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UPDATE: Authorities seek car in fatal hit-and-run of Missouri boy

DREXEL, Mo. (AP) – Authorities in eastern Missouri are looking for a car they say was involved in a hit-and-run accident that killed a 15-year-old boy in a small town south of Kansas City.

KCTV reports that the State Highway Patrol said Gavin Kush of Drexel, Missouri, was walking in the northbound lanes of Route D when a maroon Hyundai hit him and threw him into a ditch.

Drexel is a town of about 950 people about 30 miles south of the Kansas City area along the Kansas border.

The car fled after hitting the boy. He was taken to a local hospital but died there.

The patrol said the car is missing a right side mirror and has a headlight out.

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CASS COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal hit and run accident in Cass County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that just after 9p.m. Sunday, a maroon Hyundai hit a pedestrian identified as Gavin J. Kush, 15,  Drexel, as he was walking in the northbound lanes of Route D just south of Route OO.

The Hyundai fled the scene. Kush was transported to Cass Regional Medical Center where he died.

Police believe teen, woman were murdered at NE Kan. home

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a murder scene.

Crime scene tape at the home where police were conducting the investigation-photo courtesy WIBW TV

Just after 12:15 p.m. Monday,  police were dispatched to a residence in the 3400 blk of SE Girard in Topeka in reference an unknown trouble call that came through police dispatch, according to Lieutenant Andrew Beightel.

Upon officers arrival they discovered a 17-year-old boy and woman gravely injured. AMR personnel also responded and pronounced both subjects deceased at the scene.

Police are investigating these deaths as homicides. The names of the victims are not being released at this time until the next of kin have been notified.

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Savannah Chamber to host candidate forum

Photo courtesy Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce

With the election coming up, there will be an opportunity in Savannah for voters to learn more about the candidates.

Savannah Chamber of Commerce Director Mary Ingersoll said they will be putting on a candidate forum this week.

“All of the contested races in our state representative primary, as well as any of our county races that are contested in this primary will be a part of this forum,” Ingersoll said. “So we are looking forward to a really good, informational evening.”

The candidate forum takes place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Clasbey Community Center in Savannah. For more information, click here.

Kan. insurance commissioner sues Governor over fund transfer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas insurance commissioner seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination is trying to prevent Gov. Jeff Colyer from taking $8 million this year from a state insurance fund.

Selzer and Colyer during a Johnson County candidate debate earlier this month- photo courtesy KCTV

Ken Selzer has filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to block Colyer from transferring money from an insurance-specific fund into a general fund that pays for the state government’s overall operation. Selzer is the commissioner of the Kansas Insurance Department.

The lawsuit says “consumers will be harmed” by the $8 million transfer because the Insurance Department would have to collect additional fees on insurance companies to make up lost revenue.

Colyer’s office says Selzer agreed to the transfer during former Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration in 2016.

Selzer said Friday the lawsuit is unrelated to the gubernatorial campaign.

UPDATE: NTSB to take custody of fateful Branson duck boat

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on the deadly sinking of a duck boat in a southern Missouri lake (all times local):

11:30 a.m.
The U.S. Coast Guard says the National Transportation Safety Board will take custody of the duck boat that capsized in Missouri now that it’s been raised from Table Rock Lake.

Coast Guard crews Monday morning on Table Rock Lake image courtesy KYTV

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Scott Stoermer spoke to reporters after the boat was raised Monday morning. Seventeen people were killed Thursday when the boat sank amid a thunderstorm that generated near-hurricane strength winds.

Stoermer says it took until Monday to remove the boat from the lake because that’s how much time was needed to amass the necessary equipment.

Stoermer says the boat was photographed underwater before being brought to the surface. He said he could not discuss specifics of the boat’s condition.

Nine of the people who died belonged to one Indiana family. Others killed came from Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois.
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11 a.m.

A duck boat that sank in southern Missouri, killing 17 people aboard, has been raised.

Live broadcast footage from KYTV showed a crane that is attached to a barge pulling the Ride the Ducks boat from Table Rock Lake on Monday morning. A boat pushed it toward the shore.

The boat sank Thursday night in churning waves near the tourist town of Branson. The victims were from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. The boat was submerged in 80 feet (24 meters) of water.

The National Transportation Safety Board and U.S. Coast Guard are investigating what caused the boat to sink.

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10:35 p.m.

Funeral services are set for Wednesday for two Arkansas victims of a duck boat accident in a Missouri lake.

Osceola Church of Christ posted on Facebook that funerals for 15-year-old Lance Smith and 53-year-old Steve Smith will be held Wednesday afternoon. Visitation services will also be held Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon at the church in Osceola, which is about 175 miles northeast of Little Rock.

The father and son were among 17 people killed when their tour boat capsized on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, on Thursday. Steve Smith’s daughter 14-year-old daughter, Loren Smith, was also on the boat, but survived.

Other victims were from Missouri, Indiana and Illinois.

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10:30 a.m.

Funerals are set for Friday for four of nine Indiana family members who died when a tourist boat sank in a Missouri lake.

The Indianapolis church services will honor the husband and three children of Tia Coleman. She and her 13-year-old nephew were the only members of their family who boarded the duck boat to survive Thursday’s sinking. The Colemans were among 17 people killed when the duck boat capsized and sank in Table Rock Lake in Branson during a storm.

Church secretary Lynthia Bruce says a visitation will be held Friday morning at Grace Apostolic Church followed by funerals for 40-year-old Glenn Coleman, 9-year-old Reece, 7-year-old Evan and 1-year-old Arya.

A vigil for the Colemans is set for Monday evening at a different Indianapolis church.

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BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard says it is planning to raise a duck boat that sank in a southern Missouri lake during powerful winds, killing 17 people.

The work to recover the Ride the Ducks boat from Table Rock Lake is scheduled to begin 9 a.m. Monday. The boat went down Thursday night in the Branson area after a thunderstorm generated near-hurricane strength winds. The boat is submerged in 80 feet (24 meters) of water.

Divers are expected to swim down to the vessel and connect it to a crane, which will lift it to the surface.

Divers already have recovered a digital recorder from the boat. The National Transportation Safety Board and U.S. Coast Guard are hoping the recorder will assist in their investigation into why the boat sank.

2018 Keep Missouri Farming Tractor Cruise took place Saturday

The 5th Annual Keep Missouri Farming Tractor Cruise took place Saturday. 

The cruise started and ended at the Ag Power John Deere dealership at the intersection of U.S. Hwy 36 and SE State Hwy Z.

Over 80 tractors participated in the event this year which benefits the Missouri Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

 

Orman launches ad in independent bid for Kan. governor

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Independent candidate Greg Orman has launched a television advertising campaign in the Kansas governor’s race even before securing a spot on the November ballot.

Greg Orman -courtesy image

Orman’s campaign announced Monday that it has started airing the 30-second spot attacking the two-party system on broadcast and cable stations across the state.

The Kansas City-area businessman potentially is the most serious independent candidate for governor since the 1930s. His unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in 2014 received national attention.

Orman’s campaign has until Aug. 6 to submit petitions with the signatures of 5,000 registered Kansas voters to get on the November ballot.

His ad portrays a supermarket where consumers are offered only a red and a blue alternative for each product.

Orman argues in the spot that the two-party system is broken.

Duck Boat Company releases statement on federal investigation

BRANSON — Ripley Entertainment, the company that acquired Ride the Ducks Branson in December of 2017, released a statement Monday about the deadly accident investigation on the company website.

“We remain deeply saddened by the tragic accident that occurred at Ride the Ducks Branson. Our focus from the start has been on the guests, families, and employees who were affected last Thursday.

Today, we continue to focus our efforts on the families. We are offering to pay for all related medical bills and funeral expenses, return all personal items from the rescue scene, and assist with any related travel or accommodations that will help the families in their time of need. An event like this deeply touches everyone and we are also providing grief counseling to our employees who have been affected by this tragic accident.

We are fully cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Highway Patrol and all federal and state authorities involved in the investigation. The investigation is being managed by the NTSB. Because we are a party to the NTSB investigation, we are not allowed to comment on any aspect of it. However, our job is to cooperate and provide information to those officials and to comfort the families of those affected by this tragic event.

Thank you for your support, and we continue to ask that your thoughts and prayers be with the families during this difficult time.”

On Thursday evening, one duck boat sank during a storm killing 17 people aboard.

Temperatures in the 80s this week

The first part of the week will be seasonal and dry with highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid 60s. The later half of the week the pattern will start to become more active with multiple rain chance and cooler than average temperatures leading into the weekend. There is still some uncertainty in getting the precipitation Thursday and Friday keeping the chances below 40% for much of the area. This will change going into the weekend with rain looking more likely, especially Saturday night into Sunday. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 9 mph in the morning.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. North wind 5 to 8 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 89. North wind 5 to 9 mph.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the morning.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81.

Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Trump, President of Iran in escalating war of words

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran (all times local):

President Donald Trump is warning Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that he will face dire consequences for threatening the United States.

Trump tweeted early Monday about the dangers to Iran of making hostile threats after Rouhani said Sunday “American must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.” Trump responded early Monday with a tweet that warned.

Trump earlier this year pulled the United States out of the international deal meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and ordered increased American sanctions.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday called the religious leaders of Iran “hypocritical holy men” who amassed vast sums of wealth while allowing their people to suffer, part of a highly critical broadside issued as the republic approached the 40th anniversary of its Islamic revolution and the U.S. prepared to reimpose economic sanctions.

6:30 a.m.

Germany is calling for restraint amid escalating rhetoric between the leaders of Iran and the United States.

Foreign Ministry Christofer Burger told reporters in Berlin on Monday: “We support dialogue and talks, and we call on all sides to exercise restraint and rhetorical disarmament.”

President Donald Trump tweeted late Sunday that hostile threats from Iran could bring dire consequences. Earlier in the day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said America “must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.”

Burger said that “threats of military force are never helpful, and I think that particularly in the tense situation in the Middle East this is not a helpful means of discourse.”

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5 a.m.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is praising President Donald Trump for his “strong stance” on Iran.

Netanyahu says that Trump and his secretary of state were taking a clear position against “Iranian aggression” after years in which the “regime was pampered by world powers.”

The Israeli prime minister spoke at his weekly Cabinet meeting Monday, after Trump the previous night warned Iranian President Hassan Rouhani of dire consequences for threatening the United States.

Trump tweeted: “NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKE OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.”

Trump earlier this year pulled the United States out of the international deal meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and ordered increased American sanctions.

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4:35 a.m.

A prominent Iranian political analyst is downplaying President Donald Trump’s warning to Iran and the escalating rhetoric, saying they were in his opinion “the storm before the calm.”

Seed Leilaz told The Associated Press on Monday that he isn’t “worried about the remarks and tweets,” which he described as propaganda.

According to Leilaz, Trump’s attitude so far has been different from his words” and it’s “unlikely such a tweet will have any impact inside Iran.”

The analyst added that “neither Iran, nor any other country is interested in escalating tensions in the region.”

He cited the harsh words between the U.S. and North Korea that preceded the high profile summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and denuclearization talks.

Leilaz says Trump and Kim got “closer” despite their previous warring words.

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3:30 a.m.

A high-ranking Iranian officer says President Donald Trump’s warning of unprecedented “consequences” for Iran, should it threaten the United States, is nothing but “psychological warfare.”

Gen. Gholam Hossein Gheibparvar, the chief of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s volunteer Basij force, also said on Monday that Trump “won’t dare” take any military action against Iran. Gheibparvar’s comments were reported by the semi-official ISNA news agency.

Iranian lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh told The Associated Press that he doubted it would come to a military confrontation between Iran and the United States, despite the escalating rhetoric.

Falahatpisheh says that Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani “express themselves through speeches since diplomatic channels are closed” as the two countries have had no diplomatic relations since 1979.

He says that unlike North Korea, “Iran never moved toward a nuclear bomb” and that therefore, “Iran is angry since Trump responded to Tehran’s engagement diplomacy by pulling the U.S. out of the nuclear deal.”

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2:30 a.m.

Iran’s state-owned news agency has dismissed President Donald Trump’s warning tweet, issued all in capital letters, to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, describing it as a “passive reaction” to Rouhani’s remarks.

The IRNA news agency, a government mouthpiece, also said on Monday that Trump’s Twitter missive was only mimicking and copying Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who had in the past warned the West to “never threaten an Iranian.”

Rouhani had said Sunday that “American must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.”

Trump responded early Monday with a tweet that warned: “NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKE OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.”

 

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