CONCORDIA VOL. CXIV BNO. 147 (USPS 127-880)LADE CONCORDIA,-E KANSASMPIRE 66901 Tuesday & Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2019 & Jan. 1, 2020 Good Evening Concordia Forecast Tonight, clear with a low around 24. Southwest wind 5-10 mph. New Year’s Day, sunny with a high near 48. Southwest wind 10-15 mph with gusts as high as 25 mph. Wednesday night, partly cloudy with a low around 29. Southwest wind 5-10 mph. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a 20 per- Revelers cent chance of rain after noon. High near 44. Light and variable wind becoming north 5-10 mph. Thursday night, mostly cloudy with a 20 worldwide percent chance of rain and snow. Low around 28. Friday, partly sunny and breezy with a high near 38. usher in Friday night, partly cloudy with a low around 23. Saturday, sunny with a high near 42. new decade Across Kansas Cheers, tears, prayers for 2020: A new Missing girl, 15, rescued decade is ushered in Revelers around the globe are bidding farewell to a decade that will be remembered during traffic stop for the rise of social media, the Arab Spring, GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities the #MeToo movement and, of course, Presi- have rescued a missing 15-year-old girl dent Donald Trump. during a traffic stop in western Kansas. A look at how the world is ushering in Garden City Police Department Sgt. 2020: ___ Lana Urteaga said in a news release that HONG KONG officers pulled over a vehicle at around 3 Revelers as well as pro-democracy pro- a.m. Sunday. Investigators determined testers flocked to sites across Hong Kong to that the teen in the passenger seat had Over the edge usher in 2020. been taken Dec. 23 and held against her Snow that has yet to melt away hangs over the edge of a retaining wall on Republican Street. The semi-autonomous Chinese city has will, The Wichita Eagle reports. (Blade photo by Jay Lowell) toned down New Year's celebrations amid the A suspect has been booked into the monthslong demonstrations. The protests Finney County Jail on suspicion of aggra- have repeatedly sparked pitched battles with vated kidnapping and aggravated robbery. police and have taken their toll on Hong Militiamen, supporters breach Kong's nightlife and travel industries. TV meteorologist A fireworks display that traditionally lights up famed Victoria Harbor was can- to seek Senate seat U.S. embassy in Baghdad celed amid safety concerns, while some roads were closed and barriers set up in the SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — A former Lan Kwai Fong nightlife district to control BAGHDAD (AP) — Angered by deadly the Embassy, and so notified!" he tweeted Kansas City area TV meteorologist has crowds. airstrikes targeting an Iran-backed militia, from his estate in Palm Beach, Florida. announced plans to seek a Kansas Senate ___ dozens of Iraqi Shiite militiamen and their By early evening, the protesters had seat being vacated by the retirement of one RUSSIA supporters broke into the U.S. Embassy retreated from the embassy compound but- of the Legislature's most conservative Russians began the world's longest con- compound in Baghdad on Tuesday, smash- set up several tents outside where they said members. tinuous New Year's Eve with fireworks and a ing a main door and setting fire to a recep- they intended to stage a sit-in. Dozens of Mike Thompson, who served as chief message from President Vladimir Putin urg- tion area in one of the worst attacks on the yellow flags belonging to Iran-backed Shiite meteorologist for WDAF until he retired ing them to work together in the coming year. embassy in recent memory. militias fluttered atop the reception area last year, announced Monday that he is Putin made the call in a short speech American guards fired tear gas, and palls and were plastered along the embassy's seeking the District 10 seat being vacated broadcast on television just before the stroke of smoke rose over the embassy grounds. concrete wall along with anti-U.S. graffiti. in mid-January by Republican Mary Pilch- of midnight in each of Russia's 11 time An Associated Press reporter at the scene American Apache helicopters flew overhead er-Cook. She announced Friday that she is zones. The recorded message was followed saw flames rising from inside the com- and dropped flares over the area. resigning. by an image of the Kremlin Clock and the pound and at least three U.S. soldiers on Trump, who is spending the holiday Thompson, of Shawnee, said he plans to sound of its chimes. State TV showed footage the roof of the main embassy building. A week at his Florida home, is in "close touch" seek the appointment to fill the remainder of extensive festive fireworks in cities of the man on a loudspeaker urged the mob not to and receiving regular updates from his of Pilcher-Cook's term and then run in the Far East. enter the compound, saying: "The message national security team, said White House primary for a chance at a full four years in But one holiday tradition was missing in was delivered." press secretary Stephanie Grisham. She November 2020, The Kansas City Star Moscow this year ‚Äî a picturesque layer of There were no reports of casualties. The echoed the sentiment contained in Trump's reports. snow. The Russian capital has had an State Department said all American person- tweet earlier Tuesday. In his campaign announcement, unusually warm December and tempera- nel were safe, and there were no plans to "As the president said, Iran is orchestrat- Thompson described himself as a "pro-life, tures in central Moscow as midnight evacuate the embassy. ing this attack, and they will be held fully committed conservative, who will uphold approached were just above freezing. The breach followed U.S. airstrikes on responsible," Grisham said in an emailed the core Republican principles of limited ___ Sunday that killed 25 fighters of the Iran- statement. "It will be the president's choice government, individual liberty, free enter- AUSTRALIA backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbol- how and when we respond to their escala- More than a million people descended on prise and traditional values." lah. The U.S. military said the strikes were tion." a hazy Sydney Harbour and surrounding Earlier this year, two other candidates in retaliation for last week's killing of an The developments also represent a major areas ahead of the ringing in of the new year — Republican state Rep. Tom Cox and American contractor in a rocket attack on downturn in Iraq-U.S. relations that could despite the ongoing wildfire crisis ravaging Shawnee City Councilwoman Lindsey an Iraqi military base that the U.S. blamed further undermine U.S. influence in the New South Wales, Australia's most populous Constance, a Democrat — said they are on the militia. region and American troops in Iraq, and state. running for the seat. President Donald Trump blamed Iran for also weaken Washington's hand in its pres- The 9 p.m. fireworks over Sydney's iconic Deputy fatally shoots the embassy breach and called on Iraq to sure campaign against Iran. landmarks was briefly delayed due to strong protect the diplomatic mission. Iraq has long struggled to balance its ties winds, but revelers clearly enjoyed them- "Iran killed an American contractor, with the U.S. and Iran, both allies of the selves in a desperately needed tonic for the woman during chase wounding many. We strongly responded, Iraqi government. But the government's state. and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating angry reaction to the U.S. airstrikes and its New South Wales has copped the brunt of WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They apparent decision not to prevent the pro- the wildfire damage, which has razed more County Sheriff's deputy fatally shot a will be held fully responsible. In addition, testers from reaching the embassy signaled than 1,000 homes nationwide and killed 12 woman who tried to run down deputies we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect a sharp deterioration of U.S.-Iraq relations. people in the past few months. with a car during a police chase, according to authorities. Sedgwick County Sheriff's Col. Brian Chief: Officer faked story of expletive on coffee cup White said a woman in her 50s died after being shot Monday after a chase that JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — had been with the department the cup with the expletive writ- He didn't immediately return ended in southeast Wichita. A Kansas police officer has about two months after spend- ten on it as he stopped there on an email message Monday from Wichita police had tried to stop the resigned after he admitted to ing approximately five years in his way to work. The Associated Press. woman for traffic violations but she fled, making up a story that a the Army. Dana Cook, the owner of the But he told WIBW-TV that White said. A deputy later spotted the car McDonald's employee wrote an The police chief also McDonald's, said in a written his reaction after the initial and began a pursuit that went into Butler expletive and the word "pig" on "applauded" McDonald's for statement that the restaurant report was based on believing County before returning to Sedgwick a coffee cup, the police chief conducting its own investiga- has security video that proves that a police officer has integri- County, where deputies managed to stop announced Monday.