Former Kansas City councilwoman injured in afternoon robbery in downtown KC
Former Kansas City Councilwoman Joanne Collins was the victim of a downtown robbery on Monday, police confirmed.
Collins, 89, was the first Black woman elected to Kansas City's City Council. She served as the 3rd District city council member.
Police were called to the area of West 12th Street and Central Street, near the Kansas City Convention Center, around 4:30 p.m. Monday for a robbery, and officers found the victim, Collins, had been injured in the incident, said Sgt. Phil DiMartino, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department.
Collins was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, he said.
'Detectives are pursuing all leads and making headway at identifying a subject,' he said. 'The investigation is ongoing.'
Collins became the first Black woman to be elected to City Council in 1974. She was re-elected to the seat four times before she stepped down in 1991. Collins also served in stints as the city's mayor pro tem and acting mayor.

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Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in New York's primaries
WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters across New York state on Tuesday will pick nominees in municipal primaries that include high-profile comeback bids in New York City by a former governor and a former congressman who both left office mired in scandal. At the top of the ballot, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo leads a crowded 11-candidate Democratic primary field for New York City mayor nearly four years after resigning from office following allegations he sexually harassed 11 women . State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has also emerged as a major contender for the nomination , winning key endorsements from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Also vying for the nomination are City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander . The winner of the Democratic mayoral primary typically is the heavy favorite for the general election in overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning New York City. This year's party nominee will face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who was elected as a Democrat but skipped Tuesday's primary to run as an independent in November. Adams was indicted in a 2024 corruption case that President Donald Trump's Justice Department later dropped . Curtis Sliwa , founder of the anti-crime patrol group the Guardian Angels, will once again be the Republican Party nominee. In the Democratic primary for New York City Council District 2, former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner is seeking to return to elected office more than a decade after multiple sexting scandals ended his congressional career, doomed his 2013 mayoral bid and resulted in a 21-month federal prison sentence . Weiner faces four other candidates, including state Assemblyman Harvey Epstein. A total of 30 City Council districts will hold contested primaries Tuesday. Also facing a primary is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg , who won a criminal conviction against Donald Trump in 2024. He faces a challenge from attorney Patrick Timmins. The New York City contests use a ranked-choice voting system in which voters may rank up to five candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest vote-getter is dropped, with that candidate's votes reallocated to voters' next-highest choices. Ranked-choice voting is used only to determine winners in contests with more than two candidates in which no one receives a majority. The process is not used in any other jurisdiction in the state. Across the state, voters will decide primaries for local offices, including a competitive contest for Buffalo mayor. In the Democratic primary, acting Mayor Christopher Scanlon seeks a full term after replacing Buffalo's longest-serving mayor, Byron Brown, who resigned in October to head an off-track betting agency. He faces a tough challenge from state Sen. Sean Ryan, who has the endorsement of the county Democratic Party. Also running are City Council member Rasheed Wyatt, former fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield Jr. and community organizer Anthony Tyson-Thompson. The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it's determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why. Under New York state election law, an automatic recount is triggered in races with more than 1 million votes if the margin of victory is fewer than 5,000 votes. For smaller races, the automatic recount is triggered if the margin of victory is either 0.5% or less, or up to 20 votes. In a ranked-choice election, if the margin between the final two candidates meets the recount threshold, then all the ballots in the election are recounted round by round. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome. Here's a look at what to expect Tuesday: Primary day New York will hold municipal primaries across the state on Tuesday. Polls close at 9 p.m. ET. What's on the ballot? The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in primaries for many of the top elected positions in New York City, including mayor, Manhattan district attorney, comptroller, public advocate and borough president of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Also covered are contested New York City Council primaries, mostly Democratic, in 30 districts and the Democratic primary for Buffalo mayor. Who gets to vote? New York has a closed primary system. Registered party members may vote only in their own party's primary. How are ranked-choice voting results reported? In New York City, initial vote results released on primary night will include preliminary tallies only of first-choice votes. These results are not final or official. As these results are reported, the AP will call winners in races in which it's clear a candidate will receive more than 50% of the vote, either in the initial count or once ranked-choice results are counted. City election officials are expected to release preliminary results a week after the primary. This involves running the ranked-choice voting process on just the ballots that have been tabulated by that time. These results will not be final or official and may continue to change as all remaining ballots are processed and tabulated. This means that it's possible, at least in theory, that the leading candidate when preliminary ranked-choice voting results are released may go on to lose the election once all the ballots have been counted and the final ranked-choice voting results are determined. The AP will call a winner based on ranked-choice voting results if it's clear another candidate cannot catch up when additional votes are counted. What do turnout and advance vote look like? As of Feb. 20, there were 5.1 million registered voters in New York City. Of those, 65% were Democrats and 11% were Republicans. About 1.1 million voters were not registered with any party. Slightly more than 1 million voters cast ballots in the 2021 New York City primaries, about 27% of eligible voters, according to the city's Campaign Finance Board. About 12% of ballots in that primary were cast before election day. How long does vote-counting usually take? In the 2024 presidential election, the AP first reported New York City results at 9:01 p.m. ET, about a minute after polls closed. New York City's election night tabulation ended for the night in Queens at 12:25 a.m. ET with about 90% of total ballots counted across the city. Are we there yet? As of Tuesday, there will be 133 days until the November general election. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of the 2025 election at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .


Black America Web
4 hours ago
- Black America Web
Black Man Found Hanging From A Tree In New York, Police Call It Suicide
Source: WISH-TV / WISH-TV On June 11, a Black man was found hanging dead from a tree in Albany, New York. While police have labeled it a suicide, locals and people identifying themselves as family members of the man are skeptical. According to the Times Union, a call was made at around 8 a.m. last Wednesday, and officers found a body hanging from a tree on Westerlo Street. Videos circulated on social media showing the body, but were quickly taken down. When a Black man is hanging from a tree, the first thought is lynching, given America's sordid history with the practice, but local police were quick to push back against that narrative 'At this time, based upon preliminary investigation, the circumstances appear to be consistent with suicide and no evidence to suggest that the incident is criminal in nature,' a statement from Albany police reads. Locals have taken to social media and TikTok to express their disbelief at how little coverage the hanging has received in the local media. There's been skepticism over it being a cut-and-dry suicide given how little information has been released about the incident. In fact, most reporting on the case has come from locals doing their own digging into what happened. While police have not released the name of the man, social media posts and a GoFundMe page seem to point to the deceased being one Earl Smith. There are few confirmed, concrete details about the case, and we don't want to get into baseless speculation, but the lack of coverage and the alleged refusal to review camera footage is a bit suspect. Committing a crime in 2025 is somewhat foolish because there are cameras all over every city. I learned this during the Jonathan Majors trial when footage was released showing the assault and chase from several different camera angles throughout the city. It shouldn't be hard to see exactly what led to this man's death. Looking at comments on TikTok's show that several Albany residents have expressed disbelief that the story hasn't received more coverage. 'I work in Albany and live in the area and haven't heard a single thing about this until now. How is nobody saying anything about it?,' wrote one commenter. America loves to espouse how racism doesn't exist anymore and that lynchings are a thing of the past, yet Sundown Towns still exist. Whether it's literally hanging or alleged extrajudicial killings by the police, lynching hasn't gone away. The attitudes that encourage this violence against Black people have only become more and more normalized. In fact, they run rampant within the current presidential administration. From the ongoing attacks on DEI, Stephen Miller's entire existence, to the Pentagon's Chief Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson making several social media posts parroting the 'Great Replacement theory,' the most dangerous and insidious ideas of white supremacy are currently influencing the laws and policy that govern the country. Hate groups have gone down in America because the ideas they espouse have gone mainstream. In recent years, there have been several suspicious hangings of Black people that police label suicide, but have left family members questioning whether or not they were lynchings. Last year, Javion Magee was found hanging from a tree in North Carolina, and his deathwas labeled a suicide by police after video footage showed him buying a utility rope in a local Walmart. His family hired a private investigator and an independent medical examiner to see if their findings match the official police report. In 2020, a video went viral showing four white men attempting to lynch Vauhxx Booker during a July 4 celebration in Lake Monroe. Charges would be filed against the men, as well as Booker himself. The charges against all involved were dropped in 2022 after Booker and the two white men also charged in the case went through a restorative justice process. While we still don't know for certain what exactly led to this man's hanging in Albany, recent events have shown it's more than understandable why residents and the alleged family members are questioning whether or not it was a lynching. SEE ALSO: What Happened To Javion Magee? Dennoriss Richardson's Wife Says 'He Didn't Kill Himself' SEE ALSO Black Man Found Hanging From A Tree In New York, Police Call It Suicide was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE


San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in New York's primaries
WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters across New York state on Tuesday will pick nominees in municipal primaries that include high-profile comeback bids in New York City by a former governor and a former congressman who both left office mired in scandal. At the top of the ballot, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo leads a crowded 11-candidate Democratic primary field for New York City mayor nearly four years after resigning from office following allegations he sexually harassed 11 women. State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has also emerged as a major contender for the nomination, winning key endorsements from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Also vying for the nomination are City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander. The winner of the Democratic mayoral primary typically is the heavy favorite for the general election in overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning New York City. This year's party nominee will face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who was elected as a Democrat but skipped Tuesday's primary to run as an independent in November. Adams was indicted in a 2024 corruption case that President Donald Trump's Justice Department later dropped. Curtis Sliwa, founder of the anti-crime patrol group the Guardian Angels, will once again be the Republican Party nominee. In the Democratic primary for New York City Council District 2, former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner is seeking to return to elected office more than a decade after multiple sexting scandals ended his congressional career, doomed his 2013 mayoral bid and resulted in a 21-month federal prison sentence. Weiner faces four other candidates, including state Assemblyman Harvey Epstein. A total of 30 City Council districts will hold contested primaries Tuesday. Also facing a primary is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who won a criminal conviction against Donald Trump in 2024. He faces a challenge from attorney Patrick Timmins. The New York City contests use a ranked-choice voting system in which voters may rank up to five candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest vote-getter is dropped, with that candidate's votes reallocated to voters' next-highest choices. Ranked-choice voting is used only to determine winners in contests with more than two candidates in which no one receives a majority. The process is not used in any other jurisdiction in the state. Across the state, voters will decide primaries for local offices, including a competitive contest for Buffalo mayor. In the Democratic primary, acting Mayor Christopher Scanlon seeks a full term after replacing Buffalo's longest-serving mayor, Byron Brown, who resigned in October to head an off-track betting agency. He faces a tough challenge from state Sen. Sean Ryan, who has the endorsement of the county Democratic Party. Also running are City Council member Rasheed Wyatt, former fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield Jr. and community organizer Anthony Tyson-Thompson. The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it's determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why. Under New York state election law, an automatic recount is triggered in races with more than 1 million votes if the margin of victory is fewer than 5,000 votes. For smaller races, the automatic recount is triggered if the margin of victory is either 0.5% or less, or up to 20 votes. In a ranked-choice election, if the margin between the final two candidates meets the recount threshold, then all the ballots in the election are recounted round by round. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome. Here's a look at what to expect Tuesday: Primary day New York will hold municipal primaries across the state on Tuesday. Polls close at 9 p.m. ET. What's on the ballot? The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in primaries for many of the top elected positions in New York City, including mayor, Manhattan district attorney, comptroller, public advocate and borough president of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Also covered are contested New York City Council primaries, mostly Democratic, in 30 districts and the Democratic primary for Buffalo mayor. Who gets to vote? New York has a closed primary system. Registered party members may vote only in their own party's primary. How are ranked-choice voting results reported? In New York City, initial vote results released on primary night will include preliminary tallies only of first-choice votes. These results are not final or official. As these results are reported, the AP will call winners in races in which it's clear a candidate will receive more than 50% of the vote, either in the initial count or once ranked-choice results are counted. City election officials are expected to release preliminary results a week after the primary. This involves running the ranked-choice voting process on just the ballots that have been tabulated by that time. These results will not be final or official and may continue to change as all remaining ballots are processed and tabulated. This means that it's possible, at least in theory, that the leading candidate when preliminary ranked-choice voting results are released may go on to lose the election once all the ballots have been counted and the final ranked-choice voting results are determined. The AP will call a winner based on ranked-choice voting results if it's clear another candidate cannot catch up when additional votes are counted. What do turnout and advance vote look like? As of Feb. 20, there were 5.1 million registered voters in New York City. Of those, 65% were Democrats and 11% were Republicans. About 1.1 million voters were not registered with any party. Slightly more than 1 million voters cast ballots in the 2021 New York City primaries, about 27% of eligible voters, according to the city's Campaign Finance Board. About 12% of ballots in that primary were cast before election day. How long does vote-counting usually take? In the 2024 presidential election, the AP first reported New York City results at 9:01 p.m. ET, about a minute after polls closed. New York City's election night tabulation ended for the night in Queens at 12:25 a.m. ET with about 90% of total ballots counted across the city. As of Tuesday, there will be 133 days until the November general election.