SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident that occurred just before 4p.m. Sunday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported an unknown vehicle was southbound on Niles Road and struck a 2007 Ford Edge driven by Tina Marie Karber, 20,&nbsp; Gypsum, who was eastbound on Farrelly Road.&nbsp; &nbsp;The unknown vehicle then left the scene, according to the KHP.

EMS transported&nbsp; Karber and a passenger&nbsp; Shelbie Arlene Thummel, 28, Salina, to the hospital in Salina.

The occupants of the Ford were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident that occurred just before 4p.m. Sunday in Saline County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported an unknown vehicle was southbound on Niles Road and struck a 2007 Ford Edge driven by Tina Marie Karber, 20,&nbsp; Gypsum, who was eastbound on Farrelly Road.&nbsp; &nbsp;The unknown vehicle then left the scene, according to the KHP.EMS transported&nbsp; Karber and a passenger&nbsp; Shelbie Arlene Thummel, 28, Salina, to the hospital in Salina.The occupants of the Ford were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

KHP: 2 Kan. women hospitalized; one car fled crash scene

OSKALOOSA, KAN. (AP) —&nbsp;A Kansas man has been sentenced to one year in jail for a fatal December 2017 crash.

The Jefferson County Attorney's Office announced Thursday that Henry Clay Carey Jr., 39, Topeka, also will serve one year of probation after he is released from jail.

Jurors found Carey guilty previously of vehicular homicide, driving while suspended and having no proof of insurance in the crash that killed Thomas Prescott, also of Topeka.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581080579395.png" alt="Carey photo Jefferson County" />
 <figcaption>Carey photo Jefferson County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSKALOOSA, KAN. (AP) —&nbsp;A Kansas man has been sentenced to one year in jail for a fatal December 2017 crash.The Jefferson County Attorney's Office announced Thursday that Henry Clay Carey Jr., 39, Topeka, also will serve one year of probation after he is released from jail.Jurors found Carey guilty previously of vehicular homicide, driving while suspended and having no proof of insurance in the crash that killed Thomas Prescott, also of Topeka.

Kansas man sentenced to jail for deadly 2017 crash

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A conservative legislator in Kansas is pursuing a proposal to prevent transgender high school and middle school students from playing on sports teams aligned with their gender identities, and LGBTQ rights advocates are trying to kill it even before he can formally introduce it.

Equality Kansas, the state’s leading LGBTQ rights group, had a Statehouse news conference Thursday to denounce the proposal from Republican Rep. Michael Capps, of Wichita. The group’s executive director was joined by the state’s two openly LGBTQ legislators, Democratic Reps. Brandon Woodard and Susan Ruiz, both from the Kansas City area.

The group released&nbsp;<a href="https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/150861-trans-bill.html" target="_blank">a draft copy</a>&nbsp;of the measure, and Capps confirmed to reporters that it was his proposal, through he said it’s still not final. The measure would require the Kansas State High School Activities Association to limit students in “gender-specific” sports to teams associated with their “gender at birth.” It would prohibit a “biological” boy from participating in a sport “conducted exclusively” for girls and vice-versa.

Woodard called the bill “repugnant,” and Ruiz decried it as “bullying” of LGBTQ students. Tom Witt, Equality Kansas’ executive director, said Capps and any potential cosponsors are “picking on little kids” and called on Capps to withdraw his proposal so that it’s never introduced.

“Bills like this are why young LGBTQ kids die by suicide,” Woodard said.

Legislators in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4d024be0cd898b35fafe7003c4cb62c8">at least seven other states</a>&nbsp;are pursuing similar measures, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. In Kansas, the activities association oversees activities in 355 member high schools and 408 middle or junior high schools, most of them public. For about 10 years, it has had&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/Public/PDF/TransgenderPolicyRecommendations.pdf" target="_blank">a policy</a>&nbsp;under which schools can allow transgender students to be on teams associated with their gender identities.

Capps told reporters that his goal is “athletic protection for girls.”

“A biological girl wants to be able to be in a competitive sport with other biological girls,” Capps said. “It’s fairness in competition. Biological girls do not want to be playing against biological boys.”

He added: “There’s nothing in the language that’s designed to be harmful to the LGBTQ community.”

Bill Faflick, the association’s executive director, said it receives a notification required by the policy of “a handful” transgender students each year playing sports. He said he couldn’t comment on the legislation because he hasn’t seen it.

“Every (local school) district handles this in a way that suits their community,” Witt said. “Schools are run by adults who care for for the kids who are in their charge, who aren’t trying to make examples of them, who aren’t trying to attack them.”

Witt and the two Democratic lawmakers argued that instead of pursuing Capps’ proposal, the Republican-controlled Legislature should expand the state’s anti-discrimination law to prohibit anti-LGBTQ bias in employment, housing and public accommodations. Witt’s group also has proposed legislation to ban the use of “conversion therapy” on minors.

And, in criticizing the bill as targeting kids, Witt also issued a separate statement that Capps “already has a reputation of inappropriate behavior with children.”

Capps won his seat in 2018 despite calls from fellow Republicans to end his campaign over a woman’s allegations that he allowed two of her foster children to sit in his lap and rub his chest in 2017. A state Department of Children and Families report obtained by The Associated Press, showed that the agency “affirmed” a finding of “emotional abuse” by Capps and said there were “concerns about Mike’s boundaries.”

But Capps vigorously denied the allegations, and the agency’s finding was reversed on appeal by an administrative hearing officer because the department did not “file a proper agency summary.” Capps was not prosecuted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581286180975.png" alt="image courtesy KSHSAA" />
 <figcaption>image courtesy KSHSAA</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A conservative legislator in Kansas is pursuing a proposal to prevent transgender high school and middle school students from playing on sports teams aligned with their gender identities, and LGBTQ rights advocates are trying to kill it even before he can formally introduce it.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">And here&#39;s our response to Rep <a href="https://twitter.com/_michaelcapps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_michaelcapps</a> bill. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/OAXWurG3lB">pic.twitter.com/OAXWurG3lB</a>&mdash; Equality Kansas (@KansasEquality) <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasEquality/status/1225529122744676353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Equality Kansas, the state’s leading LGBTQ rights group, had a Statehouse news conference Thursday to denounce the proposal from Republican Rep. Michael Capps, of Wichita. The group’s executive director was joined by the state’s two openly LGBTQ legislators, Democratic Reps. Brandon Woodard and Susan Ruiz, both from the Kansas City area.The group released&nbsp;<a href="https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/150861-trans-bill.html" target="_blank">a draft copy</a>&nbsp;of the measure, and Capps confirmed to reporters that it was his proposal, through he said it’s still not final. The measure would require the Kansas State High School Activities Association to limit students in “gender-specific” sports to teams associated with their “gender at birth.” It would prohibit a “biological” boy from participating in a sport “conducted exclusively” for girls and vice-versa.Woodard called the bill “repugnant,” and Ruiz decried it as “bullying” of LGBTQ students. Tom Witt, Equality Kansas’ executive director, said Capps and any potential cosponsors are “picking on little kids” and called on Capps to withdraw his proposal so that it’s never introduced.“Bills like this are why young LGBTQ kids die by suicide,” Woodard said.Legislators in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4d024be0cd898b35fafe7003c4cb62c8">at least seven other states</a>&nbsp;are pursuing similar measures, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. In Kansas, the activities association oversees activities in 355 member high schools and 408 middle or junior high schools, most of them public. For about 10 years, it has had&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/Public/PDF/TransgenderPolicyRecommendations.pdf" target="_blank">a policy</a>&nbsp;under which schools can allow transgender students to be on teams associated with their gender identities.Capps told reporters that his goal is “athletic protection for girls.”“A biological girl wants to be able to be in a competitive sport with other biological girls,” Capps said. “It’s fairness in competition. Biological girls do not want to be playing against biological boys.”He added: “There’s nothing in the language that’s designed to be harmful to the LGBTQ community.”Bill Faflick, the association’s executive director, said it receives a notification required by the policy of “a handful” transgender students each year playing sports. He said he couldn’t comment on the legislation because he hasn’t seen it.“Every (local school) district handles this in a way that suits their community,” Witt said. “Schools are run by adults who care for for the kids who are in their charge, who aren’t trying to make examples of them, who aren’t trying to attack them.”Witt and the two Democratic lawmakers argued that instead of pursuing Capps’ proposal, the Republican-controlled Legislature should expand the state’s anti-discrimination law to prohibit anti-LGBTQ bias in employment, housing and public accommodations. Witt’s group also has proposed legislation to ban the use of “conversion therapy” on minors.And, in criticizing the bill as targeting kids, Witt also issued a separate statement that Capps “already has a reputation of inappropriate behavior with children.”Capps won his seat in 2018 despite calls from fellow Republicans to end his campaign over a woman’s allegations that he allowed two of her foster children to sit in his lap and rub his chest in 2017. A state Department of Children and Families report obtained by The Associated Press, showed that the agency “affirmed” a finding of “emotional abuse” by Capps and said there were “concerns about Mike’s boundaries.”But Capps vigorously denied the allegations, and the agency’s finding was reversed on appeal by an administrative hearing officer because the department did not “file a proper agency summary.” Capps was not prosecuted.

Kansas bill would ban transgender athletes from girl's sports

By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/hedge-fund-pushes-kansas-utility-away-coal-toward-wind-and-solar">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA, Kansas — Curtis Sneden remembers what 
impatient investors did to Topeka-based Payless Shoes. Pressure for 
profits now and the bankruptcy that followed.

Now the president of the <a href="https://government-affairs.topekapartnership.com/" target="_blank">Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce</a>
 looks at regional utility giant Evergy and worries what might come of 
pressure from activist investment firm Elliott Management Corp.’s 
demands for a higher stock price.

“When you’re on the ground and 
it’s your friends and neighbors and your community and economy, that is 
not a very reassuring type of narrative,” Sneden said.

He’s worried that the changes requested by Elliott Management could lead to layoffs at Evergy — or worse.

“When this sort of challenge comes along, for Topekans it gives us quite a concern,” Sneden said.

<a href="https://www.elliottmgmt.com/" target="_blank">Elliott Management</a>
 is a New York-based hedge fund run by billionaire Paul Singer. It 
recently disclosed to the public that it owns 11.3 million shares of 
Evergy. Its stake is worth about $760 million and about 5% of the 
company.

The hedge fund’s play to remake Evergy could lead to the
 shuttering of coal plants sooner and more spending on wind farms and 
solar power. It might also trigger layoffs and threaten careers in 
Evergy’s corporate suites. And it could alter how much customers pay for
 electricity, although analysts differ on whether consumers would 
welcome the changes.

Elliot sent a letter to Evergy’s board of directors claiming it could make more money for shareholders.

“A
 renewed focus on improving core utility operations and investing in 
Evergy’s critical electric infrastructure can rectify its prolonged 
underperformance,” the letter reads.

It built a website, <a href="https://energizeevergy.com/letter/" target="_blank">energizeevergy.com</a>, to lobby publicly for management changes at the utility that came from the merger of Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy.

Elliott
 is pressing the leadership at Evergy to invest more in renewable energy
 generation, close down its coal plants, and increase the overall 
efficiency of its operations.

“It’s just really a question of timing,” said Shar Pourreza, an energy analyst at <a href="https://www.guggenheimpartners.com/" target="_blank">Guggenheim Partners</a>.

He
 said, at face value, there’s nothing that Elliott is asking that Evergy
 isn’t already planning on doing. Elliott just wants it to happen 
quicker, which might be easier said than done.

Conditions set by 
regulators during the Westar-Great Plains merger mean that Evergy can’t 
file a rate case for at least five years.

Closing the coal plants
 early would also leave Evergy with a stranded asset, something 
investors and ratepayers would still be paying for but not using.&nbsp; And 
then there’s the trickle down effects.&nbsp;

“You have to deal with job losses, the unions, loss of tax base,” Pourreza said. “There’s multiple things.”

If Evergy can’t do that on its own, the analysts at Elliott argue, it should merge with yet another company. But few companies stand in a position to combine with, or purchase, Evergy.

Pourrezza suggested <a href="https://www.ameren.com/" target="_blank">Ameren</a>, which is Missouri’s largest electric power provider, as the most likely suitor.

In an emailed statement, Ameren said, “We do not comment on rumors or speculative (merger and acquisition) activities.”

Elliott
 has a long history of pushing companies to bend to the hedge fund’s 
wishes. Sometimes that involves pushing out a company’s executives. In 
other cases, those bosses adopt Elliott’s advice.

Recently, 
Elliott made similar requests to NRG Energy and Sempra Energy. 
Management at those companies worked with Elliott to make changes. The 
CEOs at the two companies ultimately kept their jobs, but changes were 
made to the composition of their boards of directors.

In both cases, the companies saw their stocks increase after Elliott intervened.

Evergy has not been as eager to work with Elliott. Discussions between the two companies have been ongoing since October 2019.

In
 a press release, Evergy said it is confident in its ability to deliver 
long-term growth and shareholder value by continuing down the path it’s 
already established for itself.

Elliott contends
 its suggestions would increase returns for investors and and save 
ratepayers money. The company argues those payoffs would come partly 
from streamlining — which might mean layoffs — and partly by cashing in 
on the ways renewable energy operating costs have become cheaper than 
burning coal.

Evergy’s stock price has risen 3.86% since Elliott announced its plans.

“If
 you look at some of the recent activism in this space,” Pourreza said, 
“the utilities do come out of it in some form or another better than 
they were going into it.”

Brian Grimmett reports on the 
environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the 
Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en">@briangrimmett</a>&nbsp;or
 email him at grimmett@kmuw.org. The Kansas News Service is a
 collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public
 Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581092043897.jpeg" alt=" Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption> Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/hedge-fund-pushes-kansas-utility-away-coal-toward-wind-and-solar">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA, Kansas — Curtis Sneden remembers what 
impatient investors did to Topeka-based Payless Shoes. Pressure for 
profits now and the bankruptcy that followed.Now the president of the <a href="https://government-affairs.topekapartnership.com/" target="_blank">Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce</a>
 looks at regional utility giant Evergy and worries what might come of 
pressure from activist investment firm Elliott Management Corp.’s 
demands for a higher stock price.“When you’re on the ground and 
it’s your friends and neighbors and your community and economy, that is 
not a very reassuring type of narrative,” Sneden said.He’s worried that the changes requested by Elliott Management could lead to layoffs at Evergy — or worse.“When this sort of challenge comes along, for Topekans it gives us quite a concern,” Sneden said.<a href="https://www.elliottmgmt.com/" target="_blank">Elliott Management</a>
 is a New York-based hedge fund run by billionaire Paul Singer. It 
recently disclosed to the public that it owns 11.3 million shares of 
Evergy. Its stake is worth about $760 million and about 5% of the 
company.The hedge fund’s play to remake Evergy could lead to the
 shuttering of coal plants sooner and more spending on wind farms and 
solar power. It might also trigger layoffs and threaten careers in 
Evergy’s corporate suites. And it could alter how much customers pay for
 electricity, although analysts differ on whether consumers would 
welcome the changes.Elliot sent a letter to Evergy’s board of directors claiming it could make more money for shareholders.“A
 renewed focus on improving core utility operations and investing in 
Evergy’s critical electric infrastructure can rectify its prolonged 
underperformance,” the letter reads.It built a website, <a href="https://energizeevergy.com/letter/" target="_blank">energizeevergy.com</a>, to lobby publicly for management changes at the utility that came from the merger of Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy.Elliott
 is pressing the leadership at Evergy to invest more in renewable energy
 generation, close down its coal plants, and increase the overall 
efficiency of its operations.“It’s just really a question of timing,” said Shar Pourreza, an energy analyst at <a href="https://www.guggenheimpartners.com/" target="_blank">Guggenheim Partners</a>.He
 said, at face value, there’s nothing that Elliott is asking that Evergy
 isn’t already planning on doing. Elliott just wants it to happen 
quicker, which might be easier said than done.Conditions set by 
regulators during the Westar-Great Plains merger mean that Evergy can’t 
file a rate case for at least five years.Closing the coal plants
 early would also leave Evergy with a stranded asset, something 
investors and ratepayers would still be paying for but not using.&nbsp; And 
then there’s the trickle down effects.&nbsp;“You have to deal with job losses, the unions, loss of tax base,” Pourreza said. “There’s multiple things.”If Evergy can’t do that on its own, the analysts at Elliott argue, it should merge with yet another company. But few companies stand in a position to combine with, or purchase, Evergy.Pourrezza suggested <a href="https://www.ameren.com/" target="_blank">Ameren</a>, which is Missouri’s largest electric power provider, as the most likely suitor.In an emailed statement, Ameren said, “We do not comment on rumors or speculative (merger and acquisition) activities.”Elliott
 has a long history of pushing companies to bend to the hedge fund’s 
wishes. Sometimes that involves pushing out a company’s executives. In 
other cases, those bosses adopt Elliott’s advice.Recently, 
Elliott made similar requests to NRG Energy and Sempra Energy. 
Management at those companies worked with Elliott to make changes. The 
CEOs at the two companies ultimately kept their jobs, but changes were 
made to the composition of their boards of directors.In both cases, the companies saw their stocks increase after Elliott intervened.Evergy has not been as eager to work with Elliott. Discussions between the two companies have been ongoing since October 2019.In
 a press release, Evergy said it is confident in its ability to deliver 
long-term growth and shareholder value by continuing down the path it’s 
already established for itself.Elliott contends
 its suggestions would increase returns for investors and and save 
ratepayers money. The company argues those payoffs would come partly 
from streamlining — which might mean layoffs — and partly by cashing in 
on the ways renewable energy operating costs have become cheaper than 
burning coal.Evergy’s stock price has risen 3.86% since Elliott announced its plans.“If
 you look at some of the recent activism in this space,” Pourreza said, 
“the utilities do come out of it in some form or another better than 
they were going into it.”Brian Grimmett reports on the 
environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the 
Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en">@briangrimmett</a>&nbsp;or
 email him at grimmett@kmuw.org. The Kansas News Service is a
 collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public
 Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy.

Hedge fund pushes Kan. utility away from coal, toward wind, solar 

MANHATTAN —A 27-year-old man is confined in the Riley County Jail after three local businesses were burglarized Friday night in Manhattan.&nbsp;

Just after 12:30a.m., officers arrested Oliver Henry, 27, in the 1800 Block of Claflin during an attempted burglary at Kellstrom Pharmacy, according to a media release.

The Shop Quik located in the 1100 block of Scenic Landing and Candlewood Health Mart located in the 3200 block of Kimball were burglarized a short time earlier. It is believed all three incidents are connected.&nbsp;

Henry is being held on on a $15,000 bond on requested charges that include three counts of criminal damage to property, 2 counts of burglary and attempted burglary.&nbsp;

Police also thanked the citizen who called in to 911 to report suspicious activity at Kellstroms so officers could quickly respond.

MANHATTAN —A 27-year-old man is confined in the Riley County Jail after three local businesses were burglarized Friday night in Manhattan.&nbsp;Just after 12:30a.m., officers arrested Oliver Henry, 27, in the 1800 Block of Claflin during an attempted burglary at Kellstrom Pharmacy, according to a media release.The Shop Quik located in the 1100 block of Scenic Landing and Candlewood Health Mart located in the 3200 block of Kimball were burglarized a short time earlier. It is believed all three incidents are connected.&nbsp;Henry is being held on on a $15,000 bond on requested charges that include three counts of criminal damage to property, 2 counts of burglary and attempted burglary.&nbsp;Police also thanked the citizen who called in to 911 to report suspicious activity at Kellstroms so officers could quickly respond.

Citizen's call helped police catch Kansas burglary suspect 

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) —In the wake of revelations that scores of Roman Catholic priests and religious workers credibly accused of child sexual abuse are living unsupervised in communities across the country, state officials face a quandary: Should they screen former clergy members who seek licenses for jobs that put them in contact with children? And, if so, how?

An Associated Press investigation last fall found nearly 200 accused clergy members had been granted teaching, mental health or social work licenses, with roughly six dozen still holding valid licenses to work in those fields in 2019.

Since then, at least 20 states have started using church-released lists of priests and employees who faced credible allegations to screen applicants or check for current state teaching, foster care and therapy licenses -- and, in some cases, have revoked credentials.

As part of the church’s attempt to be more transparent about its ongoing sexual abuse crisis, more than 170 dioceses and religious orders have publicly released lists of clergy members they found to be credibly accused of abuses ranging from rape to child pornography.

Over 5,300 priests, clergy members and a handful of lay employees -- more than 2,000 of them still living -- are on the lists. But because most were never convicted of a crime, the allegations of child abuse never appeared in licensing background checks, the AP’s investigation revealed.

Church and law enforcement officials have said there is little they can do to monitor or restrict the nearly 1,700 mostly former clergy members the AP found living without supervision because many voluntarily left the church or were laicized, which means they are permanently restricted from the priesthood and return to private citizenship.

For close to two decades, the group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has been advocating for church officials to report allegations to law enforcement, child protection and other state agencies, but it says state agencies haven’t figured out their role in responding to the clergy abuse scandal.

“These agencies need to refocus their priorities,” said David Clohessy, the former executive director of SNAP, who now leads the group’s St. Louis chapter. “They’re here to protect the public from predators, not to make getting a license to be a shrink or doctor easier.”

AP reporters called agencies in all 50 states, determining that dozens have started discussions, checked their lists of licenses for named clergy or begun using the diocesan lists released in their areas to flag applications.

The license reviews and background check changes have come across all areas of state licensing -- from foster care to education boards – in states ranging from New Hampshire to Oklahoma.

In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the state Department of Job and Family Services to review how county-level child service agencies and private placement agencies could incorporate the diocesan lists into background checks used to determine where children are placed. A spokesman for DeWine said the directive came after the AP published its investigation, calling the action “warranted to protect Ohio’s children.”

Conducting a comprehensive review is complicated because no official national master database of accused clergy exists, meaning states have to choose how many of the more than 170 lists to consult.

Pennsylvania’s education licensing department has conducted perhaps the most comprehensive search of its licensing database, checking for nearly 500 clergy members’ names that were released in three state or local grand jury reports over the last decade— including the landmark 2018 Pennsylvania attorney general’s grand jury report that looked at how abuse allegations were handled in six dioceses.

The department revoked or accepted the surrender of three licenses from former clergy members and is investigating a dozen other licensees.. But the first effort did not encompass lay church employees named on diocesan lists and former priests who might have moved to Pennsylvania from other states and sought licenses.

Dylan Klapmeier, spokesman for the Montana Department of Public Instruction, said his agency checked its list of credentialed teachers against the names issued by two Montana dioceses and found no matches. He lamented the lack of a national list to further consult, noting that “there are lots of places to hide here.”

For many education or licensing departments, using the diocesan lists can be difficult because of state statutes governing what can be considered when deciding to issue or revoke a license. Some agencies allow only for criminal background checks, while others also permit a check of the state’s child abuse and neglect database.

Most of those databases include allegations child abuse investigators found to be most likely true, even if they were not prosecuted. It’s one of the few ways allegations against a priest could appear in background checks without criminal charges, though it was unclear from the diocesan lists if all church-related allegations were reported to state child abuse officials.

Joseph Smack, spokesman for the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, said his department is looking at the allegations against the priests listed by the Wilmington Diocese to determine if any of them should be placed on the Child Protection Registry. Once on that registry, a background check would indicate the accused priest was unsuitable to become a foster parent.

The AP investigation found a handful of accused priests who adopted or fostered children, even after accusations drove them from active ministry – a group that is likely larger since, to protect the privacy of children in the system, there is no searchable database for foster care licenses.

A half-dozen child and family services departments responsible for licensing and screening foster parents -- including those in New Hampshire, Oklahoma and New Mexico – told the AP that they have checked the local diocesan lists to see if any former priests were approved foster care providers.

Debra Johnson, director of communications for the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Family, said her department is in the process of overhauling how it performs background checks on potential foster parents and may now include the issue of former priests in the equation.

“It’s concerning that there is no system — that these individuals do not have some level of monitoring that would protect other children from being harmed or potentially being harmed,” she said.

Among license-providers, it’s easiest for state education departments to use the lists to remove licenses or background new applicants.

At least 20 state educational licensing agencies the AP contacted had checked the credibly accused clergy lists released in their states against the rosters of licensed school workers, with at least eight finding former priests with active or expired licenses. Many of those states have acted to remove those licenses or put holds on them to prevent their renewal.

Most states declined to name the individuals they had asked to surrender licenses or to say whether any would be revoked, citing privacy statutes for disciplinary processes.

The advocacy group Stop Educator Sexual Abuse Misconduct and Exploitation, also known as SESAME, has been advocating for stricter state laws that would require reporting of sexual abuse, grooming behaviors and other misconduct by school employees and contractors to prevent them from jumping to new positions in different districts or states without unprosecuted allegations against them being known.

SESAME President Terri Miller said she sees similarities between how abusive priests were transferred between parishes and the movements of accused educators her group is trying to prevent.

“It makes complete sense that priests who abused children would migrate to other areas where they can access youth and, unless we pass laws that mandate reporting of any sexual misconduct and stop the passing of trash to other districts, we aren’t going to be able to guarantee that children are safe,” she said.

Massachusetts is among more than 30 states that don’t require a conviction to launch disciplinary investigations into the past actions of teachers, guidance counselors or others licensed to work in public schools.

Jacqueline Reis, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said people named on diocesan lists are investigated when those lists are provided to the department.

“For instance, when we learned that one of our employees was among those listed by the St. Louis Archdiocese, we checked the other names on that list, too,” Reis said.

Keith Westrich, the state’s former associate commissioner for college, career and technical education, was named by the St. Louis Archdiocese last year as having a substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor made against him when he was a priest there in the early 1980s. Shortly after, Massachusetts’ education department placed Westrich on leave and launched an investigation. He has since retired, and a message left at a phone number listed for him was not returned.

It is much harder for mental health, social worker or psychology licensing boards to consider unprosecuted allegations during background checks or for removing a license. Only a handful of the boards that responded to the AP’s questions said they could consider the diocesan lists as part of a background check.

“With no conviction, I don’t believe our administrative rules would allow us,” said Tony Alden, executive for the boards of behavioral science and social work in Iowa.

But staff at several mental health professional licensing boards said they could investigate a complaint alleging previous child sexual abuse to decide whether to remove or sanction a licensed professional. Many said lying on an application that asked candidates to self-report previous allegations would be cause for removal.

While most states have not yet considered law changes, at least 20 state attorneys general are conducting investigations of how church officials handled abuse allegations, including reporting them to civil law enforcement, largely in the wake of Pennsylvania’s 2018 grand jury report.

In its 50-state review, the AP asked the attorneys general if they had considered how states could use the lists of credibly accused clergy members to better protect children.

Some said they wanted to focus on investigating any possible criminal charges, but others said they have started to consider the role they could play in eliminating the gray area for people who have been credibly accused but not prosecuted. The AP investigation published in October explored the case of former priest Roger Sinclair, who had been accused of abuse in at least two other states but who had never been criminally charged when he moved to Oregon, where he was arrested and convicted for abusing a vulnerable adult.

Oregon’s attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, said her office was looking at appropriate next steps.

“This AP story … sheds light on an important aspect of clergy sexual abuse horrors—how easy it has been to continue the abuse in other states from where the initial offending conduct occurred,” Rosenblum said. “That is absolutely unacceptable, and the fact that the Sinclair case occurred right here in Oregon drives home the importance of addressing this issue.”

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) —In the wake of revelations that scores of Roman Catholic priests and religious workers credibly accused of child sexual abuse are living unsupervised in communities across the country, state officials face a quandary: Should they screen former clergy members who seek licenses for jobs that put them in contact with children? And, if so, how?An Associated Press investigation last fall found nearly 200 accused clergy members had been granted teaching, mental health or social work licenses, with roughly six dozen still holding valid licenses to work in those fields in 2019.Since then, at least 20 states have started using church-released lists of priests and employees who faced credible allegations to screen applicants or check for current state teaching, foster care and therapy licenses -- and, in some cases, have revoked credentials.As part of the church’s attempt to be more transparent about its ongoing sexual abuse crisis, more than 170 dioceses and religious orders have publicly released lists of clergy members they found to be credibly accused of abuses ranging from rape to child pornography.Over 5,300 priests, clergy members and a handful of lay employees -- more than 2,000 of them still living -- are on the lists. But because most were never convicted of a crime, the allegations of child abuse never appeared in licensing background checks, the AP’s investigation revealed.Church and law enforcement officials have said there is little they can do to monitor or restrict the nearly 1,700 mostly former clergy members the AP found living without supervision because many voluntarily left the church or were laicized, which means they are permanently restricted from the priesthood and return to private citizenship.For close to two decades, the group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has been advocating for church officials to report allegations to law enforcement, child protection and other state agencies, but it says state agencies haven’t figured out their role in responding to the clergy abuse scandal.“These agencies need to refocus their priorities,” said David Clohessy, the former executive director of SNAP, who now leads the group’s St. Louis chapter. “They’re here to protect the public from predators, not to make getting a license to be a shrink or doctor easier.”AP reporters called agencies in all 50 states, determining that dozens have started discussions, checked their lists of licenses for named clergy or begun using the diocesan lists released in their areas to flag applications.The license reviews and background check changes have come across all areas of state licensing -- from foster care to education boards – in states ranging from New Hampshire to Oklahoma.In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the state Department of Job and Family Services to review how county-level child service agencies and private placement agencies could incorporate the diocesan lists into background checks used to determine where children are placed. A spokesman for DeWine said the directive came after the AP published its investigation, calling the action “warranted to protect Ohio’s children.”Conducting a comprehensive review is complicated because no official national master database of accused clergy exists, meaning states have to choose how many of the more than 170 lists to consult.Pennsylvania’s education licensing department has conducted perhaps the most comprehensive search of its licensing database, checking for nearly 500 clergy members’ names that were released in three state or local grand jury reports over the last decade— including the landmark 2018 Pennsylvania attorney general’s grand jury report that looked at how abuse allegations were handled in six dioceses.The department revoked or accepted the surrender of three licenses from former clergy members and is investigating a dozen other licensees.. But the first effort did not encompass lay church employees named on diocesan lists and former priests who might have moved to Pennsylvania from other states and sought licenses.Dylan Klapmeier, spokesman for the Montana Department of Public Instruction, said his agency checked its list of credentialed teachers against the names issued by two Montana dioceses and found no matches. He lamented the lack of a national list to further consult, noting that “there are lots of places to hide here.”For many education or licensing departments, using the diocesan lists can be difficult because of state statutes governing what can be considered when deciding to issue or revoke a license. Some agencies allow only for criminal background checks, while others also permit a check of the state’s child abuse and neglect database.Most of those databases include allegations child abuse investigators found to be most likely true, even if they were not prosecuted. It’s one of the few ways allegations against a priest could appear in background checks without criminal charges, though it was unclear from the diocesan lists if all church-related allegations were reported to state child abuse officials.Joseph Smack, spokesman for the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, said his department is looking at the allegations against the priests listed by the Wilmington Diocese to determine if any of them should be placed on the Child Protection Registry. Once on that registry, a background check would indicate the accused priest was unsuitable to become a foster parent.The AP investigation found a handful of accused priests who adopted or fostered children, even after accusations drove them from active ministry – a group that is likely larger since, to protect the privacy of children in the system, there is no searchable database for foster care licenses.A half-dozen child and family services departments responsible for licensing and screening foster parents -- including those in New Hampshire, Oklahoma and New Mexico – told the AP that they have checked the local diocesan lists to see if any former priests were approved foster care providers.Debra Johnson, director of communications for the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Family, said her department is in the process of overhauling how it performs background checks on potential foster parents and may now include the issue of former priests in the equation.“It’s concerning that there is no system — that these individuals do not have some level of monitoring that would protect other children from being harmed or potentially being harmed,” she said.Among license-providers, it’s easiest for state education departments to use the lists to remove licenses or background new applicants.At least 20 state educational licensing agencies the AP contacted had checked the credibly accused clergy lists released in their states against the rosters of licensed school workers, with at least eight finding former priests with active or expired licenses. Many of those states have acted to remove those licenses or put holds on them to prevent their renewal.Most states declined to name the individuals they had asked to surrender licenses or to say whether any would be revoked, citing privacy statutes for disciplinary processes.The advocacy group Stop Educator Sexual Abuse Misconduct and Exploitation, also known as SESAME, has been advocating for stricter state laws that would require reporting of sexual abuse, grooming behaviors and other misconduct by school employees and contractors to prevent them from jumping to new positions in different districts or states without unprosecuted allegations against them being known.SESAME President Terri Miller said she sees similarities between how abusive priests were transferred between parishes and the movements of accused educators her group is trying to prevent.“It makes complete sense that priests who abused children would migrate to other areas where they can access youth and, unless we pass laws that mandate reporting of any sexual misconduct and stop the passing of trash to other districts, we aren’t going to be able to guarantee that children are safe,” she said.Massachusetts is among more than 30 states that don’t require a conviction to launch disciplinary investigations into the past actions of teachers, guidance counselors or others licensed to work in public schools.Jacqueline Reis, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said people named on diocesan lists are investigated when those lists are provided to the department.“For instance, when we learned that one of our employees was among those listed by the St. Louis Archdiocese, we checked the other names on that list, too,” Reis said.Keith Westrich, the state’s former associate commissioner for college, career and technical education, was named by the St. Louis Archdiocese last year as having a substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor made against him when he was a priest there in the early 1980s. Shortly after, Massachusetts’ education department placed Westrich on leave and launched an investigation. He has since retired, and a message left at a phone number listed for him was not returned.It is much harder for mental health, social worker or psychology licensing boards to consider unprosecuted allegations during background checks or for removing a license. Only a handful of the boards that responded to the AP’s questions said they could consider the diocesan lists as part of a background check.“With no conviction, I don’t believe our administrative rules would allow us,” said Tony Alden, executive for the boards of behavioral science and social work in Iowa.But staff at several mental health professional licensing boards said they could investigate a complaint alleging previous child sexual abuse to decide whether to remove or sanction a licensed professional. Many said lying on an application that asked candidates to self-report previous allegations would be cause for removal.While most states have not yet considered law changes, at least 20 state attorneys general are conducting investigations of how church officials handled abuse allegations, including reporting them to civil law enforcement, largely in the wake of Pennsylvania’s 2018 grand jury report.In its 50-state review, the AP asked the attorneys general if they had considered how states could use the lists of credibly accused clergy members to better protect children.Some said they wanted to focus on investigating any possible criminal charges, but others said they have started to consider the role they could play in eliminating the gray area for people who have been credibly accused but not prosecuted. The AP investigation published in October explored the case of former priest Roger Sinclair, who had been accused of abuse in at least two other states but who had never been criminally charged when he moved to Oregon, where he was arrested and convicted for abusing a vulnerable adult.Oregon’s attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, said her office was looking at appropriate next steps.“This AP story … sheds light on an important aspect of clergy sexual abuse horrors—how easy it has been to continue the abuse in other states from where the initial offending conduct occurred,” Rosenblum said. “That is absolutely unacceptable, and the fact that the Sinclair case occurred right here in Oregon drives home the importance of addressing this issue.”___

States use Catholic clergy abuse lists to screen applicants

LAWRENCE — It’s no secret that a large percentage of U.S. medical spending is squandered.

But a University of Kansas professor has pinpointed one of the obvious places where this could be fixed.

“Health economists and Americans overall are very worried about how much we spend on health care,” said David Slusky, associate professor of economics. “So can we find places where we’re not getting a lot for the care?”

That’s addressed in his new paper,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w26618">“Does the Marginal Hospitalization Save Lives? The Case of Respiratory Admissions for the Elderly,”</a>&nbsp;distributed by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Slusky and co-author Janet Currie studied the decision to hospitalize elderly Medicare patients who present at the emergency room with respiratory conditions. They found that marginal hospitalization — in addition to putting the patient at risk for conditions developed during such a stay — increases the number of hospital days by seven and increases charges by $42,000.

Yet it has absolutely no effect on their mortality rate within the next year.

First, Slusky had to determine what constituted “marginalized admission.”

“If you come in with a broken finger and want to stay as an in-patient, they’re going to send you home. Walk in with a gunshot wound, they’re going to keep you overnight,” he said.

“But there are cases where you walk in coughing and a little short of breath, and it’s not clear. Maybe they should admit you, and maybe they should send you home.”

Age also factors significantly into this process.

“If a 95-year-old comes in, we might send him home. But a 45-year-old comes in unable to breathe, we’re going to admit every one of them,” Slusky said.

The professor scrutinized years’ worth of discharge data from New York state hospitals. This included the medical observations of these individuals, whether they were admitted and what eventually happened to them. He also studied admissions decisions that were driven by differences in local practices for otherwise equivalent patients.

“When you do that, you then find no impact on mortality of a marginal admission. What you do find is it costs more money, and you spend more time in the hospital. It does help you stay out of the ER in the future, but it also makes it more likely you’ll show up in the outpatient clinics in the future,” said Slusky, who also provided expert testimony last week at the Kansas Capitol about bipartisan Medicaid expansion championed by Gov. Laura Kelly and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning.

Slusky, who co-wrote the paper with Currie, his former graduate adviser at Princeton University, concedes marginal admissions are just a small piece of what is driving up health care costs. Hospitals, providers and pharmaceuticals — among other factors — share the blame.

As a health economist well-versed in infrastructure, environment and insurance, what is his advice for dealing with these rising costs?

“I have a solution and a not-solution,” the Philadelphia native said.

“The not-solution is putting everybody in high-deductible plans. We have really good research that verifies you will get less health care of every type if we put you in a high-deductible plan. The problem is, you won’t just get less of the things you don’t need, you get less of everything. People often ask me, ‘Will this save money?’ I hate that question. I could stop eating and save money, but that’s ridiculous. That’s not the right question.”

He believes the solution involves encouraging better-functioning markets between different parts of the health care industry.

“We need more competition, not less. And the government is actually often making there be less competition, not more,” he said.

With respiratory conditions accounting for 28% of all emergency room visits and 42% of hospitalizations, clinicians are inevitably going to face the dicey decision of whether to admit a patient.

“We’re having a real moment of reckoning right now about ‘How does that get our health care costs down?’ and ‘What does that mean?’” said Slusky, who has worked at KU since 2014.

“I think the tide is shifting away from ‘you have to do something.’ Inaction and action are two valid options. They have cost and benefit that should be evaluated. And we shouldn’t let ‘action bias’ drive us to do things we otherwise wouldn’t do just because it’s something and not nothing.”

KU News ServiceLAWRENCE — It’s no secret that a large percentage of U.S. medical spending is squandered.But a University of Kansas professor has pinpointed one of the obvious places where this could be fixed.<figure>
 <img src="https://news.ku.edu/sites/news.ku.edu/files/images/general/faculty_portraits/David_Slusky%20172.jpg" alt="David Slusky" />
 <figcaption>David Slusky</figcaption>
 </figure>“Health economists and Americans overall are very worried about how much we spend on health care,” said David Slusky, associate professor of economics. “So can we find places where we’re not getting a lot for the care?”That’s addressed in his new paper,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w26618">“Does the Marginal Hospitalization Save Lives? The Case of Respiratory Admissions for the Elderly,”</a>&nbsp;distributed by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Slusky and co-author Janet Currie studied the decision to hospitalize elderly Medicare patients who present at the emergency room with respiratory conditions. They found that marginal hospitalization — in addition to putting the patient at risk for conditions developed during such a stay — increases the number of hospital days by seven and increases charges by $42,000.Yet it has absolutely no effect on their mortality rate within the next year.First, Slusky had to determine what constituted “marginalized admission.”“If you come in with a broken finger and want to stay as an in-patient, they’re going to send you home. Walk in with a gunshot wound, they’re going to keep you overnight,” he said.“But there are cases where you walk in coughing and a little short of breath, and it’s not clear. Maybe they should admit you, and maybe they should send you home.”Age also factors significantly into this process.“If a 95-year-old comes in, we might send him home. But a 45-year-old comes in unable to breathe, we’re going to admit every one of them,” Slusky said.The professor scrutinized years’ worth of discharge data from New York state hospitals. This included the medical observations of these individuals, whether they were admitted and what eventually happened to them. He also studied admissions decisions that were driven by differences in local practices for otherwise equivalent patients.“When you do that, you then find no impact on mortality of a marginal admission. What you do find is it costs more money, and you spend more time in the hospital. It does help you stay out of the ER in the future, but it also makes it more likely you’ll show up in the outpatient clinics in the future,” said Slusky, who also provided expert testimony last week at the Kansas Capitol about bipartisan Medicaid expansion championed by Gov. Laura Kelly and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning.Slusky, who co-wrote the paper with Currie, his former graduate adviser at Princeton University, concedes marginal admissions are just a small piece of what is driving up health care costs. Hospitals, providers and pharmaceuticals — among other factors — share the blame.As a health economist well-versed in infrastructure, environment and insurance, what is his advice for dealing with these rising costs?“I have a solution and a not-solution,” the Philadelphia native said.“The not-solution is putting everybody in high-deductible plans. We have really good research that verifies you will get less health care of every type if we put you in a high-deductible plan. The problem is, you won’t just get less of the things you don’t need, you get less of everything. People often ask me, ‘Will this save money?’ I hate that question. I could stop eating and save money, but that’s ridiculous. That’s not the right question.”He believes the solution involves encouraging better-functioning markets between different parts of the health care industry.“We need more competition, not less. And the government is actually often making there be less competition, not more,” he said.With respiratory conditions accounting for 28% of all emergency room visits and 42% of hospitalizations, clinicians are inevitably going to face the dicey decision of whether to admit a patient.“We’re having a real moment of reckoning right now about ‘How does that get our health care costs down?’ and ‘What does that mean?’” said Slusky, who has worked at KU since 2014.“I think the tide is shifting away from ‘you have to do something.’ Inaction and action are two valid options. They have cost and benefit that should be evaluated. And we shouldn’t let ‘action bias’ drive us to do things we otherwise wouldn’t do just because it’s something and not nothing.”

STUDY: When hospitalizations increase costs but don't prevent death

TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Kansas Newborn Screening Program (KS-NBS) began screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) on February 1. The Kansas Newborn Screening Program (KS-NBS) strives to protect and improve the health of all newborn Kansans. With one small blood sample, more than 30 life-altering and life-threatening disorders will be detected. These are completely undetectable at birth without this screening. Nearly 35,000 Kansas babies receive the newborn screen shortly after birth each year.

“We are very excited to be able to add SMA to our screening process and directly impact the health and future of our youngest Kansans,” said Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary.

SMA<a>&nbsp;</a>is&nbsp;<a>a disease affecting&nbsp;</a>the motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem. By limiting infant’s physical strength, SMA can take away the ability to walk, eat or breathe. Approximately 1 out of every 11,000 newborns is diagnosed with SMA.&nbsp;About 1 in every 50 Americans is a genetic carrier for SMA.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;SMA was added to the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) for newborn screening in 2018. Evidence shows that early diagnosis and treatment leads to better outcomes.

“Since 2016, we have safe, effective and FDA-approved treatments that are dramatically changing the natural history of this disease,” says Dr. Britton Zuccarelli, a pediatric neurologist in Salina and a member of the Advisory Council for Newborn Screening. “Affected children are achieving motor and other milestones we never would have anticipated based on the severity type and are living to ages without invasive respiratory support that are unprecedented in this condition.&nbsp; With over a dozen other investigational drugs in the SMA pipeline, our options for treatment for this rare neurological condition are only going to continue to grow, and early recognition is paramount.&nbsp; With 1/40 to 1/60 of us Kansans being carriers of this disease, newborn state screening is important and will change the lives of babies, children, adults and families across Kansas.”&nbsp;

For more information on Kansas’s Newborn Screening Program, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kdheks.gov%2Fnewborn_screening%2Findex.html&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C476ba37c6f7f44fb2ba508d7a8df2c01%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637163548777745758&amp;sdata=As0N9SKwpPTIGMcvr7iMOVHvi97etlG12LY26%2FFFXQk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.kdheks.gov/newborn_screening/index.html</a>.

For more information on spinal muscular atrophy (SMA, visit:

Cure SMA Organization&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.curesma.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C476ba37c6f7f44fb2ba508d7a8df2c01%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637163548777750746&amp;sdata=SAbLnsn6ydVSDYx%2BmNt3oy1z3OX4vRDGUSjUWoF3Krc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.curesma.org</a>

Genetics Home Reference&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ghr.nlm.nih.gov%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C476ba37c6f7f44fb2ba508d7a8df2c01%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637163548777755737&amp;sdata=2%2FDHoUs4XuRMyrz9ZhQCVr%2BfkHNYnx9yj60RE7a91Mc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.ghr.nlm.nih.gov</a>

Baby’s First Test&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.babysfirsttest.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C476ba37c6f7f44fb2ba508d7a8df2c01%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637163548777760730&amp;sdata=302tOtbqUgJ7HApzb2XHNHIIKeAC23gwDF1LbH3hsC4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.babysfirsttest.org</a>

KDHETOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Kansas Newborn Screening Program (KS-NBS) began screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) on February 1. The Kansas Newborn Screening Program (KS-NBS) strives to protect and improve the health of all newborn Kansans. With one small blood sample, more than 30 life-altering and life-threatening disorders will be detected. These are completely undetectable at birth without this screening. Nearly 35,000 Kansas babies receive the newborn screen shortly after birth each year.“We are very excited to be able to add SMA to our screening process and directly impact the health and future of our youngest Kansans,” said Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary.SMA<a>&nbsp;</a>is&nbsp;<a>a disease affecting&nbsp;</a>the motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem. By limiting infant’s physical strength, SMA can take away the ability to walk, eat or breathe. Approximately 1 out of every 11,000 newborns is diagnosed with SMA.&nbsp;About 1 in every 50 Americans is a genetic carrier for SMA.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;SMA was added to the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) for newborn screening in 2018. Evidence shows that early diagnosis and treatment leads to better outcomes.“Since 2016, we have safe, effective and FDA-approved treatments that are dramatically changing the natural history of this disease,” says Dr. Britton Zuccarelli, a pediatric neurologist in Salina and a member of the Advisory Council for Newborn Screening. “Affected children are achieving motor and other milestones we never would have anticipated based on the severity type and are living to ages without invasive respiratory support that are unprecedented in this condition.&nbsp; With over a dozen other investigational drugs in the SMA pipeline, our options for treatment for this rare neurological condition are only going to continue to grow, and early recognition is paramount.&nbsp; With 1/40 to 1/60 of us Kansans being carriers of this disease, newborn state screening is important and will change the lives of babies, children, adults and families across Kansas.”&nbsp;For more information on Kansas’s Newborn Screening Program, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kdheks.gov%2Fnewborn_screening%2Findex.html&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C476ba37c6f7f44fb2ba508d7a8df2c01%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637163548777745758&amp;sdata=As0N9SKwpPTIGMcvr7iMOVHvi97etlG12LY26%2FFFXQk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.kdheks.gov/newborn_screening/index.html</a>.For more information on spinal muscular atrophy (SMA, visit:Cure SMA Organization&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.curesma.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C476ba37c6f7f44fb2ba508d7a8df2c01%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637163548777750746&amp;sdata=SAbLnsn6ydVSDYx%2BmNt3oy1z3OX4vRDGUSjUWoF3Krc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.curesma.org</a>Genetics Home Reference&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ghr.nlm.nih.gov%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C476ba37c6f7f44fb2ba508d7a8df2c01%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637163548777755737&amp;sdata=2%2FDHoUs4XuRMyrz9ZhQCVr%2BfkHNYnx9yj60RE7a91Mc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.ghr.nlm.nih.gov</a>Baby’s First Test&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.babysfirsttest.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C476ba37c6f7f44fb2ba508d7a8df2c01%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637163548777760730&amp;sdata=302tOtbqUgJ7HApzb2XHNHIIKeAC23gwDF1LbH3hsC4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.babysfirsttest.org</a>

Kansas expands newborn screening program 

KANSAS CITY, KAN.&nbsp;– A Kansas man was sentenced this week to 192 months in federal prison on drug and firearms changes, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Bryan K. Quinley,&nbsp;39, Leavenworth, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

In his plea, Quinley admitted he had more than a pound of methamphetamine and two handguns when Leavenworth police stopped his car on March 1, 2018. Police also found cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills in the car.

On April 19, 2018, federal marshals arrested Quinley again. They found him at a hotel in Mission, Kan., with almost a pound of methamphetamine. They also found cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills in the hotel room.

On May 29, 2018, Quinley was under supervision by the Kansas Department of Corrections when an officer found 66 grams of methamphetamine at the residence where Quinley was living.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580852601359.png" alt="Bryan Quinley photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Bryan Quinley photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN.&nbsp;– A Kansas man was sentenced this week to 192 months in federal prison on drug and firearms changes, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.Bryan K. Quinley,&nbsp;39, Leavenworth, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.In his plea, Quinley admitted he had more than a pound of methamphetamine and two handguns when Leavenworth police stopped his car on March 1, 2018. Police also found cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills in the car.On April 19, 2018, federal marshals arrested Quinley again. They found him at a hotel in Mission, Kan., with almost a pound of methamphetamine. They also found cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills in the hotel room.On May 29, 2018, Quinley was under supervision by the Kansas Department of Corrections when an officer found 66 grams of methamphetamine at the residence where Quinley was living.

Federal Marshals found Kan. man with a pound of meth at hotel

MANHATTAN — New research from the Kansas State University&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vet.k-state.edu/" target="_blank">College of Veterinary Medicine</a>&nbsp;provides the first investigation into how feed and feed ingredients may be playing a role in the spread of two swine viruses of global significance.

<a href="https://www.vet.k-state.edu/education/dmp/faculty-staff/faculty/niederwerder/index.html" target="_blank">Megan Niederwerder</a>, lead researcher and K-State assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, and her colleagues have published the first report of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus stability in feed ingredients subjected to different environmental conditions mimicking transpacific shipment.&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tbed.13498" target="_blank">"Stability of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus in animal feed ingredients exposed to transpacific shipping conditions</a>"&nbsp;is available online in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases.

"Classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus cause two of the top four transboundary animal diseases of importance to swine," Niederwerder said. "Both viruses are endemic to areas of the world where feed ingredients are manufactured and imported into the United States each year."

Currently, U.S. commercial swine are free of both classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus because of costly eradication programs completed in 1978 and 2004, respectively. Niederwerder said reintroduction of these viruses into U.S. swine herds would be devastating and that there are concerns that feed ingredients incorporated into swine diets may serve as new sources for the spread of animal diseases with economic and welfare significance. Recent changes in pseudorabies virus strain virulence and classical swine fever virus geographic distribution are of great concern for these trade-limiting diseases.

"The emerging threat of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus being reintroduced into U.S. commercial swine is significant and preventing entry is critical for the U.S. pork industry," Niederwerder said. "The route of introducing and transmitting swine viruses through feed has been recognized since the 2013-2014 outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. However, the stability of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus in imported feed ingredients had yet to be investigated."

In the researchers' study, they found both viruses survived for the length of the 37-day model in feed, with pseudorabies virus having increased stability across a broader range of feed ingredients when compared to classical swine fever virus.

Niederwerder said pseudorabies virus was detected in nine of the 12 tested ingredients: conventional and organic soybean meal, lysine, choline, vitamin D, moist cat and dog food, dry dog food, and pork sausage casings at the conclusion of the simulated voyage. When looking at classical swine fever virus, two of the 12 ingredients had infectious virus detected: conventional soybean meal and pork sausage casings.

"This study reports novel data about environmental stability of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus in feed and includes important quantitative information that can be incorporated into risk models for preventing the potential spread of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus through imported feed ingredients," Niederwerder said. "This information adds to our work on African swine fever and reinforces the concept of feed biosecurity for disease prevention."

This research was conducted at Kansas State University's Biosecurity Research Institute, a biosafety level-3 and biosafety level 3Ag facility that allows safe and secure research with animal and plant diseases foreign to the U.S., in collaboration with other university and industry contributors. Co-authors on the manuscript include Ana Stoian, Vlad Petrovan, Laura Constance, Matthew Olcha, Maureen Sheahan and Bob Rowland with Kansas State University; Scott Dee, Pipestone Veterinary Services; Diego Diel, Cornell University; and Gil Patterson, Lincoln Memorial University.



Funding for this study was provided by the Swine Health Information Center and the State of Kansas National Bio and Agro-defense Facility Fund.

KSU NEWS SERVICEMANHATTAN — New research from the Kansas State University&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vet.k-state.edu/" target="_blank">College of Veterinary Medicine</a>&nbsp;provides the first investigation into how feed and feed ingredients may be playing a role in the spread of two swine viruses of global significance.<a href="https://www.vet.k-state.edu/education/dmp/faculty-staff/faculty/niederwerder/index.html" target="_blank">Megan Niederwerder</a>, lead researcher and K-State assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, and her colleagues have published the first report of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus stability in feed ingredients subjected to different environmental conditions mimicking transpacific shipment.&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tbed.13498" target="_blank">"Stability of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus in animal feed ingredients exposed to transpacific shipping conditions</a>"&nbsp;is available online in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580857555016.jpeg" alt="New research at Kansas State University examines the potential risk for transmitted swine disease viruses through the importation of feed exposed to transpacific shipping conditions.&nbsp; (Stock image by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash)" />
 <figcaption>New research at Kansas State University examines the potential risk for transmitted swine disease viruses through the importation of feed exposed to transpacific shipping conditions.&nbsp; (Stock image by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash)</figcaption>
 </figure>"Classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus cause two of the top four transboundary animal diseases of importance to swine," Niederwerder said. "Both viruses are endemic to areas of the world where feed ingredients are manufactured and imported into the United States each year."Currently, U.S. commercial swine are free of both classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus because of costly eradication programs completed in 1978 and 2004, respectively. Niederwerder said reintroduction of these viruses into U.S. swine herds would be devastating and that there are concerns that feed ingredients incorporated into swine diets may serve as new sources for the spread of animal diseases with economic and welfare significance. Recent changes in pseudorabies virus strain virulence and classical swine fever virus geographic distribution are of great concern for these trade-limiting diseases."The emerging threat of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus being reintroduced into U.S. commercial swine is significant and preventing entry is critical for the U.S. pork industry," Niederwerder said. "The route of introducing and transmitting swine viruses through feed has been recognized since the 2013-2014 outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. However, the stability of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus in imported feed ingredients had yet to be investigated."In the researchers' study, they found both viruses survived for the length of the 37-day model in feed, with pseudorabies virus having increased stability across a broader range of feed ingredients when compared to classical swine fever virus.Niederwerder said pseudorabies virus was detected in nine of the 12 tested ingredients: conventional and organic soybean meal, lysine, choline, vitamin D, moist cat and dog food, dry dog food, and pork sausage casings at the conclusion of the simulated voyage. When looking at classical swine fever virus, two of the 12 ingredients had infectious virus detected: conventional soybean meal and pork sausage casings."This study reports novel data about environmental stability of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus in feed and includes important quantitative information that can be incorporated into risk models for preventing the potential spread of classical swine fever virus and pseudorabies virus through imported feed ingredients," Niederwerder said. "This information adds to our work on African swine fever and reinforces the concept of feed biosecurity for disease prevention."This research was conducted at Kansas State University's Biosecurity Research Institute, a biosafety level-3 and biosafety level 3Ag facility that allows safe and secure research with animal and plant diseases foreign to the U.S., in collaboration with other university and industry contributors. Co-authors on the manuscript include Ana Stoian, Vlad Petrovan, Laura Constance, Matthew Olcha, Maureen Sheahan and Bob Rowland with Kansas State University; Scott Dee, Pipestone Veterinary Services; Diego Diel, Cornell University; and Gil Patterson, Lincoln Memorial University.

Funding for this study was provided by the Swine Health Information Center and the State of Kansas National Bio and Agro-defense Facility Fund.

Research exposes feed risks for spread of classical swine fever and pseudorabies 

WICHITA, KAN. (AP) — A&nbsp;jury has acquitted a former Wichita police officer who was fired for crashing his vehicle into another while speeding at nearly 80 mph without lights or sirens.

Samuel Dugo was found not guilty Friday of aggravated battery that recklessly caused bodily injury, the Wichita Eagle reported. Dugo had been charged with the felony after the March 2018 wreck critically injured a 71-year-old man. Dugo was later fired in August 2019. He had faced several years in prison if he had been convicted.

The Kansas Highway Patrol determined Dugo responding to a burglary call and driving 79 mph in a 30 mph zone when he slammed into a pickup truck. The collision threw Donald Clark through the windshield of his truck, leaving him with a broken neck, shoulder and ribs and a brain injury. Investigators say he was not using his emergency lights or sirens. Before the collision, Dugo was clocked at 100 mph.

Dugo's attorney, Jess Hoeme, said his client was so relieved by the acquittal that “his knees buckled.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581199132633.png" alt="Photo courtesy Dustin DeVaughn" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Dustin DeVaughn</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. (AP) — A&nbsp;jury has acquitted a former Wichita police officer who was fired for crashing his vehicle into another while speeding at nearly 80 mph without lights or sirens.Samuel Dugo was found not guilty Friday of aggravated battery that recklessly caused bodily injury, the Wichita Eagle reported. Dugo had been charged with the felony after the March 2018 wreck critically injured a 71-year-old man. Dugo was later fired in August 2019. He had faced several years in prison if he had been convicted.The Kansas Highway Patrol determined Dugo responding to a burglary call and driving 79 mph in a 30 mph zone when he slammed into a pickup truck. The collision threw Donald Clark through the windshield of his truck, leaving him with a broken neck, shoulder and ribs and a brain injury. Investigators say he was not using his emergency lights or sirens. Before the collision, Dugo was clocked at 100 mph.Dugo's attorney, Jess Hoeme, said his client was so relieved by the acquittal that “his knees buckled.”

Fired Kansas police officer not guilty in high-speed crash

TOPEKA - Do you know a Kansas farmer, rancher or forester who goes above and beyond in the care and management of natural resources? Nominate them for the 2020 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award®.

Sand County Foundation presents the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 20 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=G62jSYfZdO-2F12d8lSllQB2B7Ws1J-2FGrbnygImthrHm52bssMhillRWwwAaYfgR83E6v231BCIC0b44EfmDpy7epxYzL0CeOeGU6EIM5y6-2BAgqaM6wMuCPONBcMl5JJDQXutSeGyBRoZmnHVvCdWU2Q-3D-3D_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUb8Tm0vJl4STOPXQtykfz6s-2B5krZDG43LNvj6hZsA-2BKqXW9LTnZjns1WVHYeLBUu2nGNndKKbWnHuz1VSzoX-2FDg8SEuHQ6xa3EU3ldcDC0NWWxa-2BizR4j9zJpXbO1DH5BnLLTwYe6orLQ7JYDxUmKug-3D-3D" target="_blank">Kansas</a>, the $10,000 award is presented annually by&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04EhpKFlsiIuDUMUgulQBfhvTkQBNrwko8W115wGf7xViT_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUlBXC4yFtt8-2FCcFL1ESqt2uHg25Lj9RtomdreSWKdD0jv0doFj-2FNXdRrxGnwTEtjTBhNffmnAeN3fMSxNMK71Dg9dz0ikDB-2FVVTJcsbeuNPrmdhMpzsxdKilGWw3qy2S9tYDkDgwlXOGtMVpYD-2B0ZSQ-3D-3D" target="_blank">Sand County Foundation</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=G62jSYfZdO-2F12d8lSllQB9w-2BJNQ4W7kdLfxa-2FDhqeqM-3D_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUTPZBucoKHaLbj9CumGp0ZHSgfOJ-2BefJ-2BKgQ3H6r65efxvEUCeoC4942FhaxoXQYjpA-2FrjJWME2nq79jgXj7MoxFZ-2FOOL1ytb1PtTQHhGhUNw-2FXGrHk1j8-2B-2BM8jVKHlTkKgcc4rU0KbMF7Kx7XtdMqA-3D-3D" target="_blank">Kansas Association of Conservation Districts</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=G62jSYfZdO-2F12d8lSllQB86rPq4K-2BXNb77ikbprDSwkH-2B-2FeVrm3rLsG4AA3TrdlZ_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUJSsilYruB4CYNjyQqlDWn4s7N-2BpYTIub-2Fffx92T6matc7TwIXuIgG4O5a4U5wvhHYxDpxqnAFq7P-2BcsIs5vF34EHVglYS1Nzr9uL8tiBj8Gx-2BWacX11y73KG4D1fUxJ4JkBdXuV2a66HqLlT11l5rg-3D-3D" target="_blank">Ranchland Trust of Kansas</a>.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes those who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.

Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves.&nbsp;Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders.

The application deadline date is June 1, 2020. Applications can be emailed to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:award@sandcountyfoundation.org" target="_blank">award@sandcountyfoundation.org</a>. If mailed, applications must be postmarked by June 1, and mailed to:

The application can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04EhpKFlsiIuDUMUgulQBfhvTevbF4PIGAnd6t2pY3C0-2FQlYMtuN-2B0Joiql8JIhmywWQ-3D-3D_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUOeJ3OMbnOVCF3ViTEUqEnZ7-2FdkAhn94ikldqHWmaan49i1FZF-2FxnemEA6OVin7oVy3mk9KJkX-2BM-2FsZ8oQna1VIsVtJshLI03o1vS7VclZgZylW31tEzzSJbnHwSfb2eqrRNWSH7WxH7vUon78-2B018w-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA</a>.

“The Leopold Conservation Award Program provides a valuable opportunity to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of Kansas&nbsp;agricultural landowners who are committed to strong conservation practices and effective stewardship,” said Dan Meyerhoff, Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD).

“RTK is a proud supporter of the Leopold Conservation Award in Kansas. It is an honor to help recognize those conservationists who go above and beyond in the stewardship of our natural resources,” said Cade Rensink, Chair of the Board of Ranchland Trust of Kansas.

“Conserving our state’s rick and diverse natural resources is ingrained deeply in the culture of our multi-generational farms and ranches,” said Kansas Agriculture Secretary Mike Beam. “The Leopold Conservation Award serves an important role of reminding the general public of how private land managers conserve and enhance these resources for future generations.”

“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are at the forefront of a movement by America’s farmers and ranchers to simultaneously achieve economic and environmental success,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer.

The award will be presented in November at the KACD Annual Convention in Wichita.

The 2019 recipient of the award was Ted Alexander of Sun City. The first Kansas Leopold Conservation Award was presented in 2015 to Sproul Ranch of Sedan.

The Leopold Conservation Award Program in Kansas is made possible thanks to the generous support of Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Ranchland Trust of Kansas, Sand County Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Evergy, The Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, ITC Great Plains, Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Kansas Forest Service, McDonald’s, The Nature Conservancy in Kansas and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

For more information on the award, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04Eot6GHw8JjkJASeYVHkW5VmfpCjptDSg-2FkvzlA2F5Jqw_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUMIvqNfv06zC1SUz40sWkNSAGY8F7fRZ-2BJmRrxSDPkB5gFSep4RBxHRD0hfNcDIN7EsZSiuCQ2od-2BZRm5Lt0dzbcq1Knp8BiIsa3hHrfdvZwAkYCkVHI3VBqgSZEIIYoo9eyMDxo1vMetEC551zgAyg-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.leopoldconservationaward.org</a>.

LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAM

The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. Sand County Foundation presents the award in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont).&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04Eot6GHw8JjkJASeYVHkW5VmfpCjptDSg-2FkvzlA2F5Jqw_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUE7iPchK41G0COqI1874LxvPwRmWk9veUnB3yAaZsWlO7Ap3Zfy85Dt41n81jy5U5apQhgSnUUwtKomoqtoa4FEu-2FFt6i3rCQK-2BLh8Vg01tLEcFpAh7zibyRbI-2BK-2FDNHXRlzORVrqkcUmKXA7lv6QOA-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.leopoldconservationaward.org</a>

Sand County Foundation inspires and enables a growing number of private landowners to ethically manage natural resources in their care, so future generations have clean and abundant water, healthy soil to support agriculture and forestry, plentiful habitat for wildlife and opportunities for outdoor recreation.&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04EhpKFlsiIuDUMUgulQBfhvTD0wgtHmtfJwhGt9ZWoSru_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUcOijT2R-2BAiznmSfuI-2Fcu-2F0B1hSgra7dkBm7UfrPI6Cw8VUifr4dtN9wlReVjKxvT2KfLWeybaP-2Fjr5wDQbAtSLuYg1E-2F2hpuxpGqUJoLskkZ-2B-2BstU2QAEvwh5mPJLhq9YbnF62tytKHFyFxUmoUjGA-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.sandcountyfoundation.org</a>

KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS

The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts is a voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit, incorporated organization composed of members from the conservation districts located throughout Kansas’ 105 counties. Through partnerships with federal, state, and local entities, the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts has brought together groups that share the common goal of wise and efficient conservation practices that protect Kansas’ natural resources. The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts promotes and supports the establishment of programs dedicated to conservation and the organized development of Kansas land, water and related resources.&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04Eplx1k21JGxXwR85Y7q6nxY-3D_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUJ4aCjqNCNeGpOOAHMA9zJePpBB6Qlg6RtMOzyfXllly-2F7LbnoFWdYb5CD3tu0Srs8OvSPrLPlSci70QQ3jA7PeWqRP8cdIPGK-2BJ6J-2FFO7lXvmLTMT5RzRpLfuZP7uHERijFWgMlcXZRCuaNzuwv4wA-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.kacdnet.org</a>

The Ranchland Trust of Kansas is a private, non-profit organization founded by members of the Kansas Livestock Association in 2003. The organization was created to provide assistance to ranchers and landowners who desire to conserve their land with conservation easements. Guided by their mission to preserve Kansas’ ranching heritage and open spaces for future generations through the conservation of working landscapes, RTK values a commitment to conservation, respect for private landownership, integrity, organizational excellence and collaboration with those who share their values. The Ranchland Trust of Kansas remains an affiliate of the Kansas Livestock Association.&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04EmPYhZiITqJk3dw09VOSxO4XE7KQmZ89d2gIG2EeK-2Ban_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUWPbEuk5elqxV14BvUFV-2B5RMl6e3-2Fyi42SYmmQwPkTXOwVFQNre2s8dsMV8iD430t6sZ3CSRqNT1fgPrr0PDgDJz7m-2BV4-2F1ZARkdzReEbMCUbD1kVbxyAZ8XraHWaOogMXHh2DAZIg8tcMWfMJ-2BNy3Q-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.ranchlandtrustofkansas.org</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581102328703.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KLATOPEKA - Do you know a Kansas farmer, rancher or forester who goes above and beyond in the care and management of natural resources? Nominate them for the 2020 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award®.Sand County Foundation presents the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 20 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=G62jSYfZdO-2F12d8lSllQB2B7Ws1J-2FGrbnygImthrHm52bssMhillRWwwAaYfgR83E6v231BCIC0b44EfmDpy7epxYzL0CeOeGU6EIM5y6-2BAgqaM6wMuCPONBcMl5JJDQXutSeGyBRoZmnHVvCdWU2Q-3D-3D_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUb8Tm0vJl4STOPXQtykfz6s-2B5krZDG43LNvj6hZsA-2BKqXW9LTnZjns1WVHYeLBUu2nGNndKKbWnHuz1VSzoX-2FDg8SEuHQ6xa3EU3ldcDC0NWWxa-2BizR4j9zJpXbO1DH5BnLLTwYe6orLQ7JYDxUmKug-3D-3D" target="_blank">Kansas</a>, the $10,000 award is presented annually by&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04EhpKFlsiIuDUMUgulQBfhvTkQBNrwko8W115wGf7xViT_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUlBXC4yFtt8-2FCcFL1ESqt2uHg25Lj9RtomdreSWKdD0jv0doFj-2FNXdRrxGnwTEtjTBhNffmnAeN3fMSxNMK71Dg9dz0ikDB-2FVVTJcsbeuNPrmdhMpzsxdKilGWw3qy2S9tYDkDgwlXOGtMVpYD-2B0ZSQ-3D-3D" target="_blank">Sand County Foundation</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=G62jSYfZdO-2F12d8lSllQB9w-2BJNQ4W7kdLfxa-2FDhqeqM-3D_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUTPZBucoKHaLbj9CumGp0ZHSgfOJ-2BefJ-2BKgQ3H6r65efxvEUCeoC4942FhaxoXQYjpA-2FrjJWME2nq79jgXj7MoxFZ-2FOOL1ytb1PtTQHhGhUNw-2FXGrHk1j8-2B-2BM8jVKHlTkKgcc4rU0KbMF7Kx7XtdMqA-3D-3D" target="_blank">Kansas Association of Conservation Districts</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=G62jSYfZdO-2F12d8lSllQB86rPq4K-2BXNb77ikbprDSwkH-2B-2FeVrm3rLsG4AA3TrdlZ_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUJSsilYruB4CYNjyQqlDWn4s7N-2BpYTIub-2Fffx92T6matc7TwIXuIgG4O5a4U5wvhHYxDpxqnAFq7P-2BcsIs5vF34EHVglYS1Nzr9uL8tiBj8Gx-2BWacX11y73KG4D1fUxJ4JkBdXuV2a66HqLlT11l5rg-3D-3D" target="_blank">Ranchland Trust of Kansas</a>.Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes those who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves.&nbsp;Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders.The application deadline date is June 1, 2020. Applications can be emailed to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:award@sandcountyfoundation.org" target="_blank">award@sandcountyfoundation.org</a>. If mailed, applications must be postmarked by June 1, and mailed to:KACDc/o Dan Meyerhoff414 Autumn LaneHays KS 67601The application can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04EhpKFlsiIuDUMUgulQBfhvTevbF4PIGAnd6t2pY3C0-2FQlYMtuN-2B0Joiql8JIhmywWQ-3D-3D_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUOeJ3OMbnOVCF3ViTEUqEnZ7-2FdkAhn94ikldqHWmaan49i1FZF-2FxnemEA6OVin7oVy3mk9KJkX-2BM-2FsZ8oQna1VIsVtJshLI03o1vS7VclZgZylW31tEzzSJbnHwSfb2eqrRNWSH7WxH7vUon78-2B018w-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA</a>.“The Leopold Conservation Award Program provides a valuable opportunity to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of Kansas&nbsp;agricultural landowners who are committed to strong conservation practices and effective stewardship,” said Dan Meyerhoff, Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD).“RTK is a proud supporter of the Leopold Conservation Award in Kansas. It is an honor to help recognize those conservationists who go above and beyond in the stewardship of our natural resources,” said Cade Rensink, Chair of the Board of Ranchland Trust of Kansas.“Conserving our state’s rick and diverse natural resources is ingrained deeply in the culture of our multi-generational farms and ranches,” said Kansas Agriculture Secretary Mike Beam. “The Leopold Conservation Award serves an important role of reminding the general public of how private land managers conserve and enhance these resources for future generations.”“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are at the forefront of a movement by America’s farmers and ranchers to simultaneously achieve economic and environmental success,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer.The award will be presented in November at the KACD Annual Convention in Wichita.The 2019 recipient of the award was Ted Alexander of Sun City. The first Kansas Leopold Conservation Award was presented in 2015 to Sproul Ranch of Sedan.The Leopold Conservation Award Program in Kansas is made possible thanks to the generous support of Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Ranchland Trust of Kansas, Sand County Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Evergy, The Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, ITC Great Plains, Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Kansas Forest Service, McDonald’s, The Nature Conservancy in Kansas and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.For more information on the award, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04Eot6GHw8JjkJASeYVHkW5VmfpCjptDSg-2FkvzlA2F5Jqw_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUMIvqNfv06zC1SUz40sWkNSAGY8F7fRZ-2BJmRrxSDPkB5gFSep4RBxHRD0hfNcDIN7EsZSiuCQ2od-2BZRm5Lt0dzbcq1Knp8BiIsa3hHrfdvZwAkYCkVHI3VBqgSZEIIYoo9eyMDxo1vMetEC551zgAyg-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.leopoldconservationaward.org</a>.LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAMThe Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. Sand County Foundation presents the award in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont).&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04Eot6GHw8JjkJASeYVHkW5VmfpCjptDSg-2FkvzlA2F5Jqw_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUE7iPchK41G0COqI1874LxvPwRmWk9veUnB3yAaZsWlO7Ap3Zfy85Dt41n81jy5U5apQhgSnUUwtKomoqtoa4FEu-2FFt6i3rCQK-2BLh8Vg01tLEcFpAh7zibyRbI-2BK-2FDNHXRlzORVrqkcUmKXA7lv6QOA-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.leopoldconservationaward.org</a>SAND COUNTY FOUNDATIONSand County Foundation inspires and enables a growing number of private landowners to ethically manage natural resources in their care, so future generations have clean and abundant water, healthy soil to support agriculture and forestry, plentiful habitat for wildlife and opportunities for outdoor recreation.&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04EhpKFlsiIuDUMUgulQBfhvTD0wgtHmtfJwhGt9ZWoSru_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUcOijT2R-2BAiznmSfuI-2Fcu-2F0B1hSgra7dkBm7UfrPI6Cw8VUifr4dtN9wlReVjKxvT2KfLWeybaP-2Fjr5wDQbAtSLuYg1E-2F2hpuxpGqUJoLskkZ-2B-2BstU2QAEvwh5mPJLhq9YbnF62tytKHFyFxUmoUjGA-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.sandcountyfoundation.org</a>KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTSThe Kansas Association of Conservation Districts is a voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit, incorporated organization composed of members from the conservation districts located throughout Kansas’ 105 counties. Through partnerships with federal, state, and local entities, the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts has brought together groups that share the common goal of wise and efficient conservation practices that protect Kansas’ natural resources. The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts promotes and supports the establishment of programs dedicated to conservation and the organized development of Kansas land, water and related resources.&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04Eplx1k21JGxXwR85Y7q6nxY-3D_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUJ4aCjqNCNeGpOOAHMA9zJePpBB6Qlg6RtMOzyfXllly-2F7LbnoFWdYb5CD3tu0Srs8OvSPrLPlSci70QQ3jA7PeWqRP8cdIPGK-2BJ6J-2FFO7lXvmLTMT5RzRpLfuZP7uHERijFWgMlcXZRCuaNzuwv4wA-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.kacdnet.org</a>RANCHLAND TRUST OF KANSASThe Ranchland Trust of Kansas is a private, non-profit organization founded by members of the Kansas Livestock Association in 2003. The organization was created to provide assistance to ranchers and landowners who desire to conserve their land with conservation easements. Guided by their mission to preserve Kansas’ ranching heritage and open spaces for future generations through the conservation of working landscapes, RTK values a commitment to conservation, respect for private landownership, integrity, organizational excellence and collaboration with those who share their values. The Ranchland Trust of Kansas remains an affiliate of the Kansas Livestock Association.&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=84Em28S1K9SvtzcUtu04EmPYhZiITqJk3dw09VOSxO4XE7KQmZ89d2gIG2EeK-2Ban_h3EYRiceYmcE2w0m2fAsUVVnSc1YoYPWmnHpGg72MFf6UeSUAHHFqCr8m58jFpJ1VqRBwUddjgGS-2FUsc987Lf-2F8GIBBTxe-2BbvWkSQvUWLQiI-2B2pRw5nBDiZ77htOb8Mtm5dq3jI6qwVF6lm909YJZ9Lu3HU-2BP-2Fo3CKDyC0bx-2FSWRNpPsM3KZhFX-2Fx2rsVDLUWPbEuk5elqxV14BvUFV-2B5RMl6e3-2Fyi42SYmmQwPkTXOwVFQNre2s8dsMV8iD430t6sZ3CSRqNT1fgPrr0PDgDJz7m-2BV4-2F1ZARkdzReEbMCUbD1kVbxyAZ8XraHWaOogMXHh2DAZIg8tcMWfMJ-2BNy3Q-3D-3D" target="_blank">www.ranchlandtrustofkansas.org</a>

Kansas Leopold Conservation Award seeks nominees

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery, released security camera images of the suspect and he is in custody.

Just after 1:30 p.m. Thursday, officers from the police responded to a possible armed robbery at the Check Into Cash, 2108 W. 27th&nbsp;Street in Lawrence, according to police spokesman Patrick Compton.

It was reported that a heavyset white male, approximately&nbsp; 5-foot-7,&nbsp; and 220 pounds, wearing sunglasses, a plaid shirt and dark vest, entered the business, indicated that he was in possession of a weapon and demanded money.

The suspect fled northwest on foot with an undisclosed sum of money.

Just before noon on Friday, 26-year-old&nbsp; Joeseph Michael Splechter of Lawrence turned himself into police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581076536288.png" alt="Security camera images Lawrence police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera images Lawrence police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery, released security camera images of the suspect and he is in custody.Just after 1:30 p.m. Thursday, officers from the police responded to a possible armed robbery at the Check Into Cash, 2108 W. 27th&nbsp;Street in Lawrence, according to police spokesman Patrick Compton.It was reported that a heavyset white male, approximately&nbsp; 5-foot-7,&nbsp; and 220 pounds, wearing sunglasses, a plaid shirt and dark vest, entered the business, indicated that he was in possession of a weapon and demanded money.The suspect fled northwest on foot with an undisclosed sum of money.Just before noon on Friday, 26-year-old&nbsp; Joeseph Michael Splechter of Lawrence turned himself into police.

Suspect in Kansas armed robbery turns himself in

LAWRENCE, KAN. (AP) —&nbsp;Douglas County law enforcement officials are undergoing training and planning to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of sexual assault cases after facing criticism last year for charging women with making false sexual assault complaints.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson said this week other changes planned in the county include a task force and continuing education on handling trauma and sexual assault cases.

In October, Branson dismissed a case against a woman who was charged with filing a false rape report, after a Lawrence police detective said in an affidavit that he thought the woman reported the rape because she was angry the man involved was seeing another woman. Advocates for sexual violence victims criticized Branson and investigators, saying filing such charges would make victims reluctant to report sexual assaults. Two similar cases were dismissed in December.

A group of social work students at the University of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;said prosecutors and investigators showed a “concerning lack of crucial knowledge” about trauma and sexual assault, as well as behaviors survivors might display after an assault. Anne Divine, president of the&nbsp;KU Edwards BSW Student Group, said the group saw a “regrettable pattern” in the investigations.

In the past three months, all attorneys and victim/witness coordinators in the Douglas County district attorney's office have completed a five-hour training course on sexual assault investigations. Lawrence police detectives will also take the training.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581182177849.png" alt="Douglas County court house -google image" />
 <figcaption>Douglas County court house -google image</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, KAN. (AP) —&nbsp;Douglas County law enforcement officials are undergoing training and planning to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of sexual assault cases after facing criticism last year for charging women with making false sexual assault complaints.Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson said this week other changes planned in the county include a task force and continuing education on handling trauma and sexual assault cases.In October, Branson dismissed a case against a woman who was charged with filing a false rape report, after a Lawrence police detective said in an affidavit that he thought the woman reported the rape because she was angry the man involved was seeing another woman. Advocates for sexual violence victims criticized Branson and investigators, saying filing such charges would make victims reluctant to report sexual assaults. Two similar cases were dismissed in December.A group of social work students at the University of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;said prosecutors and investigators showed a “concerning lack of crucial knowledge” about trauma and sexual assault, as well as behaviors survivors might display after an assault. Anne Divine, president of the&nbsp;KU Edwards BSW Student Group, said the group saw a “regrettable pattern” in the investigations.In the past three months, all attorneys and victim/witness coordinators in the Douglas County district attorney's office have completed a five-hour training course on sexual assault investigations. Lawrence police detectives will also take the training.Tom Tremblay, a retired police chief from Burlington,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/vermont">Vermont</a>, who specializes in trauma-informed response, investigation and prosecution training, will lead a two-day training session for more than 40 senior prosecutors, victim/witness coordinators, community service providers, detectives, investigators and their supervisors in April, Branson said. He also will help Branson’s office draft procedures to coordinate responses of area law enforcement and attorneys in investigations and prosecutions in sexual assault cases.The county also will develop a continuing training program for the investigators and first responders who have first contact with survivors, “so they have at least the basic tools to understand what’s going on, how to respond and how to make the handoff to the trained investigators,” Branson said. “It is anticipated” that all area law enforcement will take the annual in-service training, he said.Divine said Wednesday that she thought it was “really wonderful” that Branson’s plans include many points she and other students promoted in letters to Lawrence city leaders, the district attorney’s office and local law enforcement.Branson said a major concern was that agencies handled their investigations differently.“We didn’t want people to have a different experience based upon who investigated the case,” Branson said. “It also made a difference in how the case was investigated with what our office would do with it and how we would necessarily view it.”He’s working with area law enforcement and service providers to create the Douglas County Sexual Assault and Trauma Task Force, which aims to develop protocols to ensure that investigations are consistent from agency to agency. Most of those currently appointed to the task force are males, but Branson said he is trying to add more community partners.