A sign noting the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer cards for food aid is displayed at a grocery store in California. New data shows millions of Americans have lost food stamps since the passage of a major law last year. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Tens of thousands of Americans continue to lose access to food assistance each month, even as Congress debates slowing down major cuts to federal food stamps.

New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows more than 330,000 Americans lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, between May and June, the latest numbers available. 

More than 5 million people have lost food stamps since the enactment last July of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cut taxes and federal safety net programs. The law changed SNAP eligibility rules, ended certain work requirement exemptions and shifted new costs to states that administer the federal program.

An analysis by the anti-hunger nonprofit Food Research and Action Center shows SNAP participation has decreased since the new law in every state except Alaska. State leaders there cited unique geographic and economic conditions, including higher food prices and high seasonal unemployment specific to Alaska. 

In Arizona, SNAP participation dropped by more than half since July 2025, with about 421,000 people receiving assistance this June, the center’s data shows. Louisiana’s enrollment dropped by more than 173,000 — a decrease of about 22%. Participation in Illinois dropped by more than 368,000 — a drop of about 20%.

Those numbers come as advocates pressure Congress to reverse the SNAP cuts they say will exacerbate growing hunger across the country as grocery prices continue to soar.

While nonprofits and many local, state and federal political leaders have pushed for a complete rescission of those cuts, Republicans in control of Congress have so far only signed off on delaying some of their impact.

For months, the Senate has been debating details of the farm bill, a major piece of legislation that funds SNAP, farm subsidies and rural development programs. Earlier this month, the Republican-led Senate Agriculture Committee approved on party lines a farm bill proposal that would delay for one year impending SNAP cost shifts to states. Democrats had pushed for a two-year extension.

That legislation awaits debate by the full Senate before the current legislation’s Sept. 30 expiration.

Last year’s tax and spending law requires states to cover more of SNAP’s administrative costs, and beginning in fall 2027, states for the first time will fund some benefits themselves. The new law will penalize states depending on their payment error rates — a technical calculation by the feds of SNAP overpayments and underpayments, not fraud. That change could cost states billions of dollars, raising fears about the future of the program. 

If the version of the farm bill that advanced this month is passed, states would have until October 2028 to lower their error rates before they are required to shoulder part of the costs. 

Aside from coming up with the funds, states will likely need to implement new IT and budgeting processes. Historically, SNAP benefits were not a budget line item for states because federal funds flowed directly to recipients’ benefit cards, Lauren Kallins, a senior legislative director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, told lawmakers in July. 

“There are lots of questions about how and when the cost share will be paid,” Kallins said. “Will this be in real time as benefits are issued? Will it be reconciled at a later date? We don’t know.”

Republicans, including Arkansas U.S. Sen. John Boozman who leads the agriculture committee, have argued that error rates are evidence that improvements are needed in state administration of the program.

Anti-hunger advocacy groups say the one-year delay is insufficient to protect states and people relying on SNAP.

“We urge Senators to speak out against this flawed Farm Bill and to stop it from advancing to the floor for a vote,” Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research and Action Center, said in a statement last week. “Congress must use any other legislative vehicle to reverse the SNAP cuts and address the cost shifts to states to provide meaningful assistance to both families and farmers.” 

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at [email protected]. 

This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kansas Reflector, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

TOPEKA, Kan. — A 22-year-old Topeka man is being held without bond after a woman was found dead inside a home southeast of Topeka following a reported domestic disturbance Tuesday night.

Jesse Brooks Varnon was arrested Wednesday, September 23, in connection with the woman’s death at a residence in the 3600 block of SE Shawnee Heights Road.

According to the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office, Varnon approached deputies in the parking lot of the Law Enforcement Center at 320 S. Kansas Avenue at approximately 11:52 p.m. Tuesday, September 22.

He reportedly told deputies that a disturbance had occurred at the Shawnee Heights Road residence and that a woman inside had suffered serious injuries.

Deputies find woman critically injured

Deputies immediately responded to the residence and entered the home, where they found an adult woman suffering from critical injuries.

Officers attempted lifesaving measures until emergency medical personnel arrived, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities have not publicly identified the victim or disclosed her relationship to Varnon. Investigators have also not released details about the circumstances of her injuries or what led to the reported disturbance.

Booking records reveal six allegations

Varnon was taken into custody at the Law Enforcement Center and booked into the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, September 23.

According to the booking record provided to This Is Topeka, Varnon faces the following arrest allegations under warrant number 2026-29612:

• First-degree murder in the commission of a felony.
• Aggravated burglary of a dwelling involving a felony, theft, domestic violence or a sexually motivated offense.
• Aggravated battery involving the use of a weapon causing great bodily harm, disfigurement or death.
• Domestic battery involving bodily harm to a family member or person in a dating relationship.
• Criminal damage to property valued at less than $1,000.
• Interference with law enforcement involving the concealment, alteration or destruction of evidence in a felony case.

The booking record lists no bond for all six allegations.

The first-degree murder allegation is specifically categorized as murder committed during the commission of a felony. The booking information does not identify which underlying felony prosecutors may rely upon.

The aggravated burglary and domestic battery allegations also do not establish the precise relationship between Varnon and the deceased woman.

Investigation remains ongoing

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office has not publicly disclosed a suspected motive, identified the weapon allegedly involved or explained the circumstances surrounding the evidence-tampering allegation.

As of the latest publicly available reporting Wednesday, formal criminal charges had not yet been filed.

Varnon remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

This Is Topeka will continue following the investigation as authorities release the victim’s identity and additional court information becomes available.

TOPEKA, Kan. — A Topeka cultural organization that has shared traditional Mexican dance and music with generations of local families will celebrate its 50th anniversary with two special events at Washburn University.

Ballet Folklórico de Topeka, a cultural program of Justicia Inc., will mark the milestone Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26. The anniversary celebration will include live music, bilingual storytelling and a major dance performance featuring local and visiting artists.

The weekend begins with “Corridos of the Semiquincentennial: Voices of Courage and Hope” from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday in Room 118 of the Plass Learning Resources Center on the Washburn campus.

Presented by the acclaimed Sones de México Ensemble of Chicago, the family-friendly program will use traditional Mexican corridos to tell the stories of eight national heroes.

Corridos are narrative ballads with roots dating to the 19th century. Often passed between generations through music, they preserve accounts of courage, hardship, resistance and hope from a community perspective.

Juan Díes and other members of Sones de México will narrate Friday’s program in both Spanish and English. The performance will combine live music with projected visuals, storytelling and audience participation.

The project is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts through the America 250 initiative, connecting Mexican musical traditions with the United States’ 250th anniversary.

The celebration will continue with Ballet Folklórico de Topeka’s 50th Anniversary Performance from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at White Concert Hall.

The free public performance will bring together Ballet Folklórico de Topeka, Sones de México and Topeka’s own Mariachi Habanero for an afternoon of traditional dance and music.

For Ballet Folklórico de Topeka, the anniversary represents more than the longevity of a performing group. It marks five decades of preserving cultural traditions, creating opportunities for young dancers and sharing Mexican heritage with audiences throughout the Topeka community.

Folklórico dance draws from the varied regional traditions of Mexico, using distinctive costumes, music and choreography to represent the histories and identities of different communities. The performances are known for their colorful dresses, rhythmic footwork and close relationship between movement and live music.

Through its work with Justicia Inc., Ballet Folklórico de Topeka has helped ensure those traditions remain visible and accessible in the capital city.

The anniversary celebration also gives former dancers, participating families and longtime supporters an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s influence. Over five decades, the program has introduced generations of Topekans to Mexican culture while giving young performers a way to connect with their heritage through the arts.

The inclusion of Mariachi Habanero strengthens the celebration’s local connection, while the appearance by Sones de México brings a nationally recognized ensemble to the Washburn campus.

Together, the two events will tell a larger story about how music and dance can preserve history—not simply as something remembered, but as something performed, taught and passed forward.

“Corridos of the Semiquincentennial: Voices of Courage and Hope” will be presented from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, in Room 118 of the Plass Learning Resources Center.

Ballet Folklórico de Topeka’s free 50th Anniversary Performance will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at White Concert Hall.

Both venues are located on the Washburn University campus in Topeka. Additional information is available through the official Washburn University announcement.

I enjoyed how Grecian uses the story to show how modern detective work and forensics evolved. Scotland Yard found ways to communicate among their department a lot better. Meetings were held, and teamwork was encouraged. The new head of The Yard said, “So I would like all of you to work in pairs for the foreseeable future. Not only is it safer for you men, but it’s possible that each of you brings a different perspective to the same situation.”

I enjoyed this book so much and looked forward to the second book. The comradery between the individual detectives and police officers was my favorite part. Grecian uses a lot of characters in his books. I love how even minor characters are woven into his stories. It seems like they all played a significant part.

I picked up “The Black Country” almost immediately after reading the first book. I expected a continuation of the teamwork built from the first book. However, that didn’t happen. I quickly realized Grecian is the kind of author who doesn’t like to reinvent the same thing. He took readers on a trip to coal country with only two of The Yard members.  The environment and writing just felt darker. As a horror fan, I loved it.

Grecian added four more stories to the Yard series. I enjoyed each one. While you get a great story out of each individual book in the series, I prefer to read them in order to see the continuity and character growth. My only complaint is I wish there were more. 

His other books are also excellent. One of my favorites is his 2020 standalone book “The Saint of Wolves and Butchers.” It takes place in modern day Kansas. The story features a guy who is a Nazi hunter, and a state trooper he meets along the way. The Nazi in the book was a doctor at a concentration camp and fled Germany after World War II. He moved to Kansas in the fifties, and now has his own congregation. In some ways, the doctor reminded me of a certain controversial minister who used to live in Westboro.

After reading the book, I had to look into Grecian’s work history to see if he was ever in law-enforcement. I also asked him if he had experience in the field. No, he’s just that good of a researcher!

Grecian’s most popular book “Red Rabbit” came out in 2023. As a hobby, I visit bookstores across the US and often meet fans of his. In one of my latest online bookstore video tours, the owner and I gave him a shout out. 

“Red Rabbit” is folk horror at its best!  Another horror reader said it reminded her of Stephen King’s gunslinger series. Picture the old west with witchcraft, ghost, demons, and shapeshifters. This book is very unique! If you’re looking for something different, this is the book for you. It’s a little bit True Grit as an interesting posse with strange characters hunts down a witch in a supernatural Wild West. Incidentally, Ward-Meade Park in Topeka has the red Wells Fargo wagon Grecian used for his research.

“Rose of Jericho” is a sequel to “Red Rabbit.” Some of the same characters appear in both books, but you don’t have to read them in order to enjoy them. It’s set in a creepy small town and somehow the character Death is killed and people stopped dying. 

To find out more about this latest book, you can see Alex Grecian with Chase Dearinger at a panel discussing creepy small towns moderated by Clay Wirestone at 10am during the 2026 Kansas Book Festival, held at Washburn University’s Plass Center and Library this Saturday, September 26. 

I highly recommend Grecian to those who read thrillers or horror and are looking for something different. Another way to sample him are his novellas. I recently enjoyed “The Boatman,” which is an oceanic horror with thrills and chills. It’s a slow burn but the dread slowly rows towards you!

Topeka has a lot of excellent writers. You’ll get to see some of them at the Kansas Book Festival. My favorite ones are those whose books I have reviewed or interviewed.

ByTim Carpenter-September 21, 2026 2:47 pm

 Republican U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt, seen March 12, 2026, at the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office in Topeka, refused to sign onto a procedural move to bypass House leadership and force a vote on legislation to bring transparency to the Epstein files. Democrat Don Coover, who is running against Schmidt, criticized Schmidt’s decision. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — Kansas congressional candidate Don Coover expressed frustration with U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt’s refusal to help trigger a House vote on a bill pressuring the administration of President Donald Trump to release more documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Coover, a Democrat seeking to oust Schmidt in the 2nd District of eastern Kansas, urged the Republican congressman to join more than 200 Democrats and a handful of Republicans working on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II. The bill was a response to the U.S. Department of Justice’s failure to fully comply with a 2025 law mandating disclosure of Epstein documents. Critics also accused the DOJ of heavily redacting documents to hide names of alleged Epstein associates.

Schmidt, a former Kansas attorney general, told constituents during a recent town hall that he wouldn’t sign the bipartisan “discharge petition” directing GOP House leadership to bypass normal committee procedure and bring the new Epstein bill to a vote of the House.

“Once again, Derek Schmidt decided to stand behind D.C. insiders covering up the Epstein files instead of standing with survivors of sexual abuse,” said Coover campaign spokesperson Lily Johnson. “Like many Kansans, Don Coover is disgusted with what is happening in Washington. He will be a strong voice for Epstein survivors.”

Epstein was awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors when he died in his jail cell in 2019. During the 2024 presidential election, Trump vowed to voluntarily comply with public demand for release of government documents linked to the case. Trump later broke his campaign promise to make Epstein files public, calling the inquiry a hoax perpetrated by Democrats.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, signed the 2025 discharge petition related to the initial Epstein transparency bill. No Republican member of the state’s congressional delegation joined her. Under political pressure, Trump reversed course to endorse that bill. In the House, the measure passed 427-1. It received unanimous backing from the Senate. Trump signed the legislation in November 2025.

The New York Times reported the president’s name appeared in the government’s Epstein files at least 38,000 times.

On Thursday, House sponsors of a discharge petition attached to the second piece of Epstein disclosure legislation said they secured the minimum 218 signatures to bring about a vote. The follow-up Epstein legislation likely wouldn’t reach the House floor until after the Nov. 3 election.

Schmidt’s congressional office didn’t respond to telephone and email requests for comment about the Epstein files, but he said during the town hall that he objected to the petition process because it was often driven by lawmakers intent on making Congress appear dysfunctional.

“I have not yet signed a discharge petition on any subject since I’ve been in Congress,” said Schmidt, who was elected in 2024. “I prefer to work with the leadership to get items scheduled on the floor. This has the potential to sound glib and I don’t mean it to, but there’s a lot of politics around this place.”

“On lots of issues,” he added, “what happens is folks join up and try to run over the leadership. Not only because they care about an issue, but because they want to render the place nonfunctional. They want to basically hijack the ability of the (House) speaker and the leadership to control the floor schedule and to do that, usually, for political reasons.”

Schmidt committed to voting on merits of legislation regardless of how it got to the House floor.

In terms of the latest Epstein disclosure bill, Schmidt said during the town hall that “I’d probably vote for it.”

Schmidt said his preference would be for the Justice Department and Attorney General Todd Blanche to meet obligations under the 2025 Epstein law. So far, the DOJ says about half of 6 million pages of documents have been released.

Blanche has been accused by Epstein victims of undermining DOJ transparency. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan threatened Blanche with civil contempt if DOJ failed to meet court deadlines. While Blanche defended the DOJ, the state of New Mexico sued after the agency refused to release information relevant to a probe of alleged sex crimes at Epstein’s ranch.

“I’m not sure we have to have another law,” Schmidt said. “What we have to have is DOJ follow the one we’ve got. Don’t make us pass another law. Just release what you’ve got. I think it would be potentially quicker and maybe fruitful. I’m happy to be part of those efforts.”

Kansas City gets the first show of Teddy Swims’ new North American arena tour tonight, and there may still be time to grab a seat without paying arena-headliner prices.

Swims takes the stage at T-Mobile Center on Tuesday, September 22, with tickets advertised on resale marketplaces for around $50—and some listings showing even lower starting prices. Those prices can change quickly, and fees may be added at checkout, but they give last-minute concertgoers a reason to take another look.

The Kansas City performance is more than another stop on the schedule: it marks the opening night of Swims’ North American arena run. For fans who have watched the singer’s rise from online covers to sold-out crowds and major stages, tonight offers a chance to see the next chapter begin close to home.

From online covers to an arena stage

Swims built an audience with performances that put his powerful, soulful voice front and center. His sound draws from soul, R&B, pop and country, giving him an appeal that reaches well beyond any single genre.

His breakthrough hit, “Lose Control,” introduced that voice to an even wider audience. Tonight, Kansas City fans will hear him at the start of a tour designed for arenas—a considerable leap from the intimate settings where many listeners first discovered him.

What time does Teddy Swims perform?

T-Mobile Center has published the following schedule for tonight’s show:

Fans planning to see the opening acts should arrive well before Swims’ scheduled set. As with any live performance, set times are subject to change.

Can you still get tickets for $50?

As of this morning, ticket marketplaces were advertising entry-level seats in roughly the $40–$50 range. That is a starting listing price, not a promise that every available seat costs $50 or that the final price will be $50 after fees. Availability and prices may change throughout the day.

Concertgoers can compare options through the official AXS ticket page  or check SeatGeek’s Teddy Swims listings . Be sure to select tonight’s Kansas City performance and review the full checkout total before purchasing.

For music fans in Topeka, Lawrence and Manhattan willing to make the drive, tonight presents an unusual combination: a major artist, the first night of a new arena tour and last-minute tickets advertised at a comparatively accessible starting price.

The show is tonight, Tuesday, September 22, at T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City. Doors open at 6 p.m., with Teddy Swims scheduled to perform at 9:10 p.m.

TOPEKA, Kan. — A 39-year-old man was booked into the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center Monday afternoon on multiple felony allegations involving domestic violence, vehicle theft and fleeing law enforcement, the same day a domestic-violence investigation led to a police pursuit in southwest Topeka.

According to Shawnee County booking records, Justin Kristopher Boston was booked at 3:25 p.m. Monday, September 21, under booking number 2026-00006579.

The booking lists allegations of aggravated domestic battery involving choking, domestic battery, felony vehicle theft, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, and aggravated battery involving a deadly weapon.

Boston was also booked on allegations of failing to stop at an accident, several traffic violations and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.

Domestic-violence call leads to police pursuit

Earlier Monday, Topeka Police responded to a domestic-violence call at approximately 7 a.m.

According to the department’s watch commander, a pursuit connected to the investigation subsequently developed and ended in the 2000 block of SW McAlister Avenue, where officers arrested a suspect.

Police did not initially release the suspect’s identity or explain the circumstances leading to the pursuit.

Boston’s booking later that afternoon includes allegations consistent with a domestic-violence investigation involving a stolen vehicle and an attempt to flee law enforcement.

However, the available police report and booking record have not yet been independently linked through a confirmed incident number or an official identification of the pursuit suspect.

Booking includes multiple felony allegations

Boston’s booking lists the following allegations under warrant number 2026-77751:

• Aggravated domestic battery involving choking.
• Domestic battery involving physical contact with a family member or dating partner.
• Motor vehicle theft involving property valued between $1,500 and $25,000.
• Felony fleeing or attempting to elude a law-enforcement officer.
• Aggravated battery involving a deadly weapon and great bodily harm, disfigurement or death.
• Failure to stop at an accident and multiple traffic violations.

The booking also lists a separate Shawnee County case, 26CR1767, involving felony fleeing, theft, reckless driving and additional traffic allegations.

A $50,000 bond is listed in connection with that case.

Additional entries include a $7,500 bond associated with an Osage County hold and a no-bond parole-violation hold for the Kansas Department of Corrections.

The booking record does not establish whether the separate case numbers involve the same incident or unrelated matters.

Investigation continues

The circumstances of the domestic-violence incident, the identity and condition of any injured parties, and the events leading to the police pursuit have not been fully disclosed.

The booking allegations are not convictions, and Boston is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

This Is Topeka will continue following the investigation and provide updates as additional police and court records become available.

TOPEKA, Kan. — A sweeping two-day law enforcement operation in Riley and Geary counties resulted in 19 arrests, including two Topeka residents and two people identified as Fort Riley residents, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

The operation, conducted September 17 and 18 and announced Monday, September 21, targeted individuals suspected of attempting to arrange sexual encounters with children, as well as people allegedly buying or selling sexual services.

The KBI coordinated the operation with the Riley County Police Department, Geary County Sheriff’s Office and Junction City Police Department. The FBI, Kansas Highway Patrol and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division were among the agencies providing assistance.

Topeka man arrested on child-sex solicitation and trafficking allegations

Ezton Orozco-Agustin, 30, of Topeka, was among 10 named individuals arrested on allegations of electronic solicitation of a child and attempted aggravated human trafficking.

Orozco-Agustin was booked into the Riley County Jail following the undercover operation.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific communications or circumstances underlying his arrest. The KBI’s September 21 announcement stated that formal charges were pending.

The alleged offenses are substantially different from the prostitution-related allegations involving several other individuals arrested during the operation.

The KBI confirmed that no actual children were victimized during the undercover investigation.

Second Topeka resident arrested; earlier booking shows similar allegation

Holly J. Goss, 47, of Topeka, was arrested during the same operation on an allegation of selling sexual relations.

Goss was booked into the Geary County Jail. The KBI reported that formal charges were pending at the time of its announcement.

A review of an earlier Topeka booking record provided to This Is Topeka shows that a woman identified as Holly Jo Goss, with a matching reported age, was previously booked into the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center on March 10, 2026.

That earlier booking listed allegations involving possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, marijuana possession and an offense described as “Prostitution: Sodomy.”

The March record listed her booking time as 6 p.m. and indicated that no bond had been set.

The earlier booking is relevant because it documents a previous prostitution-related arrest allegation involving a person with the same name and age as the Topeka woman identified in the September operation.

However, the March booking record does not establish whether those allegations resulted in formal charges or a conviction. It also does not establish that the March incident was connected to the September investigation.

Goss’s September arrest was reported as an allegation of selling sexual relations, not child-sex solicitation or attempted aggravated human trafficking.

Two Fort Riley residents among those arrested

Two individuals identified by the KBI as Fort Riley residents were also arrested during the operation.

Fort Riley

Milton A. Guerrero-Vargas, 23

Guerrero-Vargas was arrested on allegations of buying sexual relations and unlawful use of a communications facility.

Fort Riley

Zia R. Segule, 40

Segule was arrested on the same categories of allegations involving buying sexual relations and unlawful use of a communications facility.

Both were booked into the Geary County Jail.

The KBI identified the men as Fort Riley residents but did not specify whether either individual is an active-duty soldier, military contractor, civilian employee or military dependent.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division assisted in the broader operation, but authorities have not publicly established whether its involvement was specifically connected to either Fort Riley resident.

Full list of individuals arrested

The KBI identified the following individuals in its September 21 announcement. The allegations listed below reflect the agency’s initial arrest information, not findings of guilt.

Child-sex solicitation and attempted trafficking allegations

Ten named individuals were arrested on allegations of electronic solicitation of a child and attempted aggravated human trafficking and booked into the Riley County Jail.

An additional 29-year-old man from Lincoln, Nebraska, was arrested and is expected to face federal charges. Authorities did not release his name in the initial announcement.

Buying sexual relations and communications-facility allegations

Seven individuals were arrested on these allegations and booked into the Geary County Jail.

Holly J. Goss, 47, of Topeka, was separately arrested on an allegation of selling sexual relations and booked into the Geary County Jail.

Three potential trafficking victims offered assistance

Beyond the arrests, investigators reported identifying three potential sex-trafficking victims who were offered victim-advocacy services.

Authorities also reported seizing narcotics in quantities described as consistent with personal use.

The KBI emphasized that no actual children were victimized during the undercover operation.

The investigation remains ongoing. Although the operation involved allegations of attempted aggravated human trafficking, the agency’s announcement does not establish that every person arrested was involved in trafficking or that all 19 arrests involved children.

What happens next?

The next stage of the investigation will involve prosecutors reviewing the evidence and determining which formal criminal charges to file.

The initial KBI announcement stated that formal charges were pending. A subsequent September 21 report from the Lawrence Journal-World indicated that Scott Bradley Hamill of Lawrence had been charged with three felonies, including electronic solicitation, attempted aggravated human trafficking and attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

Court proceedings will determine the outcome of each individual case.

All individuals arrested are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This Is Topeka will continue following the cases involving Topeka-area residents and any additional developments concerning the Fort Riley arrests.

TOPEKA, KANSAS — LOCAL DINING & COMMUNITY

There are restaurants you visit because they’re convenient. There are restaurants you visit because someone told you they were good. And then there are restaurants you keep trying to get into because you already know exactly what you’re missing.

Olive Cafe, now located near 17th and Fairlawn in Topeka, falls squarely into that third category.

We first discovered Olive Cafe back when it was downtown. And ever since its reopening, we’ve been trying to make our way back.

The problem? Every time we tried, the place was packed.

And, of course, we know why.

The food.

It’s always been about the food.

A restaurant worth waiting for

Some restaurants spend a fortune trying to convince you that they’re worth visiting. Others simply open their doors, turn on the kitchen lights, and let the food do the talking.

Olive Cafe has always struck us as the latter.

There’s something particularly satisfying about returning to a restaurant you enjoyed years ago and finding that the reason you loved it in the first place hasn’t changed.

A new location might bring new surroundings, a different dining room, and a fresh chapter in the restaurant’s history. But what brings people through the door, and keeps them coming back, is what happens in the kitchen.

For Olive Cafe, that’s the heart of the story.

We can talk about the crowds, the excitement surrounding the reopening, and how difficult it has been to find a time to stop in. But none of that matters quite as much as the experience of sitting down to a meal you have been looking forward to for months.

And when a restaurant has people willing to keep trying until they can get a table, that’s a pretty good indication that it’s doing something right.

And then there’s Tony

As much as we enjoy talking about great food, there’s another reason Olive Cafe deserves a little attention.

His name is Tony.

Tony owns Olive Cafe. He also owns Tony’s gas station on Sixth Street.

And if you want to understand what kind of person Tony is, consider this: he finds the idea of charging people for drinking water morally repugnant.

Not inconvenient. Not bad for business.

Morally repugnant.

Think about that for a moment.

In a world where practically everything has a price tag, where a bottle of water can become another opportunity to squeeze a few dollars out of somebody, Tony sees something fundamentally different.

Water is a basic human necessity. And to Tony, apparently, that means something.

But that’s not the only example.

At his gas station on Sixth Street, Tony also keeps Narcan available for his customers.

Narcan is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. It can save someone’s life.

And Tony makes sure it’s there.

Not because a gas station is a hospital. Not because he’s required to solve every problem in the community. But because he recognizes that sometimes the difference between life and death is simply having the right thing available when somebody needs it.

There’s something profoundly decent about that.

You don’t have to know the person who might need help. You don’t have to agree with every decision they’ve ever made. You don’t even have to understand how they ended up in that situation.

You just have to recognize that their life matters.

Tony gets that.

There are those who talk a big game, and there are those who just do it

I want to take a moment here to acknowledge someone else.

Mark Melton, from Dallas, Texas.

Since meeting Mark and his wife, I’ve found myself thinking about a particular distinction between the people who spend their time talking about making a difference and the people who simply get up every morning and make one.

As Mark put it:

There are those who talk a big game, and there are those who just do it.

It’s a simple observation, but one that has stayed with me.

And the more I think about it, the more I realize that recognizing those same qualities in the people around us is a pretty good place to start.

We have plenty of people in Topeka who work quietly, without fanfare, to make this a better place to live.

They don’t necessarily have foundations named after them. They don’t hold press conferences every time they help someone. They don’t need a camera crew following them around while they do something decent.

They just do it.

They open their businesses. They employ their neighbors. They feed people. They look out for someone who might be having the worst day of their life.

And sometimes, they make sure a person can get a glass of water without reaching for their wallet.

That’s the kind of thing that deserves recognition.

Good food brings us together. Good people make us a community.

There’s a reason we love writing about locally owned restaurants.

Yes, we love the food. We love finding a great meal, discovering a new favorite, and sharing those experiences with our readers.

But local restaurants are also part of the fabric of a city.

They’re where families gather, where friends catch up, where business gets discussed over lunch, and where the people behind the counter become familiar faces.

When you support a locally owned restaurant, you’re supporting the people who have invested their time, their money, and a substantial part of their lives into making something work right here in Topeka.

And every once in a while, you discover that the person behind that restaurant is doing a whole lot more for the community than simply serving a good meal.

That’s worth talking about, too.

Olive Cafe is the kind of place we keep coming back to because of the food.

Tony is the kind of person we’re glad to have in Topeka because of everything else.

And maybe that’s the point.

We spend an awful lot of time talking about what our city needs, what it could become, and who ought to be doing something about it.

Meanwhile, there are people like Tony who are already doing their part.

So here’s to Olive Cafe. Here’s to a restaurant that keeps people coming back. And here’s to Tony, who reminds us that being a great Topekan doesn’t necessarily require grand gestures.

Sometimes it just requires a good meal, a glass of water, and the willingness to look out for your neighbors.

Tony is the man. And Topeka is a better place for having people like him in it.

 U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall prepares to speak to a group of Kansas business leaders on Aug. 27, 2026, in Olathe. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall established deeper roots than previously disclosed in Sarasota, Florida, where he had a vacation home that he traveled to on official business and said he used for visiting family.

Marshall and his wife put down roots in Sarasota, hosting fundraising events, obtaining real estate and fishing licenses and filing paperwork from the coastal Florida town while the senator worked in Washington, D.C., and claimed Kansas as home. 

The Republican senator’s residence has been fodder for campaign attacks as he faces a midterm election against the Rev. Adam Hamilton, a Kansas City-area United Methodist pastor, who Marshall has pointed out owns four homes.

Marshall has faced persistent scrutiny throughout his time in the Congress for his transience in Kansas. Public records show his wife has held a Florida real estate license for half of her husband’s Senate term and has another license application pending. Records also show Roger Marshall has held fishing licenses in Florida since 2019 and used a P.O. Box in Kansas as his primary personal mailing address.

He appeared Saturday alongside Hamilton at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson in the first senatorial debate of the season, where he addressed his residency.

“My home is a short hour’s drive down a gravel road here,” Marshall said.

The crowd groaned, laughed and jeered.

The St. John home is a three-bedroom house that sits on more than 300 acres, surrounded by ponds, he said. Others have described it as a hunting cabin.

He sold the Great Bend home where he said he and his wife raised their kids within days of being sworn into the U.S. Senate in 2021. He previously had a rental property in Santa Cruz, California, which he sold in 2019 for between $1 million and $5 million, according to U.S. House financial disclosures. 

The Marshalls bought the Sarasota vacation home for $1.2 million in 2019. Since then, Roger Marshall held active fishing licenses in Florida until May, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission records.

His wife, Laina Marshall, held a Florida real estate license from 2021 to 2023 and currently has an application for another pending, according to records from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Her main address is listed on the application as the Marshalls’ Florida home. It is unclear whether she brokered any real estate transactions.

When the Marshalls sold their Great Bend home, the deed was notarized in Sarasota on Jan. 13, 2021, while Congress was on a weeklong break.

The family appears to own more valuable assets in Florida than Kansas, paying roughly five times as much in property taxes in the Sunshine state than the Sunflower state during Marshall’s time in the U.S. Senate, according to county property records in both states.

Marshall has claimed the rural Stafford County house as his home base for years, while voting records show his ballot is mailed to a P.O. Box that is also used as his official campaign committee mailing address. He also used his old Great Bend address on candidate filings until Sept. 11, when he changed it to the Stafford County address, according to Federal Election Commission records.

After initially acknowledging Kansas Reflector’s detailed list of questions, a spokesperson for Marshall’s campaign did not respond to questions about Marshall’s primary residence, personal travel to Florida and his wife’s real estate dealings.

“I only wish I had a home in Florida,” Marshall told reporters in August, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

He told the state fair crowd Saturday: “You’ll be glad to know it was struck by two hurricanes and has been uninhabitable for two years.”

The home is mostly rebuilt and on the market for $1.45 million, according to a real estate listing.

He said he used the home to visit his grandchildren, who live in the area.

“I don’t think anybody in Kansas would hold it against somebody for wanting to go visit their grandchildren,” Marshall said.

Members of the crowd heckled Marshall throughout his explanation, and a chant swelled from the bleachers.

“You don’t live here,” the crowd shouted like they were in a basketball arena.

Hamilton encouraged Marshall to “spend all the time you can in Florida with your grandkids,”

Even after the hurricanes’ destruction, Marshall’s ties have remained in Sarasota. He hosted a “Sarasota retreat” fundraiser in conjunction with his own political action committees and the Kansas Republican Party in 2024 and 2025. Politico in 2025 published the invitation to the second annual retreat at the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort. 

Janette and Stan Gray, a couple from Paola who own an internet company that serves rural areas of Kansas and Missouri, said Marshall’s time in Florida won’t factor into their vote for him in November.

“Come wintertime, anybody that’s smart and has the money heads south,” said Stan Gray, 61.

Janette Gray, 54, said she would “probably do the same” as Marshall.

The couple attended a campaign rally Monday in Olathe, where Vice President JD Vance and half of Kansas’ congressional delegation stumped for Marshall.

Stan Gray said it has remained apparent that Marshall is from Kansas.

“He still is from here,” he said. “You don’t leave Kansas. You just spend some time away from the cold.”

Reporting by the Kansas City Star revealed Marshall took official trips from Washington, D.C., to Sarasota, spending more than $18,000 in taxpayer funds from 2021 to 2024. The trips reportedly stopped after a hurricane destroyed the area. It is unlawful for a senator to use taxpayer money for personal travel.

Marshall has criticized Hamilton for owning four homes. Hamilton is registered to vote in Stilwell, where he said he and his wife live. He also owns a lakefront vacation property in the Missouri Ozarks and two additional houses, which he said he bought for his adult daughters, in Lawrence and Kansas City. The Hamiltons’ trust has owned the Climax Springs home since 2012, according to Camden County property records.

Tyson Brody, a spokesperson for Hamilton’s campaign said Marshall’s ties to Florida “are more evidence Marshall abandoned Kansas, doesn’t care, and simply isn’t doing his job.”

“Kansans have taken note of his absence and deserve to know what exactly the ‘official business’ was that cost them $20,000 for routine trips to his home in Florida,” he said.