and gives the Department of Insurance the tools to ensure transparency and accountability.

Schmidt joined 63 proponents to testify in favor of SB 360. The full text of the bill can be found here at this <a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/sb360_00_0000.pdf">link.</a>&nbsp;

Before becoming Insurance Commissioner in 2019, Vicki Schmidt served over 40 years as a local pharmacist.&nbsp;

Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt calls for PBM reform

A rupture in a main water line at The Wesley on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 24, prompted a swift and coordinated response from city crews, local businesses, and staff, ensuring resident safety and a rapid restoration of services.

The break occurred approximately six feet underground and left more than 80 residents without water for nearly 24 hours. Officials with the City of Hutchinson, including Mark Maness, responded quickly to shut off the water and secure the site.

Cleanup efforts began immediately with assistance from ServiceMaster, while Hilton Garden Inn stepped in on short notice to accommodate residents who needed temporary lodging. Barkley Plumbing worked throughout Sunday to repair the damaged line and restore water service, and Concrete Plus adjusted its schedule to replace flooring that had to be removed to access the leak.

The Wesley also highlighted the extraordinary efforts of its own employees during the incident. Maintenance crews coordinated on-site response efforts, housekeeping staff assisted with water removal and supply distribution, and front desk team members personally contacted affected residents and family members. Life Enrichment staff assisted with transportation, while Chief Operating Officer Nabeel Khokhar remained on site throughout the incident to oversee and manage the response.

Facility leaders also expressed gratitude to residents, noting that those affected handled the disruption with patience and understanding.

In a statement, The Wesley said the incident demonstrated the strength of its partnerships and staff commitment, adding that moments like this exemplify its guiding message: “Our people make the difference.”

Water line break at The Wesley sparks community-wide response

The Hutchinson Fire Department has been recognized as a Gold Helmet Department for its strong participation in the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, a nationwide effort aimed at better understanding and reducing cancer risk among firefighters.

Departments are eligible for Gold Helmet status if at least 50 percent of their active firefighters are enrolled in the registry, or if the department has more than 300 active firefighters signed up. Hutchinson Fire Department officials say the designation reflects a department-wide commitment to firefighter health and long-term safety.

The National Firefighter Registry for Cancer is the largest initiative ever undertaken to study cancer among U.S. firefighters. The registry is managed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which is recruiting current and former firefighters to help researchers better understand how cancer risk may vary across the nation’s diverse fire service.

Firefighters are routinely exposed to hazardous chemicals and carcinogens on the fireground, which can increase their risk of developing cancer over time. Despite growing awareness, many questions remain about how factors such as job role, length of service, types of incidents, and protective equipment affect cancer risk.

By enrolling a significant portion of its workforce, the Hutchinson Fire Department is contributing critical data that will help shape future prevention strategies, safety standards, and health protections for firefighters nationwide.

Department leaders say the Gold Helmet recognition underscores Hutchinson’s role as a leader in firefighter health advocacy and a willingness to take part in research that could benefit generations of firefighters to come.

HFD earns gold helmet recognition for cancer registry participation

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Voters planning to cast a ballot in Hutchinson’s March 3 special election on a proposed three-quarter-percent local sales tax increase should take note of a significant change in polling locations.

Most voters will not vote at the Kansas State Fairgrounds as they typically do. Instead, polling for the majority of precincts will be moved to Memorial Hall, located just south of downtown Hutchinson.

Only voters in Precinct #28 and #28 EX who vote at Dillon Nature Center and precinct #34 and #34 EX who vote at Bethany Nazarene Church will vote in their normal locations.&nbsp;

Reno County Clerk Jenna Fager said all fairgrounds buildings are booked for another event during the election period, leaving Memorial Hall as the only suitable alternative location.

Because of the polling place change, state law requires the county to notify all affected registered voters in advance. Fager said the cost to mail postcard notifications to voters will be approximately $16,900.

Fager said that she is keeping costs down, by reducing the number of boards at the election. For this election she is using only using 8 boards instead of the normal 12 boards. Fewer election workers will keep the labor cost down for the election.&nbsp; Also, she added, because the city owns Memorial Hall, there will not be a rental fee as well.&nbsp;

Only two polling locations will remain unchanged for the March 3 election: Dillon Nature Center and Bethany Nazarene Church.

The Kansas State Fairgrounds will be hosting SkillsUSA events from March 1 through March 4, which conflicts with election operations and prompted the relocation.

Voters who are not registered or who need to update their registration information must do so by Feb. 10. Advance voting will begin on Monday, Feb. 23.

Sales tax election to cost city an additional $16.9K

KANSAS — Kansas marks its 165th birthday today, celebrating the day it officially joined the Union on Jan. 29, 1861. But as historians often point out, Kansas’ path to statehood was anything but peaceful.

To mark Kansas Day, we visited with Dr. Jay Price, professor of history at Wichita State University and director of WSU’s Local and Community History Program, about the era known as Bleeding Kansas—a violent and deeply consequential chapter that shaped not only the state, but the nation.

Dr. Price, who has been at Wichita State since 1999, said Kansas’ story begins well before statehood, in the aftermath of the Mexican War and the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854.

“That law opened the center of the continent and raised a fundamental question,” Price said. “What kind of society was this new territory going to be?”

At the heart of the conflict was slavery. For decades, the Missouri Compromise had attempted to maintain a balance between slave and free states. But the Kansas-Nebraska Act introduced the idea of popular sovereignty, allowing settlers themselves to vote on whether slavery would be permitted.

Pro-slavery forces—many crossing in temporarily from neighboring Missouri—clashed with Free State settlers arriving from New England, New York, and other northern states. Fraudulent elections, rival governments, and violent confrontations followed. By the mid-1850s, Kansas had two competing territorial governments, each claiming to represent the legitimate voice of the people.

“One side viewed the Free Staters as rebels violating the rule of law,” Price said. “The other side believed they were exercising the same rights the American colonists claimed against Britain—resisting an illegitimate government.”

The conflict escalated with harsh laws targeting anti-slavery speech and actions. Even possessing or distributing abolitionist literature like Uncle Tom’s Cabin could bring severe punishment. Figures such as John Brown emerged during this period, determined to prevent slavery from taking root in the territory.

Ultimately, demographics shifted. By 1858, Free Staters gained a population majority, leading to the adoption of the Wyandotte Constitution in 1859, which banned slavery. Though southern lawmakers in Congress initially blocked Kansas’ admission, the secession of southern states following Abraham Lincoln’s election cleared the way.

Kansas was admitted to the Union on Jan. 29, 1861—just weeks before the Civil War began.

Dr. Price said the legacy of Bleeding Kansas still helps explain the state’s identity today.

“We often think of Kansas simply as a ‘Free State,’ but it’s more complicated,” he said. “Kansas has always been a borderland—politically, culturally, and historically—with both northern and southern influences.”

That complexity is reflected in county names, political traditions, and long-standing cultural divisions that continue to shape the state.

As Kansans celebrate Kansas Day, the history behind the holiday serves as a reminder that the state was forged through conflict over freedom, legitimacy, and the meaning of democracy—issues that remain relevant more than a century and a half later.

Kansas Day: A look back at the turbulent origins of the Sunflower State

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WHEAT GROWERS&nbsp;

Washington, D.C. –&nbsp;The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) awarded U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) with its 2025 Wheat Leader of the Year Award for championing the effort to get the Food for Peace program transferred to USDA control.

“Congressman Tracey Mann has been a tireless advocate for wheat growers and rural communities, and his leadership on transferring the Food for Peace program to USDA is a major victory for American farmers. This move reinforces the program’s long-term stability, secures vital market opportunities for American-grown crops, and safeguards life-saving in-kind food aid for the world’s most vulnerable populations. For many years, Congressman Mann has consistently championed wheat growers’ priorities in Congress, and NAWG is proud to recognize his commitment with the 2025 Wheat Leader of the Year Award,”&nbsp;said NAWG President Pat Clements.

"Kansas and American farmers grow some of the highest quality wheat in the world while strengthening our nation’s food supply and independence,”&nbsp;said Rep. Mann. "These men and women power our local economies and answer the noble call to feed a hungry world. I am appreciative of the National Association of Wheat Growers' continued advocacy on behalf of Kansas wheat farmers and am honored to be recognized as the Wheat Leader of the Year. Thank you for all you do for American agriculture."

The Wheat Leader of the Year Award is given annually by NAWG to one Member of Congress based on their demonstrated commitment to the well-being and goals of the wheat industry. It is the wheat industry’s highest legislative award.

NAWG also presented four other Members of Congress with its Wheat Advocate Award for their support for the wheat industry that goes above and beyond.

NAWG congratulates and thanks our award recipients for supporting wheat growers across the United States.

Rep. Mann named the 2025 Wheat Leader of the Year Award

 Love is in full bloom at Dillons, as the company’s annual Heart2Heart campaign is underway now through February 12, 2026, inviting customers to help spread smiles and kindness throughout their local communities this Valentine’s season.

Through Heart2Heart, customers can purchase a paper rose at checkout, and for each one purchased, Dillons will donate a single-stem red rose to local organizations, including nursing and assisted living centers, special needs day programs, hospice organizations, veterans’ centers, crisis centers and shelters, Meals on Wheels programs, and first responder groups.  All donations stay within the communities where they are purchased, ensuring neighbors are helping neighbors share a little extra love.

So far this year, more than 31,000 roses have been purchased by customers during this year’s campaign.

“Heart2Heart shows how meaningful a simple gesture can be,” said Sheila Regehr, head of communications and public affairs for Dillon Stores. “Each paper rose represents a customer choosing to share kindness in their community. Together, those moments add up to real connection and joy during this season of love.”

Customers are encouraged to participate by purchasing a Heart2Heart paper rose during their next visit to Dillons, now through February 12, 2026, and help continue a tradition of compassion, which has brought joy to communities for more than a decade.

As the campaign continues, Dillons associates (often dubbed the company’s “cupids”) will be out in communities delivering roses, smiles, and heartfelt connections on behalf of customers.

Since Heart2Heart began in 2012, customers have helped deliver more than 530,000 roses, touching countless lives with simple, heartfelt gestures.

For more information, visit your local Dillons store and look for Heart2Heart displays at checkout.

Dillons invites customers to share the love with Heart2Heart

ATCHISON COUNTY —The Benedictine sisters in Atchison, Kansas announced they will discontinue active sponsorship of and governing responsibilities over Benedictine College.

In a statement on their website, the Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, who co-founded Benedictine College more than 50 years ago, said they "discerned a call to focus on their “growing ministries” and care for their “aging community.” The sisters are also continuing to sponsor other local schools."

"We are grateful for the wise women who preceded us and founded Mount St. Scholastica College in 1923 to fulfill our mission to educate women in our Catholic faith and take leadership positions in our society. In 1971, St. Benedict’s College and Mount St. Scholastica College merged and became Benedictine College. The college has continued our legacy of providing a strong academic program and an environment for students to live out their faith."

"We believe that God continues to call our community to educate; to provide spiritual enrichment; and to serve the poor and advocate for them, especially women. Today that call is being manifested through our growing ministries at Keeler Women’s Center and Sophia Spirituality Center. It is also lived out through our care for the sick and elderly in our community and our care for creation."

"We are proud to call ourselves co-founders of Benedictine College, and we will continue to pray for its continued success. Although we are withdrawing from the governing responsibilities related to sponsorship, we will continue to support the college with hospitality at our monastery, collaboration in various college-related programs and activities, and in further developing relationships with students, faculty and staff. We continue to hold our alumni in our hearts and in our prayer as we listen to God’s call."

The school responded saying, 'It is with heavy hearts but with grateful understanding, that we accept the decision of the Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery to withdraw from the governing responsibilities related to sponsorship of Benedictine College."

"It is not easy to part with an institution that has been so integral to the college’s history for more than a century. The Sisters of the Mount are our courageous co-founders and the authors of some of the most dynamic and impressive chapters in our shared history. Thanks to the sisters, the alumnae that Benedictine College counts as its own include a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Wangari Maathai; authors, professors, and administrators; generations of inspiring teachers; remarkable musicians and music instructors; and a legacy of leadership in corporal and spiritual works of mercy that has attracted national attention."

":It is impossible to summarize a relationship that has been so rich and multi-dimensional, but the successes of Benedictine College would be unthinkable without the Mount. While the formal, juridical connection between us will end, our close relationship and our friendship in Christ will not. Our message to the Mount St. Scholastica community is this:

"You have prayed and worked side by side with us through wars, pandemics, economic downturns and cultural turmoil as together, with God’s grace, we made this “school in the Lord’s service” a reality in Kansas. You have been our colleagues, our counsellors, our co-workers and our trusted friends, in good times and bad. But above all, you have been our beloved sisters, our family, and nothing will change that. Thank you for your inspiration, and may God bless you on your new chapter."

Benedictine sisters end governing responsibility of Kan. college

WASHINGTON (AP)—Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warns Iran, saying U.S. military is 'prepared to deliver whatever the president expects,” just a day after Trump warned Iran to “make a deal” on its nuclear program.

Hegseth cited this month’s U.S. military raid to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in his warning to Iran.

“They have all the options to make a deal,” Hegseth said at a Cabinet meeting, referring to Iran. “They should not pursue nuclear capabilities.”

Hegseth said the military was ready to deliver what Trump wants “just like we did this month.”

An aircraft carrier and accompanying warships arrived in the Middle East this week.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian officials reached out to the wider Middle East on Wednesday over the threat of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-mural-protests-military-4b2ceb8aff9dc448036341e86023b6c8">possible U.S. military strike</a>&nbsp;on the country, while the value of Iran's currency reached a new low a month since the start of protests that spread nationwide and sparked a bloody crackdown.

Two nations, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have signaled they won't allow their airspace to be used for any attack. But America has moved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided missile destroyers</a>&nbsp;into the region, which can be used to launch attacks from the sea.

Iran’s currency, the rial, fell to a record low of 1.6 million to $1, according to local currency traders. Its value has been plunging since late last year, and is down from about 32,000 to $1 a decade ago. Economic woes had sparked the protests that broadened into challenging the theocracy.

It remains unclear what U.S. President Donald Trump will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-middle-east-iran-protests-b7a56659d708f2f11f66a18135f44c40">decide about using force,</a>&nbsp;though he has threatened to use it in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators and over possible mass executions. At least 6,373 people have been killed in the protests, activists said.

Trump also indicated Wednesday that he wants movement toward a deal that his administration has been seeking with Tehran over its nuclear program.

“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!”

Mentioning the June strikes on Iran as the U.S. inserted itself in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299">Israel's 12-day war</a>&nbsp;on the Islamic Republic, Trump wrote: “The next attack will be far worse!”

Iran's mission to the United Nations was quick to respond to Trump, posting on X that “Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests—BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the increasing military presence in the Middle East has been put in place “to defend against what could be an Iranian threat against our personnel” -- a message that stands in contrast to Trump’s continuing threats to strike Iran if it does not yield to his demands.

“I think it’s wise and prudent to have a force posture within the region that could respond and ... if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against thousands of American servicemen and other facilities in the region and our allies,” Rubio told Congress.

He was cautious regarding the prospect of a change in government, though he described the theocracy as “probably weaker than it has ever been.”

Iran's state-run media, which now only refers to protesters as “terrorists,” remains the sole source of news for many as Tehran cut off access to the global internet some three weeks ago. But Iranians have become angry and anxious, seeing footage of protesters shot and killed while worrying about what may happen next as the economy sinks further.

“I feel that my generation failed to give a better lesson to younger ones," said Mohammad Heidari, a 59-year-old teacher in Tehran. “The result of decades of teaching by my colleagues and me led to death of thousands, and maybe more injured and prisoners.”

Rapid diplomacy between Iran, Arab nations

Egypt's Foreign Ministry said its top diplomat, Badr Abdelatty, separately spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff to “work toward achieving calm, in order to avoid the region slipping into new cycles of instability.”

Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and Trump's friend, had earlier negotiated over Iran's nuclear program.

The Turkish foreign minister also spoke by phone with Araghchi about reducing regional tensions. Turkish officials have expressed concern that intervention in Iran could spark instability or trigger a refugee influx.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, saying the kingdom would “not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran or for any attacks from any party, regardless of their origin.” That follows a similar pledge by the UAE.

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE host U.S. air assets and troops. Iranian officials also called Qatar, which hosts a major U.S. base in the Mideast.

“Our position is exactly this: Applying diplomacy through military threats cannot be effective or constructive,” Araghchi told journalists Wednesday outside of a Cabinet meeting. “If they want negotiations to take shape, they must abandon threats, excessive demands and the raising of illogical issues.”

While the protests have been halted for weeks after the crackdown, information trickling out of Iran via Starlink satellite dishes is reaching activists, who have been trying to tally the carnage.

On Wednesday, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said the at least 6,373 dead it counted included at least 5,993 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 113 children and 53 civilians who weren’t demonstrating. More than 42,450 have been arrested, it added.

The group verifies each death and arrest with a network of activists on the ground in Iran. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll given that authorities cut off the internet and disrupted calls into the Islamic Republic.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-araghchi-trump-threat-crackdown-299375ebfd004dd6098c77a6bb8079a5">Iran’s government</a>&nbsp;has put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labeled the rest “terrorists.” In the past, Iran’s theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.

That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The protests began on Dec. 28, sparked by the fall of the Iranian currency, the rial, and quickly spread. The country has faced nearly three weeks of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-crackdown-internet-business-costs-a0bd2df1d13355dcc28f46e5b5b3c893">internet blackout</a>&nbsp;— the most comprehensive in its history.

🎥: Hegseth: We are ready to deliver what Trump expects on Iran

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

TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids says she’s embarking on a four-city sweep — all locations outside her congressional district — to learn more about Kansans’ priorities for the federal government.

In an interview, the Kansas Democrat said she planned to be in the Statehouse on Thursday with Gov. Laura Kelly and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott. She has scheduled a Friday tour of aerospace research facilities at Wichita State University before visiting small businesses Saturday in Dodge City and a dairy Sunday in Colby.

“I’m just looking forward to showing up, meeting people and making sure that folks’ voices continue to shape the work we’re doing,” Davids said. “I’m looking at this tour as really a chance to go a bit deeper on certain topics, connect with more communities and really listen to folks.”

In addition to opportunities for lowering consumer costs, Davids said she expected to discuss ideas for protecting jobs, strengthening health care and keeping families safe because “strong communities make a strong Kansas.”

“Groceries, health care, gas — I mean everything is so expensive right now,” she said. “There’s too many policies coming out of D.C. that are causing more chaos. It’s not that they’re not making life easier, they’re actually making life harder for some people.”

Davids represents the state’s 3rd Congressional District, which is centered on Johnson County. It also covers Anderson, Franklin and Miami counties and half of Wyandotte County.

So far, Kansas Republicans have failed to gather sufficient support in the Legislature for redrawing boundaries of the four U.S. House districts in a bid to make it difficult for Davids to win reelection in November. Redistricting has been part of a White House strategy to gerrymander Democrats out of Congress. If the tactic worked as President Donald Trump sought, it could result in the GOP retaining control of the U.S. House through the remainder of Trump’s term.

Davids opposed plans by the Legislature to change Kansas’ congressional districts ahead of 2026 elections. She has considered running for reelection to the U.S. House or campaigning for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Roger Marshall.

“I can say this tour isn’t about some kind of announcement for something different,” she said. “With the conversations around the extreme mid-decade redistricting, I’ve said this before, that no options are off the table. Right now, my focus really is on doing the best job I can by showing up, listening and delivering real results.”

It has been unclear whether the Legislature would redraw maps this session, but several GOP candidates for Kansas governor have endorsed pursuit of a new map.

“I’m going to continue to watch closely,” Davids said. “I didn’t get here by taking anything for granted.”

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids prepares to tour areas of Kansas far beyond her House district

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A registered Kansas sex offender is going back to prison for sex crimes committed in 2020 and two other crimes.

Judge Kathleen Watson sentenced 39-year-old Darrius Johnson to&nbsp;serve 308 months in the custody to the Kansas Department of Corrections, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. 

He pleaded guilty to charge of&nbsp;rape and kidnapping in connection with a September 2020 attack on a woman in Wichita, according to the District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On September 22, 2020, police were dispatched to a sexual assault case in the 800 block of South Sylvan in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.

Upon arrival, a 48-year-old female victim, told police she was walking in the area of Lincoln and Oliver when a suspect later identified Johnson approached and grabbed her, forcing her into his Toyota Camry.

Johnson drove the victim to a separate location and sexually assaulted her. Johnson then drove the victim back to Lincoln and Oliver where she was released. Through the investigation and examination of evidence, Johnson was determined to have been involved in the attack.

Police arrested Johnson October 1, 2020 in the 2100 block of South White Oak in Wichita without incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Johnson has a previous felony conviction in 2010 for attempted aggravated sexual battery where victim is overcome by force or fear, according to the KBI offender registry.

At the time of his arrest, Johnson was out on bond for a separate alleged sex crime, according to Cruz.

In addition to the 55 months for the crime in 2020, Johnson was sentenced to 253 months for two counts of rape, attempted rape, and attempted aggravated criminal sodomy for crimes that occurred in December 2018.

Johnson was also sentenced to 18 months for violating the Offender Registration Act for the crime that occurred in 2018, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas sex offender going back to prison for rape, kidnapping

Republican Senators voting no included Tedd Budd of North Carolina; Ron Johnson of Wisconsin; Mike Lee of Utah;&nbsp; Ron Paul of Kentucky; Ashley Moody and Rick Scott of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.&nbsp; Majority Leader Thune also voted no in order to make a motion to reconsider.

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, KEVIN FREKING and SEUNG MIN KIM&nbsp;

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats voted to block legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies Thursday as they continued to negotiate with Republicans and the White House on new restrictions for President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.

Thursday’s 45-55 test vote came as Democrats have threatened a partial government shutdown when money runs out on Friday. But Trump said just ahead of the vote that “we don’t want a shutdown” and the two sides were discussing a possible agreement to separate homeland security funding from the rest of the legislation and fund it for a short time.

As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-alex-pretti-minneapolis-immigration-0b34386da0bb3eeac939d9f934680b6c">country reels</a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">deaths of two protesters</a>&nbsp;at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, irate Senate Democrats laid out a list of demands on Wednesday, including that officers take off their masks and identify themselves and obtain warrants for arrest. If those are not met, Democrats say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/democrats-vow-to-oppose-homeland-security-money-increasing-shutdown-chance-7a801adfdd27455082fa9e26e612795d">denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it</a>&nbsp;and triggering a shutdown.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said that Democrats won't provide needed votes until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “reined in and overhauled" and that this is “a moment of truth.”

“The American people support law enforcement. They support border security. They do not support ICE terrorizing our streets and killing American citizens,” Schumer said.

Schumer has pushed Republicans and the White House to strip the Homeland Security funding from the rest of the bill, which includes money for the Defense Department and other agencies. In the deal under discussion, Homeland Security would still be funded but for a short time to allow for negotiations on the Democrats' demands. Other agencies included in the bill would be funded through the end of September.

Still, with no agreement and an uncertain path ahead, the standoff threatened to plunge the country into another shutdown just two months after Democrats blocked a spending bill over expiring federal health care subsidies, a dispute that closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate.

That shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats broke away to strike a deal with Republicans, but Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-alex-pretti-their-own-words-27b7233380c68306a64317b3bf2aa4a3">federal agents</a>.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., encouraged Democrats and the White House to talk and find agreement.

“We’re getting closer,” the GOP leader said on the Senate floor Thursday morning.

Kicking off a Cabinet meeting, Trump said his administration is speaking with congressional Democrats.

“We’re working on that right now,” Trump said while declining to go into specifics. He added: “We don’t want a shutdown.”

There’s a lot of “unanimity and shared purpose” within the Democratic caucus, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said after a lunch meeting Wednesday.

“Boil it all down, what we are talking about is that these lawless ICE agents should be following the same rules that your local police department does," Smith said. "There has to be accountability.”

Earlier Thursday, Tom Homan, the president's border czar, said during a press conference in Minneapolis that federal immigration officials are working on a plan to begin drawing down the number of agents in Minnesota but that it would depend on cooperation from state authorities.

It's unclear how far those assurances will go in satisfying Democrats. Amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Schumer said Democrats are asking the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities and coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, including requiring tighter rules for warrants.

Democrats also want an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules. Schumer said agents should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.

The Democratic caucus is united in those “common sense reforms” and the burden is on Republicans to accept them, Schumer said, as he has pushed for the Homeland Security spending to be separated out to avoid a broader shutdown.

As the two sides negotiated, it was unclear whether they could agree on anything that would satisfy Democrats who want Trump's aggressive crackdown to end.

As the negotiations continued, it was unclear whether all Democrats would agree to a temporary extension of the funding. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, has said that Congress should not send “another penny" to ICE until Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is fired.

And across the Capitol, House Republicans have said they do not want any changes to the bill they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-government-funding-bills-d7ca791c2d1aa81d2982239f81bc86be">passed last week</a>. In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, the conservative House Freedom Caucus wrote that its members stand with the Republican president and ICE.

“The package will not come back through the House without funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” according to the letter.

Just ahead of the Senate vote, Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, called for Democrats to vote to move forward on the bill so they could negotiate the changes ahead of final passage.

“This morning's vote is about taking the first step, not the final step," Collins said.

Several Republican senators have said they would be fine with Democrats’ request to separate the Homeland Security funds for further debate and pass the other bills in the package. But it might be more difficult for Democrats to find broad GOP support for their demands on ICE.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he is opposed to the Democrats’ proposal to require the immigration enforcement officers to show their faces, even as he blamed Noem for decisions that he said are “tarnishing” the agency’s reputation.

“You know, there’s a lot of vicious people out there, and they’ll take a picture of your face, and the next thing you know, your children or your wife or your husband are being threatened at home," Tillis said. "And that’s just the reality of the world that we’re in.”

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham posted on X that he was putting his Senate colleagues “on notice” that if Democrats try to make changes, he would insist on new language preventing local governments from resisting the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

“It is truly a moral moment,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “I think we need to take a stand.”

Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats are threatening to block legislation that would fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies Thursday, potentially bringing the government a step closer to a partial shutdown if Republicans and the White House do not agree to new restrictions on President Donald Trump's surge of immigration enforcement.

As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-alex-pretti-minneapolis-immigration-0b34386da0bb3eeac939d9f934680b6c">country reels</a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">deaths of two protesters</a>&nbsp;at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, irate Senate Democrats laid out a list of demands ahead of a Thursday morning test vote, including that officers take off their masks and identify themselves and obtain warrants for arrest. If those are not met, Democrats say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/democrats-vow-to-oppose-homeland-security-money-increasing-shutdown-chance-7a801adfdd27455082fa9e26e612795d">denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it</a>&nbsp;and triggering a shutdown at midnight on Friday.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Democrats won't provide needed votes until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “reined in and overhauled.”

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