U.S. Senators and former prosecutors Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) today released the following joint statement after the leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees unveiled a plan to pass this year’s annual defense bill-including dozens of historic provisions to protect and empower victims of sexual assault, boost prosecutions of sexual predators, and hold military commanders accountable:

“This agreement represents a huge win for justice in America’s Armed Forces. While we’re frustrated that votes on additional measures did not occur, these historic reforms-including installing civilian review over prosecutorial decisions, barring commanders from changing jury verdicts, assigning victims their own legal counsel, criminalizing retaliation against victims, and mandating dishonorable discharge for convicted sex offenders-will mean a new day for justice for American servicemembers. And we’re going to work as hard as we can to enact these critical reforms into law.”

Monday’s agreement contains a long list of reforms already included in the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act, as well as bipartisan reforms to the “Article 32” pre-trial process, including:

Stripping military commanders of their ability to overturn jury convictions
Requiring civilian review if a commander declines to prosecute a case
Assigning victims their own independent legal counsel to protect their rights and fight for their interests
Mandating dishonorable discharge for anyone convicted of sexual assault
Criminalizing retaliation against victims who report a sexual assault
Eliminating the statute of limitations in rape and sexual assault cases

(AP) – Kansas City police are looking for a 65-year-old man who has not been seen since Sunday night.

Anthony Stillwell is a black male, 6-feet-6-inches tall and about 200 lbs with black hair and brown eyes.

Police say Stillwell has been diagnosed with dementia and schizophrenia. He was last seen about 9:30 p.m. Sunday. When his wife woke up about midnight he was not in their apartment. She reported him missing when he did not return by the following night.

Stillwell does not drive and has no family or close friends in the area.

(AP) – Kansas City police shot and wounded a man who officers said sped toward them in his car.

The man was able to drive away but later went to a hospital and was treated for gunshot wounds. He is in serious but stable condition.

The shooting occurred Monday night at a gas station. Police say two officers feared for their lives when the man drove toward them. Neither officer was injured.

Charges are expected to be filed against the suspect Tuesday.

When Dustin Ladenburger climbs up into his tractor seat these days he finds he cannot reach the pedals. That is because Dustin’s new hired man is 6’8” and Dustin is, well, not quite that tall. Other than that, Kevin Comer is a perfect fit for the job at Ladenburger Farms, caring for cattle, fixing equipment and caring for crops and pastures.

Kevin is a military veteran who did not come from a farming background but he knew it was a life he wanted. After completing eight years of service in the Army Reserves, he was working a construction job in the Denver area. He recognized right away that city life and being away from his family all day was not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Kevin’s wife, Jessica, was from the country and both of them had dreams of farming, if they could only make it happen. In order to network with farmers, Kevin and Jessica joined their county Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers group.

Kevin was working at the Farm Bureau booth at the Denver Stock Show when Dustin happened to visit. The two got to talking and Dustin shared his contact information. A week later, Kevin got in touch with Dustin to say that he and Jessica were interested in making a commitment to farm—moving from Colorado to Nebraska, learning how to handle cattle, adapting his equipment maintenance skills from military vehicles to farm equipment, and beginning to make a life in farming that fit their dreams.

“There are so many skills that transition from military service to farming,” said Kevin about his new career. “Paying attention to detail, building physical strength, being in good shape, having a great work ethic, and rising early and working long days are just a few. I think it is critical to have the personal drive to work a full day without a boss around to motivate you. Also, everybody in the military has emergency medical training which is great experience to have on the farm.”

Jessica struggled to find work in Stratton, Neb., a town of only 300 people. But now she is working part-time and expecting their first child in April.

Dustin is happy to share the workload with one more person on the farm. In 2012, he finished serving on the national AFBF YF&R Committee, which took him out of town a lot.

Dustin and his brother, Nick, are fourth-generation farmers with their dad, Dan. They have 400 head of Angus cattle, lots of pastures and fences, dryland wheat (grown without irrigation water) and corn. And in Dustin’s spare time he teaches, which he can do more frequently now that there is another trusted hand on the farm with them.

“Kevin is learning a lot about agriculture and about the way we do things on our farm,” said Dustin. “There is never a shortage of jobs to do, from handling cattle to digging fence posts to welding. Kevin fits right into our farm because he is not afraid to do the hard work. He listens well, follows directions and is willing to learn.”

Dustin is very happy to be able to help Kevin and Jessica fulfill their dream of becoming farmers. It is a life Dustin loves and can understand how others would want to have the same dream. It just fits, even though Dustin sometimes cannot reach the pedals.–by Sabrina Matteson  director of rural affairs at the American Farm Bureau. 

 

You probably hear a lot about the gridlock in Washington.  People say that nothing is getting done in this town.  Yet in the House, we have acted on a number of fronts.

Since the beginning of the year, the House has passed 189 bills that were sent to the Senate for its consideration.  However, of those 189 bills, only 41 of them have been signed into law.  That means that the Senate has refused to even consider a total of 148 House-passed bills.

Many of these bills would have a great impact in improving our economic climate, getting Americans back to work, and helping you and your family save a little extra money.

For instance, the House has passed several bills to increase the availability of various domestic energy supplies, which would help lower costs for consumers and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  We also passed the SKILLS Act and similar bills to both reform as well as improve our nation’s job training programs and reduce our unemployment rate.

These are just a few of the constructive actions the House has taken since January.  But we need the Senate to act too, and it seems that the Senate leadership is by and large unwilling to work with us.

I’ll continue to support bills that make things easier for you and your family – from the cost of your health care to the price you pay at the pump.  In the meantime, I hope the Senate will begin considering some of those 148 bills to help our economy and create new jobs.
 

(AP) – A panel of federal judges has stayed a Missouri man’s execution a little more than a day before he was set to die.

Allen Nicklasson had been scheduled to be put to death at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday for killing businessman Richard Drummond in 1994.

But late Monday a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to stay the execution on Nicklasson’s claims of ineffective counsel.

A stay such as this in a death row case is not unusual and does not mean the execution ultimately will be scuttled.

A message left by The Associated Press with Nanci Gonder, a spokeswoman for Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, was not immediately returned. However, the state is expected to appeal the decision to the full appeals court.

(AP) — Congress has approved a 10-year extension of a ban on plastic firearms that can evade metal detectors and X-ray machines. But it has defeated gun-control advocates’ push for tougher restrictions.

The Senate used a voice vote Monday to renew the ban. The House did the same last week, so it now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.

Republicans blocked a proposal by New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer. He wanted to require that plastic guns have an undetachable part made of metal.

Some plastic guns follow the law by including a metal piece that can be detached.

Democrats say 3-D printers that can produce plastic guns make tighter restrictions necessary. Republicans say Schumer’s idea should be studied.

Unless Congress acted, the prohibition would have expired at midnight.

 

(AP) — Lawrence police have found a body they believe to be that of a missing 23-year-old University of Kansas student from Peru.

Gianfranco Villagomez-Saldana, an industrial design student from Lima, Peru, was last seen walking near 9th and Michigan streets in Lawrence about 2:30 a.m. Saturday. His girlfriend reported him missing Saturday.

Lawrence Police Department spokesman Trent McKinley says police found a body Monday afternoon that they believe is that of Villagomez-Saldana.

McKinley said in an emailed statement that preliminary information does not indicate foul play was involved in the death. The cause of death has not been released. McKinley says an autopsy and further investigation is planned.

 

(AP) — Lawrence police are searching for a 23-year-old University of Kansas student from Peru who hasn’t been seen since early Saturday.

Gianfranco Villagomez, an industrial design student from Lima, Peru, was last seen walking near 9th and Michigan streets in Lawrence about 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

His girlfriend, Donna Jo Harkrider, reported him missing about Saturday.

Villagomez is about 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds. He has dark brown eyes, black hair and glasses. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt with a KU Jayhawk logo on it, a long sleeve gray shirt, a black jacket, jeans and white tennis shoes.

 

AP) – Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says it is a good time for the state Board of Education to “monitor and evaluate” concerns raised about Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro.

The Kansas City Star reported newly disclosed emails show Indianapolis-based CEE-Trust was hired as a consultant tasked with developing an improvement plan for the Kansas City district and other struggling schools. The bid was nearly three times higher than the closest competitor. There also has been controversy focused on other education department emails over a ballot measure dealing with teacher tenure.

Nixon was asked about Nicastro during a news conference Monday.

The state board selects the commissioner. Board President Peter Herschend said Monday the board selected CEE-Trust after an “open and competitive bid process.” He says it was the clear choice.