<a target="_blank" href="http://salina.ksu.edu/">Kansas State University Salina</a>&nbsp;professional pilot program students, now have a specialized opportunity for early-career success with Delta Air Lines.

K-State Salina has been selected by Delta — one of the largest airline employers in the United States — to participate in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.delta.com/us/en/careers/pilots/propel">Delta Propel Career Pathway Program</a>, a university-industry partnership that streamlines students' paths to commercial pilot careers.

K-State Salina is one of 38&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aabi.aero/">Aviation Accreditation Board International</a>&nbsp;(AABI) accredited universities selected. Once students have completed flight training and are actively instructing as certified flight instructors, or CFIs, they are eligible to apply. If selected, they will receive a conditional job offer to Delta's wholly owned regional carrier,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.endeavorair.com/content/endeavor-air/en_us/home.html">Endeavor Air</a>, putting them on a guaranteed path toward a career as a Delta pilot.

"This partnership embodies the K-State Salina vision, preparing industry-ready aviation professionals through hands-on education, strong partnerships and a commitment to safety and teamwork," said Tysen Pina, K-State Salina aviation department head. "We are proud to collaborate with one of the largest airlines in the world to expand meaningful opportunities to our students."

In addition to training, instruction and travel-document criteria, applicants must also be within 12 months of completing their airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate. Normally requiring 1,500 flight hours for completion, K-State Salina students are eligible to receive a restricted ATP after completing 1,000 flight hours, thanks to the campus's AABI accreditation.

This significant time and cost reduction, paired with elite industry partnerships such as the Propel program, allows K-State graduates to secure high-paying aviation careers sooner than ever.

K-State Salina's renowned&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.salina.k-state.edu/academics/degree-options/professional-pilot/">professional pilot bachelor's degree</a>&nbsp;— boasting a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.salina.k-state.edu/academic-success-student-affairs/campus-resources/flight-training/sln.html">premium fleet of more than 30 aircraft and flight training devices</a>, elite instruction, world-class runways and proximity to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.salinaairport.com/">Salina Regional Airport</a>&nbsp;— has helped thousands of pilots begin their aviation journey.

In addition to bachelor's degrees, aviation students have continued education opportunities through the program's CFI training, positioning them to train the next generation of K-State pilots.

KSU Salina pilot students now have opportunity for early-career success with one of largest airline in U.S.

<a href="https://www.scotthillforkansas.com/">Kansas State Senator Scott Hill (R-Kan. 24th District)</a>&nbsp;has announced he is set to host a public town hall meeting on Saturday, February 21, inviting residents of Saline and Dickinson Counties to share concerns, ask questions and discuss issues affecting their communities.

The town hall will be held at Kansas Wesleyan University inside the Fitzpatrick Auditorium, 100 E. Claflin Ave.) starting at 10:00 am.

During this open forum town hall, constituents can engage directly with Sen. Hill about local priorities including economic growth, job training, education pathways and state policy decisions.

Additionally, Sen. Hill is told Salina Post he open to speak to his constituents about any topic.

Sen. Hill set to host public town hall meeting inviting all Saline and Dickinson county residents

Following is recent booking activity for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/Sheriff-Office/Online-search/Booking-Activities">Saline County Jail</a>, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Battery; Phys contact rude/insult/angry manner

NAME:&nbsp;Kolb,Christopher William

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Probation Violation; Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs Unknown severity

REQUESTED CHARGE: Probation Violation&nbsp;

Saline County Jail Bookings, February 16

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

Salina Post understands the importance of honoring the deceased and welcomes all submissions of obituaries with a full summary of their life, survivors, services, website of the funeral home and a photo.

Salina Post accepts all obituaries&nbsp;free of charge&nbsp;and you can email all obituaries:&nbsp;<a href="https://newstips@salinapost.com/">newstips@salinapost.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nicolas.fierro@eaglemedia.com">nicolas.fierro@eaglemedia.com</a>&nbsp;and will be posted on the website within 24 business hours.

If you have an issue outside of business hours, if your obituary has not been published within 24 business hours, or if have any questions, please email:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://newstips@salinapost.com/">newstips@salinapost.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nicolas.fierro@eaglemedia.com">nicolas.fierro@eaglemedia.com</a>

Recent obituaries and service times, how to submit an obituary

<a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Salina&amp;state=KS&amp;site=ICT&amp;lat=38.8158&amp;lon=-97.6178">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Monitor local weather updates frequently in multiple ways by listening to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr/">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, checking local news and emergency notifications. You can also stay informed by following Saline County and the National Weather Service on social media.

For the latest forecast updates, visit the National Weather Service Wichita office at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/">https://www.weather.gov/ict/</a>. To check forecasts frequently, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/">weather.gov</a>.

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 16 - February 18

DICKINSON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 10p.m. Sunday in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005&nbsp;Rendezvous SUV driven by Colleen M. Taylor, 70, Junction City, was northbound on Union Road just north of Kansas 244, approximately 5 miles West of Junction City. The SUV crossed the roadway, traveled off the roadway into the west ditch and collided with a tree line.

EMS transported Taylor to KU Medical Center. She was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman hospitalized after SUV strikes trees

Ad Astra Books &amp; Coffeehouse has announced some great news.

The bookstore and coffeehouse is now accepting grant applications for the&nbsp;Cash&nbsp;Hollistah&nbsp;Scholarship. 

The&nbsp;scholarship, named after Salina rapper/DJ/poet&nbsp;Cash&nbsp;Hollistah, will be awarded to&nbsp;a&nbsp;graduating senior in Central Kansas who shows merit in the field of community enrichment, as well as poetry, music, or visual art. 

Students must fulfill academic requirements and plan to attend an institution of higher education in the fall of 2026. 

Applications are due by March 31, 2026.

The&nbsp;scholarship&nbsp;is available&nbsp;to high school seniors in the following counties:&nbsp;Saline, McPherson, Ottawa, Ellsworth,&nbsp;Dickinson, Lincoln, Mitchell, Geary, Morris, Cloud, Clay, Marion, Rice, &amp; Reno.

The grant application is available at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://thecashscholarship.org/">thecashscholarship.org</a>.

For more information, contact Tammy Jarvis at 785-833-2235 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:tammy@adastrabooksandcoffee.com">tammy@adastrabooksandcoffee.com</a>.

Cash Hollistah scholarship now available for graduating seniors in central Kansas

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs Unknown severity

NAME:&nbsp;Bounsombath,Phonephachanh Sindee

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Probation Violation

NAME:&nbsp;Chaca,Shane Christopher

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Stalking; Reckless conduct causing fear to person or family; Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs; Misdemeanor; No Proof Of Insurance

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Disorderly conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct to cause resentment; Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner

REQUESTED CHARGE:&nbsp;Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner

Saline County Jail Bookings, February 15

OCCK, Inc. Transportation will have shortened hours on Monday, February 16, 2026, in observance of Presidents' Day.&nbsp;

On February 16th, CityGo buses will run from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with no peak routes running.&nbsp;

Regional paratransit, GoAbilene, and GoConcordia vehicles will run a reduced service. 81 Connection, KanConnect, and OCCK OnDemand will run normal schedules.

Transportation services will resume normal operating hours on Tuesday, February 17th.

For more information about OCCK, Inc., visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.occk.com/">www.occk.com</a>.&nbsp;

For more information about CityGo and OCCK Transportation, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.salinacitygo.com/">www.salinacitygo.com</a>. Or, contact the OCCK Transportation Center at 785-826-1583.

OCCK Transportation having shortened hours on Presidents’ Day

NAME:&nbsp;Dyrness,Gregory Edel Jaymon Heaven

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Probation Violation; Outside warrant/NCIC hit

REQUESTED CHARGES: Probation Violation; Failure to appear; Theft by deception;Value less than $1,500

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit

NAME:&nbsp;Kleber,Amber Nichole Oak

REQUESTED CHARGES:&nbsp;Battery on LEO; Physical contact with county or city officer on duty; Interf w/LEO; obstr/resist/oppose misd warrant; Criminal trespass; Unknown circumstance

NAME:&nbsp;Lopez-Garcia,Ricardo Adolfo

REQUESTED CHARGE: Probation Violation&nbsp;

Saline County Jail Bookings, February 14

Salina musician, Gayle McMillen and former Salinan, Dr. Jennifer Gordon, will present a Black History Month concert at the University United Methodist Church on February 22nd at 3:00 pm.

This concert titled, The Dunlap Exodusters – Songs of my Ancestors, will tell the story of Gordon’s ancestors who came to Kansas in 1878 and settled in Dunlap, Kansas. The concert of Negro Spirituals will include a PowerPoint presentation with narration read by Sandra Beverly.

McMillen is a well-known Salina music educator. McMillen grew up in Clearwater, Kansas, and graduated from Clearwater High School in 1967. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Southwestern College in 1971 and earned a Master of Music Education from Wichita State University in 1976. Gayle has earned additional hours at Chapman University, Emporia State University, Kansas State University Texas Christian University, the University of Kansas, Vander Cook College, and Wichita State University. He taught two years each at South Haven, Kansas Wesleyan University, and Solomon. Gayle retired in 2005 after teaching 27 years in Salina, Kansas. While in Salina, he taught 5-12 band, jazz band, AP music theory, and team-taught full orchestra. He hosted the Roosevelt-Lincoln Invitational Band Festival for 23 years. Gayle was an adjunct teacher at Kansas Wesleyan University for 12 years after retirement from USD 305.

Dr. Gordon was born and raised in Salina and she sang her first solo at age six on a Christmas program when she was in the first grade. She began taking voice lessons at age twelve and sang in middle, high school, college, and community choirs. Jennifer performed as a guest soloist in many Salina churches and community programs. At 19, she auditioned for the international singing group, ‘Up With People’, and was selected as a soloist to travel with a cast throughout the southwest, west, and east coasts, and Mexico. She performed with this group at Lincoln Center in New York and at The White House.

After leaving Up With People, Jennifer attended Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, and was a soloist with The Friends University Singing Quakers, and a soloist with the choir at the First United Methodist Church in Wichita. Jennifer also sang with the Wichita Music Theater. She married Loring Gordon and returned to Kansas Wesleyan in 1973 to complete her B.A. in Elementary Education. While raising their family, her singing was put on hold.

Her passion for singing never waned even as her family grew. Gordon found time to take voice lessons and perform a few concerts in Salina. She trained under the late Dr Elmer Copley at Bethany College at Lindsborg with the assistance of a Horizon grant to further develop her singing voice. Over the past twenty years Gordon has sung in several Topeka churches, including University United Methodist Church, Susanna Wesley United Methodist, and Lowman United Methodist Church, where she is a member and sings in the choir there. For the past two years she has also sang with the Community Gospel Choir of Topeka.

Gordon truly enjoys creating and performing vocal music programs that present music of the African American experience. Her program of The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been well received at several colleges and churches in Kansas. This program was presented at Kansas Wesleyan University in 2023. She also has performed A Concert of Negro Spirituals at the Smoky Hill Museum in Salina that coincided with one of their featured exhibits, Climbing Jacobs Ladder: The Rise of Black Churches in Eastern American Cities, 1740-1877

Two talented musicians to present Black History Month concert in Salina

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 13 - February 15

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 11 - February 13

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 9 - February 11

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 6 - February 8

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 4 - February 6

Three day weather forecast Salina, February 1 - February 3

Three day weather forecast Salina, January 30 - February 1

Three day weather forecast Salina, January 28 - January 30

Three day weather forecast Salina, January 26 - January 28

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor of matchless versatility and dedication whose classic roles included the intrepid consigliere of the first two “Godfather” movies and the over-the-hill country music singer in “Tender Mercies,” has died at age 95.

Duvall died “peacefully” at his home Sunday in Middleburg, Virginia, according to an announcement from his publicist and from a statement posted on his Facebook page by his wife, Luciana Duvall.

“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” Luciana Duvall wrote. “His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court. For each of his many roles, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented.”

The bald, wiry Duvall didn’t have leading man looks, but few “character actors” enjoyed such a long, rewarding and unpredictable career, in leading and supporting roles, from an itinerant preacher to Josef Stalin. Beginning with his 1962 film debut as Boo Radley, the reclusive neighbor in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Duvall created a gallery of unforgettable portrayals. They earned him seven Academy Award nominations and the best actor prize for “Tender Mercies,” which came out in 1983. He also won four Golden Globes, including one for playing the philosophical cattle-drive boss in the 1989 miniseries “Lonesome Dove,” a role he often cited as his favorite.

He had been acting for some 20 years when “The Godfather,” released in 1972, established him as one of the most in-demand performers of Hollywood. He had made a previous film, “The Rain People,” with Francis Coppola, and the director chose him to play Tom Hagen in the mafia epic that featured Al Pacino and Marlon Brando among others. Duvall was a master of subtlety as an Irishman among Italians, rarely at the center of a scene, but often listening and advising in the background, an irreplaceable thread through the saga of the Corleone crime family.

“Stars and Italians alike depend on his efficiency, his tidying up around their grand gestures, his being the perfect shortstop on a team of personality sluggers,” wrote the critic David Thomson. “Was there ever a role better designed for its actor than that of Tom Hagen in both parts of ‘The Godfather?’”

In another Coppola film, “Apocalypse Now,” Duvall was wildly out front, the embodiment of deranged masculinity as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, who with equal vigor enjoyed surfing and bombing raids on the Viet Cong. Duvall required few takes for one of the most famous passages in movie history, barked out on the battlefield by a bare-chested, cavalry-hatted Kilgore: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn’t find one of ‘em, not one stinkin’ dink body.

“The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like — victory.”

Coppola once commented about Duvall: “Actors click into character at different times — the first week, third week. Bobby’s hot after one or two takes.”

He was Oscar-nominated as supporting actor for “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now,” but a dispute over money led him to turn down the third Godfather epic, a loss deeply felt by critics, fans and “Godfather” colleagues. Duvall would complain publicly about being offered less than his co-stars.

Fellow actors marveled at Duvall’s studious research and planning, and his coiled energy. Michael Caine, who co-starred with him in the 2003 “Secondhand Lions,” once told The Associated Press: “Before a big scene, Bobby just sits there, absolutely quiet; you know when not to talk to him.” Anyone who disturbed him would suffer the well-known Duvall temper, famously on display during the filming of the John Wayne Western “True Grit,” when Duvall seethed at director Henry Hathaway’s advice to “tense up” before a scene.

Duvall was awarded an Oscar in 1984 for his leading role as the troubled singer and songwriter Mac Sledge in “Tender Mercies,” a prize he accepted while clad in a cowboy tuxedo with Western tie. In 1998, he was nominated for best actor in “The Apostle,” a drama about a wayward Southern evangelist which he wrote, directed, starred in, produced and largely financed. With customary thoroughness, he visited dozens of country churches and spent 12 years writing the script and trying to get it made.

Among other notable roles: the outlaw gang leader who gets ambushed by John Wayne in “True Grit"; Jesse James in “The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid"; the pious and beleaguered Frank Burns in “M-A-S-H"; the TV hatchet man in “Network"; Dr. Watson in “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution"; and the sadistic father in “The Great Santini.”

“When I was doing ‘Colors’ in 1988 with Sean Penn, someone asked me how I do it all these years, keep it fresh. Well, if you don’t overwork, have some hobbies, you can do it and stay hungry even if you’re not really hungry,” Duvall told The Associated Press in 1990.

In his mid-80s, he received a supporting Oscar nomination as the title character of the 2014 release “The Judge,” in which he is accused of causing a death in a hit-and-run accident. More recent films included “Widows” and “12 Mighty Orphans.”

Robert Selden Duvall grew up in the Navy towns of Annapolis and the San Diego area, where he was born in 1931. He spent time in other cities as his father, who rose to be an admiral, was assigned to various duties.

The boy’s experience helped in his adult profession as he learned the nuances of regional speech and observed the psyche of military men, which he would portray in several films.

Duvall reportedly used his Navy officer father as the basis for his portrayal of the explosive militarist in “The Great Santini,” based on the Pat Conroy novel. He commented in 2003: “My dad was a gentleman but a seether, a stern, blustery guy, and away a lot of the time.” Bobby took after his mother, an amateur actress, in playing a guitar and performing. He was a wrestler like his father and enjoyed besting kids older than himself.

He lacked the concentration for schoolwork and nearly flunked out of Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. His despairing parents decided he needed something to keep him in college so he wouldn’t be drafted for the Korean War. “They recommended acting as an expedient thing to get through,” he recalled. “I’m glad they did.” He flourished in drama classes.

“Way back when I was in college,” Duvall told the AP in 1990, “there was a wonderful man named Frank Parker, who had been a dancer in World War I. We did a full-length mime play and I played a Harlequin clown. I really liked that.

“Then, I played an older guy in ‘All My Sons,’ and at one point I had this emotional moment, where this emotion was pouring out. Parker said at that moment he didn’t think acting can be carried any further than that. And this guy was a very critical guy. So I thought, at that moment at least, this is what I wanted to do.”

After two years in the Army, he used the G.I. Bill to finance his studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, hanging out with such other young hopefuls as Robert Morse, Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. After a one-night performance in “A View From the Bridge,” Duvall began getting offers for work in TV series, among them “The Naked City” and “The Defenders.”

Between his high-paying jobs in major productions, Duvall devoted himself to directing personal projects: a documentary about a prairie family, “We’re Not the Jet Set”; a film about gypsies, “Angelo, My Love”; and “Assassination Tango,” in which he also starred.

Duvall had been a tango dancer since seeing the musical “Tango Argentina” in the 1980s and visited in Argentina dozens of times to study the dance and the culture. The result was the 2003 release about a hit man with a passion for tango.

His co-star was Luciana Pedraza, 42 years his junior, whom he married in 2005. Duvall’s three previous marriages — to Barbara Benjamin, Gail Youngs and Sharon Brophy — ended in divorce.

Former Associated Press Hollywood correspondent Bob Thomas, who died in 2014, was the primary writer of this obituary

Robert Duvall, Oscar winner and star of The Godfather dead at 95

Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp;issued a verbal state of disaster emergency proclamation&nbsp;on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 11:48&nbsp;a.m.&nbsp;due&nbsp;to&nbsp;an&nbsp;extended period of dangerous fire weather and the potential for extreme fire spread from Tuesday through Thursday, according to a media release from the Adjutant General’s&nbsp;Department. This declaration&nbsp;allows&nbsp;resources to be&nbsp;used to&nbsp;provide state&nbsp;assistance.&nbsp;

“With high winds and dry conditions, there is a high risk for wildland fires over the next few days,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp;said. “I urge&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;residents to avoid activities that could spark fires, remain alert to changing conditions, and follow local emergency guidance.”&nbsp;

Dangerous fire weather is expected Tuesday through Thursday, with Northwest and Southwest Kansas seeing Red Flag conditions driven by strong 30–40 mph winds with gusts to 65 mph, humidity as low as 10&nbsp;percent, rapidly drying grass fuels, blowing dust, and shifting winds that could cause rapid fire growth and extreme and erratic fire behavior.&nbsp; A Fire Watch is in effect for most of North Central, Northeast, and East Central Kansas on Tuesday.&nbsp;Officials emphasize that dry grass and other fuels can dry out in as little as one hour under these conditions, significantly increasing the risk of&nbsp;rapid&nbsp;fire&nbsp;ignition and spread.&nbsp;

“Across Kansas,&nbsp;we’re&nbsp;beginning to see the seasonal shift into more typical fire weather patterns,”&nbsp;Bill Waln, Kansas Forest Service Fire Management Officer&nbsp;said.&nbsp;“We strongly urge the public to avoid activities that could spark a fire and to report any smoke or fire&nbsp;immediately. Early reporting is critical to keeping fires small and protecting lives and property.”&nbsp;

The Kansas Division of Emergency Management will staff the State Emergency Operations Center&nbsp;starting&nbsp;tomorrow&nbsp;with Emergency Support Function partners&nbsp;from the Office of the State Fire Marshal,&nbsp;Kansas Forest Service,&nbsp;and other state agencies&nbsp;to coordinate&nbsp;state&nbsp;efforts&nbsp;and pre‑staging resources to support local&nbsp;counties and local responders if requested.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kan. gov. issues state of disaster emergency for wildland fires 

LABETTE COUNTY – The Labette County Sheriff’s Office reported to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) that 80-year-old Richard Bulkley was located in Sedalia, Missouri, and is now safe.

LABETTE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Labette County Sheriff's Office requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Parsons man, according to a media release.

The whereabouts of 80-year-old Richard Bulkley, of Parsons, are unknown and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.

Bulkley is likely driving a Black 2011 Ford F-150 bearing Kansas veteran tag 1526. He was last believed to be heading north around Highway 169 and K-47, near Thayer, on the evening of Feb. 15.

Bulkley is a white male who is around 5 foot 6 inches tall and weighs approximately 175 pounds. He has white hair, brown eyes, and was last seen wearing gray and white flannel pajama pants, and a blue fleece jacket. Bulkley has dementia.

If you see Richard Bulkley, or his vehicle, call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Labette County Sheriff's Office at 620-795-2565.

KBI: Silver Alert canceled, missing Kansas man found safe

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacobrichey/">Jacob Richey</a>

A Cole County judge ruled Friday that Gov. Mike Kehoe had the constitutional authority to call the special session that resulted in the passage of a new gerrymandered congressional map for Missouri.

During the special session, legislators redrew the map to favor Republicans. The Missouri NAACP filed the lawsuit against state officials including Kehoe in September in an attempt to stop the special session from happening, but the court did not take up the case in time to stop legislators from meeting for the session.

The lawsuit alleged that while the Missouri Constitution allows the governor to call special sessions for extraordinary occasions, Kehoe’s reasoning to call the most recent session did not qualify as an extraordinary occasion.

Judge Christopher Limbaugh disagreed, stating in the ruling issued Friday that the governor has the constitutional discretion to decide what qualifies as an extraordinary occasion.

Article 4, Section 9 of the Missouri Constitution, which describes the powers of the governor, states that on extraordinary occasions, the governor may convene the General Assembly by proclamation and state matters for the legislature to take action on.

Kehoe called Missouri lawmakers to a special session on Aug. 29, 2025, directing them to focus the session on redistricting the state and changing the initiative petition process.

The new congressional map, which is at the center of multiple lawsuits, would likely give the Republican Party a 7-to-1 majority in Missouri’s U.S. House seats. Republicans already hold six of Missouri’s eight congressional seats.

This story originally appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.komu.com/news/state/special-session-to-redraw-missouris-congressional-districts-was-constitutional-judge-rules/article_0782f59f-c883-497d-9260-dbae0a12fae2.html" target="_blank">KOMU.com</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

Special session to redraw Missouri congressional districts was constitutional, judge rules

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement continue searching for suspects in a deadly nightclub shooting in Kansas City, Missouri and have identified the women who died as 29-year-old Eboni Silas and 24-year-old Tishauna Ballard, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just after 2a.m. Sunday Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies were in the area of 28th and Southwest Boulevard working off duty for a nightclub/bar business there when they heard the sound of gunfire inside the bar, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

At the same time 911 received calls for a shooting inside the business.&nbsp;On arrival officers were led inside the business where they located 3 adult female shooting victims.

Officers began rendering aid and called for EMS to come in.&nbsp;EMS declared one shooting victim deceased at the scene. EMS&nbsp; then transported the other two victims to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital one of the two victims was declared deceased, and the other victim has what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries, according to Becchina.

While officers were at the scene they were notified of a 4th shooting victim, an adult male, who arrived at the hospital by private vehicle. That victim is reported to be in critical condition.&nbsp;

Detectives talked with people who were at the scene when officers arrived and processed through the evidence gathered. As the investigation progresses it is still believed the shooting occurred inside the business, so anyone who may have been there that has not talked to police yet is urged to contact detectives or the TIPS Hotline anonymously. 

Police have not been advised of any change in the status of either of the surviving victims.

&nbsp;Preliminary information indicates the victims were inside the business when there was an interaction with one or more suspects that escalated and led to shots being fired which struck the victims.&nbsp; Police have not released any details on a possible suspect.

Police ID 2 women who died in Kansas City nightclub shooting

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Lawmakers and the White House offered no signs of compromise Sunday in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers that has led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-shutdown-ice-funding-7bf62bc50ca0a6a6013a714bee2ffdb4">a pause in funding</a>&nbsp;for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-homeland-security">Department of Homeland Security</a>.

A partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump's team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-funding-shutdown-democrats-trump-4e9c4cebd45396e77f8333fd6cc31944">failed to reach a deal</a>&nbsp;on legislation to fund the department through September. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens&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 federal officers in Minneapolis last month.

Congress is on recess until Feb. 23, and both sides appear dug into their positions. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dhs-shutdown-tsa-travel-airports-delays-ff8b225c6ff8d57172fd301a550057b3">impasse affects</a>&nbsp;agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The work at ICE and CBP goes on unabated because Trump’s tax and spending cut law from 2025 provided billions more to those agencies that can be tapped for deportation operations. About 90% of DHS employees were to continue working during the shutdown, but do so without pay — and missed paychecks could mean financial hardships. Last year there was a record&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">43-day government shutdown</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-metro-surge-ice-523d18d5d75c81cbf9f24c602f1884ff">White House border czar Tom Homan</a>&nbsp;said the administration was unwilling to agree to Democrats' demands that federal officers clearly identify themselves, remove masks during operations and display unique ID numbers.

“I don’t like the masks, either,” Homan said, But, he said, “These men and women have to protect themselves."

Democrats also want to require immigration agents to wear body cameras and mandate judicial warrants for arrests on private property.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats are only asking for federal agents to abide by rules followed by law enforcement agencies around the country.

“And the question that Americans are asking is, ‘Why aren’t Republicans going along with these commonsense proposals?’” Schumer said. "They’re not crazy. They’re not way out. They’re what every police department in America does.”

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he could back Democrats calls to equip immigration officers with body cameras and would support efforts to bolster training. But he balked at their demands that federal officers remove masks and clearly identify themselves, noting some officers taking part in immigration enforcement operations have faced doxing and other harassment.

“What are you going to do, expose their faces so you can intimidate their families?” Mullins said. "What we want is ICE to be able to do their job. And we would love for local law enforcement and for states to cooperate with us.”

Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, a Trump ally who had pushed for a two-week extension of DHS funding while negotiations continued, said it was "shortsighted of Democrats to walk away" from talks.

Trump made enforcement of the nation's immigration laws a centerpiece of his 2024 campaign for the White House and he promised to be aggressive in detaining and deporting people living in the United States without legal permission.

DHS reports it has deported more than 675,000 migrants since Trump's return to office last year and claims some 2.2 million others have “self-deported” as the Republican president has made his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">immigration crackdown</a>&nbsp;a priority.

“President Trump is not going to back away from the mission, the mission that American people said they wanted him to complete, and that is securing our border and making sure that we actually do interior enforcement," Britt said.

Homan was on CBS' “Face the Nation,” Schumer and Mullin appeared on CNN's “State of the Union” and Britt was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday.”

No clear path to ending the partial government shutdown 

BOSTON (AP) — More than a decade before he became the country's first president, George Washington was leading a critical campaign in the early days of the American Revolution. The Siege of Boston was his first campaign as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and, in many ways, set the stage for his military and political successes — celebrated on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/presidents-day-history-george-washington-birthday-f9cdcb41b3128c63af0ffdf5066e10b9">Presidents Day</a>.

Following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, militias had pinned down the British in Boston in April 1775. The Continental Congress, recognizing the need for a more organized military effort, selected Washington to lead the newly formed army.

On this day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/america-250-declaration-of-independence-democracy-d49050f62425ed6ddecc5dfb42ba8a20">250 years ago</a>, Washington would have been nearing the end of an almost yearlong siege that bottled up as many as 11,000 British troops and hundreds more loyalists. The British were occupying Boston at the time, and the goal of the siege was to force them out.

A critical decision made by Washington was sending Henry Knox, a young bookseller, to Fort Ticonderoga in New York to retrieve dozens of cannons. The cannons, transported hundreds of miles in the dead of winter, were eventually used to fire on British positions. That contributed to the decision by the British, facing dwindling supplies, to abandon the city by boat on March 17, 1776.

Historians argue that the British abandoning their positions, celebrated in Boston as Evacuation Day, rid the city of loyalists at a critical time, denied the British access to an important port and gave patriots a huge morale boost.

“The success of the Siege of Boston gave new life and momentum to the Revolution,” Chris Beagan, the site manager at Longfellow House in Cambridge, a National Historic Site that served as Washington's headquarters during the American Revolution. “Had it failed, royal control of New England would have continued, and the Continental Army likely would have dissolved."

The siege was also a critical test for Washington. A surveyor and farmer, Washington had been out of the military for nearly 20 years after commanding troops for the British during the French and Indian War. His successful campaign ensured Washington remained the commander-in-chief for the remainder of the revolution.

Doug Bradburn, president of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, said Washington took the first steps to creating a geographically diverse army that included militiamen from Massachusetts to Virginia and, by the end of the war, a fighting force with significant Black and Native American representation. It was the most integrated military until President Harry S. Truman’s desegregated the armed forces in 1948, he said.

Washington, a slave owner who depended on hundreds of slaves on his Mount Vernon estate, was initially opposed to admitting formerly enslaved and free Black soldiers into the army. But short of men, Washington came to realize “there are free Blacks who want to enlist and he needs them to keep the British from breaking out” during the siege, Bradburn said.

Ridding Boston of the British also turned Washington into one of the country's most popular political figures.

“He comes to embody the cause in a time before you have a nation, before you have a Declaration of Independence, before you’re really sure what is the goal of this struggle,” Bradburn said. “He becomes the face of the revolutionary movement.”

Commanding the military for more than eight years also prepared Washington for the presidency, Pulitzer Prize-winning military historian&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Farticle%2Frick-atkinson-book-deal-pulitzer-crown-b808b83109be45bf1c97af55ebcad830&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMCasey%40ap.org%7C549bdcc2d044437e269208de6755641d%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C639061813625339374%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=mJ4SU1Q8H%2B4OyYiF%2FjRlRGunbsH%2FnWpIVbJFmwfhSBM%3D&amp;reserved=0">Rick Atkinson</a>&nbsp;said. “Perhaps most important, it gave him a sense that Americans could and should be a single people, rather than denizens of thirteen different entities.”

His rise to prominence also led to plenty of myths about Washington, many which persist to this day.

One of the most popular is the cherry tree myth. It was invented by one of Washington's first biographers, according to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, who created the story after his death. Supposedly, a 6-year-old Washington took an ax to a cherry tree and admitted as much when caught by his father, famously saying “I cannot tell a lie … I did cut it with my hatchet."

The second one is the wooden teeth myth. It was rumored that Washington had wooden dentures and scholars, well into the 20th century, were quoted as saying his false teeth were made from wood. Not true. He never wore wooden dentures, instead using those with ivory, gold and even human teeth.

During his lifetime, Washington had myriad pursuits. He was known as an innovative farmer, according to the George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and an advocate for Western expansion, buying up to 50,000 acres of land in several Mid-Atlantic states. After returning to Mount Vernon, he built a whiskey distillery that became one of the largest in the country.

His connection to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/slavery-exhibit-removed-philadelphia-trump-executive-order-dd764277133f47ec1173e8dc16703958">slavery</a>&nbsp;was complicated. He advocated for ending slavery, and his will called for freeing all the slaves he owned after the death of his wife, Martha Washington. But he didn't own all the slaves at Mount Vernon so he couldn't legally free all of them.

For fans of George Washington, Presidents Day is their Super Bowl. Originated to celebrate Washington's birthday, which falls on Feb. 22, the holiday has become associated with good deals at the mall. Still, there are plenty of places celebrating all things Washington on this day.

There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at Washington's tomb at Mount Vernon, and there will be a Continental Army encampment. There will be a parade honoring Washington in Alexandria, Virginia, and, in Laredo, Texas, a monthlong celebration features a carnival, pageants, an air show and jalapeno festival.

Presidents Day: No, George Washington didn't have wooden teeth

HAMILTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting at a southwest Kansas cafe on Valentine's Day.

Just after 7p.m. Saturday,&nbsp;the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a shooting at Maria’s Cafe in Coolidge, Kansas, according to a media release.

Shortly after the initial report, an additional call was received regarding a vehicle that had been struck by gunfire within the city of Coolidge. Additional reports of gunshots were later received from across the state line in Colorado. No injuries were reported in Coolidge.

The Prowers County Sheriff’s Office located and took one subject into custody in connection with the incident.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the suspect of possible charges.

Suspect jailed after Valentine's Day shooting at SW Kan. cafe

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Police released the name of the juvenile killed Feb. 10, at an apartment complex in Kansas City, Kansas. Jai Barnes, Jr., 17, was resident of Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release from KCK Police.

Just before 3p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 7400 Block of Armstrong in Kansas City, Kansas.

First responders located Barnes outside an apartment complex, the victim of apparent gunshot wounds. He was getting off the school bus in front of his home at the time of the shooting, according to <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-heartfelt-farewell-for-jai-barnes-jr">an online fundraiser.</a>

He was transported to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.&nbsp;There are currently no suspects in custody.

Kansas teen was getting off school bus when he was shot, killed

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-710d3acdef86d1c3935b94f58f763d72">glove containing DNA</a>&nbsp;found a couple of miles from the Arizona home of “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;’s missing mother appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her house the night she disappeared, the FBI said Sunday.

The development comes as law enforcement gathers more potential evidence in the search for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">Nancy Guthrie</a>, 84, which heads into its third week.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson home on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-ransom-deadline-arizona-3977f842fd3d1fd66952d1d763944b9d">ransom notes</a>&nbsp;were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.

Authorities have expressed concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs vital daily medicine. She is said to have a pacemaker and have dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

Here’s what to know about her disappearance and the search to find her:

Video of masked man and discovery of a glove

The FBI on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-arizona-b765fed6b9669441383b75860263ac99">released surveillance videos</a>&nbsp;of a person wearing a handgun holster outside Guthrie’s front door the night she vanished. A porch camera&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-nest-camera-footage-kidnapper-bd5f1d886543e23f2d105535031c9445">recorded video</a>&nbsp;of the person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves.

On Thursday, the FBI called the person a suspect. It described him as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 meters) tall with a medium build. The agency said he was carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.

On Sunday, the FBI said in a statement that a glove, found in a field near the side of a road about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the home, had been sent off for DNA testing. The agency said that it received preliminary results Saturday and was awaiting official confirmation.

Late Friday, law enforcement agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-kidnapping-investigation-64736b14fa5dbd8961325ea6147e78e7">sealed off a road</a>&nbsp;about two miles (3.2 kilometers) from Guthrie’s home as part of their investigation. A series of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock.

Investigators also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a nearby restaurant parking lot. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Guthrie investigation.

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